Equestria Girls: Adventures with the Crystal Gemsby MetaLord395ChaptersCh 1: The FalloutCh 2: At the BarnWe Are the Crystal GemsCh 1: The FalloutChristmas break had arrived, and normally everyone was in good spirits this time of year. Everyone that is, except one. The poor unfortunate soul in question was Sunset Shimmer, a student at Canterlot High. Just recently, someone named Anon-A-Miss spread nasty rumors about her friends throughout the school, and many people, her friends included, had assumed that she had gone back to being a bully. This wasn’t the case, of course, but Sunset’s friends would have none of it. This broke Sunset in ways that she had never experienced in her life. Her so-called friends weren’t there for her when she needed them the most. Now that the holidays had arrived, she was more alone than ever, even more so than after the Fall Formal. But at least her friends stood by her then. What was wrong with them? Sure, she didn’t get off to a great start with them, but she was making an effort to change, was she not? If not for her, the whole world would be under the control of the Dazzlings. Did they really think she’d go back to treating her peers like dirt after she had saved the entire world? “Well,” she muttered to herself, “there’s no point staying here in this city anymore.” And she felt that she was not ready yet to return to Equestria. There was only one thing that she could do: Run away. The problem was, where? It had to be someplace nearby. She didn’t have enough money to go long-distance. Sunset walked up the steps to her apartment. She took out a big wad of cash, her cell phone, and a few non-perishable pieces of food, and tied them up in a big sack. “Now I just need a destination,” she mumbled to herself. As she walked across the room, something caught her eye: an old postcard, still splashed with color, that she had received all those years ago. WELCOME TO BEACH CITY Her mind clicked at the sight of the four words. She decided that she would turn over a new leaf over there and be free of all her past sins. She’d have to find a job, of course, but she could take care of that later. And best of all, no one need ever know of her past. It was a place where she could finally be herself. There was just one last thing left to do: let everyone know she was leaving. She took out a piece of paper, turned the light on, and started writing. Dear Canterlot High, If you’re reading this, then I’m sorry that I ever came to your school in the first place. I just wanted to have friends, so I started bullying you to vent my anger and sorrows. I never meant to enslave you at the Fall Formal, and I never meant to cause as much trouble as I did. Even though you eventually forgave me, Anon-a-Miss showed up and ruined everything. Every one of you turned on me, even my friends, who I thought would stand by me. I thought that things would improve for me once the Battle of the Bands ended, but boy was I wrong. Guess I was naïve to think that way. To Flash Sentry, you were the greatest boyfriend I ever had. I know that you and Twilight would be very happy together. To Snips and Snails, I’m sorry for recruiting you to help me to try and ruin Twilight’s reputation. You deserve better than that. To Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and especially Fluttershy, I’m sorry for destroying your friendship. You girls were the best friends I ever had, and even though you think otherwise, I never was Anon-a-Miss and I never will be. And finally, to Twilight Sparkle and Spike, thank you for introducing me to the magic of friendship and for introducing me to your best friends. I hope that everything is going okay with your duties as a princess. Know that I appreciate the help you have given me. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year without me. I know that I certainly will now that I’m never coming back here again. Yours truly, for the final time, Sunset Shimmer She sighed. There was nothing left for her here anymore. Without further ado, she started to go down the steps and into the cold, windy night. The snow was falling gently, like a magical Christmas dream. The entire street lit up in red and green, as people walked around savoring the holiday atmosphere. A few kids ran playfully through the streets, clearly eager with anticipation for the Christmas season. Sunset sighed. This would probably be the last time she would see these familiar sights ever again. She wondered what her so-called friends were doing, probably partying it up at Applejack’s, she thought bitterly to herself. