I'm back! Recently came across the 'Opal AU', (An AU where Opal takes the place of Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst take the place of Sapphire and Ruby, and Sapphire and Ruby are Pearl and Amethyst), and surprisingly didn't find much for it. So, here you go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe or any of its characters, Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network are the rightful owners.
Chapter 1 – We are the Crystal Gems
To say the least, raising a little boy was not easy. Certainly, not a little boy with hidden magical powers, accompanied by one father, and three, or four rather, extraterrestrial gemstones with bodies made of light. But, the Crystal Gems and Greg Universe somehow made it work.
A little boy by the name of Steven sat in the opened back of a van, with a colorful name, Mr. Universe, written across the side in various colors. Steven was the first of his kind to be made, a half-human, and half-gem hybrid. He was currently around eight and three-fourths years old. He fumbled with his cream and rose pink ukulele, soft strums emitting through the air.
His father, Greg Universe walked over to him after a glance admiring his handiwork. He was currently building a small shack-like house for his son to live in, as he was going to soon be living with the crystal gems. However, their temple was not exactly, the safest place to reside- for a human, that is. So, here he was.
"Woo! Building a house is not easy. How's that ukulele treating 'ya?" While calling out to his son, Greg walked over to the van and shuffled in the back to grab a water bottle from behind Steven.
"Hello Steven." Not far behind, Sapphire walked over to the van, slightly startling Steven, and greeted him in a kind, but slightly monotonous voice.
Looking over his shoulder, Greg acknowledged her with an "Oh hey!", and proceeded to offer her a water bottle. "Great job out there."
Accepting the bottle awkwardly, the blue gem replied, "Uh, thank you…Greg."
She glanced at the bottle weirdly, before passing it off to Ruby, who had just arrived behind her with Opal in tow. The gem happy replied,
"Oh yes!" Right before she smashed the bottle with her hand, forcing the water to explode in a stream over her face. She tore the bottle in two with her teeth and proceeded to throw both halves across the beach.
"Did you give Steven that instrument?"
"Oh yeah! He's picking it up so fast; I'm runnin' out of things to teach him!" Greg turned to the gems with a proud look on his face.
The gems sat down on the sand and looked over to the young boy.
"Steven, you 'wanna play them the song you wrote?" Greg received nothing but a short "Um…", before Steven turned his head to hide the embarrassing blush on his face.
"C'mon! You wrote it for them! Seriously, he's really excited to live with you guys; i-it's all he talks about! Don't you want them to hear it?"
The gems soon joined in to encourage Steven, Opal giving a patient grin to the boy,
"Come on Steven!"
"Yeah Ste-man! We'll like it even if-"
"Don't." Sapphire interrupted Ruby, knowing exactly what she was going to say, from her future vision.
"-even if it's bad!"
"Ruby! But, really, she's not wrong Steven." Sapphire assured him, still annoyed with the red gem. However, Steven took a deep breath and begun to sing his song, anyways.
If you're evil and you're on the rise,
You can count on the four of us, taking you down!
'Cause we're good and evil never beats us;
We'll win the fight, and then go out for pizzas!
We, are the Crystal Gems!
At this point, the gems began to clap along with Steven's ukulele, proud smiles shining on their faces.
We'll always save the day!
And if you think we can't-
We'll, always find a way!
That's why, the people of this world,
Believe in-
Ruby,
Sapphire,
And Opal-
And Steven!
The boy finished the song by standing up with his hands in the air and a grin on his face. The gems stood up and walked over to hug the young boy.
The house was now finished, and the gems began to place the final touches on the inside; hanging Rose's picture next to the door. It then swung open to reveal an older Steven Universe, about eleven years old at this point, holding holding a pillow and blue duffel bag.
The gems welcomed him in with contagious grins on their faces, Steven soon forming one of his own, and walking inside.
If you could only know-
What we really are.
When we arrived on earth,
From out beyond your star.
