With wide crystal blue eyes, Opal stretched out her arms and was alarmed to count four of them.
Is this supposed to be normal?
But then again, was anything about Opal normal? Thinking back to it, she struggled to remember what that word even meant. But she knew being "normal" was something that Amethyst and Pearl wanted to be but couldn't.
Wait, what did those names mean again?
It was hard enough to keep her thoughts focused on one thing at a time. Thoughts swarmed around her, distracting her from what was important. But was anything important? It wasn't like Opal was here for a practical purpose. She only here because of . . .
Opal lost track of that as well.
Clenching her teeth, she reached one of her lower hands and found her fingers clutching a round gemstone on her chest, splayed with color. One of her upper hands found itself caressing an oval gem on her forehead.
Hello there, Amethyst and Pearl.
She didn't know why she was introducing herself to them. It wasn't like she didn't know them—she did . . . right? Well, she was them . . . isn't she? It certainly didn't feel like it.
There were a few things she did know about them. Like that Pearl begins to flinch if she finds one thing out of place—the crushing disappointment her master eyes betrayed when things aren't up to par absolutely broke Pearl on the inside.
But Opal didn't truly know Pearl's old master. She never had one glimpse of the Gem. And somehow, thinking about her immediately sends waves of disdain and anger through her. She felt that she needed to despise this Gem—even if that felt unreasonable for a complete stranger.
Swallowing back a gulp, Opal took a step forward. She was so tall that she was afraid that her hair would get ensnared in the overhanging tree branches that had rather threatening thorns. Opal knew what it was like to have hair get caught on random objects and the fury of finding strands left all over it—wait, that never happened to Opal before. It was a feeling only Amethyst knew and Opal felt like she needed to feel since she was supposed to half of her.
Stars, what am I supposed to feel?
Another step forward, another step; walking was supposed to be a primitive instinct, something even organic creatures mastered when they were young. But for Opal, the knowledge of how to walk properly seemed to flicker on and off, like one moment, she might be able to remember it, the next, she was back on the ground.
After a couple of tentative steps, the strange new Gem found herself walking just as gracefully as she—um, as a Pearl—should be. Pearl remembered having to be light and airy with every step she took—Opal wasn't sure if the same should apply to her.
If only she could ask someone about how she was supposed to be. But as far as Pearl, Amethyst, and Opal knew, she was the only one of her kind.
Both Pearl and Amethyst learned everything they needed to know from Gems who had to train them how to dance and serve or combat and defend, all the other basic knowledge came rather instinctually. But Opal did not have the blessing of instinct; part of her could tell her how to pirouette, and the other part could tell her how to put someone in a headlock.
She didn't know which one would tell her why she was here.
Memories would be within Opal's reach but then slip through her fingers at the last moment, leaving her desperate to reach out for more.
No matter what she did, Opal's presence remained feeling empty and purposeless.
She remembered that Pearl and Amethyst both served purposes. But while Pearl could find little comfort in cleaning and dancing, she enjoyed none of it if it meant serving her old master. Amethyst loved the thrill of fighting, the punches being thrown, her whip slashing against her opponents—it was a whip, right?—but all those around her refused to let her enjoy it, isolating her and insisting that no matter what she did to improve herself, she would always remain at the bottom. It almost caused Amethyst to despise combat if she knew that she would always fail.
So perhaps Opal can find herself something that would make both of them happy.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that her foot didn't touch any ground, and when she finally did, it was too late. Soon enough, Opal tumbled down off a grassy drop and ended up sprawled at the bottom in a tangled pile of arms and legs.
Groaning with the newfound sensation of pain, Opal struggled to open her eyes. Once her vision focused, a sharp lilac blade that didn't resemble any metal Opal—or Amethyst once again—had ever seen before appeared alarmingly close to her nose.
Immediately, she threw her head back in surprise in order not to make contact with the blade and whimpered slightly before crying out, "Don't hurt her—I mean—don't . . . hurt . . . me?"
Calling herself "me" was a whole new sensation as well; just as sharp as the pain she went through when she fell down the hill.
