[Warning: Singing Ahead]

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Chapter 3
Something Abnormal
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The crisp and soft breeze brushed against Spinel's face. Earth had many things that no other place had it gave off. Sense of peace. Of course, the garden was the first place that was beautiful, but Earth slightly topped it off. If she had to be honest, Spinel missed the garden and another thought that she dared not dwell on so much.

Steven and the Crystal gems decided to have a picnic out miles from Beach City. Where you couldn't see the ocean, just endless trees and fields along with very tall hills. 

Spinel swung herself up onto a tree and sat on a branch to gaze out across the land. "I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon. I hope the Diamonds don't mind." Spinel says to herself. 

The human/gem teen spots the pink gem on the tree and take out a camera. "Hey Spinel!" He zooms in.

Spinel looks to Steven in a silent answer. 

"Smile!" 

She makes a silly expression with her eyes crossed and her tongue sticking out. Just to humor him, which worked.

Steven snorts and laughs, "Spinel! Come on!" 

"Alright!" Spinel laughs and holds up a peace sign. Pictures were amazing. Being able to see a memory from the other day and just remembering it. Spinel had one from a photo booth that Steven and Connie took her into before they left Funland. 

"Perfect!" Steven snaps the picture. "The food is set up now, Spinel. I also grabbed a box of donuts."

The word donut immediately made the pigtails on Spinel's head perk up and she swings herself in front of Steven. "Strawberry frosted with sprinkles?" 

"Strawberry frosted with sprinkles." Steven confirms. 

"But you'll have to at least eat a sandwich first. Proper nutrition before sweets." Pearl holds the donuts away causing Spinel to pout with her hair drooping like puppy ears. "Spinel, don't even try. Steven has pulled that look too many times." 

Spinel groans and sits down on the blanket with her arms crossed. Though eats her sandwich with stubborn and big bite. "Happy?" She mumbles while chewing.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Pearl scolded. 

Spinel's cheeks puff up again and she tries to keep her mouth shut, but huffs before mumbling off to the side. "Nagger."

Amethyst and Peridot snort and laugh in their hands. 

Pearl frowns and places her hands on her hips, "What did you say?" 
 
Spinel grins innocently while stretching her arm, "Nothing." Her hand grabs the box of donuts and quickly hides it behind her back.

"What is behind your back?" Pearl stands over the pink hearted gem. 

"Why are you assuming I have something behind my back?" Spinel is trying not to laugh. "Boop." She boops Pearl's nose, then laughs as Pearl chases her around the picnic blanket in anger. 

Amethyst gets up and waves her arms, "Hey! Over here!" 

Spinel flips backwards over Pearl and throws the donut box like a frisbee. This playful manner caused Peridot to join the chase and catching the donuts, along with Steven and Lapis. Bismuth and Garnet were just laughing and watching. 

At first, Steven and the four gems were playing far from the blanket and now taking risks at throwing the box very far. 

Garnet may have been looking in their direction, but behind her star shaped shades, her three eyes were distant. Like she was very deep in thought. Most likely talking amongst herself, meaning Sapphire and Ruby. The two gems who she is made of.

'Shouldn't you be at least a little concerned?'

'I am, Ruby. But...it feels nice not knowing what is going to happen. Just thinking about the possibilities instead of seeing them.'

'Like how we didn't know we were having a picnic until Steven told us.'

'Yes. It's just like how humans say. "Go with the flow."

Ruby sighs heavily, 'Are you going to tell them?'

'Eventually.'

'Augh! Sapphire, I have a bad feeling about all of this. Eventually better be soon. Not knowing what will happen……..what if I lose you?' Ruby hugs herself and her voice cracks. 

Sapphire tightly hugs the small red gem, 'Don't think like that, Ruby. I'm sure it's nothing.'

"GARNET!" Steven shouts and throws the box to her, but soon regrets it. He thought she was going to catch it without a problem, but….

The donut box hits Garnet's head and all the donuts fall out in random places, some crumbs on top of Garnet's hair. She felt surprised at the incident and finally focuses back to what's in front of her. Garnet picks up the donuts that were still neat and puts them in the box. 

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Garnet. I thought you would catch it like always." Steven apologized.

"It's okay, Steven. Things happen and I'm not hurt." Garnet smiles. 

Lapis raises a brow at the fused gem, "You've been a little off today. Haven't you?" Clearly she knew something was bothering the gem since this morning when they stopped by Steven's house. "Can you give us a heads up if there's anything bad in the future again?"

Everyone, by this point, sat down and waited, even Spinel wasn't interested in the donuts anymore. All eyes were in Garnet now. 

The fused gem sighs stressfully and pinches the bridge of her nose, "I can't." She said plainly. 

"Well you don't have to give us any details. Just a yes or no an-"

"I don't know." Garnet cut Steven off. "There is no yes or no answer, Steven. Everything is just….black. My future vision abilities are there, but…..it just seems like I'm blind folded." She pauses and very faintly smiles, "I just feel good. A normal gem. You guys can't ask me if I don't know, so….it can't be that bad, right?"

Everyone glances between each other, slightly unsure, though to Spinel. She had no clue about any of this. This confused her, "If it's just black and it isn't showing any visions of bad ends...then it's not bad?" A Sapphire's ability confused her and Spinel is even repeating what she asked in her head. Just to make sure she worded it right.

Reason being, is that Spinel didn't want to act stupid.

