At the double lines, listen to Christina Aguilera's "I Turn To You"

"GRNNNNAAAAAAHHHH" the fusion screamed as the dirty sphere grew larger with every black dot, casting an appalling shadow over the land. "Jeez! How much crud was buried here?! Then again…it's 5,000 years of decaying slimy bodies" they thought as they pushed the water through every core and crevice of the island.

Solomon kept his eyes locked on the straining fusion, ready to provide assistance at the slightest drop of their arms.

"Powerful…more than diamond" he thought to himself. But he was taken out his thought and Ash nearly lost some of her feathers when Azurite let loose a mighty yell and their gemstones lit up like the lines on his body.

Worm-like streams of the noxious substance started coming out the ground at a faster rate, causing the island to shake again. Trees toppled around them. The grass dried up – brown blades flying along the wind stream created by fusion's power. Ash let out a series of worried squawks as she witnessed the destruction taking place, but Solomon's focus remained solely on Azurite.

"Azurite all right?" he asked once he noticed their ragged breathing and that their eyes were closed. But he didn't get a vocal response. Instead they roared again and pointed all four arms up. The wormy streams turned into full-on mini geysers, starting out black before clearing out to pure pristine water. When the fusion opened their eyes, they were burning with the same harsh light as their gemstones. The lake water churned violently around their legs.

Solomon immediately picked up on the temperature change when he noticed the giant water sphere covered in boiling bubbles. He immediately lit up the lines on his body, ready to freeze the water just like before.

Ash was grateful for the cooldown he exuded. She'd lost her puff and stuck all of the feathers to her body, either from stress or the sultry heat.

"Rrrrrrrrgh!" Azurite growled as she continued to boil all the impurities away, leaving nothing but diamond fractals in the water. With the last little bit of the toxic gunk gone, they called out to Solomon. The serpent sprayed the giant sphere with an ice beam, freezing it solid in a matter of seconds. Then they clenched their hands into tight fists, crushing the ice ball like an egg and returning it to its liquid state. Azurite unclenched her fists, spread their arms out like a DaVinci study and spread the water around in the air like jam on a biscuit, covering the entire archipelago. With a simple downward flick of their fingers, the water fell as a steady rain.

Solomon lifted his head straight up with Ash flying to the top of this snout, both of them reveling in the rejuvenating water that washed over their bodies. The fusion followed their same sentiment as an exhausted yet gratifying smile graced their lips as the last of water showered upon the islands, leaving mist behind.

"I did it…I did it!" they happily thought as they almost collapsed back-first into the lake. Solomon got to them and held them up in his tail, moving them toward the banks of the lake and setting their body down on the black, nutrient rich soil.

"Thanks…Solomon" they tiredly acknowledged before their eyes slowly closed completely and their breathing evened out, sending them to a much needed nap. The snake curled around them again like a horseshoe and the lights on his body disappeared as he entered into rest mode as well. Not wanting to be left out, Ash glided and nailed a perfect landing right on the fusion's bare belly and settled her feathery body down – each breath bobbing her up and down like an ocean wave. The weary trio deserved their rest, and the island insured that it wouldn't be disturbed. The mist from the impromptu rain didn't dissipate. Instead it got thicker, cloaking them as well as the land so the true rejuvenation process could begin.

Later…

**YAWWWWWWWNNNNN**

The sound of awakening split the fog cloud, revealing the orange tinted sky above. Azurite stretched all of their limbs out. As soon as they did, the lights on Solomon's body reignited. The titanic serpent lifted its head and looked down at the sprawled out fusion, noting how the fluffy bird was still sitting in place despite the action all around her. "Peace" he thought before he gave Azurite some room to sit up, finally rousing Ash out of her slumber.

A little squawk caught their attention. "Oh, sorry Ash" Azurite said. The bird paid no mind and simply flew on top of their head and resumed her siesta. The fusion chuckled a bit before being interrupted by a gentle nudge from behind. "Hello to you too" they smiled as they petted their guardian friend. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Best sleep" he answered.

"Too right. Heh…I guess Ringo is rubbing off on me" they smiled as they stood up and the restored temple caught their sight. They couldn't help but stare at the golden-painted water flowing out of the shimmering structure. But their amazement was interrupted when they noticed that there wasn't a massive jungle behind it. Nor around them for that matter. All that remained were millions of tender shoots and tree saplings.

"Wh-what happened to all the plants?" they whispered, then finally noticed all the mud that caked the back of their arms. They looked behind them and saw the imprints they and Solomon left on the soil. A small-snowball of a thought entered their mind. "…OH NO!" Ash had to use her webbed feet to hold on for dear life when Azurite shot into the air and flew in the direction of the village.

"No worry no problem no worry no problem no worry no problem" they chanted.

That snowball rolled from being a festive dream into a cataclysmic nightmare when they realized that all of the gunk they extracted from the island could've affected their Watermelon Stevens. They instantly reached the village and they enveloped themselves within the light manta ray. Thankfully Ash flew off their head in the nick of time. They quickly realized that they could cause some serious, accidental damage with their size. Azurite disappeared, leaving a blue glowing Steven behind – complete with his own set of wings. Ash glided alongside him and they landed safely within the village square where the statue of baby melon was.

But no one was offering prayers to the idol of the enlightened one. Numerous huts were smashed in due to collapsed trees. Black soil was covered with more new growth. It was eerily quiet…no sound whatsoever save for the worried coos coming from Ash who was currently perched on Steven's shoulder.

"Don't worry Ash, I'm sure they're okay. But maybe you can fly around and scout the area while I look down here" he suggested. She nodded her head and took off.

Meanwhile Steven's two gems heeded his desire and increased his speed tenfold. He checked every intact hut, calling out names as loud as he could.

"RINGO! STINGER! TRACKER! ROCHESTER! ROCKY! ELDER WARREN! RUUUUDY! ANYBODY!"

