Summary: When the Mystery Shack is attacked by a monster onslaught, Steven's mysterious guardians, the Crystal Gems, come to the rescue. But will they be able to stop the centipeetle scourge on their own?
A frightened scream rang out from Steven, Connie, Dipper, and Mabel alike as they stood in the towering shadow of the centipede creature. Unlike the gnomes, there'd be no escaping this disaster, not with Lion still down for the count from that last risky jump. Fortunately, they wouldn't have to as a miraculous rescue arrived just in time.
Just as the monster was ready to unleash its acidic wrath upon its victims, something suddenly coiled tightly around its long midsection. The beast gagged as it was violently pulled away from the kids, toppling to the ground instead. As it fell, they were all able to see the small, yet strong purple figure who had managed to save them.
"'Sup, Steven," she grinned, throwing some of her long, lavender hair back.
"Amethyst!" Steven beamed, relieved. That relief only grew when he spotted the other Gems fighting the smaller centipede monsters scattered all over the area. "Pearl! Garnet! What's going on?"
"S-Steven!?" Pearl shrieked when she realized he was there. She threw her spear down hard on one of the smaller creatures, and as soon as she did, it vanished into nothing more than a puff of bright smoke. "Stay back! It's too dangerous for you out here!"
"Head inside the shack," Garnet instructed much more calmly. She plowed her gauntleted fists into two monsters at once, likewise dissipating their forms. "It's safer."
"B-but I want to help!" Steven protested. He stepped forward, not noticing just how awestruck Connie, Dipper, and Mabel all were at what they were seeing.
"We appreciate your enthusiasm, Steven," Pearl grabbed one of the nearby monsters, snapping its neck in short order. "But these centipeetles are a little more than you're used to handling. Until you learn to control the powers in your gem, we'll take care of protecting humanity, ok?"
"Aw…" Steven sighed. His disappointment didn't last long as Connie abruptly pulled him out of the way of another burst of centipeetle acid. "Whoa…" he stared at the spot he'd been standing in, now nothing more than a heap of sizzling grass. "Thanks, Connie!"
"No problem," Connie said, carefully eyeing the area in case any more trouble came their way.
"Steven," Mabel grabbed his shoulder, stars in her eyes as she watched the Gems in action. "Who are they ?"
"Oh, those are the Crystal Gems!" Steven proudly proclaimed.
"Wait, you mean they're actually real ?" Dipper asked, baffled.
"Real cool !" Mabel chimed in, amazed.
"Of course, they're real!" Steven laughed. "We wouldn't be able to see them if they weren't, would we?"
"Well… yeah," Dipper admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "But I thought you were just-"
"Oh my gosh!" Mabel cut him off with an excited gasp. "They're those magical ladies who live up in that big statue, aren't they?!" she pointed up at the temple.
"They sure are!" Steven nodded. "I live there with them 'cause I'm a Crystal Gem too, see?" He lifted his shirt, showing off the bright pink gemstone where his belly button would otherwise be.
"Whoa…" Mabel gawked, dazzled. "It's so… sparkly …"
"No way…" Dipper shook his head, even more bewildered than he was before. "That thing isn't actually magical… is it?"
"It is, but… I don't really know how to use it yet…" Steven frowned, covering his gem once more. "The only times I actually have used it to do anything have been by accident, like the first time I summoned a shield or the day me and Connie first met."
"We were trapped inside of a giant pink bubble all day," Connie recounted. Having her vouch for Steven's claims made them at least a little more believable. "We almost drowned at the bottom of the lake and only barely beat a worm monster. Other than that, it was a pretty good day."
Though the twins had plenty of other questions for Steven, they didn't get a chance to ask any of them. Without warning, the largest centipeetle attacked them again, its pincher-like tail rushing at them at frightening speeds. Just as they ducked out of its path, Garnet leapt into the space in front of them, using her sturdy gauntlets and impressive strength to keep the centipeetle's tail from snapping shut. Pearl and Amethyst offered their support on the offensive, lashing out at the beast with their own weapons.
"You guys!" Steven shouted.
"Steven?" Pearl frowned after the centipeetle swerved out of the way of her spear. "What are you still doing out here?! You and your friends need to find cover, now !"
"But I can help!" Steven argued once again. "We all can! We just fought off a bunch of crazy dangerous gnomes, and-"
"Uh, no offense, Steven," Amethyst interrupted. "But gnomes aren't dangerous, they're just annoying . And like, also reaaaally pushy."
"Tell us about it…" Mabel exchanged a knowing glance with Connie.
By now, Garnet managed to ward the centipeetle away from the kids with a heavy punch. At the same time, the shack's side door swung open as Stan stormed out to see the chaos unfolding all over his yard. "Hey!" he snapped the second he spotted the Gems. As focused as his scowl was on them, he didn't even notice Soos and Wendy curiously peer out of the shack behind him. "What in the sweet name of money is going on out here?!"
He got his answer, not from any of the Gems, but from the centipeetle that was scrambling onto the porch, eager to attack. Soos and Wendy both started, surprised enough by the creature, though they were even more caught off guard when Stan grabbed the broom resting against the doorframe, ready to beat the beast back on his own if he needed to. At least until Amethyst beat him to it.
"Heeeey, Stan!" she greeted with a grin, using her whip to yank the centipeetle off the porch. "How's it hangin'?"
