A/N: Hello, fellow writers and readers. Happy New Year! May you have a great 2018! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you like it. First, I think I need to clarify my process, if just to give some explanation. In addition to my life struggles, I'm also dealing with a new job and a home move, so the difficulty with posting is largely just finding the time to actually sit down and type. In addition, because I'm odd, I like to handwrite my chapters before I type, for polish and proofreading; sadly, I write a lot faster than I type. In any case, if I take a while, I'm just having trouble finding the time.
Now, this is a very important chapter with a lot of revelations and surprises. As such, it's also a little long. So, thank you again for stopping by, and I hope this keeps you hooked the whole way. Let's get to it. And here … we … go:
Steven Universe: Crystallize Red
Pearl
All this time, Pearl was at a loss. It had been months, and she still had no idea how to approach Carnelian. She was cordial of course, always ready to explain or relay, but there had been no honest conversation between them this whole time. Pearl had thought of waiting for the red quartz or going to her, but she was just stuck in the same predicament. It was the same as with S, only amplified by the two gems sharing the same space. Pearl couldn't even force herself to speak to her, even now with Carnelian just a few feet away.
She, Garnet, Steven, and Carnelian were in the Burning Room; Carnelian wanted to know all about the Corruption and see the corrupted gems. Scarlet looked up and all around in silent horror as the Crystal Gems relayed the details to her. Pearl couldn't help but take notice of the quartz's empathy and willingness to learn and accept, only adding to Pearl's skittishness.
Looking in disturbed awe at the hundreds of bubbled gems, Tanzanite wondered aloud, "And… you've been keeping them this whole time?"
Garnet answered, "Ever since the war ended, yes. Some have been in here a very long time."
Seeing the red quartz shaking her head taken aback, Pearl added, "We tried everything we could think of, but nothing we did worked. Not even Rose could heal them."
Steven tried to sound optimistic, saying, "We got pretty close with one we call Centipeetle. She got pretty far too; we even managed to communicate with her … but she just went back to being corrupted. Still, it's a start; I know we'll find a way to help them eventually."
Carnelian looked down at the young gem, and put on a smile as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I certainly hope so, Steven. And if anyone can do it, I know it will be you."
This was one of the reasons for Pearl's anxiety: she could see Carnelian's kinship with the other quartzes she knew. The mad look in her eyes and that roar the other day in the arena; those piercing golden eyes and her sometimes terrifying sharp-toothed grin; the ferocity and ruthlessness when she first fought the Corrupted… those qualities definitely gave Pearl nightmarish flashbacks of Jasper.
Still, most of the time… Pearl couldn't help but see some of Rose. There were key differences of course: Carnelian's presence was bolder, bracing, smoldering, more cutting and sharp, the spice to Rose's sugar, the black long coat, appropriately, to Rose's white ball gown. However, they were similar in many lovely ways: her open-mindedness, her open-heartedness, her supportiveness and protectiveness, her quickness to affection and compassion, and willingness to learn, understand, and adapt…
Then, there was Carnelian's connection to the others. Her camaraderie and friendship with Amethyst, her rapport with Peridot and Lapis, her easy teamwork with Garnet, and most importantly of all, her love and affection with Connie and Steven and vice versa. Add into all of the above Pearl's own preference for big, strong, gallant, and … ravishing gems, and it wasn't hard to decipher the causes for her difficulty. Even now, Pearl could only stare at the red quartz. Carnelian was holding the Heaven and Earth beetles' bubbled cage, observing them with consideration, delicately holding them in her hands and gently turning it around to look at them.
She finally shook her head in dismay and handed them back to Steven to put away. Carnelian finally met Pearl's gaze and gave her a slight smile. Pearl smiled back … but had to turn away after a moment.
-XX-
Pearl had been going about her day when Carnelian approached her.
'Pearl, I hope you're not too busy.'
'Not this moment. Can I help you?'
'I think so. I have a favor to ask of you: I'm working on a project and need your expertise, if you can of course.'
'I think I can make time for you.'
'Great. Could you please meet me in the arena, whenever you're ready…?'
Now, Pearl was headed there and found herself inexplicably nervous about what Carnelian wanted … what she would be asked to do … if she could even say no… As she said, Carnelian was standing there waiting when Pearl arrived, and Pearl actually got a little more nervous when the red quartz looked over at her. She tamped the feeling down as inconspicuously as she could as she approached…
"Hello, Carnelian." Pearl's voice came out much more sudden and high-pitched than she wanted. She coughed to steady herself before continuing. "I mean, what did you need my help with?"
Carnelian explained, "Well, I understand you're an expert with a sword, that you taught Connie all about it. I haven't had to use my sword in a while, but trading slashes with Stevonnie the other day really has me itching to get back to it. So, I was hoping you wouldn't mind sparring with me for a while."
"Thank goodness, it's something simple." Pearl mentally sighed before responding aloud, "Of course, I wouldn't mind. It'd be my pleasure, in fact."
Carnelian nodded with a smile and got prepared, as Pearl watched on. The red quartz smoothly uncovered her shoulders and slipped her coat with a slight shimmy, Pearl swallowing hard as she took notice again that Carnelian's top is backless. Carnelian snapped her coat outward and transformed it into her claymore. Pearl shook her head back to attention, and materialized her twin sabers in kind. The two gems gave formal bows to each other, and then started clashing swords.
Pearl used her smaller size and agility to test her sparring partner with faster slashes from multiple angles. Carnelian, in response and understandably so, was disciplined and uncannily nimble as well; she defended herself, then used some of her dexterity and fleet-footedness to create an opening followed by a burst of immense strength to attack, an attack Pearl often narrowly escaped. Soon, the two got into a rhythm of striking, dodging, parrying, and spinning to, away, and around each other, one that was less sparring and more … dancing. Soon, they came to a momentary standoff, still in fighting stance but both smiling.
Pearl complimented first, "I must say, your power and experience is obvious, but your skill, your technique, your footwork… They're quite extraordinary."
Carnelian had the same sentiments. "You're rather magnificent yourself. The children's stories don't do you justice; I know I made the right decision… Say, would you mind if I tried something new, show off a little?"
Pearl, intrigued, smirked and responded, "You don't even have to ask. Show me."
With that, Carnelian took a deep breath and began concentrating, her sword beginning to glow. Pearl watched intently but a little lost as to what was happening. It was only just in time that she noticed the tip of Carnelian's sword detaching… The sword detached and rocketed toward Pearl, who dodged at the last possible moments. Carnelian snapped the whole thing to the side toward the still mid-dodge Pearl, causing the lithe gem to contort herself to flip over the secondary attack. Afterward, the light faded from the weapon to reveal Carnelian had detached and extended her sword into a barbed chain-whip! She retracted it back to herself as Pearl landed and recovered from the surprise…
The red quartz asked with a hint of uncertainty, "So, what do you think? It's not too much, is it?"
"Not at all. Turning a close-range weapon into a long-range option; it's quite brilliant really."
"Really? I was afraid it would be a little fantastical. Full disclosure… I actually got the idea from one of Steven's video games."
A small drop in prestige and romanticism notwithstanding, Pearl was still fascinated. "Still, it's very impressive and creative too."
"Thank you so much for thinking so. Now then…" Carnelian bowed again to Pearl. "Shall we continue this dance?"
Pearl returned the bow. "Most certainly."
