I apologize if this chapter's a bit different. Things happened this week and I sorta... forgot? I dunno, I was in an isolation mood for a couple of days. Sorry again.
You've got control, girl. Don't worry. Just because Steven punched you and made you forget about asserting your authority over the virus to control it doesn't mean you'll lose it. Focus.
The beast was focused. She was confident, controlled, precise. She ran as fast as her current body could go. Long, unnatural legs pounding upon the Earth as if wanting to beat it to death. The raspy panting filled the silent area as she ran.
You keep going. Don't stop until you're completely in the clear. Almost there now, don't give up.
Off in the distance she could see the metallic gleam of her shiny, grey space pod. Her ticket to returning to the humanoid form she should be seen as. She paid no attention to the green Gem riding on her neck, making small, annoyed noises as she unpleasantly bounced around every time she set her front legs down to run. The beast's small, spiky mohawk blew violently in the wind combined with the travel rate.
Finally, as if it seemed she had been running forever, the beast halted herself in front of the broken object. She lowered her neck to a respectable dismounting position, and waited until the green Gem was safely off of her. She then got down to business.
"Peridot, look. I need you to help me with something. This may sound... ridiculous. I need to you close my left eye for me." Galena said softly, as if shy.
"What? Why? Can't you close it yourself, or blink?" The Gem replied, her tone void of toleration.
Galena sighed. "No. There's things I haven't told you. While slipping into my corrupted form is the perfect last resort, it is risky as all hell. The only way to fight with complete control of it is to challenge the virus for control before opening my eye. Unfortunately for me and the Crystal Crybabies, Steven didn't allow me that split second. I didn't even get a warning. Normally I would be untouchable in this form, but if I had waited around any longer, they would've gotten us."
Peridot struggled to comprehend this new information. "Okay...?"
"By denying me the chance to control it, the virus has trapped me. All it ever aims to do is bring my corrupted form to reality. Therefore, every time I call upon it, it tries to gain mental control of my left eye. That's its only source of light. It needs light to realize it can work its magic. Even if it's the slightest bit of clear light. That's why I keep my eye shut. To keep it from seeing the light that activates it. Now, because I hadn't the time to control it, it's put my left eye under functional freeze. I cannot blink it, I can't even move my legs as hands to close it. Steven caught a glimpse of my lack of control, dumb boy. He kicked sand into my face, but all I could do was close my normal eye. The virus forced my left eye to stay open."
Peridot shifted nervously. "Is the virus going to try and stop me?"
Galena slowly nodded. "Don't worry. I'm a strong mental fighter. The virus and I have co-existed for six hundred years. I've learned a couple of its tricks in those years. I'm ninety percent sure I can stop it from making me hurt you."
"Ninety percent?" Peridot grumbled.
"Just... get on with it, would you? I forgot to mention that the virus gets cocky when it wins the first control battle. It's going to try and drive my mind corrupt-crazy." She hissed.
Peridot raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said the virus kept your mind sharp."
"I lied." Galena paused. "Wait, you heard that?"
Peridot rolled her eyes. "You were shouting like a lunatic. I'm sure the whole human population heard you."
She stepped carefully towards the unstable Gem monster, reaching towards her left eye. As soon as her hands were in a certain proximity, Galena's legs began to twitch.
"I hope you're using all your power to keep it from hurting me." Peridot mumbled.
"Don't distract me, dammit. You're practically asking for a beating."
Sighing, the green Gem took a hold of each eyelid and forcefully pushed them shut. Galena's body began to glow a cleansing white color, and she shrunk back to her humanoid form. She stopped glowing and stood on her two normal legs. Her face came back into view and her left eye was safely sealed shut.
"Thank you."
Peridot shrugged to say, 'no problem'. "Hey. Why on Earth would you save me back there?"
Galena looked at her in question. "Why wouldn't I?"
Peridot shifted. "I don't know, you just seem the cruel type by what I've heard about you. The way you fought in the Gem war. The hit and run technique, picking an unlucky Gem and stabbing them right in the Gem with your katana. You didn't care back then, why would you care now?"
Galena looked down, something flashing in her eyes that Peridot was almost taken aback to see. Was that... grief?
"I've done many things in my life, most of which I deeply regret now. Did I ever tell you why I hate this planet so? Because when I step on this pitiful rock I can feel them. They're still here, their life essence, sucked back into the ground. Their souls pulse underneath my feet, I can feel them. I can feel them now. They're laughing. I hear their tittering, mocking me about my condition. It's only a matter of time before who I am is erased, they chant. Over and over. The Gems I've forever damned, they wish to damn me to the same fate. They do not take my apologies."
Peridot didn't know how to respond. She tried to come up with something appropriate to reply with, but her mind produced nothing for her. It was too late, Galena was already back to her hard all personality.
"We'll stay away from Beach City until Yellow Diamond comes. She won't be long, we might as well hitch a ride with her instead of wasting our time on a small pod ship."
Peridot sat on the broken pod, wrapping her arms around her leg enchancers. "What's it like? Being corrupt?"
Galena huffed. "It's not true corruption unless both mind and body are one in the event. While most Gem monsters are too far gone, some still have the capacity to think about others. I'm sure Steven's come across one or two by now. This planet is full of corrupted monsters. I've also managed to dim down my corrupt form a couple times before. Make myself less intimidating by shrinking my size, practically changing myself into the equivalent of a large dog. I don't like prancing around in my humanoid form sometimes."
Peridot looked down. "Would be nice if Gems on the edge could end up like you, at least some control when they were leaving their sane life behind."
