On the Run

[Open Int. Beach House]

[Birds squawking]

Steven: *lying on the couch reading The No Home Boys* Woah. How are they gonna get out of this one? *turns page* Oh, that's how.

[Whirring from Warp Pad]

Steven: *runs over the table, towards the warp pad* You're back! *notices Flask Robonoids in the Gems' hands* Hey, it's those things from the Galaxy Warp. Why'd you bring them home?

Pearl: We can't have them reactivating and fixing the Homeworld Warp.

Amethyst: Hey Steven, check this out! *pops the robonoid in her hand, sending blue liquid everywhere* Kabloosh!

Pearl: *wet with goo* Amethyst, please! This is serious! We need to understand these things, not squash them. If Homeworld Gems are trying to return to Earth... *panicked* THEY HAVE TO BE STOPPED!

Garnet: Pearl, calm down. We're still cut off. The Earth is safe.

Steven: Safe from what? What do the Homeworld Gems want to do?

Pearl: Steven, a very long time ago, Gems tried to do something... very bad. It was something that would have damaged the Earth. Some Gems, like your mother, Garnet, and myself, felt that this was unfair to the life that already existed here, and so we swore to never let the Earth be used for their... purposes. Even if it meant- (Amethyst glares and angrily smashes another robonoid underneath her foot.) *groans* Even if it meant we could never go home.

Garnet: We chose Earth.

Steven: Wait a sec, so that means... we're just like the No Home Boys!

Pearl: The wha--?

Steven: The No Home Boys! It's a book series about these boys who have no home. So they travel around the country, living in boxcars, and riding river rafts, solving mysteries! They had a successful run, until the disastrous graphic novel adaptation. But my favorite story is this classic one where the no home boys are chased across the countryside by a mysterious pursuer, which turns out to be the very fear resting within themselves.

Pearl: Steven, we are not like the no home boys. We are literally standing in your home right now. (Garnet and Pearl walk away.)

Steven: Aw, I wish, I was a no home boy. No past, no future, just the open road!

Amethyst: Yeah, sounds like fun. Let's do it.

Steven: Really?!

Amethyst: Yeah. Let's run!

(Amethyst and Steven gather food and wrap them in separate bindles on sticks as the song On the Run begins to play. In the song, Jenny, Buck Dewey, and Sour Cream give Steven and Amethyst a ride in Jenny's Car to where Beach City ends. The pair come across a Raccoon who walks with them for a ways and then attacks Steven while Amethyst looks on in laughter. Later, they come across a train and hop into it, continuing their duet until dawn falls.)

[Train whistle blows]

(The raccoon suddenly jumps into the train compartment.)

Steven: *inhales deeply, about to eat food* (The raccoon attacks him, takes his food, and hops off the train again.) Aah! Aah! The raccoon is back! *panting* Um, Amethyst? Can I have some of your food?

Amethyst: *dumps all of her food into her mouth* *munching* Oh, uh, sorry dude.

Steven: My bindle couldn't fit enough food for me and a raccoon.

Amethyst: Why didn't you bring your backpack?

Steven: It wouldn't fit in my bindle? *climbs onto a hay stack* Maybe I can just sleep this hunger off. Just like the no home boys. *looks at the hay stack above him* You know, I feel like I've been misled about hay. It always looks so soft in those illustrations, but it's actually really scratchy. *banging* (The hay stack falls on top of him.) Amethyst, I want to go home now. (He watches as Amethyst sits in front of the doorway of the train, ignoring him.) Amethyst? *sits next to her* I'm done pretending to be a no home boy.

Amethyst: Not me.

Steven: I'm sure Garnet and Pearl are worried sick about us. Wondering when we're coming home.

Amethyst: That's not my home.

Steven: But— Oh, that's right. You're from Homeworld.

Amethyst: *angrily* That's not my home either!

Steven: Then where are you from?

Amethyst: I'll show you.

[Trans. ext. Kindergarten]

Amethyst: Here we are! *chuckles* Welcome to the Kindergarten! What do you think?

Steven: Uh... It's great!

Amethyst: Sure is! *chuckles while she grabs his arm* Come on!

[Trans. int. Kindergarten]

Steven: What is this place?

Amethyst: It's kinda where I'm from.

Steven: But I thought Gems were from space?

Amethyst: Pearl and Garnet are, but I was made here on Earth, *smiles* like you! *gasps* Check it out! *runs to a giant rock* *laughing* Oh, man. I missed this guy. Aww! It's my climbing rock.

Steven: *to the climbing rock* Uh, hello!

Amethyst: *points to slightly smaller rock* And over there— That's the sitting rock. *points to offscreen rocks* And that was the one rock that I kicked into two rocks! *climbs the climbing rock and sits atop it*

Steven: Uh, how long did you live here?

Amethyst: For a while, I guess, um, at least until I met your mom and the others. *flops off of rock* *laughs and runs further into the Kindergarten*

Steven: *notices Injector* Woah! What is that thing?

Amethyst: Eh, it's just some old Gem junk, from a long time ago. It's probably busted by now. *walks to the right while Steven looks worriedly at the machines* *chuckles* *motions to a hole in the side of the cliff* Hey, Steven. Look. Here's the hole I came out of!