The sparring resumed, but as an inverse of the earlier exchanges. Now, Pearl was the one on defense, needing to duck, spin, flip, leap, and dance out of the way of the red quartz's offense. Carnelian meanwhile utilized incredible weapon control and attacked by snapping, twisting, and rapidly retracting then firing her whip side-to-side, up and down, and all over. She was attacking from all angles while keeping Pearl at a distance. The smaller, lithe gem was completely in her element with constant movement and avoided with practiced expertise.
Pearl was doing well to stay unassailed but she knew she was not getting anywhere; she had to take her best option. While avoiding another attack, Pearl formed her staff, made one more drastic dodge to give herself some room, and fired several energy bolts at her sparring partner. Completely surprised, Carnelian actually froze in place for a half-second before having to jump clear…
As soon as they both landed, Carnelian exclaimed excitedly, "Are you serious?! You can fire energy too?! My stars, you need to slow down; you can't be this good."
Pearl blushed from the praise yet smiled with satisfaction. "Oh, well, you know you have to have some surprises to spring at the right moment."
"How true. And a great surprise on your part." Carnelian then retracted whip all the way and reformed her sword. "Well, if we pulling tricks out of our sleeves, I have to, at least, match you."
Carnelian again took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she concentrated, holding her free hand over her sword's blade. After a moment, she snapped her fingers. FOOM! Her blade was engulfed in fiery red energy! It was very similar to Amethyst's but much more refined, fearsome yet controlled. Carnelian then winded up and made a strong upward swing, sending an arcing wave of energy at Pearl! Pearl dodged then watched the wave travel beyond the arena boundary and explode in small sparks. She then looked back at Carnelian, the red quartz standing tall and strong, a pleased grin on her lips … and Pearl felt part of her skip a beat, partially from fear but also from … exhilaration.
-XX-
"Thank you so much, Pearl. I enjoyed every moment of that."
Carnelian sat reclined on the arena steps, managing to somehow look comfortable despite different, uneven levels. The red quartz hadn't put her coat back on again, and Pearl was trying not to stare at her physique. Nevertheless, she walked over and sat down not too close but not too far away, her posture formal and completely upright.
Pearl centered herself before responding, "You're very welcome, Carnelian. But … did you really call me here just to spar?"
Carnelian was silent for a moment as she looked Pearl in the eye … then admitted, "Not, not just that anyway. I did want to do this, but there is an important reason I asked you here…" Carnelian paused then her tone turned thoughtful, "Pearl, I owe you an apology. I've been focusing on everyone, and I realized I haven't made nearly enough effort to get to know you or at least be more accommodating or respectful awareness. So, I'm sorry for that… I also apologize if I'm being presumptive right now."
"No, it's okay. If you have any fault, then I have just as much. If I'm being honest, I've … sort of been avoiding you. It's just, you make me … uncomfortable."
Carnelian turned rueful and her look softened, saying, "Oh, no; is it something I did or said? I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner…"
"No, no, it's nothing you did. It's just…" Pearl stopped, sighing in frustration at her own words. Finally, she admitted, "It's just… Rose Quartz, Steven's mother, she's the love of my life. And you make me think about her a lot… You two are apparently the same grade of quartz, and I believe it; in some ways, you both are so much alike. I'm just starting to be okay with her gone, but sometimes with you, I can almost feel her."
Carnelian nodded in understanding and said, "I totally understand… Honestly, sometimes I can't even look at Peridot and Lapis, especially Lapis. They reminded me so much of Sphene and Azurite that sometimes, for a split second, I swear they are them." Carnelian chuckled. "I'd probably go insane if you had an Obsidian or a Bismuth around to remind me of Thulite."
Pearl coughed at the unintended appropriateness of the last part before continuing, "Still, I apologize for not being forthright… By the way, what I said earlier about you and Rose, that's not the only reason I'm fascinated by you. I think you're wonderful in many of your own ways."
Carnelian smiled. "Thank you. And I should've said this earlier, but you're exceptional too. I'm constantly impressed by all the things you can do and how well you keep everything together."
Pearl let a fleeting giggle slip then added, "Well, I try… Also, and this probably goes without saying, but … you're positively gorgeous."
Carnelian looked at Pearl somewhat confused, Pearl quickly grew cold; she took a chance and went too far… Fortunately, Carnelian chuckled. "Why, thank you, Pearl. You're quite lovely too; as a Pearl, that's a given, but you stand out in the best way."
Pearl felt her whole face flushed and giggled, barely suppressing a laugh. Both of them grew silent as they just enjoyed the moment of being in good company and in good standing. However, the comfortable silence didn't last long.
"Pearl…" Carnelian sat up, looking forward away from Pearl. "Is it safe to assume … you fused with Rose Quartz often?"
"Every chance I could get, yes."
"If you don't mind me asking… Who was she? The gem you made together?"
Pearl let out a dreamy sigh and answered wistfully, "Rainbow Quartz. She is… was… is pure joy embodied and incarnate. She is incredibly powerful, yet she remains gracious and graceful at all times. She could make anything beautiful… You would like her."
"I'm sure I would have. I'm sorry she's… I'm glad you still hold her close."
"I miss her all the time." Pearl stopped to wipe the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "But all hope is isn't lost. If Steven and I ever manage to fuse, she could, in a way, come back. It would definitely be a different form and probably a different configuration, but … she would still be beautiful, and even if it's just partially, Rainbow Quartz could be again."
Carnelian looked back to Pearl with a hurt smile, somberly saying, "I hope it happens for you and Steven. In fact, because it's you and Steven, I know it will happen, and I want to be there to see it."
Carnelian looked away again. Pearl knew what was troubling her, and put an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "Carnelian, I'm so sorry about your Tanzanite. I know how you feel, and if there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask me."
Carnelian put her hand over Pearl's and revealed solemnly, "Thank you for that. You know, it's not just Tanzanite either; she has a special place in my heart, but she's not the only one. My team and I… We fused in every combination possible, and we gave them all time to live a little. There were seven fusions I was a part of; I've been thinking about all of them a lot lately, really terribly missing them." Carnelian chuckled ruefully. "I realized a while ago this is the longest I've gone without fusing in a few millennia."
Suddenly, an idea and offer rocketed to the forefront of Pearl's mind, something wicked and wonderful, lavish, audacious, and all too tempting. Suddenly, it was the only thing she wanted to do in that moment. Ultimately, she didn't feel nearly bold enough to attempt it, and yet the idea danced and tingled in her voice. She stayed silent to stay safe…
Carnelian sighed as she turned to Pearl, taking her hand off of Pearl's. "Anyway, that's all I have for now. I have to meet Peridot and Lapis later, so I should get ready for that… Pearl, thank you for everything. This was great; we'll have to hang out more when we can."
Pearl said as Carnelian stood, "Definitely. I will see you soon."
The red quartz gave her a smile and started off. Pearl watched Carnelian as she recalled and reformed her coat around herself and began to leave… A deep breath and an allured shudder rolled through Pearl as Carnelian disappeared down the steps.
