To those who have ideas that would benefit the story, please let me know in a review. Thank you.
REVIEW RESPONSES
* Tatopatato: No, I'm not entirely sure yet and definitely not.
* PublicEnemy123: While I am trying to mold the story to fit the characters of Jasper, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli (who are in turn made different from the canon show seeing as how they would have different experiences), this takes place in what is essentially an alternate timeline, so the characters will basically go through many of the same hurdles and the canon Crystal Gems will face (like the monsters and stuff). Because I am using different characters however, this will also alter how certain things function. For instance, this AU has Steven's mother be Yellow Diamond instead of Rose Quartz, so many of the Gem-based powers he inherits are different from his canon counterpart. No shield, no plant powers, no healing spit. Meaning no Indirect Kiss or Watermelon Stevens. Also, Jasper is not a fusion here.
Gem Glow
"Noooooooooooo!"
A voice echoed across the sleepy town of Beach City. The location: The Big Donut. The source: a boy by the name of Steven Universe. He wore a yellow t-shirt with a black diamond on the front from his dad's days as a one-man band. He was a tad chubby, but that just made him more huggable.
"This can't be happening! This must be a dream!" He ran over and hugged Lars, one of the employees at the store, almost as if it would make everything better. "Lars, please tell me I'm dreaming!"
"Get off me man, I'm stocking here," Lars dismissed irritably, letting Steven slink to the floor as he walked away.
"I'm sorry Steven. I guess they stopped making them,"said Sadie, the other worker there.
"Stop making them?! Why would they stop making cookie-cat? They're only the most scrumdiliumcious ice-cream sandwich ever made! Don't they have laws for this?" He shouted hysterically.
"Tough bits, man. Nobody buys them anymore. I guess they couldn't compete with Leopard-Lickers," said Lars.
"Oh, not Leopard-Lickers. Nobody likes them! They don't have spots or noses. They look more like lions. Kids these days, I'll tell you what."
"Well, if you miss your wimpy ice-cream so much, then why don't you make some with your magic rock," Lars taunted.
"That's not how it works Lars!" Steven took the collar of his shirt and lowered it down low enough to reveal a flawless, rhombus-shaped jewel inbedded in his torso just to right of his left shoulder over his heart. "Right?" He nudged it slightly, hoping that it would react in some way. It glinted a brilliant yellow - almost precious gold - that almost glowed in the artificial light. It still didn't do anything though. He sighed in defeat.
"Oh sweet cookie-cats with our crunchy-cookie outside, your icy, creamy insides. You were too good for the world." He kissed the door to the Cookie Cat fridge, lamenting the death of his one, true love; his ice-cream sandwich.
"Alright, alright, that's enough of that lover-boy. We're closing in five minutes and I want to get out of here," complained Lars.
Steven didn't react, clinging to the small fridge almost as if it was a large teddy bear. Sadie just watched, unsure of how to handle it.
"Ah, Steven? Do you want to take the freezer with you?" Asked Sadie.
Steven nodded yes to her with his soulful eyes.
Steven's spirits were lifted again. He practically skipping-to-his-lou (my darling) across the evening streets of Beach City, the Cookie-Cat mini-fridge strapped to his back and a small paper bag where he kept his donuts. He hummed the Cookie Cat jingle as he did, finding the beach where the temple sat. Things changed over the years. For one, the fence was removed (along with the various, threatening signs set up by Jasper). For two, a large beach-house was built over the entrance of the temple. Steven made his way up the steps, his flip-flops clumping on the wooden steps as he opened the front door.
"Hey guys, you won't believe this!" Steven shouted, before suddenly being tackled by a large, green centipeede monster. Its eye in its mouth, its gaping, jagged jaws, slobbering savagely. Before the monster could take off any limbs, a large, dark-blue trident - its three points hooked and the back-end connected by a chain made of water - suddenly speared through the monster's abdomen. The chain reeled it in to the weapon's owner, who flung the monster loose against the wall, poofing instantly.
There stood the Gem of the Ocean, Lapis Lazuli. She held the trident in her left hand, the wrist cuffed and connected to the chain as she practically danced her way across the battle, the water-chain like tassels. She stopped spinning in place, surprised to see Steven back so soon.