Stan rolled his eyes, more than used to Amethyst's antics by now. "It'd be a lot better if I didn't have an infestation of… whatever the heck these things are," he roughly swept another centipeetle away when it tried scaling the side of the porch. "I should've figured this would be one of your messes," he said, eyeing Garnet and Pearl as they ran by.
"Don't worry, Stan," Pearl stopped just long enough to skewer a centipeetle unfortunate enough to cross paths with her. "We weren't able to contain these centipeetles before they escaped from the temple and migrated down here. But we'll take care of them so you can get back to… whatever it is you do here."
"Gee, thanks ," Stan deadpanned, far from grateful. His surliness was quickly switched out for something else entirely when he heard a chorus of terrified cries ringing out from the far side of the yard. What would have otherwise been further annoyance became alarm when he realized two of the four kids under attack from another centipeetle were his own niece and nephew. "Kids!" he shouted, broom still in hand as he prepared to rush out to their rescue. Once again, however, the Gems managed to beat him to the punch.
Garnet slammed the offending creature out of the way, swiftly hoisting all four of the kids into her arms. She leapt high into the air, all four of them in tow, before gently depositing them onto the porch in front of Stan. "I believe these two are yours," she said, nodding down at Dipper and Mabel. "And Steven, take Connie and go inside."
"B-but Garnet, I-" Steven didn't get a chance to finish his appeal before she kept back into the fray. Once again leaving the youngest of the Crystal Gems to do nothing but stand on the sidelines, just where he always seemed to be.
"Those beady-eyed little freaks better not cause any property damage or I'm sending you three the bill!" Stan shouted after the Gems, though none of them paid him any mind. He let out a disgruntled huff as he shot the twins a disapproving look. "And as for you two, what did I tell you about going around that temple?!"
"But we didn't!" Dipper protested as Mabel adamantly shook her head.
"You really expect me to believe that?" Stan scoffed. "First, you two up and disappear for hours , and then you turn up again with him and those three," he nodded back over to where the Gems were still battling the centipeetles. "And all of the disasters they always bring along with 'em. There's no way you didn't go up there."
"They're telling the truth, Mr. Pines!" Steven was quick to jump to the twins' defense. "We didn't meet each other up at the temple; we met out in the woods! You see, it all started when my friend Connie here was captured by gnomes, so I-"
Stan quickly raised a hand to stop him. "Didn't ask, don't care. What I do care about is makin' money, even in the middle of a crisis. You and your friend want to hang out in the shack, kid? Then you've gotta pay the full price of admission; no discounts, no exceptions. You didn't forget what I told you the last time you tried coming around here without any cash, did ya?"
"Oh, don't worry! I remembered this time!" Steven reached into his pocket, presenting a crumpled wad of money. "Here ya go, Mr. Pines! I saved all that up by helping my dad over at the car wash."
Stan quickly counted the cash before nodding stoically. "Good enough. I guess you twerps can head in. Just as long as you don't touch anything you can't afford to buy."
Steven nodded, smiling as he grabbed Connie's hand and led her into the gift shop. After all, despite the skirmish unfolding outside, he'd still promised he'd show her the Mystery Shack and all it had to offer. Stan all but shoved Dipper and Mabel in after them, only sparing one more brief, bitter glance back at the Gems before slamming the door shut behind him.
His frustration went largely unnoticed by any of the kids as they spilled into the gift shop. Steven hurried through it with Connie in tow, showing off all of his favorite souvenirs and nick-nacks, however cheaply-made they might be. He also made sure to introduce her to the shack's pair of employees, who had both returned to their usual posts upon noticing just how dicey things were outside.
"Yo, Steven!" Soos greeted with a smile as the boy bounded up to the counter. "It's been a while since we've seen you down here, dude."
"Yeah, how've you been, man?" Wendy asked as Steven fist bumped her and Soos alike. "You know, not counting crazy bug monster attacks or anything like that."
"I'm good, with crazy bug monster attacks counted!" Steven said, chuckling. "Soos, Wendy, I'd like you to meet my friend, Connie." The pair offered her friendly waves that she returned with a warm nod. The round of introductions didn't go much beyond that, however, as a sudden, heavy quake rattled the shack. It was strong enough to send nearly everyone in the gift shop to the ground, save for Stan as he leaned against the wall for support.
"Ugh," he scowled, looking out the gift shop window. Outside, the Gems were tackling the largest of the centipeetles, though based on just how fierce of a fight it was putting up, they weren't having much luck with it. "Do they have to do this right outside my house?"
"S-sorry, Mr. Pines," Steven frowned as he helped Connie stand. "I'm sure the Gems didn't mean for this to happen outside of the Mystery Shack. And hey, at least they're doing everything they can to stop it, right?"
Before Stan could answer, something suddenly flew straight through the window he was standing next to, shattering it on impact. It soon became clear that something was Amethyst as she fell onto the gift shop floor, whip still in hand and broken glass littering her hair. "Heh, whoops," she smirked up at Stan, laughing again when she noticed the fury rising over his expression.
"Amethyst!" he growled hotly.
"Aw, what?" she picked herself up off the ground, shaking the glass out of her hair. The kids had to hide behind a nearby shelf just to avoid being hit by the sharp shards. "Don't act like this is the first time I've busted one of your windows in. Though this was the first time it happened by accident… huh."
