I sat on the edge of my makeshift bed (it was just a bean bag held up by a flat rock), staring out into the horizon a faint glow shining on the grass below. The Crystal Temple was almost directly below of me, just a couple hundred yards away from my gazebo. It had been just a day since I'd officially met the Gems, and I couldn't help but reflect on how well—or rather, how easily—I'd managed to integrate myself into their dynamic. It wasn't as hard as I'd thought it would be. After all, I already knew their personalities, their quirks, their likes and dislikes. Garnet's stoic leadership, Pearl's perfectionism, Amethyst's chaotic t was all familiar to me, like characters I'd read a hundred times. The only difference now was that they were real, and I was part of their world.
But knowing them and truly understanding them were two different things. I'd most of yesterday observing seeing if they truly acted the same, listening, and occasionally offering subtle advice when it felt appropriate. I'd even managed to bond with Steven over our shared love of bad TV shows, not so much with his obsession with junk food though. Still, there was a lingering unease in the back of my mind. The Diamonds were out there, and while the Gems were powerful, they weren't infallible. Steven, in particular, was still so young and inexperienced. I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to prepare everyone, especially steven for what was coming as soon as possible, even if it was just in small ways.
That's why, on this particular evening, I found myself heading over to Steven's house. The sun had just begun to settle and the sky was painted in hues of orange and purple. As I walked un the stair of there beach house I heard loud shouting coming from within. I paused at the door, listening for a moment.
"You were completely reckless out there, Amethyst!" Pearl's voice was sharp, laced with frustration. "We could've been seriously hurt because of your carelessness!"
"Oh, come on, P," Amethyst shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's not like I tried to mess things up. Maybe if you weren't so uptight all the time, we'd actually have some fun on these missions!"
I sighed. Typical. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. The argument was clearly in full swing. Shaking my head, I decided to let myself in. The door creaked open, and I stepped inside to find Steven standing in the kitchen, completely encased in a hardened shell of gunk. The kid looked like a statue, frozen mid-step with a goofy grin on his face.
my mind wandered to the irony of it all. The Crystal Gems—Steven included—fought Gems without a second thought, yet they were so protective of Earth and its inhabitants. It was a strange duality, one that I couldn't quite reconcile. But I pushed those thoughts aside for now. Seeing the situation now, tonight, I had a different mission.
"Uh… Steven?" I called out, raising an eyebrow. "You good, buddy?"
Steven's eyes darted toward me, wide with desperation. "Ethan! Thank goodness you're here! I'm stuck, and no one's helping me!"
I glanced over at the Gems, who were still too absorbed in their argument to notice Steven's predicament. Garnet stood with her arms crossed, her visor hiding her eyes but not the tension in her posture. Pearl was gesturing wildly, her voice rising with every word, while Amethyst lounged on the couch, looking completely unbothered on the outside but I saw a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
"Yeah, I can see that," I muttered, walking over to Steven. I poked at the hardened gunk, testing its durability. "What even is this stuff?"
"It's from a blood polyp," Steven explained, his voice muffled. "It was fun at first, but now it's super uncomfortable."
I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Only you, Steven. Only you." I grabbed a nearby spatula and started chipping away at the gunk. It was tough, but with a bit of effort, I managed to free Steven's arms and legs.
"Thanks, Ethan," Steven said, stretching as soon as he was free. "I thought I was gonna be stuck like that forever."
"No problem," I replied, tossing the spatula onto the counter. "But, uh, you might wanna clean yourself up before that stuff starts to smell."
Steven nodded and hurried off to the bathroom, leaving me alone with the still-arguing Gems. I watched them for a moment, thinking of the best course of action to take. This was the perfect opportunity to set things in motion. I knew exactly what was coming next. Seeing how erly in the season I am and steven mentioning the one off gem it was easy to identify—Amethyst sneaking out to wrestle, Steven following her, and the eventual revelation that would help Pearl and Garnet understand why Amethyst needed this outlet. But I couldn't just sit back and let it play out. I needed to nudge Steven in the right direction.
When Steven returned, freshly cleaned and wearing a new shirt, I pulled him aside. "Hey, Steven. I know things are kinda crazy right now, but I think you should keep an eye on Amethyst tonight. She might… do something interesting."
Steven tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Just trust me on this, okay? If she leaves the house, follow her. But be sneaky about it."
Steven's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Okay! I'll do it!"
