Buddy’s Book

(The episode begins with Steven and Connie riding Lion and warping through his portal, as they cheer in excitement.)

[Trans. Ext. Buddwick Public Library]

(Lion emerges from his portal at a parking lot, in between two cars.)

CONNIE: Great job parking, Lion!

STEVEN: Eh. It's a little crooked.

(Lion growls softly at Steven.)

STEVEN: Never mind. It's perfect!

CONNIE: chuckles Is Lion gonna be okay parked out here?

STEVEN: Oh, yeah. Uh, I just gotta lock him up. pats Lion's back Boop-boop. Don't worry. He's not going anywhere.

(Lions walks off as Steven and Connie walk towards Buddwick Public Library.)

CONNIE: I still can't believe this'll be your first time inside of a library.

STEVEN: Why?

CONNIE: Bеcause libraries are full of your favoritе thing.

(Steven looks around the place and is overjoyed.)

STEVEN: gasps BOOOOOKS!!

(The librarian at the reception, reading a book, shushes Steven.)

STEVEN: whispers Boooooks.

(Steven and Connie walk to a table, with Connie carrying three thick educational books.)

CONNIE: All right. Time to beat these books.

STEVEN: Ah. What did they do to you?

CONNIE: I'm mainly trying to get a head-start on seventh grade. We'll be covering a lot of new stuff, so... places the books on the table I just want to be prepared.

STEVEN: Can't you just use your phone to look stuff up?

CONNIE: sighs Last time I relied on the Internet for info, I ended up writing a very, uh... erroneous paper about raccoons having heat-vision.

STEVEN: Raccoons have heat-vision!?

(The librarian from before shushes Steven again.)

CONNIE: You should take a look around while I get started. There's tons of stuff here I'm sure you'll love.

STEVEN: Okay. B-R-B.

(Steven walks around exploring the library.)

STEVEN: Nonfiction? Wild.

(Steven trips onto a wheeled ottoman and begins riding it.)

STEVEN: Whee! giggles Wow! There's even cool books on the bottom shelves!

(Steven continues riding the ottoman until he notices a book underneath the bottom shelf.)

STEVEN: Huh? What are you doing down here, little buddy?

(Steven picks up the book and blows the dust off of it. It has a blank cover.)

STEVEN: It's blank!

(Steven opens the book and sees sketches of Gem structures inside, including a few of the Crystal Temple.)

STEVEN: Whoa. gasps and runs back to Connie Connie! Look!

CONNIE: It's... blank?

STEVEN: It's the journal of first mate Buddy Buddwick!

CONNIE: Like, the real thing?

STEVEN: Yeah! Jamie did a play about how Buddy helped the first Mayor Dewey discover Beach City! There's even drawings of Gem locations in here!

CONNIE: Oh, my gosh! Forget homework. forcefully pushes her books aside Let's take it from the top!

STEVEN: Yeah!

(Steven opens the book and begins reading Buddy's tale as drums and fife music play in the background. Jamie stars as Buddy Buddwick in the story for Steven and Connie, as he begins narrating the tale.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating After narrowly escaping certain doom, Captain William Dewey and I, his first mate Buddy, founded the land of Beach City. With Captain Dewey's legacy cemented- well, bronzed, I wondered what my legacy would be. Would anyone remember my name? Or will it be washed away by the ocean of time?

(The narration momentarily cut, as Steven explains his imagination to Connie.)

STEVEN: I'm picturing Buddy as Jamie being all sad.

CONNIE: Oh, yeah. Drama zone. smirks

(Steven and Connie continues reading Buddy's take in the impression of Jamie.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): No! I shall not disappear! I shan't die a lowly first mate! I schwill do something great with my life! I'll comb the world in search of greatness!

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating And so began a new chapter of my life: to explore the previously unexplored and to make my mark on the world! I traveled for many days and nights until, finally, I found myself in a field of sorts... or should I say, a field of swords, intermingled with giant, sweet-smelling strawberries as big as one's head. "Who could've wielded such a weapon?" I pondered. "What sort of battle could this have been used for?" I contemplated. I continued to sketch, sinking into deep concentration when I suddenly felt the touch of a familiar hand.