He ran over to the seagull feeding dishes. Nothing. He even went to the outskirts to see if he could find Lemonade, Justice, Gumdrop or any melon animals, but the pens weren't there anymore.

"This is bad! No, I can't worry. They're fine. I made them, they're tough!" he thought. Soon he reached the cotton pit but the soft material was all gone. Now instead of a slick grass slide it was slick mud slide.

"Alright, time for a bird's eye view" he thought. Just as he was about to fly up to the pinnacle of the slide, Ash's screeching squawk stopped him. She landed right in front of him and flapped her wings frantically. "You found them?! Great! Lead the way!" She gave an affirmative nod and took to the skies with Steven close behind.

Soon they came upon some hillsides that had numerous farm plots on them. They almost looked like those rice fields that Connie showed him in a book while he was recovering – he always liked learning about new things. But instead of being covered in water, they were covered in vines with little elephant leaf bushes interspersed. "At least these have plants on them" he thought when they landed on one of the farm plots.

Other than the immense growth, he couldn't really see why this spot would cause Ash to bring him here. Then again, it was getting dark and the lighting wasn't exactly the best. He lifted his shirt up to expose his now dark-blue gemstone and tied a knot in the back so it could stay up. "Wooow" he marveled at the luminous sea water stone but quickly righted his mind to the situation at hand. "Gem, light please" he asked and both stones lit up like a light house beacon. He covered his eyes and yelled, "Too bright! Too bright!" Instantly the intensity dimmed down a bit. "Ahh…much better. Thank you" he said as he uncovered his eyes and his pupils readjusted.

**Squaaawww…**

He looked down when he heard Ash's dazed squawk. "Ash! Are you okay!? Sorry about that" he said as he crouched down next to her. She shook her head and puffed up a bit, trying to rid herself on the stars in front of her eyes. After a couple more blinks she looked up at him with a blank look, but somehow Steven could tell it was an annoyed frown even though she couldn't physically express it.

"Sorry" he apologized again. She rubbed her head against his shin, letting him know he was forgiven. Then she glided over to a bush on the further side of the plot and flapped her wings again, signaling to come look. He followed suit but heard a strange noise as he got closer to her. It almost sounded like…singing.

"In the village, the peaceful village the melons grow tonight"

He landed right behind the bush and carefully peeked around it. He let out a short gasp and fell on his butt when he saw a little melon head staring back at him.

"Ah! Master Steven! I knew you'd be alright!" the head cheerfully chirped in a proper yet unexpected islander tone. Made sense…they are on an island.

He crawled over to the melon head and stared at it a bit. "Wh-wh" he started to stutter but the head beat him to the punch.

"I know you are very confused right now, but if you give me a moment of your time I'll be more than happy to explain everything in the quickest way possible."

Steven merely nodded his head and sat Indian style next to the talkative melon while Ash sat in his lap. He started to pet her absentmindedly, but she didn't mind.

"First let me introduce myself. Well, more like reintroduce. You've already met my predecessor Elder Warren. I am his germinate. Which is to say I grew from one of his seeds after he returned to the ground once you extracted all of the poison out of ground with your powers."

Steven nodded. He figured as much – he just wasn't really aware of how powerful Azurite was. Cleaning a lake is one thing, but a whole archipelago?! "…I see."

"You seem…uncomfortable" the head noticed that he stopped petting Ash. Even she looked up to see what was wrong.

"Not uncomfortable just…surprised" he shared.

"I'm not! You defeated a massive manifestation of that lethal substance with the aid of our finest warriors! Not only that, you kept them safe! I'm glad I remember that! It shall be a tale told throughout our melon history. A tale of bravery, resilience and a bit recklessness!" he exalted, causing him to humbly scratch the back of his head.

"Speaking of melons, you said that you're from one of elder Warren's seeds."

"Correct."

"But watermelons have lots of seeds. Does that mean that there are more Warrens in the ground?" Steven asked.

"Yes and no. There will be many melons that have the elder's genetic code, but I am from the true seed. That one contains not only the genetic material, but also some of the core memories. The other Warrens will be completely new melons in a sense. That is why I knew who you were and what transpired here. Although me knowing who you were may be more instinctual since you are our creator" he explained.

"What about Rochester and the rest of the crew?"

"…Unfortunately I do not know. Y'see Elder Warren was already close to returning to the soil naturally due to his age. The fact the lived this long is quite extraordinary, especially since he was the last of the original patch. He wasn't grown here like everyone else. Very little was extracted out of him when you cleansed the island, so the majority of his seeds remained intact. I cannot say how many seeds of my fellow melons were able to survive the purification process. I sincerely hope that the core seeds remained…"

"…I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean-"

"Why do you apologize Master? There should be no tears. You have saved the island! I know it doesn't appear that way, but every plant has its right season when it'll bloom and flourish. We have the benefit of your added love within the island. That's why I and the rest of the flora were able to spring so quickly. Rest assured that the island will be better than ever before you can same my name seven times! And before you ask, the rest of seagulls and any other animals will be fine as well. They always have a knack for avoiding danger" he grinned.

"…Okay. But umm…what is your name since you're not the elder in a sense" he asked.

"To be honest I actually like Warren. But the dilemma is that I want to honor my heritage of the family vine, but at the same time be my own melon. And Germinate Warren doesn't exactly roll off the pulp" he confessed.

"Hmmm…how about Warren G?" Steven suggested.

"Warren G? Hmmmm…Warren G…yes…yes! I like it even more! Thank you Master Steven! This melon be Warren G" he sing-songed at the end, causing Steven to giggle.

"I'm glad you like it! But how long will it be until everything is…flourishing?" he settled on. Relatively speaking there was nothing normal about talking melons, giant stone water snakes and slimy black essences trying to destroy things. But he wouldn't have it any other way – except for the slimy monsters that is. Then again it was because of them that he and Lapis fused so there's always a positive in every situation, and her gemstone lit up in response to his thought.