With a carefree shrug, she hopped through the same hole in the window she'd created. Stan let out another aggravated groan as she left, pinching the bridge of his nose as he began making his way out of the gift shop. "Welp, I've officially had enough of this fiasco for one day. I'm heading to my office where I won't have to deal with any more 'magical' mumbo-jumbo. Soos, Wendy, make sure none of those one-eyed freaks get in here or else I'm docking your pay."
"On it, Mr. Pines!" Soos saluted dutifully.
"Yeah, whatever," Wendy muttered, absently scrolling through her phone. "Not like you even pay us that much anyway."
As soon as Stan was gone, all four of the kids quickly gathered around the broken window so they could watch the brawl outside. While their first impression of the Gems had already told Dipper and Mabel they were powerful, steadfast warriors, seeing them in action only proved that point further. They fought valiantly together, an even mix of Garnet's strength, Pearl's agility, and Amethyst's speed coming together to take out most of the smaller centipeetles with ease. The only one of the creatures that seemed to give them any trouble was the one who had started all of this trouble, the large and fearsome centipeetle mother.
Steven frowned when he noticed his guardians once again struggling against the main monster. Despite their best efforts, none of their hits seemed to do much damage. If anything, they only served to infuriate the already feral creature even more as it continued spitting acid in almost every direction. The vicious liquid burnt through trees, shrubs, and even some of the decorative totem poles surrounding the shack. The kids took notice of the rapidly rising damage, as did Soos and Wendy as they joined them to watch by the window.
"Yeesh," Wendy winced. "That thing isn't messing around, is it?"
"Yeah," Soos nodded. "It's a good thing we're safe and sound here inside the shack where it can't possibly get to us!" Almost as soon as he said this, some of the centipeedle's acid happened to spray in their direction. They all quickly ducked out of the way as the green liquid slipped in through the broken window, burning a sizable hole into the gift shop's woden floor.
"...You were saying?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow at her coworker.
"Aw, man…" Steven sighed as he carefully peered out the window once more. "The Gems could really use some help out there! If only I could get my shield to work…" He lifted his shirt, tapping the area around his gemstone in the hopes that it would conjure something, anything that could help the Gems. "That'd be more than enough to save the day, I just know it!"
"Well, even without your shield, there has to be something we can do…" Connie said, perching a hand against her chin. "Maybe that monster has some kind of weakness the Gems just don't know about."
"A weakness, huh…?" Dipper muttered to himself as he patted the pocket of his vest where the journal was stored. He hesitated for a moment, looking between his sister and their new friends as a wave of doubt passed over him. It quickly vanished, however, when he remembered just how invaluable they all had been in their escape from the gnomes. If he could trust them then, certainly he could trust them now, right? "...Can you guys keep a secret?" he dropped his voice down to a whisper. Mabel, Connie, and Steven all eagerly nodded, following after him as he slipped into the shack's den without Soos or Wendy noticing.
"Ok, so," Dipper took a seat on the floor, pulling the journal out so they could all see it. "I found this weird old journal out in the woods earlier. Whoever wrote it apparently researched Gravity Falls for years and according to them, this place has this whole hidden dark side."
"Whoa…" Mabel gasped, her eyes wide in fascination as she watched Dipper leaf through the book. "Shut. Up!"
"I mean, the gnomes alone were proof enough of that," Connie mused. "Not to mention the Gems… no offense, Steven."
"None taken," Steven shrugged.
"And get this," Dipper continued. "After a certain point, the pages just stop , like the guy who was writing it just… mysteriously disappeared."
"Maybe he died?" Connie suggested, frowning.
"Or maybe he was abducted by aliens !" Mabel added dramatically.
"Or maybe he's still out there somewhere!" Steven chimed, in much more hopeful. "Where'd you say you found that book again, Dipper?"
"Uh… up near the hill," he admitted almost apprehensively. He quickly regretted sharing that when he noticed Steven's eyes grow wide with concerned confusion.
"The hill… near the temple?" he asked, intrigued. "That's… weird. I've lived there most of my life and I've never seen that book before. Maybe the Gems would know-"
"Um, speaking of the Gems," Connie cut in, much to Dipper's relief. "Maybe we ought to focus on finding a way to help them first."
"R-right," Dipper quickly, staunchly concluded. "The way I see it, if there was an entry in here on the gnomes, then there's gotta be something about that monster outside too." He began flipping through the journal once more, hoping to spot an illustration of the centipeedle somewhere in its weathered pages. "Ok, let's see here… Ghosts… zombies…invisible cows… anthropomorphic bushes…"
Another crash rattled the shack from its foundation, a sure sign that things outside were only getting more and more dire by the minute. "Uh… you might wanna hurry up there, bro-bro!" Mabel urged, worried.
"Working on it!" Dipper shot back as he began searching at a quicker, more frantic pace. After what felt like far too many pages of useless information, he finally spotted exactly what he was looking for. "Aha! Here it is!"
Steven, Connie, and Mabel all drew in a bit closer to help Dipper examine the entry as he quickly read it aloud. "A common type of Gem monster, centipeetles can be identified by their pincher-like tails and their singular eyes. The acid they spit is highly corrosive and highly toxic; avoid at all costs."
"We already know all that!" Steven pressed. "Does it say anything about how to get rid of them?"
