A/N: So yeah, LapiDot's great and all, but what about
the best ship
"St-Steven… I wish for you to fuse with me. I need you to show me what it's like."
Steven had asked her why. He wasn't offended, merely shocked – but his expression betrayed himself, and Peridot blushed, ashamed.
"Since I've arrived on Earth, I… Haven't fused, with anyone! I-I mean, Garnet offered, and I accepted initially, but… I-"
His stare cut her off. She got uncomfortable, and he told her - "those things can happen" - hugging her tight. Steven pulled up his singlet, and took a moment to stare at his own Gem, as if to look to Rose for guidance.
"I'll show ya."
His tone was chipper now, feeling a calming presence nearby. A trainer, leader, and friend – Garnet. She circled Peridot and Steven as they made their way to Mister Smiley's Arcade, staying out of the smaller Gem's sight, knowing she'd only make her feel more uncomfortable.
Mister Smiley was managing his Arcade as usual, and narrowed his gaze as Steven walked in, a Gem in hand. Though his smile never faltered, Steven could tell the man was wary of him.
"Steven, welcome! I trust you and your friend aren't here to raise any trouble at my expense?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows at the pair. Peridot quirked her head at him, ready to retaliate – only to have her mouth covered by Steven's hand.
"No sir, Mister Smiley! We're actually here to demo your latest dancing game!" Steven declared, stars in his eyes. Relaxing, the arcade owner chuckled, and slapped Steven on his back, leading him towards the new machine.
"You're in luck – I've had this one for about a week now and no one's touched it! You two will be the first to dance on the GrooveMaster 128!"
Peridot squeezed Steven's hand as she eyed the extravagant console – the bright, blaring lights, and the flashy, fast music, assaulting her senses. Mister Smiley gave a brief introduction to the machine's usage before leaving the pair, not noticing two small Gems skipping past him.
Ruby and Sapphire re-fused as the owner darted out of earshot, staying in Peridot's blind spots.
"Okay, you catch all of that, Peri?" Steven asked her, squeezing her hand back. She swallowed a lump in her throat, and nodded to him, confident in her ability to operate the machine. They each took place upon the machine's dance pads, Peridot on the right, and Steven on the left.
"Awesome! What song do you want to dance to?" Steven asked, slipping two tokens in the box containing the game. Immediately the two were deafened by a bass drop, and the main menu music. The fast beat pounded through Peridot's chest, agitating her already building worry.
"Wh-why go through all this trouble? C-can't we just dance and fuse without all this noise?" She asked, Steven barely making her voice out through the game's tune.
"Because you need to lose yourself within the moment, Peridot! For a fusion to last, and for it to… Feel… Good… Well, we need to make sure you're having fun!" the boy boasted, thumping his fist against his chest, looking to the song selection.
"So… What song do you wanna pick?"
Peridot groaned, letting her shoulders slump, darting over the selection with disinterest. She pumped her feet against the dance pad, gleaming through the five second previews.
"All of these sound the same! How am I suppose to lose myself if all this music sounds like garbage!?" She roared, stamping harder and harder on the dance pad, gritting her teeth at the hard-hitting, pumping house tracks.
Steven put a hand on her shoulder, and she huffed at him, stopping her stamping. As the preview for the next song came on, her ears twitched, and she took a deep breath in.
"O-oh my… This… This one doesn't sound awful!"
"Galaxy Girl, the Eventualizer Remix?" Steven read the title aloud, digging the beat as well.
"TIMES UP, AUTOMATIC START!" The machine blared, kicking the song into starting gear. As the beat began, Peridot grabbed Steven's hand again, thinking of their moments together, trying to ignore the fusion she was about to partake in.
The vocals, chords and leading synth punched into the song after the first fill, hitting Steven and Peridot in the chest like a shot to the heart, making their legs wobble. Cautious and slow at first, they danced along, slowly getting into Galaxy Girl's rhythm.
"Be my… Galaxy Girl!" the song cried, the voice clear and robotic. Slowly Peridot felt the groove set in, and before she knew it, she was smiling, giggling – alongside Steven. Their shoulders shook with a wonky groove, and their feet stamped to the time, lighting up the dance pads beneath them like a piece of ancient Homeworld tech.
