Wrong nor Right
Prologue: Inject
So it begins.
It was one of those peaceful, idyllic scenes that would make for a great scenic photograph.
Birds were singin'.
Grass was whistlin' in the wind.
And… well, probably not-so-scenic, but it's still definitely worth mentioning that there was a virtual avalanche of snow falling from a mountaintop in the distance.
Even less so? The cliché-looking elliptical space ship, for that is what it very clearly was in all of its green-on-white glory.
The thing extended its four landing protrusions, touching down softly on the green grass. Once all the landing procedures and such were completed, a motley pair of Gems came out. A tall, yellowish-green one was first, eyes focused on what was immediately in front of her, that being a screen made by her long, elastic fingers. What was visible beneath the clothes of her form was a good deal beefier than the average Gem. Her sharply cut, rectangular gem was on the section of her back that bridged torso and waist. The second one, an orange, semi-muscular Gem of around the other's height., emerged next, carrying a large, needle-like tool of an atypical color in relation to the rest. Her heptagonal source of magic lied on her right cheek.
Both sets of clothes that they wore – a mix of black, white, and gray, with a small white diamond in the center of the chest piece – contrasted sharply with their respective skin colors.
As they walked out, the orange one said, with no small amount of snark: "Nice driving, Peridot! I don't get why you don't just let me drive this thing; we both know I'm the better pilot of the two of us!"
"Shut it, Jasper! What would Agate say if she found a Gem like you piloting such a piece of tech as this!?" She then covered her face behind a hand, frowning in frustration. "Ughhhh. This wouldn't even be happening in the first place if we weren't on this useless assignment!"
"Why're you even complaining about this!? You should be doing the opposite, 'cause, you know, you're not in the middle of a war zone with those rebels!"
"Well, Jasper, it's because I'm not even able to directly help our allies! Why would I not want to help achieve the Diamonds' wants directly instead of going on this miserly, unnecessary mission!? Plus all of those delays because of those security delays prompted in the first place because of those cloddy rebels! And I hate being behind schedule in the first place!" A fist impacted the metal of the ship as the Peridot again growled in aggravation.
The Jasper just raised a brow in befuddlement. "Remind me again how you didn't end up being a Quartz."
A brief glare was shot in the Jasper's direction as the other Gem responded, "Could go into detail as a retort, but not gonna lie? Sometimes I do wish I were a Quartz soldier. At least then I could help fight instead of being here, doing this pointless, poorly timed excuse for an experiment! Why is this even being done in the middle of a war!? And here, of all places! In fact, what even was the experiment?"
The Jasper promptly listed off: "In order: Who else but the Diamonds knows? To see if our Era Two tech compared to the stuff thousands of years ago will make a difference when a Gem gestates and emerges in a vertical fashion rather than a horizontal one, as well as to see what happens if a Gem is created without the pre-conceived stuff our tech puts in a Gem's consciousness during creation; Diamonds-knows again; and did you want to question our Diamond to her face after Pink was… well, you know…"
The taller Gem sighed. "Point, point. 's a wonder that you didn't end up being a Peridot. Anyways, let's get this Injector running and get out of here. However much I want to fight, I know I'm outmatched, even with this kind of body…" A prompt grumble.
"Well, at least you won't be out put out by the Authority for not fittin' your niche. Or worse."
A hum was all the Jasper got in response as she carefully angled the legs of the device so that it stood perfectly upright. A couple of requests for adjustments from the other Gem later prompted the announcement, "All set! Sure we shouldn't double-check those coordinates though, Peridot?"
"… Nah. I have more important things to be doing: namely, actually contributing to the war effort. Let's start it up and leave, Jasper."
The space ship folded in its legs as it began to hover before taking off, leaving the machine to perform the task that it was designed for. It took the thing a few hours of scanning the ground beneath it to calculate the optimal amount of depth at which it should eject its magic to create the optimal conditions for Gem development.
It ought to be considered a shame, then, that the cursed song – that oh-so devastating one that has the unfortunate not-so-little effect of corrupting Gems – rang out during those scant hours needed for the machine to begin its process. The liquid inside turned an odd color, the secret within transforming into an off hue from its original color as well.
Oblivious to any kind of interference, the Injector inserted its drill, plunging the thing deep into the soil. It was well after the saucer had departed from the planet and the song when the when the drill halted, fulfilling its purpose as it emptied a small portion of its magical contents – as well as the unique payload inside the drill itself – into the earth.
It would be over five millennia plus another half 'till the Gem emerged.
Cue music – Dark Souls soundtrack – Firelink Shrine
Its initial formation vaporized the dirt around it. Having the natural insirnct, it took to burrowing upwards, towards the surface. It took far, far longer than it would have liked thanks to the nature of its limbs, but it managed to dig its way out of the soil it was created in.
Pointed, lance-like protrusions jutted out from the elbow onward, ending not in hands but instead in singular, deadly tips. Even with its being of a height a good deal greater than the average human or Gem, its shaggy, blonde hair dragged along the ground as it struggled to stand upright for the first time of its conscious life. The clothes that helped make up its appearance consisted of little more than rags of various colors stuck to its skin here and there. The skin beneath this psuedo-layer was an off shade the usual skin color of the typical bright-skinned human, leaning more towards orange than white.
Indeed, its appearance pointed to an obvious case of corruption.
It let put a small animalistic hiss of discomfort as the sun's rays made contact with its eyes for the first time, instinctually closing them for a few seconds as to let them adjust. When it opened them again, it took note of its surroundings: the tall mountain ranges, the vast plains, the few animals that could be seen in the distance… it was all so picturesque. Even in its clouded state of mind, it could recognize the concept of beauty and know what it looked and felt like. There were several problems that immediately registered in its stinted mind; it didn't quite register what and why it was, why all of the terrain nearby was drained of life (and the loose, vague sensation of negativity that emerged when it thought on the subject), and why it felt so… in a word, wrong.
It looked around in a mixture of curiosity and awe before, in a sort of primitive way, it wondered about its final and most immediate issue: 'What am I supposed to do…?'
That is what it is about to discover as it simply picked a direction and walked. After all, nothing of note could be accomplished if it just stood around gawking and pondering…
Author's Note:
Blep, goes the silly fanfiction author. Blep.
Expect updates to be inconsistent and sporadic in nature because of laziness. As for that other story, that Pokémon one? As has been stated before: all I need is time to get back into it. Patience is all that I would ask of you, reader… aside from liking commenting and subscribing!
… Eh, coulda' tried harder. I'll refrain, though; best to save he actual effort for he writing you all really care for.
Disclaimer:
Steven Universe and any other referential materials found in this story do not belong to me. They belong to their respective owners, and I claim no ownership of them.