"Um…" Dipper quickly skimmed the rest of the page. "Oh! Here we go: " A centipeetle can be defeated through largely any method, though it should be noted that an effective way of stunning it is through electrocution."
"Electrocution!" Mabel echoed brightly. "So all we gotta do is find a way to shock that big green creepy-crawly and it'll explode! Bzzt!" She playfully poked Dipper's arm, though he didn't share her excitement as he scanned the centipeetle entry once more.
"It didn't say electricity would defeat it," he said, closing the journal and tucking it away. "It only said it would stun it."
"But that should be enough to help the Gems get a good hit on it!" Steven hopped to his feet. "Come on, we've gotta tell them!"
"Hold it!" All four of the kids froze, turning to find Stan standing in the den's doorway, a disapproving scowl on his face. Briefly looked between the group, before he gruffly urged Steven and Connie out. "You two can go. You two," he shifted his glare to the twins. "Stay put. It's time we had a little chat about how things are gonna go this summer."
The kids exchanged a nervous glance, but they all knew better than to argue. Steven and Connie quickly hurried out, intent on sharing their discovery with the Gems. Dipper and Mabel, on the other hand, could only wait to hear whatever their clearly frustrated great uncle had to say.
"Grunkle Stan," Dipper tried to get the first word in. "We just-"
"Save it, kid," Stan crossed his arms as he stepped into the den. "I know you two were planning on sneaking back outside, even though what's going on out there has nothing to do with any of us."
"Uh… but doesn't it, though?" Mabel frowned. "I mean, those bug thingies are attacking your shack, so-"
"That's not the point," Stan cut her off. "Look, I didn't want to say this in front of that Steven kid, but those 'Crystal Gems'? They're not our friends or neighbors, and they're definitely not the big 'heroes' they try to pass themselves off as. I told you runts to stay away from that temple of theirs for a reason; they're nothing but trouble, trouble that I don't want either of you getting tangled up in."
"But Grunkle Stan, they're Steven's friends, and Steven's our friend!" Mabel earnestly insisted. "And we want to help them! We even know how too, don't we, Dipper?"
"Yeah, we do!" Dipper added, just as determined. "And we could if you'd just let us- "
"I don't have to let you do anything," Stan stood firm in his stubborn stance on the matter. " I'm in charge of you two anklebiters for the summer, remember? Which means what I say goes."
"But Grunkle Stan-" Both twins argued, only for Stan to swiftly shoot them down.
"Take it from someone who's had to deal with those Gems and their messes for years ," he turned away from the pair. "They're nuisances , plain and simple. And if you know what's good for you, then you'll take after me for once and steer clear of 'em. Trust me, you'll thank me later."
"I bet we won't…" Mabel muttered, pouting. Dipper, on the other hand, quickly came up with a ploy he had a feeling their miserly uncle wouldn't be able to refuse.
"You know, Grunkle Stan," he began a bit leadingly. "As long as those monsters are outside, they're going to scare tourists away from the shack. And until someone gets rid of them, well… I doubt you'll be making too much money. But if someone like, oh, I dunno, us helps speed the process along, then you'll be able to get the shack back up and running and make up for any potential lost profits. So…?"
Stan said nothing for a long, tense moment. In the end, however, he started to fold, letting out a long, tired sigh. "Oh, I really hate that you're right, kid," he grumbled, countering Dipper's smug smirk with an annoyed glare. "Ugh, fine . But just this once. We are not making a habit out of getting wrapped up in their messes this summer."
The twins shared a triumphant grin as they began to hurry out of the den before Stan could change his mind. They briefly feared he already had when he suddenly stopped them short. "Kids, wait," his tone and face were initially unreadable. But then, he finally slipped on a small smile. It was the first sincere one he'd had for the twins since they arrived in Gravity Falls that morning. A smile that carried all the confidence they could ever need for the daunting mission ahead of them. "Go and make those eyesores pay for messing with the Mystery Shack."
Steven and Connie emerged from the shack onto a scene that was quickly going from bad to worse. By now, most of the smaller creatures had been cleared out, leaving only the largest centipeetle for the Gems to contend with. The monster lashed out viciously, striking Pearl with its tail and sending her flying back toward the woods. Amethyst only narrowly missed being hit by a burst of acid while Garnet missed a direct punch to the eye in the centipeetle's maw. No matter what strategy they tried, the monster always seemed to overpower them. At this point, it'd take nothing less than a miracle for them to come out on top in this fight.
A miracle that, right now, laid in the hands of their youngest member.
"You guys!" Steven shouted from his spot on the porch. "You've got to-"
"Steven!" Pearl scolded the second she heard his voice. "How many times do we have to tell you? Go inside!"
This time, Connie attempted to interject, even if she knew the Gems were even less likely to listen to her than to Steven. "But we-"
"We know you both want to help," Garnet said as she landed an uppercut against the centipeetle. "But we need to keep you safe."
With that, the battle raged on. Steven and Connie could only watch as the Gems were forced to take cover in the woods while the centipeetle unleashed an all-out barrage of deadly acid against them. "This isn't working," Connie shook her head. "How do we get them to listen to us?"
"We'll make them listen!" Mabel proclaimed as she and Dipper emerged from the shack. "We made Grunkle Stan hear us out, so who's to say we can't make the Gems hear us out too?"
"But how are we supposed to do that?" Steven asked, confused.
