My name is Steven Universe.

I'm human, mostly, except for a few minor things. Like this gem in the middle of my stomach; a pretty pink one, a quartz. I've had it for as long as I can remember, since birth probably. It's just a part of me like any other part, like an arm or a leg or a liver, and I wouldn't want it any other way. My family and I call ourselves the Crystal Gems; all except my dad, he's a car washer. There has always been five Crystal Gems, even before I was born. My mom, Rose Quartz, used to be a Crystal Gem until she gave up her physical form to let me be born.

I live in a place called Beach City; it's on a beach, but it isn't exactly a city. There's less than a hundred people in total, and I know all of them. But I'm getting off track. I've got way more people to introduce than just me.

The sky was clear, and the air was hot. The type of day where the entire town gathered on the beach for a day of fun and relaxation. Most people called off for the day, to make the most of the beautiful afternoon, but many of the food vendors stayed open to take advantage of the onslaught of people. Little Ronnie Fryman was dancing around in his Frybo costume, and no one could say no to that cute face, especially when tiny Peedee toddled out dressed as a fry and danced around his older brother.

Out near the boardwalk, where the sand parted and a great tree grew strong, there was another toddler the same age as Peedee Fryman having just as much fun. Under the watch of a stout, purple-tinged lady with hair as tall as she was. At least, she was supposed to be watching, but the purple lady seemed more preoccupied with relaxing in the sand and drifting off to that wonderful place between time and space, where the possibilities stretched out into enternites. She was so out of it that she took no notice to the small boy balancing precariously on the same branch she had left him on, in nothing but a diaper, his rosy gem on display for the whole world to see.

There was an unholy screech as another caregiver, pale, slender, and flat-chested with short cropped pink hair and bird-like features, rushed out from the beach house and down the steps in a moments flash.

"AMETHYST!"

Even the mist of sleep couldn't block out something that loud, and people on the other side of the beach began to stare.

"What?"

"Get Steven!"

Amethyst gave a casual glance up toward the young boy who, started by the noise, had fallen back on his rear and taken to staring down at the two below.

"He's fine."

"No he's not! He's not fine- GARNET!"

Out from the beach house came another; tall, muscular, and dark skinned. Tinted glasses shielded her eyes from view. With a stone expression, she casually made her way down the stairs, and there was a particular air about her that demanded respect.

"Look's what she's doing with Steven!" The pale caregiver motioned to the toddler, who had since forgotten about about the chaos below him and began to walk once more across the length of the branch. "Do something, he's gonna fall!"

Garnet looked from the elevated toddler, down to the two gems on opposite spectrums of concern. "I'd never let him."

This brought forth another unhold screech, and the beginning of tears in the eyes of the white woman. She ran over to the base of the tree, holding out stick-like arms and becoming to the boy.

"Come on Steven, I'll catch you. And I'll never let Amethyst watch you again, I promise! Steven!"

Steven didn't react to his name. What he did react to, however, was the small pink butterfly that seemed to appear out of thin air, calling him closer and closer to open sky.

"Steven, no! Get away from the edge!" She raced to keep her arms under Steven at all times.

Steven took no heed. All mattered in that instant was the butterfly. He could almost touch it…

The branch broke out from beneath him and the boy fell fast toward the ground, but before he could get too far, there was another disturbance. Again, something appeared from the beach house; two pink arms, impossibly stretched and almost like rubber, shot through the open doors and weaved their way down to the beach, catching the toddler moments before he would have hit the ground.

"Oh thank the stars!" Came the white pearls screech, "I told you this would happen!" The anger dripping from her words were aimed at the amethyst, but she didn't seem to care either way.

The extended arms wrapped themselves around Steven, freeing the hands to tickle the small boys stomach. Laughter followed after, as it often did, and the boy kicked and squirmed as he tried to escape the assault. While this was happening, out came a fourth caregiver, and the body to which the arms were attached. Pink-skinned with scraggly pigtails and the marks of mascara tears dripping down the sides of her face. On her chest was an inverted heart with a healed cracked down its center which, by the looks of it, had almost split the gem in two.

"Oooo, what do we 'ave 'ere." She flipped Steven upside down, much to Steven's enjoyment and Pearl's anguish. "Did you think you were a bird?"

She flipped him right side off and placed him gently in the sand. Pearl was on him in an instant.

"Oh thank the stars! Are you injured?" She picked the boy up, despite his whining protests, and carried him toward the house. "If he's hurt, I'm holding you responsible!"

She pointed a finger at Amethyst, who had since fallen back to sleep without a care in the world.

