37} If every politician were perfect, then you're obviously in a dream.
Emerald: You did great kiddo. I'm more than certain everyone will be proud of you when we give a demonstration.
Steven: Really?
Garnet: Totally. [She gave a sincere smile.]
The went to the living room, and saw that Pearl had just returned home.
Emerald: *laugh* Pearl! [She noticed Emerald.] You should have been there. Oozaru is totally awesome and safe.
Pearl: (That's right. I offered to help with the laptop this morning.) Really now?
Emerald: Yeah. I had some trouble getting into the proper mindset, but Steven snapped me out of it.
Steven: *tsk* S'no big deal. [A cocky grin crept on his face.]
Emerald: Oh now sell yourself short little g- You okay honey? [He saw that something was on Pearls mind. Pearl acknowledged his question hazily.] You seem out of it.
Pearl: Oh.. *sigh* I didn't get anywhere with the laptop. Couldn't even turn the dumb thing on. (Will he notice I'm lying? Is that something he'd do?)
Emerald: [He walked over and gave Pearl a deep kiss. He held her close to him, even after the kiss broke apart.] Don't beat yourself up over it. Whoever this weirdo is, he's managed to stay under radar for a month. I'll check it out tomorrow, after paying Mr. Hin a visit. You need anything until then?
Pearl: *sigh* [She looked right into all of his eyes.] (Lars was right. That hack didn't know what he was talking about.) That's okay. It's late, and we should all be going to bed. Especially you Steven. [Steven groaned as he flopped over and started snoring.] *laugh* That goof. See you tomorrow?
Emerald: With gusto. [He gave her another kiss and left them. Running to his home with a smile on his face. As he ran through town, he passed by Lars who was calling out to him. He stopped in his tracks, and proceeded to walk towards Lars.] What's up bro?
Sadie: *whisper* What's going on? [He didn't say anything as he walked towards the green gem with a serious look on his face.] Lars?
Lars: *inhale, then exhale* Hello Emerald.
Emerald: Hello Lars. Something on your mind?
Lars: Did Pearl talk to you about anything?
Emerald: Uh.. She seemed a little spaced out. But I just figured she was bummed about the laptop. Why?
Lars: What did she SAY about the laptop?
Emerald: Uh.. T-that she couldn't turn it on. Then again we already figured out that you need two keys to do that. Why?
Lars: *sigh* So you didn't use your powers to check her story?
Emerald: What? No. But if I may sound like a broken record, why? Why would I need to check her story? Is there something about the laptop I don't know about?
Lars: *phew* Thank god. Then he didn't get to her. [Both Sadie and Emerald shot him a look. Lars noticed this.] *groan* If you want to know why believing her was important, then look into MY past. See what happened in the mayors office tonight. Not even an hour ago in fact. Do it!
Emerald: Okay man chill! I'll look into the past. *under his breath* Sweet baby Jesus on steroids. *sigh* [His eyes began to glow, and he saw the mayors office. He saw Pearl working hard in cracking the laptop.] (Huh. So she did get it to work. Wonder what happened that would make her say otherwise.) [The vision continued, and he saw what Lars was talking about. He saw the entire conversation in full. As he heard the words come from the politicians mouth, the words directed at his girlfriend, the love of his life, just to try and get more results out of her. As he watched and heard, his very soul ignited with only one thing. Pure, unadulterated, white hot rage. His eyes stopped glowing.] ...
Lars: So, now you know. In a way, I think you should have heard this from Pearl, but I figured you should know ahead of time, so that way he doesn't cause any long term damage on your relationship. [He looked up, only to see his face vacant of any expression.] Uh.. Emerald? Buddy? [No response. He didn't even have his fists balled up. His entire body seemed calm, but it was none the less disturbing. Lars was reaching out to touch him.] Sensei?
Emerald slowly moved his head upwards, prompting Lars to pull back. Emeralds face was to the clear night sky. His mouth opened slightly. Lars and Sadie looked with interest until
Emerald: WILLIAM HUTCH DEWEY! [The anger in his voice echoed across a mile in diameter. His cries of anger were so loud, it triggered a few car alarms in the area. Lars went down to hold Sadie, as though to try and protect her from an attack.] YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!
Some people ran out to see the commotion. Emerald ran at top speed to the mayors office, jumping on top of buildings. Emerald had only one goal in mind. 'Kill the mayor. Make him suffer for attacking Pearl the way he did.' When he got to the mayors office, he looked into the past once more, and saw the full effect the mayor had on her. He saw that it took Greg and Lars to calm her down. To pull her out of her paranoia just enough to still trust him. He entered the building. Saw where Pearl was running from, and the tears building in her eyes.
