Pearl gave a worried look back at Amethyst as the door closed behind her. "Keep up, Pearl!" Holly barked.
Amethyst gulped. 'Crap, now what?!' She glanced back and forwards at the other two Amethysts.
"Yo, new girl."
One spoke up, and Amethyst had to forcibly prevent herself from squeaking. "Uh, yeah?"
"Let's go chill." she poked a thumb back at the door as the other Amethyst opened it.
Amethyst gulped. "Yeah, sure. Beats sticking around here, right?"
"Hahaha! Yeah!"
Amethyst followed the two along the hallway to a door that slid open. Her jaw dropped as she stepped into a room full of large Amethysts of various purple shades, some wrestling playfully. "Holy..." she breathed. She noticed a couple of other Gems that looked suspiciously like Jasper, and groaned internally. 'I'm so freaking screwed...'
One of the Amethysts stared at the new Gem in their midst. "So, new girl, what's your cut?"
Amethyst started. "Um, uh... What's yours?" she retorted, stalling. 'Hell if I know.'
The other grinned. "I'm 8XL, that ugly loser over there is 8XJ."
"Hey!" 8XJ playfully punched 8XL on the arm. "We have the same face, ya clod!"
Amethyst couldn't help grinning. "She got ya there!" The other two chuckled.
"So, where were you made, anyway?" Amethyst asked, casually.
"Oh, Earth, in the Prime Kindergarten. Although, we have a few Betas here too. Yo, Skinny!" 8XL called out to one of the Jaspers, who sauntered over and stood with a hand on her hip.
"Ugh, Amethysts have no style... Whadaya what?"
8XJ sniggered. "Oh, relax Skinny. Try pulling that piece of shale from your arse some time... You won't regret it."
Skinny rolled her eyes, but smiled. "How about you? Where were you made?" she nodded at Amethyst.
Amethyst grinned. "Earth, Prime Amethyst right here."
Skinny smirked. "Oh goody, another one." she muttered sarcastically, but Amethyst could see the humour in her eyes. She kinda liked this Jasper much better than the last one.
8XL was staring at Amethyst again, and she stared back nervously. "What? Do I gots a booger coming outta mah nose, or somfing?"
8XL chuckled, and tilted her head curiously. "What did you say your cut was again?"
Amethyst tensed up. 'Shit, I was hoping they'd forgotten about that...' "Uh... whatever annoys the nearest Agate the most." she grinned, and threw in a panicked finger-gun. 'Oh stars, I'm gonna die.'
8XL and 8XJ exchanged a glance. "Ya know, it's kinda rude not to give your cut when asked. So we're gonna ask you one. last. time."
Amethyst gulped and closed her eyes. She could fell her panic overriding her senses, and realised with horror that she was losing her shape-shifted form. When she opened her eyes, she found herself looking up at a lot of very large confused Gems. "Well, shit."
The room quietened as the rowdy quartzes stared at the suddenly much smaller new Amethyst. Suddenly a screech sounded, and several Amethysts found themselves knocked forwards as a red streak came flying out from the back. "Holy crap, is she smaller than me?!"
Amethyst found herself lifted above the head of a squealing small red Gem, only to be set down with a hand quickly pressing itself to the top of her head, and moving across to the others forehead. "She is!" The Gem's face lit up, and Amethyst was hugged furiously. "I'm not the smallest anymore!" The Gem squealed, and Amethyst noted that she was actually the smallest Gem in the room.
8XL stared down at the little Amethyst being hugged furiously by an excited Carnelian. "8XM..." she breathed. "Holy shit, guys! It's 8XM!" she called out.
Amethyst looked around as the room came to life again, various Amethysts calling out with whoops and wolf-whistles as they chattered. "Uh, 8... what?"
8XL knelt down to her, smiling happily. "The Gem under me back at the Prime took her sweet time coming out. We waited around as long as we could for her, but it was decided that she was a dud, and we had to leave. Are you... 8XM?" she asked, hope visible on her face.
Amethyst looked back at the taller Amethyst. "Um, I dunno, to be honest. I was... alone, when I dug myself out. There was no-one to tell me... anything. I only knew the basics. Amethyst, shapeshifting, ya know?..." She glanced away sadly. "I was found by the... Crystal Gems, and they took me in." she glanced back up. "Am I really... 8XM?"
The taller Amethyst tilted her head. "I dunno. Was your hole opposite the Warp Pad? Right down at the bottom of the wall?"
Amethyst nodded. "Yeah, tho I didn't know what it was til Rose showed up..."
8XL picked her up, along with the still-attached Carnelian and held them in a tight hug. "You have to be 8XM then."
Amethyst looked over 8XL's shoulder at the the still-excited group of quartzes, all happily waving and calling out to their rediscovered sister. She grinned. "I'm 8XM!" she shouted happily. A chorus of cheers filled the room