HELLO! Remember me?! Yeah guys, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERY long absence, but I have been so busy trying to improve my writing skills!
This is the final chapter before the epilogue, so I really, sincerely hope you enjoy!

Here we go!


It was quiet. Eerily quiet. Nothing but the sounds of machines buzzing and whirring. This...was where it all started.
Jasper smirked, as she sat in the cockpit. The cockpit of a Gem Warship.

Mike's Gem Warship. From when he first crashed on Earth.
It was easy for Jasper to find, of course. Heck, she did it by complete accident. The grey Gem did a very poor job of hiding it.
It was still in perfect working condition, and she had already taken off. The orange Gem had already locked the others in cells, and relaxed at the thought of bringing a brigade back to Earth with her to wipe out those two remaining fools.

Of course she could have done it herself. In fact, she detested Hematite the most, aside from Rose. But he was getting there.
But it was more fun to her to leave the two there on Earth, helpless, while he knew that he failed his little friends. And all he'll do is wait and cry and hug his little traitor of a Peridot until they return to crush them.

Jasper looked at the cameras, surverying all of the Gems in the cells; still bubbled. So no more prison breaks. As for the boy...
She glanced over at Steven, who was sitting in a chair, bound and gagged as he nervously looked at her.

...He was rescuing nobody.
"I hope you're satisfied, Rose." Jasper spat, a huge grin spread on her face. "I hope you've gotten all your little rescue attempts out of your system.
I've no clue why simple human restraints can hold you, but I guess it's what you get for choosing such a weak...WEAK form."

Steven shook, beads of sweat running down his forehead. Indeed, the child was trapped. Even if he could break free, Jasper was right there,
just waiting, begging for him to make a move.

"It's a shame..." Jasper brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. "You were a marvelous, graceful Gem. And you mucked it up. Betrayed us,
manipulated so many into joining you..."

She grabbed the collar of his pink shirt. "No more, you hear me? It's over. You'll sit there, and watch, helpless, as I hand you and your pathetic friends over to the Diamonds, and they personally decide what to do with you. Let's see...the two who make up that DISGUSTING fusion will be shattered along with you, the runt will be processed for re-assimilation, and the Pearl...well, let's just say her old owner has missed her pretty little poodle."

Steven's eyes widened. Was this it? No, no, it couldn't be, could it?! But...they were all trapped, and Mike and Peri were still on Earth!

Or so he thought.
In fact, as Jasper was wrapped up in her gloating, the cameras behind her revealed the two, Mike and Peridot, rounding a corner, speaking to each other.
-

"I'm surprised you knew she'd be here, Hematite..." The green Gem said, looking around. "Also nice to see you didn't destroy this ship, judging by your piloting skills..."

The green Gem remained stubborn, but even she could not deny that she dreaded the thought of Jasper getting to Homeworld for the others.
But...only because she'd be captured, too! It was only she herself that she cared about!

Mike shrugged. "I had a feeling. She knew full-well I had a ship. We're just lucky she didn't nab us..."
A pause, as she looked at her. "Peri...I know this is a bad time, but if we don't make it-"

"Shush." A green finger flew to his lips, cutting the Gem off. "Save your compliments to me for later. For now, it is time to enact our plan."
Mike looked down slightly. Stopped again...what a lovely day.

"Uh...right, right." He replied, scratching his head. "So, wanna go over it again? My...memory's not so good right now. I'm still a little jumped up there."

"Ugh...!" Peridot made it clear she was annoyed as she brought up a screen, which revealed all of the cameras of the ship, showing the cells, Jasper,
everything. "I've hacked into your ship's cameras with my tech. You will go and find your clod-friends, and I'll inform you of Jasper's location,
and if she's coming. If she is, I will warn you to vacate the area quickly. Should she find you, you will die a horrible, painful death, and then I will follow suite, and die. You get them, you pop their bubbles, and you storm the bridge and aquire the Steven, and finally, take care of Jasper.
And, should it prove neccessary..."

