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Nora Universe - Chapter 1 - Gem Glow

Nora ran along the boardwalk into town as she headed to the local post office. She burst through the door and saw Barb, the main mailman, and her co-worker, Jamie.

“Barb!” Nora yelled.

“Hey there, little Universe,” Barb said.

“Are you here to see if you package came in?” Jamie asked.

“I am. Did it come in?” Nora asked.

“I may have seen a package with the Universe name on it. Let me see. I know I saw it in here.”

Barb reached into her bag and pulled out a package. Nora smiled and gasped as Barb looked at the label.

“Here we go. Greg Universe, eh? You’re quite young with a fuller head of hair too. You sure it’s meant for you?” Barb teased.

“Barb,” Nora remarked.

“I’m teasing. Sign here,” Barb instructed.

Nora took the device from Barb and signed it.

“What’d you order that’s so important?” Jamie asked.

Yeah. I’d have gotten it to you eventually today,” Barb added.

“Something to help make the gems see I want to be one of them,” Nora answered.

“Well then, here you go,” Barb said.

Nora took the package and held it close. She smiled and silently squealed.

“Bye guys! Thank you!” Nora exclaimed.

Nora waved good-bye before she ran back down the boardwalk towards the beach. She jumped onto the sand and ran along the shoreline to an ancient temple of a large woman carved into the cliffside with a little wooden house at the base. She ran up the slope into the house.

“Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet! They came!” Nora announced.

Nora’s smile dropped when she saw the house was empty.

“What? You guys were just here. Where did you go?” Nora asked aloud.

Nora pouted and crossed her arms before she frowned and looked at her package. She wasn’t sure if she should open it now or wait until they returned to open. She had waited long enough for her package to arrive and wanted to open them, but she had wanted the gems to be here. And as always, the gems were gone the moment she looked away.

Nora looked up at the portrait of Rose Quartz, her mother. She had wanted the gems to see how much she wanted to be one of them. To be just like her mom, the rebel leader and war hero. Rose Quartz fought a long war with the Crystal Gems to protect Earth. Even with Rose gone, Nora was still there, and she wanted to be just like Rose. A warrior, leader, and a Crystal Gem.

Nora looked away from Rose’s portrait and put the package on the sofa. She wondered what was the point as she pulled her knees close to her. She had tried many times before to get their attention, but was ignored and treated like any human on Earth, despite having Rose’s gem on her navel. She knew she could be one of them, even if she didn’t have Rose’s powers. She had Rose’s gem, and that should be enough, right? She just wanted a single opportunity to prove herself.

Tears burned Nora’s eyes. She raised a hand to them in confusion before she wiped them away. She told herself that crying wasn’t going to help her right now. She just needed to distract herself. She figured she’d head to the Big Donut and get her favorite treat, the Cookie Cat ice cream sandwiches. That’d pick her back up immediately. And until then, she would just wait until the gems got back to open her package. 1

Nora ran out back into town to the Big Donut. She headed inside to the counter where the Cookie Cats were kept. She froze when she saw the freezer was empty. Her heart dropped as she approached Sadie at the counter.

“Uh, Sadie? Are there any Cookie Cats available in the back? Lars hasn’t restocked the cooler,” Nora said.

“Oh, sorry, Nora. They stopped making them,” Sadie said.

Nora’s heart plummeted as her eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“Tough luck, sister. Nobody else buys them except you. Maybe they couldn’t compete with Lion Lickers,” Lars mocked.

Nora glanced at the cooler filled with Lion Lickers. She shuffled towards it and stared at the misshapen popsicles that never looked like their packaging. Could things get any worse? The gems left before she could show them the package. They stopped making her favorite treat. What else could go wrong today?

“Nora? Are you alright?” Sadie asked.

Nora turned and stared back at Sadie’s concerned eyes. She opened her mouth when she felt a tear fall from her eyes. She yelped and dried her eyes.

“I’m wonderful. I just remembered that I have to go somewhere,” Nora yelled out.

Nora bolted from the Big Donut before Sadie could say anything. She headed through town to the local car wash her dad owned and worked at. She spotted him sitting in a lawn car with sunglasses on next to his van. She approached him, but he didn’t notice. She removed the sunglasses and saw he was asleep.

Nora giggled. She smirked and poked Greg lightly until he woke up.

“What… what? Who?” Greg asked.

“Hi, Dad!” Nora yelled.

Greg squinted his eyes as he adjusted to the sun. “Nora? Hey, kid. What brings you by today? Did your stuff come in?”

“It sure did. I just got it not too long ago,” Nora answered.

“Oh yeah? What’d the gems say?”

“Oh. Well, they weren’t there.”