"Hm…" Dipper thought for a moment before reaching the only real option on hand. Even if it wasn't a very good one. "Ok, so this is gonna sound kind of crazy, but what if we just like, ran out there and-"
"Yeah!" Mabel cheered, already hopping off the porch. "Let's do it!" Steven was quick to rally after her, fists pumping as they both hurried straight into the fray.
"You didn't let me finish!" Dipper called after them.
"Oh boy…" Connie winced, worried. "We better make sure they don't get themselves hurt."
Dipper sighed, nodding. They both ventured into the yard, albeit much more cautiously as to avoid being spotted by the centipeetle. Not that it really mattered when Steven and Mabel began throwing rocks at the creature.
"Hey!" Steven shouted, finally drawing the monster's attention away from the Gems. "Leave them alone!"
The centipeetle reeled its massive head back to stare down at the four much smaller kids before it with its singular eye. From their hiding spot within the woods, the Gems shared a frightened gasp, unable to stop the monster from shifting its angry attention to the group of defenseless kids instead of them.
The Gems' shared cry for Steven was all but drowned out by another furious shriek from the centipeetle. In an instant, it began slinking toward the kids at a rapid pace, propelled by its plentiful legs as even more acid began dripping from its maw. Without any real way to fight back, the kids were left with no other options but to run as fast as they possibly could.
"We have to save them!" Pearl exclaimed, on the verge of emerging from their shared hiding spot. She was only stopped when the centipeetle's tail sliced clean through the trees above them. It would have done the same to all three of the Gems if they hadn't ducked out of the way just in time.
"Can we save ourselves first?" Amethyst asked as the centipeetle's tail continued to keep them trapped.
The kids weren't really faring much better. As long as the centipeetle's body was, it was easily able to maneuver in any direction they ran in, effectively keeping them from escaping its wrath. "Anyone got a new plan we maybe could try?" Connie asked, anxious. "Because at this point, I don't think just running away from this thing is really cutting it."
"What we really need right now is a huge thunderstorm!" Mabel suggested. "Maybe, if we're lucky, a lightning bolt will strike that monster right in its big ol' eyeball and then bam! Problem solved!"
"Good luck with that," Dipper scoffed. "There's no way it'll storm–there's not a cloud in the sky!"
"No, wait!" Steven gasped, grinning. "She's right! A storm is exactly what we need right now!" His smile widened as he spared a glance over his shoulder back at the Gems in the distance. "And I know just the Gem who can bring all the lightning we could ever need." Suddenly, Steven stopped short, prompting the other kids to do the same as they tried figuring out what his angle was. "Hey, you guys!" he tried calling to the Gems again. He didn't get a chance to say much else as the centipeetle spit a burst of acid at the kids. They only narrowly leapt out of its path as the Gems watched on in mounting horror.
"Steven!" they cried in panicked unison. With the monster's pinchers still keeping them trapped, Garnet finally acted, wedging her gauntlets in between them to hold them in place. "Go!" she shouted to Amethyst and Pearl. The pair didn't hesitate to slip out of their hiding spot, both of them running for the kids as fast as they could. Even then, it was clear they wouldn't make it in time to stop the centipeetle's next onslaught against the helpless group before it.
Time seemed to slow for Steven as he watched the monster prepare to unleash another wave of acid. It's last attack had separated him from Connie, Dipper, and Mabel, though not by much. Still, it was clear they were the ones the centipeetle was taking aim at, and with the shack only steps behind them, they were essentially cornered, with no way to escape and no way to protect themselves from the monster's fatal fury.
That is, until Steven threw himself between them and the beast.
He did it without thinking, acting on instinct and an earnest, deep desire to keep his friends safe. The Gems' shared, terrified scream was all but lost on him as he closed his eyes and threw his arms out wide, bracing himself for the worst. But instead of hitting him… the acid struck something else entirely.
Dipper, Mabel, and Connie watched, equally awestruck, as a bright glow flooded out from under Steven's shirt. From his gemstone, their salvation appeared in the form of a large, beautiful shield made of pink, glittering light. It stood firm against the centipeetle's acid, not wavering in the slightest as the corrosive liquid sprayed against its surface. The Gems shared a stunned gasp at the sight of the shield, as did the other kids, prompting Steven to slowly open his eyes to see what had happened. He was every bit as amazed as they were to see he'd somehow summoned his mysterious shield for the second time ever, an incredible feat that couldn't have come at any better of a time than now.
"Yeah, ok, it's official," Mabel whispered to Connie, absolutely starstruck. "Today is the best day I've ever had."
"H-how… how are you doing that?" Dipper asked Steven, completely captivated by both the shield and the boy who had summoned it.
"I… don't really know," Steven admitted sheepishly. His own wonder turned to alarm when he noticed his weapon begin to flicker in front of him, a sure sign that it was starting to go away. "Wait! No! Don't-"
"Steven!" Pearl and Amethyst cried. As their initial shock wore off, they'd not only noticed Steven's shield starting to vanish; they also could tell the centipeetle was gearing up to attack again the second it was gone.
"Oh, that's right!" Steven exclaimed as his shield finally disappeared entirely. "Guys! You have to shock the monster to stun it!"
"Shock it?" Amethyst raised a curious eyebrow.