I smiled, ruffling Steven's hair. "Good. Now, I'm gonna head out, but I'll catch up with you later, alright?"
Steven nodded enthusiastically, and I slipped out the door, making sure to leave it slightly ajar. I didn't go far, though. Instead, I circled around to the back of the house and waited patiently I couldn't slip up just because I got bored.
Sure enough, a few hours later it was night. hearing a creak at the gems house I quickly got on guard standing behind one of the larger rocks at the beach and saw Amethyst sneaking out, her form silhouetted against the moonlight. Steven thankfully after a while followed shortly after, tiptoeing with all the subtlety of a baby deer.
I smirked to myself. Showtime.
The rest of the night unfolded just as I remembered. Steven followed Amethyst to the wrestling match, where he discovered her secret identity as the Purple Puma. I watched from the shadows, careful not to interfere too much. I knew this was a pivotal moment for Steven and Amethyst, and I didn't want to mess it up. Not yet.
When Steven confronted Amethyst after the match, I couldn't help but smile at the kid's excitement. "So you're, like, a secret wrestler?!" Steven exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Amethyst laughed, ruffling Steven's hair. "Yeah, I guess I am. But you gotta promise not to tell Pearl and Garnet, okay? This is my thing."
Steven nodded eagerly. "I won't tell! But… can I join you?"
Amethyst grinned. "Sure, little man. But you gotta come up with a cool wrestling name."
And just like that, Tiger Millionaire was born.
---------------------------------
The matches continued, each more exciting than the last.
I'd managed to come to every single one bringing connie along for a few of them making sure everything played out as it should, peaking from a window since I of course wouldn't be paying.
Then the day finally came Steven, in his excitement, made flyers advertising the final match posting them throughout beach city. It was already midnight and as I followed cautiously behind them I could already somehow feel a presence observing the two in my general direction.
facing to the left of me I saw garnet and pearl atop a roof as the two entered fully dressed for the upcoming match, the two leaped into action as soon as they saw them enter and with that my steering of steven seemed to have worked.
I know i can't just let the plot unfold every time but for the character development of the main cast I'd let it slide this time for now, I won't stand by every time and let "character development" aka torturing steven happen but this at least is necessary enough for the team to get on the same page to stop the diamonds from reeking havoc on their precious earth,
Peeking through the window once more I saw the final round for Tiger millionare and purple puma with two figures waiting to jump into action.
As we prepared for the match, the doors to the underground ring burst open. Garnet and Pearl stood at the entrance, holding the flyers Steven had made. "Steven, Amethyst," Pearl started, her voice laced with disappointment, "what is this?"
Amethyst's face fell. "You guys weren't supposed to find out…"
Garnet crossed her arms. "This needs to stop. You're coming back to the temple."
Amethyst clenched her fists. "No. This is my thing! You guys don't get it!"
Tension filled the air as Garnet and Amethyst squared off, the crowd sensing an even bigger fight brewing. Without thinking, Amethyst lunged at Garnet. The two clashed in the ring, Amethyst putting up a fight, but Garnet remaining firm and unyielding.
Steven, realizing things were escalating too far, quickly grabbed a microphone. "Wait! Everyone, listen! Do you wanna know Purple Puma's real story?"
The audience hushed as Steven continued, weaving an emotional tale of Amethyst's struggles, of feeling like an outsider and how wrestling gave her a place to truly be herself. Garnet and Pearl listened, their expressions softening after each word steven spoke.
The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting for a final showdown. Garnet adjusted her visor. "No. We are… The Notorious Order of Wrestling Haters."
The crowd gasped as Garnet and Pearl dramatically entered the ring. What followed was a hilarious and exaggerated performance, that was surprisingly informative for me, the way they fought the stances they took, counters strikes at play it was somewhat masterful and my mind ate it up like breakfast over the fake battle where Tiger Millionaire and Purple Puma triumphed over "Captain Square" and Pearl. The audience roared with approval as Garnet and Amethyst finally made peace, apologizing to each other.
Steven and Amethyst held up their tag team medals victoriously. In the crowd, Sadie looked bewildered. "I have no idea what just happened."
Beside her, Lars wiped a dramatic tear from his eye. "I love you, Tiger Millionaire."
As the crowd cheered and the night came to an end, I couldn't help but smile. I had helped things play out normally for now, just being here was enough, and I knew the more i integrated myself with them the higher my chances at really living in this world would be, soon the crystal gems will be a force to be reckoned with.