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she said sadly. “I really am. I wish you were here, so that I could have asked you what to do.” She was wondering whether Twilight was having a better time than she was. She continued to make her way out of the city, hoping to not catch any one’s eye as she did so. “Sunset Shimmer?” She froze at the sound of the two words, then turned around. Flash Sentry was staring back at her, wearing a warm black jacket, a red scarf, and a winter hat over his everyday attire. And at the moment, he was staring back at her, a concerned expression on his face. “Everything okay?” he asked gently. What was she supposed to say? That the memories of what had happened the past week had scarred her for life? She sighed, then looked her ex-boyfriend in the eyes. “Everything’s … okay, Flash,” she said at last. “What are you doing out here?” he inquired further, concerned. “Isn’t it a bit too cold for you?” You’re one to talk, Sunset thought to herself bitterly. “Everything’s okay, Flash,” she lied, almost believing it. “I’m just heading over to Applejack’s for the Christmas party.” Flash eyed the bundle Sunset was carrying. “What’s that bundle for?” he asked curiously. The gears in Sunset’s head turned quickly. “This is . . . what I’m carrying for the party,” she lied again. “It’s no big deal. Catch you later.” And with that, she turned around and continued walking at a quicker pace, hoping to put more distance between them. He may not have known it, but he was bringing up bad memories for her that she wanted to forget. Soon, she reached the edge of the city limit. A great big green sign read: NOW LEAVING CANTERLOT CITY Sunset sighed. This is it, she thought to herself. Slowly, she took her first step out of the city, and continued walking until the bright lights disappeared as the snow continued to fall gently all around her. Ch 2: At the BarnThe cold winds continued battering down on Sunset as she struggled to push herself against the cold. She felt her strength waning by the minute, and she knew that she would not be able to stay out for much longer. On top of that, she was feeling hungry. She knew that she would have to take shelter somewhere. But she would have to do it fast, because she did not know for how much longer she would be able to keep this up . . . After what legitimately felt like an hour of walking, she peered into the horizon to spot a barn that had its front entrance decorated. She felt relieved, because she knew that salvation was at hand. If she could just reach the farm, then she would have a place to stay until the cold winds died down. With that, her willpower ignited again, and she pushed herself to reach the edge of the field. Just a few more steps . . . Unfortunately, as soon as she entered the farm, she could go no farther. Her energy finally gone,she fell down, the bundle she was carrying toppled onto the ground beside her. She struggled to get up, but found that she could not. That’s when it hit her. She could go no more. She had reached the end. So this is what it feels like, she mused grimly. To be forsaken by everything you’ve ever known, to be unnoticed and abandoned by everyone you thought you could depend on . . . There was nothing left to do. Sapped of all her strength, she collapsed onto the ground, as both cold and fatigue washed over her and she fell asleep. Darkness. Sunset felt something stir against her, something sloppy and wet scrape itself across her face. “Cut it out, Spike,” Sunset murmured softly in her sleep, feeling something lick her on her face. But the licking did not cease. She stirred softly, then slowly opened her eyes. And she was not prepared for what she saw next. A small, pumpkin-like creature with four legs, two seeds for pumpkin seeds for eyes, a carved mouth, and stem-like tail was staring back at her. It was wagging its tail excited and panting happily at her. Sunset stood up and brushed off the snow on her clothes, then glanced at her surroundings. A small fire was going near in the center of the room, which had two bunk beds and a small television set. Near the fire sat two figures whom she had never seen before in her life. One was a slim figure with cyan skin with chin-length hair, wearing a blue sundress. The other had lime-green skin and pale yellow hair in a tetrahedron shape, wearing what appeared to be a sleeveless green V-neck uniform, with a dark green outline around the cut-out of the neck area and forming what appeared to be a yellow diamond in the neck area, as well as lime green leggings with the same yellow diamond design. Both figures were now facing her, curiosity apparent on their faces. “About time,” the blue figure started. “We thought you’d never wake up.” She made her way over to Sunset, then offered her a hand to get up. Sunset paused, wondering whether to accept, then decided that she had no other choice. She took the figure’s hand and pushed herself up until she could finally stand again. “You can say that again,” she muttered. “Where am I?” “Well, we found you passed out there in the field,” the girl in blue continued. “And seeing how the nearest town wouldn’t be for another few miles or so, we decided to take you in.” “It’s probably not much, but we’ve managed so far,” the green one added, flashing her a catlike grin. Her blue counterpart nodded, then did a most unusual thing that Sunset had never seen before: She waved her arms in some sort of motion, then a huge stream of water formed itself