Steven: Hang on. What?

Amethyst: It's my hole. *chuckles* *slides into the entrance of the hole* Look— It's me-siiiiiized. *slides into the hole and sits* *sighs* Still got that good hole smell.

Steven: You came out of this hole?

Amethyst: This is where I was made, dude. One day just... *makes pop sound* ... Right outta this hole.

Steven: *glances up at holes higher up on the cliffside* So, what about the other holes?

[Whirring from warp pad]

Pearl: There you are.

Amethyst: Great. *exits hole* Here comes the fun police.

Pearl: Garnet said you'd be here, but I didn't want to believe it. Amethyst, what were you thinking bringing Steven to a *whispers* Kindergarten!?

Amethyst: I don't know. *kicks pebble* We were in the neighborhood.

Steven: Pearl? Was Amethyst really made here?

Pearl: How much did you tell him?

Amethyst: What? You mean about the bad thing? How this bad place is where bad Gems came to grow more bad Gems? Is that what you're talking about?

Steven: They grew other Gems here?!

Pearl: Amethyst, he's not ready!

Amethyst: Oh, but don't worry, Steven. Everything's just fine now.

Pearl: Amethyst.

Amethyst: It all worked out. We won!

Pearl: Stop.

Amethyst: And we shut this place down so the Earth would be safe from parasites like me!

Pearl: Amethyst! That's enough!

Steven: Pearl?

Pearl: Steven, I'm sorry. I never wanted you to see this horrible place.

Amethyst: Then why don't you just leave!? (She summons her weapon, wrapping the whip around Pearl and tosses her against an Injector.) Admit it. *swings whip towards Pearl, who dodges, causing the whip to slice through the leg of the machine* I'm just an embarrassment to you!

Steven: Amethyst! *is picked up and thrown by her* *gasps* Wait!

Pearl: *summons her weapon* I don't want to fight you.

Amethyst: I wouldn't want to fight me neither! *spin-dashes towards Pearl, who dodges*

(Pearl blasts energy-spheres from her spear at her. Amethyst jumps into the air, smashing her whip downwards. Pearl steps on it and slices part of it off with her spear.)

Steven: *running towards them* You guys, stop it!

Amethyst: Stay out of this! *tosses her whip at Steven, which wraps around his legs and causes him to fall*

(Pearl jumps towards Amethyst and Amethyst tries to hit her with her whip. Pearl dodges each swing and kicks Amethyst away.)

Pearl: Amethyst, stop this! You can't beat me.

Amethyst: I... don't... CARE! *summons two whips and wraps the ends of both around Pearl's spear* I'm not gonna let you stand there and remind me of everything I hate about myself!

(Amethyst sends violet beams of energy down the whips, which cause a huge explosion that slams Pearl against the Injector. Pearl lays on the ground.)

Pearl: *whimpers*

Amethyst: I never asked for it to be this way. *tears fall down her face* I never asked to be made!

Pearl: Amethyst...

Steven: *stands in front of Pearl, holding his arms out with tears on his eyes* Amethyst, please, no more! I know you're upset, but, I can't bear to watch you two hurt each other.

(They all gasp upon hearing a creaking and rattling, and look up to see the Injector about to collapse on all three of them. Steven summons his bubble, which only manages to cover Pearl and himself.)

Steven: Amethyst! Amethyst, Amethyst, Amethyst!

(Amethyst begins to run and there's a crashing noise as the machine finally smashes down, assuming that it fell onto Amethyst.)

Steven: *makes bubble disappear* *crying and running towards where he last saw her* Ame-thy-st! Where are you?! *pushes aside rubble to clear the entrance of hole *grunts* Amethyst!

Amethyst: *curled up deep in her hole* Go away. I'm bad, and you shouldn't be around me.

Steven: What? That's ridiculous. Look, I don't know what any of this really means, but I-

Amethyst: Yeah, you don't. 'Cause if you did, you wouldn't be talking to me.

Steven: *with his head peeping out of the hole* Pearl, get in here. You got to help me.

Pearl: But-

Steven: You have to talk to her.

Pearl: *slides in next to Amethyst* Amethyst... Amethyst, I had no idea you've been upset about this.

Amethyst: What?! You had no idea!? *motions to the hole* This is, like, my entire existence! You want to pretend that none of this ever happened! You think I'm just a big mistake!

Pearl: *gasps* No, no. Amethyst, you're not the mistake. You're just the byproduct of a... *blushes* big mistake. No, that's not- I... I just never thought of this as you. None of this is your fault. You didn't build this place. I-I'm sorry, Amethyst. I hope you can forgive me. You're the one good thing that came out of this mess. I always thought you were proud of that. *extends hand towards her*

Steven: *gasps and clears entryway*

(Amethyst and Pearl exit the hole. Amethyst looks at Pearl hesitantly for a few seconds before enveloping Pearl in a crushing hug. Pearl is taken aback, but returns the hug. All three of them walk hand in hand to the warp pad.)

Steven: Crystal Gems forever! Now let's go home, so Steven can sleep in a bed. (They warp out.)

[Ominous metal clanging noises are heard and Kindergarten darkens]

[END]