-XXX—
A First Union
Peridot, Lapis, and Carnelian were in the ruins and chatting over the broken injector. Garnet had suggested Carnelian go with them for 'security', which the quartz happily obliged. Lapis went along to keep Peridot company, and this time with five gallons of water helpfully provided by Carnelian. Peridot was trying to dissect and disassemble the injector for any helpful tech or at least scrap, but she couldn't help getting sidetracked by the discussion between the three of them. Lapis and Peridot had questions for Carnelian and vice versa, so the three of them traded questions and answers back and forth. Peridot eventually diverted away for her desire for information and asked for a story.
Carnelian was telling of one occurrence. "So, we found out the rival species had this 'legend' or superstition about some mythical beast that would 'herald the end of this age and the start of the new age'. So, Sphene and Thulite figured out an approximate shape for this thing and constructed a makeshift structure to resemble it. Azurite and I go to meet their higher-ups to negotiate and when it, of course, goes nowhere, Azurite shook the whole building while I tried to convince them their legend was coming true. At the same time, Thulite and Sphene piloted the mockup, so when they looked outside, they saw it."
Peridot was incredulous. "Are you serious? That's highly improbable, even for a superstitious people. Did that really work?"
"Of course, it didn't work. They ran towards it when they saw it, but when they actually got a good look, they could tell it was fake. Luckily, we managed to come to an agreement, and convinced them to leave."
Lapis asked, raising an unconvinced eyebrow, "Really? After all that, they still wanted to talk?"
"Yep. You see, our real plan, all that quaking Azurite was doing? What she had actually done was rip their entire home base out of the rock face and hold it over the chasm underneath. Once they saw we could easily crush them, they backed down quite quickly. We didn't have any more run-ins, and eventually they left on their own."
While Peridot snickered, Lapis chuckled with amusement before saying, "Okay, my turn… How did you manage to get use to this planet so fast? I mean, everything here is so weird, but you seem to fit right in. How on Earth, pun intended, did you do that?"
Carnelian exhaled dramatically and answered, "Oh, Lazuli, I don't know. I guess… It's just there are a lot of good things here. Yeah, they're totally weird, and I've never seen a lot of this anywhere else, but… I really like most of it. Case in point…" Carnelian tapped the gallons of water. "The liquids here. Everywhere else I've been, there's been either none or it was caustic or rancid or disgusting. But here… the water is great and beautiful. It's easy to get use to a nice place, especially if you like the company."
Carnelian turned to them with a soft grin. Lapis nodded, satisfied, while Peridot dived back into working on the machine. The quartz then continued, "Okay, my question… Fusion? Peridot, I don't think you have; are you … or would you be interested in it? And Lapis, I know you had a pretty bad one; do you ever think you'd want to again?"
Both immediately froze and looked at Carnelian with anxiety, trepidation over smothered curiosity, and various other discomforts. Lapis cautiously asked, with Peridot in mind as well, "Are… are you asking us to…?"
"Hmm…?" Carnelian looked over at them and saw the discomfort on their faces. "Oh, no, that's not why I'm asking at all. I'm just trying to gauge how everyone feels. You don't have to answer, if it's too much."
The two looked at each other, and Peridot gave a gesture of uncertainty. Thus, Lapis breathed deep and forged ahead, "No, it's fine. For me … My fusion was for bad reasons, and did some terrible things. But the fusion herself wasn't bad. She actually felt very good." Lapis only thought that last sentence, something she would NOT say aloud. "I had do some awful things to her to keep that fusion going. That's what scares me the most; the next time will be with someone I trust and care about, but if it happens again, if I lose myself again and… I just want to be sure before I try again, and I don't know when that'll be."
Carnelian responded with a nod, "I get that, and that's very smart of you… For what it's worth, I think you'll do fine, but what's right for you is always up to you."
Peridot then spoke up, "Honestly… I'm just too scared to try it now." She explained as she went back to work, Lapis and Carnelian looking to her. "In addition to having to overcome my conditioned aversion to it, the whole process gives me pause. It's unquantifiable and unpredictable; it's physical and emotional, and that's a large part of its appeal! It's true I'm getting more well-acclimated with Earth and its culture much quicker than thought possible… but it seems fusion is a step too far too fast, at least at this present time."
"Hmm…" Carnelian inquired, "Are you at all curious, at least?"
"Incredibly so!" The words rocketed out Peridot, "But, like Lapis, if I were to reach a high level of confidence and faith in another gem, I would frankly be eager to try fusing."
"Okay, good. That's all I wanted to know. And, thanks for humoring me." Carnelian offered, which Peridot and Lapis waved off literally and figuratively. The red quartz then continued, "Alright, I know I'm breaking the rules here, but we're already in the awkward-slash-difficult question mood, so… I have another question… The corruption; any idea what it is? What we're supposed to do about it? What can we even do about it?"
Lapis immediately answered, "I don't know anything about that one. Peridot?"
Peridot then expounded, "Ah, the corruption, a terrifying dilemma. I don't have any historical reference for it, and, based on the accounts of it, it's not hard to decipher why Homeworld wouldn't want that kind of attack to be common knowledge. It's also very troubling that you've had repeated contact with some of the affected yet had no idea of their origin."
Lapis added in, "Yeah, Scarlet, what happened to the ones you and your team fought?"
"Yeah, I've been trying very hard not to think too hard about that." Carnelian admitted, sounding a little shaken, "We just burst them, put them in prism, and turned them in. We never had a reason to ask where they came from or where they went."
Peridot continued, "All evidence suggests that situation is very bad. I mean, this machine emits a signal that attracts them, and you make a similar one that at least gets their attention. In addition, it's very difficult to observe and study the corruption's characteristics and effects, considering the subjects and the … process. I mean, seeing what it did to Jasper…" Peridot stopped as a shudder rolled through her. "Overcoming that last obstacle is paramount to any success we might have."
Lapis then remembered something and suggested, "Wait, Peridot, didn't you say something about that machine analyzing a gem's makeup?"
Carnelian looked at Peridot in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"
Peridot perked up as she too remembered, and then explained, "Oh, yeah, the diagnostic upgrade. I saw it in Sphene's schematics; it looked like she'd already done the calculations. It was fairly easy to decipher, well, for me at least… The simplest description is it's an upgrade to the machine that allows it to run full diagnostics on a gem, including showing a gem's makeup in real time. I had planned to apply the upgrade, but then this injector here put a hold on that."
Carnelian was speechless with incredulity for a moment then exclaimed, overjoyed, "Peridot, that's incredible! We've got to tell Steven. If you can get that upgrade working, and we can actually see this monster… He might be able to find a way to fix it."
Sharing the joy for Steven's sake, Lapis added, "He's gonna love that so much! We have to do it."
Even though she was smiling ear-to-ear too, Peridot tried to tamp her excitement down. "Yes, yes, it's all very encouraging, but one project at a time. This machine isn't going to brick itself. Additionally, I'll need some parts from this machine to actually make the upgrade. So, let's put a momentary freeze on this."
"Good idea…" Lapis said as Carnelian nodded in agreement.
Carnelian looked away with a smile as she mentally thanked her fallen teammate. After that, she got them back on track as they needed to preoccupy themselves before getting carried away again. "Alright, moving on. More questions; let me have them."
Lapis obliged, "Azurite… We're both in the same class, right? What could she do? How crazy could she get?"
