Sally, The Crystal Gem

Shield

Pearl took Sally and Steven to a beautiful place, where pink flowers blossomed. Sally and Steven sat on the ground next to each other.

"Pay attention to these petals. The petals dance seems improvised, but it is being calculated in real time based on the physical properties if this planet. With hard work and dedication, you two can master the magical properties of your gem and make your own dance!" Pearl said. Her gem began to glow and she pulled out a short spear. She twirled it around and it began to grow to it's normal size. "Like so." She said letting a petal land on her hand. Steven grabbed a handful of petals and stared at them, thinking.

* * *

Down at the doughnut shop, Amethyst, Sally and Steven were eating doughnuts. Steven through the handful of petals into the air and watched the float to the ground.

"Did Pearl tell you the petal thing?" Amethyst asked.

"Yeah." Steven and Sally said in unison. "I need to practice really hard so I can dance like a tree... I think..." Steven said.

"I don't think that's what she meant..." Sally said.

"Listen, y'all. All the practice stuff is no fun." Amethyst said. She stuffed the doughnut in her mouth. "Whenever I need to summon my weopon, it just happens." She said as she pulled out her whip and slung it around until she cut the trash dump in half.

"Oh, no! Not again!" The doughnut boy yelled.

"See? Didn't try at all. Why don't you two try?" Amethyst said. Sally turned, determined to summon a weopon.

She had been practicing for six years, but that's also equivalent to how long she has been trying to be a human. She may not be able to do it for a long time, still.

She placed her hand over her gem, and felt a small, faint glow coming from it. She closed her eyes tightly. She pulled her hand away, hoping that she had summoned her staff. She had only summoned it twice her entire life, which was a bummer when she opened her eyes to see nothing happened.

"Hey, at least your gem glowed..." Steven said. He closed his eyes and began grunting, trying to force his weopon out.

"Okay, Steven, don't hurt yourself." Amethyst said. Steven sighed.

* * *

"So I'm supposed to work really hard and not try at all?" Steven asked.

"Yes." Garnet replied.

"That doesn't make any sense." Sally mumbled.

"Or, you can link your mind with all existing matter, channeling all collective energy of the universe through your gem, which in result," Garnet ended her explanation with her summoning her gauntlets. "At least that's how I do it." Steven and Sally were lost.

"Can you say that again?" Sally asked.

"No."

* * *

"I think my best bet is to recreate everything that happened the last time my gem glowed. He began telling people where to stand and how. "So, Garnet and Amethyst were over here," he said pointing to the counter. "And Pearl was here." He said pointing to the spot next to the fridge. "Hm..." He hummed making the chubbiest face he's ever made. "Amethyst, I think your arms were crossed."

"Okay, your majesty." She said crossing her arms.

"Pearl, your foot was like this." He said adjusting her foot.

"I don't think it works this was, Steven." Pearl said.

"Garnet, uh..." He pointed her face to the right angle. "Yeah!"

He then walked up to Sally and adjusted her elbow she used to lean on the counter.

"Really? You think this will work?" Sally asked.

"Yeah!" Steven said grabbing a Cookie Cat. He opened the ice cream and threw the package on the floor. "Then I took a bite out of this. Oh, wait! I sang that song. Uh... He's a frozen treat... All new taste, interstellar war... Now available at Gurgon's... Aw, it was funnier last time." He lifted u his shirt and saw no glow. "Aw, maybe I'm not a real Crystal Gem..."

"What?! Of course you are!" Sally said.

"Yeah, man, even if your gem is useless, it's fun to have you around." Amethyst said.

"Amethyst!" Pearl yelled. Sally laughed a little.

"I mean, you're one of us, Steven. We wouldn't be the Crystal Gems without you." Amethyst corrected.

This statement sparked something inside Sally.

Am I a Crystal Gem? Or am I just a lost gem from an unknown place that the other have yet to find?

Sally shook her head and continued listening to the conversation.

"Yeah, even if I don't have powers, I've still got Cookie Cat!" He said taking a bite out of the ice cream. "Mm, so good!"

He chewed for a moment, before something incredible happened. His gem began to glow and suddenly a shield summoned in front of him.

Garnet, Amethyst and Sally gasped, eyes wide.

"Steven!" Sally yelled.

"Oh, my stars... It's a shield..." Pearl said, stars in her eyes. Steven opened his eyes.

"Oh! What?! I get shield! That's awesome!" He yelled, accidently flinging the shield. It ricocheted off the walls, knocking Sally down and hitting the wall. It crashed into the television.

Amethyst began laughing hard while helping Sally up.

"Well... Now we know what Steven's weopon is." Sally said rubbing the spot it hit her head on. Steven gasped after processing what had happened.

"Cookie Cat! I summoned my weopon by eating ice cream!" He yelled.

"What is in these things?" Pearl asked raising an eyebrow.

The happy moment was suddenly interrupted by the rumbling and loud screams of the mother centipeedle.

"The mother!" Garnet said summoning her gauntlets.

Steven's shield disappeared to the gems' dismay. It could've been useful.

Garnet ran outside, Pearl and Amethyst following. Garnet began jumping up the gem statue around the temple, following the centipeedle.

"Steven, Sally! Stay inside!" Pearl ordered.

"No way! I'm coming, too!" Steven said.

"Yeah, me, too!" Sally said running inside with him. "Wait... Are you gonna try to summon your shield again?" Sally asked.

"Yes! We can use it!" Steven said grabbing his Cookie Cat freezer. He stuffed a bunch of ice creams in and ran outside, leaving Sally alone.

I wonder what I could use to summon my weopon...

She ran around the temple, gathering things she loved. She saw Steven approaching the centipeedle with his ice cream. The gems were being a stone hand, while the centipeedle was shooting acid at the gem.

She grabbed a picture of her mom, dad and her at the fair together from years ago. She hugged it tightly, praying her staff would summon. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting.

She opened them a moment later, and saw no staff. She looked out the window and saw Steven electrocuting the centipeedle. She saw them poof centipeedle and bubble her.

Sally sighed and placed the picture frame back down in it's place in the window. She ran outside and saw Pearl talking with Steven. Sally stood at the top of the steps, watching them.

Why can't I have family who are like that?

Sally thought. She looked at Garnet. Garnet looked up at her and smiled. Sally forced a smile and sighed. She walked back inside.