Emerald: I'll burn him alive. I'll rip him limb from limb. I'll poison him so he'll die slowly. I'll.. [He thought back to a conversation he had with Pearl, where he assured her that he wasn't the man he was in the forest. He remembered how he thought he returned to that state while trying to summon Oozaru. He remembered the man he became because of Pearl. He remembered what she helped him become. He remembered how her laugh brought love to his heart.] I-.. [His fists clenched.] I can't do anything to that bastard.. If I do, I'll no longer be the man Pearl fell in love with. I'll never be able to look her in the eyes.. *defeated sigh* Kashikoi kirainahito.. [Clever asshole..] I'll never be able to face her or anyone else if I kill him.
He continued down the hall and entered the mayors office. He saw the mayor, smelling like a sewer and staining the carpet he was in a fetal position on. It looked like he had cried himself to sleep. He then looked at the laptop that Pearl was working on. He searched the room and found that the mayor had a bathroom next to his office, and it had a tub. He decided to let the water run and fill the tub as he went to finish Pearls work. It didn't take him long. The irony is that, if the mayor was just patient for another five minutes, they would all have the information they wanted and the mayor wouldn't have ruined a good suit. He closed the laptop and decided to take it to his home and show Pearl in the morning. He stopped the water when the tub was full, and then picked up the mayor and plopped him in the tub.
Mayor: *sputtering and splashing* *cough* What? Huh? Where am- [He saw Emerald and his face grew grim as he began to remember what he had done as the bath water began to turn brown. Emerald had his hair long and put into a pony tail. His clothes resembles a green hoody, with baggy cargo pants. He also had navy grade boots on.] Are you my angel of death?
Emerald: *growl* [The mayor winced as he clenched all four of his fists.] No Ōyarō-san.. [Ō meaning king, yarō meaning bastard or asshole.] I am not your shinigami. I am not here to take you to the land of the lifeless. *cracks knuckles*
Mayor: *gulp* Th-then why are you here? Is it because of what I said to the other gem? (Why did I word it like that?)
Emerald: [He grabbed the mayor straight out of the tub with one hand.] That 'other gem' is the love of my life. Then again, you wouldn't know anything about love, would you Ōyarō-san? [He fearfully shook his head no as tears came from his eyes.] *low growl* [He spoke in a calm voice without any hint of emotion.] Be thankful I cannot kill you yet. But know this; You can say whatever you want about me. You can call me the anti-christ for all I care. I've been called worse by greater slimes than you, incredibly enough.
Mayor: *heavy breathing* (Oh god.. His eyes.. His voice.. I can't distinguish any emotion at all.. He said he wouldn't take me to the land of the lifeless.. Is there a difference between that and hell? What's he going to do to me?) *long fart* ... (Guess I don't have any shit left in my bowels..)
Emerald: [Anger became present in his voice and face. The mayor saw this and now knew what true anger looked like.] But know this Ōyarō-san. If you ever, EVER! Try and make anyone, I don't care who. They could be a loved one like Pearl, a friend like Steven or Greg, someone I don't know, or just someone I can't stand. If you ever, put someone down for the sake of getting the results you want, then nothing in the 10 dimensions will save you from Gōka. [Hellfire.] Nothing, will save you from me. [He tossed the mayor back into the tub with his own filth and walked away. He heard crying as he left.]
With the laptop in his hand, he debated returning to see Pearl right that moment. He found himself still angry, so he decided he didn't want to risk turning that anger at Pearl and go home to cool off. It was moments like this where he wished he had some music to listen to. He figured a Weird Al song would calm his nerves. He walked home thinking about what he was going to do. Particularly with the mayors election. Emerald had evidence that George Pent had done some sick shit when he was a youth. As he approached his home he made a decision.
Emerald: One thing is for certain, I'm not helping that asshole anymore. Obviously he needs me, so in all likelihood he's gonna lose if I do nothing. *evil laugh* I wonder how Beach city will fair with a- [He stopped in his tracks when he got to his door.] Pearl?
There she was. Sitting down in front of his door humming. Emerald had so many thoughts going through his head. Many of them thinking of ways to say, 'I'm sorry.' Others wondering why she was there. The majority however were stuck on how beautiful she looked under the light that was above the door. In the end he decided to wing it and walk towards her.
Pearl: Ryokki! I uh.. I was just coming here to talk. I rang the door bell and no one answered, I- I just thought you were asleep. I- So I was just.. Uh.. *sigh* Hey is that the laptop?
Emerald: [He was holding the device in his bottom hands.] I.. I ran into Lars. He, told me to uh.. watch his- look into his past. [His upper right hand was scratching his head.] *clears throat* Le-lets go inside. [They went into his home. He set the laptop on a counter.] *inhale* I know what the mayor said to you.
