A yell of agony erupted from a bookstore and Connie Universe fell to the floor. "Why?! Why, why, WHY?!" She sobbed.

Sadie gave a groan. "I don't know, Connie… But please, stop shaking me!"

The girl slowly released the short girl's shirt and glanced at the empty shelf. "How can The Spirit Morth saga be over?! It's the most thrilling, romantic and awesomest book series ever!"

"The author is done with the story, Connie." Lars shrugged. "Sorry."

"If you like the books so much, why don't you just make some more with your magic chest gem?" Sadie laughed.

"That's not how it works, Sadie. Right?" Connie glanced at the yellow diamond on her chest. She frowned.

"Oh, Lisa!" Connie cried, hugging a empty box set made for the books, "With your fair features on the outside, and your heart of gold on the inside… You were too good for this world…"

"Connie… Do you want to take that box home?"

She nodded softly.

Connie happily ran home, saying in her mind over and over again the book's slogan.

She ran up to the beach house which in truth was a temple and opened the door. "Guys! This is horrible!" Suddenly, a centipeetle attacked her. She squealed in horror but a fist of water suddenly punched it away. "Hi,

Connie!" A blue girl cried, choke holding it.

Connie waved and glanced to a smaller green gem who swung a metal pole at another. A orange, very big gem snapped one in half.

"Wow! What are those?!"

"Sorry, Connie, we'll get these centipede clods out of your room! I think they're trying to get to the temple!" Peridot called.

"You don't have to get rid of them! They're interesting! Can we keep one?" Connie giggled. The one on Peridot's lap suddenly spit acid.

"Negative." Peridot growled, glancing at the hole.

"Hey guys?" Lapis Lazuli called, flying away from one that tugged on her dress. "These don't have gems…"

"Then the mother must be near!" Jasper grunted. She punch one that tried to sneak up on her.

"We should destroy the threat immediately, before any humans get hurt." Peridot said.

Connie gasped and leapt up. "Can I help?! Can I? Can I?"

"Connie," Lapis smiled, landing gracefully beside her, "until you learn to control your gem, you gotta leave saving the world to us, ok?"

"Ok…" Connie grumbled. She suddenly screamed in terror and ran to her room. She tried to push a centipeddle off her bookshelf and Jasper happily destroyed it for her. "Huh?! How is this possible?!"

The gems glanced up to see Connie holding out a new book of her favorite series. "But I thought the author stopped making them!"

"We heard that too, and since it's your favorite-" Lapis was interrupted by Peridot squealing, "We forced the author to write more! They were hastily put together…"

"Well, she probably felt scared that I had my fist to her head." Jasper shrugged.

"Ahem, we politely asked her to…." Lapis growled, "... after I showed that we helped protect the world-"

"Don't you mean Beach City?" Connie asked.

"Same thing."

"It was my idea." Jasper smirked.

"No, it was everyone's-" Peridot was cut off by Jasper's glare.

"This is amazing, guys!" Connie cried. "Let's see, chapter one…" The girl's chest suddenly started to glow and she dropped the book.

"Quick, summon your weapon!" Lapis cried.

"How?!" Connie gasped.

"Don't force it… I think? Am I right?" Peridot asked, not having a weapon except her metal powers. Jasper nodded.

"Also, don't puke!" Lapis called.

"Ugh, gross." Jasper muttered.

Connie's glow faded suddenly and they all gave a sigh.

"Aw… Can someone show me how to use their weap-"

"ME! ME FIRST! ME!" Peridot squealed.

"Okay, sure…" Connie blushed.

"Peridot?"

"Yes, Connie?"

"You… have a weapon, right?"

The gem glared at her. Suddenly, a metal pole from the beach flew into the gem's hand. "Yes."

"The way my metal powers work is based on my will power. Like this rock," Peri kicked a nearby rock and it rolled down the hill. "if I don't have enough will to use my strength… it will fail me."

Connie threw a rock in the air and tried to punch it away, resulting in her knuckles stinging and bleeding slightly.

