Pieces
Chapter 42
A/N: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Happy New Year! Oh, loves, I tried so hard to get this chapter up on time and I'm SO very happy I managed it! This chapter is the longest chapter yet and you will all see why very shortly. Squee! We'll talk more at the end!
READ ON, LOVES!
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Jasper woke to the sound of Lapis' phone ringing. Her body was heavy with contentment and she didn't want to move, but a glance upward showed Lapis still sleeping peacefully. The early morning sunlight was gently flooding the barn and she saw the phone lying beside them on the bed. Carefully, so as not to stir the sleeping slender gem, she reached for it and gently lay her head back down on Lapis' stomach.
"'Lo?" She whispered sleepily.
"Hi, Jasper!" It was Steven; she should have known, but her mind was still very much asleep. "Sorry. Did I wake you?" He sounded a tad guilty.
"S'okay." She murmured. She had a foggy memory of Lapis telling her that he said he'd call to check on them this morning about their power. "But Lapis is still sleeping, so I have to be quiet."
"I'm awake." Lapis' sleepy voice came from above her.
"Sorry." Jasper said softly, raising her head to look at the sleepy gem. In her ear, Steven echoed the apology.
"It's alright." Lapis yawned as she rubbed at her droopy eyes. She looked adorably sleep tousled and the warrior gem couldn't help a soft smile. Lapis blinked down at her, smiling gently.
"Morning." Jasper murmured at her.
Lapis reached down and brushed a lock of Jasper's messy hair from her face. "Morning." The warrior gem leaned into her touch for a moment, before remembering she was on the phone. Wordlessly, she handed it to Lapis and the slender gem tapped the button to put the phone on speaker. "Morning, Steven." She greeted.
"Morning. Sorry I called so early." He apologized again.
"Don't apologize." Lapis chided affectionately. "We don't actually need the sleep, remember?"
"Still." He grumbled. "Did your power ever come back on?" He asked quickly.
"No idea." She answered, glancing down at Jasper.
The warrior gem shrugged. "We had all the lights off before it went out. Let me go check really quick." Reluctantly, she rolled out of bed and walked to the switches on the wall. She flicked one and the barn was instantly flooded with more light. She let out an exaggerated cheer, sending Lapis a silly grin.
Lapis laughed at her antics and Jasper flicked the lights back off. "I take it that means it's back on?" Steven asked mirthfully.
"Yep." Lapis answered cheerily.
"That's great! Oh, one sec."
Jasper was walking back towards the bed as she heard Pearl's muffled voice talking to Steven. She couldn't make out their words, even after she'd climbed back onto it. He must have covered the speaker. She was still feeling heavy with sleep and wanted to cuddle with Lapis some more before they officially greeted the day, so she turned on her side and drew the slender gem into her arms. Lapis snuggled her back into Jasper chest with a tiny, happy sigh and settled, holding the phone out in front of them.
"Okay, I'm back." Steven's voice said clearly after a few moments. "Pearl wants to come over if that's okay?"
Jasper blinked in confusion. Pearl wanted to visit? That was a first. "I don't mind." She glanced at Lapis. "Do you?"
"No. She can come if she'd like." Lapis sounded as confused as she did as she replied.
"Great! She says she's got a few things to take care of and then she'll be over."
"You're not coming with her?" Lapis asked.
"No, sorry. I actually want to visit Lars. His parents gave me some stuff to give to him a few days ago, so I wanted to go drop it off."
Lapis sat bolt upright. "You're going back to space?!" She cried.
Jasper gaped at her. "Space?"
Lapis spun towards her, looking frantic, but Steven's voice cut her off before she could say anything. "Yeah. Lars is in space with the Off-Colors. Didn't I tell you that?"
"Off-Colors?" Jasper's head was spinning. She remembered him mentioning them to her, but had never asked him to elaborate; there had always been other things going on. "You mean defective gems?" She cried, sitting up beside Lapis.
"They aren't defective!" Steven cried, sounding suddenly angry.
Jasper winced. She'd spoken without thinking. She'd already begun to think differently about the corruptions. Surely off colored gems deserved the same opportunities as other gems; didn't they? "My bad. I was just surprised, that's all." She apologized earnestly.
Steven let out a heavy sigh. "It's okay, Jasper. I know you didn't really mean it." He said softly. Then he continued, sounding much more cheerful. "They're pretty cool. I promise."