Pearl: ... Ah. So you know ahead of time. I, figured that you should know from me. So what happened? [A worried tone took hold of her voice.]
Emerald: *clears throat* Well, at first I was ready to kill him. But I realized that I would never be able to look you in the eyes with any pride. [She seemed to ease up a bit.] So I just put his smelly ass in a tub and told him not to belittle people again. Even someone as dense as Ōyarō-san could get the idea.
Pearl: King asshole? *light giggle*
Emerald: Yeah.. Uh, I just want to say, well.. *sigh* I'm sorry Pearl..
Pearl: Huh? What? [She cocked an eyebrow in confusion.]
Emerald: *groan* What the mayor said shouldn't have freaked you out as much as it did! {Okay that sounds bad, but stay with it.} I should have told you the truth from the very beginning! {See.}
Pearl: [She was taken aback.] I don't understand.
Emerald: I- I should have told you about the contacts I had in town and the roles they play. If I were honest from the get-go.. If I told you the day I decided to set the system up, then maybe you wouldn't be, rightfully so, doubting me..
Pearl: ... *sigh*
Emerald: So, yeah. I just want you to understand that, I know what I did was wrong, and I want to make it up to you. I promise that I will always tell you my ideas BEFORE I do aything. I will earn yo- [Pearl pulled him to her, and kissed him hard. Emeralds eyes widened in surprise. When they parted, Pearl spoke.]
Pearl: There is no need for you to earn anything. *laugh* I'm not mad at you. Okay, he did frazzle me a bit, and I did have a few doubts with me from the get-go I admit, but I was angry because he was demonizing you. He was lying about what you would do, and I almost believed him in a way. [She looked to the ground.]
Emerald: *sigh* Can't blame ya. Our first encounter was me trying to slice your head off. Obviously you're going to have some doubts about my character.
Pearl: But I don't want to! I want to trust you more than anyone!
Emerald: And so do I. But, it may not be as easy as we may think. Then again no relationship is. I just need to keep you in the loop more often and not keep you in the dark.
Pearl: [She gave him a smile and kissed his cheek and put her finger on his lips.] Let me finish. [He nodded.] I want to trust you above anyone. When you left, I decided to ask Garnet how the situation with Oozaru went. She told me, as well as the questions she posed. I then asked her what she thought I should do. She just told me what I would expect anyone else to say. She said, 'Emerald-kun loves you.'
Emerald: *growl* For the record, I had nothing to do with that name. Sorry.
Pearl: [She held onto him, and he held back.] So *kiss* the way I *kiss* see it *kiss* we should *kiss* take our time. I appreciate that you're willing to be more honest, and with that said, is there anything else I should know?
Emerald: *long sigh* Lemme think here. Is there anything else.. I'm teaching Lars how to fight.
Pearl: I know that.
Emerald: Hm.. I could give you my schedule. Where I run, who I come across and interact with on a daily basis.
Pearl: That's a start. *kiss*
Emerald: Aah.. Is there anything I need to tell you.. Hm. I think that the contacts were the only thing I didn't tell you.
Pearl: Oh there's plenty.
Emerald: Oh?
Pearl: Every time we talk, you always try to steer the conversation to have me talk about myself.
Emerald: Is that a bad thing? You fascinate me.
Pearl: Yeah, but I want to know about YOU. I want you to tell me all about yourself.
Emerald: *sigh* You have thousands of years worth of memory. I have twenty. Now who would have a more interesting life?
Pearl: I'm serious. [The tone in her voice rose. She then talked as she did before.] I know it is hard for you, but maybe talking about it to someone you love can help. Then maybe you won't be an enigma to me.
Emerald: Well.. When you put it that way.
Pearl: Tell you what, if you talk for an hour about you life, then I'll talk for TWO hours about mine.
Emerald: Oh my. You strike up a tempting offer madam. Alright then.
Pearl: Yes! [She kissed him heavily.] Lets go!
Emerald: Now? [He was led to his bed. Pearl was in a cross legged sitting position, patting next to her.] Alright then. [He set a timer for an hour.] One hour. *ahem* We must go back to the beginning. I awoke on a Thursday, my father, or the man I would come to call father, was right by y side. He asked if I was okay. I said, I don't know. I can't remember my name. {Rimshot}
37, *claps* done! I was going to have Emerald drag the mayor to the ocean and give him a 'bath' that way, but decided against it. Just seemed to animatistic to me. Or maybe it would have made the moral dilemma of killing him stronger. I dunno. Guess we'll never find out until we can look into alternate dimensions. Either way, longest chapter I've pumped out to date. :D Let's hope one day chapters of this length become the norm! [Though in all seriousness, the norm will most likely be 1500.]