So it's the last chapter of 2022. Here's hoping that next year will be a good year for everyone and thank you all for your continued support on my stories this year. It really helps me going.

Steven, Y/n and Connie are sitting on the beach in front of the Crystal Temple and both Y/n and Steven were covering their eyes.

"Can we look yet?" Steven ask impatiently.

"Okay." Connie says as she pulls out a book titled "Unfamiliar Familiar".

Steven and Y/n opens their eyes and Steven gasps. "BOOOOKS!"

"Hmm, nice cover." Y/n comments looking at it.

"It's my favorite series!" Connie says to the two. "It's about this girl named Lisa and she's a witch! I mean, she doesn't know she's a witch at first, and she has a familiar, which is sorta like this spirit companion that everyone in the world has. And hers is a talking falcon named Archimicarus! Anyways she goes on this quest to find her father after he's kidnapped by the mysterious one-eyed man."

"Whoa, mystery!" Steven says intrigued.

"Here! Lemme get you started!" Connie takes the book from Steven and opens it. "Ahem. Chapter One: The Morning Thief. Lisa awoke with a start, the echoes of her dreams still dancing in her mind, the low rumble of thunder murmured through the quiet house.. "

A distant rumbling noise is then heard, shocking Steven, Y/n and Connie a bit.

"Wooah, this is a really good book!" Steven comments.

"Uh... okay. "The house was deathly still. The only sound Lisa could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. The hairs on her neck tingled when suddenly..."

Something then suddenly plunges into the sea near them.

"What the..." Y/n says as he Steven and Connie gets splashed by water. "Aahh!"

The Gems burst out of the Beach House to see what is happening.

"What was that?" Amethyst asks.

A giant green sphere rolls onto the beach from the sea, and legs extend out of it.

"It looks like one of the Marble Robots from before. " Y/n points out..

"What?" Connie asks.

The robonoid starts advancing towards Y/n, Steven and Connie. Garnet quickly jumps in between and stops it with her gauntlets.

"AMETHYST! PEARL!" She shouts and Amethyst & Pearl leap into the air and dive towards the robonoid.

"Huuuuuh Yaaaaaah!!!" Amethyst and Pearl cry as they use their weapons to successfully destroy the robonoid and goo is thrown everywhere, while Steven has already summoned his bubble shield to protect himself, Y/n and Connie.

Steven dispels his goo covered bubble to reveal he, Y/n and Connie were still clean inside. "You guys okay?" He asks everyone.

Connie stays still amazed. "I love hanging out at your place!" She comments.

"Pearl, do you think this was..." Y/n starts to asks.

"One of Peridot's Machines?" Pearl finishes as she reveals she had managed to avoid being covered in goo. "Yes I think so, only... we've never seen one this big before."

"Or this gooey!" Amethyst comments as he arrives covered head to toe in green goo.

"Amethyst, we need to be careful we don't know what this stuff is." Pearl tells her.

Amethyst snickers and gets a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh no! Don't you DARE get that stuff on me!" Pearl warns her.

Amethyst spreads her arms out wide. "GOOP HUG!" Pearl freaks out and runs away. Amethyst starts chasing Pearl. "Come here, Pearl! I love you, Pearl!" Amethyst shouts in the distance.

"NO! Get away! Let go of me!" Pearl could be heard shouting back in the distance.

"Peridot. Is that the Gem you guys told me about? The one that's trying to come to Earth?" Connie asks Y/n and Steven.

"Yeah. We stopped her before but, I guess she can still shoot stuff here from space." Steven says.

Y/n walks over to Garnet now. "What do you think it was here to do?" He asks.

"We destroyed it." Garnet starts as she picks up a piece of the broken robonoid. "That's all that matters." She tosses it aside.

"GOOP HUG!! Amethyst cries as she suddenly rushes in and give Y/n and Garnet a hug, covering them in goo. Pearl approaches, covered in goo as well and looking unimpressed. Garnet pulls her and Y/n in and the Gems have a group goop hug.

"I'm going home to change...." Y/n groans.

It was a few days later and Dr. Maheswaran was holding and covering her home phone. "Connie? The Steven Universe boy would like to speak with you."

Connie quickly rushes down the stairs and grabs the phone.

"I swear that's not his real name." Dr Maheswaran says to herself as she walks off.

