Summary:
In which Steven is a pure cinnamon roll, the Gems are the Gems, and Connie's ready for adventure
The Crystal Temple was something of a landmark of Gravity Falls, if a towering statue of an ethereal, two-faced, eight-armed giant woman could be considered a landmark. All of the residents of the town in the valley that rested in the shadow of the temple were quite used to its presence, at it had been there for generations, silently and stoically watching all that lay in its unseeing gaze. Most viewed the temple as merely a piece of the town's history, even if a great deal of them had no idea where it had come from or why it was even there. Of course, there were countless rumors that often circulated surrounding its presence, but most of them had very little weight, such as the theory that the statue was actually secretly sentient or that it had been there for thousands of years. It had come to be viewed as yet another unique facet of Gravity Falls, an already strange little town in and of itself, and as such, it often went unnoticed by most of its residents as they carried on in their daily lives.
Amidst the myths and mystery behind the temple, the three beings who were said to inhabit it were just as enigmatic. In fact, those who did know of their existence knew very little about them, which was intentional on their part. After all, the Crystal Gems largely kept to themselves whenever they could, even more than they had used to when their outgoing, human-affectionate leader was still around.
The Gems had faithfully followed Rose Quartz's request to remain in Gravity Falls even after she departed from them nearly twelve years ago now, despite the fact that so many memories of her remained there. After all, she had led them there over one hundred years ago and together, they had all made the ultimate decision to settle down for a few centuries and investigate the strange happenings that seemed to gravitate towards the town. Gravity Falls had barely been but a fledgling settlement when they had happened upon it, and since then, they had watched it grow into the small, quaint, yet modern town it was today. Throughout their time there, Rose's goal, above all else, had been to uncover the underlying secret behind why Gravity Falls seemed to be such a hotspot for supernatural anomalies, unlike any even any of the Gems had encountered in their centuries of existence. She had reasoned to her fellow Gems time and time again that in doing so, they would be able to better protect the humans that not only lived in the area, but potentially the rest of the world at large. However, in the end, she had never reached a definite conclusion; for instead of finding satisfaction in solving one of the greatest mysteries of all time, the leader of the Crystal Gems found it in another place instead.
The other Gems, save for perhaps Garnet, could have never anticipated the result of Rose's relationship and ultimate romance with a man by the name of Greg Universe. Greg had been a young musician when he had first encountered Rose while preforming a concert in Gravity Falls, at which the pink Gem had been the sole attendee. And in an indescribable, almost magical way, the simple human man and the illustrious Gem warrior were attracted to each other from the moment their eyes first met. Rose and Greg's romance had been brief, but beautiful. Their love, lauded by Garnet, laughed at by Amethyst, and loathed by Pearl, had ultimately culminated in what was perhaps the richest way a couple could show it: the decision to bear a child.
Unfortunately, despite their well intentions, this choice did not come without its consequences. Going in, Rose had come to the realization that, because of her status as a Gem and the fact that she was incapable of naturally bearing a child like a human woman, the only way her baby could survive was under one condition. She had to sacrifice her own Gem, and therefore her physical essence, so the infant could be brought into the world, even if it would be without her. The deciding process had been long and tremulous, but in the end, both Rose and Greg agreed to the most selfless choice of action—they would have a baby together, regardless of what they both knew they would lose. The Gems had all been adamant against this choice at first, especially Pearl, but after some coaxing from Rose, they eventually learned to accept it. In the end, the Crystal Gems lost their beloved leader, and in her place, they were to help Greg bring up her half-human, half-Gem son.
Steven.
Needless to say, for the first few years, the Gems were somewhat distant from both this new addition in their lives, as well as the human world in general, keeping themselves busy with fighting off Gem monsters as opposed to chasing anomalies as Rose once had. It was an easy way to distract themselves from the uncomfortable truth that she was gone, most likely never to return. And yet, what the other Gems, who had all been so close to Rose and so miserable to see her pass, could have never guessed was that they would ever grow to actually become as fond of Steven as they did. Even though he spent the first few years of his life living with Greg in his simple van, the Gems couldn't help but let themselves be charmed by the bright, cheerful, ever-growing child every time they saw him, to the point that Garnet herself eventually suggested to Greg that they build a house addition onto the temple, so that Steven could live there until he was able to actually use his Gem to access the temple. After all, one of Rose's last requests had been for the Gems to teach Steven how to use his Gem, which he had inherited from his mother, supposedly with most of her powers as well. It was only fair that they honor her final wishes in any way they could.
And thus far, progress had indeed been made between both Steven and the Gems. Of course, Steven had a lot to learn about Gems and Gem heritage, largely because he had grown up enveloped in human culture instead thanks to Greg. In fact, as much as Steven had to learn from Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl about how to use his Gems and grow into his role as the newest Crystal Gem, the inverse of this was also interestingly true. After all, following Rose's passing, the Gems had intentionally isolated themselves away from humanity, partially blaming it in its entirety for their former leader's conscious and selfless decision to have a child. And yet, as they stepped up to fill the role as Steven's caretakers in conjunction with Greg, all three of them gradually found themselves immersing themselves in the world that Rose had once tried to encourage them to be a part of. Needless to say, it was a learning experience for all four of them, as was the still budding connection between Gems and humans at large, but Steve, energetic and optimistic just as his mother was before him, was willing to meet Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl halfway just as much as they were willing to do the same for him.