into the shape of a chair and froze into ice, forming a chair made of ice. The blue girl motioned to the chair, as if offering her a seat. “I don’t believe you’ve formally introduced yourselves,” Sunset started. “Who are you?” “Oh, right,” the girl in blue admitted rather sheepishly. “My name’s Lapis Lazuli. And that”-she motioned to her green counterpart-“is Peridot.” Peridot gave Sunset a friendly wave. Sunset stared at the two of them, rather confused. “You’re . . . named after gemstones?” she asked. Lapis and Peridot nodded. “We’re gems,” Peridot clarified. “We came from a distant homeworld from beyond the stars, but unfortunately, we’re not allowed to ever come back again.” “What about you?” Lapis asked. “What’s your name? And where did you come from?” Sunset paused, pondering the situation uncertainly. At last, she took a deep breath. “Sunset,” she said at last. “Sunset Shimmer. And let’s just say that I come from a parallel dimension inhabited by ponies.” The two Gems looked at each other, confused. Sunset could see that they were not certain as to whether they should believe her. “What about this little guy?” she asked, motioning to the pumpkin creature. “He’s obviously some sort of pumpkin creature, but what’s his name?” Both Lapis and Peridot looked at each other. “Pumpkin,” Peridot said at last. Real original, Sunset thought to herself musingly. “So, Sunset,” Peridot sat down opposite Sunset, “what brings you to our humble abode?” Sunset sighed. “Well, just recently, I’ve been betrayed by the ones I thought I could call friends,” she started sadly. “They thought I was spreading rumors about them under the pseudonym ‘Anon-a-Miss’, and they never even bothered hearing what I had to say. So I decided to just pack up and run away.” “That’s terrible,” Lapis admitted. “I can understand how you feel.” “Really?” Sunset asked. “Of course,” Lapis continued empathetically. “I was trapped in a mirror for five thousand years, unable to do anything, and the people I thought I could count on didn’t even bother to free me. I was only able to get out thanks to Steven.” Sunset looked at the blue Gem curiously. “Who’s Steven?” “Oh, right,” Peridot chuckled. “He’s one of our closest friends. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy his company. He and his friends, the-ahem-Crystal Gems, live in Beach City and protect the world from the Gem Homeworld, who’s hoping to colonize this planet and bring it under its control.” “Really?” Sunset asked, surprised. “That’s…terrible. Is there anything I can do?” Lapis chuckled, somewhat bitterly. “I wish there was. Unfortunately, we don’t see how you could be of assistance.” “Are you sure?” Sunset responded, disappointed. “Because this dimension is my home now, and I want to be able to protect any way I can. Besides, I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. Especially now that everyone seems to be better off without me,” she added, her tone sprinkled with sadness. Lapis and Peridot looked at each other, unsure what to do. They knew that Sunset wanted to help them in the fight against Homeworld, and they knew that she was no longer welcome where she had come from, but they just couldn’t see how she could be of any help. At last, Peridot stood up. “We’re calling Steven,” she said at last. “And the other Gems as well. They’ll know what to do.” We Are the Crystal GemsAuthor's Note Merry Christmas, guys! I know that it's been well over a year since I updated this story, so excuse me if my writing is currently not up to par with that of my previous works. Anyways, I had some ideas for this fic that I feel would really work for Steven Universe in light of recent revelations. As for whether I'll continue to write on this site, that remains to be seen. So consider this an early holiday gift from me to you. And hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be able to express some of my ideas in this fic. Enjoy! We Are the Crystal Gems The next morning, the snowstorm ended, and the barn quieted to an absolute standstill. The only sounds that could be heard were the quiet chirping of birds. Sunlight crept in from one of the cracks in the wall of the barn. Sunset rolled a little in the straw mat where she had slept during the night. When she finally got up, she yawned and stretched her arms out, then turned to Peridot and Lapis, who had also arisen from bed. “Morning, Peridot. Morning, Lapis,” she yawned. “Morning, Sunset,” Lapis smiled. Pumpkin wagged his tail excitedly. “I see that you have a lot of work to do around the barn,” Sunset observed. “I don’t suppose I could be of any assistance here, could I?” Peridot chuckled. “Thanks for the offer, Sunny,” she started, “but Lazuli and I have got things covered. Just make yourself comfortable until Steven and the Gems get here.” “How do I do that?” Sunset asked. “Well,” Lapis Lazuli answered, “you could watch Camp Pining Hearts over there.” She pointed to a small TV set that was installed on one of the bunk beds. Sunset shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She