She raised her right hand, which formed into a blaster. "I've engineered my limb enhancer with some of the tech in this ship, so that I can fire through walls, and safely hit Jasper from a distance. And should it not defeat her, it will at least buy you some time. Understood? Because I will not repeat myself again. We're lucky she hasn't already noticed us." She said, scooting just under one of the cameras.

Mike nodded in response. It was definitely a risky plan. But it was their only choice, and they had one shot.
Of course, he was afraid. Who wouldn't be? This was JASPER, for crying out loud. If she found them, she'd kill them both with little effort.
And heck, he already felt bad for taking Peri's old life from her. He vowed he'd make things better for her, and he promised her it wouldn't end here.
Even if she didn't share the feeling he had for her...she deserved a happy life.

He nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I got it. Thank you so much for the help, Peri." He said, giving her a friendly hug.
At least, that was a facade. He just wanted to know how it felt in case he didn't return.

Peridot blushed in return, looking around awkwardly. The hug was...warm, she guessed?
She patted his back. "Very, uh...very good. Feel free to praise me after this. Diamond-knows I deserve it."

Mike nodded, and pulled away. Without another word, he turned and went down the hallway, as Peridot placed a hand on her hip and looked at the cameras. Jasper was still gloating to Steven, and the boy was getting increasingly terrified.

Honestly?...If she were capable, she'd likely have wet herself already. Peridot wanted no part of this, but it's only to save her hiney.
And, to be honest...she didn't want Mike to die.

"Alright, keep true." The green Gem said through an ear-piece Mike wore. "Easy, easy...avoid that camera there...keep to the wall..."
Mike sweated as he avoided the cameras. "Can you see them? The others?" He asked. "Are they ok?"

"Shush!" The green Gem snapped. "Yeahyeah, they're, uh, not shattered. Just keep going...aaaaand...yooooooouuuu're...there!" She said the precise moment the grey Gem turned the corner to the cells. "Now, just keep your mouth shut and get them. I'd personally recommend the fusion,
despite how uncomfortable she makes me. At least she will have a chance against that... what do you call her, Cheeto-Puff...?"

Mike nodded, and snuck over to the prison cells.
Peridot swiped her screen and pressed it a few times. "Aaaand...there!" She said, as the destabilzation fields over the cells came down. "Grab them,
Hematite!"

Mike nodded, and rushed through the cells. Amethyst, Pearl, Ruby and Sapphire were grabbed, fast as she could, as Peridot glanced at the cockpit camera.

She paled.

Jasper was gone. Steven was alone in the room, looking in the direction of the exit.
"No! No, no, no, no, where IS she!?" She flipped through camera feeds. "Hematite, get out of there! She knows you're there, she's-!"

"HEMATITE!" Jasper's voice roared throughout the ship.
Mike froze, and slowly turned. The bubbles of the others surrounded him as he saw the hulking orange Gem standing there, smirking.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She said as she walked forward, Mike backing away. "I thought I left you for the buzzards...seems you're even more stubborn, and FOOLISH, then I thought!"

"J-Jasper, c-calm down!" Mike said, raising a hand. "I just came for my friends, I had no intent to come after you! Look, you can take the ship and go home, ok?! Just leave us alone?" He offered, despite already knowing the answer.

She snickered. Then chuckled. And finally, she delved into a maniacal laugh.
"You REALLY think, that after ALL you've done, after all THEY'VE done, that I'm just going to let you go?" She advanced on him, cracking her knuckles.
"No...you and your little pals will pay, Hematite. You'll pay for your treachery. Your job was to get me, Lazuli and that Peridot. And what did you do?
You began ASSOCIATING, becoming FRIENDS with the very Gems that marooned us here! And then, and THEN, you captured me, and just locked me away?!"

Mike stepped back as she got closer. Definitely not the best position...and he saw no way out, unless Peri did something.
"I had no choice, you were mad-!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" She boomed, surprising him. "I am done with YOU, I am done with THEM, and I am DONE with this dirtball you call a planet! We are going back to Homeworld, and you're coming with me to the bridge to join Rose. I want you to be the first to be shattered..."