Despite the fact that Steven had at long last succeeded in summoning Rose's iconic shield at least once, the Gems were still hesitant about allowing him to accompany them on missions. After all, he was still just a kid, and half human at that. The last thing any of them wanted was to see him get hurt. Occasionally, if their objective was a low-level threat or simple fetch quest, they would allow him to tag along, much to Steven's excitement, but even when they deemed a mission to dangerous for him, he was just as content to patiently await their return.
In fact, he had been doing exactly that for the majority of the morning. After waking up relatively late to find that the Gems had already departed on a mission, Steven had taken to making himself a simple breakfast of waffles and sliced fruit before settling down to watch a few rerun episodes of Crying Breakfast Friends. And yet, as used to being left alone in the house as he was, Steven couldn't help but anticipatingly await the Gems' return, constantly keeping an eye on the warp pad as time ticked by. In fact, his excitement for his guardians' arrival soon got the better of him, to the point that he decided that he would present them with a playful, pleasant surprise upon their entry.
Knowing that the Gems could be back at any moment, Steven rushed down the stairs from his bedroom loft, carefully positioning himself behind the wall on the far side of the house so that he would not be visible from the warp pad. After testing out his hiding spot once by taking cover behind it to ensure it concealed him, Steven peeked around the side of the wall, grinning eagerly as he trained his eyes on the warp pad, wanting to be ready to spring his surprise the moment the Gems arrived.
And fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long. The telltale tunnel of light that signified the incoming warp stream enveloped the warp pad, giving Steven just enough time to slip behind the wall with a quiet laugh, more than prepared to catch the Gems off guard with his sudden greeting.
The Crystal Gems warped into the temple with all of their usual flare, though it was slightly dampened by Pearl sending a disapproving glare Amethyst's way. And as soon as the light faded from the warp pad, she wasted no time in verbally asserting her frustrations to the purple Gem as she often did.
"Amethyst!" Pearl ranted, her tone impatient and huffy. "Must you always be so careless!? That monster nearly got away because of your recklessness!"
Amethyst let out a bored sigh as she rolled her eyes at the taller Gem's usual ranting, placing her hands on her hips as she gave a sarcastic retort. "Hey, at least I was having fun beating that creepy thing senseless, unlike some other Gems…"
Pearl took this remark with offense as she scoffed haughtily, crossing her arms as she glanced away bitterly. "Regardless, it's a good thing I was there to reign you in, as usual," the white Gem admonished.
"Oh, please…" Amethyst groaned in annoyance. "You weren't even the one who poofed that monster; it was Garnet who-"
"That's enough," Garnet finally cut into the argument upon mention of her name, her tone as patient and calm as usual as she held her hands out to put an end to Pearl and Amethyst's quarreling. The other two Gems immediately respected their leader's command as they both gave her looks of confusion, unable to discern what her covered gaze was currently focusing on.
Much to Pearl and Amethyst's ongoing bewilderment, Garnet's neutral expression suddenly shifted into a small smile as she looked out into the house, her tone softening a bit as she spoke. "Nice try, Steven," she said with a hint of amusement in her mysterious tone.
A burst of brief disappointment filled Steven upon being called out, and yet he hesitantly poked his head around the wall with a defeated grin, his surprise mildly ruined at best. "Aw, Garnet!" he exclaimed with mock disheartenment, only somewhat surprised that the tall Gem had prematurely discovered him. "How'd you know I was here?"
"Lucky guess," Garnet said vaguely, still grinning as she casually adjusted her shades.
"Yo, Steven!" Amethyst greeted with a newfound grin as she leaped off the warp pad, the other Gems following suit as they call came to meet Steven halfway as he left his failed hiding spot. "How goes it? What are you planning on getting into today?"
"Me and Connie are going down to the Mystery Shack," Steven said enthusiastically, eager to show his newest, and by far closest friend to what was perhaps his favorite locale in Gravity Falls. "Can you guys believe she's never been there before?"
"Yes," Garnet said flatly as she crossed her arms.
"I just don't understand what it is about that place you find so fascinating, Steven," Pearl pondered with a slight frown. "You know we fight infinitely more interesting things on a daily basis than the fake… attractions they have at that old rundown shack."
"Aw, c'mon, P!" Amethyst said as she came to stand beside Steven, sharing his wide grin. "Don't be such a prude! The Mystery Shack has some freaky awesome stuff in it! Right Steven?"
"Yeah!" Steven readily agreed, having been a frequent visitor to the Mystery Shack enough to know its odd exhibits well. "Like the sascrotch!"