(Garnet and Pearl appeared behind Buddy.)

GARNET: Ahoy.

PEARL: Salutations.

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating It was two of the Crystal Gems-

(The narration cuts, as Connie ponders about the Gems' appearances.)

CONNIE: Hmm. Would the Gems have looked different back then?

STEVEN: Yes... Definitely.

(Steven and Connie imagine the Gems dressed in mid-80s outfits.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating It was two of the Crystal Gems that had saved my captain from a sea beast.

PEARL: And now we're here to save you.

BUDDY (JAMIE): But I'm not in peril. I'm just a humble traveler who wants my name to be remembered by everyone for all time.

PEARL: Well, travel not here, traveler, as this place is very dangerous.

BUDDY (JAMIE): Very well. I'll go elsewhere. takes out a map

PEARL: snatches the map Wait! There are many places on this Earth that a human like you should avoid.

(Pearl marked multiple locations on Buddy's map before handing it back to him.)

PEARL: Here's a convenient marking of all the places where you should absolutely, under no circumstances, visit if you'd like to keep your short life.

GARNET: Only the bravest, most courageous, most memorable explorers would dare to visit these fascinating places.

PEARL: Yes, that's essentially what I just said. Anyway, glad we cleared that up. Fare thee well.

(Garnet and Pearl rode off on a Penny-farthing.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating Surely, if I do explore these places, I'll be remembered as brave and courageous!

(Buddy began to explore the designated spots on his map and sketching the locations in his journal. He visited the Sky Spire, the Lunar Sea Spire and the Communication Hub. The narration cuts, as Steven and Connie flips through the sketches Buddy drew from his explorations.)

STEVEN: He drew the Communication Hub.

CONNIE: Sparkling slugs?

STEVEN: Where'd he get these names from? Ooh! He got this one right! I feel like I'm back there.

CONNIE: What's this place?

(Steven and Connie look at a sketch titled "The Palanquin".)

STEVEN: I don't know this one. Ooh! It looks like he went to the Kindergarten.

(The narration continues, with Buddy walking into the Prime Kindergarten.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating I found myself at the most amazing locations.

BUDDY (JAMIE): examining an inactive injector Hmm... Very pointy.

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating Though I could not shake the feeling that something about this journey felt a bit... off.

BUDDY (JAMIE): Hmm... I wonder why all these tiny caves are here.

STRANGER: Hey, Buddy!

BUDDY (JAMIE): screams Th-this is Buddy speaking.

AMETHYST: Get outta my hole.

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating Lo, it was the third Crystal Gem.

BUDDY (JAMIE): Do you, uh, live here?

AMETHYST: Used to! Nowadays, I just come back every so often to see how the fam's doing.

BUDDY (JAMIE): The fam?

(Amethyst walks over to a rock, or the "fam", and gives them some brief company.)

AMETHYST: chuckles* Hey, how you been? Aw! You getting taller? Uh, give me a sec. I have a visitor. *yells at Buddy Why are you here!?

BUDDY (JAMIE): Oh. My apologies. Here, I'll show you. pulls out his map I've been traveling the globe as an adventurer and explorer.

AMETHYST: Neat!

BUDDY (JAMIE): I've been on a journey to discover places no one has ever been before. But by the looks of this place, many people have been here before.

AMETHYST: Hold on. Did you make this map?

BUDDY (JAMIE): It was drawn up for me by your compatriots.

AMETHYST: So, pbht! What have you discovered on it?

BUDDY (JAMIE): Well, I uh... that is... Oh. Uh... Oh, dear. I haven't discovered a single thing on this map!

AMETHYST: Yeah, man. You're just following someone else's footsteps.

BUDDY (JAMIE): And here I was, claiming to be a great explorer and adventurer when all I really am... is a tourist! starts sobbing

AMETHYST: Whoa. Don't get all sad on me.