And that's my family; most of them, anyway. My dad doesn't live with us, but I still love him the same. He was pretty broken up after mom died, and so I went to live with the gems. It was kinda like having four moms, in a way. They were always there for me, especially Spinel. Even when the other gems would go off on missions, she'd always stay behind with me so I wouldn't be lonely.

That's how I spent most of my childhood; in my room playing games with Spinel, or exploring the town and the boardwalk. There's only so much you can do in a town as small as Beach City, and I've done it all. Been to every restaurant (all three of them), road every ride at Funland multiple times, played and beat every game at the arcade multiple times. Every year on my birthday I'd beg Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl to finally let me go on a mission, and every time they would say the same thing: wait until you're older. That is until last year, when Garnet said something different. Something new.

"Next year, Steven."

The house was silent apart from the droning of the Tv, which Steven had long since lost interest in. Instead, his own thoughts seemed to dampen the words and, though he was vaguely aware of what was going on, he paid it no mind. The gems had gone off on another mission, again without him. Always without him. All except Spinel.

The pink gem with the inverted heart sat at the foot of his bed, chomping down on a piece of chewing gum, fully enraptured by the prograsming. It was as if she sensed Steven watching her, and in that moment she turned to look at him.

"Wanna go climb somethin' or somethin'?"

"Eh." Steven collapsed back down into his bed, "I'm not really in a climbing mood. But we can go find something else to do."

"Fun!"

Spinel was up in an instant, her arm stretching out to wrap around Steven and pull him to his feet. Steven had been around her so long it was barely even strange, even if everyone else in Beach City cowered away from her and the other Crystal Gems; all except Steven. They were sort of local legends, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

Steven loved the way that Spinel squeaked with every minor movement, like some kind of cartoon character. When she'd walk, the squeaking would he timed with her steps. When she grinned, it was like a clown had its nose honked. And when she'd stretch, she'd make a noise almost like a spring. There were lots of other noises too, but those were his favorite. Just him and his best friend, seeing where the day would take them.

As it turned out, it took them to the Big Donut: Steven's second favorite place in the whole world! His first favorite place was the temple in the rocks behind his house, but he was never supposed to go in there. Sometimes though, when Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl had gone out, Spinel would sneak him in there and they'd play around together, and they'd be out by the time the others got back, so no one suspected a thing!

The door gave a familiar ring when the two walked through it; a sound Steven had slowly been conditioned to, meaning only one thing: donuts! Already his body began to crave the treat it knew was coming, and he got that familiar, ticklish feeling in his gem whenever he got like this. The feeling only grew stronger when he saw Lars and Sadie working the counter.

Sadie was so nice, and small like Amethyst, with a cascade of golden curls and a friendly, elfish look to her. Lars couldn't have been more different; tall, lanky, and grim with gingery mohawk and a face full of freckles. He was hard to get along with, but him and Steven were best buds!

"HI LARS!"

"Ugh, not you again." Lars leaned against the counter, brushing his hair in front of his face and scowling.

Sadie gave a pleasant smile. "Steven, Spinel. Uh, how are you?"

Steven hurried to the counter and threw his hands over the cold surface. Spinel followed suit in a familiar fashion.

"HI SADIE!" Steven cheered, "I'm good!"

Sadie turned away from him and waddled to the glass case behind her which held the delicate treats. "I'm guessing you want a donut?"

"You know I do!" Steven beamed, "My usual please!"

"Right." Using wax paper, Sadie selected the perfect donut; a fluffy, golden brown with a chocolate coating sprinkled with chocolate chips, "Do you want something, Spinel?"

Spinel considered this loudly, pressing both index fingers to her lips and narrowing her eyes as she hummed her internal debate.

"That one!" She decided at last, pointing to a pretty pink one coated in rainbow sprinkles.

"Coming right up!" Sadie pulled her ladder out from under the counter and set it up near the case, while Lars simply watched with a dull look.

"While you're up there, can you get three more for Amethyst and Garnet?"

"Sure!" Sadie nearly lost her balance as she turned around, but quickly regained it, "Any requests?"

"It doesn't matter." Steven said, "I don't think Amethyst even tastes her food, and Garnet's fine with anything."

Sadie had finished packing up Spinel's donut, and reached for the nearest one; one with white frosting and red, white, and blue sprinkles, "This one okay?"

"Yeah!"

Sadie placed it in the bag as reached for the next two and, confirming with Steven that they were okay, she placed them with the others. She held the bag out to Lars, who did little else than stare, before she resigned herself to cautiously make her way down with the bag in hand, careful not to squash any of the donuts. She breathed a sigh of relief when her feet were back on the ground, and she handed Steven the bag and Steven gave her the money.

