Kindergarten Kid

[Open Int. Beta Kindergarten]

(The Crystal Gems are looking through the Kindergarten for leftover Corrupted Gems, previously captured and imprisoned here by Jasper. Steven and Peridot walks up to a cage in the cliff face.)

STEVEN: Here's another one!

(The other Gems are in front of another cage, ready to beat up a Corrupted Gem inside.)

GARNET: Got it, Steven! Ready... Go!

(The Gems chargе into the cage and begin to fight thе Corrupted Gem.)

AMETHYST: Grab its legs!

GARNET: That's not a leg!

AMETHYST: Ow!

(The Gems successfully poof the Corrupted Gem and exit the cage, with Garnet holding the gemstone in a bubble.)

PEARL: It's a little disturbing that Jasper was just keeping these Corrupted Gems in cages.

AMETHYST: Isn't that what we're doing?

PEARL: That's different.

GARNET: They're cared for in the stasis of the bubble. As long as they're bubbled, they can't hurt anyone, and they won't suffer.
sends the bubbled gem away It's what Rose wanted.

(Steven and Peridot stay outside of the cage they found and watch the Corrupted Gem inside.)

STEVEN: Huh. I guess this is the last of them.

(Inside, a bipedal, avian-esque Gem monster snarls with her tongues stuck out, as she erratically runs around and falls over on her head.)

PERIDOT: laughs] I can't believe these dumb things used to be Gems!

GARNET: walks over* Pearl, Amethyst, get ready. *beckons the other Gems over This one is flighty.

STEVEN: Are Corrupted Gems not like this on Homeworld?

PERIDOT: We don't have anything like this on Homeworld.

GARNET: Here we go!

(Garnet pulls the metal bar of the cage, and the Tongue Monster immediately charges out, slamming into Garnet.)

STEVEN: Garnet!

(As the Tongue Monster runs away, Amethyst tries to reel her back with her whip, but gets dragged off along. Pearl begins shooting energy blasts at the Tongue Monster with her spear to no success. The Tongue Monster runs back, sending Amethyst colliding into Pearl. The Tongue Monster then scales up the cliff to higher ground, snarls and successfully retreats. Peridot begins laughing at the Gems' failure.)

PERIDOT: That was terrible!

PEARL: This is harder than it looks, you know!

PERIDOT: How could you all be outsmarted by that thing?

PEARL: Well, first, it ran over Garnet, and then Amethyst tried to use her-

GARNET: Uh, we don't need the play by play. Mistakes happen, even when you can see the future.

AMETHYST: Yeah, Peridot. Let's see you do better.

PERIDOT: Well, I saved all your butts from Jasper. I suppose I could help you here, too.

GARNET: Feel free.

PERIDOT: This'll be a great chance to show off my metal powers! walks off on her own

GARNET: Then our work here is done.

STEVEN: Uh, I-I'm... umm...

AMETHYST: Are you seriously going to help her?

STEVEN: It's just... She's all alone out there, with no idea what she's doing.

PEARL: Oh, Peridot will be fine.

STEVEN: I meant the monster!

GARNET: chuckles to herself* Okay. Take as long as you need. *walks away

PEARL: Uh, Garnet, are you sure?

(Pearl and Amethyst chase after Garnet, and Steven runs up to Peridot, who is currently devising a plan.)

STEVEN: Wait! stops running and pants heavily

PERIDOT: Did the others ask you to bring me back?

STEVEN: No, I came to help! It usually takes all of us to capture a Corrupted Gem.

PERIDOT: That's because you try to out-brute it. We're going to outsmart it!

STEVEN: So... I can help?

PERIDOT: I could use your experience dealing with these things. It just doesn't seem fair.

STEVEN: Why's that?

PERIDOT: With you and me teaming up, that thing won't stand a chance.

(Steven and Peridot begin to laugh triumphantly.)

STEVEN: Yeah!

(The Tongue Monster suddenly runs through Peridot and Steven, knocking them onto the air. The pair falls back onto the ground and quickly gets up.)

PERIDOT: After it!

(Peridot and Steven give chase, crawl behind a rock and peek over it.)

PERIDOT: What's it doing?

(Peridot and Steven spot the Tongue Monster in the distance, staring at one of the Injectors hanging off the side of the cliff.)

STEVEN: Maybe it likes shiny things?

PERIDOT: This is perfect! I've just concocted a flawless Peri-plan!

STEVEN: So what's the P.P.?

PERIDOT: If I use my metal powers, the whole thing will fall onto the monster!

STEVEN: Give it a try!

PERIDOT: begins to tamper with one of the Injector's legs Carefully...

(Peridot manages to remove one of the legs, dropping it to the ground. The Injector remains hanging on the cliff wall, while the Tongue Monster looks at the metal legin confusion.)

STEVEN: It's... not falling.

PERIDOT: Maybe another leg needs to go.

(Peridot removes another leg, resulting in the aforementioned result.)