“Off on another mission, eh?”

“I guess so. Not a word when they might be back either.”

“Are you going to wait for them?”

“I want to. I want them to be the first ones to see them. I want them to see how dedicated I am to Mom and them, but what’s the point? Even if I show them the books, they’ll still never give me a chance to prove myself.”

Greg grimaced and looked away before he looked back at Nora with a smile. “Hey, I have an idea. I’m going to grab a pizza and we can talk. Sound good?”

“You don’t have to. I don’t want to be a bother. Plus, I know you don’t make a lot of money. And-.”

“Hey, one pizza isn’t going to break the bank, kiddo. Plus, I’d wager you haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”

“I may have forgot.”

Greg ruffled Nora’s hair. “You silly girl. Let me get that pizza and we’ll chill in the van and talk.”

“I’ll be here,” Nora said.

Greg hurried off down the street to the local pizza place. Nora sighed as she opened the back doors of Greg’s van and sat. She kicked her feet and stared at the ground while she waited. She felt anxiety and fear gnaw at her as she worried that Greg wouldn’t return. She tried to push out the thoughts, but they repeated in her head that he would leave her as the gems did and she’d always be alone.

“Hey, young lady. Did someone order a deluxe pizza?” Greg joked.

Nora snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Greg. Relief flooded her when she saw him, but he looked at her with concern.

‘Hey, are you alright?” Greg asked.

“Yeah! I’m totally fine,” Nora lied.

Greg frowned and sat down. He placed the pizza down, opening it, and handing a slice to Nora before he took one.

“Nora, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Nora said.

“Is it the gems?”

“I… I think so. They were here, and I was happy, but then they were gone again. Like always. I know they have important things to do, but where does that leave me? Even with Mom’s gem, they don’t see me as one of them. I know I’m just as important as them, but instead it feels like they treat me like a burden.”

“They haven’t called you that, have they?”

“No. And I know I shouldn’t think like that, but it’s difficult. They mean well, I know, but do they really? Especially when they make me feel like an obligation. Especially with a lot of days they just feed me, check on me, and then they’re gone. I’m just a pet. One they abandon.”

“Well, I can’t help with the gems, but if you need someone to pal around with, I’m always here. Vidalia doesn’t live that far from here, and you have her number still, right? You could always give her a call and she’d hunt me down to tell me. Never stopped her before you know.”

“Yeah, but Pearl. I don’t want to get comfortable and happy to have you around only for pearl to come back and force you away. Seeing you driven away is worse than just being alone. I can’t handle it again. And I know I can just come over here and hang out, but you’re supposed to be working. And I don’t want to miss the gems when they get home. I don’t want to miss the short time I have with them, even if they just dismiss me every time. I just… want them to stay. I want them to need me.”

Nora took a breath before she continued her rant.

“But they don’t need me. They don’t even see me as one of them. Even though I have Mom’s gem And I know they see it, but they just ignore it and me. I could be one of them if they just gave me a chance. I thought if I got those books, they’d see my dedication. They’d finally understand how much I want to be seen as a gem too. Not just a human pet.”

Nora paused again before she continued.

“I just have to wonder, am I doing something wrong? Did I do something to upset them? Is there even anything I could do to make them see me? I want to understand them. I want to understand Mom. I just want to know that part of me. And maybe learn to be a warrior like Mom. Is that wrong? Although, even what I know about Mom is from you, not them. It’s almost like they don’t want me to know anything. Is there even a point to me trying at all if they don’t want anything to do with me?”

Greg finished his slice and put a hand on Nora’s shoulder. “Well, I have some of that good old fatherly advice.”

“What is it?” Nora asked.

“A lot of the time, life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. For better or worse. But when it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. I mean, it does feel that way at times. It sucks. More than we’d like to admit. It’ll make you want to give up. Throw in the towel. And all that. I know I faced my fair share as a one man band. But I didn’t give it up because it’s what I wanted. And you and the gems. I know you want them around to each you, but they’re not. But there are other options available.”

“Like what?”

“Well… those books, right? They’re supposed to help you learn the basics of fighting, yeah?”

“That’s what the description said when we ordered them.”

“And the gems won’t teach you that stuff, right?”

“Right.”

“There’s one thing then. If the gems won’t teach you, then you can start learning on your own. I know it’s not ideal, and you’d rather have the gems here to teach you, but there are times that if we want something, we need to take other means to get it. Legal means. You want to be like Rose. You want to be a gem. A warrior. All that. Those books may just be what you need. Not to prove yourself to the gems, but to learn to be like Rose.”

“So, I should… use the books and learn on my own? So, I would begin to learn to be a warrior like Mom, even if the gems never teach me?”