"Lars, can you at least put that back?" Sadie motioned to the later.

Lars groaned as if it were the worst thing in the world, but he reluctantly obeyed and folded the ladder as Sadie had asked.

"Thanks Sadie!" Steven handed Spinel her donut before taking out his own.

"Of course Steven." Sadie smiled, "You're my favorite customer!"

Steven flushed red. "Aww, thanks." He took a bite out of his donut then waved goodbye, "Bye Sadie, bye Lars!"

Sadie waved goodbye, but Lars didn't seem to hear him.

Once they made it outside, Spinel took a bite of her donut, sending sprinkles flying everywhere. "What you wanna do now?"

"Boardwalk?" Steven suggested.

Spinel threw her hands up in the air, disoging even more of the sprinkles. "Fun!" She gave a final chew of her mouthful before spitting it on the ground and taking a new bite.

The gems were all so weird about food. Pearl could hardly stand being around it, and Amethyst could never go more than ten minutes without it. Garnet was okay with food, but she was also okay without, and Spinel would chow down on anything you'd give her, but she'd never swallow it. She'd just chew it up until it lost its flavor, then spit it out and start again.

Halfway to the boardwalk and they saw Onion, the small town troublemaker, throwing handfuls of ketchup packets into the wind. He had a leash attached to him, but his mother on the other end seemed too tired to try and stop him.

"Hi Onion!" Steven waved.

The pale boy looked up at him with a blank look. Spinel waved as well, but instead of waving back, Onion turned around and ran into his mother's arms. Vidalia quietly accepted the embrace with one arm.

Steven slowed to a stop, and Spinel matched his pace. "Oh, hi Vidalia!"

Vidalia looked up, about to give the minimum effort needed for a polite response, but her eyes lit up when she realized who had called out to her. She waved them both over.

"Well if it isn't Greg's boy! How's your old man doing anyway?"

"He's okay," Steven responded.

"Still working that car wash?"

"Of course!"

Vidalia laughed. "I dunno why I expected any different. Uh say, how's Amethyst doin? You livin with her now, arentcha?"

Steven laughed. "Yeah! Everything's great!"

"That's just wonderful, aint it…" Vidalia's face flushed. "Oh, excuse me."

Vidalia knelt down to Onion, who had been pulling nonstop on his lead in an attempt to get his mother's attention. She unclipped the leash and rolled it back up over her arm.

"Shoo! Go play!"

Onion was off as soon as he was free, and disappeared into a nearby bush. Vidalia struggled to stand back up straight, and she reached into her pocket to pull out a carton.

"You don't mind if I smoke, do ya?"

Steven shook his head.

"Great!" She lit one of them and took a long puff before releasing the smoke into the air, "Now when you go on home I want ya to tell Amethyst to stop by, kay? I haven't seen her much, not since you were born. Now that you're a bit older, I figured she oughtta have a little more time."

"Oh, she's busy with gem stuff." Steven explained casually, and Spinel nodded her agreement.

Vidalia dismissed that with a wave of her hand, "Yeah, yeah, I know. It'd be nice to hear from her every now and again, though. Things have been hard since Marty stopped playing paying child support, and my precious little Onion ain't making things easier."

Steven just nodded along and listened. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell her!"

"That'd be super!" Vidalia dropped her cigarette and stomped it into the ground. "Well, anyway, I oughtta get goin' before Onion sets another trampoline on fire."

The groups said their goodbyes, and Steven and Spinel spent the rest of their day hanging around Funland. They didn't really ride and of the rides anymore, but the game stands were always fun, even if they were rigged. By days end, Steven had managed to win a small stuffed puma and Spinel had won two rubber ducks, one with a tailored suit and another in a bow and dress. She named them Mrs and Mr Quakers, and she was so excited when she learned they squeaked just like she did. In fact, ever since she discovered that she hadn't stopped squeezing them to beckon the noise. It was fine at first, but now it was just getting annoying.

As the heat of the day began to fade and the sun began to dip down over the ocean, soon to be swallowed up into the watery depths, they began back home. It was almost six; closing time for Fryman's fries. And that meant only one thing.

Steven slammed his fists down hard on the counter. "THE BITS!"

Spinel did the same, but her action was more exaggerated, and when she screamed those two words she did so with a bounce so that her springing noise would call even more attention to her. Soon, they were both chanting. Over and over and over.

It wasn't long before two blue eyes peered over the counter, narrowed but not exactly angry, and slightly obscured by dreadlocks of golden hair.