climbed up the ladder to the bunk bed and popped in one of the videos that lay in front of her. A few hours later, Sunset lay on the bed watching her third Camp Pining Hearts video when she heard Lapis's voice from down below. “Hey guys!” Lapis was calling. Sunset stopped the video and scooted over to the edge of the bed. She peered over the edge to see a total of four figures approaching. One was a short, chubby boy with curly black hair and wearing a pink shirt with a yellow star on it along with some jeans and some sandals, wearing a huge grin on his face. The second was a short, chubby purple woman about as tall as the boy, wearing a white tank top with a jagged hem and black leggings with dark mauve stars on them. Her messy lavender hair went down to her ankles and covered her left eye in a bang. She had plump lips, a small nose, dark indigo eyes, and a purple gemstone on her chest that was partially covered by her shirt. The third was a slender, tall, thinly-built woman with ivory skin, a pointed nose, thin lips, and sky-blue eyes with peach-colored hair in a pixie cut. She wore an aqua blue tunic with a small gold star in the center, amber-colored leggings, a yellow sash ribbon around her waist, and pink socks with pale blue slip-on ballet flats. And finally, the last one was a tall crimson-purple woman with a square afro and a soft-pink/pale-blue visor on. She had on a colorful bodysuit with an amaranth-colored star with a soft pink outline, oval-like shoulder pads, and eggplant-colored gauntlets with an orange-outlined yellow star on them. The two lower halves of her body were separated straight down the middle; one half was purple, while the other was magenta. “I hear ya guys got a new visitor,” the purple one started, smirking. “Where is she?” “Here she is. SUNNY!” Peridot called. “Come on down and say hello to Steven and his friends!” Sunset peered over the edge of the bed to see the strangers staring back at her. For the longest time, no one said anything. Then the boy spoke up, “Who are you?” Sunset cleared her throat. “Sunset,” she said. “Sunset Shimmer. And you are Steven Universe?” The boy nodded. “Yep, that’s me. And say hello to Amethyst” – the short, purple woman waved, grinning – “Pearl” the woman with the pointy nose also waved– “and Garnet.” The tall, stoic woman adjusted and said, in a somewhat businesslike manner, “Hi.” “Who are you, exactly?” Sunset asked, very curious. “Are you friends of Peridot and Lapis?” “You might say that,” Amethyst shrugged. “What exactly brings you here?” Sunset sighed. She was going to have to tell the same story all over again. “It’s a long tale,” she answered, rather annoyed. So much for wanting to forget, she thought bitterly to herself. “Just keep it short,” Garnet responded. “It’ll be better.” Sunset sighed. “Okay, here goes,” she started. And so she retold the story of how she was framed for spilling secrets about her old school friends, how everyone back at her school hated her, and how she left her old home and ended up here. “Wow, man,” Amethyst said, dumbfounded. “Harsh.” “Yeah,” Sunset muttered. “That’s why I was planning to go to Beach City to forget about this whole mess for a while.” “Well, Beach City’s kind of having its own problems right now,” Steven said. “We had to clean up the mess we made when we had to battle gem monsters a few days ago.” “Oh,” Sunset said. “So is it okay if I stay here for a spell or two while I figure out what to do next? I’m not exactly welcome in my old home anymore, and I’m pretty sure nobody’s gonna miss me.” “Sure, sweetie,” Lapis smiled warmly. “Stay as long as you need. We’ll be here if you need anything.” “Thanks, guys,” Sunset grinned. “I really appreciate it.” Elsewhere, in a red-and-black flying saucer parked in one of the barren Kindergartens, a dark figure wearing shades was watching a brightly lit screen that was filled with numbers. Suddenly, the screen changed over to a feed that displayed a visual of the barn. The figure zoomed in on the barn and noticed three familiar figures standing together. “So,” it said ominously, “we meet again at last.” It swiveled around in its chair to see an array of chambers. “As soon as I have perfected the solution, I think I ought to do a trial run on you to see how well the formula is working. What do you think, BB-X9?” From the darkness of the ship, an airborne drone buzzed and chirped in agreement. A thin, dark smile played about on the figure’s lips. “Excellent,” she chuckled darkly. “I have an assignment for you. Keep tabs on these three.” She pointed to the figures on the screen. “They may be of use to us in the future. As for the young one, I’m going to see just how well he and his fellow humans fare against my army. Those egotistical, pathetic Diamonds are gonna regret sending me into exile when I’m finished with them. You are dismissed.” The drone lowered itself, as if bowing, then disappeared. The figure swiveled in its chair back toward the screen. “Cut the visual,” it commanded. And then the screen turned to black, swallowing the entire ship in darkness.