"Did Peri tell you about the rock thing?" Lapis groaned.

"Yeah! I gotta be strong willed, like a rock!" Connie cried. Lapis laughed and used part of her water that was in her gem to wash away the blood and winced as tears grew in Connie's eyes. "Sorry… When I use my powers… It just

happens with my emotions, usually I'm calm..."

"So I have to be tough and calm at the same time?" Connie asked.

"I just think about how I'm gonna punch a stupid smirk of my enemy's face." Connie frowned at Jasper as her helmet appeared. "That's how I do it."

Connie face palmed.

"I think we should recreate the scene I was in… Okay?"

The gems nodded.

"Okay… Jasper and Peridot were over there, and Lapis was by the bookcase…" She moved them. "Lapis.. you had your arms crossed and still do… good job."

"Thanks." Lapis grunted.

"Peridot, you had your foot over here…" Connie moved it. "Yeah!"

"I don't think it works this way, Connie…" Peridot said, giving a sad smile.

"And Jasper," Connie scrunched her face up and Jasper frowned. "Exactly."

"Okay…" Connie said, flipping open the book. "Blah, blah, thanks, blah, blah, chapter one," She glanced at her chest… nothing. She gave a whimper. "Maybe I'm not a Crystal Temp…"

"Don't be silly, Connie." Lapis said. "Of course you are!"

"You're really fun to help homeworkwith my calculations and such, and to read with, and hang around with… Even when your gem is being a clod…" Peri frowned at Lapis' growl. "I said that wrong… Connie, you're one of us,

okay? You're a Crystal Temp, cause when it comes down to it… you have temper like the rest of us when you need it."

"Yeah…" Connie whispered. "Even if my gem doesn't work, I... still have my books!" The girl hugged the book close and her gem glowed.

They all gasped and Connie's weapon, a shield made of yellow lighting appeared. "Whoa…" Peri gasped.

"Lightning shield…Cool!" Connie yelled, bouncing. The shield then rocketed off and hit the bookshelf, knocking it over. Lapis giggled and snorted while Peridot gaped.

"I summon my powers by reading?!" Connie gasped.

"What did this author do?!" Peridot wondered, snatching the book away.

The house rumbled suddenly and Connie fell back in suprise, seeing the dark shadow of the mother Centipeddle.

"It's the mother!" Jasper yelled. The gems ran outside but Lapis shoved Connie inside. "Stay here, okay?"

"No way!" Connie cried. While the gems were fighting, Connie shoved the new books in the box Lars had given her.

The gems dodged a acid attack and hid behind a hand statue. They all winced in fear as acid dripped down it.

"Hey! Leave them alone!" Connie screamed.

"Connie, no!" The gems yelled.

The hum gem hybrid ran from the monster and Connie read and read. She skimmed the whole book! She read another one, but no use. Her brain hurt.

She screamed when the monster came at her. She dodged it's attack but her book wasn't so lucky. "NO!"

She wiped away tears and whispered, "Lisa… always stays tall… Lisa always fights on!" She turned to the monster and her gem sparked with electricity. "LISA… ALWAYS… WIN!" She screeched. The bolt from her chest sent

the monster on fire.

"Gems, weapons!" Jasper yelled.

They obliged. They fought the monster til it's gem was there. It had been poofed…

Connie sadly buried the smashed book. She wiped away tears.

"Connie… are you crying?" Lapis whispered. The girl nodded in defeat. "Yes I am, Lapis… Yes I am."

"Guess your powers don't come from reading…" The ocean gem said, plopping down next to her.

"Of course they don't come from reading. You'll figure out a way to activate your gem, Connie." Peridot said.

"In your own… Connie way." Jasper laughed.

Connie giggled then grabbed her head. "Ugh, I read too much…" The human gem fell fast asleep suddenly in exhaustion and collapsed into Lapis' arms behind her. The Crystal Temps smiled softly at one another, and hugged thier little

Connie close…