Much to her dismay, the song only lasted for 3 minutes, and they were granted the rank of D, souring Peridot's mood.
"Aww, come on! We were doing great!" She growled, stamping on the machine again. Steven calmed her, and slid two more tokens in, picking Galaxy Girl again.
"Come on, we've got it, Peri! One more try – I'm sure we can get an A rank!"
"Don't knock yourself down Steven, we can easily score an S! Let's kick this machine's butt!"
And so they danced again, prepared this time for Galaxy Girl's sonic onslaught. They anticipated the boom of the bass drum, the snap of the snares, and the whimsical wailings of the robot voice, trying it's best to sound futuristic.
"Be my… Galaxy Girl~!" It sung again, the screen flashing with more eyecandy this time, sparkles flying everywhere at Peridot's beat-perfect pad-punching. Her eyes lit with joy, and she kept her dance up, darting a gaze over to Steven, who was already staring back, laughing.
They said nothing, eyes glued on each other as they flipped stances, bodies facing each other directly now. They anticipated the directions the song would throw at them, using their peripheries to guide their steps. As the song reached it's second beat drop, their Gems began to glow.
Peridot grew uncertain, but wiped the worry from her mind, watching as Steven's smile softened, feeling the love spread from his pink aura.
"Come on Peri – count the beat with me! 1, 2, 3-!"
"1, 2, 3-!" Peridot counted, stopping as she gave up her inner light to Steven, ceasing to be.
Garnet gasped as the two short Gems were replaced by a brilliant, pink and green glow. It shimmered, wobbling to the rhythm of the game's music, before finally settling on a form. They resumed jumping back from pad to pad, hitting the pads with breakneck speed and precision, cackling happily.
The fusion between Steven and Peridot was tall, surprisingly so, and cocky. It had two legs, striped with Peridot's green, and Steven's skin, spiralling all the way up to their broad, bulky chest. Their hair was bouncy and full, streaked with a neon green amidst blonde. In the centre of their chest was a third arm, which appeared to be connected to a rotating ring on their chest.
Garnet's tried to focus her vision on the lightning-quick fusion, in silent awe.
"Oh my… A fast one..." Garnet mumbled, a dumb grin spreading across her face.
"Galaxy… Girl… And, PERFECT!" They stomped, arms crossed over their chest, snickering at the "S" rank on the screen.
"See? I'd expect nothing less from us! Good work, Steven! You too, Peri-wait a minute..." They mumbled to themselves, staring down at their shivering, lengthy digits. Slowly, Garnet approached the combined pair, hands outstretched and shaking.
"H-how are you feeling?" The new fusion asked themselves, testing the rotation of their torso, and the extra appendage that was attached to it.
"G-good, I think! I-I mean, yeah! I'm… What do you think we should call ourselves?" Peridot's half asked, unable to contain her grin. The new fusion leapt in shock as Garnet reached her arms around them, hugging tight.
"You two should call yourselves beautiful… You're like a big, juicy watermelon!" Garnet chuckled, blushing deeply. The fusion yelped, and wormed it's way out of Garnet's grip, putting some distance between themselves.
"W-woah, hey-Oh, Garnet! How are you!? I'm great, as you can see! And hah, thank you for the compliment!" The new fusion thanked, with a simultaneous bow and curtsy, full of pride. Their expression quickly grew worried as the identity crisis set in, glowing with a shivering light.
"B-but seriously-what's a good name? I'm thinking Watermelon Quartz – is that a real Gemstone? Certainly isn't one I've ever heard of, but what would I know? Hah! I want something green, but pink, you know? I mean, Garnet, you knew what to name yourself when you first appeared right? Also is the music too loud? I think it might-"
"Shut up," Garnet whispered, wiping a stray tear from her eyes as the music from the video game died down. She grabbed the fellow fusion by it's shoulders, and continued smiling, laughing to herself, "How about Tourmaline?"
"Hmmm… Tour, T, T, Tourma-Tour-Tour… Tourmaline! I like it! A great recommendation, Garnet!" The newly named fusion tested the name on it's lips, twirling it's rotating arm in a bout of manic thought. It hugged Garnet, before taking stride out of Mister Smiley's arcade, a bounce in their step, and a literal song in their heart.
"Where are you going?" Garnet asked Tourmaline, incredulous.
"No clue! Also can't hear you, I think the song's following me!" Tourmaline answered with a flutter of their wrist, bopping in step to the ethereal dance song that flowed from their chest, resounding outwards in a sonic illusion.
Garnet followed them closely, third eye creased in quiet concern.
"Gosh, where to go, where to go!? I wanna show Lapis, but I also want to show Connie! Do you think either of them would be jealous? I mean, of course, even slightly – Lapis can be judgemental, and Connie didn't know about this beforehand! Oh, I'm sure I'm worrying too much, here, I'll hit myself to knock the worry out of me!" Tourmaline declared, cycling their third arm round and round, before landing a punch squarely in their own gut.
They and Garnet were blown back by a bassy, sonic wave, the air blasting out of their lungs. The wood of Beach City's piers creaked and hissed, before crumbling entirely against the weight of Tourmaline.
"Yikes! Was that us? Oh, WOW! We have powers of aural destruction!? Oh, our chest must be a bass drum! And our hands, can they do anything!? Hm – let's try it!" Tourmaline stared around, catching no sight of any citizens, and aimed their hands upwards, tongue poking out in deep concentration.
"Sonic blast! Nope, didn't work – how about… Soundwave! Oh come on, nothing!? This works all the time in superhero manga!" Tourmaline grunted, kicking at nothing on the ground, deep in thought. They brought all three hands to rub their chin, trying to deepen their concentration, before their gems began to glow again.
"I've got it! How about… Galaxy Girl!" They roared, an eruption of high-pitched square waves sounding out from their palms, spewing forth a continuous disruption of the air around them, shaking the pier to it's supports.
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh! IS ANYONE SEEING THIS!?" Tourmaline cackled, deafened by their own powers. Pieces of wood, telephone poles, and the sand of the beach starting ripping upwards from the ground, encircling the pillar of sonic annihilation that Tourmaline still held steady.
"I'M HEARIN' IT! TOURMALINE, QUIT IT!" Garnet barked, desperately trying to shield her ears from the screaming square waves, taking cautious steps towards the new fusion. Tourmaline took sight of their fellow fusion, squinted, and tried to make out the words they were mouthing.
"HUH!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER HOW LOUD OUR WICKED NEW POWERS ARE! YOU'LL HAVE TO SCREAM REAL LOUD!" As pieces of debris started whipping about in the air, Garnet took a step back, and frowned with worry, trying to find an opening to tackle Tourmaline down.
"CLOSE YOUR HANDS, TOURMALINE!"
"WHAT!?" Tourmaline tried to cup their hands around one of their ears, only to be rocketed out to sea by the force of their own sonic wave. Instantly the sound of the square waves died down, replaced by a louder, scared screech. Unable to control their descent, or ascent for that matter, Tourmaline began skidding around the seas, like a deflating balloon let loose.
"WooOOOOOAAH! LAPIIIIIS! CONNIE!"
Garnet lowered her ear's defences, and sighed with quiet relief, eyes glued on the flying fusion. She shielded her ears again as Tourmaline screamed for assistance, but didn't flinch as a portal opened to her right.
"Connie! Nice to see you!" Greeted the perma-fusion.
"G-Garnet! I had Lion bring me here as soon as I heard the – is that-" Connie dismounted the pink Lion, stuffing some study notes into her pockets as she prepared herself for the upcoming mission.
"Steven and Peridot, fusion – they're called Tourmaline. They have-"
"IS THAT CONNIE!? TELL HER I SAID HI! ALSO ASK HER IF SHE CAN HELP US OUT!"
"-a volume control problem!?" Connie yelled to Garnet, blocking her ears as the synth soundwave came crashing into them. Shadowing over the human, the Gem, and the lion, Lapis Lazuli landed, her watery wings retreating into her back.
"I'm here! What'd I miss-is that Peridot?" Lapis asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"She and Steven fused – they go by Tourmaline – I need you two to-"
"WOAH, LAPIS TOO? DID SHE DO SOMETHING WITH HER HAIR? I LIKE IT!" Tourmaline screamed, flailing about as Mister Smiley and the Fryman family took to the piers, tracing the source of the aural insanity.
