Steven Univers: The Second Gem War
Malachite lumbered onto the shore, exhausted and irritated, both parts still struggling against each other for control. Jasper warned Lapis that she would destroy her, Lapis dared her to do so, and the two battled internally as their conjoined form of Malachite writhed on the sand. Steven and the gems watched the green giant emerge from the ocean from their home at the bottom of the mountain, and rushed to arms.
Steven sensed the internal struggle at once, and rushed to Malachite's side, but couldn't help without also attacking Lapis. He begged her to separate but she refused. Instead, Lapis asked Steven to use the cannon and destroy her as Malachite. Pearl was ever the voice of reason, insisting that they follow through and plast Malachite. Steven couldn't, he could barely aim it at her, knowing his friend was a part of her. Malachite rushed at Steven, frightening the other gems, took the canon, and aimed it at her own face just as it went off.
Two shattered gems washed ashore. Pearl bubbled the jasper and sent it to be stored away while Steven cradled the lapis lazuli in his hands, crying over his lost friend. Garnet put a hand on his arm to comfort him but the tears flowed free, raining over the gem. Then something miraculous happened: the gem shards melded back together into the same tear shape as before.
For days, Steven kept Lapis in his pocket, close enough to talk to her, until one day he felt it shake, saw it glow, and took it out to watch as it turned into Lapis. The friends rejoiced, and Steven swung Lapis in a circular dance, and as they moved in for a hug they joined Steven's rose quartz and Lapis Lazuli into Lepidolite.
Steven's features became more mature and feminine; his eyes turned deep ocean blue, his hair grew longer and turned rich violet, and even his clothes changed. Lepidolite wore a lavender halter swimsuit top and deep blue swim trunks with a sheer lavender rap and a rose pink off- shoulders t-shirt with yellow star centered on it. She was husky like Steven but tall, maybe tall as Garnet. The rose pink gem glittered on her naval while her ocean blue gem sparkled on her back. Most importantly, Lapis was happy as Lepidolite, and the two friends were one.
"Connie!" Lapidolite called waving franticly from her house as Connie came closer.
"Steven!?" Connie asked, removing her glasses.
"I fused with Lapis." Lapidolite answered, laughing as Steven always had. At that moment a bizarre emerald green crab creature landed like a commet less than six feet from Connie. A cloud of sand settled around it in a crater, and Connie blinked from where she was safely cradled in Lapidolite's arms behind a lavender version of Steven's rose shield. Droplets of dew glittered like diamonds on the rose in the center and some of the thorns.
"woah, what happened?"
"Stand back!" Lapidolite ordered Connie as she rushed ahead and materialized a long wavy lavender sword with a rose on the hilt. The blade looked like a mirror with a metallic light purple thorny vine wrapped around it to form the wavy shape, and the thorns seemed to merely wrap around the sword in a tighter coil to form the hilt. Dew glittered on the vines of this too. Connie gawked in amazement.
"Oh no, now what!?" Pearl shouted as she and the others rushed to the beach. The emerald crab was perfectly round and radially simetrical with it's five limbs spaced equally from each other. It had 10 horns and moved like a spider doing summersaults. It's first strike was ater Lapidolite, but she blocked with her shield, then followed with a swing of her sword. The crab creature sprang backward and was blindsided by a punch from Garnet. Pearl swung her staff in time to catch the crab mid rebound, and it was slammed into the sand. It clamoured to it's feet again then barreled after Pearl.
Amethyst grabbed it's legs and tripped it with her whip. "Take that." She hollered. With another whip, she attacked the green monster while Garnet leaped after it and dropped, hammer fist first, onto it, cracking the shell. Lapidolite reached her sword to the sea and water rushed in a glittering arc into the crack left in the crab's armor by Garnet's attack, and the beast shattered from the pressure within. An emerald orb rolled to a stunned Pearl's feet. She bubbled the orb and sent it to the chamber with the others.
"Lapidolite… wow." Pearl began.
"Yeah, Steven- I mean Lapidolite- you showed that oversized seafood special who's boss!" Amethist agreed, hip bumping Lapidolite's knee.
"I know. I have so much more control as Lapidolite." Steven laughed. "Sorry for the scare Connie."
"Are you kidding? That was amazing! You can control water like Lapis, and your sword is a lot prettier. It reminds me of the Garden warrior in book five of 'A Compendium of Warriors' Woes!' you'd like it Steven, its full of love and amazing plot twists." Connie rambled.
"sounds good. Wanna get some fish pizza?"
"im not very hungry."
"cool, lets get doughnuts." Lapidolite offered. Lars was trying to look cool in front of buck, talking to sour cream while Jenny was face booking or some other social media something. When Lapidolite opened the door for connie, the crew stopped and gawked. Lapidolite strode up to the counter and leaned down to put her hand on it. "Hey guys, hey Sadie."
