up on the boardwalk, Steven was still walking backwards, mirror in hand, with you following him as spinel reclined on your back, sunning herself, enjoying the steady rhythm of your trot along the beat of your paws and hooves against the wood.

the side of your mouth curled in concern. walking backwards hasn't been doing him any favors so far... "Steven should be careful. back-walking dangerous!" you warned cautiously. he looks up at you curiously, smiling warmly. "what was that, (name)?" you huffed. "(name) said-"

'Watch where you're going, you little!'

your eyes widened as the lars boy's voice suddenly sounded from somewhere. "huh?" he looked down to the mirror, in time to see a vehicle hurtling towards him. his eyes widened in terror as the vehicle closed in on him. "NOOOOO!!" your eyes went wide in horror. NOT AGAIN! without thinking, you lunged forward and threw your forepaw forward, pushing it against the front end of the vehicle, seemingly stopping it. Steven pressed his back into your chest as spinel sat up, shaken awake from the abrupt movement and loud noises. "hueh?"

that was when a man with reddish pink tinted skin leaned out from the (rather ridiculous looking) van with a cross expression on his face. "CAR WASH KID! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he spoke into some type of device, making his voice UNNECESSARILY loud. and it became even louder when he noticed you. "AND WHAT IS THAT THING WITH YOU!!?" your eyes narrowed in annoyance and a growl emanated in your throat. can you say it any louder? Steven pats your cheek, smiling dismissively. "this is just (name) and Spinel, Mayor Dewey!" he replies, causing a wrinkle in your muzzle from you and for spinel to wave to the man giddily. Steven suddenly looked confused. "why were you driving on the boardwalk?" the man, Dewey scoffs. "I'm the mayor, I'm not going to walk anywhere." he sneered. "now go walk your mutant cow somewhere else, I'm late for a speech!" your eyes widened and you frowned deeply as he maneuvered around you all and drove off. mutant cow now..? you snarled in your throat as Steven looked down to his mirror. "what just happened?" you and spinel peek down at the mirror, in time to see it warp into a reflection of steven, laughing.

"huh?" you jerk your head back in surprise as spinel and Steven laugh with it. "you work!" spinel cheered. "what's it like being a mirror?" Steven asked it, watching it warp into spinel's reflection. "you work!" it repeated in her voice. you snorted in amusement as Steven pressed on. "so you can repeat stuff?" he asked, watching as his reflection came back into view. "yeah!"

"Hello, Beach City, my friends!" your face faltered at the sound of that cocky pink man's voice sound in the air. "It's great to be here to celebrate the coming season." his voice was MUCH more friendlier than the tone he used against you and Steven... that caused you to scowl in the direction of his voice. "A warm summer breeze wafts through the air."

PBBHT!!

you stuck your tongue out and blew a loud, scornful raspberry in the direction of the speech, loud enough for the crowd to hear, to which they all snicker softly. mayor Dewey looked mildly disturbed, but continued on. "...we all look forward to the summer season."

that was when the mirror suddenly repeated you.

PBBHT!

the mayor flinched. "...the smells of a busy boardwalk."

PBHT!

"...the hot, wet ocean wind-"

PBHT!

"...the time to take that pressure that's built up all year and just let it out."

PBHT!

at that last statement, the entire crowd erupted into uproarious laughter, and at that point spinel was rolling on your back laughing out loud. you were quite astonished by the mirror's intelligence, along with steven. "wow, you picked that up fast.." Steven muttered, you nodding in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~

later that day, spinel sits at your flank, playing in the sand as you watched Steven play with the odd mirror. of course it was still blowing raspberries, eliciting a giggle from the boy as he laid against your chest. "you made a mileage out of that joke." you grinned in amusement. "mirror very clever." you noted. "mirror very clever." the mirror repeated, causing a smile from steven. "(name)'s not a mirror."

"(name) very clever." your eyes widened in surprise as your name sounded from it, making Steven gasp in astonishment. "you made something new!" he noted excitedly. "say something else!" the mirror warped through several faces as it put together its next sentence. "steven! is new friend!" this made the boy blush in flattery. "really?" the mirror responded. "yeah! (name) and spinel to!" you smile broadened and spinel looked up from her sand pile to grin in amusement at the mirror. "you're our friend to!" she exclaimed, making the mirror laugh. "Steven tell gems?" you suggested giddily as you stood up.

