General Plot Stuff (From the show)

[Melissa, Leader of the Crystal Gems]

Ignoring all the fluff from the show, basically what we've got is three women living with a young boy named Steven. The women, named Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet act as Steven's guardians. Each of the women as well as Steven have a precious gem implanted in their body somewhere, Pearl has a pearl on her forehead, Amethyst has an amethyst on her chest, Garnet has garnet in her hands, and Steven has rose quartz where his belly button should be.

These four are known as the Crystal Gems. They protect Earth as well as a few other worlds from dangerous creatures usually morphed or influenced by gem shards. The origin of these shards is unknown but it's implied they come from fallen Crystal Gems. Anyway, these Crystal Gems are part of an alien race which once tried to take over the Earth 5,000 years ago. In the show, a Gem named Rose Quartz saw the beauty of Earth and turned against her own kind. She rose an army of like minded Gems and they rebelled against the rest of the Gems. They won the battle but at a heavy cost, only a handful of Gems remained. The Gems who tried to take over Earth retreated back to the Homeworld and remained there for 5,000 years allowing Rose Quartz and the others to live peacefully for a while.

Fast forward nearly 5,000 years. Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems (different from the rest of their race now differentiated as Homeworld Gems) meet a human named Greg Universe. Greg and Rose Quartz fall in love and have a son named Steven. Rose Quartz is forced to give up her body in order for Steven to live, bringing much sadness to everyone. The Crystal Gems raise Steven and he eventually begins coming into his powers as a Crystal Gem hybrid with many of Rose Quartz's powers.

Now for the juicy stuff.

At this point Steven begins learning more and more about the Gems, even that there is a Homeworld in the first place (he'd been fairly ignorant about his mother's heritage) and it's impossible to go into more plot without further explanation. The Gem race as a whole is far more civilized than Earth and are equipped with such technology as warp pads, advanced weaponry, space ships etc. When the Homeworld Gems landed on Earth they exploited its resources and began creating Kindergartens, literal gardens for kids in which they grew new Gems (Amethyst is actually one of these Gems). It's only speculation but it's possible that there are multiple Gems which have the same stone, like clones almost. Scores of Pearls, Amethysts, Rose Quartzs, etc. Anyway, these Kindergartens were toxic to the Earth and the Rose Quartz influential to our plot realized they could destroy the Earth if no one stopped them.

So she did and many many Gems died, back in the present though a Homeworld Gem named Peridot came sniffing around one of the Kindergartens on Earth looking to start it up again. The Crystal Gems reveal themselves to stop her, and succeed only Peridot comes back with reinforcement in the form of a hostile Homeworld Gem named Jasper.

At some point recently, a magic mirror is introduced powered by a blue Gem which Steven pries loose after realizing the mirror was a sentient being. Out of the mirror comes a Gem named Lapis Lazuli. She distrusts the Crystal Gems though seems to have a soft spot for Steven. She hates Earth and just wants to return to Homeworld. She does but is dragged back with Peridot and Jasper to confront the Crystal Gems.

The Homeworld Gems and the Crystal Gems fight though when Jasper and Peridot realize Steven has inherited Rose Quartz's gem they quickly defeat the Crystal Gems and force them all into their ship to return to Homeworld and a mysterious Gem named Yellow Diamond. On the ship Steven manages to break everyone out and a struggle ensues with Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven fighting Peridot while Garnet (whom we learn is actually a fused (view spoiler)[more about fusion and other abilities in another thread (hide spoiler)] version of two separate Gems romantically involved, Sapphire and Ruby) faces off against Jasper. The Crystal Gems defeat Peridot and Jasper (more or less since both escape or are dragged off to unknown fates) and they begin to resume their peaceful lives.

[Melissa, Leader of the Crystal Gems]

The plot is my version based off what I've seen and read, it does not contain everything that has happened and glosses over other parts so if I've missed something that's to be expected. There is a Q&A thread for any questions unanswered here or you can check out the wiki for more specific plot info: http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki...