1Meteor Mash
Part 1 - Something's Up
Disclaimer: There are two characters in this story who are not canon in the Steven Universe show proper. One of them is owned by my dear friend Hamhandz on Tumblr.
Author's Note: This story takes place after the events of "Friend Ship".
"I attack directly with Performapal Hip Hippo, and I win! Woohoo!" cheered Steven. Amethyst groaned and collected her cards, shuffling the deck. Yu-Gi-Oh was a game Steven was trying to introduce the Crystal Gems to after getting bored of just playing with Connie and Peedee, and while Pearl had taken to it like a duck to water with her love of complex strategy, and Garnet would dabble occasionally when time permitted, Amethyst just didn't enjoy it.
"What's even the point of this dumb game?" the purple Gem groused, getting up from the living room table and kicking irately.
"It's fun! It's like being a wizard and have an epic battle with your friends!" Steven said cheerfully. "Plus it makes you think about planning fights! Pearl uses these cards for strategies all the time when she goes on missions now!"
"Yeah, but that's Pearl," reminded Amethyst. "I just don't get Yu-Gi-Oh at all. Citchen Calamity is more fun, especially 'cuz I get to see the look on Pearl's face when she doesn't get the rules."
"Aw..." Steven pouted, but sighed. "Alright then... It's no big deal." He smiled, but this smile soon changed into a puzzled frown. "Where are Garnet and Pearl, anyway?"
"Aah, they're just on some mission," the Gem dismissed with a wave of their hand. "They should be back any moment now."
And true to Amethyst's word, the warp pad that marked the entrance to the Crystal Temple shone blue to announce the arrival of the two in question. Dark blue pixels warped in atop the pad, and coalesced into the pale and ruddy Gems. Steven ran to greet them with enthusiasm, but was stopped in his tracks when he saw the anxious look on Pearl's face and the way she was fidgeting with her hands.
"Pearl, what's wrong?" Steven asked.
It was Garnet who answered. "Pearl and I detected signs of a Gem's arrival at the Lunar Sea Spire."
Steven's eyes widened. "Another Gem!?" He looked around nervously. "Could it have been Peridot?" he asked in a low voice. After the disaster at the abandoned Gem ship where the Crystal Gems had managed to get her foot, Peridot had vanished completely.
Pearl shook her head. "It's unlikely. From what we've seen of Peridot, she doesn't seem inclined towards wanton destruction. When we warped to the Sea Spire's ruins, they were completely crumbled away, like someone had deliberately crushed them."
"But who would do something like that?" Steven looked extremely worried.
"We don't know." Garnet shook her head. "All we can hope is that whoever they are, they don't come to Earth."
Steven shuddered. "I hope not..." He really didn't want a Gem to come to Earth and cause more havoc.
"Oh, Steven, don't worry." Pearl knelt down to give Steven a gentle hug. "It's very unlikely that they'll be able to reach us. After all, the Galaxy Warp has been destroyed."
"Good point..." Steven managed a weak smile. "Hey, Pearl, do you want to play some Yu-Gi-Oh?"
Almost instantly, Pearl brightened. "Of course, Steven! Ooh, I can't wait to try out my newest deck, I conferred with Connie about it and she gave me all sorts of pointers..." She opened the door that led into the Crystal Temple and proceeded inside, to retrieve her deck from her room, and Steven went back to the living room to gather his own cards.
Meanwhile, Garnet paced across the floor of the beach house, thinking. The structural damage she had seen on the Sea Spire seemed familiar. Everything about the damage, from its placement to the areas where it was most concentrated, were a dead ringer for the fighting style of someone she knew from Homeworld.
...but who?
Curses.
Curses, curses, curses.
Some accursed, craven Homeworld Gem had kidnapped his light, no doubt to use in their infernal Fusion experiments.
Earth.
They were on Earth.
He could just feel it.
He had to find his light.
He had to.