Carnelian explained, "Well, it's hard to compare you two. I mean, you pulled every ocean off this planet to get to space, right? The equivalent for Azurite would be literally cracking a planet open, and we never needed to go that far. I'll say this: you are scary powerful, and you're also raw and natural; you wanna hit something with water, you make a hand. You want to fly with water, you make wings. Azurite liked to expand and stretch what she could do. For instance, she discovered that she could extend her control pass simply ground and into flora too. She eventually got to the point that where she could almost control plants just as well as the ground. So, if wanted or tried, you could probably do similar things with water or probably any liquid."
As Lapis pondered, Peridot asked excitedly, "Okay, okay, my turn… You said Yellow Diamond has 5 other quartzes of the same caliber as you, Rose Quartz, and Jasper. I am very curious if I've heard of them or maybe even encountered them without knowing. Who are they?"
Carnelian grew a small grin and relayed, "Well, I already told you about Yellow Diamond's Amethyst. She's a lot like our Amethyst, but thoroughly indoctrinated and all that entails. You know better than me how Yellow Diamond loves order and regimen. She holds a tight leash, and Amethyst has to choke herself with it; as tragic and horrible as it sounds… Along with her is Black Agate. She's like most Agates: prim and proper, domineering, and exact. She actually refuses to call us her 'sisters' … but the reason why for that is one reason we love her. You see… Black Agate is head-over-heels in love with Eisenkiesel, one of my fellow White Diamond quartzes, and EK ("ee-kay") loves her to little shards right back.
Just seeing stuck up Agate just melt into love-struck blushing and giggling, it kinda … gives you hope, I guess. There is one caveat though: Black Agate and Eisenkiesel share a room. So, when we're in our quarters, and we hear Agate start 'singing', we know they're in for the night, and NOT to go ANYWHERE near their room until the next day."
Lapis and Peridot were slightly confused by that last statement. Carnelian however realized how awkward any elaboration would be, and decided to move on…
"Anyway. There's Amethyst, Black Agate, and then there's—"
BRRR! A low rumble and trembling underfoot stopped them all dead. The rumbling and shifting crept up until it was consistent and close. Carnelian sprang to her feet as her training kicked in…
Carnelian stepped forward, and instructed automatically, "Peridot, take cover. Lapis, get ready to defend her if something or someone gets past me."
Fortunately, she looked over to see the latter instruction was perfunctory; Lapis was already enveloping Peridot and herself in a swirling and churning dome of water. Carnelian turned back and focused her senses on this new disturbance, giving it her full attention. She began rapidly analyzing the situation and picking up on the patterns of whatever this was.
"1… 2… 3…" The red quartz counted out them out as she pinpointed them, meanwhile sliding off her coat and transforming it into her claymore, "4… 5… 6."
Suddenly, there was a bright distant flash … luckily from the Warp Pad. Steven, Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst came rushing over and gathering around Carnelian.
Relaxed but not relieved, Carnelian said, "You're right on time. There was no way I could've called you for help."
Pearl quickly said, "Sorry, it took a while to get everyone, but we're here."
Seeing Carnelian's claymore for the first time, Amethyst quickly exclaimed, "Whoa, cool sword, Red!"
Carnelian announced in response, "You're about to see me use it because here they come!"
The first corrupted gem that appeared was light brown with a flat circular body and two black beady eyes on top, resembling a stingray, its gemstone on its back. The ray burst up through the sand and several large icicles at the Crystal Gems, and thinking quickly, Pearl deflected and slashed them away. In one motion, the Ray fell back down, burrowed, and disappeared back down into the sand.
As Carnelian predicted, six savage serpents had arrived. In addition to the Ray, five more corrupted gems showed themselves in short order: the next was a pinkish-orange gem who only seemed to stick out her head, which mostly consisted of a gaping mouth full of rows of pointed razor sharp teeth. Also inside that maw was her gemstone, and out of it she fired laser beams. Another was silver with a tall cylindrical pillar-like body with her gemstone on her 'base'. She had several arms covered in barbed spikes, and she would stick straight up with her arms outstretched, spinning and twirling in all directions.
Then, there were twin corrupted gems, two snake-like gems that worked concert with each other. One was light purple with her gem on her underside and two 'mandibles' on her front that constantly surged electricity between them, building up and firing lightning bolts at the Crystal Gems. The other was black with her gem on her side and three long horns on her 'head'; she would use her horns by leaping out of the sand while spinning, turning herself into a drilling torpedo.
The largest, most fearsome, and most aggressive of them was the pale orange 'scorpion', staying above ground mostly to chase and fight the Crystal Gems directly. She was an almost exact representation of the arachnid; six scuttling legs, two large snapping pincers, a large plated body, and a wildly-stabbing, long curved tail with a hooked barb on the end and her gem on the base…
The Ray continued attacking Pearl by shooting icicles while Pearl struggled to get close enough, the corrupted gem hurling herself backward into the sand as she went. The Pillar took particular interest in Lapis and Peridot with Lapis having to deflect her away with her water shield, but the Pillar simply bounced back and spun toward them again. Garnet was trying to stop the Maw, but the corrupted gem showed no interest in the fusion, preferring to fire at the Crystal Gems in other fights. Garnet had to quickly jump in the path of the lasers to protect the others, but this also allowed the Maw escape back into the ground with Garnet no closer to catching her.
Meanwhile, Steven and Amethyst had to deal with the twin snakes. Amethyst had to rapidly spin dash in place to deflect the Drill snake and tried repeatedly to lasso her, but the Drill would either twist out of it or attempt to drag Amethyst into the ground, causing the purple quartz to let go. Steven was busy defending himself against the electric snake. At first, he was bubbling himself but soon realized it was causing the lightning to fly widely off in every direction, and so switched to his shield, the smaller weapon requiring more precision and quickness. The scorpion, clashing with Carnelian from the start, was as fierce and powerful as she looked but also devilishly fast on her feet and with her pincers and her tail. Carnelian had to match her intensity while also having to attack and defend against the tri-fold assault.
Eventually, however, the Crystal Gems broke through to success. Steven and Amethyst made headway by switching targets. Combining her energy-infused whips with her spin dash, Amethyst blast through the Electric snake's barrage, slamming into her, and grinding her into the ground. Steven got the upper hand by pulling off a tricky maneuver; he waited for Drill snake to lunge at him and, when the moment came, bubbled himself … and manage to trap the Drill snake half in and half out of the bubble! The bubble halted her momentum and held her in place so Steven could attack with his shield.
Garnet was getting frustrated when it came to her that she was approaching from the wrong direction; When the Maw resurfaced next, the fusion sprinted straight behind her, buried her hands in the ground, and stretched her arms to start feeling around. Got it! Just as the Maw was readying another shot, Garnet grabbed her by the tail and yanked her backward through the ground. The fusion pulled the corrupted gem all the way out of the ground again … and within striking distance; she held the Maw by the neck with one hand and leveled punches into the corrupted gem's jaw. Pearl continued to struggle with the Ray until she realized her only option … was up. She used a literal change in approach by leaping and vaulting over and all around, and due to her low and flat body structure, the Ray couldn't keep track of Pearl's acrobatics. Soon, Pearl found an advantageous angle, dodged some poorly aimed icicles, and stabbed straight down into the corrupted gem.