"As far as the rest of my kind, it is hard to say. I believe I was able to sprout quickly because my predecessor had such a minuscule amount of poison within him. As far as the natural flora goes it shouldn't be long given how quickly the seeds sprang up. Plants are resilient. We can regrow after fires, floods or any other natural phenomenon so long as we have the perfect triangle."

"Perfect triangle?"

"Water, rich soil and sun" he clarified.

"…There's nothing natural about those slimy monsters. I don't even know where they come from" he lamented.

"Yet we were able to adapt and thrive in spite of it. So what does that say about us?" he grinned. Steven blinked, then grinned as well. "Although…I must apologize."

"For what?" asked Steven.

"We can't have the party we were planning for you" he explained.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that everyone is gonna be alright. Plus I know where you guys live so I can always come back and visit! Or you can even send Ash when you're ready to party!" he offered.

"Most splendid! It will be a bacchanal for the ages with our finest fruit punch! Oh it is simply divine! Not to mention the music…oh drat! I must apologize again Master Steven. Even though you told me I shouldn't, I should in this case. In the midst of the chaos Lenn and Sir Starr didn't have the opportunity to repair your guitar. But I assure you it'll be crafted out of the strongest bark our jungle has to offer" he assured, but Steven's mind was somewhere else.

"What's the matter Master?"

"Where's Rudy?! Is she okay?!" he blurted out when he thought about his belongings.

"Most assuredly! Rudy and the rest of your belongings are in the center of the statue of the enlightened one. Tracker didn't want to expose her to the cleansing process since she already did it in a sense during the battle, and she was in such a fragile state. All you have to do is remove the center tile" he explained.

Steven sighed in relief. "Okay…thank you. Sorry for shouting like that."

"No apologies needed. Heh… déjà vu. I suppose that'll be the sentiment from now on?" he smiled and Steven nodded in agreement.

"I'm gonna go check on her then be right back" but Warren G refuted him.

"No Master Steven! You have done more than enough. I've heard tales of your previous battles and recovery. Return home and rest. I know the village isn't in the best shape right now and the thought of you sleeping outside in the elements is completely unacceptable!"

"Steven, I agree with him. You need to rest" Steven heard Lapis within his head.

"But I just can't leave him alone!" he countered her out loud, inadvertently replying to him.

"Oh I won't be alone! Ash will keep me company. She seems rather fond of my singing, that's how she found me" he replied.

"Doesn't surprise me" he smiled as he resumed petting her, causing her to coo. "But I'd feel a lot better if you had someone else nearby. I know you're tough Ash, but y'know. Extra backup. I just wish Solomon wasn't so big."

"Begging my pardon Master, but who is Solomon?"

"Rochester and the others didn't tell elder Warren about the giant stone snake?"

"They did, but I wasn't aware that it had name."

"He sure does and he's super friendly! And in addition to being a healing spring, he's the newly appointed guardian of the whole island! I was hoping I could introduce you guys during the party at the temple."

"Not a problem! I'll make my way over to the temple once I'm done growing. I can already feel my neck starting to form!" Sure enough there was already a little nub near the base of his head.

"…Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. Rest Master, you've most certainly earned it" he smiled.

"Okay. But I'm gonna let him know that you're coming once you're finished growing" he conceded and Ash got out of his lap so he could stand up. She landed on his shoulder and rubber her head against his. "Promise to watch over him for me" he said and she gave him an affirmative squawk. "Thank you" he smiled and gave her one last pat before setting her down. "See you later Warren G!" he waved as his water wings formed.

"Indeed! Safe travels Master, see you soon!" he smiled and Steven took off back towards the village square, with the faint echo of Warren G's song carrying across the wind.

Once he got back to the statue, he pulled on the tile and opened the secret compartment. Inside were his cheeseburger backpack and a bouncing little pouch. Steven set the tile down then reached inside to grab the little sack. As soon as he touched it, it thrashed about even harder.

"Rudy! It's me, Steven! You're okay!" he yelled and the bag went still. He carefully pulled the drawstring open and the now miniscule vine hopped out faster than a bolt of lightning! Steven almost dropped her because she was moving so fast. "Whoa whoa whoa! It's okay! I got you" he assured and brought the little sprout to his face. There was high-pitched sound that almost resembled a busted whistle until she latched onto his face. "Ow!" he yelped when he felt her little teeth, or barbs (honestly it all felt the same), sinking into his skin. But it was soon replaced by caressing rubs. "I missed you too" he said and fought the urge to pet her back – his finger was triple her size and the last thing he wanted to do was squish her by accident. "C'mon, there's somewhere I want to take you. It'll help you feel better. Can you get in the back in the bag for me? It'll be a quick trip I promise" he said and with another sting Rudy got off his cheek and back into Tracker's now empty seed bag. "Guess she was hungry…hope those seeds weren't infected" he thought as he pulled the drawstrings tight.

He checked inside his backpack and the only thing inside was a surprisingly undamaged phone. "Thank goodness for thick buns!" he smiled as he put Rudy inside the buns as well. He closed it up, slung it over his back and formed his wings again – flying against the darkened backdrop. It didn't take him long to reach Solomon because he was on the move towards the village, with a vapor trail behind him.

"SOLOMON! STOOOOOOP!" As soon as Steven shouted those words the light manta ray reappeared and Azurite formed again. They glomped onto his head and yelled, "Solomon, stop! You can't go any further! You'll squish the village and the plants!"

"Plants are fine. Gliding." he responded.

"H-Huh?" they hovered above the ground so as not to step on the fragile shoots and looked under his belly. Sure enough he was barely lifting his body up with mist propulsion. "H-How are doing that?"

"Your power in me" he replied.

"I gave you that ability? …Wow" they marveled but couldn't believe how much extra power they had within them, enough to even give an inanimate object.

"Why Azurite scared? Why fly off? Didn't know where went so I looked" he said.