"Well…..it's not necessarily bad, but it is something to be worried about." Pearl says. "When exactly did this situation occur, Garnet?" 

"Before Spinel arrived."

Spinel grew a little anxious because she is worried about the Diamonds. Quickly, she pulled out the Diamond Communicator and tried again. Her heart eased slightly when it wasn't static, but it was still reaching out to the receiver. 

Everyone was now looking at the communicator. 

Suddenly, Blue Pearl answered. "Hello, Spinel." 

"Ugh!" Spinel sighed in relief, "Blue Pearl! I'm so glad you answered. You guys really worried me when the communicator wasn't working. So...where are the Diamonds?"

"They're busy at the moment. The communications and ship went down for awhile, but it's fixed." Blue Pearl stated.

"Alright…….I shouldn't keep you guys from this meeting. Just tell the Diamonds I'll be staying for awhile." Spinel smiles warmly.

Blue Pearl smiles softly and nods before cutting the feed.

"Everything seems fine there." Steven comments then decides to ease his way into another topic. "Let's just  enjoy our day today." He looks to to Spinel, "What happened last night, Spinel? Me and Connie saw a girl run into you." 

Oh....right. To be honest, Spinel couldn't stop thinking about that human female. The vibe she had made her feel safe somehow. Whatever she was running from didn't scare her, but it seemed to annoy her. But why? 'Okay, my thoughts on her aren't clear, but she was intriguing.'

"Spinel?"

"Hm?" 

"We kinda lost you there." Steven laughs softly.

'Right. I forgot to answer his question.' Spinel shrugs and finally takes a donut as everyone began to enjoy the food. "I have no clue. I wasn't paying much attention and it seemed like she wasn't either. We kinda ran into each other." Realizing something after thinking about the situation from last night, Spinel grins happily and pulls something out of her gem. "Oh and I won this last night for Peridot." 

The green gem's eyes had stars in them while staring at the green alien balloon. Her arms reach out, "Gimme! Gimme!" 

Everyone laughs and Spinel stretches her arms to place the balloon in Peridot's arms. Peridot hugs it and holds her nose up high to Spinel, "You are forgiven."

This time, everyone agreed on camping out for the night. Which Pearl had luckily prepared pillows and sleeping bags, handing them out from her gem. They were all in a circle with their heads in the middle and they all looked up at the starry sky. Of course they knew what the whole galaxy looked like, but…..not like this. Together and peacefully gazing still fills wonders through their minds. 

The reflection of the small lights were in Spinel's eyes and she felt happy. 

Steven glances over and sees the black streams on Spinel's cheeks had gotten smaller. He had noticed and so did the others. Even her color had gotten brighter. Sure, Steven was hesitant to let Spinel go with the Diamonds though she made that decision herself and now she is making a lot of decisions herself. 

The human/gem teen was right. Spinel may still have something missing to finally be complete and now she had friends to help. 

"So happily we'll face, whatever comes our way and after, we might do it all again." Steven sings softly. 

"Here we are in the future." Bismuth joins along with Peridot and Lapis, "Here we are in the future."

Steven glances at everyone in the group, "Are you ready every day? For as long as I can say. I~ I can make a change." 

"Here we are in the future." Everyone joins in, except Spinel as she continues to look at the sky. 

"I~ I can make a change." "Here we are in the future. Here we are in the future." "I~ I can make a change." "Here we are in the future." 

Now the notes grew slightly as they all sang individually and joining in as a chorus, starting with Steven, "Here we are in the future."

Amethyst; "Here we are in the future." 

"Here we are in the future." Pearl.

Garnet; "Here we are in the future."

"Here we are in the future." Lapis smiles at Peridot.

Peridot smiles back awkwardly; "Here we are in the future."

"Here we are in the future." Bismuth sings last.

"Here we are. Here we are!" Steven notices Spinel hasn't joined and takes her hand. "Come so far~! Come so far!"

Spinel stares at their hands then looks back to the stars while taking Bismuth's hand. This started a chain reaction of their hands holding onto each other in the group. 

"And it's bright. And it's bright. And it's bright. And it's bright. And it's bright. And it's bright!" 

This time Spinel took the spotlight, "We'll be ready every day. For as long as we can say, so here we are in the future with our friends." 

Without any of them knowing, Spinel's gem glowed softly, almost a twinkle and everyone's gems began to follow. 

"I can make a change." The gems sang together.  "That's why; Happily ever after never ends." 

"GROUP HUG!" Spinel cheers and pulls everyone in her arms in a very tight hug, making everyone groan at the sudden impact of their bodies. 

Lapis looks down at Peridot who is squirming against her and she laughs. Her laugh was contagious as everyone began to laugh too and move to embrace each other. To make it more fun and cause more laughter was Spinel picking them up and spinning around. 

From the tree Spinel had been in previously that day, the same shadow from outside Steven's house was peeking around and this time their posture was one of longing. Until the small shadow perked up as a butterfly flutters by and they happily went after it, leaving the group behind. 

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"Has anyone seen Lion lately?" Steven questioned. 

They all shrug and Spinel tilts her head, then remembers the pink creature. 

"Ah, I'm sure he's just jumping through portals again. Last time, he was looking for a place to lie down and take a nap." Steven laughs at the thought especially how Lion usually ends up laying in the dumpster behind the Big Donut. "Silly Lion."