"Why don't you try ordering from the actual menu for once?" Peedee asked, resting his chin on the cold countertop.

"Well you're closed for one." Spinel pointed out.

"Yeah! And I always get the bits! Give me the bits!"

Out from the back came a tall man, nearly identical to Peedee in every aspect, except he was a much bigger build than his son. In one arm, he carried a mop bucket, and in the other he carried a tub of disinfectant wipes.

"It'll be easier if you just give him what he wants." said in a defeated tone.

Steven beamed with pride. Peedee took his father's words to heart, and made his way over to the fryer. He had to stand on a stool to properly lift the container from the still oil, and he had to move the stool to reach a bag to dump the bits inside.

"There ya go Steven."

Peedee sat there, his hand outstretched, and it couldn't be more obvious that he was waiting for payment. Steven returned the stare for a few awkward seconds before turning and walking away.

"Thanks Peedee!"

"Bya!" Spinel echoed.

Together, they raced the rest of the way down across the boardwalk and through the beach, and though Steven got slower as the sand weighed him down, Spinel only got faster. With each step her legs grew with a vibrant pink glow, and her arms began to do the same once she was nearly twice Steven's size. She continued to grow and stretch until she was even bigger than the beach house, and only then did she stop growing. She wrapped her arms around Steven's stomach and hoisted him up into the air.

"Who wants to spiiiin?" Her voice had a sing-song nature to it.

"Nooo!" Steven's playful objections were drowned out by laughter, and Spinel took that as her cue.

And then they were spinning, and at first that was all it was. Then Spinel started to go faster, lifting Steven up and down and up and down. So high he was sure he could touch the clouds, and so low he could run his feet across the sand. So fast they began to kick up a cloud of dust that, caught in the whirlwind, never settled back down and instead followed them. Steven had long since lost all sense of direction, and the only thing he could focus on was the pink smiling face spinning just as fast as he was.

Spinel was the only one who could stop them, and when she did, Steven's vision still followed the same dizzying track for seconds afterwards. Spinel's limbs slowly shrunk back down into her body, still holding Steven tightly against her chest, and soon they were floating in midair. Drifting down slowly, at a pace the heart gem regulated.

Both of them dissolve into nothing but laughter as they approached the sandy beach below. Steven could hardly breath, and the sharp pains of laughter began to stab him in his sides. Any time he'd try and stop himself, he'd only remember just why he was laughing and laugh some more. Eventually, both feet were planted firmly back on the ground, and when Spinel released her grip on him, Steven's legs immediately gave out on him and he fell hard on his back, and all the laughter stopped. The air was knocked from his chest, but the moment he breathed once again, the laughter was back. First from Steven, then from Spinel when she realized he was okay.

Spinel joined Steven in the sand, making as if she were going to fall just as hard as him, only to slowly drift the rest of the way down and land gently beside him.

Their happiness and dizzy bliss lasted only moments before, in a blinding flash of light, Steven's focus was drawn elsewhere. Both sat up fast, kicking up sand in their haste to run for the house.

"Gems are back, gems are back!"

Steven hopped up the stairwell two stairs at a time and busted through the door without stopping, straight into the open arms of Garnet.

"Garnet!"

Garnet was returning the hug the moment Steven initiated it. "Hello Steven."

Steven looked up at the large gem, into her eyes, even if the only eyes he saw were his own; Garnet's visors were so dark and reflective it was impossible to see past them.

"Yo, give me some hugs!"

Before Steven realized it, he was pulled off the ground and into the short, powerful arms of Amethyst. He did his best to return the hug, but it couldn't quite reach both arms around; Amethyst didn't seem to care, however, and just kept on hugging.

"Alright, alright, you're gonna suffocate him." Came the sing-song voice of Pearl.

Two gentle arms wrapped themselves around Steven, and lowered his safely to the ground. The moment his feet were on solid ground, Steven spun around and leapt into Pearl's arms. Pearl, not expecting the sudden embrace, nearly toppled over.

"Hi Pearl!" He looked over his shoulder, "Hi Amethyst!"

"So… whatcha do today?"

All four turned to look at Spinel; she had made herself at home on the couch, her hands folded behind her head and her legs crossed, falling over the edge.

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old." Answered Amethyst.

"Nothing to be concerned about." Garnet added.

"So what did you do today?" Pearl prompted.

Steven began to recount everything he did that day, from waking up in the morning, to walking around Fun Land and winning prizes, to Spinel playing with him at the beach. When he got to that part, Pearl nearly broke into a rant about how unsafe that is, but a sharp look from Garnet silenced her objections. Amethyst seemed particularly happy to her about Vadalia.