Lapis suddenly grasped the phone with both hands. "Steven, please, be careful!" Her tone was trembling with desperate worry. Jasper reached for her wrapping an arm around her waist, but even her touch did nothing to calm the frantic gem.
Why was Lapis so terrified? Would Steven be in danger? He spoke before Jasper could ask. "Don't worry, Lapis. Garnet and Connie are coming with me. And Lars is strong now. And so are the Off Colors! Remember how I told you about the ship they stole from Emerald?"
"Emerald?" Jasper echoed, confused. "Wait the Emerald? The commander of the biggest fleet in Homeworld history?!" She asked unable to hide the terror filled awe in her voice.
Steven hummed. "I'm not really sure. She seemed kind've important I guess. And she was really mad because they took her ship. The Sun Incinerator is what she called it."
So it was that Emerald! "They stole the Sun Incinerator?! How?!" She cried.
She was unable to conceive how one human boy and a handful of defective gems had managed such a feat. Emerald was one of the highest ranking gems she had ever served directly under; barring the Diamonds themselves. And she was also one of the most terrifying. Jasper had been assigned to once and that once was enough for a lifetime. The warrior gem had been tasked to escort her and a section of her fleet to one of the few planets in one of the outreaching galaxies. It was one of a rare few that had managed to thwart the first few waves of Homeworld's forces. She shuddered at the horrifying memory of Emerald's ruthless commands. Never again would they let another planet ever stand against Homeworld like Earth; Emerald had made sure of that. Even then, when Jasper had seen the destruction of lesser planets and the eradication of what the Diamonds had deemed 'unpure' forms of life as the natural order, she had found it horrifying to witness Emerald's cruelty.
Steven's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "It's a long story. Trust me. But I have to go. Garnet's waiting and we have to go pick Connie up. How about I call after we're back and tell you about it? And Lapis?"
She leaned towards the phone, still looking terrified. "Yes?"
"I promise you, I'll be fine." He said firmly. "We all will. I'll talk you tonight. Okay?"
Lapis looked like she wanted to protest, but a moment later, she sagged, letting out a heavy sigh. "Okay."
The moment that the call disconnected, her entire bod began to tremble so hard that her teeth were chattering. She wasn't crying, but her eyes had a look of distant horror about them; like she was caught in some kind of waking nightmare. Jasper felt her heart wrench in her chest. She was shocked and confused by Steven's story and Lapis' desperate fear and worry had her feeling on edge, but Lapis' comfort was more important to her in that moment. She drew the trembling gem sideways into her lap, holding her tightly.
"Shh." She soothed, drawing a hand up to pet Lapis' hair gently. "It's okay, Lapis."
She felt herself rocking back and forth, her own roiling emotions too strong to remain still. The motion comforted her, so maybe it would comfort Lapis too. She expected Lapis to cry, but her tormented eyes were strangely devoid of tears. The warrior gem didn't think that anything could be more painful that watching the gem she loved cry, but this expression, the hollow terrified agony on her dark, navy eyes reminded Jasper acutely of the day that Lapis had lost control; it was a terrifying reminder of the madness she had been at the mercy of when they had been Malachite.
She felt a surge of panic and held Lapis even tighter than before, locking her muscles into place. She hadn't let go then and she wouldn't let go now. Nothing would ever make her let go. That was one thing about herself that she never wanted to change; her pride as a jasper and knowing that jaspers were made to never give up. Her own panic faded as she felt her determination to protect what she loved flare within her once more. Jasper loved Lapis and she knew with certainty that no matter what came next, she would protect the slender gem in her arms for the rest of her existence.
An immeasurable amount of time passed, before she heard Lapis take a deep breath and finally relax a little into Jasper's embrace. "Thank you." She mumbled, voice trembling. "I'm sorry for freaking out." Her tone was heavy with self degradation.
"Shh." Jasper shushed her. "Don't apologize. I've got you, Lapis. No matter what." She promised firmly.
Lapis sighed. "It's just...I'm not strong like you, Jasper... I promised myself I wouldn't let my memories do this to me anymore... that I'd stop letting them make me so weak." Her voice was tiny and pained.
Jasper paused in her rocking, unable to resist giving the gem in her arms a sharp look. "You're not weak!" She said firmly, feeling a flicker of anger at the thought of Lapis talking down about herself.
Lapis blinked up at her. Her expression shifted from surprised to angry in the span of a heartbeat. "How can you say that?"
Instead of letting herself rise to the challenge in Lapis eyes, Jasper forced her flicker of anger away; heated words would get her nowhere. "Because I see you, Lapis." She said earnestly. "I see how hard you're trying. I see how hard you're fighting. A weak person would just give in to their darkness, but you aren't. You never have."