"Oh hey Steven! Don't mind us," as she batted another centipeed creature across the room like a golf-ball. "We'll get these centipeetles out of your room. Just give us a minute."
"Centipeetles?" Steven asked, amazed.
As another centipeedle wormed its way to them, it was suddenly poofed in what could only be described as a small smoke-bomb like device, the explosion set to kill the monster without damaging its surroundings. In walked the green gem Peridot, pulling up a pair of protective cup-goggles from her eyes over the triangular gem on her forehead, calculating her next move as she contact-juggled a small number of identical bombs in one of her gauntlets, her palms big enough to carry the orbs.
"We believe that they were trying to get into the temple," said Peridot like she was simply talking to herself. This was confirmed when she just then noticed that Steven was there. "Oh, hello Steven."
"Hey Peridot," said Steven. Peridot gave him a small smile as threw the handful of lime-colored cherry-bombs at a group of centipeetles climbing over the kitchen cabinet, sending them hurdling through the air as Jasper caught one, breaking it in half over her knee, poofing it instantly.
"Hey little-man," Jasper responded, giving Steven a gesture in her usual tough-guy manner.
"These creatures do not appear to have gems. My guess would be that there must be a mother somewhere spawning these creatures. If we don't stop it, Beach City will be overrun by them," deduced Peridot as she wrestled with one of them, trying to keep it from getting away.
"Awe, you don't have to get rid of them. They're really cool."
Just as he said that, almost out of irony, the centipeedle vomited an electric green puddle, the strange substance eating through the wooden floor of the beach-house almost instantly.
"I rest my case," responded Peridot. "We better find the mother before the humans catch wind of it."
"Ooh, can I come? Can I?" Steven pleaded.
"Steven, until you learn to control the magical power of your gem, we'll take care of protecting humanity. Okay?" Said Lapis warmly as she continued to stab at one of the bugs mercilessly.
"Ah man... hey, get out of there!" He shouted, finding a centipeedle digging through the refrigerator. "Shoo shoo. Awe, they got into everything. Not cool!" he shouted at the centipeedle before its head was crushed under Jasper's foot.
He looked back at the fridge and found - to his amazement - the entire freezer stuffed with Cookie-Cats!
"No way," Steven said with diamonds in his eyes. "It can't be! Where did you get these? I thought they stopped making them!" Lapis closed the fridge.
"We'll, we knew that to, and we knew that they were your favorite, so-"
"We went out and stole some," Jasper interrupted, back leaning against the cupboard. Lapis put her hands on her hips and gave her a sour look.
"I went back and paid for them."
"It was my idea," Peridot stated flatly.
"It was everyone's idea," Lapis quipped.
"No it wasn't."
Lapis rolled her eyes.
"All that matters is that Steven is happy."
The jingle in Steven's head started from the beginning, as he sang its song out of nowhere.
"OH He's a frozen treat with an all new taste!
'cause he came to this planet from outer space!
A refugee of an interstellar war!
But now he's at your local grocery store!
Cookie Cat!
He's a pet for your tummy!
Cookie Cat!
He's super duper yummy!
Cookie Cat!
He left his family behind!
Cookie Caaaaat!
Now available at Gurgins off Rt. 109"
The Gems had a good chuckle out of his sporatic singing. Jasper ruffling his hair.
"I can't believe you did this. I'll gonna save these forever. Right after I eat this one," as he unwrapped the ice cream sandwich he was holding. "Hello old friend" he muttered as he took a bite from it, savoring the chocolate and vanilla in his mouth. "Mm, so good. I like to eat the ears first."
"Um, Steven?!" muttered Jasper in shock as a bright, electric yellow glowed through his shirt. He tugged the collar of his shirt, revealing that his gem was glowing.
"My gem!" He cried out.
"Quick Steven, try and summon your weapon!" Jasper cried out, inadvertently shoving an annoyed Peridot out of her way.
"I don't know how!" Steven cried out as the glow began to dim. He started dancing in hysterics. "Ah! It's fading, how do I make it come back?!"
"Try and relax Steven, try not to force it," said Peridot, trying her best to calm him down.
"Yeah Steven, and don't faint either," said Jasper.
"'Don't faint'?" Peridot parroted.
"What? Isn't that what humans do when they're nervous? That is a human thing right?" Jasper asked.