"She said you haven't visited much since I was born." Steven went on.

"Yeah, because you were such a pain in the butt." Amethyst pulled Steven close and messed up his hair, "And ya still are!"

"Amethyst!" Steven tried to escape, but it was no use; he couldn't hold back his laughter as he tried to pry his head free of Amethyst's grasp, "Let go."

"What? If you can't handle a little noogie now and then, how you gonna go on super dangerous missions with us, huh Birthday boy?"

Steven was finally free, and the first thing he did was stare directly into Amethyst's eyes. "It's not my birthday yet, Amethyst."

Amethyst shrugged. "Eh. Not like I keep track of that stuff anyway."

"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded, then turned to Steven, "Of course we wouldn't forget your birthday."

Garnet adjusted her visors. "I never forget anything."

"Yes." Pearl suddenly straightened up and hurried way toward the bathroom, "Then perhaps you can remember that we're only here for a short while. So we have to make the most of it." Pearl remerged, holding the hamper half-full of Steven's dirty clothes.

Steven's heart dropped. "You're going out again?"

"We have to, Steven." Garnet answered at once.

"Yeah." Amethyst made her way past them and leapt onto the couch right beside Spinel; the two of them barely fit. "Ever since those gem mutants escaped, we gots to round 'em all up! Hey S, you mind?"

"Nope!" Spinel stuck her tongue out in concentration as she stretched her arm into the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out whatever was nearest, and returning it to their place on the couch.

"Sweet!" Amethyst grabbed the bowl, which just happened to be left-over spaghetti, and ripped off the foil wrapping.

Steven looked away as soon as he realized what was going to happen, but even that couldn't prepare him for the scraping, crunching sound as Amethyst ate the silver covering as if it were an apple.

Garnet kneeled down to Steven's height. "What have you got there?"

Before Steven could answer, there was a shriek from behind him.

"NOT ON THE COUCH!"

Then Amethyst was racing past him on all fours, a mess of sauce coating her hands and face, while Pearl gave pursuit and swung at her with a broom. Steven did his best to ignore it.

"I got donuts for you and Amethyst!"

The sound of her name seemed to draw Amethyst to them, and Pearl wasn't too far behind. She seemed to have given up the assult, but the broom was still placed neatly under her arm.

"Give, give, give!" Amethyst growled, motioning with her hands for the bag, "Mama wants some donuts!"

Pearl scoffed. "Can't you show a little restraint?"

"Nope!"

"Here." Steven pulled out the two donuts he'd for Amethyst, and she immediately seized and devoured them, paper and all. Pearl looked as if she was going to be sick. Steven turned to Garnet. "I only got you one, I hope that okay?"

Garnet gave a patient smile and held out her hand, "Of course."

Steven gave her the donut, and she looked it over in one hand. She looked up and used her free hand to ruffle Steven's hair before standing back up and taking the smallest of bites. She had always been a neat eater; the neatest Steven had ever seen! She never even dropped a single sprinkle!

Steven turned lastly to Pearl.

"I know you don't really like to eat, but I didn't want you to be left out, so I won you this."

Steven pulled the stuffed puma from his pockets and placed him gently into Pearl's expectant hands. At first Pearl seemed confused, but confusion soon gave way to a wide smile and even wider eyes,

"Thank you Steven." Her voice wavered, "I'll treasure him forever."

She closed her eyes, and from the gem on her forehead came a light. She light descended upon the puma, and then the puma became light itself and was gone. Pearl opened her eyes, and the light was gone too.

Garnet had finished her donut and was wiping her mouth with a napkin; Steven wasn't quite sure where she got it from.

"Thank you Steven. It was delicious."

Steven was filled with pride. He knew Garnet would like it!

Pearl looked down at her wrist, though Steven was certain she had never worn a watch, and said, "We've been here for exactly seven minutes. We gotta hurry if we want to find that Feldspar before it begins to burrow."

"Right." Garnet stepped back onto the white platform, and Pearl was already way ahead of her. "Amethyst."

Amethyst looked up, saw the other two on the platform, and hurried past Steven to join them. She turned to Steven and gave two finger-guns.

"See you later, alligator."

Steven glumly returned the motion. "In a while, crocodile!"

Pearl raised a brow. "I don't know about alligators and crocodiles, but you won't be seeing us again until morning, Steven. It's almost your bedtime."

Steven pouted. "I know."

"Oh, and Steven."

Steven looked up to Garnet as she spoke.

"I love you."