Just as she reached a hand for him, it happened.
Peridot, looking at the camera, found Jasper's exact coordinates, and fired a shot. It blasted right through the walls like butter, going through at least three en route to Jasper, the walls cutting with ease.

Jasper froze, looking around. "What is...?" She looked at Mike. "What are you planning?! Who's on here with-"

BOOM!
An explosion rocked the ship as Mike was sent flying back, slamming into a wall.
The Gem groaned, rubbing his head as his vision was blurry. It must've been...Peridot? Jeez, she could have at least told him it packed that much of a punch...

He slowly got to his feet, holding his arm as he looked around. The others...their bubbles had all been spread out.
Jasper...was nowhere. Mike slowly walked forward, observing the wreckage. He turned to the holes in the wall curiously, and looked inside.
Waaay, way down, Peridot was there, sweating and breathing heavily.

She slowly looked at him as she lowered her blaster...and smirked.
"Go...for three?" She joked, giving a weak. "Nyeh, heh, heh..."

The Crystal Gem smiled, chuckling. "Go for three..." He said, about to over to her...
And then a large orange fist slammed him in the arm, completely breaking it as Mike let out a scream of agony, and he fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"Hematite!" Peridot yelled, then quickly covered her mouth as Jasper turned to her, murder in her eyes as she saw her.
An inch. She missed her by an inch.

"YOU." She said with pure venom in her voice as Peridot stepped back.
Jasper began making her way straight through the holes, making a bee-line for the green Gem.

Peridot raised her blaster, ready to fire...
And it fell apart. Already very damaged, her limb enhancer crumbled from the last shot, it's pieces falling to the ground and exposing her slightly shorter arm. She paled, stepping back, before breaking into a sprint.

Unfortunately, Jasper was much quicker and grabbed her by the feet, and tore the limb enhancers from her feet, and Peridot fell to the ground with a thud. Jasper effortlessly crushed the boots in her fists, and threw them to the ground.

Peridot sat up, turning to her in utter fear. Her only defense mechanisms...gone. Now the green Gem was slightly shorter, maybe about an inch.
She aimed her remaining blaster at her, but Jasper grabbed it, tearing it off and throwing it away, smashing against the wall.

"Traitor." She spat, advancing on her, the orange Gem covered in scratches. "Another act of treason to put on the list..."

"Now, Jasper, we can talk about this!" Peridot begged, scooting away. "This doesn't need to happe-"

"SHUT IT!" She yelled.

Meanwhile, Mike groaned as he got up, holding his arm as he looked through the hole.
"...PERIDOT!" He yelled, seeing the scene before him. A defenseless Peridot, at the full mercy of Jasper.
No, not her! Not her, he couldn't lose her!

The Gem forced himself to his feet, ignoring his arm as he ran. He ran for her, as Jasper hoisted Peridot up, summoning her helmet.
She reeled her head back, ready to headbutt her directly on her triangular stone.

"NOO!" Mike yelled as he leapt for her, tackling Peridot right out of Jasper's grip, and the two fell to the ground.
And as soon as they touched...they began to glow.

A white light enveloped the two Gems as their forms seemed to merge, the light blinding Jasper as she stepped back, raising an arm to defend her eyes. "What the...?!"

Indeed, it was happening before her very eyes.
They were fusing. The merged form raised into the air slowly, extending four arms, a garment forming between her legs, and spikey hair from their head, before they landed on the ground, and the light dispersed.

"What in the name of Pink Diamond...?" Jasper took a step back as she looked at the figure before her.

The Gem before her was a beautiful turquoise color, and stood taller than Jasper by two inches.
Dark green gloves covered her hands and up to her elbows, along with knee-high stockings, and dark turquoise legwarmers.
She wore a dark green leotard, and over the leotard, a black fabric that wrapped around her body, and fell between her legs like a dress on both sides. Ring-like objects wrapped around her shoulders, and she had messy, spikey hair.
And finally, she bore Peridot's visor, Peridot's gemstone in her forehead, and Mike's gemstone above her chest.