"Hey! Now isn't the time!" Lapis interrupted. By the time their focus went back to Steven, his gem already ceased glowing completely.
"Aw, I was really close that time..." said Steven as he put the rest of his ice cream away. "Can't one of you teach me how to summon a weapon?"
Diamonds lit up in Lapis' eyes. "Oh, I'll go first!"
Steven and Lapis were just outside of the beach-house on the beach. Lapis' bare-feet were on the wet sand, allowing the tide to touch her toes as Steven sat farther back, intently listening.
"Do you see the moon Steven? How far it is from the ocean? While they may be thousands a miles apart, this does not separate the connection they have to each other. Feel the tides as they push and pull against the gravitational force of the moon. Feel the moon orbiting. Feel connection, Steven." She turned to him, her gaze an almost romantic one in the majesty of it all. "When you understand this connection and embrace it, you can truly understand the connection you have between you and the magical properties of your gem, controlling its own tides, its own waves, until..." as she turned back around, the tear-shaped gem on her back glowing, shooting her trident out into the air. She suddenly turn back and jutted her hand into the air, causing a chain of water to suddenly shoot from the ocean from in front of her. One end of the chain snagged the trident, the other cuffing her arm. As gravity pulled the trident back, she effortlessly caught it, twirling it around before draping it on her shoulder.
"You see?"
He was on the front porch, fiddling with a bowl of water as Peridot walked out to see what he was doing. She raised her eye-brow.
"Did Lazuli tell you the moon-thing?"
"Yeah. I need to feel a lot so I can push water. I think..."
"Listen Steven," Peridot began, "try not to buy into any of that 'new-age superstitious rigmarole' Lapis is trying to push on you. That will only cloud your head and make you think things that don't exist. If you really want to get ahead, one must focus, Steven. Focus on the task at hand and you'll surely find the weapon you will need. Like me." She reached for the gem on her forehead, her large, bionic hand making a fist over it. Her gem glowed for a moment under it, producing three tiny green bombs in her grip. She pulled the goggles on her forehead over her eyes as she reached back and threw the bombs into the air like a pitcher with a baseball. The bombs then exploded, creating a flurry of beautiful, green fireworks in the night sky.
"All it takes is a little focus."
"So I'm supposed to feel really hard and think really hard too?"
Steven and Jasper were walking through the streets barely a few blocks away from the temple, Jasper helping herself to the bag of donuts Steven gave her as they did.
"Naw. You won't be getting anywhere with those dweebs. Heart and brains don't count for anything when your off facing monsters. Take it from me," as she threw the now-empty bag onto the ground. "One does not have time to think when your against an opponent, nor should you hesitate." She looked around and saw a random minivan. She grinned crudely. "It's either you, or them." He gem glowed only a moment before her crash-helmet materialized on her head. She ran a few steps, the asphalt and her feet thumping loud enough like a raging bull before she shoot at it like a harpoon. The blunt-front of her helmet met the side of the van, leaving a dent on the side as the vehicle did several flips before its momentum was stunted by a street-light. Mr. Smiley was walking by before he cried out, wanting to know what happened to his van.
They were all back at the temple, Steven pondering.
"I think my best bet is to recreate what happened the last time my gem glowed. So Jasper and Peridot were standing here," he gestured, the orange gem and green gem standing next to each other. "Lapis was next to the fridge," he continued. "Hmm... Jasper, I think your arms were crossed."
Jasper raised her brow, but complied anyway, "Whatever you say."
"...and Peridot, you were standing closer to her here" as he lightly shoved Peridot closer just in front of Jasper.
"I don't think it works this way Steven," said the green Gem.
"Just let him work it out," said Jasper, mildly amused.
"...and Lapis, you were by the fridge right around here," as he nudged her closer to the machine.
"Whuh? Oh, okay." She muttered, somewhat confused. Steven reached into the freezer and grabbed the pre-opened package of Cookie Cat he had before.
"Then I took a bite of this Cookie Cat. Ooh, wait! I sang the song first. Uh... here's a frozen treat... all new taste... interstellar warp... Now available at Gurgins." A pregnant pause lingered, but nothing happened. "Aw, it was funnier last time." He exposed him gem again. Nothing. "Maybe... I'm not a real Crystal Gem."