Ch 1: The FalloutChristmas break had arrived, and normally everyone was in good spirits this time of year. Everyone that is, except one. The poor unfortunate soul in question was Sunset Shimmer, a student at Canterlot High. Just recently, someone named Anon-A-Miss spread nasty rumors about her friends throughout the school, and many people, her friends included, had assumed that she had gone back to being a bully. This wasn’t the case, of course, but Sunset’s friends would have none of it. This broke Sunset in ways that she had never experienced in her life. Her so-called friends weren’t there for her when she needed them the most. Now that the holidays had arrived, she was more alone than ever, even more so than after the Fall Formal. But at least her friends stood by her then. What was wrong with them? Sure, she didn’t get off to a great start with them, but she was making an effort to change, was she not? If not for her, the whole world would be under the control of the Dazzlings. Did they really think she’d go back to treating her peers like dirt after she had saved the entire world? “Well,” she muttered to herself, “there’s no point staying here in this city anymore.” And she felt that she was not ready yet to return to Equestria. There was only one thing that she could do: Run away. The problem was, where? It had to be someplace nearby. She didn’t have enough money to go long-distance. Sunset walked up the steps to her apartment. She took out a big wad of cash, her cell phone, and a few non-perishable pieces of food, and tied them up in a big sack. “Now I just need a destination,” she mumbled to herself. As she walked across the room, something caught her eye: an old postcard, still splashed with color, that she had received all those years ago. WELCOME TO BEACH CITY Her mind clicked at the sight of the four words. She decided that she would turn over a new leaf over there and be free of all her past sins. She’d have to find a job, of course, but she could take care of that later. And best of all, no one need ever know of her past. It was a place where she could finally be herself. There was just one last thing left to do: let everyone know she was leaving. She took out a piece of paper, turned the light on, and started writing. Dear Canterlot High, If you’re reading this, then I’m sorry that I ever came to your school in the first place. I just wanted to have friends, so I started bullying you to vent my anger and sorrows. I never meant to enslave you at the Fall Formal, and I never meant to cause as much trouble as I did. Even though you eventually forgave me, Anon-a-Miss showed up and ruined everything. Every one of you turned on me, even my friends, who I thought would stand by me. I thought that things would improve for me once the Battle of the Bands ended, but boy was I wrong. Guess I was naïve to think that way. To Flash Sentry, you were the greatest boyfriend I ever had. I know that you and Twilight would be very happy together. To Snips and Snails, I’m sorry for recruiting you to help me to try and ruin Twilight’s reputation. You deserve better than that. To Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and especially Fluttershy, I’m sorry for destroying your friendship. You girls were the best friends I ever had, and even though you think otherwise, I never was Anon-a-Miss and I never will be. And finally, to Twilight Sparkle and Spike, thank you for introducing me to the magic of friendship and for introducing me to your best friends. I hope that everything is going okay with your duties as a princess. Know that I appreciate the help you have given me. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year without me. I know that I certainly will now that I’m never coming back here again. Yours truly, for the final time, Sunset Shimmer She sighed. There was nothing left for her here anymore. Without further ado, she started to go down the steps and into the cold, windy night. The snow was falling gently, like a magical Christmas dream. The entire street lit up in red and green, as people walked around savoring the holiday atmosphere. A few kids ran playfully through the streets, clearly eager with anticipation for the Christmas season. Sunset sighed. This would probably be the last time she would see these familiar sights ever again. She wondered what her so-called friends were doing, probably partying it up at Applejack’s, she thought bitterly to herself. