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: Violence, Language

Ch.22: Nidhoggr part 1

Eh, how did Steven and Pink from within their soul ended up on the moon through the window-like vortex he looked through? That's what you want to figure out right? Then here's a simple trick to find the answer. We'll take a trip back in time to 20 minutes ago to find that answer.

20 minutes ago,

Yellow Diamond's body was crackling with her electricity, ready to fight. Though her mind is screaming for her not to she couldn't show any weakness since there were barely other options left. Talking didn't work thanks to Blue so the only thing left to do was to subdue him.

Taking a deep breath Yellow clenched her fists while squatting low. No hesitation, this is for Steven's sake.

"Steven!"

Steven responded to Yellow's voice and turned his body to her, she wasn't there. Instead Yellow appeared silently from behind. If she let out a exhale she would've been caught easily. Who knows, Steven's animalistic senses sharpened, you can never be too sure.

"(I'm sorry for this.)"

With no hesitation Yellow swiped a powerful backhand that connected, driving Steven through the pavement and into the fountain that shattered upon impact. The spraying water rose up and rained down on his body. The glint in Steven's eyes showed along with his displeased snarl.

"Grrrrrr."

"Steven, don't make me do this."

"RAAAAHHHH!!"

"(Why am I not surprised at this point?)"

Stomping his right foot into the ground Steven jumped, flying towards Yellow, winded back arm and all to throw a punch. Yellow blocked it by crossing her arms into a X shape, rendering the attack ineffective until Steven went in for a another punch.

Yellow readied herself for the second strike. Upon impact she felt a major difference from the first strike due to how she saw Steven's arm being encased in a dark pink like crystal and how the impact pushed her body back an inch. She heard a year ago from Peridot that Steven has been changing in regards to his powers along with newer ones, to think that she would see it in action.

"(So this is your Dia-harden huh? It's heavy and powerful.)"

The strikes came one after the other, Steven's roar intensified as the destructive barrage of punches blasted straight at Yellow. Despite that her defenses hasn't wavered, at least not when she felt some dull stinging.

"(Damnit I got to do something, his strikes are actually affecting me a bit. Pheew just need to stay calm.)"

The barrage stopped suddenly, seems like Steven realised he wasn't breaking through as easy as he would've expected. Clicking his tongue he flew back from Yellow, giving her a little confusion of what he was going to do next. Her answer was realised when Steven's head drooped and his arms relaxed like noodles.

"(Uh...what is this feeling? These powerful urges, it feels like he's building up something?)"

All of a sudden Steven's mouth started to produce some very hot steam, opening it a crack to let it air out. Yellow's instincts were screaming for her to get out of way. Great advice since she prepared herself to dodge whatever what was (and she probably guessed) to come out of Steven's mouth.

His aura exploded out from his body, the flaring increasing in speed. With a devilish smile he opened his mouth a little wider, revealing a pink orb of light. It was clear that Steven was aiming at Yellow, the pink orb expanded a bit in size. After a few seconds it condensed-

"(Oh shit, I got to-)"

-and then a giant whitish pink laser was fired from Steven's mouth. By a hair Yellow was able to dodge out of that way but not without losing something as she tumble rolled to temporary safety.

"Huuh huuh grrgh ah ahaah aaah!"

Yellow was trying to resist the dreadful pain signals she was recieving through sheer will alone. Due to her clutching her shoulder blade she was having a harder time focusing from the hellish burning sensation throughout her left arm, shaking like a leaf. When she looked at her hand she saw what reminded her of a yellowish, hot melted wax.

The source of it was presented as Yellow looked down at her left arm...or the place where her arm should be. Why's that? Cause the entire thing was melted off of course. Seeing the sickly, melted hot yellow puddle that used to be Yellow's arm didn't cause her waver, just surprised. As a Diamond her will should be - no not should be, is greater than most, this is nothing compare to him all those years ago.

Yellow quickly saw that Steven was shaking as well, emitting this weird humming while his mouth was fully opened. Why wasn't he moving? Them it hit her fast.

"(H-He pr-pr-proobably used too much energy, causing him to be immobile like that for who knows, a couple of s-s-seconds maybe?)"

Trying to think was tougher than Yellow thought. This pain was unbearable but she had to power on through before she loses the advantage of Steven's dazed state. So Yellow dashed towards him and fired back her own rapid assault of punches, hitting Steven with perfect precision and accuracy so they would all connect. Even with one arm she was perfectly capable since her nickname (that she given herself) is the Goddess of War.

