Note: Any references that this story makes aside from the universe that this takes place in belongs to their respective owners and should be as such.
Warning: Language, Violence, Sexual Themes
Ch.18: Act the Third: Chaos Emerald
It was kind of scary. The kind of scary that Green Pearl's attire was now similiar to that of Yellow Diamond's, with the presence of power and great authority.
"Shall we proceed?"
"We stood here long enough right? Let's dance over there."
The moment Steven said that both he and Green Pearl vanished at inhuman speeds. At that time Connie and Peridot snapped out of their shock.
"Ah! Goddamnit you Clod, what were you thinking?!"
"...Steven."
"Is the coast is clear?"
Yellow, Blue and White Diamond poked their heads out from the cellar entrance to the secret lab that now has a giant hole thanks to Steven. They looked their left and to their right in unison.
"I think so Yellow."
"Good, cause it was getting a little cramped."
All three of the Diamonds stepped out from the hole and dusted themselves off.
"Ah, that's better. Now we have to go find Steven and end this."
"White wait!"
Blue called out to White before she could make a single step.
"My apologies but Steven told us not to interfere."
"He did? I thought he said 'Come assist me in ending this malarkey and then afterward I'll bake us a cake.'"
Yellow Diamond pinched the bridges of her eyes. Sigh White and her silly delusions.
"...White he never said that. He told all three of us and I quote 'Stay here, I don't want you all to get hurt.' unquote. Afterward you turned completely red saying how dashing he was in an overlydramatic, manner before passing out for a couple of minutes."
In response to that statement White Diamond frustratingly clenched her hands into a nearby tree, causing it to break slowly crack into large peices. She was trying her best to keep her overly protective mom mode in check. It was getting harder and harder when her thoughts kept playing some worse case scenarios.
"I knooow, but I want to help Steven so badly!"
Blue gently put a hand on White's shoulder with a smile on her face.
"We want to as well. Unfortunately Steven made it clear that he can do this himself to keep us safe...Whatever you are thinking about I am to...The many ways Steven can get hurt, how Steven could get lost and starving, the dreaded flu."
"Uh Blue? You're starting t-"
"Being kidnapped by slave traders, selling his body to strangers who are old, fat, and incredibly sweaty!"
"That's what I was thinking about Blue!"
"Okay you two are becoming very dramatic and unrealistic right now."
Err the two years after the Spinel incident all three Diamonds learned a whole bunch of the good and bad in regards to the Earth's history. You can imagine what happened afterward?
"OH GOD STEVEN!"
Both White and Blue held onto eachother, crying hysterically over the overpowering anxiety and their dramatic thought process. Yellow felt her eyes sting a little.
"Blue? Could you stop crying? I can't see."
From the outskirt of town the deafening sounds of booming from an intense battle can be heard for miles. Quantum sat on the tip of a nearby hill, overlooking that battle at a safe distance. He could feel his hands shake and it wasn't from any intense emotional response to fear or stress.
"Why did you shed your armor off?"
Quantum heard a female's voice from behind. He didn't respond at first.
"Sorry if you think that it was a perverted question, I was just curious. Speaking of curious you look so...anorexic."
It was the voice of Angeline who showed up behind Quantum and she was right. His arms, legs and his body in general was so thin that anyone could plainly see his skeletal structure ready to pierce through his skin. Yes the description is a little exaggerated but he did look pretty bad.
"I could no longer breathe normally in it. As for why I look like this...this is the price of a Shooting Star's fate."
"We might be friends but would care to clarify that?"
"Hmhmhm sorry but I can't do that. You don't belong in this universe afterall."
Angeline just rolled her eyes while clicking her tongue in annoyance.
"Well screw me for trying to be nice then. In all seriousness fine don't tell me, but at least answer me this. Even if Steven did win what would happen then? Getting hugs and kisses? A happy ending?...an interspecies orgy?"
"...That already happened."
"What?! Shit, I missed it!"
"Well not in this version at least."
Angeline cocked her eyebrow a bit.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing really. Just remembering one of the Laws of the Universe."
"Sigh whatever, it's not like this universe is gonna last anyway. Even if Steven got his happy ending my master would've already destroyed this world."
"Since you didn't obtain a human soul as payment?"
"Uh huh. I'll most likely get a mad whipping while getting plowed in the ass as punishment. Hopefully the bindings are steel spiked chain links."
Back on the beach Steven and the newly formed Green Pearl were exchanging powerful blows. All this time none of them were able to land a clean impact on eachother even when they were fighting at a level only the Diamonds would be able to perform when they get serious...which only happened one time each.
Colliding fists with each-other the strikes from the two opposing forces unleashed a powerful rumbling that vibrated the air aside from the Earth and the seas that produced violent waves. The shocking thing was neither Steven or Green Pearl look like they were getting exhausted one bit. They both jumped back into a somersault away from each-other.
"You're good. With this power I thought that I could completely overpower you. But that would a load of bull, afterall you are the savior of the galaxy so underestimating you again will no longer happen."
Steven flicked his nose from the side with his thumb in a cocky manner.
"I'll admit it, you're something else indeed."
Green Pearl coughed a bit while hiding her blush. Steven noticed this.
"Of course I am. Not everyone can appreciate the greatness of a conqueror."
"(So that book wasn't kidding when she put down that "compliments always made my day, even in darkness.")"
"But by the cocky look on your face you think that you'll end this quick are you?"
"Heh guilty as charged."
"Well don't think that! This was all just a warmup for me. In fact I'm not even at half of my full power. If I did then this whole world will crack more and more under the pressure."
Steven had a slightly shocked look on his face, different from his cocky smile just a second ago.