Lapis Lazuli cupped her hands around her mouth, prepared to shout back. Garnet simply slapped her hands over the Gem's mouth, and shook her head.
"Enough of that. Lapis – I need you to gather Tourmaline in a big ball of water, like you do. And Connie – I need you to ride Lion to the centre of that bubble – get him to roar those two apart!" She ordered, sending them forth. Connie and Lapis nodded, taking off to the sea and sky, respectively.
"C'mon, Lion!"
"I'm coming, guys!"
Two hands shot forth from the raging, warping seas, cupping around Tourmaline. The new fusion exclaimed in shock, the sphere vibrating at a rapid rate as their destructive soundwave was temporarily muted. Lapis struggled to keep the ball formed, straining against the fusion's combined aural might.
Connie strode confidently with Lion, skipping past the roaring waves, diving through the powerful portals her mount was creating for them. With strong leaps, the Lion created a final portal leading into the bubble itself, taking a deep breath in preparation.
"Hurry! I can't hold this for too long!" Lapis yelled, her own wings faltering under the stress of the vibrations.
"Hold on!" Connie yelled, disappearing into the bubble, holding a deep breath.
"CLLLNLLL!" Tourmaline mumbled into the muffling water, waving a happy hand at their friend, accidentally blasting her back with a sonic push. Lion roared as they were launched out of the water bubble, and it collided with the fusion, knocking them back.
A shimmer of white light followed, and Lapis groaned with relief, cupping the battered, unfused Steven and Peridot in two conjured hands. Connie landed safely with Lion, and they returned to the shore, thankful for the relative silence that followed their sensory onslaught.
As Lapis unceremoniously dumped Steven and Peridot on the beach, she collapsed alongside them, panting as she stared into the sky. Garnet checked up on the group, and gave them her thumbs-up, grinning gleefully. Steven and Peridot stared at one another, stars in their eyes, and laughed as the fatigue began setting into them.
"Lapis, Connie, thank you! Did you see how awesome we looked?" Peridot took Lapis' hand, smiling from ear-to-ear, giggling like a madman.
"I did… Heh, you two looked great together..." Lapis mumbled, not fully into the conversation. However, she smiled still at her barn-mate and friend, blushing a deep blue.
Steven hugged Connie and Lion, kissing both on their foreheads, sighing with relief.
"HOW AWESOME WAS THAT!?" He screamed, unable to contain his own excitement.
"Steven, I-I think you have some hearing damage!" Connie yelled back at him, wincing at his words, but chuckling all the same.
"AW GEE, THANKS CONNIE, YOU TOO!" He roared, hugging the girl again, his muscles roaring with strain. He broke their embrace, and looked at Peridot, who turned her gaze back to him. They smiled, laughed, and went to hug each other, before being separated by Garnet.
"I'm glad you two had fun, but let's not do that for a while."
"Agreed! My ears are incredibly sore!" Peridot twinkled, still smiling in spite of her pain.
"STILL! How good did it feel to dance as Tourmaline, Peri!?" Steven asked, taking her hands in his. She giggled, stamping her feet energetically, and nodded to him.
"It was so fun! I've never felt sound like our own before! Oh, and don't get me started on the memory-sharing functionality of fusion! I can't believe we saw into each other's minds like that!"
Steven's heart sunk at the revelation. He shared a brief look with Connie, who clutched to Lion tightly, eyes wide at the implications of Peridot's words.
"Memory what now?" Lapis mumbled, quirking an eyebrow up in suspicion.
"Memory-sharing! Did you know that Steven didn't brush his teeth this morning?"
"O-okay Peridot, that's enough-"
"Or that Steven thinks Connie's got the best butt he's ever seen!?" Peridot continued, still running on the adrenaline high from Tourmaline's inception, laughing at her own words.
"PERIDOT!" Connie yelled, her other arm clenched tightly on Steven's shoulder.
"Or that Steven's got romantic feelings for us, Lapis!" Peridot cackled, clenching her stomach against her own roaring crash of laughter. She wiped a happy tear from her eye as Garnet stared at Steven, who kept his gaze on Peridot.
Peridot then stopped laughing, her cheeks burning with a harsh heat.
A/N: skimbu