Lapis had tried to simply grab the Pillar with her hands of water, but the corrupted gem's barbs and fast spinning simply shredded them and sent the water ripping away in all directions. Lapis then tried soaking the corrupted gem and using it to forcibly bring her to a stop. The Pillar simply burrowed underground to dry herself and force Lapis to draw the water back to herself. Then, Lapis finally figured out a plan. The Pillar shot up out of the ground as she would and spun toward Lapis and Peridot again. Lapis quickly soaked the ground in the corrupted gem's path, and when the Pillar came into it … used it bring the Pillar to a complete stop. Using the soaked ground to seize the corrupted gem, Lapis kept the Pillar not only from spinning forward and backward but also from burrowing down as well. Lapis continued to keep the corrupted gem in place while she got Peridot to the relative safety of one of the nearby downed machine rings.
The scorpion managed to grab Carnelian's sword with both claws … exactly as the red quartz wanted. Carnelian twisted around to the corrupted gem's side while catching her striking stinger. She now had all three of the Scorpion's weapons occupied and, using her free limbs, Carnelian rained down heavy punishing stomps on the corrupted gem's back, the Scorpion unable to defend herself.
The corrupted gems had to escape and quickly. The Ray frantically burrowed straight down. The Maw fired a much weaker shot, one with no charge and thus almost no threatening power, at Garnet's face, and when the fusion had to let go to block, swiftly burrowed to safety. The Pillar had to actually hurl herself completely out of the ground and roll lengthwise to some dry ground to retreat. The scorpion thrashed out of Carnelian's grip with violent urgency and had to awkwardly burrow backward into the ground to get away. The Drill snake spun herself backward out of the bubble and headed right for Amethyst, but when she got within range, actually speared herself into the Electric snake and carried them both into the ground.
The Crystal Gems quickly gathered around each other, unsure of what to expect next…
"Is everyone okay?" Garnet called out.
"Great, we got 'em on the run!" Amethyst exclaimed.
"Stay alert. We have them on their last bit of stamina but this is not over." Pearl cautioned.
Carnelian added, "Agreed, and I suggest we finish this now… I'm getting a really bad feeling all of a sudden."
All six corrupted gems reemerged close to each other off to the side a ways away. The Crystal Gems hurried over to them but stopped when the corrupted ones starting very odd: moving and shaking erratically, fidgeting and bumping into each other, and drifting in and out of rough formations. More than anything, they seemed to be trying to do something but didn't know how…
Then, it happened. The corrupted gems all looked at each other and slowly started mimicking each other. They soon settled on roughly the same swaying, undulating motion, and continued adjusting to each other until they had the same rhythm and tempo. The Crystal Gems watched the odd occurrence almost mesmerized and completely lost as to what this could be or its result. The corrupted gems then saw and focused on the Crystal Gems, all while maintaining their disquieting … 'dance'. Finally, they gathered close to one another … and disappear into a massive ball of light! All the Crystal Gems' eyes grew wide as they all gasp.
Steven voiced for all of them, his voice low with horrified shock, "Are those gems fusing?!"
Their forms morphed and amalgamated into one glowing whole and expanded with a cacophonous chorus of shrieks, screams, and howls. The light finally peeled away to reveal a gargantuan monstrosity of a fusion: a Hydra-like being with 6 long-necked heads, each head corresponding to one of the gems inside, all of them connected to one twisted gnarl of a body. They were all fused, but the Hydra had no cohesion or unity in her movement, functions, or structure. She was all over the place figuratively and literally. The colors of her components laid next to and all over each other and shone sickly bright and disorientingly garish, a kaleidoscopic horror, a stained glass nightmare. Finally, all of the Hydra's heads stopped writhing and churning and refocused on the Crystal Gems…
Carnelian, this time, spoke for all of them, under her breath and in dread, "Ho-Ly Zales…"
The Hydra proved just as terrifying as perceived, relentless, overwhelming, and armed with many attacks. The Pillar head, now whipping around like a spiked flail, and the Drill head combined efforts for an all-out attack. The Maw head, the Electric head, and the Ray head worked in concert for long range, cover fire, and suppressing fire. The Scorpion head, the biggest of them all, with two additional clawed appendages along its neck and a hooked stinger for a tongue went slithering, snapping, stabbing, and chasing after them individually.
The Crystal Gems were in trouble. Not only could they not combat the onslaught, they could barely move fast enough to stay ahead of such sustained offense. A fusion of their own was their only hope, but Hydra seemed to know that as well. The corrupted fusion kept the Crystal Gems isolated and fiercely targeted and attacked when they got even remotely close to one another. Between the lasers, ice, electricity, thrashing, and rampaging, it was hard for the Crystal Gems to even see each other or even keep track their own locations.
Soon, Pearl dodged a strike from the Pillar head … only to end up in the path of the Maw's laser. With no time to dodge again, Pearl braced herself for impact, but the next moment, she felt herself yanked then carried out of the way. She was lost in a blur of activity until she came to a stop. Quickly, she got her bearings to find herself behind one of the now-fallen beams … with Carnelian looming protectively next to her.
"Pearl, are you okay?" Carnelian asked in concern.
"I am, thanks to you." Pearl replied after a moment to get her words together, "You really saved me back there."
"Of course, anytime." A nearby explosion brought both of them back to the immense danger all around. Carnelian expressed, "This is bad. She's way to strong. We can barely protect ourselves, and getting close is out of the question. We've gotta come up with something fast!"
Even under this duress, part of Pearl leapt when the idea came to her. She looked into the red quartz's eyes, saying, "There is one thing we can do to give us a fighting chance…"
"You're right." Carnelian looked around quickly, trying to find a path. "I'll cover you; we need to get you to one of the others."
Pearl grabbed Carnelian's hand in both of hers. "I am near someone – you. There's no time, and if we go out there, we'll just get separated again. This is our best chance, you and me." Pearl started to smile, but then Carnelian looked back at her, stunned and caught off-guard. The red quartz's unease and uncertainty was clear from her furrowed brow and slightly clenched teeth. Pearl tried to comfort and reassure her, "I'm sorry; it will just be this once, and then you'll never have to again."
Carnelian was suddenly gripped in a storm of different uncomfortable emotions and thoughts. Ultimately, Carnelian closed her eyes, took a couple deep breaths … took Pearl's hand in one hand and gently placed her other arm around Pearl's waist…
Garnet was trying to combat the heads any way she could, but the Hydra was simply too fast and erratic for her to get even one good shot in. Amethyst and Lapis tried to isolate the heads, Amethyst spin-dashing on the ground and Lapis flying through the air, but the heads only led them into each other's attacks. As a result, their fast movements very quickly turned into running for their lives. Steven managed to get to Peridot just as one of the heads finally noticed her, but had to shield and bubble her and himself constantly, trying to get the green gem to safety but getting nowhere.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light captured everyone's attention and stopped the battle cold. The Hydra focused all her heads on this new occurrence. With the frenzy paused, the Crystal Gems made immediate advantage of the lull by making beelines for each other, all gathering around Garnet. Where did that light come from? The Warp Pad? No, it was in the other direction, and this light was much closer. That was when the Crystal Gems noticed some of them were missing…
Steven let a loud gasp. "Giant Woman?!"
The light grew and morphed into a humanoid shape to rival Hydra's size until it burst away into a shower of pink cherry petals to reveal a large beautiful fusion. She was covered in a long, black and light blue robe with a yellow star pattern around its edges, large flowing sleeves, and tied with a blue and black sash around her waist with a neat and tight bow in the back. From what could be seen, she had four slender and toned arms and a pair of lithe, powerful legs. Her long peach-colored hair flowed over her shoulders in whipped-cream shaped peaks. Her skin pristine white, she had full lips, a short pointed nose, and vivid red markings on her lips, eyelids, and cheeks that resembled makeup or even war paint.