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she said sadly. “I really am. I wish you were here, so that I could have asked you what to do.” She was wondering whether Twilight was having a better time than she was. She continued to make her way out of the city, hoping to not catch any one’s eye as she did so. “Sunset Shimmer?” She froze at the sound of the two words, then turned around. Flash Sentry was staring back at her, wearing a warm black jacket, a red scarf, and a winter hat over his everyday attire. And at the moment, he was staring back at her, a concerned expression on his face. “Everything okay?” he asked gently. What was she supposed to say? That the memories of what had happened the past week had scarred her for life? She sighed, then looked her ex-boyfriend in the eyes. “Everything’s … okay, Flash,” she said at last. “What are you doing out here?” he inquired further, concerned. “Isn’t it a bit too cold for you?” You’re one to talk, Sunset thought to herself bitterly. “Everything’s okay, Flash,” she lied, almost believing it. “I’m just heading over to Applejack’s for the Christmas party.” Flash eyed the bundle Sunset was carrying. “What’s that bundle for?” he asked curiously. The gears in Sunset’s head turned quickly. “This is . . . what I’m carrying for the party,” she lied again. “It’s no big deal. Catch you later.” And with that, she turned around and continued walking at a quicker pace, hoping to put more distance between them. He may not have known it, but he was bringing up bad memories for her that she wanted to forget. Soon, she reached the edge of the city limit. A great big green sign read: NOW LEAVING CANTERLOT CITY Sunset sighed. This is it, she thought to herself. Slowly, she took her first step out of the city, and continued walking until the bright lights disappeared as the snow continued to fall gently all around her.
Ch 2: At the BarnThe cold winds continued battering down on Sunset as she struggled to push herself against the cold. She felt her strength waning by the minute, and she knew that she would not be able to stay out for much longer. On top of that, she was feeling hungry. She knew that she would have to take shelter somewhere. But she would have to do it fast, because she did not know for how much longer she would be able to keep this up . . . After what legitimately felt like an hour of walking, she peered into the horizon to spot a barn that had its front entrance decorated. She felt relieved, because she knew that salvation was at hand. If she could just reach the farm, then she would have a place to stay until the cold winds died down. With that, her willpower ignited again, and she pushed herself to reach the edge of the field. Just a few more steps . . . Unfortunately, as soon as she entered the farm, she could go no farther. Her energy finally gone,she fell down, the bundle she was carrying toppled onto the ground beside her. She struggled to get up, but found that she could not. That’s when it hit her. She could go no more. She had reached the end. So this is what it feels like, she mused grimly. To be forsaken by everything you’ve ever known, to be unnoticed and abandoned by everyone you thought you could depend on . . . There was nothing left to do. Sapped of all her strength, she collapsed onto the ground, as both cold and fatigue washed over her and she fell asleep. Darkness. Sunset felt something stir against her, something sloppy and wet scrape itself across her face. “Cut it out, Spike,” Sunset murmured softly in her sleep, feeling something lick her on her face. But the licking did not cease. She stirred softly, then slowly opened her eyes. And she was not prepared for what she saw next. A small, pumpkin-like creature with four legs, two seeds for pumpkin seeds for eyes, a carved mouth, and stem-like tail was staring back at her. It was wagging its tail excited and panting happily at her. Sunset stood up and brushed off the snow on her clothes, then glanced at her surroundings. A small fire was going near in the center of the room, which had two bunk beds and a small television set. Near the fire sat two figures whom she had never seen before in her life. One was a slim figure with cyan skin with chin-length hair, wearing a blue sundress. The other had lime-green skin and pale yellow hair in a tetrahedron shape, wearing what appeared to be a sleeveless green V-neck uniform, with a dark green outline around the cut-out of the neck area and forming what appeared to be a yellow diamond in the neck area, as well as lime green leggings with the same yellow diamond design. Both figures were now facing her, curiosity apparent on their faces. “About time,” the blue figure started. “We thought you’d never wake up.” She made her way over to Sunset, then offered her a hand to get up. Sunset paused, wondering whether to accept, then decided that she had no other choice. She took the figure’s hand and pushed herself up until she could finally stand again. “You can say that again,” she muttered. “Where am I?” “Well, we found you passed out there in the field,” the girl in blue continued. “And seeing how the nearest town wouldn’t be for another few miles or so, we decided to take you in.” “It’s probably not much, but we’ve managed so far,” the green one added, flashing her a catlike grin. Her blue counterpart nodded, then did a most unusual thing that Sunset had never seen before: She waved her arms in some sort of motion, then a huge stream of water formed itself into the shape of a chair and froze into ice, forming a chair