Newcomers and Nuisances

***Newcomers and Nuisances*** (originally titled "***Man and the Elephant***") is the first chapter of the second volume of Star-Crossed, and seventh chapter overall.

## Summery

It opens up in the jungle, showing Steven swimming within a large pond, as Kimba is fishing along the bank. Steven invites Kimba in for a swim, but Kimba refuses stating that he won't go into the water until he catches a larger fish, both out of pride and out of hunger since Amethyst ate his meal earlier. Steven apologizes on her behalf, although Kimba was wondering why he even was bothering to do that since he didn't do anything to him. Soon, Kimba finds a large Pike, and quickly tries to catch it, only for it to slap him in the face and escape, much to his embarrassment.

Kimba gets Steven to promise not to tell anyone, but this is all seen by Bizo nearby the pond bank. Bizo is quick to start mocking him, saying that the fish was too much to handle for Kimba. Shortly after, Bizo notices Steven's dry clothes along the bank, and while he wasn't sure what they even were, refuses to give them back to Steven after he asks about it. Steven tries getting his clothes back, but Kimba intervenes and snatches Steven's clothes away from Bizo, who demands to give it back. Kimba warns him to stop messing with them, but Bizo claims they can't do anything to him even if they wanted to, as he is the son of Pagoola: the king of the Savannah elephants. Kimba simply remarks that Bizo isn't actually him, which triggers a fight between them both. This fight continues for a short while until Bizo rams his head against a tree, catching the attention of his father nearby.

Pagoola comes over, demanding to know what they were doing to his boy, but before Kimba and Steven could say anything, Bizo says that they started it and fought him over nothing. Kimba quickly tries telling him what really happened, but things get worse when Steven, terrified, apologizes for everything that happened. Pagoola warns Kimba that he will crush him if he doesn't apologize, but Kimba states he has won't and that if anyone was going to be punished, it should be him for fighting Bizo in the first place. Pagoola rests his large foot on his head for a moment, but he stops himself. Seeing Kimba's bravery, he remarks how much he was like to his father, Panja, and that he would be proud of him. Pagoola turns to Bizo though, stating how ashamed he should be for starting a fight he can't even finish, before carrying him away. Steven tries thanking Kimba, but Kimba snaps back at him for giving in to Pagoola and Bizo, only for him to realize Steven was doing the diamond insignia again. Steven reveals that not even he knows why he does it anymore, since he did it so many times back at Homeworld. Kimba, apologizing for his outburst, tells Steven that he is free now, and whatever he had to do on Homeworld he won't have to do on Earth. After everything calms down, he allows Steven to decide what they should do next, which Steven decides to go after the pike from earlier.

Nearby, the two are revealed to have been observed by Tabaqi. The scene transitions to Tabaqi at Shere Khan's den, Shere Khan learning about not only the events at the pond, but the fact Steven and his family were recruited into the Animalian Tribe at all, much to his annoyance. Tabaqi states how it shouldn't be too hard for Shere Khan as they were all ants compared to him, but Shere Khan states that "even ants can become deadly", and while he's still making Steven his target, he has to think on how to do it without disturbing the tribe. He goes over the issue in his mind, eventually coming up with his own plan after inquiring once more if Kimba and Steven were indeed alone. After figuring it out, he lets Tabaqi go, stating this isn't a problem he can't solve.

Steven and Kimba meet up later on to have a meal together: Kimba eating a pike and Steven enjoying some berries. As they were, Steven asks Kimba about what Pagoola said about Panja, and who he was. Kimba explains that Panja is his father by blood, despite Alexander raising him since he was a cub, that Panja was the previous chief of the Animalian Tribe before Akela, and it was thanks to him that the Animalian Law extends to the whole territory instead of just to the tribe itself. Steven states that his mom would've liked him if she were around, explaining Rose Quartz as the previous leader of the Crystal Gems who fought to keep the planet safe and to give Gems a place to be free and call home. Kimba inquires on where she was though, realizing that she wasn't with the other Gems, which Steven reveals her to be his gemstone. After fully explaining what happened to Rose, Kimba confirms that she isn't alive anymore, which he states that Panja is no longer with them either.

Before they can talk any further, they both hear a commotion not too far away. Upon investigating, they both go over to find Bizo trapped within a steep pit. Bizo is quick to snap at them, demanding that they go away and that he could get out of there himself. However, attempts to climb out prove it wasn't possible for him. Kimba opts to leave him alone, saying that he hasn't been nice to any of them today, but Steven insists on helping him get out anyway since he can't do it by himself. Reluctantly, Kimba agrees to it, and Steven tells Bizo they're gonna help him out. Steven, after some thinking, gets Kimba to fetch a vine for him. As this all was going on, it shows Shere Khan nearby, stalking Steven. Kimba soon returns with the vine, which Steven tosses an end down to Bizo so they can pull him up. All it takes is one pull though for Bizo to be pulled out (and landing on top of Steven). Shortly after getting him off, the three are then visited by a passing Hathi: revealed later to be the king of the jungle elephants. Hathi recognizes Steven from the springtime meeting, though notes that they haven't formally been introduced until now. During the talk, Bizo slips away. Hathi asks how Steven and his family are handling the jungle, which Steven answers that they're just staying with the wolf pack until they find a town or city with humans in it to settle down in. Hathi tells Steven to live comfortably and where he wishes but does warn him that if he does leave the tribe completely, then he won't be protected by the animalian laws. Steven insists though that he'll be okay as the gems can protect him, and even so he'll still come by and visit them along with them being allowed to visit him. Hathi, after hearing Shere Khan nearby, decides to offer them a ride as a reward for rescuing Pagoola's only son.

Nearby, Shere Khan becomes furious that Hathi would take his target away from him, and he readies himself to just go after them, only to look up in the trees and spot a troop of monkeys nearby watching them. Shere Khan calms down and turns away, on the grounds of him just having a stroke of bad luck as any predator would when hunting and reassures himself that Steven will end up at the wrong place at the wrong time, where he will be waiting for him.

## Features

### Characters

* Steven Universe
* Kimba
* Bizo
* Pagoola
* Panja
* Tabaqi
* Shere Khan
* Alexander (mentioned)
* Akela (mentioned)
* Rose Quartz
* Garnet (mentioned)
* Pearl (mentioned)
* Amethyst (mentioned)
* Hathi

### Locations

* Earth (mentioned)
	+ Bajelous Jungle
		- Savannah (mentioned)
		- Southern Marshlands
* Homeworld (mentioned)

## Trivia

* This is the first chapter of the main comic franchise to fully be released in a 4-page format rather than the 2-page format of the first volume - each release putting out 4 pages at a time rather than 2.