"What?" Pearl was every bit as confused. "But… how do you know-"
Garnet didn't question the idea, deciding to act upon it instead. She grabbed a firm hold on the centipeetle's tail, using her magic to channel a strong electrical current through her gauntlets. The monster screamed as that charge flowed through its long body, causing it to jerk erratically as its long white mane stood on end. The current held the creature in thrall long enough for Garnet to finally leap out into the open to join her team in one final stand against the menacing beast before them.
"Gems! Weapons!" she ordered as they stood together, ready to end this. "Let's go."
With the centipeetle finally stunned, the rest of the fight unfolded in a matter of seconds. Amethyst pounced upon it first, using her whip to wrangle the monster's head down to their level. From there, Pearl wedged her spear between its sharp fangs, prying its mouth open wide to allow Garnet to land the final blow. She plowed her fist straight into the centipeetle's exposed eyeball with enough force that it could no longer stand the strain.
With one final scream, the monster suddenly exploded, just as all of the smaller creatures had before it. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was its lone eyeball, a small green gemstone that rolled across the ground until Garnet stopped it under her foot. She reached down, using her magic to conjure a secure maroon bubble around it. And with just a wave of her hand, she sent the bubble, and the monster's gemstone away, finally freeing the shack from its destructive rampage.
"That was amazing, you guys!" Steven hurried over to the Gems, stars in his eyes. "That monster didn't know what hit 'em!"
"Thank you, Steven," Pearl smiled graciously. "But I doubt we can take all the credit for this victory."
"Yeah!" Amethyst grabbed Steven from behind, propping him up onto her shoulders. "You summoning your shield was totally awesome ! And how'd you know that electrocution thing would work, anyway? You totally saved our butts, man!"
"Oh, well we read about that in a-"
"I-it was a… lucky guess!" Dipper quickly cut Steven off before he could so much as mention the journal. He'd shared the knowledge of its existence enough today already, at least as far as he was concerned.
The Gems gave the twins a curious look for a moment or two before Amethyst sat Steven down, elbowing him with a playful grin. "You gonna introduce us to your new friends here, Steven, or what?"
"Oh, yeah! This is-"
"Hi!" Mabel eagerly rushed forward, catching the Gems' off guard as she happily shook each of their hands. "The name's Mabel! It's soooo nice to meet you! You're all so cool and strong and pretty!" Before any of the Gems could get a word in edgewise, she began rattling off a series of curious questions at a rapid-fire pace. "Do you guys always beat up giant monsters like that? Where'd you get all your neat weapons from? Do you really live up in that big statue on the hill? Are you accepting any new recruits?"
"Oh, um… well…" Pearl put on a polite smile as she tried answering each of those questions in order. "First of all, thank you. Second of all, yes, on a daily basis, Third of all, we summon them from our gemstones. Fourth of all, we do, it's our temple. And… what was that last question again?"
"Er, you're gonna have to excuse Mabel," Dipper cut in at the risk of his sister embarrassing them both. "She can get a little… over-excited sometimes."
"No, I don't!" Mabel argued, sticking her tongue out at him. His point was quickly proven right, however, when Lion wandered back onto the scene from wherever he'd disappeared to during the fight. "Oh my gosh! The pink lion's back! Yay!" She rushed over to him, hugging him tight.
"Uh… yeah, anyway," Dipper turned back to the Gems. While he had more than a few curious questions for them himself, he was prepared to ask them much more calmly than his sister had. "I'm Dipper. I don't know if this is weird to ask or anything, but, uh… what exactly are you guys?"
Though the Gems could and had answered that very question many times before, Steven suddenly lept in with a much more creative way of doing it. "We are the Crystal Gems-" he began singing a tune his guardians all knew well. A song he'd come up with for the four of them years ago, one that had stuck with them ever since.
"We'll always save the day," he continued, urging the Gems to join in. "And if you think we can't-"
"We'll always find a way!" the Gems happily joined his harmony.
"That's why the people of this world believe in-" Steven threw his arms out to the Gems to let them take it away.
"Garnet," she grinned, showing off the pair of gemstones on each of her palms.
"Amethyst ," she smirked, pulling her top down a bit to reveal the stone on her chest.
"And Pearl !" she trilled as she gestured to the stone on her forehead.
"And Steven !" he proclaimed, lifting his shirt to show his pink gem once more.
A beat of silence passed as the song came to an end. While Mabel was quick to launch into impressed applause over their performance, Dipper whispered to Connie, confused. "What just happened?"
"Oh, you'll get used to that," she chuckled. "If there's one thing you should know about Steven–and the Gems too–it's that they love to sing."
"So," Steven began, hands on his hips. "Did that answer your question, Dipper?"
"Um… not really?" he frowned, looking between the Gems once more.
"What more do you need to know, dude?" Amethyst shrugged. "You heard the song. We're the Crystal Gems."
"And they always save the day!" Mabel cheerfully echoed the first lines of their song. Before both her and Steven could launch into an enthusiastic reprise of it, however, Dipper quickly cut in with another question.
"Ok, but you're not like… gem -gems, are you?" he ventured, stealing another glance at each of their gemstones.
"Simplified down to our most basic forms, yes, we are, actually," Pearl explained. "Unlike you humans, we don't have organic beings. Our bodies are actually projections of physical light generated by our gemstones."
"Wait, so like… solid holograms?" Dipper guessed. Even if he didn't have the slightest clue as to how such a thing was even possible.