"OH MY GOD, STEVEN?" Sadie exclaimed backing away from her.
"Yeah, I fused with another gem, her name is Lapis Lazuli. You can call me steven but I'm Lapidolite now." Steven explained.
"Cool. Are you like a chick or a dude though…" Buck Dewy asked. The shop went silent. Steven looked down at her flat chest then her swim trunks then blinked at the floor. "it's cool man, it don't matter." Buck said after a while. Lapidolite sighed in relief.
"Oh yeah, you were that other big chick from before too weren't you? You and your little friend." Sour Cream said, moving toward Connie. "Hey, I'm Sour Cream."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Wait, what other big chick?" Sadie asked, handing Steven the doughnuts.
"Stevonnie. Remember? 2 doughnuts, poor business practice…" Lapidolite said, paying for her doughnuts before pulling out a chair for Connie to sit with the others. Lapidolite sat herself nearby and passed Connie one doughnut before nibbling on her own conservatively. "Maybe I'll need two more…" Steven said pensively over the doughnut.
"You should have seen him! He materialized a sword and shield out of nowhere, and they were beautiful! Then he defeated this weird crab hand thing!" Connie said excitedly. The teens conversed excitedly unaware of the impending doom looming closer with each minute.
Out in space three massive ships came nearer. Their docking bays were full of emerald fighter jets, crab creatures, and other odd geometric emerald beings. A woman garbed totally in black strode confidently through the bay to a compartment full of monitors replaying the fights that the crystal gems had won. The person watching the monitors was pretty as a princess and clothed in amber. These two did have one thing in common. The woman in black had a black gemstone in the place of her left eye while the other had a yellow gem for a right eye.
"Jet, your pet was defeated as soon as it landed."
"Like I care. Emerald will just make us more. It is the data that I care about. What did you find, Amber?" Jet asked her companion.
"The human somehow possesses Rose Quartz's abilities, and has fused with that weakling Lapis Lazuli."
"Citrine will take the boy. She has wanted a rematch with Rose since the war."
"If she wants to end up like Jasper, that's her business." Amber sighed. "These big ships move so slow. I can't wait to get to earth and cut loose with you."
"Neither can i." Jet smirked. Her hair was shorn short on the right side and the back while the long bangs remaining were combed over to hide her jet eye. Amber's long wavy locks were braded to one side and her bangs were artfully trained over her amber eye. Jet's tight fitting militant look contrasted Amber's frilly dress. The two seemed oddly similar though, laughing at the prospect of a little destruction.
Steven looked over the deserted beach city as wind blew his curly black hair out of his face. He already missed his father and Connie, and of course everyone else; Sadie, Lars, the cool kids, onion… Pearl put a nervous hand on his shoulder and looked out at the ghost town clutching her other hand into a fist over her heart. The gem attacks had continued steadily over the past two years, and now Steven was 14. In the time that had passed many harrowing experiences molded him, made him grow in many senses. Steven strummed his father's guitar in a sad slow tune then by speeding the tempo, made it inspirational, and heartening.
"Steven… it's time." Pearl spoke reluctantly. She was in a full body suit like a space captain on his favorite television programs. Her suit was a white that seemed just a little tinged with blue, with a broad pink stripe running the length of one leg from foot to shoulder. A pink belt rode low on her hips with a yellow star clasp. Her hair was slicked away from the pearl in her forehead but so short it might not have concealed it by much any how. Lapis stood beside her in a similar body suit. Her stripe was ocean blue and her suit's back was exposed to show the teardrop shaped gem high centered on it.
Steven stood slowly and took one last look at the city and then looked to the sky. Emerald geometric shapes nearly blotted out the sun, littering the sky with their foreboding presence. Steven was in a space suit too but his was rose pink with a blue running stripe and a yellow star on his chest. A circle was cut out the belly just for his gem to show through. He raked his curls out his face and dusted his butt off then followed after Pearl. Garnet and Amethyst accepted a similar uniform, Garnet's was black with a red and blue outline of stars on one shoulder and red and blue offset stripes. Garnet traded in her afro for long straight hair like Sapphire's. Amethyst chose a short bob hairstyle, a purple suit with black stripe, and while the suit came all the way up her neck, a star cut out the chest revealed her gem. Steven had requested they go into battle matching, just like his favorite show: 'Go go, space rangers go.'
They strapped into a space shuttle built by Pearl, Lion and Centebeetle were strapped in as well, then the shuttle launched and the gems entered the battlefield. Immediately the geometric ships engaged fire, Pearl's expert maneuvers kept them from any serious damage, until they reached the flagship. She landed in their flight deck and immediately, the other Gems, lion, and Centebeetle filed out before Pearl took to the fray once again. "Good luck pearl." Steven wished her.