made of ice. The blue girl motioned to the chair, as if offering her a seat. “I don’t believe you’ve formally introduced yourselves,” Sunset started. “Who are you?” “Oh, right,” the girl in blue admitted rather sheepishly. “My name’s Lapis Lazuli. And that”-she motioned to her green counterpart-“is Peridot.” Peridot gave Sunset a friendly wave. Sunset stared at the two of them, rather confused. “You’re . . . named after gemstones?” she asked. Lapis and Peridot nodded. “We’re gems,” Peridot clarified. “We came from a distant homeworld from beyond the stars, but unfortunately, we’re not allowed to ever come back again.” “What about you?” Lapis asked. “What’s your name? And where did you come from?” Sunset paused, pondering the situation uncertainly. At last, she took a deep breath. “Sunset,” she said at last. “Sunset Shimmer. And let’s just say that I come from a parallel dimension inhabited by ponies.” The two Gems looked at each other, confused. Sunset could see that they were not certain as to whether they should believe her. “What about this little guy?” she asked, motioning to the pumpkin creature. “He’s obviously some sort of pumpkin creature, but what’s his name?” Both Lapis and Peridot looked at each other. “Pumpkin,” Peridot said at last. Real original, Sunset thought to herself musingly. “So, Sunset,” Peridot sat down opposite Sunset, “what brings you to our humble abode?” Sunset sighed. “Well, just recently, I’ve been betrayed by the ones I thought I could call friends,” she started sadly. “They thought I was spreading rumors about them under the pseudonym ‘Anon-a-Miss’, and they never even bothered hearing what I had to say. So I decided to just pack up and run away.” “That’s terrible,” Lapis admitted. “I can understand how you feel.” “Really?” Sunset asked. “Of course,” Lapis continued empathetically. “I was trapped in a mirror for five thousand years, unable to do anything, and the people I thought I could count on didn’t even bother to free me. I was only able to get out thanks to Steven.” Sunset looked at the blue Gem curiously. “Who’s Steven?” “Oh, right,” Peridot chuckled. “He’s one of our closest friends. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy his company. He and his friends, the-ahem-Crystal Gems, live in Beach City and protect the world from the Gem Homeworld, who’s hoping to colonize this planet and bring it under its control.” “Really?” Sunset asked, surprised. “That’s…terrible. Is there anything I can do?” Lapis chuckled, somewhat bitterly. “I wish there was. Unfortunately, we don’t see how you could be of assistance.” “Are you sure?” Sunset responded, disappointed. “Because this dimension is my home now, and I want to be able to protect any way I can. Besides, I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. Especially now that everyone seems to be better off without me,” she added, her tone sprinkled with sadness. Lapis and Peridot looked at each other, unsure what to do. They knew that Sunset wanted to help them in the fight against Homeworld, and they knew that she was no longer welcome where she had come from, but they just couldn’t see how she could be of any help. At last, Peridot stood up. “We’re calling Steven,” she said at last. “And the other Gems as well. They’ll know what to do.”
We Are the Crystal GemsAuthor's Note Merry Christmas, guys! I know that it's been well over a year since I updated this story, so excuse me if my writing is currently not up to par with that of my previous works. Anyways, I had some ideas for this fic that I feel would really work for Steven Universe in light of recent revelations. As for whether I'll continue to write on this site, that remains to be seen. So consider this an early holiday gift from me to you. And hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be able to express some of my ideas in this fic. Enjoy! We Are the Crystal Gems The next morning, the snowstorm ended, and the barn quieted to an absolute standstill. The only sounds that could be heard were the quiet chirping of birds. Sunlight crept in from one of the cracks in the wall of the barn. Sunset rolled a little in the straw mat where she had slept during the night. When she finally got up, she yawned and stretched her arms out, then turned to Peridot and Lapis, who had also arisen from bed. “Morning, Peridot. Morning, Lapis,” she yawned. “Morning, Sunset,” Lapis smiled. Pumpkin wagged his tail excitedly. “I see that you have a lot of work to do around the barn,” Sunset observed. “I don’t suppose I could be of any assistance here, could I?” Peridot chuckled. “Thanks for the offer, Sunny,” she started, “but Lazuli and I have got things covered. Just make yourself comfortable until Steven and the Gems get here.” “How do I do that?” Sunset asked. “Well,” Lapis Lazuli answered, “you could watch Camp Pining Hearts over there.” She pointed to a small TV set that was installed on one of the bunk beds. Sunset shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She climbed up the ladder to the bunk bed and popped