The word 'geisha' emerged in Steven's mind after a moment, as he saw a resemblance to a character on his Lonely Blade movies. The fusion held her lower, slightly smaller pair of hands pressed together in a praying positon and her higher pair of arms down by her sides outstretched with her palms turned forward. Her eyes were closed and she was taking deep breaths … seemingly drinking in the whole experience. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open to show a pair of soft pink colored eyes…
Her voice clear, robust, and warm, the fusion finally spoke, "I… love… EVERYTHING about this."
The combined gem found her fellow Crystal Gems and 'approached' them, her increased size and stride covering the distance in a slight shuffle forward. Her footsteps, however, were surprisingly light and quiet. All of them looked up in awe at this brand new fusion, Steven smiling practically ear-to-ear and with stars in his eyes.
"Giant! Woman!" Steven's words and excitement came bursting out of him.
The fusion smiled lovingly at him and said, "Oh, my dear sweet Steven Universe. Please hold that thought for just a moment, and in the meantime, make sure everyone's healed?"
As Steven enthusiastically agreed and set about doing just that, Garnet stepped forward and said, "We're glad you're here. Who are you?"
The fusion took a moment to think before declaring, "I am … Rubellite. It's lovely to see you all. But, we must have proper introductions later, I'm afraid."
Garnet nodded in agreement and ushered the other gems clear while Rubellite turned to the Hydra… All the while, the corrupted fusion had been hanging back and observing intently. She seemed to recognize something had changed … and actually seemed hesitant, almost intimidated. Rubellite looked at her six-headed enemy, but her attitude remained softened.
"You poor gems; I can't imagine the pain you must be in." Rubellite empathetically said, "And yet… even in this strife, you all still managed to come together and fuse. It's … remarkable and encouraging. I promise we'll find a way to help you. It's truly a shame, however, that you must sleep first."
Hydra started to get agitated for the standoff, hissing, writhing, rearing and coiling her necks in anticipation. Suddenly, the first salvo was fired; the Electric head fired a lightning bolt at the Crystal Gem fusion. Rubellite, however, easily caught the shot with her left hands, but then something odd happened: the energy didn't dissipate but surged in her hands! Even further, she felt the energy connect some inside herself and feed the electrical charge. Rubellite tested it … and, yes, she could control it.
Exploring the discovery more, Rubellite began streaming electricity through her smaller pair of hands, saying, "Well, this is interesting … and I must admit, more than a little exciting."
Rubellite then generated electricity in her larger hands and made it buzz and dance in her palms and fingertips until once satisfied, she dissipated the charge. The Crystal Gem fusion hummed in thought a moment as she set about really deducing things about herself. She soon summoned Pearl's staff in her right hands and Carnelian's sword in the others, pondered the sword and unfurled it into a chain whip. Carrying the thought through, she morphed the two weapons together with a flash of light to make a dual bladed staff … but Rubellite was not done. The fusion held her weapon parallel, gave the middle a strong twist, and then pulled the two ends apart to reveal a chain connecting them. The weapon was actually a bladed nunchaku!
Steven and Amethyst gasped and shrieked in astonishment and excitement at the sight of it. Rubellite deftly spun and twirled her new weapon up, down, left, and right, getting acquainted with it, but then took both ends and sent electricity coursing through it until they buzzed and popped with imbued energy.
The fight of the two fusion proper then began, but initially there was no doubt which one was in control. Rubellite combatted Hydra with seeming ease; she knocked and whacked the Hydra's attacking heads away, parrying the projectiles away, and gracefully shifting clear of any attack she didn't meet head on. With light graceful steps, the Crystal Gem fusion then started circling and delicately shuffling around her foe then slowly backing away, all the while still deflecting and parrying the attacks; it was obvious she was leading the corrupted fusion away from the others.
Rubellite then started whacking the Hydra's heads with more force and in all directions, with the corrupted fusion getting more and more enraged and frenzied … and thus unable to realize what was happening. Hydra went for another attack but all her heads pulled short; her necks were all tangled thanks to Rubellite's attacks and direction. The red-pink fusion punctuated her completed plan with a roundhouse kick to the corrupted fusion's side, actually sending the Hydra hard to the ground. Rubellite heard familiar cheers and whistles and smiled at Steven and Amethyst's shouted encouragement. Hydra shakily stood up and very gingerly untangled her necks…
Rubellite observed, saying softly to herself, "We… I best finish this now, as quickly and painlessly as possible, for their sake, for her sake…"
Unfortunately, Hydra seemed to learn from the experience and changed her strategy; she ceased attacking in waves and started to attack with all her heads at once. This proved much more effective as it was much harder to combat six simultaneous assaults at once, even for a powerful fusion like Rubellite. The Crystal Gem fusion was under much more pressure, and soon at least one or two attacks got through that she couldn't dodge and parry.
Rubellite still fought valiantly when the Electric head planted in her side … and latched on! Hydra's plan started to come into focus as the other heads followed suit: the Pillar head spike into her shoulder, sawing back and forth; the Maw head attached onto her leg and directly applied the laser; the Drill head planted into her gut and ground into it; the Ray head aimed for Rubellite's chest, and even though the red-pink fusion got a hand in the way, simply stabbed into her hand and her chest. The Scorpion head had its clawed appendages clasped around her neck while the head growled into her face. Suddenly, Hydra's heads started forcefully pulling backward … trying to pull Rubellite apart!
Rubellite struggled with everything within her to stay together but nonetheless started to glow as her form started to separate…
Pearl and Carnelian's voices came out in unison as the fusion tried to stay together, latching onto something the two shared… "I… I miss you so much… Not a day goes by that I don't think about you … and wish you were still here with me…" Pulling herself back from the brink, Rubellite's form started coming back together, light disappearing from her as she regained stability and Pearl and Carnelian's voices melting back into Rubellite's voice. "Rose… Azurite… I love you with all my heart still. I'll love you always…"
Rubellite used her free hand to grab the Electric head and absorbed some of her energy, and, after dropping her weapon, freed her opposite hand, took hold of the Scorpion head, and sent a powerful shock into her. Hydra reflexively let go with all of her heads … but Rubellite kept hold of the Electric head. Rubellite re-summoned her nunchaku in her free hand, took one bladed end and… KA-SHING! The Crystal Gem fusion severed the Electric head with a clean slash. POOF! A light purple gem was left in Rubellite's hand.
Hydra lurched and stumbled backward, roaring in shock and pain. Rubellite, meanwhile, gently handed the defeated gem to Garnet. Facing Hydra once more, Rubellite connected both ends of the nunchaku back into a bladed staff, but this time she held the middle still with two hands while grabbing closer to the ends. The Crystal Gem fusion gave the two ends a twist then pulled them away to show them connected with a chain as well; her weapon was now a three-section staff!
From there, Rubellite now aggressively attacked, her new weapon going nicely with her smooth flowing movement. The three-section staff gave her longer range and allowed her to strike around defense or could wield both ends for a two-pronged up-close attack. However, she didn't showcase many more of her skills; the battle didn't last very long after Rubellite's change of attack.