Pearl was silent for a moment upon hearing this as her pale cheeks lit up in an awkward blush. "Yes…" she said uneasily, glancing away from the chipper pair. "Well… Still, I'm not sure how I feel about you going down there all the time… Especially considering the fact that its owner isn't the most… trustworthy man…"
"What?" Steven asked with a confused frown. "Oh, don't be silly, Pearl! Mr. Pines is the best. One time, he even gave me a half-eaten candy bar just to get me to leave the shack! What a guy!"
Pearl's frowned deepened as she exchanged a concerned glance with Garnet, who kept up her relaxed, unyielding front as usual. "How thoughtful," the tall Gem deadpanned, something that elicited a giggle from Amethyst and a groan of exasperation from Pearl.
"I know, right?" Steven agreed wholeheartedly, reminding all three of the Gems of his consistently open, kind, trustful, if not a bit silly, nature, something that often made them think of how warmly his mother used to act.
Before the conversation could carry on any longer, a sudden knock on the door interrupted it. "That's Connie!" Steven cheered excitedly before calling out to her friend on the other side of the screen door. "Come in!"
Connie was quick to do so as she entered into the house, her grin just as cheerful as Steven's as she stepped inside. "Hey, Steven!" she greeted warmly, also sending a respectful nod to the Gems. "Are you ready to go?"
"You bet I am!" Steven said heartily, already racing for the door. After all, there wasn't a moment to waste; he had been waiting to take Connie to the Mystery Shack for quite some time now, so that she could get the same sense of wonder and enjoyment out of the humble tourist attraction that he did. Steven and Connie had been tightly-knit friends for several months now, ever since an accident involving a Gem-produced magical bubble on Steven's part. Ever since then, the two of them had only grown closer and closer, united by their common interests and excitement about all things Gem-related. Connie in particular valued their close bond, for before she met Steven, she had never really had a friend before thanks to her parents constantly moving from place to place. Fortunately though, it seemed as though Connie and her family were going to stay put for a while, living in a small suburban area just outside of Gravity Falls and a convenient enough distance away from the Crystal Temple, much to Steven's delight. After all, every moment they spent together was an endlessly fun experience, whether they were faced with something new and exciting in relation to Steven's partial heritage as a Gem, or if they were just spending a day out and about on the town, like they plans for today were.
"Now, be careful you too!" Pearl called out cautiously after Steven as he hurried out with Connie. "Don't get into any trouble down there!"
"But have fun," Garnet said with an easy smile, trusting that Steven and Connie would mind themselves just fine.
"Yeah, and don't forget to stop by the 'Outhouse of Mystery' for me!" Amethyst added with a sly laugh as the kids went outside onto the porch.
"'Outhouse of Mystery'?" Connie asked Steven with an amused grin once they were outside.
"Yeah!" Steven confirmed, referring to his extensive knowledge of his favorite tourist trap. "It's right next to the bottomless pit."
Connie laughed in response to this as her and Steven headed over to Lion, who was curled up into a large, sleeping, pink ball of fluff near the door. "You know, based on everything you've told me about it, this Mystery Shack place sure does sound… well, mysterious!"
"It's so cool, Connie!" Steven gushed, his eyes alight with enthusiasm as he climbed up onto Lion's back. "I'm sure you'll love it. There's stuff in there you won't believe until you see it!"
"I'll take your word for it," Connie giggled as she graciously accepted Steven's hand in helping her up onto Lion behind him.
"Now, c'mon!" Steven said as he glanced down at Lion, who was still heavily snoozing, regardless of the two children on his back. "Wake up, Lion! Let's go!"
Though Steven wanted his soft pink animal companion to instantly be roused and ready to race down the hill, Lion merely responded to his command with a passive yawn, readjusting his large paws to cover his face as he continued to sleep. Steven laughed good naturedly at this, knowing that the gentle giant only occasionally listened to him, most of the time opting to be stubborn and apathetic instead. But all the same, Steven had appreciated and loved Lion from the moment they first encountered each other in the desert, which had ultimately led to the somewhat working companionship they currently had.
"Ok, then…" Steven said, glancing back at Connie with a bashful, somewhat embarrassed grin. "I guess we'll go when Lion's nap is over…"
"That's ok," Connie assured in clear amusement. "I have all day to hang out now that its summer vacation."
"Summer… huh?" Steven asked in obvious confusion, unfamiliar with the term.
"You know, when school gets out for the summer?" Connie asked with a frown, wondering how Steven had never heard of such a common concept before.
"I've never been to this—how do you say?—'school'" Steven said, using air quotes with the word school. "What is it?"
"Wait, you've never been to school?" Connie asked, even more bewildered.
"Nope," Steven said with a shrug. "Is it like some sort of snow-covered mountain that has to be shut down in the summer because all the snow melts?"
"I wish," Connie laughed, amazed at his innocence about the subject. "Well, while we wait for Lion to wake up, why don't I tell you what school actually is…?"
"Yeah!" Steven said with an excited nod, more than ready to learn about the foreign concept that was "school", at least until their slumbering ride finally awakened to get them down the hill and to their destination. "And then, when Lion does wake up, off to the Mystery Shack we go!"