in one of the videos that lay in front of her. A few hours later, Sunset lay on the bed watching her third Camp Pining Hearts video when she heard Lapis's voice from down below. “Hey guys!” Lapis was calling. Sunset stopped the video and scooted over to the edge of the bed. She peered over the edge to see a total of four figures approaching. One was a short, chubby boy with curly black hair and wearing a pink shirt with a yellow star on it along with some jeans and some sandals, wearing a huge grin on his face. The second was a short, chubby purple woman about as tall as the boy, wearing a white tank top with a jagged hem and black leggings with dark mauve stars on them. Her messy lavender hair went down to her ankles and covered her left eye in a bang. She had plump lips, a small nose, dark indigo eyes, and a purple gemstone on her chest that was partially covered by her shirt. The third was a slender, tall, thinly-built woman with ivory skin, a pointed nose, thin lips, and sky-blue eyes with peach-colored hair in a pixie cut. She wore an aqua blue tunic with a small gold star in the center, amber-colored leggings, a yellow sash ribbon around her waist, and pink socks with pale blue slip-on ballet flats. And finally, the last one was a tall crimson-purple woman with a square afro and a soft-pink/pale-blue visor on. She had on a colorful bodysuit with an amaranth-colored star with a soft pink outline, oval-like shoulder pads, and eggplant-colored gauntlets with an orange-outlined yellow star on them. The two lower halves of her body were separated straight down the middle; one half was purple, while the other was magenta. “I hear ya guys got a new visitor,” the purple one started, smirking. “Where is she?” “Here she is. SUNNY!” Peridot called. “Come on down and say hello to Steven and his friends!” Sunset peered over the edge of the bed to see the strangers staring back at her. For the longest time, no one said anything. Then the boy spoke up, “Who are you?” Sunset cleared her throat. “Sunset,” she said. “Sunset Shimmer. And you are Steven Universe?” The boy nodded. “Yep, that’s me. And say hello to Amethyst” – the short, purple woman waved, grinning – “Pearl” the woman with the pointy nose also waved– “and Garnet.” The tall, stoic woman adjusted and said, in a somewhat businesslike manner, “Hi.” “Who are you, exactly?” Sunset asked, very curious. “Are you friends of Peridot and Lapis?” “You might say that,” Amethyst shrugged. “What exactly brings you here?” Sunset sighed. She was going to have to tell the same story all over again. “It’s a long tale,” she answered, rather annoyed. So much for wanting to forget, she thought bitterly to herself. “Just keep it short,” Garnet responded. “It’ll be better.” Sunset sighed. “Okay, here goes,” she started. And so she retold the story of how she was framed for spilling secrets about her old school friends, how everyone back at her school hated her, and how she left her old home and ended up here. “Wow, man,” Amethyst said, dumbfounded. “Harsh.” “Yeah,” Sunset muttered. “That’s why I was planning to go to Beach City to forget about this whole mess for a while.” “Well, Beach City’s kind of having its own problems right now,” Steven said. “We had to clean up the mess we made when we had to battle gem monsters a few days ago.” “Oh,” Sunset said. “So is it okay if I stay here for a spell or two while I figure out what to do next? I’m not exactly welcome in my old home anymore, and I’m pretty sure nobody’s gonna miss me.” “Sure, sweetie,” Lapis smiled warmly. “Stay as long as you need. We’ll be here if you need anything.” “Thanks, guys,” Sunset grinned. “I really appreciate it.” Elsewhere, in a red-and-black flying saucer parked in one of the barren Kindergartens, a dark figure wearing shades was watching a brightly lit screen that was filled with numbers. Suddenly, the screen changed over to a feed that displayed a visual of the barn. The figure zoomed in on the barn and noticed three familiar figures standing together. “So,” it said ominously, “we meet again at last.” It swiveled around in its chair to see an array of chambers. “As soon as I have perfected the solution, I think I ought to do a trial run on you to see how well the formula is working. What do you think, BB-X9?” From the darkness of the ship, an airborne drone buzzed and chirped in agreement. A thin, dark smile played about on the figure’s lips. “Excellent,” she chuckled darkly. “I have an assignment for you. Keep tabs on these three.” She pointed to the figures on the screen. “They may be of use to us in the future. As for the young one, I’m going to see just how well he and his fellow humans fare against my army. Those egotistical, pathetic Diamonds are gonna regret sending me into exile when I’m finished with them. You are dismissed.” The drone lowered itself, as if bowing, then disappeared. The figure swiveled in its chair back toward the screen. “Cut the visual,” it commanded. And then the screen turned to black, swallowing the entire ship in darkness.