“Are you ok with that?”

“It’s not ideal. I would have liked to learn from them too. But if they don’t ever teach me, should I really wait?”

“That’s a tough call, kiddo. Sometimes life will throw you a bone and help you out, other times it just kicks you while you’re down. So, we honestly never know what the right choice is. The best we can do is make the best decision we can with the information we have at the time.”

“And right now, the gems won’t do anything with me. They won’t stay. They won’t teach me. Nothing! And I suppose with those books, I can take things into my own hands, right?”

“So long as you practice safety too. I don’t want you losing, I dunno, a hand, or arm, or eye, or anything.”

“I will. The gems don’t let me near any real sharp objects. They don’t even let me keep sharp knives for cooking.”

“Really? I can understand keeping those from a kid, but you’re almost at that age when most kids would be learning to do things like cooking on your own. Knives are just part of the tool kit.”

“They see them as weapons, and I’m not supposed to have access to any weapons.”

“Well, that’ll be a conversation with the gems later, but how are you feeling?”

“I’m still a little upset with the gems, but I’m feeling a little better too.”

“You might feel a little better if you ate something. You haven’t touched your slice.”

“Oh! Sorry!”

“Hey, it’s alright. Just make sure you eat your fill. And once you’re done, you can stay if you’d like. I know you don’t want to miss the gems, but you also don’t need to be alone.”

“I think I will.”

“That’s my girl. And, uh, save some leftovers for me. That’ll be breakfast tomorrow.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Greg ruffled Nora’s hair. He smiled before he stood and took care of the car wash. Nora ate her fill, leaving most of the pizza for him for later. She got up and hung around the car wash. She caught up with Vidalia, chilled in the lawn chair while Greg talked with Mr. Fryman and Peedee tried to talk to her, before they climbed onto Greg’s van to watch the sun set.

“Did you have fun today, kid?” Greg asked.

“I did. It was nice,” Nora admitted.

“I’m glad. And you can come back here tomorrow and any other day you want. Have it be like old times, except at a car wash instead of the house.”

“I just might, Dad, but I should get going now.”

“You don’t have to leave right away if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

“I know, but I need to start studying and practicing. No use waiting on the gems, right?”

Greg smiled. “Alright. You take care, and don’t be a stranger. You’re always welcome here.”

“I know, and I will.”

Greg hugged Nora. “I love you, Nora.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

Nora smiled as warmth blossomed in her chest. She opened her eyes when she noticed a small pink glow against the orange sunset. She moved back and looked down at her stomach to see the gem on her belly button glowed. Her and Greg’s jaws dropped as the light faded away.

“Dad! Dad, did you see that? My gem glowed! It hasn’t done that before!” Nora exclaimed.

“I haven’t seen it glow like that since you were a newborn,” Greg commented.

“Really? Then… this must be a sign. Oh! Oh, how was I feeling? What all was I doing when it glowed? I… I need to get home and write this down. I can’t forget. Bye, Dad! I love you!” Nora yelled as she leapt from the van.

Nora bolted down the boardwalk to her home. She ran up the slope and burst into the house where she was jumped by a green and black gem centipede creature. She shrieked as a whip wrapped around the creature and yanked it back. She looked around to see Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet all fighting the creatures. She approached Pearl as Pearl dragged one of the creatures from out under the coffee table.

“Hey, Pearl? What are these things? Why are they here?” Nora asked.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, Nora. We’ll get these Centipeetles out of your room. We think they were trying to get into the temple,” Pearl said.

“Why? No one can get in except you guys,” Nora pointed out.

Pearl opened her mouth when the centipeetle she held opened its mouth. Nora shrieked as acid spat out, and corroded a hole into the floor between her and Pearl.

“Hey, guys? These things don’t have gems!” Amethyst called.

“That means there’s a mother nearby,” Garnet said.

“We should probably take care of it before it causes anyone trouble,” Pearl said.

Nora glanced at the unopened package, then back at Pearl. “Oh! Uh, before you go, I want-.”

“Let’s go,” Garnet said.

Nora’s heart dropped as Pearl snapped the centipeetle’s neck as it poofed. Pearl and Amethyst followed Garnet outside.

Nora reached out for Pearl before she frowned and looked away. She grabbed the package, climbed up onto her loft and bed, and opened it. She took out the manuals on fighting techniques and fighting for beginners and spread them out on her bed. Even if the gems wouldn’t teach her to fight, she would learn on her own, but that would be for the morning.