PERIDOT: growls in frustration Fall! You... stupid...!

(Two more legs are removed. Again, nothing happens, and the Tongue Monster decides to venture somewhere else.)

PERIDOT: Oh come on! grunts, walks underneath the Injector and starts kicking the wall Fall already!

(As Peridot kicks the wall, the area the Injector is embedded in begins to crack.)

STEVEN: Peridot, watch out!

PERIDOT: Oh, right. Thank you.

(Peridot steps away from underneath the Injector, kicks the wall again, and a bunch of boulders fall on top of her.)

STEVEN: Uh, Peridot!

(Steven runs over to Peridot but is greeted by the Tongue Monster, running back in front of him.)

PERIDOT: pops hers face out of the boulders There it is! Get it!

(Steven summons his shield, but the Tongue Monster immediately starts attacking him with her talons.)

PERIDOT: Keep distracting it! I'll finish it off!

(Peridot climbs out of the boulders, and immediately, the Injector falls on top of her. A beaten-up Steven walks over to check on Peridot, while the Tongue Monster flees away again.)

STEVEN: You okay?

PERIDOT: I think we need to... revise our strategy. Bleh...

[Fade to Black; Time-Skip]

(Steven and Peridot stands on top of the cliff, underneath the bright sun.)

PERIDOT: Are you ready for the second Peri-plan?

STEVEN: The first one... wasn't so great.

PERIDOT: Yes, noted, Steven. But this plan is even more flawless! I cannibalized the Injector to make a rudimentary cannon! Observe.

(Peridot activates the cannon, which shoots a large object up into the sky and into the yonder.)

STEVEN: Whoa! Impressive!

PERIDOT: You got that right. This way, we can take it out from a distance!

STEVEN: spots the Tongue Monster running in Oh, there it is!

PERIDOT: I got it!

(The Tongue Monster notices Steven and Peridot and snarls with her tongues in the air in response. Peridot aims the cannon towards the Tongue Monster.)

PERIDOT: Heh, you clod.

(Peridot activates the cannon, but it does not shoot at all.)

PERIDOT: Huh? starts banging her fist on the cannon Work, you stupid- Argh!

(The cannon fires, the resulting recoil sending it backwards into Peridot, crashing her into the wall behind her and creating a mini-avalanche of boulders. The Tongue Monster then approaches Steven.)

STEVEN: Uhh... hey. You win this round. chuckles nervously

(The Tongue Monster attacks Steven again, as he screams in fright.)

[Fade to Black; Time-Skip]

(Peridot and Steven, both visibly roughened-up, stand near the edge of a cliff, next a giant boulder.)

PERIDOT: Okay. I've analyzed the problems with the previous two Peri-plans. Relying on the Injectors introduced too many complicating
variables. Now we only have to rely on simple physics! We'll wait until it gets right up under us, not suspecting a thing, because it's
so dumb! And then we'll drop this rock on its stupid head! It's even more flawless! And at this height, nothing can fall on us!

STEVEN: What if it doesn't stop where we want it to?

PERIDOT: I'm doing the best I can, Steven!

(The Tongue Monster suddenly appears behind Steven and Peridot and snarls loudly, scaring them off the cliff. The Tongue Monster then taps on the giant boulder, causing it to fall as well. Peridot screams as she face-plants onto the ground, while Steven gently floats down.)

PERIDOT: I-

(The giant boulder falls onto Peridot, flattening her onto it, and rolls off carrying her away. Steven gives chase until he and Peridot come across an eroded formation of sandstone resembling a loop-de-loop. The giant boulder goes around the loop-de-loop and collides into Steven, as he quickly protects himself with the bubble. Steven's bubble goes around the loop and collides into the boulder, freeing Peridot, and it goes half-way up the loop.)

PERIDOT: I think-

(The giant boulder falls on Peridot on the ground, and Steven pops his bubble in shock.)

STEVEN: You don't poof easily, huh?

PERIDOT: Us Peridots are tougher than we look!

[Fade to Black; Time-Skip - Night-time]

(Steven is cooking marshmallows on a stick over a bonfire, while Peridot is celebrating her latest devised plan in the distance.)

PERIDOT: Yes! This is going to work. This is going to be perfect! This is going to be...

(A crude construction of the Injector is shown, which quickly falls apart without proper support.)

PERIDOT: ...A waste of my time.

(Peridot walks over to Steven, who is enjoying his marshmallows.)

PERIDOT: Why can't I master this? sits down next to Steven in frustration

STEVEN: Aw, Peridot, it's okay. Even if none of your Peri-plans worked, at least they were really funny. The others will probably think
so, too, when we go back and get 'em.

PERIDOT: Go back? Let it be known that I, Peridot, refuse to move forward or back until I am victorious.

STEVEN: rolls his eyes Right.

PERIDOT: I don't get it. I'm smarter than your average Peridot. How did I fail today against some barely functional, stupid, cloddy,
dumb-dumb?!

