Mindful Education

[Episode starts with Connie walking up to Steven's door]

(Connie knocks on the door)

(Steven opens the door and leans on the wall with a smug expression)

Steven: Lovely day, isn't it?

(Connie walks in without paying much attention)

Connie: Yeah, I guess.

(She sets her bag on the table, unpacking it)

Steven: Ya know, uh.. My dad told me I should probably expect this at some point, but I didn't think it would happen overnight.

Connie: Right, yeah.

(She continues to unpack, seemingly bothered about something)

Steven: Connie, I'm bald!

(Connie looks over at Steven)

Connie: Oh. What happened?

(Steven takes off his bald cap)

Steven: Nothing.. It was just a joke.

(She goes back to unpacking)

Connie: Oh, okay.

Steven: Hey, are you okay?

(Pearl and Garnet warp in)

Pearl: Steven, Connie! I hope you two are ready for today's special lesson.

(She walks towards them with anticipation, Garnet following behind)

Connie: Oh no, was I supposed to bring something?

Garnet: Just yourselves.

Pearl: Garnet is going to sit in. She's very excited to see you fight as Stevonnie.

Connie: Oh! Right! Fusion training.

Garnet: I made a sign. Woooop. (Garnet pulls up the sign saying "GO, Steven+Connie") This side is for the both of you. (Flips the sign, revealing the other side that says "GO Stevonnie.") And this side is for Stevonnie. It's two signs in one. A fusion sign. (Smiles widely)

Steven: (Laughs) Fusion joke! (Playfully nudges Connie's shoulder)

Connie: (Laughs weakly)

[Cuts to the Sky Arena]
Pearl: Ready, kids?

Steven: Yes ma'am!

(Connie is deep in thought, but Steven nudges her and she snaps out of it)

Steven: Whispers Connie!

Connie: Yes, ma'am!

(Garnet is seen sitting aside, cheering the two of them on and holding the sign)

Garnet: Ste-ven! Con-nie! Wooo!

Holo-Pearls: Initiating fusion dance. (Music plays as the two Holo-Pearls do the robot)

Holo-Pearl fusion: (Eyes turn red) Come at me, children.

(Steven and Connie nod in agreement, and fuse into Stevonnie)

(Garnet smiles widely, and turns the sign around to the 'Stevonnie' side)

(Stevonnie summons their shield, and unsheathes their sword)

Stevonnie: Let's dance.

Pearl: Let us...begin!

(Holo-Pearl fusion twirls and dashes towards Stevonnie and attacks them, but they dodge the incoming attack skillfully and all the attacks)

(Stevonnie jumps over the fusion and uses the float ability, and the Holo-Pearl's head turns around completely)

Stevonnie: Huh? (Chuckles)

(Garnet's in the background, cheering them on)

Pearl: (Gasps) Oh!

(Stevonnie lands on a nearby pillar)

Stevonnie: All right! Stevonnie's got floating powers! Time to finish the job! (Bounces off the pillar and dashes towards Holo-Pearl)

(Suddenly, everything around them changes, and Holo-Pearl transforms into a small child who looks terrified)

Stevonnie: Huh? I'm sorry! (Misses the attack)

(Pearl and Garnet gasp)

(Stevonnie fails to keep her balance, thus rolling on the floor, eventually unfusing)

Garnet and Pearl: Steven! Connie!

Steven: W-What happened?

Connie: Mmmuh! (Groans, and runs away)

Steven: Connie, wait!

(Steven runs after Connie and finds her sitting on the steps with her head in her knees)

Steven: (Sits beside her) Hey, what's wrong?

Connie: I did something terrible at school, and I don't know what to do. (Connie covers her face in embarrassment)

Steven: Well that doesn't sound like you. What happened? (Places hand on her shoulder)

Connie: ... I beat someone up.

Steven: What?

Connie: A kid I didn't know. He just bumped into me in the hallway. I was so startled, my training instincts kicked in. I just reacted. (Covers mouth) I was so embarrassed, I just ran away. (Looks away)

Steven: But you didn't mean to hurt him! I know what it's like. Sometimes, you hurt people by accident. Y-you just have to try not to think about it.

Garnet: (From above) Hold the phone. Now give the phone to me.

(Cuts to the sight of the ocean waves washing the shore of the beach. Garnet, Steven, and Connie are sitting in the sand)

Garnet: For a fusion to work, there needs to be balance. An imbalance can cause your fusion to lose touch with reality, see things that aren't there, and eventually fall apart. That is to say, if one of you is falling apart (Steven and Connie look at each other) , your fusion will as well. To find balance, you must understand your feelings. To understand your feelings, you must see them clearly without running from them. (Garnet's visor shimmers)

Connie: See them clearly?

