Steven Universe: Chipped [Pearl x OC]

Chapter 1-5: Cat Fingers

A/N: I don't have a full-chapter idea for Frybo, so it's just referenced at the beginning.

As I walk around the boardwalk for food, I see a giant mascot costume in the Fryman's fry shop. I stare at it in confusion for a few seconds before shrugging, walking away. The creepy part came when it's head turned to watch me leave, but the body stays still. At least it left me alone.

I heard from Steven and Pearl when they got home about an hour later that it kidnapped people on the boardwalk, shoving fries down their throats. Apparently, Steven recklessly put a gem shard in it like what happened in the war. A few days later, I leave my room to see Amethyst shapeshifted into Pearl, smacking her butt at her.

Pearl says, "All Gems have shapeshifting powers, Steven."

I interrupt, "Well, if you have a whole gem, that is. I've never been able to shapeshift."

Steven asks, "What can Gems turn into?"

Pearl projects some holograms, saying, "We can turn into objects, we can change parts of our bodies, or... we can do that."

She gestures at Amethyst, who's still smacking her butt.

Steven exclaims, "I want to try it all!"

Pearl says, "Don't bite off more than you can chew, Steven."

Amethyst smacks her butt in Pearl's face, making her groan. Pearl leaves through the front door, and Amethyst shapeshifts back into herself. I head into the kitchen, looking through leftover containers while listening to their conversation.

Steven exclaims, "Alright! Show me how to change into a, uh, huge lion!"

Amethyst says, "Actually, for once, Pearl is right. If you're gonna do this, you've gotta start with something easy."

Steven asks, "Like that cat you turned into?"

Amethyst says, "That sounds good. Now follow my lead. First, think of what you wanna be, and then just shake it out." She shapeshifts into a purple cat, saying, "See? Haha! Now your turn."

Steven says, "Okay." He takes in a deep breath and starts visibly straining himself, saying, "Caaaaaaaat..."

I finally decide on some leftover pancakes, setting them down on the kitchen table while saying, "I'm no expert on shapeshifting, but even I can tell you're too tense."

Amethyst opens a bag of chips, eating one as she says, "Yeah. Just relax and feel it. Bio-rhythms, yo."

Steven presses his fingertips against his temples, saying, "Feeeeel it..."

Amethyst says, "Eh, if you're not ready, we can try later."

Steven exclaims, "No, wait! I can do it." Amethyst shapeshifts back into herself, and Steven starts getting into a groove, saying, "Yeah... Yeah... Ha!"

Amethyst says, "Well, it was a good try."

We suddenly hear a mewing noise, and Steven opens his palm to see that his index finger has turned into the head of a cat, meowing away.

I say, "Nice! You got it!"

Amethyst starts giggling as Steven exclaims, "This is so cool!"

Amethyst says, "You should go see your dad. He's gonna freak out!"

I exclaim, "Wait, Steven! That might not be such a good -" He runs out of the house before I could finish, "...idea."

I know Greg isn't that comfortable with Gem stuff, especially after Steven was born.

Garnet comes home a few hours later, saying, "I saw a new mission for us. It's a living island. It has to be dealt with before sunrise or there will be a tectonic emergency."

We start setting up the Gem Sloop to travel there, since Garnet said it's nowhere near a warp pad. Amethyst was the last to leave, Steven chasing right after her with all of his fingers turned into cat heads.

He exclaims, "Wait, wait, wait!"

Pearl exclaims, "Steven!"

Amethyst laughs, "C'mon, you can make it!"

He dunks his hands into the water to swim, but the cat fingers start meowing in agitation.

We gasp, and I ask, "Steven, what's going on?"

Steven hides his hands, nervously saying, "I- It's nothing! I- I just turned all my fingers into cats!"

Amethyst snorts laughing, and Pearl worriedly exclaims, "We have to stay and help Steven!"

Garnet says, "We can't. This is a tectonic emergency. We'll deal with Steven when we get back."

Pearl points an accusatory finger at Amethyst, exclaiming, "Amethyst, I blame you for this!"

Amethyst shrugs, saying, "Eh, that's fair."

Pearl growls before calling to Steven, "Steven, just try to stay calm!"

It's already sunset by the time we got to the island, and it turns to face us when we get closer. It growls, growing giant arms at its side. We all summon our weapons, hitting the island's arms away. It swats at us. The others duck, but I'm swept into the water. I take the opportunity to sneak up on the island. I swim below the surface, finding it's gem.

I swim to the surface, calling, "I found it's gem!"

The island grabs me in it's giant arms. It tosses me at the others, knocking them out of the Gem Sloop. We swim to the surface, hitting the island's arms. Amethyst's whips wrap around them like a restraint. Pearl and Garnet swim to the gem while Amethyst and I pull on the whips as hard as we can, the whips breaking just before Garnet pulls the gem out of the island.

The island's arms poof away, but the island doesn't. The gem must have inhabited this island as it's body. Garnet bubbles the gem, tapping the top to send it away to the Temple. We all hop back into the Gem Sloop, heading back. When we get home, Pearl hurries onto the dock, running to Steven.

She examines his hand, saying, "Okay, let me see it. Wha- Y- You got them to go away?"

Steven smiles, and I ruffle his hair, saying, "I knew you could do it, Steven. Good job."

Pearl scoffs, "It just goes to show, always listen to me, and never listen to Amethyst."

Amethyst shrugs, saying, "That's fair."

Garnet says, "It goes to show, you should have a little more faith in Steven."

Pearl blushes, and Steven says, "Yeah, that would have been a total cat-astrophe!" Pearl, Amethyst and I force a laugh, and he continues, "But I'm feeling much better meow!" We groan, and Steven asks, "Eh? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Garnet says, "Okay, that's enough."

Steven follows after us back to the Temple, saying, "Wait, I've been coming up with cat jokes all morning. You guys, I'm feline fine. Everything's purr-fect! Oh, come on. I'm just kitten around!"

~1k words