They petted his head and said, "I'm so sorry Solomon, I didn't mean to make you worry. I just realized when I purged the island of all of that gunk, I also got rid of it in all my Watermelon Stevens. But they're all re-growing, just like the jungle is doing now. …I really shouldn't have worried myself in hindsight."

"No worry. You concerned. You care. You love" Solomon defended, causing them to smile.

"Thank you. Let's go back to the temple. I have a buddy that needs to be planted" Azurite explained and they made their way back to the temple. Or at least they would've liked to. Even though Solomon's mist didn't damage the plants, it made him slower than a snail in January. If it weren't for his size he probably wouldn't have reached the village until the day after tomorrow…if that was his equivalent of maximum overdrive.

"Hold on" they said as they got in front of him. Solomon cocked his head to the side. Azurite stretched out one of their upper arms towards the direction of the temple lake. Light tremors started to rock the area before a giant hand took shape.

"Hold still for me, okay?" they said and Solomon just nodded, not breaking eye contact with the massive hand above them. Azurite's aqua hand used its index finger and thumb to grab his body and carefully took him over to the temple with them flying close behind. They set him down on the lake shore while the hand melded back into the water. "Sorry, it's was just taking a wee bit too long" they explained and he merely nodded in agreement.

Azurite then reached into their backpack and pulled out Rudy's sack. They dropped the mini vine onto one of their palms and said, "Here we are Rudy, we're back at the temple OW!" Tiny barbs formed on her body again, clearly not liking the idea of going back into that cursed place. Digging into that toxic dirt to protect her buddy was one thing, but going back into it voluntarily was something completely absurd.

"It's alright Rudy! I cleaned the soil; the whole island is healthy. I promise you won't get sick again."

It took a moment before she retracted her barbs. Deep down she knew Steven wouldn't do anything to hurt her – he wasn't Rose. They put one of their fingers into the ground to make a shallow hole and carefully placed her down there. For extra good measure they formed a single water drop on the tip of their finger and dropped it down as well. "I'll see you soon. Thank you for everything. I hope you like the water, it has to be better than spit" they said as they covered her up. "Although now that I think about it…I just fed her my sweat" they thought but didn't question it anymore. Their watermelon Stevens liked it, so it's all good.

"Oh right! Hey Solomon, one of my Watermelon Stevens is growing right now. His name is Warren G. I'm not sure when he'll be done growing, but he'll make his way over to you once he is. I know those stones were in you when they saw you, but do you remember what they look like?" they asked.

Solomon nodded his head and answered, "Green stripes."

"Yep! Will you be able to understand him? He doesn't talk like I do" they asked.

"Your power in me. You understand, I understand. Even if can't understand talking, I understand body language. No hurt, all good" he explained.

"Solomon, you're amazing" they smiled as they hugged him. The simple action caused their gems to glow, surrounding them with blue/gold ribbon streams of light. Coincidentally the lines on Solomon's body started glowing too, adding lavender streams of light.

"What this?" he asked when he noticed the aurora.

"Ultimate compatibility glow. It happens when a gem makes another happy and they start to glow. I'm happy and I love you so I started glowing."

"I feel Azurite's happiness so I glow too?" he asked.

"Uh huh! And that's mean we'll be best friends forever, if you want."

"I do" and the lines on his body shone even brighter, creating an even bigger aurora.

"I hope Warren G and Ash can see this" they marveled with starry eyes.

"Like this feeling. Nothing like this with Blue Diamond. Want share with Blue" he said.

"We will, I promise" they assured. After a couple more minutes they released him from the hug and said, "Thanks for looking after everything. I'll see you soon once I'm all rested up."

"I help start healing" he said before coating them with a wave of mist.

"Hmmmmm…so good" they happily moaned.

"Be well, Azurite. See soon."

With one last quick hug, Azurite formed her water wings and took off for home, flying against the still aurora-painted backdrop of the night sky. Soon it disappeared, letting the twinkling stars take over.

"Wow... I would've never thought that all this was going to happen on our sky adventure. And we still didn't find you your own secret getaway to relax. I'm sorry" the Steven side apologized.

The Lapis side of the fusion snorted and laughed wholeheartedly for a few minutes, thoroughly confusing the Steven side. Before he could even think of asking a question, she responded to his concern the only way that would cement her feelings for him permanently.

When I'm lost in the rain
In your eyes I know I'll find the light to light my way
When I'm scared, losing ground
When my world is going crazy
You can turn it all around
And when I'm down you're there pushing me to the top
You're always there giving me all you've got

For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love to keep me safe and warm
I turn to you

For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you

Her beautiful voice carried across the expanse, rippling the ocean. Below them the flying fish leapt out of the stirring water performing amazing acrobatics in response to the dazzling melody, going absolutely fanatic from the sheer happiness they exuded. And their gemstones followed suite, once again dimming the light of the stars with their radiant bliss. But Lapis was only getting started.

When I lose the will to win
I just reach for you and I can reach the sky again
I can do anything
'Cause your love is so amazing
'Cause your love inspires me

And when I need a friend
You're always on my side
Giving me faith
Taking me through the night

A couple of tears splashed the surface of the ocean as the raw and unfiltered emotion just came out. Even through a few hiccupping notes she carried on. The Steven side couldn't help but cause the fusion to do a couple a twists mid-air at what he heard. Azurite's arms were embraced around themselves as they sang the chorus again through a wide smile. Suddenly the Lapis side took control of the wings, propelling them higher and higher into the Earth's atmosphere as her vocal range got higher as well.

For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain
For truth that will never change
For someone to lean on

For a heart I can rely on through anything
For that one who
I can run to

The notes were belted out as they gazed upon the many planets and galaxies – as far as their eyes could see. And it wasn't just Lapis singing, Steven was too. Azurite was singing to anyone that could hear them, but most importantly they were singing to themselves, sealing a promise that'll never be broken. That their light will never be put out. And that they were unashamed to show it off in the face of any opposition. If relying on others is considered a weakness, try convincing that to that titan of a fusion born of ultimate trust. They sped back down to the Earth's surface, like a comet shooting across the sky because a love like theirs was a once in a lifetime phenomenon to see.