Meanwhile Peridot who was standing there in complete shock finally loss the control of her legs, plopping onto her knees on the sand while still holding onto the poofed gems. They haven't regenerated, that was a hugely bad sign, probably worse than shattering.

"...What the hell am I doing here?"

Peridot's teeth were clenched from anger but they were moslty chattering from fear.

"What am I even doing out here? Why am I just standing here and doing nothing?"

The heaviness of her frustration has caught up to her. Peridot is a Crystal Gem yet she feels so goddamn useless, only making some stupid counter measure against a pheromone.

"This is bullshit! I couldn't do amything to fight back against these...these shenanigans. Connie would've still been alive if I just did something! Damnit, damnit, damnit all!"

Suddenly Peridot felt someone put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to almost drop the gems she was left to protect when she recognised the green, leathery glove. She thought that they ran away screaming bloody murder not too long ago.

"...So you did come back for revenge huh?"

The stranger said nothing in response, they just increased their grip on Peridot's shoulder.

"Sniff if you're going to shatter me Green Pearl...Please do it quick."

"What? Why would I want to shatter you Tiny?"

That voice, the instant it opened its mouth Peridot was filled with hope again...and slight annoyance from the nickname. There was only one other gem that gave her that nickname besides Amethyst. She quickly turned around to face that someone who had a bright smile on their face, it brought a tear to her eye.

"Bi..BISMUTH!"

Peridot happily jumped into Bismuth's arms, crying hysterically as if she lost everyone around her, leaving her all alone in this world. Bismuth was slightly surprised, she thought that Peridot was going to tell her off again and slap her thigh with the force of a wet noodle.

"Wow Tiny, I didn't expect this from you at all. You must really like the nickname."

"Wahaaaa! Shut the fuck up you rainbow-colored twit!"

"Alright sure I got it."

"Where were you?! We were really biting the end of the bullet out here with Green Pearl."

"Green Pearl? You've said that twice now but isn't it suppossed to be Emerald that you guys are fighting?"

Putting down Peridot she took a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"Emerald was just a cover name, their real name is Green Pearl. Somehow she became stronger, on equal footing as the diamonds and was going to destroy us all."

"Green Pearl..Green Pearl, why does that sound familiar? Could you describe what she looked like?"

That's fair since Bismuth hasn't seen her true form. Peridot thought it over, thinking that she would use the description of when Green Pearl became ahem "Chaos Emerald" but decided to use the other description instead.

"Ummm if my memory serves she was green (obviously), was our Pearl's height, light greenish kind of messy hair, pointed nose, a silky green leotard, and...wait I noticed that she had a slight crack on the left side of her forehead. Why are you looking at me like that?"

When Peridot finished her best description possible Bismuth's eyes were wide with shock.

"HOLY SHIT, YOU MEAN THAT GREEN PEARL?!"

"I think so, why are you yelling?"

"Fucking hell I thought she was shattered all those years ago! I can't believe she was still alive."

"Huh? You knew her?"

"Yeah and so did our Pearl, very well."

Hmmm maybe Bismuth would be able to explain why Pearl was so angry at her Green counterpart...or not, whatever. Anyway Peridot was going to open her mouth once more until another hand was put on her shoulder.

"Come on Bismuth, I know that you were the one behind me so quit trying to scare me."

"I'm not behind you."

Peridot gulped, breaking into a sweat as she was spun like a top forcely by the different stranger. The spinning was stopped instantly by Peridot's shoulders being grabbed from both sides to meet a very wide, cartoonish, sadistic grin.

"Helloooo Peridot."

"(Ah shitballs not her to. Just my luck!) Spineellll please tell me you aren't one of the affected junkies out there?"

Spinel was back to her other, more intimidating self. Though Peridot felt that she was affected as well her eyes puzzled her. Why were they a dark purple? Aren't the affected ones color is pink along with hearts showing up? Weird.

"What was that?"

"Nothing heheheheheheheheh (I stand corrected but...what the heck is with the color of Spinel's eyes? They're suppossed to have hearts...and they're suppossed to be pink.)"

"That's what I thought you said. Now Peri...Where the fuck is Steven?"

Yeeeaaah by the sound of Spinel's low, menacing tone, she wasn't playing around at all. From Peridot's perspective she wandered what the crap did Steven do to piss her off this badly?

"Oh and lie and this foot is going through your ass."

"D-Don't you mean 'up your ass'?"

"No, I mean through it, expanded big toe and all."

Peridot gulped, she definetely didn't want that. Too bad she sucked with interrogations, she was great at that in certain videogames.

"Over there, he's over there so please don't pop me like a balloon."

"Hm? You mean that pink zipping light beating on Auntie Yellow?"