The fusion let out a laugh, and drew an elegant green rapier from Mike's stone, and aimed it at Jasper.
"Viens moi, brute!" She cheered in French, as Jasper summoned her crash helmet.

"Who are you?!" She snapped. "What kind of disgusting mess did those runts cook up?!" She spat.
Great...ANOTHER fusion?! Damn it! First the Ruby and Sapphire, then her and Lazuli, now THIS?!

"Sacr bleu!" She exclaimed. "Excuse moi, I forgot to introduce moi! How could I be so grossier!?" She spoke in a fluent, heavy French accent.
She bowed. "Je suis Turquoise, Madam! I am Lady Turquoise! I will be your opponent today, and I will be victorious, chienne!"

Jasper growled. "Enough of your gibberish! And come at me, you FREAK!" She roared, spinning into a ball and shooting at her.

"Oh-HO!" She cheered. "She IS hotheaded! This shall be fun!" She raised her blade, and she too rolled into ball, and shot at her.
The two balls clashed, sword hitting helmet as the two engaged in a struggle.

"This...what is this?!" Peridot's voice echoed in Turquoise's head. "I feel so...powerful!"

"W-we fused!" Mike said in amazement. "We're a fusion now! Now...we can fight Jasper!"
This was amazing! He had never fused with a Gem before, and his first was Peridot! He actually got to fuse with her, and it felt amazing!
No feelings of being weak, no broken arm...he felt invincible!

Turquoise pushed against Jasper, winning the struggle as she shoved her, sending her ball smashing into the wall.
"La victoire!" She said. "Try again, brute!"

Jasper snarled, looking to her left, where a Gem Destabilizer lay on the ground. She picked it up, turned it on, and hopped to her feet, running at her. She thrust it forward, but Turquoise backed away, avoiding it. "Trop lent!"

She swung it, and Turquoise sucked her gut in. "Trop lent!"
Jasper yelled, shoving it forward, and Turquoise hopped up, the weapon going between her legs.
She snapped her legs over Jasper's wrist, trapping it, and slapped her in the face playfully.

Jasper growled, swinging her other fist, which the green Gem caught. She smiled, and smashed Jasper in the face with her fist, sending her flying into the wall. The orange Gem slammed, and fell to the ground, her helmet disappearing as she groaned, getting on her hands and knees.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her throat, and Turquoise hoisted her up as she applied pressure.
Jasper struggled, but the green fusion wrapped another arm around her arms, and her other two hands clamped down on her wrists.
"Naughty, fille m chante! Naughty, naughty girl! I think you need to be put down for your sieste! Your nap!"

Jasper moaned, struggling. "You...traitorus...bi-"
Turquiouse slipped a hand over her mouth. "Shhhh, shh-shh-shh...aller dormir. Go to sleep, little Jasper."
The pressure was getting to Jasper's form, as her body glitched for a moment, her eyelids falling halfway down as she could do nothing,
but sit there and struggle against her stronger foe.

She moaned, which was muffled, as she pulled with little strength, and Turquoise pet her hair, patronizing her. "Shh...no more fighting. You will sleep,
and we will decide what to do with you, Mademoiselle...shh..." She cooed.

She was being patronized! No...not like this! Not like a weakling...! She couldn't be beaten by this...fusion!"
"How does it feel?" Turquoise whispered, her lips nearly touching Jasper's ear. "How does it feel, being weak, helpless, unable to fight back?
Fighting a foe who is too much for you? Hm, Jasper?" She asked, without the French accent.

Mike was speaking to her.

"Mmm-mmmph!" Jasper struggled, and the arm was tightened around her neck.

"Jasper...I didn't want this to happen.." He said. "I wanted you to stay with us. Maybe we could have been, I don't know, friends? But you're just too stubborn. But while I'm not as skilled in friend-making, I'm sure Steven will turn you right around. After all, look at me now..."

"Jasper..." Peridot spoke. "I know you only as a rude, impulsive brute that just wants to get the mission done, and strives off of bullying weaker Gems.
However...I may give you a chance, if you give us one. We will see you again soon, I suppose. Just remember one thing..."