Meanwhile…back at the beach house…

"Where are they?!" yelled Peridot as she paced back and forth across the wooden floors of the beach house. "I know we told her to keep him preoccupied, but not the entire Earth rotation!"

"Take a chill pill P. They'll get here when they get here" Amethyst said as she cracked one eye open. She was laying on top of Lion who was also trying to catch some zzzz's.

It was a welcomed surprise to see him in the house after so long…especially given that Dark Levon almost formed. In the back of their minds, they were sure he would only be around if it was just him and Steven. They were almost surprised that he didn't sneak Steven away while he was recovering with Greg. But here was. And in true cat form he mainly slept while the rest of them decorated the house. But they finished that task ages ago. It was nearly approaching midnight.

"Besides she did call-"

"Dibs! I know that!" she irritably replied.

"Peridot" Garnet said as she got up off the couch and placed her hand on her shoulder. She looked at the smile she had and immediately looked away as a blush adorned her cheeks.

"I-I just want Steven to see the surprise we set up for him already" she said.

Suddenly Lion's ears perked up and he stood up. Thankfully Amethyst nearly avoided having her head fall to the floor.

"Whooa! Hey, what's up Lion?" she asked as all of the gems watched him walk to the door, nearly clawing through the screen as he tried to get out.

"Lion wait! We just fixed that!" Pearl shouted, but toned it down when he gave her the "death glare". Guess some of that animosity still remained. She could almost hear him saying, "Then open it already!" He backed up so she could and walked out onto the deck. One by one the rest of them gems followed suite.

"What's gotten into him? What's he looking at?" Jasper asked as they noticed he was looking up at the sky. Not a moment later a golden-blue hue decorated the star-studded sky, putting everyone at ease except for one.

"What on Earth is happening!?" Peridot yelled as she readied her blaster.

"C'mon P, I know it's been awhile but you gotta recognize that!" Amethyst grinned.

"Recognize what?!"

"The ultimate compatibility glow" Pearl got out through her developing tears. She couldn't help but smile at the dazzling array of lights.

"Looks like they're back" Jasper grinned.

"Indeed…and they're coming in hot" Garnet pointed out as she readjusted her shades. Soon a white light appeared amidst the colors, getting closer and closer to their location.

**WOOOSH**

"NGGH!" they grunted and covered their eyes while simultaneously getting in a defensive position. A sudden rush of wind and mist sprayed their bodies as the shooting star descended gently above the ocean surface, just a few yards away from the house.

"Hello there!" an unfamiliar voice called out.

"Wh-who is that?!" Peridot asked as the new being stepped off of the ocean and onto the sand, with their lights dimming behind them.

"Steven…Lapis…you two fused!" Garnet exclaimed as she made her glasses disappear so she could behold the beautiful fusion standing before them.

"We did indeed! Me and me became we! My name is Azurite, it's nice to meet all of youwhoa!" Azurite's introduction was interrupted when Lion leapt towards them and they almost missed catching him. "Lion! You're here!" they exclaimed as they petted his mane. "I'm glad you're alright. How're you feeling? You don't have any scars do you?" Lion stood on his hind legs and showed them his belly. They were there, but as least they weren't "in your face" noticeable. "I guess you and I match" they replied as they ran a free hand over their own faint scars. Lion roared and settled back down into their hands.

"HEY!" Peridot yelled and they looked down at where the rest of their family gathered around their feet. They took a seat in front of them so they wouldn't strain their neck talking to them because there was no doubt in their mind that they'd be telling their perilous saga. "What in the world did you two do today? How did you two fuse? Why are you're compatibility lights brighter than normal? Why was your whole body glowing?" she rambled off.

"Jeez Peridot, give'em a minute will ya? They just got here" Amethyst rebuffed.

"What? I need this data for my observational notes" she defended.

"I don't mind, but it's a long story" they warned.

"We don't mind. Take all the time you need" Pearl assured and everyone else nodded their heads as they sat down.

"Alright. Oh hey! I can even show you!"

"What do mean?" Jasper asked.

Azurite set Lion down among the group and put their backpack inside of his mane. Then they got up and sat behind them. With a wave of their upper set of hands, water clones of Steven and Lapis appeared. "Visual aid, most ingenuous" Peridot commended as she turned on the recorder function on her limb enhancers.

"It started out as a normal sky adventure…" they began before transitioning to the concert for the seagulls, cloud shapes, flying fish and meeting the Watermelon Stevens.

"Watermelon Stevens? What're they?" asked Jasper.

"Oh, right you and Peridot weren't there" Azurite realized.

"Let me explain. Rose Quartz had the ability to create sentient plant life to act as her defenders" Pearl said.

"Riiight. I remember seeing a lot of fighting plants during the war" Jasper recalled.

"Indeed. When Steven inherited her gem, that ability was passed down onto him and he accidentally created living watermelons one night while he was Greg" she finished.

"We were having a seed spitting contest. And needless to say Steven won" Azurite chimed in before introducing the water clones. "That's Ringo, Stinger, Rochester, Tracker, Elder Warren and Rocky. There're many more, but they were the ones who really helped me out."

"They have names?" Jasper asked.

"Yep! They named themselves!"

"Is that normal?"

"Not typically. At least as far as I can remember. I've never seen them with an actual conscience" Pearl explained.

"So why are they living on an island instead of being here with you?" Jasper followed up.

"Because they were out of control and it took the sacrifice of baby melon to calm them down. So Steven sent them on a journey to understand the consequences of their actions. And they learned their lesson big time and I couldn't be prouder! Now they have a thriving village and they harmoniously coexist with the seagulls. And Ash lives over there as well!" they explained.

Then they shifted into the discovery of Blue Diamond's temple as well as some of Lapis' memories and the subsequent fight against Solomon and the titanic bug monstrosity. Peridot fainted at the sight of the menacing insect – her screen fizzling away. Everyone else let out a loud gasp, mouths still wide open in complete shock.