In short order, the Crystal Gem fusion started cutting Hydra down. The Drill head and the Pillar head were sliced away next with a single strike. POOF! POOF! Rubellite actually had to chase the evading Maw head but got hold of her soon enough. POOF! The Hydra was slowly backing away now with the Ray still firing but the Scorpion head was hanging back. Rubellite deftly avoided a barrage of icicles while slashing forward. POOF! Hydra's body now completely still and with only one head left, the Scorpion head roared defiantly at the pink-red fusion. Rubellite let her finish before delivering one last two-handed cross slash. POOF! And with that, the entire gargantuan body disappeared into a huge cloud of smoke as well.
Rubellite knelt down and gently scooped up the five defeated corrupted gems, cradling them in her hands as she returns to the rest of the Crystal Gems. Meanwhile, they were all sighing in relief from the ordeal finished. Steven and Amethyst were cheering and whistling. Peridot dramatically fell to the ground in relief. Garnet was smiling bright and even clapping. Lapis was even smiling. Rubellite knelt down, sitting back on her heels with flawless, almost regal posture, and presented the gems to the others for bubbling…
"Now, how is everyone?" Rubellite warmly addressed her fellow gems, "Is everyone alright? Peridot? You had a rough time through all of that. How are you holding up?"
Peridot sat up to answer. "Very shaken yet miraculously unmarred. Also agitated that my hopes for an uneventful day were summarily dashed. Otherwise… I am in good condition."
"I am so glad. And you Lapis? You were excellent in protecting Peridot, by the way. My endless thanks and gratitude for that."
Lapis actually felt herself blushing from the praise. "Well, of course I stayed with Peridot. Nothing to get worked up about."
Rubellite gave her a warm smile. "You're too modest; you were great."
Unable to contain herself any longer, Amethyst said excitedly, "That was so cool! The way you just took over and brought her down, and didn't even break a sweat!"
"Well, I'm glad you're impressed." Rubellite said, winking at the purple quartz.
Meanwhile, Steven was busily taking pictures of the new fusion with his phone before exclaiming exultantly, "You are amazing! And majestic! I knew if I met you, you'd be great, and you so are!"
Rubellite lowered her smaller set of hands for the young gem to step into and lifted him up to her face. She then spoke to him warmly and affectionately, "You're so sweet, as expected. More than anything, I wanted to meet you, Steven Universe. You know, Pearl and Carnelian love you very much … and so do I. You make it very easy."
Rubellite then gave him a very small kiss, even though the smallest kiss she could possibly give still covered most of his upper body. She gently put him back down as Garnet stepped forward…
Happy though obviously not outwardly jubilant, Garnet said, "Congratulations, Rubellite. And welcome; we're happy to have you. And, I must say, you're remarkably stable especially for a first time fusion."
"Garnet, you flatter me … seriously. That's high praise coming from you, thank you."
"So, how do you feel?"
Rubellite's eyes fluttered closed for a moment and took a deep breath ending in a content sigh. "At peace and comfortable. Wistful and enchanted. Warm red and pleasant pink. Loving everything, everyone, and every minute."
"Excellent. That's only going to get even better next time."
Rubellite's face fell into disappointment and dejection … but quickly shook it away, trying to hide her feelings despite the impossibility of that. "Oh … right. Yes… Next time…"
Steven, picking up on it, said, "Don't worry, Rubellite. You'll be back in no time, to fight or just to hang out. You won't be gone long, I promise."
Rubellite affectionately nuzzled his cheek with her forefinger and said. "Thank you, Steven. I can't wait…" The fusion then lightly kissed her fingers and waved to them all. "Until then; I love you all."
Rubellite glowed … but didn't immediately separate. It was a hesitation, but a moment later, she disappear, leaving Carnelian and Pearl behind. Pearl rested back against her red quartz counterpart, her head tilted back to look up at her, Pearl's hand stealing up in her hair. Carnelian held Pearl close with one arm around her waist and caressed her face with the opposite hand. Both in virtual afterglow, the two gems stayed in place with their eyes closed, seemingly taking a moment to realize they were separate again. Slowly, they opened their eyes and gazed at each other. Pearl smiled bright, and Carnelian started to smile … when something visibly hurtled from the back of her mind all the way to the forefront. Suddenly, the red quartz was shaken and perturbed, and so gently put Pearl down and backed a few steps away…
Confused and a little hurt by the reaction, Pearl asked, "Scarlet? What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Obviously distressed, Carnelian stammered, "Yes. I mean, no. I mean… Oh, stars; Pearl, I'm so sorry I'm acting strange. It's nothing you did. You were, are wonderful. What we did, who we… I just… I sorry, everyone; I have to go."
Carnelian hurried away before they could say anything. Steven and Amethyst chased after her, but she got to the Warp Pad and warped away without looking back.
-XXX-
Downpour Outpour
Hours later, Lapis and Peridot were safely back and settled at the Barn, and Steven, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst warped back to the temple as a deluge fell outside.
"I wonder if Red's out there…" Amethyst wondered aloud.
"Yes, she's at the lighthouse." Garnet confirmed as she adjusted her shades.
Steven said with a lot of concern, "She seemed so upset. We should go talk to her."
Garnet then suggested, "Also correct. Pearl, I think you should go."
Hugging her elbows and arms close, Pearl said, slightly saddened, "Oh, I'm sure she doesn't want to see me."
"Pearl…" Garnet put a hand on Pearl's shoulder and, as Pearl looked up at the fusion, encouraged her, "Trust me; right now, there's no one else she wants to talk to more ... than you."
That was all Pearl needed to hear; she was secretly thinking and feeling the same thing. She grabbed a large umbrella and headed out… It was a heavy, early evening storm, driving and unrelenting rain showering down. Flashes and rumbles of lightning and thunder sparingly filled the area. Fortunately, there wasn't much wind, so there was no danger of her getting blown away. Pearl trekked around the soggy beach to the hill, walked up the slick glistening grass, and, as predicted, saw Carnelian near the lighthouse. She approached.
Carnelian had been out here before the rain, so, when the sky threatened to pour down, she transformed her coat into a large awning and affixed it to the lighthouse over her, giving herself cover, allowing her to stay. She remained dry while looking out into the furiously cascading rainfall and the frothy, roiling ocean waves. She looked up and was surprised to see Pearl coming toward her, having not heard the petite gem's light footsteps over the deluge…
Pearl approached the opening of Carnelian's makeshift shelter, and said softly, almost sheepishly, "Carnelian, here you are… May I come in?"
Carnelian silently nodded, and Pearl stepped underneath next to her while folding the umbrella. Both then silently watched the rain together, occasionally stealing glances at each other. They had found themselves in the awkward position of both knowing what they wanted to say and really wanting to say them, but neither able to do so. They knew way more about each other now but were still unsure… Yet, they also weren't uncomfortable or anxious.
Pearl eventually asked, "So… any reason you came to this spot?"
"Not really. Just… brooding…" Carnelian finally sighed and pushed forward, "Pearl, I'm so sorry for running off like I did today. I probably worried everyone; it was nothing you or anyone did."
Pearl quickly responded, putting a hand on Carnelian's arm, "No, no, it's okay. We understand. You don't need to apologize… Today was a lot to deal with."