"Be safe Steven." Pearl cried out to Steven. Steven summoned his sword and shield then turned to the others for a last nod before they split up. Steven ran down the halls, glad he wasn't quite the chunky youth he started as, followed by Lion. He came across a formation of soldiers who at first looked like pretty human girls with crew cuts and red and brown futuristic armor. They immediately began firing on him, gems over their hearts not unlike Amethyst's, which was centered high on her chest. Steven rolled to the side and lifted his shield, bouncing their laser bullets back at them with great results. All but one had gone down, but she was cracking. Lion leaped onto her and made quick work of her gem.
Amethyst rolled just in time to dodge a sneak attack by a mint green skinned woman wearing an olive colored tank top with tight black pants and combat boots. Her arm bore a green gem, and she was more slender but otherwise had the same face as Amethyst and even the same white hair in a shoulder length bob. Amethyst countered with her whip, but the green soldier was an even match with her own length of olive colored chain. After some fighting the green one pinned Amethyst. "What do you have to say for yourself, traitor?"
"CAW!" Amethyst replied and acid spat from Centebeetle began eating at the green female until all was left was green prasiolite on the ground. Amethyst bubbled it quickly then moved on.
Lapis followed Garnet to square off against Amber and Jet.
Steven rounded the corner, followed by lion, and nearly toppled into a large yellow woman. Steven had to double take at her. While his mother's dress looked like pink rose pedals, this woman's dress seemed to be made of thousands of white orange blossoms, and while his mother's hair was very long, this woman's fell in short ringlets, framing her face. Steven's mom was mostly pink, but this woman was mostly yellow.
"Mom?" Steven whimpered.
"Rose quartz, I've waited too long to redeem myself against you. And what did you do? You went and traded in your glorious form for this… this abomination!" she spat.
"Who are you?"
"I am Citrine. And I will be the one to destroy you, Rose!" Citrine howled, materializing a massive sword with orange blossom detailing along the hilt and what looked like spring budding branches as the cross guard. She formed a shield that resembled a giant leaf with the top bordered with more budding branch like details. The shield covered far more of her than Steven's.
After dispatching her foe, Amethyst rushed down the halls, a terrible feeling came over her and she suddenly had to find Steven. Meanwhile, Steven was defending himself fairly enough from Citrine. He had no room to attack, and his only reprieve was from when Lion could interfere, but after the second attack, a yellow tiger with orange stripes tackled Lion out of nowhere. The two massive cats wrestled as Citrine continued her assault on Steven.
A barreling war cry could be heard down the hall. Until it came close enough to recognize as Amethyst, Steven was afraid it was the sound of his own doom. He thought of his father and Connie one last time but soon realized it wasn't his last. Amethyst tackled Citrine off of Steven, and then quickly recovered to pull Steven to his feet and push him toward the hall. "Come on, lets move!"
"You little runt!" Citrine swore as she got to her feet. Look at you- premature and out of date!" she insulted Amethyst as she strode closer.
"Shut up!" Amethyst shouted, shoving Steven behind her and pulling her whip from her chest.
"To think you came from me." Citrine scoffed.
"What?" Steven asked, looking at Amethyst. She looked hurt, ashamed, and angry.
"She is a manufactured gem- one of many. Rose and I designed them with our own materials, making Amethysts and Prasiolites. There use to be armies, but Rose had to go and change her mind. She destroyed the factories, leaving this lone survivor hatched too soon." She snarled at Amethyst. "Without the education program or any guidance from the fleet, she was as good as an animal. She proved no use to me when I found her, so I threw her away but Rose picked her up and used her for her little rebellion. The ugly little whelp." Citrine scoffed.
"Amethyst." Steven said, reaching for Amethyst's hand. Amethyst shook her head, sprinkling tears on the floor, then Steven tugged her into his arms, took a step back, then forward, then lifted Amethyst off the ground, making her straddle his hips, swept her head down brushing the ground, then back up, and as their heads touched, they glowed, merging to become Ametrine.
Ametrine looked mostly like Rose but with her long curly black hair tied in a high pony tail by a rose pink hair scarf. Instead of Rose's long gown, Ametrine wore purple pants tucked into long red-heeled boots and a rose pink tube top. Over all this was a yellow leather jacket with red star centered on the back. Ametrine gripped her new sword through red fingerless gloves, and then materialized her new shield. The shield was purple as her pants; the rose symbol was more intricate with deep purple pedals suspended inside the translucent shield instead of the usual spiral of thorns. Ametrine's sword was long and serrated; seemingly split into many sections. The hilt dangled two cords with diamond shaped amethyst hanging from it, instead of the twining thorns engraving, but otherwise seemed the same general shape as usual.
