It was a nice, clear day in Beach City. There were gentle breezes that flowed through the plants. The waves were softly rolling and crashing onto the shore.
Suddenly, a loud "Nooooooo!" could be heard from inside of the book store. The one who had made the cry was Connie Universe.
"This can't be happening!" Connie exclaimed. "This has to be a dream!" Connie ran over and wrapped her arms around a tall, teen girl with her black hair pulled back in a long pony tail. The teen also had several piercings, including: a triple pierce in her left ear, a single nose ring, and one ring in her bottom lip. She was wearing a black t-shirt with a small name tag on it and jeans.
"Linsey!" Connie exclaimed. "Linsey, please tell me I'm dreaming!"
"Get off of me, girl," Linsey said getting up with a box in her hands. "I'm stocking here." Linsey walked away, and Connie slipped off of her and landed on the floor.
"I'm sorry, Connie," a short, teen boy said from behind the counter. He had short, blonde hair and light pale skin. He wore a pair of glasses with round lenses. He was wearing a green t-shirt with a name tag on it and jeans, too. His name was Simon.
"I guess it was discontinued," Simon said.
"Discontinued?!" Connie exclaimed getting up. "Why in the world would they discontinue Unfamiliar Familiar? It's only the most epic and amazing book series ever written! Don't they have laws for this?!"
"Tough bits, girl," Linsey said putting some books on a shelf. "Nobody reads it any more. I guess they couldn't compete with The No Home Boys."
"Not The No Home Boys," Connie said walking over to a display case filled with books from the series. "Nobody likes them. They don't even have any fantasy in them. Kids these days. I'll tell you what."
"Well," Linsey said placing the last book on the shelf and turning around. "If you miss your precious book series so much, why don't you create a copy with your magic chest gem." Linsey walked back to the counter laughing.
"That's not how it works, Linsey," Connie said back with a bit of anger in her tone. "Right?" Connie pulled on the collar of her shirt to look at the blue, diamond shaped gem on her chest. She tapped it a little, but nothing happened. Connie sighed and walked toward the now empty Unfamiliar Familiar display case.
"Oh, sweet Unfamiliar Familiar," Connie said. "With twisting and turning plot. Your memorable and relatable characters. You were too good for this world." Connie wrapped her arms around the display case and stayed like that.
"Uh, Connie?" Simon asked.
Connie didn't move.
"Do you want to take the display case with you?" Simon asked.
Connie slowly nodded her head.
With that said. Connie was heading back to her house with a somewhat large display case on her back.
Connie lived in a beach house just on the edge of the beach. Right above it was a giant statue of an eight-armed woman carved into the side of the cliff.
Connie jogged up the stairs and opened the front door. "Guys!" Connie said once she opened the door. "You won't believe that…" Connie was cut short when a strange creature jumped on her. It looked like an extremely large, multicolored dog with large fluffy hair and spikes all over it.
Connie let out a little yelp as she tried to get the creature off of her. Suddenly, an electro-whip wrapped around the creature, restraining it. The person at the other end of the whip was a tall, blue figure wearing knee-high white boots, navy blue pants, and a royal blue top with a light blue diamond positioned on her chest. There was a light blue gem positioned on the back of her head. Her name was Holly Blue Agate.
"Good afternoon to you, Connie," Holly said then pulled on the whip sending the dog creature flying across the room.
Tourmaline was pulling several similar creatures off of the couch and poofing them with her bare hands. Tourmaline was slightly taller than Holly. She wore green pants with light blue diamonds on her knees. She was wearing a lighter green tank top with a smaller reddish pink top over it. She had long dark blonde hair that stretched all the way down her back. She always wore a cyan blue visor making it impossible to clearly see her eyes. There was a small, triangular, green gem placed on her forehead.
Skinny was on the warp pad easily poofing the creatures coming at her with her pale orange sword. Her name was actually Jasper, but Connie and the other Crystal Gems nick-named her Skinny due to her appearance. She had her gem placed on her naval. She had on a short royal blue shirt that stopped above her gem and one of the straps on her top hung on the side. Right in the center of her top was a light blue diamond. She was also wearing black leggings that stopped at her knees. On her head was a big fluff of beige hair.
"Woah," Connie said placing the display case down. "What are these things?"
"Sorry, Connie," Tourmaline said picking up another creature. "We'll get these gem monsters out of your room. We think they were trying to get into the temple."
"Wow," Connie said. "They seem really…" Before Connie could finish her sentence, a small fireball left the monster's mouth and hit the floor.
"Oh my stars!" Holly exclaimed quickly making her way to the little fire and stomping it out.
"Uh, guys?" Skinny said from the warp pad. "None of these monsters have gems."
"That means that there must be a mother somewhere nearby," Tourmaline said poofing the monster in her arms.
"We should head out and find it before someone gets hurt," Holly said.
"Oh, can I come?" Connie asked. "Can I?"
"Connie," Holly said looking at the girl. "Until you learn to control the powers in your gem, we'll take care of protecting humanity. Okay?"
