The Crystal Court is a Steven Universe fanfic written by DrJekyl
and TheBlindBandit (or under the joint FF account 0TheCluster0).
Star-crossed lovers, become one. A time-displaced changeling. The Knight of Roses. And the first half-fae, half-human. These are the only remnants of the Crystal Court.
Set in an AU where the Crystal Gems are a rebellious group of fairies instead of alien gemstones. Can be read on Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net.
This fanfic provides examples of:
- Adaptation Species Change: The Gems go from alien space rocks to mystical fairies, and Steven goes from a human/Gem hybrid to a human/fairy hybrid.
- Changeling Tale: Spring has a habit of collecting human babies to play with (usually until they die), and replaces them with fae babies that she felt were unfit for her Court, like in the case of Amethyst.
- Faerie Court: The fairies are all lumped into the four different courts, each of them representing the four seasons (each based off of the four courts of the Diamond Authority), with the Crystal Gems each being fairies who rebelled against their respective court.
- The Fair Folk: The Courts are portrayed as ambivalent to the matters and suffering of humans (which they are usually the cause of), kidnapping babies or forcing human musicians to play until their hands bled. They even seem to have a contempt for their own kind as well, leaving their own children with human families as changelings and desiring to execute Ruby and Sapphire for their inter-court romance (even though their respective courts were under a truce).
- Goo-Goo-Godlike: Being half-fae, Steven possesses inherent magical power that he has little control over. He possesses his mother's magical charisma, but without her control, his charm borders on a form of Mind Control. His belief warps reality around him, cartoon characters manifesting for tea-parties and monsters appearing under his bed and in his closet that Pearl has to fend off. Overtime limits are magically imposed by Pearl and Garnet and normalcy is restored.
- I Know Your True Name: Magical names are a recurring motif in the story, the various characters going by simple names when addressed casually but are referred to by their full, mystical name when one attempts to control them (though circumstances may vary).
- Steven: Steven Motorcycle Vidalia Wild-growth Universe
- Rose: The Rose Whose Beauty Enraptures Even As Her Thorns Pierce
- Pearl: Knight of the Roses
- Ruby: Warrior Who Charges Headfirst Into The Blizzard
- Sapphire: Seeker and Keeper of the Spark of Truth
- Garnet: So The One Who Forged Herself Of Love
- I Owe You My Life: Ruby first falls for Sapphire when she accidentally bumps into her and Sapphire waved it off. As simple as this sounds, fae are not usually clumsy and Sapphire was high enough in the hierarchy to have her executed for the "insult." Because of this, Ruby feels she owes a life debt to her.
- Our Fairies Are Different: Instead of aliens, here all of the Gems are presented as different kinds of fairies, their powers depending on what Court (corresponding to the seasons) that they belong to. The Diamonds are the court queens- Pink is spring, Yellow is summer, White is autumn, and Blue is winter.