"Mm, yes, I suppose you could say that," Pearl nodded, smiling.
"Whoa, Steven!" Mabel finally pulled herself away from Lion. "If you're a Crystal Gem, then does that make you a hologram too?"
"Oh, uh, no," Steven let out a bashful laugh. "I'm only half-Gem, on my mom's side. The rest of me is all human, like you guys!"
"...Ok, well, now I'm even more confused…" Dipper muttered, shaking his head.
"Yeah, you'll get used to that too," Connie assured with a knowing grin.
"Dipper and Mabel are staying here in Gravity Falls for the summer," Steven informed the Gems with a smile. "Mr. Pines is their great uncle! Isn't that cool?"
"Huh," Amethyst perched her hands on her hips. "Stan's never mentioned he had any family before." She offered the twins a wry, mischievous smile. "Would've never pegged him as the kind to take up babysitting duty for the summer though. Ya see," she slipped in between Dipper and Mabel, throwing an arm over each of their shoulders. "Your uncle and us go waaaaay back-"
"No, we don't," Pearl scoffed, turning her nose up. "Just because you like to go gallivanting off with Stan and getting into trouble every now and then, Amethyst, doesn't mean that we do or that we support such unruly, unethical behavior. Right, Garnet?"
"I'm not involved in this," Garnet said simply. While she'd been stoically silent for most of this meeting, she finally offered the twins a small, cordial smile and a proper greeting. "Welcome to Gravity Falls. Hope you both enjoy your time here."
"Oh, we totally are!" Mabel nodded. "Aren't we, Dipper?"
"Well, it's definitely been… eventful so far," he shrugged, glancing back at the mess the centipeetle had left behind all over the yard.
At the same time, Stan finally emerged from the shack to survey his property. Even though the monsters were cleared out, he still seemed far from satisfied, especially as his sights settled on the Gems meeting with the kids.
"Hey, speak of the devil!" Amethyst waved him over. "We took care of your little pest problem, for ya! You're welcome!"
"...Sure ya did," Stan raised an eyebrow at the porch beam beside him. It had been completely burned through by the centipeetle's acid, along with the countless other signs of damage the monster had caused to his business. "I sure hope you three don't expect me to pay you for-"
"Oh, no, thank you, Stan," Pearl made a point of interrupting him. "We have no need for any of your human currency. We simply take pride in protecting all members of the human race from any threat… no matter who they might be."
Such a cold dig left Stan seething as his hands curled into fists at his sides. "Why I oughta-" He only stopped himself short when he spotted the concerned looks Dipper and Mabel were sending his way. "Ugh, whatever," he crossed his arms. "Would you three just get outta here already? And take that munchkin with you," he pointed at Steven. "I've already got enough hyperactive enthusiasm around here with Mabel. I don't need any more."
"Aw, but Mr. Pines," Steven frowned. "I didn't even get a chance to show Connie around the museum yet!"
"Actually, Steven," Connie spoke up, taking a glance at the dusky skies above."It's getting pretty late. I should probably be heading home. We can always hang out again tomorrow though."
"Yeah!" Mabel brightly exclaimed. "All four of us can! Maybe we can find even more cool weird stuff to fight and beat just like we did with those gnomes and that centi-monster!"
"Or," Dipper said. "We could just hang out and do normal, non- life threatening stuff instead?"
"...We could," Steven acknowledged.
"But where's the fun in that!" Mabel said with a mischievous grin.
"Well, whatever we do, it's bound to be interesting," Connie chuckled. She offered Steven and the twins one final wave that they all gladly returned as she began to head for home. "See you guys later!"
"We're leaving too," Garnet announced. Pearl and Amethyst had already begun making their way to the hill that led up to their mysterious temple home, urging Steven to do the same. "Say good night to your friends, Steven."
"Wow, I can't believe today's already over," Steven turned back to the twins with a small smile. "I had so much fun with you guys! I can't remember the last time I've been on such a huge, action-packed adventure!"
"Neither can we!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Mostly because we've never been on any real adventures before today," Dipper grinned, crossing his arms. "But yeah, I guess it was kinda fun. Ya know, aside from all the times we almost died."
"What do you mean?" Mabel asked. "Those parts were especially fun!"
The kids shared a warm laugh, one that only came to an end when Steven turned to climb onto Lion's back and follow his guardians. "I guess I better get going," he smiled down at the twins. "I'll see you guys tomorrow! Good night!"
"Night, Steven."
"Bye!"
Dipper and Mabel gladly called after him, watching as he joined the other Gems on their way to the sunset-soaked temple above. While they still had more questions than answers about it and the Crystal Gems themselves, one thing was clear: their 'neighbors' for the summer were far more interesting–and magical–than they ever could have anticipated.
"Well, that's over with, finally ," Stan spoke up from his spot behind the twins. "Now that you two 'saved the day' or whatever, I'm sure a pair if busy-bodied 'heroes' like you would have no problem cleaning up the mess those monsters made."
"Aw, what?" Dipper asked, warily eyeing the damages. They were plentiful, with glass shattered, grass scorched, and wood splintered all across the shack's property. "Grunkle Stan, do we have to?"
"Yeah, we're soooo tired!" Mabel added with a long, fake yawn.