"Don't make me laugh! You still won't beat me!" Citrine scoffed.
Connie and Greg were on patrol, talking about how it felt to be friends with the gems, how useless and tiny it felt to stand with them in a crisis. They couldn't show it though. What was important was acting like it was all all right in front of Steven. Screams echoed to their ears from the camp so they rushed to investigate.
"Look!" Jenny screamed, pointing at a selfie with something green and geometric in the background. "I caught one of them landing nearby in my selfie!"
"Oh no!" Greg groaned, looking up at the matching tree line to the photo. "it landed close, Connie gather everyone up, we gotta move out quick!" Greg rushed to his van and opened the back. "Please work… if every pork chop was perfect…" Greg began reluctantly. He was suddenly reassured when it began to glow. "We wouldn't have hotdogs!" he cheered, wheeling it into position. The rose shaped mussel bloomed; the bud-like center puckered and swelled waiting to be allowed release. As soon as the emerald figure emerged from the tree line, he let loose a ball of pink energy, center mass, throwing it back.
"Mister Universe, look out!" Connie shouted, running back for him, sword in hand.
"Connie, get back!" Greg shouted, distracted from another gem assailant. Before she was able to land a fatal blow on the downed human, Ametrine stepped in, and then whipped her sword forward. The cord snapped into the hilt and the sections of serrated blade separated, becoming a bladed whip. Ametrine pulled on the whip and it hauled the attacking gem by the neck, down to the ground. With a whipping motion the sword became a sword again, then a slashing motion dispatched the gem. Another gem darted forward, but Ametrine blocked it with her shield, and then smiled a big frighteningly wide sharp-toothed grin.
Connie helped Greg to his feet then retreated to the van. Ametrine lifted the canon, to her shoulder, where it morphed into a pointier purple rose shape, forming a spiky shoulder guard with small rail gun. The spikey pointy rose shapes continued to bloom down her arm until it formed plate mail on it, assimilating the shield into a smaller buckler. Her rose quartz on her belly glowed, and amethyst on her chest glowed through this process. Ametrine looked around the woods and twitched one ear, cocking the other forward. Tiny emerald creatures resembling four-legged scorpions with no heads erupted from the tree line. Ametrine whipped them out the air, shot them with pink energy, and backhanded any that came close, until they were all dust.
"Greg, Connie, are you alright?"
"Rose?" Greg asked. Ametrine blushed.
"Amethyst, you like my dad?" Steven asked Amethyst. Ametrine blushed harder.
"What?" Greg exclaimed, blushing beat red too.
"Steven, you… you look totally amazing!" Connie shouted excitedly, blushing too. "That whip sword thing and the cannon thing- Oh wow!" The 9 foot woman took a knee and breathed a sigh then Steven split from Amethyst and the cannon.
"Uh, thank you… for saving us." Greg said nervously to the purple girl. "How did you find us any way?"
"Amethyst has wild animal senses. We sniffed you out. We had seen a pod escape and figured it was coming after you. Just a bad feeling and wild conclusion. She was super worried about you dad. We both were" Steven answered.
"hey, I was worried about everyone!" Amethyst argued.
"but especially you. Just like I was especially worried about Connie." Steven hugged his friend. "We did it. We drove them off, at least for now. There are so many and they've become so advanced, if it weren't for us fusing, we would all be dead… all of us." Steven admitted to Connie. "You too."
"What are you talking about? Why isn't anyone giving anyone a good answer for all of this magic and insanity?" Connie's dad asked, walking shakily from the caravan to the Universe Van. "Greg knows doesn't he? But, he refuses to explain." He finished, tugging Connie and Steven apart then fixing his glasses.
"Its too scary." Steven admitted. He walked to the caravan and called the attention of the Beach City refugees. "People of Beach City…" Steven began. Pearl, Garnet, and Lapis were catching up to the group, trailed by Lion and Centebeetle. "Long ago, the crystal gems were sent here to invade earth, construct an army, and conquer, enslave, and likely destroy the natural inhabitants of this planet." To the gasps of the crowd Steven lifted his hands. "They didn't want to. They couldn't, so they rebelled. They went to war against the gem nation, saved earth, and remained here to protect us from the others of their kind… but now they have returned, and we are out matched. We need you all to understand and cooperate. Hopefully we can handle this without creating a national crisis."
"Well said, Steven." Pearl commended him. Garnet nodded in agreement.
"Wait, wait, wait." The Mayor said nervously from atop his mayor mobile. "What are you saying?"
"Earth is under attack by aliens." Steven reiterated.