STEVEN: Hey, hey, corruptions aren't dumb. They just think a little different, that's all.

PERIDOT: Okay, just to make sure my Earth vocabulary is correct on this... let's say I'm a monster. I spend all my time slamming my face
into hard objects and throwing my tongues in the air for fun. How am I not... dumb?

STEVEN: Well, she must be doing something right. She hasn't fallen for any of your Peri-plans.

(Peridot frowns in sheer embarrassment.)

PERIDOT: It's luck! Nothing that thing does makes any sense!

(Peridot kicks away a nearby stone and begins to ponder in frustration. Steven then throws a piece of marshmallow at Peridot.)

PERIDOT: Hey.

(Steven taunts the anticipation of another marshmallow and throws another one at Peridot. He eventually starts throwing dozens of them at Peridot.)

PERIDOT: growling angrily Why are you bombarding me with your confectionery puff rocks?!

STEVEN: To show you what it's like to be a monster! Pretend I'm a freaked-out human screaming at you in fear! Pretend I'm an Earth
animal chasing you away from your first safe hiding spot! Pretend I'm an angry green Gem trying to poof you! This is life for you now!
End-less suffering!

(Peridot keeps growling in anger as Steven throws marshmallows at her, She eventually breaks and snatches the marshmallows bag away from Steven. She chews on the bag and waves it around in a fit of anger like a wild dog, proving Steven's point.)

STEVEN: There! You see?

PERIDOT: Yeah.

STEVEN: What you're doing makes total sense! You remember what it was like to have everything important taken away? Being under attack?
Feeling trapped? You were frustrated. So is she! Why don't you try thinking about all of this from her point of view?

PERIDOT: Hmm...

[Time-Skip - Day-time]

(The Tongue Monster is seen shooting her tongues into the air as Steven and Peridot spy on her from behind a rock.)

STEVEN: You can do it.

(Peridot walks over to the Tongue Monster, and the two stare at each other intently.)

PERIDOT: Ugh. I can't take this dirty tongue-flapper seriously.

STEVEN: Think... like... a monster.

(Peridot, after some consideration, begins to "think like a monster" and shoot her tongue in the air. The Tongue Monster approves of Peridot, as she bounces on the spot and shoots her tongues in the air. Peridot hops over and the two shoot their tongues together as playtime.)

STEVEN: Aww. smiles

(While the Tonugue Monster is snarling and shooting her tongues, Peridot sneaks up to the distracted monster and kicks her, triggering her into a frenzy and begins attacking Peridot. Steven gasps in shock and runs over, as Peridot clings to the monster's face.)

STEVEN: It's okay! We don't want to fight! Just let Peridot bubble you! We can all get along-

(Steven is inadvertently knocked away in his bubble shield by the Tongue Monster. Peridot grabs onto the monster's leg, and she begins running off, dragging a screaming Peridot along. Steven gives chase as the two run around the loop-de-loop sandstone formation and eventually to the edge of a cliff.)

STEVEN: No, no, no, no, no!

(Peridot continues to wrestle with the Tongue Monster, as she tries to keep her balance on the cliff edge.)

PERIDOT: Give me... that... gem!

(The Tongue Monster eventually slips and falls off the cliff, taking Peridot with her.)

STEVEN: Peridot!

(Steven watches as Peridot and the Tongue Monster plummet into the canyon below, landing on the ground with a cloud of dust. Steven gasps in horror and floats down to the ground, finding a hole in shape of both Peridot and the monster. Peridot then climbs out of the hole, holding the gemstone of the Tongue Monster, presumably poofed from the fall.)

PERIDOT: pants heavily I did it.

(Steven sighs in relief and helps Peridot out of the hole. Garnet then walks into the scene.)

STEVEN: Oh, hey. You're back!

GARNET: Eh, we never really left.

(Garnet points at a rock behind her, and Pearl and Amethyst pops out.)

AMETHYST: We knew it'd be funny.

GARNET: takes off her visor, revealing her third eye Future vision.

PERIDOT: Y-You were all watching this whole time?

(Peridot blushes and looks down at the gem in her hand.)

PERIDOT: I told you I could do it. But I have to admit, it was more difficult than expected. This Corrupted Gem was truly an adversary
worthy of my skill.

(Peridot inadvertently bubbles the gem in her hand.)

STEVEN: Whoa! Peridot!

AMETHYST: Nice bubble, Peri!

PERIDOT: W-What do I do with it?

GARNET: Send it off.

STEVEN: Just tap the top.

(Peridot does so, and the bubble travels elsewhere.)

STEVEN: Happy trails!

PERIDOT: So, where did it go?

STEVEN: Home.

[Trans. Int. The Barn]

(Lapis is reading a book titled "Pretty Hairstylist", as the bubbled gem appears on the ceiling. She notices the bubble, glances at it briefly, and continues reading her book. The star iris then zooms in on the bubble, ending the episode.)

[END]