"Hey, I'm tired all the time," Stan said, initially unsympathetic. "Doesn't keep me from getting things done. Besides, you two are young; you should be chock full of energy!"
Stan stopped short when he heard the pair let out a disappointed sigh. When he looked between the two of them, he finally noticed just how worse for wear they both were. Their clothes were torn and ragged, their hair messy and wild, and their faces worn and exhausted from everything their first day in Gravity Falls had to offer. It was plain to see they'd been through a lot more than they could have bargained for, Stan could tell that much just by looking at them. And while he knew the Gems were to blame for at least a little of that, he still couldn't help but soften up just the slightest bit when he remembered the hand they'd had in saving the shack today.
It was enough to make him think that maybe his first impression about these kids had been wrong. Maybe they were braver, tougher, and more stubborn than he gave them credit for. Maybe, just maybe, they were both a lot more like him than he thought.
"Eh… you know what? Forget it," he shrugged, still trying to put forth a nonchalant front. "It's late; we'll take care of it tomorrow. Or I'll go pester the Gems about fixing up the place instead. I'm sure they won't–Pearl will probably go off on some long, boring rant about how it's 'beneath them' or some garbage like that. But I maybe I could convince Amethyst to help out–she does owe me, after all, for the last time I bailed her out of-"
He was cut off by a genuine yawn from both of the twins this time. He couldn't help but smile in spite of himself as he led them back into the gift shop. "Alright, I get it. Too tired to listen to your Grunkle Stan ramble, huh? But, uh…" He paused for a moment, glancing around the gift shop. Soos and Wendy had already headed home for the day, which meant that he wouldn't have to work too hard to save face with what he was about to do. "Wouldn't you know it? I, um, accidentally overstocked some inventory. So, uh, how's about each of you take one item from the gift shop? On the house, ya know?"
Dipper and Mabel exchanged a slightly suspicious glance at this. Over the past few hours they'd spent in Stan's care, they'd learned very little about him. In fact, one of the only things they did know was that all he seemed to care about was money. But now… now they had reason to think that maybe that might not be the only thing that mattered to him.
Still, Dipper wasn't entirely convinced yet. "What's the catch?"
"The catch is do it now before I change my mind," Stan huffed, glaring away from the pair. "And besides, you both technically helped save the shack from those eyesores, so this makes us even."
"... We risked our lives and all you're giving us in exchange is one cheap souvenir a piece?" Dipper questioned dryly.
"Hey, I could just give you nothing and be done with it, if that's what you want," Stan countered just as flippantly.
"I want something!" Mabel grabbed Dipper by the arm before he could say anything else to potentially ruin this for them. "Come on!"
The pair began their search through the gift shop, sizing up snow globes, postcards, and bobbleheads as potential finds. They soon split up as Dipper headed over to the hat display. He'd lost his old brown cap in their daring escape from the gnomes earlier, but he found a suitable replacement in a blue and white cap with a small pine tree printed on the front. "Hm," he tried it on, smiling at his reflection in the nearby mirror as he solidified his choice. "That oughta do the trick!"
At the same time, Mabel sifted through a box of random items on the far side of the shop, gasping when she pulled out what she viewed as an excellent find. "And I will have a… GRAPPLING HOOK!" she proclaimed, holding it high into the air.
Stan and Dipper exchanged a brief, uncertain look. "Eh, wouldn't you rather have like… a doll or something?" Stan asked, though Mabel's mind was clearly made up.
"Grappling hook!" she shouted again, firing the hook up at the ceiling. It latched onto one of the support beams above her, pulling her up into the air as she let out a daring cheer.
"...Fair enough," Stan concluded. "Now, off to bed with both of you runts. And remember what I said," his tone turned serious as the twins looked back at him from their spot near the stairs. "No more getting tangled up with those Gems and all their messes, got it?"
The twins shared a glance before they both broke out into a largely fake smile; Stan wasn't the only one in their family who could lie through his teeth, after all. "Got it," Mabel agreed, crossing her fingers behind her back.
"But no promises," Dipper muttered as soon as they were out of their uncle's earshot.
Their coy smiles remained as they made it up to the attic. They both flopped onto their beds, finally giving themselves a moment to breathe after the incredibly eventful day they'd had. One that they were quickly starting to hope would be the first of many more.
"So, bro-bro," Mabel sat up, flashing her brother a wide, knowing grin. "You still think this summer is gonna be 'boring'?"
"With things like gnomes and monsters and magical women around?" Dipper laughed as he pulled the journal out of his vest. He flipped to the latter half of the book, completely blank and practically waiting for entirely new stories to fill its pages. And, after their first day in Gravity Falls alone, Dipper had a feeling he'd have plenty to tell across the summer to come. "Not a chance."
The twins shared a laugh as they began settling in for the night. It wasn't long before they were both fast asleep, especially after all of the action they'd been through earlier that day. As moonlight settled over the Mystery Shack, no one was awake or around to see Stan as he stepped into the gift shop.
He made sure there were no prying eyes, either from within his own house or from the temple just a short walk up the hill from it. With just a few taps on the keypad, the vending machine creaked open to reveal the passageway behind it. Stan stepped inside of it, looking around one more time just to be sure.
After all, the last thing he needed were those bothersome Crystal Gems to stumble upon his greatest secret.
And the last thing he wanted was for either his innocent niece or nephew to stumble upon his greatest regret.