A Diamond That Doesn't Shine

Gem Glow *Rewrite*

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

I look up from my phone. What in the fu-

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♫ We... are the crys-te-los, we'll always save the day, ♫

♫ And if you think we can't, we'll always find a way, ♫

♫ That's why the people of this world believe in, ♫

♫ Andesine, Peridot, Spinel, and Y/N! ♫

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I hear the door open and I look up from my phone.

"Hey, guys, you won't believe this!" the young hybrid exclaims.

Just then, one of the Centipeetles—creatures I've been watching the gems fight—roars at Steven, who screams in response. A whip suddenly wraps around the creature, revealing the playful Amethyst.

"'Sup, Steven?" Amethyst quips with a grin.

I sigh. Ever since I accidentally blurted that out when I warped here a few days ago, they've been teasing me about it.

Amethyst yanks the Centipeetle off of Steven, and I turn my head to see Pearl engaged in battle with more Centipeetles near the Warp Pad. Garnet, meanwhile, is handling the kitchen area with fierce determination.

Steven's curiosity breaks through the chaos. "Awesome! What are these things?"

Pearl groans and lifts a Centipeetle to show Steven, her expression a mix of frustration and determination.

"Ugh! Sorry, Steven. We'll get these Centipeetles out of your room. We think they were trying to get into the temple," Pearl apologizes with a determined frown.

Steven interjects eagerly, "Aw, you don't have to get rid of them. They're cool."

The Centipeetle that Pearl is holding suddenly spits acid onto the floor, dissolving it into a hole, which both Steven and Pearl look at in disgust.

I chuckle softly at the sight.

Amethyst casually poofs a Centipeetle and then picks her nose, prompting me to mutter, "Ew," under my breath, unheard by anyone else.

"Um, you guys? These things don't have gems," I point out, noting the absence of the glowing gems that usually signify a gem's presence.

Garnet, the fusion, chimes in with her deep voice, "That means there must be a mother somewhere nearby."

Just as she speaks, a Centipeetle sneaks up from beside Garnet, but she swiftly punches it away.

"We should probably find it before anyone gets hurt," Pearl suggests, her tone once again taking on parental authority.

Excitedly, Steven starts jumping around. "Oh! Oh! Can I come?! Can I?! Can I?!" he asks eagerly, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Steven, until you learn to control the powers in your gem, we'll take care of protecting humanity, okay?" Pearl asserts, her tone both reassuring and firm.

One of the bugs scuttles behind Pearl, and I swiftly draw a dagger from my Pearl, flinging it at the creature's head. It hits with precision, causing it to poof into a puff of smoke. The other gems look at me, slightly surprised.

"What? I hate bugs," I explain casually, returning my attention to scrolling on my phone.

Steven turns and notices another bug raiding the fridge. "Hey! Get out of there! Go on! Shoo! Shoo! Aw! They got into everything! Not cool!"