"Hi Steven! What's up? Have you read more 'Unfamiliar Familiar'?" Connie quickly asks.

"Yeah but I'm..." Steven starts.

Connie screams excitedly. "Aaah! Isn't it amazing? How far did you get?" She asks now.

"I'm in the middle of one of them but, I'm really confused..." Steven says as he picks up a book. "They keep talking about this Plinkman guy who died... Am I suppose to know who he is?"

"Plinkman... but that's Lisa's dad... Steven? You're reading them in order, right?" Connie asks.

"There's an order? Aww man, I just started with the one with the coolest cover."

Connie zones out with a blank expression on her face.

"Hello? Connie?" Steven asks but Another distant rumbling noise is heard, shaking Steven off his seat. "What the...?"

The Gems rush out from the Temple door now.

"Something entered the atmosphere." Garnet says.

The Gem exits the house onto the porch.

"Up there!" Amethyst cries and she points at a shooting object in the sky.

"It's another one of those things!" Pearl shouts.

"It's landed on Mask Island! Come on!" Garnet says urgently.

"Connie, I'm gonna call you back." Steven says as he hangs up.

The Crystal Gems warp to Mask Island and spots the robonoid wandering towards them.

"Is it... looking for a warp?" Pearl questions.

"We have to stop it!"

The Gems charge towards the robonoid and destroy it, spilling green goo everywhere.

"Yeesh! What are these things trying to do?" Steven who was covered in goo.

"We're not... really... that sure..." Pearl admits.

"It's not trying to do anything now." Garnet says and Steven moans in uncertainty.

It was another day and Connie is on the phone with Steven while Y/n was reading the first book in the background.

"Okay. So you read the first three books in order. Do you... like them?" Connie asks Steven on the phone.

"Of course!, They're awesome! I really love Lisa's familiar... He's my favorite, I'm... just confused about one thing though." Steven says.

"What's that?" Connie asks hesitantly.

"What... is... a familiar?" Steven asks her.

"... Noooooo ugggggh..." Connie slumps against her kitchen cabinet in disappointment. Another distant rumbling occurs again. "Huh Is that another one of those marble things?"

The Gems rush out from the Temple door again getting Y/n and Steven's attention.

"Yeah..." Steven says on the phone to Connie.

Amethyst stretches her face in anger. "GRRRRRRRR! What is with these things? This is like the FIFTH one this week!"

"We'll find it in the Desert!" Garnet says.

"Connie, talk later!" Steven tosses his phone aside. "Wait you guys, wait for us!"

The Gems, annoyed, warp ahead towards the Desert without Y/n and Steven, but he quickly Steps on the warp pad with Y/n following and Steven warps the two away.

Y/n and Steven arrive in the Desert now and find the Gems attacking another robonoid in desperation. Garnet tries to push against the robonoid, Pearl sit atop it and is stabbing it with her spear, and Amethyst has her whip wrapped around it.

"STOP! COMING! HERE! YOU! STUPID! BALLS!" Pearl says as she hits it with her spear.

"Yeah! Let it out! Get CRAZY!" Amethyst encourages as she is tugging on the robonoid with her whip. Hua!"

"Wow they're really starting to lose it aren't they..." Y/n comments.

Steven runs in and flails his arms. "Guys, guys, guys! Stop!"

The Gems pause and look at him.

"How many more of these things are you gonna have to fight?"

"WE DON'T KNOW! They just keep COMING and COMING and we don't even know what they ARE! We don't know ANYTHING!" Pearl cries.

"That's okay. I don't know anything all the time, it's like my whole life. But I have you guys to tell me about tell me about Gem stuff, Connie can explain what familiars are, Y/n helps me understand difficult thing and Dad tells me weird dad stuff." Steven says to them.

"But nobody knows what these things are here to do." Pearl says back.

"Well... It probably does." Steven points at the robonoid.

"What?" Pearl asks.

"You mean we follow it and see where it goes?" Y/n asks Steven.

"Yeah!" Steven nods his head.

"I'm in." Y/n shrugs. "It's better than doing this all week. This is just going to keep happening more frequently."

"ARE YOU TWO NUTS?!" Amethyst cries.

"Who knows what could go wrong?" Pearl says.