"Yellow Diamond would never allow such filth. The virus in my Gem code isn't so different from the Neural Worm they've manufactured from its DNA. If I didn't have a holographic brain, that's where the virus would be living right about now."
Steven lay down on his knees, hovering over Connie's body. What was he going to tell her parents? This was his fault. He was to blame.
Garnet was the only one to move. Pearl and Amethyst stood frozen to their spots, the need to comfort the boy exploding in their head, yet their fear of his earlier actions locking up their muscles. Garnet knelt down beside him, an arm on his shoulder. He lifted his head slightly and looked into her eyes, tears flooding his own. She frowned sadly and pulled him into a hug, which he immediately returned. While he buried himself in the comfort of the fusion, she threw a look at the two Gems standing around.
Get over here, he needs us.
They got the message and joined into the comforting hug, making a pile of Gems on the floor. The chilly night winds blew into the damaged house, but they took no notice. They only had eyes on their family. Unnoticed to them, the pitiful broken strings of family slowly began to repair themselves.
"You never said you would, but I'm curious. Do you mind telling the story of that Gem that survived your attack in the Gem War?" Peridot asked suddenly.
Galena looked up from her moping. "Oh. I'll tell the best I can, but it was so long ago. Some bits may be untrue."
"During the great Gem War for this planet, no where was safe. Each side controlled their on lands, but constantly fought to gain them from one another. Fires raged across the fields, shards of fallen Gems glinting under the harsh sun. The shadowy forms of corrupting Gems sat far away, watching the bloodbaths. They never wanted in with the fighting, they only wanted to survive. The last memory as a sane being was to do just that."
"It was another battle among the thousands that took place. I was watching the pitiful slow beings, fighting with such vigor. I was young, I lacked knowledge. I fought on my own side. Poisoned by my own overpowering abilities, I picked Gems out to die a death they would never understand. But there was one Gem that was different, she knew I was coming somehow. It was that day I had no choice but to show mercy."
Loud, ringing war cries raked the burning field of battle. Gems were brawling all around, but there was one who stood unoccupied for a moment. She had just defeated her most recent opponent. She stood staring at the poofed Gem before her. She wondered if she should show mercy.
But then she stood on alert; something was wrong. Eyes widening, she lunged from her current position.
Shing!
She rolled and immediately stood back up. A long, sharp katana now occupied the space near her head; right where her Gem was. She looked at the figure wielding the weapon. She was a medium sized Gem, long black hair that ran to the end of her back. Her outfit was a sickly looking blue-gray as the shirt, her pants were a simpler grey. Her boots were jet black to match her hair. She had ice blue eyes, pupils diamonds. A jagged tooth stuck out from her grin as she dismissed her weapon back into her Gem, which was located on her left shoulder.
"I'm very impressed! No Gem has ever escaped my kill before you. How did you know I was coming, through my super speed and sound-powered invisibility?" She spoke.
"Call it luck. I had a feeling something was wrong." The other Gem replied. "Who's side are you on? Your outfit does not mark you to a side."
The grey-skinned Gem snorted a laugh. "Crystal Gems, Homeworld Gems, the only two sides... not for me. I fight for myself. I take my own orders. I have no chains on me. I do as I please, which currently is killing Gems. It's unfortunate I didn't get to add you to my list a few moments ago. Would you like to join it now?"
The other Gem narrowed her eyes. "Is that a challenge? I've already dodged your attack. I don't think you'll do it."
She titled her head with curiosity. "And why's that?"
"Because you depend on a One-hit-KO. You know this won't happen now. You're scared to get your hands really dirty. You have no choice but to show mercy."
The Grey Gem stood there unmoving. She sighed. "You're right. I'm really no match for you, am I?"
She suddenly disappeared, but the indent of someone standing in the burning grass remained. The immediate area suddenly grew quieter than it should've sounded.
"I like you! Care to tell a deadly ghost your name?" The grey Gem's voice said, yet her body was nowhere to be seen.
"Starlite. I may ask the same of you, deadly ghost." She replied simply.
"Heh heh. The name's Galena! I know what you must be thinking, 'you're not a proper Gem!' Well, I suppose you're right. On this planet I'm a mineral, just like every other planet. What's a fake Gem doing in a battle? I might have run away from my assigned Gem, stowed away on a ship and came here. I hated being a super-soldier guard anyways. I have no more interest here, so I best be off. Bye bye, Starlite!"
The voice disappeared, followed by an unexplained breeze.
"I've never seen her since then. I wonder if she died in the war." Galena said dismissively, staring at the back of her hand.
"Do you ever miss being like that?" Peridot asked.
"What, with the crummy outfit and two working eyes? Nah. I quite like my look nowadays!" She replied, her tone light.
Peridot shook her head, sighing at her terrible attempt to weasel out of the real question. "That's not what I meant."
Galena's expression darkened, and she looked down.
"Like I said, not everything in that tale is true. I didn't bother to remember it full and true, because my dialogue was horrid. Or at least I think it was... whatever it was, it made me want to forget it. For that I worry what I could've said and done. I'm ashamed of most of my life. Nothing will change it. Yellow Diamond made Galenas, she made me. She's responsible for everything I am. And I hate her for it."
Peridot didn't understand. "Why?"
Galena hissed angrily, and she suddenly morphed into corrupted form again. "Because I'm a MONSTER!"
Peridot yelped, backing away from the grey Gem in terror. Galena broke their eye contact, and began to walk off. She needed to be somewhere by herself.
TREVOR FORGIVE ME I PROBABLY WROTE STARLITE LIKE SHIT
So yeah... sorry for just shoving a bunch of Galena and Peridot in your face. Next chapter will probably have minimal interaction from them and a ton from Steven and the Gems.
R&R?