History Recap / StevenUniverseFutureS1E4Volleyball

** Volleyball claims that one of Pink's more destructive powers was [[MakeMeWannaShout a scream so powerful it "could crack the walls"]]. In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E28ChangeYourMind Change Your Mind]]", Pink Steven was shown to have that same power, casually let out a scream ("SHE'S GOOOOOOOOONE!!!") that [[CraterPower made a crater beneath his feet]].

** Pink (not White, as both the characters and audience are lead to believe) was responsible for her first Pearl's crack, and said crack is actually an ''emotional'' scar.

The episode begins with Steven healing the cracked gem of one of Nanefua's Ruby guards and then doing the same to a group of Quartzes. Once the Quartz gems leave to go play volleyball, Pink Pearl shows up, thinking Steven might be able to heal her cracked eye. Steven tries to use his spit on her gem, but is confused when it has no effect. He then tries to put the spit on her eye, but to no avail. Steven then asks about what happened while Pink Pearl was under White Diamond's control, but she says she doesn't remember anything and that she got this scar before White Diamond controlled her. Steven automatically assumes White Diamond was the one who scarred Pink Pearl. When she states Pink Diamond was the one who gave her the scar, Steven tenses up at the mention of his mom and briefly turns into his pink form. Steven is determined to help fix Pink Pearl's scar, and leads her out of the house so they can find Pearl.

* WorldBuilding: It's shown that Pearls are not made at Kindergartens like most gems, but a single facility called the Reef.

* ShoutOut: The Pearl fusion's appearance seems to take inspiration from ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' with her uniform-esque outfit and her hair (pink like Utena, styled like Anthy).

* TheAtoner: The Pearl Fusion implies that the reason why both Pearls' accounts of Pink Diamond were so radically different — Volleyball remembering her as a destructive SpoiledBrat who [[CannotKeepASecret could not keep secrets]], Pearl remembering her as an AllLovingHero with too many secrets — was because [[HeelRealization Pink Diamond realized she'd hurt Volleyball and sought to become better]]. Seems to be confirmed by [[https://www.instagram.com/p/B50qVwfH9lH/ a piece of concept art]], wherein Pink can be seen thinking to herself "Don't break this one" while receiving her new Pearl — tellingly, she's [[MakeMeWannaShout covering her mouth]] while doing so...

* WhamLine: When speaking of Volleyball's cracked eye, Pearl is furious that Yellow Diamond damaged her. Volleyball laughs and tells her that ''Pink Diamond'' did it.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Volleyball's ordeal plays out as a metaphor for DomesticAbuse, especially trying to justify or make excuses for her behavior and taking the blame.

-->'''Steven:''' Stop it! I can't deal with one more horrible thing she did, Okay?! I don't want to hear about it! I don't even want to ''think'' about it! I just! Want! '''''TO FIX IT!'''''

* WhamLine: When speaking of her cracked eye, Pink Pearl cheerfully says "This was all Pink Diamond."

* AbsenteeActor: Amethyst and Garnet are absent in this episode.

** Steven doesn't want to have another existential crisis on learning that his mother physically ''and'' emotionally hurt another Gem and has broken her pedestal again.

** Steven doesn't want to have another existential crisis on learning that his mother physically hurt another Gem and has broken her pedestal again.

* AdultFear: Pink hurt one of her closest friends by accident. As Pearl tells Volleyball, that Pink didn't mean it is trivial to the fact that Volleyball was visibly injured, emotionally and physically.

* BittersweetEnding: Steven's complicated feelings on his mother grow even more complicated with what he learns she did to Volleyball. In addition to that, Steven's powers are shown to have a very dangerous edge to them and he struggles to control them much like his mom did. In spite of that the Pearls are saved from being reset and Shell is shut down. Fusing together allows the Pearls to find a level of closure regarding Pink/Rose and how in spite of her flaws she actively sought to better herself. Volleyball's eye [[TheUnreveal most likely]] remains damaged, perhaps permanently, but the final shot emphasizes that despite everything she's still going strong.

-->'''Steven:''' Stop it! I can't deal with more horrible thing she did, Okay?! I don't want to hear about it! I don't even want to ''think'' about it! I just! Want! '''''TO FIX IT!'''''

even if they push you away or tell you they're fine.

* SorryIFellOnYourFist: Volleyball describes how her wound was inflicted when Pink threw one of her tantrums as her own fault for standing too close to her when it happened. The way she talks so fondly about it just makes it more uncomfortable.

* NoodleIncident: What caused the Ruby to get a stretched neck in the process of defending Nanefua, and apparently other such incidents that bring the guard Rubies to Steven with mysterious injuries on a regular basis.

The episode ends with Mega Pearl standing next to Steven on the beach as they unfuse while staring at the night sky.

** Pearl argues with Volleyball that Rose was too good at keeping secrets even from her (Lion being undead, Bismuth turning traitor, Spinel left behind), referencing "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E45RosesScabbard Rose's Scabbard]]".

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Volleyball's ordeal plays out as a metaphor for DomesticAbuse.

* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Every time Volleyball keeps talking about her positive experiences with Pink, Pearl talks down to her, viewing her as naïve while thinking she knows more about Pink.

** Justified; Pearl handled her GreenEyedMonster tendencies with Greg about Rose Quartz, and her jealousy on learning that Rose kept secrets from her. She hasn't begun to deal with her closure about knowing Rose as Pink Diamond, or how Pink changed so much with her first Pearl.
** And Steven saying to "put the past behind us" sounds very similar to the attitude he had in the movie. [[HumansAreFlawed But people don't always hold strong to their goals,]] and this has more to do with dealing with his mom's actions than dealing with the fact that happily ever after doesn't exist.

** You can't help someone without dealing with your trauma first. Steven can't help Volleyball because he doesn't understand how his mother could continue to be wonderful and terrible.