"Hey Spinel! Long time no see."

Bismuth tried to be as friendly as usual but Spinel had a sour look on her face.

"Oh...you."

"(Wow, who pissed in her cereal?) You good?"

Spinel ignored the question while looking up and down Bismuth's body. She also threw Peridot aside like a small sack of potatoes.

"Ack, rude much!"

"Say why the hell are you wearing the Jade whatever's armor? Wait is it the armor?"

"Huh?"

Now that Peridot sees it now Bismuth was wearing a full green leathery suit with the fur of a...dead animal? Err anyway it wrapped around her neck, flapping from her back in the wind like a cape. Her gloves and big sized boots had the same fur as well. For some reason it reminded Peridot of a Viking, Bismuth did had the perfect muscly build to pass off as one.

"Ah is it the Jade Emperor's armor?"

"You got it and I still remember it's functionality. It can fit to however I think of remember? Heheh even the added benefit of protecting me from the miasma. Whoo boy did I felt light headed when I came down by the beach."

"Oh yeah but that's not the point! Why are you...wasn't there painful memories from this armor?"

Bismuth knelt down and put a hand on Peridot's shoulder again with a sigh.

"Yeah, which was why I didn't come out to help you guys. I didn't want to face the hell I faced in the past, it was painful. But we all have to push the dark past aside and face the future head on. Right now as far as I can tell Steven needs our help more than ever. Spinel?"

"Sigh what?"

"Will you help me get Steven back to the way he was?"

"...Sure I'll help BEAT some sense into him."

Spinel's motivation for helping was clearly and undoubtly different but as long as she was on their side that's all that mattered, even in that state.

"I'll go on ahead to...uh have a little chat with him."

Revving back her legs as if they were motorcycle wheels Spinel took off at a breakneck speed that could probably rival a roadrunner. Bismuth was about to go herself but Peridot stopped her.

"What's up?"

"Look I don't know if you can help or not but...I don't know what to do. I'm at a complete blank on what to do with...them."

Bismuth knew what Peridot meant by them when she held up the poofed gems. A sad display but this happened all the time to gems.

"Connie believed in me to help them."

"Why? They're gonna regenerate so what's the big deal?"

"You don't understand, they haven't regenerated at all! No sign, no vibration, no light envelopement, nothing!"

"Okay okay keep calm Tiny. Errr I'm not sure if I'm gonna like this answer but were they hit by the armor's lightning?"

"..."

That was actually a pretty tricky question to answer. Technically when Green Pearl hit Lapis and Garnet with the green lightning waves she wasn't wearing the armor. However when she hit Pearl she could've sworn that the sound of the impact was a pop of static. It was the same as when they put the armor on and did that plasma feature. Sweet crap this is a real brain scratcher since there was no record of any Pearl having that kind of power.

"Yessss?"

"Yes?"

"Well, oh gee that is a tricky brainscratcher...if I had one. So it's like this, Green Pearl was using green lightning waves that seemed similiar to the plasma feature of your armor. Rrgh damnit it's complicated, confusing crap like this is what gives me a headache. Sigh other than that, that was the gist of it I suppose."

"Same thing with...Connie?"

"Yeah, Steven's healing power didn't even affect her."

"...Impossible."

"Huh?"

Bismuth was deep in thought. What Peridot just said struck her with massive doubt.

"The armor only gives the wearer those powers when it is worn. Are you sure that it was similiar?"

"Uh yeah! The color, the sound, they were both undeniably identical."

"Hmmm...I may not be a scientist like you but something tells me that somehow, someway Green Pearl must've copied The Jade Emperor's properties."

"But that can't be, no Pearl that was ever recorded had this kind of power!"

"Especially Green Pearl. If my memory serves she was a genius when it came to tinkering and her only power is that she was able to create different sized rings with her own light energy...Could it have been-"

A powerful rumbling occured, interrupting Bismuth's thought process. Peridot almost lost her footing and dropped the gems that she was protecting. Looking off into the distance they saw Spinel flying directly at them. Dodging out of the way she crashed into the sand. Bismuth was the first to speak up.

"Spinel, are you okay?"

Upon closer examination Spinel was a little beat up, nothing serious thank goodness. Though she did look pretty pissed off. Seriously Steven, Peridot is still wondering what the hell you did to her?

"Goddamn fucking piece of shit! Rrrrgh Grah! Why can't I move my body?"

"Hold still for a mo...oh right."

"Make a smartass joke like that again and I'll personally create a new hole for you."

"(Okay someone really pissed in her cereal...or on her to make Spinel this mad.)"