Lapis got on her knees, meeting him at eye level. "Don't be silly Steven, of course you are."
"And you're fun to be around, even if you can't do anyth-" Jasper coughed, interrupted by a metal elbow to the sternum, courtesy of Peridot. "I mean, um... your one of us little man. Don't be saying stuff like that."
"We aren't the Crystal Gems without you," said Peridot. Touched by their words, diamonds formed in Steven's eyes as he gave them a modest smile.
"Yeah, and I still got Cookie Cat!" As Steven helped himself to more of his treat. "Mh, so good," as his gem began to glow. The brilliant aureolian light practically lit up the whole room from beneath his shirt before the light focused through the cloth. Materializing before their eyes was a tall, magnificent rapier-sword, the pommel and handle golden, etched with a series of rhombus shapes, the blade incredibly thin but sharp enough to cut virtually anything. The sword was spinning in midair before him. The Gems all gasped.
"Steven... it's a sword," Lapis uttered in astonishment. He opened his eyes, amazed.
"Oh, what? I get a sword? Oh yeah!" As the sword suddenly jumped away from him, pushed by the will of his excitement, the weapon spinning in midair before embedding itself into his television, the blade sparking from the electricity before it calmed down. Lapis seemed worried, Peridot face-palmed while muttering an "ow" from the force her robot arm applied to her face, while Jasper just snickered from it. Steven pulled himself together. "Cookie Cat! I summon my weapon by eating ice cream!"
Peridot inspected the wrapper.
"What's in these things?" Suddenly a tremor shook the house. A lamp fell to the ground with a crack somewhere. Silhoettes of dozens of centipeedles crawled across the windows as the sword imbedded in the television suddenly vanished from existence, its use fulfilled for the day.
"What was that," asked Steven. They all ran outside, finding what appeared to be a massive Centipeedle climbing over the face of the temple statue, its head blowing a large white mane and a piercing green eyeball in its jaw.
"The mother," shouted Jasper as her weapon materialized on her head. She shot like a rocket with the strength of her legs, bouncing off the forearms of the temple statue with the intention of spearing through the giant bug, its tough hide making such a task difficult.
"Steven, get in the house," ordered Peridot.
"No way, I'm coming too." He ran back into the house, collecting the various Cookie Cats in the freezer and unloading a box of extension cords.
As Jasper maneuvered her way across the beach-side hill, the arthropodic monster chasing her all the way to the end of the beach. It vomited liberal amounts of electric-green acid across the beach in an attempt to hit the Gems, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli having jumped in to help. Peridot threw a handful of flash-grenades, blinding it briefly as the three ran around it, Lapis threw her trident at the monster, reeling it back in when the three-pronged spear failed to pierce its hide. The monster spat more of the acid as Lapis conjured a large geyser of sea-water from the ocean behind them against the attack, the acid and water diluting each other in a stalemate.
"I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up!" Lapis shouted as the monster's flow of acid slowly became stronger, pushing the stream of water back.
"It's too tough for any of our attacks to make a dent. Any ideas?" Jasper called out.
"With the length and diameter, Steven's sword might be able to pierce through it," said Peridot before she jumped back from a spray of acid-water mixture landed near her foot.
"Who knows how long that could take?!" Shouted Jasper.
"You asked for an idea and I gave you one," Peridot retorted.
"Not isn't the time guys," Lapis said, straining to keep up the stream. The force of the monster's spray became so strong that it nearly made it to the Gems, liquefying them instantly, when...
"Hey," Steven shouted as he threw a rock at its head. Steven was carrying his Cookie Cat fridge, kept powered by a collection of extension cords that trailed back to the house. "Leave them alone!"
"STEVEN!" The Gems all shouted.
"Get out of here," said Jasper.
"Cookie Cat Crystal Combo Powers Activate!" As he unwrapped a Cookie Cat and took a bite from it. The monster began to salivate as it continue to stare at him, clearly intent on drowning him in the corrosive mixture. He tugged down to reveal his gem, only to swallow suddenly, realizing that his gem wasn't glowing. In a panis, he stuffed the rest of the ice cream into his mouth, but still nothing. "Uh oh," as he made a break for it, tiny fridge and all, as it tried to eat him whole.
