Chapter Text
Summer was finally here. Dib was tired of school and tired of people not believing his stories about Zim. Dib and his family were going on vacation. Perhaps he needed a break from Zim. He wasn't doing much lately, anyways. He always stayed in his house... Anyway... He and his family were vacationing at a beach. Some place called Beach City. He's heard of some weird things happening there. Some guy named Ronoldo posts about it online. Maybe he didn't need a break from strange activity, but just a break from Zim.
They were in a car on their way to the hotel. Gaz was playing her games while Dib was looking at things on his phone.
"This guy talks about all the weird happenings at Beach City. Some Paranormal, some about these things called... Gems. Like are they just a bunch of rocks that destroy things? Or maybe they're sentient?" Dib scrolled through the webpage.
"Dib..." Doctor Membrane began. "Maybe you should take a break from all those things. We are on vacation after all."
"How can I take a break when there are possibly sentient rocks on the loose!" Dib tried to do more research on these 'gems'.
Doctor Membrane sighed. "Hopefully you'll do well, Gaz."
"Don't count on it." She mumbled as she continued to play her game.
They eventually pulled up at the hotel. Dib jumped out and went to the trunk to pull out a metal detector. "Bye! I'm off to the beach!"
Dr. Membrane got out the car and waved before shaking his head. Dib passes a donut shop before he finally made his way over to the beach. He had hovered the metal detector all over the place, but found nothing.
"Uhg... This place is lame..." He decided to just sit by the water and watch it move back and forth. "Maybe I should just relax..."
"Hi!" And unfamiliar voice spoke.
Dib turned around. "Huh?" The boy had curly dark brown hair and he wore a shirt with a star on it. "Oh... Hi."
"You look new!" He pointed at himself. "The name's Steven. Steven Universe."
Dib stood up and turned to him. "My name is Dib... Nice to meet you." His eyes widened. "Do you live here all the time."
Steven smiled "Yep!" He turned back and pointed at the house at the top of a cliff. "I live up there."
"Nice! Have you heard of these things called gems?" Dib was excited to learn about this new thing.
"Ha ha! Yeah, I have!" Steven smiled.
Dib nearly screamed with joy. "Are they destructive rocks? Are they sentient destructive rocks?"
"Nope." Steven laughed and figured he should just come out with it. "I'm a gem!"
"You're a gem?" He looked over. "So they aren't sentient rocks." He looked back at Steven. "So tell me... What are gems?"
"Well... They're um... I mean we're..." He shrugged. "Aliens... To put it simply. I'm half human though."
His eyes widened. "Aliens? You're an alien? I see you got the more human end of the deal. You... 'Gems', if that's what you prefer, aren't trying to take over the planet are you?" Dib reached inside his trench coat as if he was about to pull out a weapon.
Steven waved his hands and laughed nervously. "N- no way! We're here to protect the planet from what the bad gems have done."
He took his hand out. "So you and your friends... Are good gems?"
He nodded. "Yep."
"Alright." Dib wasn't sure if he could trust him, but he didn't seem as bad as Zim. Besides... He just looked way too innocent.
"Since you're curious, I'll let you meet the rest of the gems." He gestured for him to follow as he walked away from the ocean.
Dib pulled out a notepad and pencil out of his trench coat, ready to take notes. Soon the two were at Steven's house. Steven opened the door and let Dib walk in first. Dib looked at all the gems in awe.
"Woah..." He smiled. "I've never been in contact with kind aliens!"
"We prefer the term, gem..." Garnet spoke up.
Dib coughed. "Oh, of course. My apologies." He leaned over to Steven. "Are they all part human?"
"Ah... Nope. That's just what they look like. Alright I guess I should introduce them. Steven pointed at every gem's name he called. "That's Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Peridot, and Lapis Lazuli!"
"Hm..." He began to write things down. "So all their names are a type of gemstone." He turned to Steven. "Why isn't yours?"
Steven looked away. "That's a long story..."
"Hm... Possible tragic backstory..." He mumbled as he wrote some more down. Dib looked up at the other gems. "Greetings! I am earthling Dib. I will not harm you. I am only here to study you."
"Why is he so loud." Lapis glared at the new face.
Pearl turned to her. "I think he thinks we're like typical... Aliens... That you see on television."
"We aren't those types of," she used air quotes. "'Aliens', big head."
He groaned. "My head's not big!"
"Whatever you say." She made her head larger and bobbed it it like a bobble head.
"Amethyst, stop that! You'll scare off Steven's new friend." Pearl shook her head.
She laughed as Dib winced. "Shape shifting abilities..." He wrote it down.
"We're not like that other space dweller." Garnet said suddenly. "We live to protect it. Not take it over."
"Other one...?" Dib tilted his head. "How did you know about the other alien?"
Garnet adjusted her visor. "Future vision."
"You can see into the future." He smiled wide. "That's so cool!" He ran over to Garnet. "What do you see now?"
"I don't just see the future. I see possible outcomes. I saw a future where you did not run up to me."
He leaned on the armrest. "Aw man, that's cool!" Dib moved back. "How do I really know you are all the good guys?"
Peridot looked up. "The fact that your planet is still here."
Lapis was laid flat on the ground next to where Peridot sat. "Your planet is okay, after all."
Steven smiled. "See, Dib? We're okay!" The smile faltered a bit. "Why do you have a hard time trusting us...?"
He shook his head. "I'm only here for vacation. Back at home I have to deal with this other..." Dib looked at Steven. "Species...?" Steven smacked his own face. "Now him! He was evil. He only had bad intentions for this planet."
"Hey! Maybe he just needed a friend!" Steven put a hand on Dib's shoulder. "Did you ever try befriending him?"
"Not really... Unless you count working together once. It was to save the planet is all." He shook it off as if it was nothing.
"Saving the earth?" Steven frowned. "I feel like the earth is almost always in danger..."
"The earth is always in danger." Garnet added.
"Aw, Garnet..." Steven looked at Dib. "Maybe we should try to befriend him! Peridot got redeemed after all."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" She hissed.
Steven laughed nervously. "Oh nothing!" He motioned for him to follow. "Hey, lets go back to the beach! I have someone else for you to meet."
"Another gem?" He asked as he followed.
"Nope! She's human!"he closed the door behind them.
When they got to the bottom of the hill the two saw a girl running up to them. "Steven!" She hugged the boy whose name she called. "It's been so long!"
He hugged her back. "It has!" He pulled away. "I have someone I want you to meet, Connie. This is Dib!"
"Oh! Nice to meet you." She smiled.
"Same to you. Do you know about..." He began to whisper. "Gems too?"
Steven laughed. "Everyone here knows about the gems!"
"What, really? And they just know that you're aliens? I mean species from a different planet?"
"Well... Yeah!" Steven sighed. "And as much as I like talking about this stuff. You know what I would like better?"
"What?" Dib asked.
He raised his arms. "Talking about this with donuts!"
Dib shrugged. "Donuts are always good."
They made it over to the donut shop and Steven was talking to Sadie. "He's new here. I guess he's staying for...?" Steven looked at him.
Dib looked up. "Um, the whole summer."
"That's cool." Sadie smiled. "Welcome to Beach City! I'll let you have your first donut on the house." She got the three donuts the kids picked out.
They all took their respective donuts and they all went and sat at a table. "I can tell you more about the gems." Stevens suggested.
"Would you?" Dib took out his notepad again. "Tell me all about the about the species."
Steven was about to start talking when suddenly someone burst through the doors of donut shop. Dib looked up and gasped.
"Zim."