"…it was pretty scary" they shuddered, no doubt Lapis still reeling from the memory being infected by that massive creature.

"That's an understatement!" Amethyst said as she stood up and gave their leg a hug. Lion hopped back into their lower set of hands. "Are you two alright!?" Pearl asked.

"I'm alright, thanks to Steven" they smiled before morphing the battle scene into their creation. "Did Steven cease to amaze you this time Garnet?" they joked.

"You never will" she smiled with happy tears in her eyes. Peridot was finally coming back around…only to pass out again at the scene of them and Solomon against the multitude of slimy beasts. Garnet cradled her body in her lap. "You truly never will" she thought.

"How in the world could there be that many? And on just one little island? How could Silver Diamond even encapsulate them in the first place in order to put them in Solomon?" Pearl asked.

"I-I hadn't thought of that. My main focus was destroying the stones" Azurite replied.

"As you should have" Garnet assured. "That'll be a mystery to solve for another day. Our to-do list is long enough as it is."

"You're right. We have to help the clusters and corrupted gems" they listed.

"…That wasn't what I meant. But you'll see soon enough" she winked. Azurite cocked her head to the side, but nodded nonetheless. Then they moved onto the island cleansing and what happened to all of their watermelon Stevens.

"Wow…" Amethyst marveled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my little cub" Jasper praised with her proud tiger-mom grin. "And Lapis…I'm glad you're alright."

Azurite did a double blink when she said until the hidden meaning of what she said hit them harder than Solomon's tail swing. She wasn't talking about just this incident, she was talking about all the hell she'd been through…some of it she caused when they arrived back to Earth in Peridot's ship. "T-Thank you" they shakily got out, but with all smiles.

"Uhhhh…what happened?" Peridot groaned, instantly killing the mood.

"Y'know, the usual. Bad monsters get their butts kicked by Azurite and the island is saved. The end." Amethyst replied as Garnet helped the green gem to her metallic feet. "Now it's time for his surprise" Garnet whispered to her, causing her to perk up.

"Right! Azurite! Unfuse so you can fit into the house! I"

**AHEM** everyone coughed.

"I mean, we, have something to show you!" she clarified.

"Sorry Azurite" Garnet apologized.

"No, it's alright. Actually…there's something I need to ask you" they confessed. Garnet nodded her head, prompting them to go ahead. They set Lion down and took a few steps away from them. Soon the light manta ray enveloped them, leaving behind just Steven.

"STEVEN!" they shouted.

Lion got to him first and nuzzled against him. "I missed you too bro" he whispered as he hugged his mane.

"Steven, you're blue! Are you okay!?" Pearl asked as she pushed Lion out of the way grabbed his cheeks. "And where's Lapis?! Did that thing infect you with some kind of virus?!"

"Dang Pearl, calm down. How can he talk where you're squeezing him like a grape?" Amethyst chided.

"Remember. Fear is the belief in the worst possible outcome" Garnet reminded and she warily let him go.

"S-sorry" Pearl apologized.

"It's okay Pearl" Steven assured.

"So. This is what you wanted to ask me about?" Garnet surmised.

"Yea. Look." He took off his shirt and turned around so they could see Lapis' gem on his back.

"What in the exploding star is that?!" Peridot yelled.

"It's Lapis' gem" Jasper answered. "We saw his clone like this in the story. Well…we did. You were unconscious."

"And you didn't wake me up?! I missed out on valuable information!" she fumed.

"I tried to shake you, then gently shock you, but it didn't work. If I added more power, I would've poofed you on accident" Garnet explained.

"Fine, but none of you asked while those images were being shown?!" she followed up.

"I didn't think much of it. I thought he created that winged version of himself because he got tired of making a life-size version of Azurite while he was telling the story" Jasper replied.

"Same here. So that actually happened? Well duh! Of course it happened! You're standing right here as its happening" Amethyst smacked her forehead.

"But why is it on Steven? Why isn't her physical form here?" Peridot asked.

"Well…when this first happened Lapis told me it was because she wasn't ready to stop being fused. This time we stayed like this so we could show you. Garnet, do you know what this means?" he asked as Pearl helped him put his shirt back on.

Garnet stared at him, her contemplating fist bumping against her neutrally expressed lips. The long stretch of silence caused a trickle of sweat to meander down between his shoulder blades. "We" she finally answered with a bright smile.

"Huh?" everyone replied.

"We" she repeated with a lot more enthusiasm before scooping Steven up and giving him the biggest hug she could.

"OWW! Garnet!" Steven yelled – his body was still a bit tender from everything that happened.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" she apologized before Pearl took him out of her hands. Lion looked like he was about two seconds away from maiming her. But Steven's "It's okay, I'm alright. Still a little sore is all" made him back off.

"Of course you are! And you're outside without any warm clothes on?! What on Earth were we thinking?!" Pearl said.

"I'm okay Pearl, really. I actually feel…pretty warm. And it's not because I have a fever. But more like I can feel Lapis surrounding me" he explained as Pearl put him down.

"Such a beautiful sight!" Garnet remarked, and everyone gave her their attention.

"Wh-what is?" Peridot asked.

"Love. Trust. Friendship. Admiration. Lapis' gem is responding to the desires within her. She wishes to become one with Steven."

"Like you?" Jasper asked.

"No. This transcends even me. I've never seen anything like this. It's as if she wants to put her entire being into Steven. I didn't think that was even possible. To create a whole new gem without injectors."

"She's trying to fuse her gem into Steven's?!" Pearl exclaimed. "Is that safe? Will they become a mini-azurite? They won't…change if they stay like this too long will they?"

"…yea, that won't happen to them right?" Amethyst followed up, catching on to who Pearl was referring to.

"Like I said, I have no knowledge of this phenomenon ever happening. Steven and Lapis are the experts now. This is their path. We know what's in Lapis' heart. Steven, what's in your heart?" she asked.