"Oh, so you realise the gap between u-"
"No kidding? You're not even half way?...Well I kinda expected that, I was going about 25% myself."
From Steven's statement now Green Pearl was the one shocked. Well it was more of anger than shock since she was clenching her teeth.
"You were holding back? Grrrr fine, be a fucking prick! Know this, I still have plenty of tricks to show how wide our gap is?!"
Green Pearl stretched her arm up to the sky. As if on command green lightning roared from above and struck her hand. The explosive power from the lightning then started to shape itself under Green Pearl's command.
"Plasma:-"
In her hand Green Pearl grasped the lightning as if it was solid. It shaped into a long blade-like object.
"-Grandiosa Saber!"
Jumping into the air Green swung her just made weapon downward towards Steven but he brought out his shield just in time to block the hit. What he didn't expect was that the attack got him down on one knee.
"Hahahaha what's the matter Universe? Hmmph, can't handle a simple strike?"
"Jeez now who's the one getting cocky? I just needed to bend down for extra oomph!"
Steven jumped off the ground along with Green Pearl into the air towards the direction of the Beach City Sqare, adding his floating ability for extra height. As he was overshadowing Green Pearl he twisted his body to gain momentum for a overhead kick he struck against her face. The attack sent her crashing through the top of the local flower shop's roof. For good measure Steven threw his shield like a frisbee downward.
By the sound of a loud metallic clang Steven knew that it was caught. It was then he heard static coming from above so he looked up. From the clouds they opened up to a chasm of darkness that slowly lit up green. Not good, not good indeed.
"Plasma: Verdé Death Clap!"
The cloudy chasm fired a giant green lightening pulsating with a mass amount of electricity stored within.
"(Shit, if I don't block that the whole town will be destroyed. Think fast Steven.)"
With the few seconds that he had Steven summoned his second shield while exerting out more of his aura. It was a gamble but thanks to his effort and desperation he expanded the size of his shield to one that could cover a small city. As the thunderclap made contact with the expanded shield Steven actually struggled to hold on against it.
The shield started to crack but Steven kept holding on with all his might. Maybe using 25% wasn't such a good idea so he pushed the output of his aura, strengthening his capabilities even more. 65% was enough for Steven to kick directly at the center of his shield, to strike back against Green Pearl's attack.
The force from the kick shot the shield upward towards the sky without any pushback. Upon entering the chasm the clouds themselves were all blown away with pink sparkles coming down like snow. Steven was going to land on the roof until Green Pearl appeared right next to him and slammed her fist against his cheek.
"Plasma: El Thor!"
Upon contact Steven was blown away, his body changed into a green laser just like before as he blasted through several roofs. The laser's trajectory shifted sharply downwards, impacting into the ocean. Green Pearl flew right towards the impact sight using her electric ability, diving into the ocean before the rising waters could settle.
A couple seconds past until Green Pearl rose out of the water at a breakneck speed with Steven grasped by the collar of his shirt, breathing heavily and dripping wet from head to toe.
"SHE CAN FLY?!"
Peridot got distracted by that shocking feat of a Pearl.
"You gotta be shitting me! Where the hell did this Pearl get this much power?"
"Just how is she flying?"
Connie was with Peridot, trying to assist when she could. Peridot gulped as she tried to rationalise this the best way she could.
"It might be that she's using the electricity as a property of a magnet. It's a stretch but I think she's controlling the atoms below her that produces the same gravitational force that allows her to push off the ground. If that's the case that would mean she's producing an enormous amount of electrical power."
"That armor was probably able to do that right, since it gives the user full mastery over electricity? She's not even wearing it anymore so how?"
The only answer that Peridot could come up with scares her the most.
"I don't know...I really don't understand how?"
"You wasted all that power to defend this place? Truly disappointing, I mean my last attack would've just created a huge crater."
"Haah haah I don't care. This is my home and I won't let you win Green Pearl, even for a second."
"Green Pearl?...Heheh...heheheh."
Green Pearl threw Steven off to the side, causing him to crash land onto the sand, all while laughing hysterically.
"Green Pearl! Hahahahaha! Green Pearl was my weak, useless name! I'm no longer that weakling! I have become the conqueror of planets and destroyer of gem kind!"
Rising up to be basked in the light of the full moon Green Pearl released her own aura.
"I am above the gems, I am above even the Diamonds! I can now confidently say I am a new possibility that can surpass the Gods we worshipped! I am now Chaos Emerald!"
"(...What a tacky name.)"
"Now Steven Universe, since you love this world soooo much I'll give you a chance, a final resolution."
Green Pearl now officially named Chaos Emerald stretched her arms to the sky. Green electricity crackled from the tips of her fingers. Instantly an intense, fast moving gather of static formed a gargantuan sphere the size of the moon itself.
Meanwhile Peridot's jaw dropped and she almost dropped the poofed gems that were in her hands.
"WHAAAAA! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"
"Steven I know fully well that you have more than enough power to stop me so I'll give you a choice. Shatter me and save the world, or let this world that you love will be obliterated to space dust!"
Steven got to his feet, staring up at Chaos with a determined look on his face. Whatever choice he was going to make would determine the fate of both his morality and his duty he made to the world. The sphere got even bigger.
"What's it going to be Universe? Show this world that you are willing to kill to defend this planet!"
To shatter would be going against everything the Crystal Gems stand for. This would be a bloody difficult choice...if that were the case of only two choices. Steven already figured that those were the choices Chaos gave him. It was just as he expected.
"I..."
Steven relaxed his body, his aura disappearing and he had a calm, sympathetic look on his face.
"I'm not going to choose."
End of Ch.18