Garnet seems to think for a moment. "We can't keep fighting these things forever... Well, we can, but I don't want to... Let's do it Steven and Y/n's way." She gives in.

"Yeah! Let's follow the funky flow." Steven cheers as he waves his arms around.

"We're dead." Amethyst says.

The Gems let loose of the robonoid now and hop atop of it before helping Y/n and Steven aboard it.

"Alright big guy, Mush!" Steven commands and he pats the robonoid.

"Woaaah... Uggh..." The group stammers as the Robonoid finds it's footing.

"Uh-heh-heh. WOOHOO!" Steven cheers and The robonoid starts moving as the Crystal Gems ride atop it. It then steps onto the warp pad and warps away.

The Crystal Gems and the robonoid arrive at the warp pad in the Kindergarten. Everyone gasps in horror.

"Isn't this..." Y/n starts to asks.

"Kindergarten..." Garnet confirms his suspicions.

"Oh, why here? This site has been damaged enough by the Gems that were incubated here 6,000 years ago! That's it! It's confirmed. These things are up to no good!" Pearl summons her spear from her gem.

"Wait!" Steven flails his hands at Pearl. "We don't even know what it's doing here? Can't we just... see where it wants to go?"

"Garnet?" Pearl asks unsure.

"Hmm... Steven's way." Garnet says.

Pearl sighs and the spear slowly retracts back into Pearl's gem. The robonoid jumps down to ground level and continues advancing, with the Crystal Gems still riding on it.

"What does it want here?" Pearl wonders.

"Maybe it just wants to see where Amethyst was made." Steven suggests.

"Maybe it should mind its own business." Amethyst says annoyed.

"It's weird that it would come here. I mean everything is dead, there's holes in all the rock and the machinery is all broken down.." Y/n says loking around.

"I don't like this at all..." Pearl comments.

"But..." Steven starts to say.

Amethyst looks at Steven. "I'm kinda with Pearl on this one."

"Aw, come on, can't you feel this guy's funky flow? He's a funk master." Steven pats the robonoid again.

"I can't believe we're doing this." Pearl says.

"If it helps I don't like it either. But we do need to find out what these things are being used for if we want to stop it." Y/n says.

The robonoid suddenly stops.

"Why'd you stop, li'l buddy?" Steven asks it.

"Something's happening." Garnet says as she quickly grabs Y/n and Steven, and the Crystal Gems jump off the robonoid. The robonoid opens a pyramid-shaped hole in the ground, morphs into a pyramid itself and fits into the hole.

Steven looks at it starry-eyed. "Yesss!"

The robonoid begins to descend into the ground.

"See? Y/n and I were right that we'd find something cool... Let's go!" Steven jumps into the hole and lands on the robonoid. The Gems quickly follow suit. "Hey guys! Going down?"

"... Are you all okay?" Y/n asks as he notices the nervous mood amongst the gems.

"What is all this?" Pearl asks.

The Crystal Gems continues to descend as they see thick green wires lining the walls of the hole. The robonoid stops at the bottom and lights up a room. A hand pedestal arises in the middle of the room. A squishing noise is the heard.

"What's the sound?" Steven asks and The group peek over as they watch another small robonoid form from the tip of the pyramid robonoid. It climbs into the room and activates the hand pedestal, activating the room. Several screens lit up with a center monitor screen, displaying static for a brief moment, and then displays Peridot on-screen. The Crystal Gems, startled by Peridot's image, quickly run off to hide.

"Established Gem Projection Link with control room." Peridot begins to comment. "Plug Robonoid has successfully landed on Planet Earth and entered Prime Kindergarten Control Room in Facet Five. Will proceed to perform status check of Kindergarten."

"It's Peridot." Amethyst whispers.

Pearl gasps. "Is she trying to re-activate the Kindergarten? Doesn't she know it'll destroy all life on Earth?!" Pearl whispers.

"Why don't we at least try talking to her?" Y/n suggests.

"Y/n, we're facing an enemy we don't know with technology we don't understand. This isn't the time to be asking questions." Garnet tells him.

"Really sounds like it is..." Steven says in disagreement.

Garnet turns to Pearl and Amethyst now who look at her. "Ok, here's the plan. We can't let her see us, so we wait for an opening. When she's distracted, we destroy the power source on the far wall. Y/n and Steven stay here!" Garnet says.