"NOOOOO!"

you flinched as the terrified cry from today erupted from the suddenly mirror, sending a slight chill down your back. "aw, someone's shy!" spinel noted as she mounts your back. it continuously echoed the terrified melody of Steven's cry, making you mildly uneasy. Steven chuckled, mounting your withers as well, "don't worry," he reassures. "they're a good audience."

~~~~~~~~~

back at the beach house, you open the front door and carefully squeeze your massive frame into the door. "(name), spinel and Steven are-" you paused suddenly, eye squintibg at the sight before you.

there, what used to be a massive sloppy pile, was now a large tower of school supplies, with garnet and amethyst watching as pearl arranged it.

"yo, mah crew!" amethyst exclaimed cheerily.

"hello, guys." pearl greeted warmly.

"howdy." garnet greeted with a little finger gun gesture.

"hiya, fellas!" spinel piped, waving from your withers.

"hey guys, watch this." amethyst suddenly pipes, taking a cute little plush bear with a dollar sign on it's tum and attempted to place it on the tower... only for it to be impaled by pearl, eliciting a squawk of surprise from you and spinel and amused laughter from amethyst. "hey, why'd ya do that!?" spinel exclaimed, sounding alarmed. "because.. I've told her before, symmetrical means both sides have to be the same!" she explained tersely as she threw the ruined toy into a pile of OTHER ruined objects. you wrinkle your muzzle in disturbance. "Impale unnecessary..." you blankly rumbled, in which pearl replies with a scoff. "you wouldn't understand, (name).." you grunted loudly in mild offense, only for steven to quickly stand on your head, cutting your anger off. "okay, that's great!" he exclaimed quickly, jumping off your head. "anyways, I fixed the mirror!"

pearl had a pleased smile on her face. "excellent work, steven!" spinel speaks up brightly. "yeah, it's just like another person!" the gems suddenly looked stunned. "wait... what?" pearl looked shocked for some reason. what's the big deal? not noticing their unease, Steven spoke into the mirror. "say hey."

nothing.

wha?

you look over as steven cocked his eyebrow at the lack of response. "lil' buddy..." no reply from it. you grunted. that's odd... "let (name) see." you state, turning your back to the stunned gems. Steven hesitates for a moment before he also turns his back to them and hands you the mirror. "please excuse us!" spinel advised as she turned to the mirror in your thumb and finger. you sniffed it curiosity, humming in confusion at its lack of cooperation. "why mirror no speak now?" you asked. "you want to come out, don't you?" steven asks softly. "You have so much to say and funny noises to share from across the ages." he urged. "mirror not beach summer fun buddy for steven?" you asked. the mirror responds with a raspberry, making steven snicker. "you just couldn't help yourself, huh?"

"just for you Steven, (name) and spinel!"

"it's talking to them?" you faintly hear pearl from behind you. "it shouldn't be doing that," she sounded quite nervous. "i-it should be following orders..." you raised your head slightly, in minor alarm. following orders...? "garnet, do something." amethyst suggested, causing the latter to step up and approach. "(name)." as soon as she came close enough, it began to wail 'NOOOO' in that horrified voice just as steven did earlier that day. this froze your chest in frosty dread as you watched garnet hold out her hand. "you should just give us back the mirror." she suggested calmly, but sternly. "it will be safer where we can watch it." amethyst was quick to speak up. "yeah, let's bubble it!" Her voice took on a faintly aggressive edge.

your eyes widened and you drew back, as it continued to wail its terrified melody, causing you to whimper in fear. "b-but..." steven tried to protest, but garnet was focused on you, taking a step closer. "(name). Be a good gem and hand it over." She said, a sudden tension audible in her tone. "Don't make me take it from you." she warned as you held the mirror close to your chest in refusal. "b-but it doesn't wanna go with ya!" spinel's uncharacteristically shaky voice protested. "y-yeah! don't you hear it screaming?" steven added, gesturing to the mirror in fear. "it's just a mirror, a tool," garnet claimed. "it can't want anything." with that, she reached for the object in your paws, coming closer and closer and its wails becoming louder and louder... this sent steven over the edge. "it wants to be with US!"

SMACK!

your eyes bugged out as you watched garnet's visors fly off her face and land to the side. you heard spinel gulp and amethyst gasp as garnet slowly returns her gaze to you and glares daggers into you all with 3 angered eyes.

panic set in.

Did that actually just happen?!

it was then you knew you had to get the heck out of there. all at once, you forced yourself through the door frame, spinel screaming in your withers as steven followed suit, fearfully apologizing to the fusion as he did.

oh we messed up! we messed up BAD!!

__________

I intentionally left out details of who accidentally slapped garnet so you can decide who did.

You or Steven?