"Steven! He needs us," Lapis panicked, only to nearly get her head bitten off by the jaw-like appendage on the monster's end. It continued to attack until Jasper blocked the jaw with the hood of her crash-helmet like a jawbreaker, grabbing the jaw in an effort to try and pry it open.
"Somebody do something!" She ordered.
"Do what?!" Peridot said, frantically tossing handful after handful of light-green cherry-bombs at the monster, the mother Centipeedle barely noticing it.
"Get Steven," shouted Jasper, large cracks appearing on the hammer-like protrusion on her helmet. Just as Lapis was about to come to his aid, more smaller centipeedles dug out from the sand like a colony of sandworms, their jaw clamping over her ankles.
"Get off of me you giant maggots!" She shouted, washing away half a dozen of them with a tide she summoned as she desperately stabbed at the ones holding onto her feet.
"Goodbye my friends," said Steven, stuffing the last two cookie cats that he had left into his mouth. Apart from an impending stomach ache, nothing happened. "Why isn't it working?"
He jumped to safety as the monster spat another stream of acid. He looked back, seeing that the Cookie Cat fridge that he kept the ice cream in was half-melted, giving off sparks. The fridge was done, and Steven mourned.
"Cookie Cat, he's the pet for your tummy... Cookie Cat, he's super-duper yummy!" As he looked back at the monster, anger in his eyes. "Cookie Cat, he left his family behind, Cookie CaaaaAAAAAAT!" As he grabbed the fridge, ignoring the sparks, and with a full swing by the electric-cord, threw it at the beast. The Centipeedle, lit up like a roman-candle, crying out in pain. "Now available, nowhere..."
Seeing an opening, Lapis conjured up another stream of water that speared straight at the monster, causing it to poof instantly in a grand, green explosion that could be heard across town. At that was left was a small gemstone - electric green, with a pine-green line that made a circle much like an eye. Jasper picked it up, encasing it in a light-orange bubble.
"Not so tough now, are we?" Jasper taunted before sending the bubble away.
Steven took one of the wrappers on the ground and buried it in a small grave, complete with a stick for a makeshift gravestone. "Good night, sweet prince," he muttered.
"Are you crying?" Jasper asked.
"Only a little."
"Well, I guess your powers don't come from ice cream, then."
"Of course they don't come from ice cream," Peridot remarked. she helped herself, sitting next to Steven on the ground. She set he metal claws on Steven's shoulder assuringly. "I'm sure you'll figure out how to activate your gem. Someday."
"Your a smart kid, little-man. You'll figure it out," said Jasper.
"Yes, in your own way," finished Lapis, laying a motherly hand on his head.
"Yeah. In my own wa-" he started before he suddenly tossed his cookies onto the ground.
As you can tell, I have replaced the "Star" motif that Rose's Crystal Gems with that of the "Diamond" motif for Yellow Diamond's Crystal Gems. You'll see some of the star later.
At the time that I have started writing this, "When it Rains" is the most recent episode that has come out so far, so in order for me to fill in the gaps, I am working to create details myself (like Lapis and Peridot's weapons for instance). If they come out with such details later on, I will try and think of a contrived reason for them not to have them in mind or (if you want) I'll think of a way around it. Peridot and Lapis' weapons are an example of this. So far, Lapis and Peridot do not have revealed weapons (hell, I don't think Peridot even has one) so I had to improvise.
I was going to give Lapis a harpoon, but then I thought that would be too much like Pearl's spear, and while I'm more or less copying the plots to the show, I want the characters themselves to be unique. And so the trident appears. Not my most original idea, but what the hell?
As for Peridot, the closest thing I saw to a possible weapon would be where in "Warp Tour", she reached into her gem and removed an EMP bomb to deactivate her flask robonoids. This gave me the idea to give this "demolitions expert" idea. She does not have her visor, though she does still have limb enhancers (albeit far more primitive in design i.e. no levitating fingers or touchscreen). Think more "simple, jointed robot hands." The goggles were sort of a last minute thing I came up with to act as a sort of visor-replacement. Also, to those who do not know what "contact juggling" is, ever seen Jim Henson's Labyrinth? Contact juggling is those tricks David Bowie does with those crystal balls.