"We are stronger than you." They boy said, which turned into Turquoise's voice halfway through.

"Au Revoir..." Turquoise whispered, before Jasper's neck was snapped quietly, and the orange Gem disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The fusion caught her orange gemstone, and encased it in a turquoise bubble.

She sighed. "Pas m me une sueur..." She said, straightening her garment. "Ah...for my first time...it was an incredible experience. Ah, I must split now, no? Tr s bien..."

With that, the fusion glowed white, and came apart, and Mike and Peridot separated, Mike's hands on her waist, Peridot's hands, her real hands,
on his shoulders as they realized their position, both of them blushing.

Mike looked at her hands, feeling them on his shoulders. "I've...never seen your real hands before..." He whispered.

Peridot looked down. "I've never fused before."

He looked at her. "Yeah, me neither...why haven't you?"

"Other than being strictly prohibited...it makes me uncomfortable. Except...except that one..."
She looked at his face. "I...I liked it, Hematite...it made me feel powerful, strong, and..."

Her voice trailed off. "I...I felt all of your feelings."

He cleared his throat. "Me...me too. I felt all of yours..."

"And I now am aware that you...love me?" She asked.

He nodded, his face blushing hard. "And you...love me?"

"Ugh...n-no, of course not! Why would I love you?! I love nobody but me, the great of lovable Peri-"
She was cut off as Mike's lips met her's, the green Gem's eyes widening as her face flushed, her pupils shrinking as a feeling washed over her.
Acceptance. Care. Safety. Warmness.

Love.

She slowly closed her eyes, and kissed the gray Gem back, letting out a tiny moan as she blushed out of pure embarrassment.
Humoring him...yes, that's what she was doing! Humoring him, because she felt so bad for him! Humoring him...and...

And herself. Because good Diamond, she was loving this. She could get used to this...
They continued to kiss, their embrace growing warmer as Mike thought to himself.
Finally...finally, after thousands of years, finally...they were together. Years of being to scared to tell her, and here they were, kissing...
And she wasn't hitting him or yelling at him...

After what seemed like forever, the two pulled away, a thin line of saliva holding them together.
Peridot blushed. "Well...that wasn't an undesirable feeling..." She said.

"Peridot...I love you." Mike whispered, and she looked surprised. But eventually, a small smile appeared on her face.

"...Same. You big, dumb, idiotic, stupid, sexy clod..." She replied. "You're crazy." She said as she pulled away from the embrace.

"Hey, can you blame me?" He asked. "You saved me from her so many times, it was time for me to finally return the favour!"

"Ugh, I am NO damsel!" She spat. "I just...had no chance of even scratching her." She sighed.
"Hematite...Mike, whatever...look, I...I care about you, okay?! Jeez, just...!" She covered her hot face. "Jeez, you're basically forcing me to say it!"

He chuckled, rubbing his head. "I care about you, too...so, so much, Peri. Now...come on. Let's land this thing, and go home. To our home, with our friends."
He offered his hand.

She turned, looking at it, arms crossed. She looked at it, then at him with disdain. Then...she thought about it.
She didn't want the feeling she had with him to go away...it was...too amazing. Hm...perhaps...she will stay. Just to humor him, and because she had nowhere else to go. And heck, whatever they just did with their mouths...she wanted to do that again. And maybe even...fuse again.

She groaned, and took the hand, but she smirked, giving her trademark "Nyeh, heh heh..."
"I'm going to regret this, but...very well. Let us return home, you dumb clod..."

He smiled, maybe the biggest smile of his life, and led her to find the others, ignoring the pain of his arm.
Finally...things were looking up for him. For all of them...


Homestretch, people! We're nearly done! Just the epilogue is next! Thank you so much for following me in this story for so, so long!
And never fear, this isn't the end! All will be explained in the epilogue! Go to the link here to my friend's stash to see a pic of Turquoise! /0c0ekz0l9s6 As always, reviews are very appreciated! Until then...

Ciao~!