Bismuth would deal with Spinel's sour attitude later. Right now she just thoroughly examined up and down Spinel's body. She noticed some pink static coming out from Spinel's arms and legs.

"You're paralyzed."

"What?! So fix it why don't you?"

"Nahhh I think you staying here is best."

"You son of a bitch!"

"Peridot, watch Spinel okay?"

"Don't ignore me!"

Bismuth turned away from Peridot and started walking.

"By the way about Connie and the gems there will be nothing that a gem not even a diamond can do to bring them back."

"No, that can't be true! There has to be something that we can d-"

Bismuth stopped for only a moment without turning around.

"You don't know about what the true capability of the Jade Emperor armor can do!"

Peridot was taken back a little by Bismuth's outburst. Maybe she hasn't completely got over it just yet. Just wearing the very thing that was being used for evil purposes is pushing her buttons. But wait, true capabilities?

"What do you mean?"

"Haah sorry about that it's just when I buried this so long ago I thought the anger and hatred would be gone for good. Now to see this armor being used to hurt gem kind disgusts me."

A short chuckle escaped Bismuth's lips. Who was she trying to fool with that BS?

"No actually that was a lie. The moment it resurfaced I wanted to pry that shit out of her cold, dead body and resurface what I intended to use it for long ago."

"Bismuth! Don't tell me that you would've done the same thing Green Pearl is doing?"

"You're getting it mixed. She wanted to obliterate all of gem kind, I wanted to use it for it's original purpose."

"Original...purpose?"

"Seems like you barely remembered my sob story but whatever, I'll tell you anyway. The Jade Emperor armor was made to destroy Yellow Diamond by nullifying her powers...Do whatever you want with this truth."

Without looking back Bismuth proceeded onward. Peridot never expected this, to create a weapon like that which would've caused a cosmic war between Homeworld and the gem that created this insane piece of technology. Even when Bismuth said all those things about the "original purpose" and the "anger and hatred" Peridot knew that her blacksmith friend wouldn't use it to kill gems nor humans since she now fully embraced Rose's ideology on mercy.

The crazy thing was Peridot didn't think Bismuth just meant Yellow diamond when she was saying about the nullifying powers part. She saw a bigger, grimmer picture of what Bismuth meant. It was not only able to temporarily (hopefully) nullify Yellow's powers but from what she witnessed earlier from Steven, Bismuth was talking about all powers from a gem. Regeneration was no exception and any living thing that was hit by the green plasma.

Meanwhile Steven had Yellow Diamond by her throat though his hand was smaller than the rest of her body. She had no strength left to even lift a finger, never in her life has she ever lost to anyone in a one on one fight. It shouldn't be possible for Steven to outrank her by so much.

The worst part was that Steven barely has any sign of damage. It just added more insult to goddamn injury to Yellow's pride. Smirking with satifaction Steven lifted her more off the ground effortlessly while floating upward a few inches.

"You...are not rulers anymore...I am."

"Ste..ven."

Yellow kept wondering in her weakened state on how she hasn't poofed for the first time in her life yet? Well obviously a Diamond is a hell of alot harder to defeat but at this point Yellow was defeated. Again, she has no strength left, she can't move her limbs, everything was fuzzy, just what the hell?

It must be some cruel joke in their initial design, to be feeling the indescribable throbbing pain coming from her gem. Forced to look up at the face of the demon wearing the body of someone she held dear Yellow closed her eyes, accepting what was going to happen next. Seeing this, Steven let out a hearty yet bone chilling cackle, he was relishing this display of weakness and hopelessness.

"WAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! Fear was illusion! No more will I cower...and wallow in hopelessness! You will all see me as a Diamond, a Diamond-"

Steven reeled back his arm, extending out all five of his jagged crystal clawed fingers, ready to lunge through Yellow Diamond with no hesitation.

"-who surpassed you all!!"

"Sorry Steven, but that's not going to happen."

Bismuth suddenly appeared behind Steven in a flash of green plasma. Her right hand morphed into the mallet she was best known for except now thanks to the armor it was glowing.

"(You may have retrieved my armor, but that doesn't mean you could do it perfectly.)"

From Bismuth's point of view everything around her slowed down. She had to remember, she was doing this for Steven, even if it meant hurting him and possibly locking him up somewhere until they could solve his issue.

"(Hope this doesn't kill you man. This is the real power of the Jade Emperor armor.) Plasma Vahalla: Grand Thor."

End of Ch.22

Riddle me this: The name above has no meaning to the being, but the name behind the being means everything.

Answer, next chapter...that's not the actual answer by the way.