"It's not just today…" Silence again fell between them, but it didn't last long. Carnelian needed to let things out, and so slowly started trickling out what was on her mind. "Everything in this place is so wonderful. I'm constantly finding new things about here that amaze me. Even the bad weather is beautiful in its own way… I still love my teammates and I still miss them all the time, but being in this lovely place with such great gems and people… I'm more and more okay every day… It's funny; you know, Azurite always said I was the strong one in the couple, even though I clearly wasn't. But now … I just, I know I shouldn't be this happy. I shouldn't be happy at all. It's like … I'm healing too fast."
"Carnelian, stop..." Pearl took Carnelian's large hand into both her hands. "It's okay to feel better. It's like you said: you still love them and you still think about them every day. When I was with you today, I could feel how much they mean to you, so I know you'll never forget them. You don't have to punish yourself because you think you should be in pain." Pearl continued on to reveal with unguarded honesty, "In fact, I could probably use some advice… Ever since Rose left, I've been a mess, and I still am … even after all this time, even with Steven. I'm ashamed to say that even now, every now and again, I look at him and wonder… Anyway, don't worry about healing too fast; I can say from experience it can be just as bad not healing fast enough."
Carnelian then held Pearl's hands in one of hers, and herself turned comforting and reassuring now. "Pearl, you're not a mess. Even though you're hurting, you still give care and love to Steven and the others. You're exceptional."
Even though Carnelian let go of her hands, Pearl's cheeks still bloomed blue as she responded, "Carnelian, I have to say this… Thank you so much for today. Despite the circumstances, fusing with you was sublime."
Carnelian actually blushed orange a little as she responded, "Well, I had an incredible partner especially considering how rusty I was. So, thank you, Pearl. Thank you for making my first fusion in a long time a great one."
Pearl giggled and said, smiling, "I hope this isn't too much, but… I'm glad I learned how good you are. I always knew about your strength and confidence; anyone could see that. But to be close to you, and feel your compassion, your open-heartedness, your hopefulness… you really are wonderful."
Carnelian let out a flattered laugh, her whole face blushing orange by this point. "I could say the same for you. I mean, I guessed at these things but feeling them with you full force … blew me away. You're so graceful, so poised, in control, and determined… I couldn't ask for a better partner for my first fusion back."
Pearl looked afar off as a proud, delighted, and loving smile grew on her lips. "And, of course, there's the exquisite Rubellite."
Carnelian gained the same loving smile as she concurred, "Yeah… Our girl is beautiful, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is." Pearl and Carnelian looked back to each other, appreciative and in-sync. "Well, even if it was dramatic, someone good did come from this… Carnelian, do you think you'll be alright?"
"I'm a lot better than alright; that's what worries me … for now."
Pearl smiled in relief and said, "Good… I have to get inside now. We'll definitely have to talk more later."
"Definitely. And could you please tell the others I'll be back in soon?"
Pearl nodded in agreement, opened her umbrella from under the shelter, and with a small wave, headed back out into the rain and toward the temple. Carnelian watched as Pearl walk away and disappeared back down the hill. Despite the lovely heart-to-heart, Carnelian was still in a severe emotional bind, pulled and twisted painfully in different directions. A sinking, crushing feeling of guilt hung over how she felt and what she wanted to so… She did not want to separate from Rubellite. She wanted to fuse with the other gems right now… Despite what she told herself, what everyone told her, and what she knew, she couldn't help but feel so … disloyal and brazen.
And yet, at the same time … it was so soaring and revitalizing to be fused again and with such an excellent partner in Pearl. Everything she loved about fusion came flooding back, it was just revelatory as ever. The dance, the process, the power, the intimacy, the cooperation… Everything about it was lovely, and Rubellite is magnificent, proof that it was good. Carnelian couldn't help wondering with excitement and anticipation about who fusing with Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven could make, and she was almost sure of who fusing with Lapis and Peridot could make. It was a tangle of joy and pain.
Carnelian reached into the awning where her coat pocket would be and pulled out the glass of Azurite's shards … but she just held the glass in her hand; she couldn't bring herself to look at her. The red quartz shakily brought the glass to her lips, still completely enveloped in her fingers, and gave it a very light kiss…
"I'm sorry…" Carnelian uttered in a hurt whisper, "I'm so sorry…"
-XXX-
The cloud arena sat in peace under the soft purple light of the night sky and bright clear speckles of stars. Here Carnelian was uneasily waiting; she was standing still, but it was all she could do to keep from pacing, her hands and feet trembling … with excitement and anxiety. Her hands were shoved into her pockets to hide them, and she just had to hope her knees didn't betray her by knocking together. Amethyst then came casually strolling in, humming a tune and with her hands resting behind her head…
"Yo, Red, I'm here! What'cha need?"
"Hey, Ame…" Carnelian responded, hoping her voice wasn't shaking, "Glad you could make it; right on time too… Amethyst … we're cool, right? You and me?"
Amethyst raised a slightly confused eyebrow and cautiously replied, "Like nighttime at the beach. You even need to ask?"
"Yeah, right, that was a weird question." Carnelian let slip a nervous cough.
Amethyst was getting very suspicious now. "You … feeling alright, Red. Not gonna lie, you're kinda freaking me out."
"Right, sorry…" Carnelian just had to take a deep breath before forging ahead, "Amethyst, I need a favor, or it's more of a request really."
Amethyst agreed with an easy shrug, "Okay, lay it on me; I can get it done for you."
"Now, if it makes you uncomfortable or you don't want to, that's totally fine. Seriously, just say the word, and we'll forget the whole thing…"
"Tanzanite … chill out." Amethyst reassured her fellow quartz, "I know it's probably not something bad. Just ask me, and we'll do it."
Carnelian breathed deep again, prepared herself to accept whatever happened next, and finally said it. "Amethyst… Would you please fuse with me?"
Carnelian saw Amethyst's entire demeanor completely change in an instant; the purple quartz froze, slack-jawed, her eyes wide and her brow raised in shock…
Trying to recover from the awkward situation, Carnelian quickly said, "Hey, it's fine. I totally understand. No harm no foul; we'll just forget—"
"AHHH!"
Amethyst suddenly let out an overjoyed scream that actually caused Carnelian to jump, just from how loud and quick it was…
Raving ecstatically, Amethyst exclaimed, "Dude, of course! Why would I say no to that?! Yesyesyes! OMG! I've wanted to do this with you forever! This is gonna be INCREDIBLE!" Amethyst ran over and grabbed Carnelian's hands, jumping up and down. "Canwedoitnow?! Pleasesaywecandoitnow?! Tell me we're gonna mash it up right now!"
Carnelian was actually getting a little giddy herself, just from seeing Amethyst's joy. "Well, yeah. That's kinda why I asked you to meet me here."
"SWEET!" Amethyst jogged a little ways away to give them both some room. "This is gonna be so awesome!"
Carnelian pointed to Amethyst for her to start, and Amethyst started their dance. At first, it took a few moments for Tanzanite to get use to Amethyst's freeform and frankly sensuous hip rolls and gyrations. Still, they got on the same tempo and rhythm, and ended their dance back to back. Both quartzes disappeared into light and melted into one form with only their red and purple quartz gems visible… The whole form then sunk and flattened against the ground, and everything went black…
End Chapter
A/N: Whew, that was a lot. Hopefully, I kept it interesting and engaging enough that you were with it all the way through to the end. I really, honestly, and truly thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. Until next time, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.