Sapphire sung a sweet tune to Steven as she began to continue to hang his laundry on top of the temple's last standing hand.
We were amazed to find,
Your beauty and your worth!
Handing a sandwich to Ruby, who was sitting on the counter of the kitchen, Steven watched in amazement as she swallowed it whole, and accidentally dropped the edge of the plate on corner of the counter, breaking part of it. She handed it back to Steven with a guilty look on her face, before he looks over to Sapphire and Opal with a smile on his face.
And we will protect your kind,
And we will protect your Earth.
Greg read a bedtime story to Steven in his bed up on the loft that had become his room; tucking him in and shuffling down the stairs quietly after he fell asleep.
And we will protect your Earth,
And we will protect you!
The gems all formed their respective poses as their gems glowed in turn. Steven pulled up the rim of his shirt to stare at his Rose Quartz gem, which had not lit up like the others, before running after the gems on the beach with a smile.
As they continued to run, Steven fell far behind them, not being as fast as they were. However, not long after, he caught up, and ran in front of Opal, doing a small leap for fun.
I will fight for the planet that should not have paid-
This is the best thing, you and I have ever made!
Opal sweetly sung as she moved into a short twirl; pulling her large bow from her chest and aiming it at something in the distance.
I will fight in the name of Rose Quartz,
And the freedom that we all have fought for!
Sapphire floated to the ground, her hands folded in her lap; before she parted her hair with her hands, revealing her eye. As she did this, she formed the pose of a graceful ballerina, placing her left foot straight ahead, and her right foot in the air with her toes pointing to the floor; before she summoned her blue brass knuckles with spikes of ice on the rims. The ripped and now frosted-over flag of the rebellion flowed smoothly in the wind behind her as she sung.
I will fight to stop the stupid gems who would want to destroy Earth,
This is the only place I've ever liked!
Ruby punched seemingly nothing in the air with her bare fists, only stopping to do a one-handed back handspring, landing perfectly with her red gauntlets now formed over her fists. She then jumped into the air, her right gauntlet pushed toward the sky as she finished her song.
I will fight to be everything,
That everybody wants me to be when I'm grown!
Steven sung as he placed a single hand in the middle of his chest, turning to pull his shield from the gem in his abdomen; his mother appearing behind him with her hair blowing in the wind.
The odds are against us,
It won't be easy, but we're not going to do it alone!
We-
Are the crystal-
Gems!
We'll always save the day!
The gems all warped to Beach City, ruffling the hair of the boy Steven while they traveled.
And if you think we can't,
We'll always find a way!
That's why the people of this world,
Greg's van drove haphazardly through the small town of Beach City, some people cursing them as they passed. Connie stopped to look at the van with a smile on her face, before racing after them with carrying Rose's sword on her shoulder with ease.
Believe in-
Greg played a long note on his electric guitar, lying on the back of Lion, Connie looking at him with awe, sitting in front of a small barbecue; with the van parked behind them, and Roses sword sticking out of the ground.
Ruby!
Ruby slid on the ground, stopping next to where Steven was grinning , giving him a big smile.
Sapphire,
Sapphire floated over to the two, and landed on the ground, sitting on her knees on the other side of Steven.
And Opal,
The fusion walked behind the three gems, sitting with her right leg bent on the sand in front of her, her left folded on the sand beneath her right. Her top arms wear placed behind her, her palms open on the ground, holding her up as she leaned back. Her bottom arms were placed around her right leg, her fingers intertwined just beneath her knee; supporting herself.
And Steven!
Steven turned to look at them all with a smile, before turning back to the sky with a grin. The gems then watched the stars with smiles plastered on their faces, making wishes on shooting stars.
I'm not going to be writing all the episodes or shorts that appear in SU in the Opal AU, but I will include the important ones, and take requests. (I also take other writing prompts. You can find me Syncron554 on Tumblr and Syncronoged2438 on Wattpad and AO3.)Thanks!