"Umm…well…I…I" he stuttered as he fiddled with his fingers.

"Take your time Steven. There are no wrong answers" she assured when she saw how nervous he was.

He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "I...I don't want to be fused like this yet" he finally got out.

He had to follow his own advice. Me comes first. "Lapis. I love fusing with you. It feels so awesome! But…being like this all the time…I'd miss you. Not being able to hug or do stuff together with you…even though you're right here inside of me. It'd feel…it'd feel like how it is now with mom" he explained.

A silent "Oh" echoed inside each gem.

Garnet nodded, a gentle smile adorning her lips. "Steven, I know it's a big commitment. It's okay to wait. I mean I've been together for 5,750 years and eight months yet Ruby and Sapphire still learning things about each other…about being me. It's never good to rush these things."

"You're right. Love is patient, love is kind, and love never fails" he replied.

"Exactly. And there's no denying the fact that you love her and she most definitely loves you. Whatever you two decide, it'll be a glorious experience" she said as she ruffled his hair, causing him to giggle. Lapis' gem responded as well to the positive vibes by emitting another aurora from underneath his shirt.

"…**AHEM**" Peridot cleared her throat, garnering everyone's' attention. "Steven, close your eyes. I believe it's the traditional Earth custom before showing something."

"Right! The surprise!" he exclaimed and covered his eyes with hands.

"Allow me to carry you" she said and lifted him up in her tractor beam. Lion and the rest of the gems waited a few moments before they followed them towards the house.

"What's up with her?" Amethyst asked Garnet.

"She's afraid of losing…something, and I'll leave it at that" she replied.

"I know the feeling" Pearl thought as she wrung her hands together. She let out a small "EEP!" when Jasper grabbed her into a one arm hug.

"I don't know what's going on, but I know you do that when you're nervous. Don't be" she whispered causing Pearl to blush. The delivery was a bit…commander-like, but she still appreciated the compassion behind it.

"Well, I hope green isn't her color" Amethyst replied.

"What do you mean? Green is her color. For the most part it's the standard color of all Peridots" Jasper asked. "Waiiit…this is another Earth saying isn't it?"

"Yep. I mean she's green with envy" she clarified.

"What's…envy?" asked Jasper.

"Wanting something that isn't yours" she explained.

"…I can understand that in terms of strength or rank, but that doesn't exist here among us. Not anymore anyway" she corrected as she gave Pearl another squeeze. "Why is she feeling envious?"

"Hard to say. Being on home world wasn't exactly the best environment to experience feelings, let alone handle them" Garnet explained as they approached the grassy alcove.

"…Unless you count fear and inadequacy" Jasper bitterly said. This time Pearl gave her a side squeeze.

"True…but we're not there anymore. We're-"

"SURPRISE! WELCOME HOME!" Peridot yelled as she put him down in the illuminated building.

"P! You're supposed to wait for us!" Amethyst yelled.

"It's not my fault you were lagging" she retorted.

But their bickering couldn't damper Steven's ecstatic mood. "WHOOAA!" You guys did all this for me?!" he asked with stars in his eyes. Every gem color was represent in the streamers along the ceiling. There were numerous helium filled yellow star balloons and a red banner near the gem door that had "WELCOME HOME STEVEN!" written in gold paint.

"We sure did little cub" Jasper replied as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I wrote the banner!" Peridot proudly declared.

"Yep…twelfth time's a charm" Pearl added before all of them walked in front of him.

"We know you already saw they house when you came…lookin' for me that day" Amethyst began. "But we didn't get to really welcome you back home after your recovery period. Now we can."

"Welcome Home Steven!" they said in unison.

"AWWW! Thanks you guys!" he smiled as he rushed up to give them a hug and they gently returned it. "When did you plan all this?" Even though he kinda knew the answer since he accidentally saw a streamer in the closet when he came to help Amethyst that day.

"Since we finished rebuilding the house. That's why I sent Lapis to you; to keep you busy while we set up you're surprise. Instead you two come back with a surprise of your own" Garnet smiled.

"But…is it okay to be doing this? Having a party now?" Steven asked.

"Steven. When I said that our to-do list was long, this party was at the top of it. You more than deserve it. Although…" and on cue Steven let out a long yawn. "We'll have our party in the morning. It actually works out better. There'll be five dozen donuts with your name on it" she said.

"Yes! Can I have Pearlcakes too?" he asked.

Pearl was a little taken aback by his request given how their relationship is still in recovery mode, but immediately smiled and replied, "Of course you can."

"Yeaaaaaawn" he sleepily cheered.

"Time to wash up little cub" Jasper said as she held up the teetering boy.

"No tongue!" Pearl immediately said when she saw Lion make a move towards him with his tongue out. He huffed and went over to the fire place and curled up.

"Thanks anyway bro" he said, garnering a content growl out of him. "I'll be right out" and he disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of running water soon following. After a few minutes, he stuck his head out of the steam-filled room and asked, "Hey guys? Can-"

"Here ya go bud" Amethyst said as he handed him his dinosaur pajamas.

"Thanks Amethyst" and he closed the door. Not much longer he came out fully clothed, but still blue.

"Sooo…what about this?" Peridot asked, gesturing to his body.

"She'll let go when she's ready" Garnet replied before fixing her shades. "Now it's time for all of us to get some rest. In our own rooms. It's too soon for all of us to be sleeping next to him" she said.

"What?! Why?! And don't you dare tell me what I think you're about to say!" Peridot pointed her floaty finger in face.

Garnet brushed her finger aside and replied, "That's one reason. Another is his absorbing powers. They have a mind of their own and I don't want to risk anything coming out of us. Not to mention I don't want us squeezing his sore body accidentally too hard while we're sleeping. We're all cuddlers...case in point" as she open/closed her hands when she remembered how hard she squeezed him earlier. She stared at Peridot, almost daring her to ask again, but the collective "oh" silenced any further protest. "And Steven, don't be hard on yourself for not knowing how to control them yet. You just discovered them and unearthed an all new threat in less than a few weeks. It'll take time and…although I really wish it didn't…repetition practice."