Pearl and Amethyst nod in approval. The Gems turn to look at Y/n and Steven, who had both vanished from their sight, and they look to see them approaching Peridot's screen.

"Y/n! Steven!" The Gems panic as they whisper shout at the the two.

"Now accounting for all operational Injectors. Checking for aberrations in perimeter." Peridot narrates.

Y/n finishes climbing into the control room, and two large green hand constructs emerge from the floor beside him. The hands activate a pair of panels on the wall screens, which causes cylinders to eject from the ceiling.

"Ugh, this Gem Tech is simply archaic." Peridot comments to herself.

"I have to disagree, I always thought it was pretty cool." Y/n comments as he looks at it all.

There is silence as Peridot's monitor abruptly and quickly cancels all she is doing and turns to face Y/n in surprise.

"I already know your name, Peridot." Y/n calls her by name and she back up from her monitor in surprise. "So I'll be polite and introduce myself. I am Y/n."

Steven suddenly appears as he trips and falls over getting Y/n and Peridot's attention.

"And that would be Steven..." Y/n comments as he helps the boy back up to his feet.

"There appears to be an infestation of "Y/n's and Stevens" in the Kindergarten." Peridot comments.

"Daw, We're not so bad once you get to know us!" Steven jokes.

" ... And how many more Y/n and Stevens are present in this area?" Peridot asks.

"Oh...Just us." Steven says.

"Nee-ah, that's a relief. So tell me, Have Y/n's and Stevens replaced "humans" as the dominant species on Earth?" Peridot asks now.

"Oh no, there's lots of humans, there's my dad, Connie, Lars and Sadie, the mailman, Onion... I think. ...Lots of people." Steven lists.

"Hmm..." Peridot hums

"Now we get to ask a question." Y/n says getting Peridot's attention again. "What are you doing here?" He asks her.

"Hm, just picking up where we left off." She answers now.

Peridot's monitor faces away from the two. As a hand construct raises above Y/n and Steven forming a fist, It attempting to crush them now.

Y/n's eyes widen as he looks up at the looming giant hand but Garnet jumps in to catch the fist and throws it away. Peridot's monitor turns back and Peridot looks surprised by Garnet's presence. "A Gem?!"

Amethyst and Pearl jump up to the platform as well now with their weapons drawn.

"AH! MORE?? But the Red Eye didn't report the presence of any Gems on this planet!" Peridot panics.

"That's because we destroyed it." Pearl tells her.

"You what?" Peridot cries in shock. "But the records say that Gems were wiped out on earth... Wait a minute... You're the ones that have been destroying my Plug Robonoids... Are you the reason the Homeworld Warp is down again? Is THIS your bizarre icon?" She shows them the Crying Breakfast Friends! sticker. "UHROOH!!! Why do you keep destroying my THINGS?!" Peridot asks agitated.

"Because we are the Crystal Gems! We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!" Pearl declares as she points her spear at the screen.

"The Crystal Gems?" Peridot asks confused.

The Gems start attacking Peridot's hand constructs, while Y/n and Steven watch in astonishment.

"Stop! How dare you? I'm doing this one way or another. You're just... making it... really... difficult!" Peridot complains as she tries to fight back with the hands.

Pearl and Amethyst work together as they slice one of the hands into pieces rendering it useless and Garnet uses her strength to slam the other hand down onto the ground.

"Amethyst, now!" Garnet calls out.

Amethyst uses her whip to grab the hand and Y/n looks around the room quickly before he notices something. "Aim for the glowing tubes!" He calls out points them out.

"DESTROY!!!" Amethyst cries and hurls it at the glowing tubes which turns out to be the control room's power source, breaking it.

"I'm reporting this!" Peridot cries as her screen transmission disappears.

"Is it over?" Amethyst asks.

"I get the feeling... it's only just beginning." Y/n says.

The Gems look at each other silently for a moment. before they then walk over to Y/n and Steven and Steven looks up at them.

"Okay... We might have gone a little too far this time." He says hesitantly.

"Well, Y/n, Steven, you weren't completely wrong. We learned something new because of your decisions."

"Alright!" Steven cheers.

"But yeah, this was a pretty bad idea." Garnet follows up with.

"Aw man..." Steven sighs.

"One step forward...two steps back." Y/n says.