"I guess so," Connie said. She looked up and saw one of the monsters digging through her book case.
"Hey!" Connie exclaimed running over to her book case. "Get out of there!" The monster walked off. "Go on! Shoo! Shoo! Aw man. He didn't eat any pages, but he bent up all of my paperbacks. Not cool."
Connie turned back around when something caught her eye. There in her book case was the latest release of Unfamiliar Familiar.
"No way," Connie said with diamonds appearing in her eyes. "It can't be." Connie pulled the book out of the book case. "Where did you get this? I thought the series was discontinued."
"Well, we heard that, too," Holly said walking over next to Connie. "And since it's your favorite series…"
"Tourmaline and I went out out and stole a copy!" Skinny said plopping down on the couch.
Holly lightly growled. "I went back and payed for it."
"We thought you'd want the hardcopy with maps," Tourmaline said sitting next to Skinny on the couch.
"Thank-you so much, guys," Connie said. "Oh, Lisa and Arcamicarus, you're back in my life."
"Uh, Connie," Skinny said.
Connie opened her eyes to see the blue gem on her chest was glowing.
"My gem!" Connie exclaimed.
"Quick!" Skinny said. "Try to summon your weapon!"
"I don't know how," Connie said. The bright light of her gem started to dim. "Ahh! It's fading! How do I make it come back?!"
"Calm down, Connie," Holly said. "Breathe. Breathe. Don't force it."
"Yeah," Tourmaline said. "And try not to put too much pressure on your gem, thus causing you to explode into oblivion."
"Wait, what?" Connie said with a tint of fear in her voice. The light in Connie's gem completely faded.
"Aww," everyone said as Connie slumped onto the floor.
"Aw man," Connie said. "I was really close that time." Connie placed her book back in the book case. Then she turned back around to face the gems. "Can one of you guys just show me how to summon a weapon."
"Oh," Holly said. "I'll go first."
Holly warped herself and Connie to an open field with several lovely trees placed here and there. Pink petals were all falling from the trees.
"Now, Connie," Holly said. "Summoning a weapon is all about focusing your emotions on it. You must think of your cause and what you are determined to do. Then you must focus all that emotion through your gem." Holly reached behind her head and after a small twirl, her electro-whip appeared. "Like so," Holly said with a smile.
Later in the day, Connie was outside the bookstore giving an angry glare at a dumpster. Skinny was leaning against the wall eating a donut she had gotten from the built-in cafe at the bookstore.
Skinny smirked as Connie kept glaring at the dumpster. "Did Holly tell you the emotions thing?" Skinny asked.
"Yeah," Connie said. "I have to get really emotional at my target, so I can throw energy at them." Connie stopped glaring and paused. "I think."
"Listen, Connie," Skinny said placing her arm around Connie's shoulder. "All those emotions are so exhausting." Skinny took another bite of her donut. "Whenever I need to summon my weapon it just happens." Skinny placed her hand in front of her gem grabbing a sword as it formed. She threw it in the direction of the dumpster, it circled back to her like a boomerang. Once she caught her sword, the dumpster just then split in two.
"See?" Skinny said. "Didn't try at all."
Simon suddenly came out the back door with a garbage bag in his hand. "Ahh!" Simon exclaimed upon seeing the split dumpster. "Again?!"
Connie figured that she should ask Tourmaline about summoning a weapon. When she asked, Tourmaline lead her to the top of the cliff above the giant statue and the house.
"So I'm supposed to work really hard and not try at the same time?" Connie asked.
"Yes, silly," Tourmaline said with a smile. Connie just stared at Tourmaline with a blank face. Seeing this, Tourmaline could tell that Connie didn't understand, so she came up with another idea. "Or," Tourmaline said as the gem on her head began to glow. A pink light also came from beneath her tank top, but Connie didn't know why. "You can link your mind with all the emotions in your opponent. Understand that emotion and take it in with thought but also relaxation. Which results in…" Tourmaline did a few motions with her arms and hips. One shield on each of her arms appeared. "At least that's my way of doing it."
Connie didn't think any of this confusing advice was getting her anywhere, so she came up with an idea. Connie gathered all the gems back into her room.
"I think that the best way to summon my weapon is to reenact what happened the last time my gem glowed," Connie said. "Let's see. Tourmaline and Skinny were over here." Connie pointed at Tourmaline and Skinny who were sitting on the couch. "Holly was next to the book case." Connie pointed at Holly as she stood next to the book case. Connie stopped for a moment to think.
"Skinny," Connie said pointing at Skinny. "I think your arms were crossed."
"Okay, Your Highness," Skinny said with a smile as she crossed her arms.
"Holly," Connie said. "Your foot was like this." Connie slightly turned Holly's foot.
"I don't think it works this way, Connie," Holly said.
"I need to test every variable," Connie said. "Oh, and then I hugged this book." Connie pulled the book out of her book case. "Oh, wait. I said a few words too." Connie closed her eyes. "Oh, Lisa and Archamicarus, you're back in my life."
Connie opened one of her eyes. Her gem didn't glow at all. Connie sighed and slumped onto the floor. "Maybe I'm not a real Crystal Gem," Connie said.