Her pale blue gaze directed itself upwards to make contact with a pair of nearly coal-black eyes, hardened with determination. A bulky Gem, just as muscular as Opal—Amethyst?—recognized as the stature of a true Quartz soldier. But judging from the multi-colored gemstone that jutted inwards on the Gem's chest, this wasn't Quartz, which Opal realized when she saw that the Gem's hands were morphed into blades. No respectable Quartz would ever stoop so low to do that.
Scattered memories brought Opal back to seeing the warrior slice through several elite Gems without a single ounce of mercy. This Gem—Bismuth, Opal was forced to correct herself—was meant for constructing Spires and Arenas but decided that mercilessly tearing apart the physical forms of elite Gems felt more precise for her. Opal herself was half an elite Gem and half the property of an elite Gem. For once, she knew exactly what to feel: afraid.
"It's you," Bismuth whispered in awe, so unlike the harsh voice Opal expected from a killer like her, "The fusion."
Fusion: that was the word to describe what Opal was. The word had nearly escaped from her grasp a few moments earlier if it wasn't for Bismuth reminding her.
"We didn't mean to fuse!" Opal blurted out, part of her wanting to hide what she has done, what it was exactly was beyond her. "I mean . . . we did this time . . . but we'll defuse if that's what you want . . ."
It felt like two voices were spilling out of her throat. She didn't know what to do or what to say. All she could do was gape.
"No, no . . . it's okay," a soothing voice interrupted them. Appearing out of the shadows was the infamous Rose Quartz in all her glory.
Opal's scrambled memories knew her by several names: the spear-header of the Rebellion, a famed general turned rogue, a horrible murderer . . .
Opal blanched in surprise at how harsh that last thought was. For a moment, her vision warped again, and Rose's harmless smile nearly looked sinister, but then it vanished quickly, like a trick of the light.
There were too many things to say right now. Part of her felt like running away, the other felt like attacking. Eventually Opal found herself the right words to start with.
"I don't upset you?" she asked in surprise, nearly a whisper. More recollections surface and she remember the very brief time when she first formed. She was surrounded by hate, contempt, confusion, and horror. It was so strange to find someone who didn't abhor her very existence, let alone who she was made of.
"Who care about how I feel?" Rose Quartz replied, in a voice that wasn't very fitting of a rogue Gem who committed regicide. "How you feel is bound to be more interesting."
For perhaps the hundredth time today, Opal was confused. "How I feel?" she stuttered, clutching her head. "I feel lost . . . and scared . . . but happy. Why I am so sure that I want to be this way . . . instead of everything I was supposed to be and everything I wanted to be before?"
Instead of a coherent response, Rose only chuckled. "Welcome to Earth."
Suddenly, Opal sprung to her feet, realizing that she was actually a full head taller than Rose Quartz. "Can you tell me? Why would Amethyst sacrifice everything she knows for a Pearl who isn't even hers? Why would Pearl stay with the Gem who took away her innocence? Why out of everything that happened, do I want to stay like this?"
"Stop," Rose chuckled, taking Opal's lower hands in hers. "Don't ever question this. You already are the answer."
Opal was hesitant to accept Rose and her help. Something about her felt so . . . off. A part of her wanted to strangle her right then and there, even if she was the first person not to be alarmed or disturbed by her presence. The other part of her wanted to cling onto this little hope she has provided her, the feeling of being accepted being so unfamiliar.
She's our savior.
She's a murderer.
Opal could no longer discern the little voices in her head. Instead she decides to go with Rose Quartz, the first one to think she is beautiful, not heinous and disgusting. Rose smiled brightly and told her of all the things the Crystal Gems will provide for Opal and Bismuth happily accepted the new fusion into the group as well, never denying Rose's word.
For a moment, everything felt right and promised hope.
But before leaving the forest, Opal swore she saw a flicker of white amongst the flowering bushes.
A little glowing butterfly dissolving in the wind until it faded away from Opal's vision.
A/N: Luckily, that's not the end of the story. Will be expanding Opal's experience amongst the Crystal Gems and including Ruby and Sapphire soon as well, so remember to review until then!
