Rose's Scabbard

"Rose's Scabbard" is the 45th episode of the season one in Steven Universe, and the 45th episode overall.

Synopsis
Steven joins Pearl on a special mission to a place that belonged to Rose Quartz, Steven's mother.

Plot
Returning to the Strawberry Battlefield, the Crystal Gems begin to gather some of the discarded weapons. Garnet quickly claims a massive war axe, much to Steven's delight, though Pearl suggests he finds something better suited to his size. Lion, distracted by a butterfly, wanders off. Pearl tells Steven to do a better job of training Lion, which Steven attempts to demonstrate by repeatedly calling his pet's name. When Lion finally comes back, he is carrying a pink scabbard in his mouth. Pearl, recognizing the scabbard as having been the resting place of Rose's sword, forces the scabbard from Lion's jaws. Steven asks about his mother being in the battle that occurred here, and Pearl explains that, 5,000 years ago, Rose led a battle against the Homeworld Gems on this very spot, with Pearl as her second in command.

Warping home to the temple, while Garnet and Amethyst take their new weapons into their rooms, Pearl offers to take Steven to a special place that only she and Rose knew about, where she is certain the sword that goes with the scabbard must be. During the course of the journey together, Pearl explains to Steven that she was the only one Rose shared her secrets with. Finally, Pearl brings Steven to a cave... the very same cave Lion brought Steven and Connie to a while back. When Steven says as much, Pearl, flabbergasted, refuses to believe it, until Steven mans the control console and begins to activate the various displayed weapons, with Pearl calling out their proper names. Now annoyed, Pearl asks Steven to find Rose's sword. When Steven asks what it looks like, Pearl displays a hologram of it and describes it. Seeing it, Steven says he knows where it is.

Back in the temple, Steven emerges from Lion's pocket dimension, now wielding his mother's sword. The Gems are astonished at this revelation, and Steven gladly shows them more, explaining that he has begun storing items in it, as well. Pearl refuses to accept any of it, however, as Rose never told her ANYTHING about Lion or his pocket dimension, and Rose told her EVERYTHING. Steven tries to defuse the situation, suggesting that Rose was only keeping a secret from Pearl, but Pearl exclaims that Rose would NEVER keep secrets from her. She takes the sword and runs away to the Strawberry Battlefield. Steven, feeling really sad, asks Garnet if Pearl's ok but she doesn't answer. Amethyst, annoyed and upset with Pearl's possessiveness over Rose, and her grief for Rose, is glad to see her go. Steven asks Lion does he know where Pearl has went after Lion gives a responding roar, Steven takes that as a yes and rides Lion through his roar wormhole to the Strawberry battlefield. Garnet sadly wishes Steven good luck after he leaves.

There he finds a distraught Pearl who immediately tries to get away, shunning Steven and his explanations of Rose's secrets. She exclaims to Steven that she does not want Lion near her. Pearl jumps on the precariously positioned floating land islands very high in the air. Steven leaves Lion behind and follows Pearl and comes dangerously close to plummeting to the ground far below, pleading for Pearl to see reason. Pearl reaches the last island and ignores Steven until he makes the dangerous last leap, which he falls short. As he begins to fall Pearl looks back crying out his name but does nothing to help him. Steven luckily grabs hold of the roots at the bottom of the island and climbs up where he sees a depressed and ashamed Pearl.

She asks Steven if he remembers being Rose Quartz, if he remembered being in that exact spot in Rose's body over 5,000 years ago. Pearl then plays a hologram of the conversation between her and Rose before the battle where Pearl pledged her fealty after Rose gave her the option to back out. Pearl recites the conversation verbatim, ending the hologram while squeezing her hand. Pearl had told Rose she didn't want to go back to the Gem Home world if Rose wasn't there with her, emphasizing Pearls deep emotional bond with Rose and why she felt so hurt and betrayed by Rose's secrets. Pearl wonders aloud what Rose would think of her now, to which Steven replies he thinks she's pretty great. Afterward is a music montage of Steven and Lion parlor tricks to cheer up Pearl, then he pulls his mother's war flag from Lion's mane which brings Pearl around. Then Pearl and Steven ride Lion back to the temple, where Pearl return's Rose's sword and scabbard to Steven where he places it back in Lion's pocket dimension mane.

Character

 * Steven


 * Garnet
 * Pearl
 * Amethyst
 * Rose Quartz (mentioned, pictured, and hologram.)
 * Lion

Objects

 * Rose's Sword
 * Rose's Scabbard (object)
 * Steven's Bike
 * Rose's Battle Flag

Locations

 * Beach House
 * Rose's Secret Armory
 * Strawberry Battlefield
 * Floating Cliff

Production Notes

 * This episode was originally named "Rose's Secrets," but has since been changed to "Rose's Scabbard."
 * This marks the fifth time an episode has had its name changed at its release. The first being "So Many Birthdays", the second being "Lars and the Cool Kids", the third being "Fusion Cuisine", and the fourth being "Horror Club".

Songs

 * I'm Still Here
 * Moonlit Battlefield

Trivia

 * A "scabbard" is a sheath for the blade of a sword or dagger, typically made of leather or metal. This is most likely referring to Rose's sword.
 * This is the first time 6 episodes, including this one, will be aired in the same week.
 * It is revealed that Steven has since converted Lion's Mane into a type of storage space.
 * It is revealed that a Gem's weapon doesn't disappear when a Gem "dies", or breaks, when they fall in battle.
 * This is the second time an episode has been named after a belonging of Rose, the first being "Rose's Room".
 * It is revealed that Pearl had a very close relationship to Rose, even staying to fight with her.
 * Rose also told some secrets to Pearl and not to the other Crystal Gems.
 * It is revealed that the Gems did not know of Lion's mane dimension until this episode.
 * This is the first episode of the 6 episodes to air from March 9 to March 13, 2015, starting at 5:00/4:00c.
 * This is to prepare for the special on March 12, 2015
 * The flag that Steven brought out from Lion's mane is possibly a flag or symbol the Crystal Gems used to symbolize their rebellion against the Homeworld Gems.

Cultural References

 * When Pearl carried Steven on her back, it resembled how Luke carried Yoda in Star Wars V.

Continuity

 * Pearl's ability to create holograms is seen used multiple times again, even to the extent of a semi-independent hologram of Rose Quartz.


 * Steven and the Gems return to the Strawberry Battlefield as seen in "Serious Steven".
 * More of the area is explored and revealed.

Errors

 * The pedestal that rises in the center of Rose's training room appears as a left hand, but then in the next shot becomes a right hand, and then becomes a left hand for the remainder of the scene.
 * When Garnet grunts from picking up the axe left over from the gem war, the two grunts overlap each other.

Transcript
View the episode's transcript here.