"Yea bud, you'll be sucking out that slimy gunk like you do choclate milkshakes in no time" Amethyst added, making him smile.

"**Yawn** Thanks guys. Good night" he said as they gathered around for one more group hug.

"Goodnight Steven" they replied before heading toward the temple door, waiting to enter their rooms.

Once everyone was inside the temple, the blue light surrounding Steven got brighter. "Wh-what's going on?!" he yelled.

Lion looked up and saw something trying to escape through the back of his dino t-shirt. Steven quickly got it off before a hole was made in it. Both of them saw Lapis' translucent gem hover in the air. But it wouldn't remain that way for long. Steven looked down at his body when he felt a slight tingling sensation. The blue on him was being absorbed into her gem, almost as if it was taking back her essence. Lion walked over and started sniffing him, trying to detect abnormalities. But everything check out okay, no bad energy anywhere.

Once the last of color was drained out of him, an array of silhouettes surrounded her gem before finally settling on one. Another burst of light shot out of the form, causing them to shield their eyes. Unknown to him, a line on his gem turned blue before disappearing. Once they felt the light dissipating, they opened their eyes and beheld Lapis' new form. The first thing he noticed was that her skin was drastically different. Instead of just one shade of blue, the blues went across the entire spectrum. Almost like the ocean itself. Her belly, palms and soles were a sun-drenched light blue whereas the rest of her body was a dark midnight blue with gold dots sprinkled on her shoulders and elbows. She was wearing her signature halter crop tank top with a dark blue star in the middle of it. Instead of a skirt she was wearing dark blue pants with a bronze-gold colored ribbon tied around her waist. Speaking of, her light-blue soled feet were covered with matching tie on sandals. Her hair was a bit longer, and a bit wilder as well.

Soon she finally opened her eyes, which were a lovely iris purple. She saw his starry-eyed countenance and showed a blushing smile. "H-Hey Steven. Do you like my new form?" she asked.

He answered her by running up to her and giving her a hug. She laughed, kneeled down and gently returned the embrace - with her compatibility glow following suit. Even Lion came up and nuzzled against them, receiving a pat on the head from her.

"I heard what you said" she whispered to him.

"You're not mad?" he asked.

"Of course not! I'd never want to make you feel uncomfortable. Plus you're right. I'd miss this too" she replied and squeezed him a little harder. "Like I said, you're my favorite. Wherever you are, that's my favorite place" she said as she let him go.

"In that case, Welcome Home Lapis!" he announced as he gestured to the decorated room. She smiled as she looked around, then back down at him before her smile disappeared.

"What's wrong Lapis?"

"Your chest…" she uttered.

Steven looked down and saw he had shimmering dots right over his heart. He checked out the rest of his body and even found them on the backs of his hand.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think I'd alter your body! I didn't mean to! Pearl was right!" she panicked.

"Are you kidding?! This is amazing! Now a part of you will always be a part of me! Plus we match!" he beamed as galaxies appeared in his eyes, putting her at ease. "This is just like what happened after I unfused with Amethyst. I wonder if mom absorbed some of their traits when she fused with them" he thought before another yawn came out of his mouth.

Lapis gently picked him up. Before she could carry him upstairs, Lion gave him a quick lick on the cheek. "Good night bro" he replied and he went back to his spot in front of fireplace. She continued her ascent before shifting him over to one arm so she could move the blanket out of the way. She laid him down and covered him up.

"Thank you" he murmured, sleep creeping upon him.

"No Steven, thank you. For everything. I love so much" she smiled.

"I love you too Lapis" he smiled back. She nodded and turned around to walk down the stairs, but Steven stopped her when he asked, "Where are you going?"

"To my room. I heard Garnet's concerns" she answered.

"Lapis, we just beat a giant monster and its army. If I do absorb anything, they'd be stupid to mess with us. Besides, you did call dibs" he grinned and scooted over so she could get in.

Lapis' smile couldn't convey the giddiness she felt and wasted no time snuggling next to him. She softly cuddled him to close to her; feeling his even breath on her bare stomach.

"Hey Lapis?"

"Yes Steven?"

"Just curious but why'd you come back when everyone left?" he asked.

"After…everything, I was ready for some quiet time. That and I wanted you to see my new form first" she blushed.

"Mhm hm" he nodded against her, tickling her stomach.

"Hey Steven?"

"Yea?"

"How do humans show love for one another?" she asked.

"Hugs…high-fives…tickles…kissing. Basically touching so long as it's done with care and affection" he answered. "Why?"

"Just curious" she replied before running her fingers through his hair, making him happily hum.

"**yawwwn** Good night Lapis" he slurred before snores took over.

"Good night Steven" she whispered and closed her eyes soon after, excited for the prospect of having a delightful dream of her own free will. Steven's love and kindness made her whole – she was stronger now. And she'd make sure whatever bad thing came their way would flee in pieces.

Sweet dreams you two. You deserve it. Island safe? Check. Watermelon Steven safe? Check. Lapis safe? Check. Love abound? Triple check! But more mysteries still remain. What is this new phenomenon that Lapis and Steven discovered? How will Steven's body handle all these new enhancements via fusion? Will Peridot overcome her envy? Tune in for the next part of "Another Part of Me". And guess who's next? The fusion master herself! I'm really glad the season 5 finale aired when it did(totally awesome!) so at least I have some names to work with.

I thought "I Turn to You" was perfect because it describes there reliance on each other instead of being a one-sided affair.

Since this story was started almost 4 years ago(wow...time flies) there will be some discrepancies between the show and my story since it's an alternate universe. Just a heads up.

Bonus points for whoever gets the reference to Warren G's name!

I don't own Steven Universe nor Christina Aguilera's song catalogue, just my imaginative capabilities.