"Don't be ridiculous, Connie," Holly said kneeling down to Connie's height. "Of course you are."
"Yeah," Skinny said. "And you're really fun to have around even if your gem is useless."
Holly shot a glare and a growl at Skinny.
"Uh," Skinny said. "I mean you're one of us, Connie. We're not the Crystal Gems without you."
"Yep," Tourmaline said with a smile.
"Yeah," Connie said with diamonds appearing in her eyes. "Even if I don't have powers, I've still got… Unfamiliar Familiar!"
Connie opened the book and began to read the first sentences on the first page. She could suddenly hear Tourmaline and Skinny gasping.
"Connie," Holly said. "You have cryokinesis."
Connie looked up to see tons of flurries and snowflakes swirling around her.
"Aw what?!" Connie exclaimed. "I have ice powers?! Aww yes!"
After Connie's last sentence, all the snowflakes and flurries around her turned into ice sickles and flew in all different directions, damaging nearly everything in the house.
Skinny did her best to hold back her laughter as Holly sighed and face-palmed herself.
Connie looked down at the book in her hands. She gasped. "Unfamiliar Familiar. I summoned my powers by reading books!"
"I knew you said reading was magic, but I didn't know you meant it caused literal magic," Tourmaline said.
Suddenly, they all heard rumbling from outside and saw a giant figure crawl up the house's wall.
"What was that?" Connie asked.
Holly quickly rushed out with Skinny and Tourmaline right behind her. They all looked up to see a large version of all the monsters they had been fighting.
"It's the mother!" Holly exclaimed. She quickly jumped off of the front deck and towards the top of the cliff.
"You should sit this out," Tourmaline said following Holly.
"Catch you later, girl," Skinny said following Holly and Tourmaline.
"Wait! I can help!" Connie yelled as she ran back into the house and grabbed her book.
Holly wrapped her electro-whip around the monster's horns that were on it's head and pulled it down to the sandy shore. Tourmaline quickly threw two pink shields at the monster, distracting it for a second allowing Skinny to harm it slightly with her sword.
Holly was about to go in for another attack when the monster hit her hard with one of it's giant paws, sending her flying across the beach and hitting Tourmaline knocking them both out.
"Holly! Tourmaline!" Skinny exclaimed moving them behind a rock in the shape of a hand just before the monster could hit them with a giant fireball.
"Man!" Skinny yelled as she held onto Tourmaline and Holly and more fireballs kept hitting the rock. "We could really use Connie's ice right about now!"
A rock suddenly hit the monster on the head. The one one who had thrown the rock was Connie. "Hey!" Connie yelled. The monster turned it's head and focused its attention on Connie. "Leave them alone!" Connie yelled.
"Connie!" Skinny yelled peaking her head around the rock. "What are you doing, girl?"
"Unfamiliar Familiar Super Combo Powers activate!" Connie yelled as she opened her book. "Lisa drew the sword forth as she saw the monster come closer." Connie's gem didn't do anything. "Uh, with one mighty swish of the sword, the creature was wounded." Connie's gem still didn't do anything. "Uh oh," Connie said as she looked up at the monster.
Connie started to run away as the monster started to shoot fireballs again.
Meanwhile, Holly and Tourmaline were starting to become conscious again. "Uh, Connie, wha?" Holly said lifting her head up above her head. She suddenly ducked down just barely missing a spike that was launched her way.
Connie tripped and dropped her book. A fireball was thrown her way. Connie quickly rolled out of the way before to could hit her. Connie looked back and saw her book was on fire.
"Oh no," Connie said running over to the ruined book. "No. No. No. No." Connie looked down and saw that her hands had started to freeze. She quickly seized this as her chance. She grabbed the flaming book and chucked it at the monster. "Revenge!" Connie yelled.
The book landed in the the monster's messy mane, sending it ablaze. The monster cried out.
"Guys, this is our chance," Tourmaline said summoning her shields.
Holly and Skinny summoned their weapons as well. "Alright, gems," Tourmaline said. "Let's do this." Skinny and Holly nodded. They all dashed at the monster at once causing it to poof. Tourmaline quickly bubbled the maroon, circular gem that fell to the ground.
"Farewell, sweet Unfamiliar Familiar," Connie said burying her book in the ground. "I'll always remember the sweet memories we shared together."
"Are you crying?" Skinny asked plopping down next to Connie.
"Only a little!" Connie exclaimed.
"Well, I guess your powers don't come from books," Skinny said.
"Of course they don't come from books," Holly said kneeling down. "Don't worry, Connie. You'll figure out how to control your powers someday."
"Yes," Tourmaline said. "You'll do it in the best way. Your own Connie way."
"Thanks guys," Connie said. She suddenly heard her stomach grumble. "Well, I'm down for pizza," Connie said. "Anyone with me?"
"I'm in," Skinny said.
"Okay," Tourmaline said.
"Very well," Holly said.
The group of gems laughed the night away laughing and celebrating about the first sign of Connie's powers.