Garnet: I'll show you, but first, we'll need Stevonnie.

Steven and Connie: Mm.

(Fuses into Stevonnie)

(Garnet places her hands above each other, Stevonnie does the same)

Garnet: Close your eyes.

Stevonnie: Okay.

Garnet: Breathe.

Stevonnie: (Inhales, exhales, deeply)

Garnet: Here, in darkness, everything's okay. Listen to the waves, and let them fade away. Here comes a thought.

(Garnet and Stevonnie sing “Here Comes A Thought”)

[Back at Steven's house]

(Steven is seen reading a book)

(Soon after, Connie scurries over to the door and goes inside)

Connie: Steven! I'm ready to train! (Closes the door behind her) I'm so glad we talked to Garnet, I really figured out what I needed to do! I talked to Jeff! (Shows a picture of them together on her phone to Steven) That's his name, by the way.

Steven: Whoa, you did it.

Connie: I apologized and he understood! (Tucks phone in pocket) He actually wanted to know if I could show him some moves. (Laughs)

Steven: That's great!

(Connie goes to the table to unpack)

Connie: It's funny, I spent all that time feeling bad instead of doing something. It's like I was trying not to think about it, and that just made it worse. (Steven walks over with a smile on his face) Now that I've got a clear head, we'll do so much better as Stevonnie. Anyway, I'm gonna change! (Runs off to change into training attire)

(Steven's smile fades as he notices the same butterfly on the sword pommel)

(Cuts to the Sky Arena, where Stevonnie is seen battling the Holo-Pearls)

Pearl: Great technique, Stevonnie! (Dodges flying, defeated Holo-Pearls) Whew! Keep it up!

Stevonnie: Thanks, ma'am! (They charge towards the remaining Holo-Pearl and slice right through her) Hyah! Uh, uh... Oh, oh, uhh... (Surroundings change into more unwelcoming ones, and the Holo-Pearl is replaced with Bismuth, referencing the previous episode's incident)

(Bismuth looks petrified, and poofs, resulting in a swarm of butterflies)

Stevonnie: Oh, no... It's happening again! (Walks backwards) Who was that? Bismuth-- Steven!?-- Oh, no, it's coming from me now!

Garnet: Stevonnie!

(They snap out of it)

Garnet: Breathe!

Pearl: What's going on? What's happening to them?

Garnet: (Hugs Pearl and reassures her) They've got this!

Stevonnie: Y-yeah, I'm... I'm...ugh! (They fall into the mindscape once again)

Stevonnie: Jasper... (An illusion of half-corrupted Jasper appears in front of them, and she takes big, heavy, weary steps towards Stevonnie)

Stevonnie: I-I tried to help you. You wouldn't listen, I-- I told you to stop! I-I had no choice!

(Now an abnormally large illusion of angry Eyeball is in front of them, about to crush them with her fist)

Stevonnie: (Starts to tear up) I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't be-- No, it's okay! It's okay to think about it!

(The illusions of Eyeball, Jasper, and Bismuth are surrounding them)

Stevonnie: I thought I could, but it's so much! I can't do it!

(The illusions poof into the swarms of butterflies, causing a huge mess to form)

Stevonnie: (Wearily) Ahh! Ah!

(The butterflies form the shape of Rose's head, and it looks down on Stevonnie in a disappointed manner)

(Stevonnie starts to cry and drops the sword, and slowly walks backwards)

Stevonnie: No... No.. No-- aah! (Walks off the edge by accident)

Garnet and Pearl: Stevonnie!

Stevonnie: (Realizes they're falling, gasps and eventually unfuses)

Connie: We're falling! Steven! Let's fuse! We can hover, we'll be okay! ...Steven?

Steven: (Crying) I didn't wanna hurt anyone!

(Connie swims over to Steven and grabs onto him)

Steven: I'm sorry! None of them would let me help them! I had no choice!

Connie: It's okay!

Steven: No! It's not!

Connie: But it's okay to think about it!

Steven: It feels so bad..!

Connie: That's okay, too!

(Steven uncovers his eyes)

Connie: There was nothing else you could've done!

Steven: I don't want to feel this way...

Connie: You have to! You have to be honest about how bad it feels so you can move on. (They are now facing each other and have their hands intertwined) That's how it was for me...

Steven: (Sniffles) Okay.

(Fuses into Stevonnie)

Stevonnie: Aaah-eeee! (Panting while falling through the vortex) Just. Breathe.

(They calm down and fall through the massive swarm of butterflies)

(Birds chirping)

Stevonnie: (Flailing her legs to land) Mm-mm-mm! (Lands peacefully, and sighs) (Starts to laugh and falls into the grass and sighs in relief) (Looks at the sky) I'm here.

[Episode ends]