Nora put the books aside on her bed. She grabbed her journal and a pen. She recorded the events of the day that all led to her gem glowing. She ran through it all but wasn’t sure what it was. She didn’t think it was the food. It happened long after lunch. She wondered if it might have been Greg. She had hugged him when her gem glowed, but that wasn’t the only thing.

Nora’s stomach growled. She grabbed her phone and saw the time. It was midnight and she was still alone. She figured they were still out chasing the monster. She should be getting to bed, but she should have a quick snack.

Nora climbed down and headed into the kitchen. She stared at the sparse selection in fridge when she heard footsteps. She glanced over as the gems returned. Garnet and Amethyst headed into the temple while Pearl stood beside Nora.

“You’re up late. Is everything ok?” Pearl asked.

“Yeah, I just forgot to eat dinner,” Nora said.

“You what? Nora, humans need three square meals a day with all the necessary nutrients to maintain their organic forms. Please tell me you ate something today.”

“I had some pizza.”

“Oh. Oh, no. That won’t do. Sit. I’ll make you a proper meal.”

“But I was going to grab a snack and go to bed. Maybe.”

Pearl picked up Nora and placed her down on the barstool at the counter. Nora huffed as Pearl gathered ingredients and prepared them. Nora stewed in annoyance at how Pearl quickly takes over and acts like she’s in charge. Nora considered and realized with Pearl here, she could show Pearl the books. This was her chance.

“Pearl? Can I-?” Nora started.

“Nora, while we’re on the subject of food, I’ve noticed you’ve been eating less this past year. Is everything alright? You’re not sick, are you? Is this some new disease? Maybe I should look into it,” Pearl said.

“It’s not a disease. I just haven’t been hungry.”

“That doesn’t sound right. Something must be wrong. Humans feel hunger when their organic bodies need fuel. You haven’t been eating and not feeling hunger pains?”

“I guess. Yes.”

“Something is not adding up. I’ll have to look into it.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“Of course, I do. Who else will? Greg? Don’t make me laugh.”

Nora frowned and looked away. There it was, every time, and without fail. She wished Pearl would stop hating Greg as much as she did. She wanted to know what the deal was, but she assumed if she asked, Pearl would just give her an excuse as Pearl always did.

Nora sighed and stared out the window while Pearl cooked. She zoned out until the soft noise of a plate placed on the counter snapped her out of it. She looked down to see a chicken breast covered with a rich sauce, a baked potato with sour cream and butter, and a vegetable casserole. She stared at the food while Pearl set up her silverware and poured her a glass of fruit punch.

“There we go. A perfect meal with everything you need according to human dietitians. Go on. Try it,” Pearl said.

Nora stared at the meal as she grabbed the fork and knife. Pearl hadn’t cooked for her before, so she wasn’t sure how this would taste. She cut a piece of chicken and held it up. It looked and smelled good, but the taste she wasn’t sure about. She ate the sliver of chicken and her eyes widened. Tears rimmed her eyes as she sat in awe.

“Oh. Oh, dear. You’re crying. I’m sorry. I… it’s the food, isn’t it? I can make you-,” Pearl started.

“It’s amazing,” Nora said.

“Then why are you crying?” Pearl asked.

“Because it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“It… it is? It is! This is going down in the book.”

Nora raised a brow as Pearl summoned a journal from her gem. She furrowed her brow and stared at Pearl.

“What’s that?” Nora asked.

Pearl hummed. “Oh. It’s a book I keep to record your habits, references, and the like to better care for you. Rose did ask me to take care of you after all. Before she was taken from us. But no point in dwelling on what Greg took from us. What matters is carrying out Rose’s wishes. Anyway, finish you dinner. I’ve got a little surprise for dessert.”

Nora frowned and crossed her arms. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

“What? How? I don’t understand. You’ve only had a couple of bites.”

Nora opened her mouth when Garnet and Amethyst joined them. Garnet put a hand on Pearl’s shoulder.

“It’s ok, Pearl,” Garnet said.

“Are you sure?” Pearl asked.

“Yes.”

“Very well. But-.”

Amethyst glanced down at Nora’s plate and shoved her hand in Pearl’s face. “Hey, are you doing to finish that?”

“Amethyst! Don’t you even-!” Pearl shrieked.

Nora took the plate and handed it to Amethyst.

“Aww, yeah!” Amethyst explained.

Amethyst consumed the leftover while Pearl frowned and glared at her.

“Not bad, P. Needs more trash, thought,” Amethyst said.

Pearl took the plate while Garnet stepped forward.

“Alright. Turn around,” Garnet instructed.

Nora turned around. Garnet stepped out in front of Nora and held out a Cookie Cat ice cream sandwich.

“Here,” Garnet said.