BUDDY (JAMIE): This is why my journey hasn't felt right! continues sobbing

AMETHYST: Uh... uh, oh, yeah! Why don't you try and find the sand castle?

BUDDY (JAMIE): sniffles Uh, wha?

AMETHYST: Uh, out of the way. I'll show you. It's right around here in this sandy area.

BUDDY (JAMIE): Really?

AMETHYST: Yeah! They say it's never in the same place twice. It's always rebuilding itself all over the desert.

BUDDY (JAMIE): That sounds like the perfect adventure for me! And I'll be the first one to see it!

AMETHYST: Heh. Okay.

BUDDY (JAMIE): Thank you for your help. Goodbye.

AMETHYST: Come back anytime, but not too much!

[Trans. The Desert]

BUDDY (JAMIE): I've been wandering this desert for ten days now. I suppose I could take off my explorer's coat for a bit of relief, but if I wasn't wearing this, people would see me and think, "Oh, just some man wandering around; not important at all. Why he can't even find the elusive sand castle!" "Ha, ha ha" they'd say. "What a fool," they'd continue. Ugh. collapses on the sand This is it then: the end of my adventure. I've just followed a map to my own end. And this will be the last thing I ever see as I expire - an angel and her... one, two, three... several lions, here for my soul...

(The narration continues, when an unconscious Buddy being licked by a lion.)

CONNIE: Is this the end?

STEVEN: I guess so... Oh, wait. There's a bunch more.

(The narration cuts back to Steven and Connie, looking slightly disappointed.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating As I slowly regained consciousness, I became aware of a large figure in the shape of a giant woman. The ringlets of her hair spilled over her shoulders and back like a swath of roses.

STEVEN: Mom!

ROSE: Hey. Are you okay?

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating I realized I was surrounded by her pack of...

BUDDY (JAMIE): Seven lions!? Please don't eat me!

ROSE: Oh, don't worry. We mean no harm.

BUDDY (JAMIE): That's... good. Ugh...

ROSE: What brings a human out to a place like this?

BUDDY (JAMIE): I was a first mate on a ship, but we found land. And then I realized I didn't want to stay in that land, so I went to find more land. But then I was told not to find that land because it was really dangerous, but I wanted to prove myself and... Look. I wrote it all down here.

(Buddy handed his journal for Rose to read, as he began to rant.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): Why am I looking for the sand castle that probably doesn't even exist?

ROSE: A sand castle?

BUDDY (JAMIE): Yes. I've combed these deserts for weeks, and there's been no sign of one.

ROSE: Would that be a sign of one?

(Rose points to the sand castle.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): That's it! I've gotta record this! I've got to- Wait. You saw it first. This doesn't count at all! I'm a terrible explorer.

(Buddy walked up to a lion and placed his head inside of its mouth.)

BUDDY (JAMIE): Eat me. It's all I'm good for.

ROSE: Now, now, that's not true at all. Sure, all these places have been explored before, but they haven't been recorded so intimately as they have been in this journal. It makes them new and special all over again for any reader to experience. Have you ever considered becoming an author?

BUDDY (JAMIE): narrating And become an author I did! I wrote up a storm, making book after book, so many until I realized I could fill a library with them!

(The tale concludes as Steven gasps in realization.)

CONNIE: I get it!

STEVEN & CONNIE: The Buddy Buddwick Library!

(The librarian shushes both Steven and Connie.)

CONNIE: He really did leave a mark on this town.

STEVEN: Whoa, hold the phone. Is that what he looked like?

(Steven points at a picture frame of the real Buddy Buddwick on the ceiling of the library.)

CONNIE: chuckles We imagined him way off. I kind of liked our version better.

STEVEN: laughs Me, too.

(The picture of Buddy Buddwick changes into Steven and Connie's version of Buddy; Jamie as Buddy Buddwick. The star iris closes on Jamie as he winks his eye, ending the episode.)

[END]