Forced Fusion, Gone Right?

23:6th sense

After some more prepping, Greg went back to the barn to get Steven out the barn. Everyone surrounded the barn as Greg called out to Steven. "Okay Steven, open up!" Steven opened the barn doors as Everyone, except Labradorite, started to say 'surprise!' Only ending short because of Steven's appearance.

Steven placed one foot after the other while exiting out the barn, a smile on his face. Labradorite felt something was...wrong. Labradorite just stared pensivly at the slightly taller Steven as the gems and two humans walked up to him.

"Steven, are you feeling okay?" Pearl asked, slightly worried for the boy as he smiled and stopped walking. "Huh, you look good Steven." The tall fusion hummed Steven chuckled and thanked the fusion in a deep voice.

Labradorite scanned Steven for anything off, other than his clothes being weirdly stretched, his deep voice that he didn't have prior to being in the barn. "Dude, your neck!" The Amethyst called out. "Oh! Uh what about it?" The off Steven asked. "You have one!"
...and his neck being existent, there really isn't much to understand what was off.

"So you just grew all of a sudden?" That made something click into Labradorite's head. Shape shifting! That's what's wrong with him! He shifted! But would Steven be able to do that?
Labradorite tuned out the gems conversation.

Of course he would, he is part gem after all. But how would Labradorite be able to sense that? Sure, she was able to sense fusions, but shape shifting, seems a little weird to her. Labradorite was snapped out of her thoughts by the tall fusion initiating the party by blowing the small fire off the numbers on the top of the cake. "Yeah! Let's eat this cookie cake!" Greg announced happily.

The Pearl and tall fusion seemed to back off Labradorite for the most part, not talking to the forced fusion, but attempting to include her in the activities they had set up, however the Amethyst was very social and attempted to talk and add Labradorite into a conversation.

Most of the time Labradorite stuck close to Greg, eyeing Steven from a distance, only rarely was she seen alone because once she was alone, she'd go right back and converse with Peridot.

Now the gems were playing tennis, Labradorite thought Pearl had said. Apparently it was a team game.

Basically, you had to hit something called a shuttlecock around with something called a tennis racket so it didn't hit your side, if you get it to the other side of the net, you get a point.

Labradorite looked over to see the shuttlecock flying over to a tree. "It you hit it, you get it." The Pearl said with a smirk. "No worries, I'll grab it!" the Connie said, dashing over to the tree. Connie went to climb it before Steven came up behind her.

"Connie! Let me." Steven grabbed up on the high branch making the shuttlecock fall to the ground. "Cool, thanks Steven!" Connie said as Steven got off the branch.

Connie left Steven alone, running back to the group playing tennis. Labradorite flew over soon after, her wings flapping softly like a butterfly's. Steven didn't seem to notice her was his arm began to shrink back to it's original size.

"oh no!" Steven grunted as he shifted his arm back to what he wanted it to be and began to breath heavily. "You really shouldn't stress the limits of your form, the Steven." Labradorite comments, making Steven jump and turn to her.

"Labradorite! When did you get here?" Steven asked anxiously. "When the Connie left." Labradorite admitted, landing on the ground. "Once again, please don't stress your form for the gems around you." Labradorite pleaded, a worried glint in her eyes.

"I- well- it's not-" Steven began to stutter but immediately sighed. "Just don't tell anyone about this, please?" Steven pleaded.

Labradorite heaved a heavy sigh.

And nodded.

<----->

Soon night came and Labradorite was sitting with Peridot, telling her all the things she has discovered. Labradorite could hear the Garnets voice say, "This one goes out to the birthday boy and his best friend.", on the contrary of Steven, he still hasn't gotten out of that stretched form and Labradorite could tell it was getting worse.

How? She didn't know just yet, but she just felt it. The sense was weird, it was like every time she was sitting near Steven or even looking at him, her form feels stretched and it physically hurts. 'What's up with that?' Labradorite wonders her arms hovering over her melded gem.

Once it hit midnight, the Connie and Greg came back with a very tiny Steven in only his star shirt. Labradorite was about to ask what happened but saw literally everyone she wasn't comfortable with, so she immediately backed off until the morning.

<---->

Once it hit dawn, Steven crawled out of the tent in his original form. He spotted the pink button up Connie had gotten him and placed it on. The button up was a perfect size for Steven.

Labradorite flew off the roof, landing on her feet, just a few feet away from Steven. "Are you okay, the Steven?" Labradorite asked in a low voice, making Steven look up at her and smile.

"Yeah, and thank you, Labradorite." Labradorite stopped in her tracks, tilting her head. "What for, the Steven? I haven't done anything to help you." Labradorite said, Steven chuckled at Labradorite's confused bluntness.

"You tried to warn me from the start, it's weird how you sensed it so early. Is it like  a sixth sense?" Steven pondered, making Labradorite look away. "Is it some kind of forced fusion sense or something?" Steven asked, Labradorite looked back at the boy.

"I don't really know, I just... felt it. I- I should go." Labradorite said before leaving to find Peridot. Steven went to follow her only to stop as Connie shouted, "Everyone! Steven is-" Connie stopped short of her shout as she looked over at Steven. "Look, it fits now." Steven smiled.