Nora’s jaw dropped. “How… how did you get this? They stopped making these. And there were none in the Big Donut.”

“Garnet heard that too. So-,” Pearl started.

“We stole a whole bunch!” Amethyst yelled.

“And I went back and paid for them. And I have a schedule set up to make them last as long as possible,” Pearl added.

“Or when I say you can have one,” Garnet added.

“And you all did this… for me? Why?” Nora asked.

“You’ll see. Enjoy,” Garnet said.

Nora frowned, but unwrapped the ice cream sandwich. She wasn’t sure why the gems would do this since they often ignored her. However, she wasn’t about to complain. After the day she had, she was just glad to have one of her favorite treats. And despite it all, it was a nice thing for them to do.

Nora smiled as she took a bite and enjoyed her treat. Warmth spread through her. She closed her eyes when her gem glowed brighter than before. It shone brighter until it summoned a pink shield with a rose in the center with vines etched onto the shield.

“Whoa!” Amethyst yelled.

“It’s Rose’s shield!” Pearl exclaimed.

Nora opened her eyes and gasped. She reached out and touched it. It fell to the ground and then vanished. She stared at where it fell, then at the Cookie Cat. That warmth she felt before when she ate the Cookie Cat and was with Greg. She felt it both times when her gem glowed, but this time she was able to summon a shield. What was that warmth? How was it connected to her gem?

Garnet placed a hand on Nora’s shoulder. “It’s time.”

“Time for what?” Nora asked.

“For you to become a Crystal Gem.”

Nora’s eyes lit up as they widened. Pearl panicked and ran up to Garnet.

“No, not yet, Garnet. Please, she’s not ready,” Pearl argued.

“That doesn’t matter, Pearl. What matters now is our agreement,” Garnet countered.

“What agreement?” Nora asked.

“Nora, when you were a baby, your gem glowed. It was the only time we had seen it until today. So, when we took you in, we made a promise. We would keep you out of our affairs until we saw a sign you were able to use your gem powers,” Garnet explained.

“So, now that there’s been a sign, does this mean I can join you guys?”

“Yes and no. You may join us on missions that do not involve dealing with corrupted gems, like the one we went after today. Not until you learn to summon your weapon at will without fail. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Yes! Completely understand. But what about the missions I can?”

“Retrieval or anything that won’t be you in harms way. Understood?”

“And what about training? Will I learn to fight like you guys?”

“Yes. Pearl will handle weapon training. If you want to learn hand-to-hand, I will teach that.”

“What about Amethyst?”

Garnet looked at Amethyst, then back at Nora. “If you want to learn how to eat a triple pizza burrito in one bite, she can teach you that.”

Nora grimaced. ‘Uh, I think I’ll pass.”

Amethyst chuckled. “Your loss.”

“Right. Anyway, can we start tomorrow?” Nora asked.

“No,” Garnet said.

“But-!”

“Give us time to put together things for you. And give Pearl time to come to terms with this. Until then, you have those books you ordered. They’ll help you learn the basics.”

“What? How do you know about them? The packaging wasn’t opened.”

“Yes.”

“O-k. Then how long will I need to wait?”

“After your first mission.”

“When will that be?”

“You’ll see.”

Nora glowered while Garnet placed a hand on Nora’s head.

“Patience. Trust me.”

Nora frowned and looked away.

“Well, this has been lovely, but it is well past Nora’s bedtime. C’mon, Nora. Let’s get ready,” Pearl interjected.

Pearl picked Nora up by the shoulders and carried her to the bathroom. She placed Nora down inside and closed the door. Nora rolled her eyes and turned away from the door when she heard Pearl’s voice.

“Remember the floss and mouth wash,” Pearl reminded.

Nora sneered and opened her mouth to yell at Pearl. She stopped herself and clenched her teeth. She shut her mouth and looked down as tears rimmed her eyes. She turned away as a tear fell. She hurried through her routine and headed back to her bed. She plopped down onto it when Pearl turned off the lights.

Nora watched through the darkness as Pearl disappeared into the temple. She let out a silent sigh, relieved that Pearl was gone. She wasn’t sure how it was possible to want someone around, but also be glad when they were gone. No matter the case, that didn’t matter now.

Nora sat up and scooted over to the window. She leaned back against it, sitting with her legs folded under her and hands in her lap. She stared up at the night sky as she processed the events of the day. She still worked through a lot of it, but there were things that she was absolutely certain of.

Nora would no longer be some pet to the gems. She’d finally learn what it meant to be a gem, a warrior, and even a leader. She wasn’t sure if Rose could see what was going on, but she wondered if Rose would be proud. After so long, she would finally be a Crystal Gem, just like Rose.