Lapis looked away swiftly, drawing slightly away from Jasper as if she were recoiling from some great pain. "I did when we were Malachite." She whispered, tone heavy with despair.
Jasper winced at her mention of their fusion following so swiftly on the heels of her own thoughts about it. "Didn't we already talk about how she wasn't really us, Lapis? Not the real us. The ones we are now? You aren't the same Lapis Lazuli that I fused with and I'm not the same Jasper." She reasoned.
"It was still a part of me! A part of this me did that to us! It's still there, Jasper! Why can't you see that?" Lapis snapped.
"Because that one part doesn't define you!" Jasper snapped back. A sudden thought sent pain lancing through her pounding heart. It tumbled out before she could stop it. "If you honestly still think you're the you that you were then, then that means you have to think I'm the same me that I was then too!" She was unable hide the pain the thought had brought her.
Lapis stiffened and jerked her head up, eyes wide with confusion and pain. "No! No, I could never think that!" She cried.
"Then why can't you see that you're not that person anymore either?" Jasper lifted her hand, cupping Lapis' cheek so that the slender gem couldn't look away again. "Lapis, you're wonderful!" She said earnestly, all but begging her to hear and accept the words she was saying. "You really are. You're brave and smart and funny. You can make such wonderful things and such beautiful music. You helped me pick myself up when I thought I'd never stand again. You helped me to see how much I want to fight for the things I care about and how much I want to protect this planet and everything on it with everything I have."
You helped me learn to love, Lapis! The words caught in her throat, even as she burned to say them aloud. She was left staring helplessly down into Lapis' eyes; those eyes that were finally sparking again with more than fear and desperation. A few tears sparkled there, but there was a happiness behind them and a sort of awe that left the warrior gem feeling torn. She wanted to cheer and cry at the same time; the odd mix was becoming more and more familiar as the days went by.
Instead of her deepest truth, different words poured from her; a different kind of truth. "You came back to this planet after fear drove you away. You came back to make things right, even if it meant facing those fears and trying to learn to work around them. I've seen you face things that scared me, things I didn't even want to think about because they hurt. A weak person could never do those things, Lapis."
Lapis let out a tiny sob and more tears fell from her eyes. "Some of those things I could only face because you were here!" She cried. "I might have come back, but I wasn't really here, Jasper! I was just as alone here as I was in space because I couldn't face the things that I'd done!"
Jasper felt her heart give another wrench in her chest with a sudden guilt. "But, Lapis, you did try! Remember? You came to face Steven and the others and who knows what might have happened, but I was there! I ruined that for you! If I hadn't been there, if I'd just... stayed outside and let you reunite with him and the others before you saw me, maybe things would have been better..." She felt tears gather in her own eyes and let them fall.
Lapis made a tiny sound of protest and reached up to cup Jasper's tear-stained face in her hands. "No, Jasper. It wouldn't have been." She said firmly. "The day I came back...after you... left, Jasper, the others..." Lapis' words caught in her throat and she looked down, as if it hurt to much to look at her anymore, her and falling back down into her lap. Jasper let her pull away a little. Lapis had hinted at it, but she had never actually told Jasper what happened afterward. About the real reasons she'd stayed away after coming back to Earth. If Lapis was finally willing to share it, Jasper would listen. "Amethyst was looking at me like she hated me. Like she wished I'd never tried to come back. Pearl and Garnet were happy for Steven, but I could tell they didn't truly trust me anymore... It brought it all back. All of the hate. The hate that I took out on you as Malachite...I thought then that you'd told them the truth about... her. The truth about what I'd done to you..." She let out a wavering breath and Jasper could see that she was trying to force out the things she felt she needed to say. Even if I almost hurt to remain silent, she did it, because she knew that sharing this pain was something Lapis felt she needed to do. "I... I almost ran again, but Peridot..." The green gem's name was a drop of pain from Lapis' lips. Her eyes were full of so much pain then, that Jasper felt her heart clench in sympathy. "... Peridot was so happy to see me. Even if she hid it, I could tell. She was as happy to see me as Steven. If you'd told her the truth, I couldn't see why she'd ever want to be around me... So, when she asked to come back here with me, I said yes without thinking. And we tried. Both of us did. We tried living how we had before, but... it just wasn't the same." She sounded so defeated as she spoke, that it pulled more tears from Jasper's eyes. "We couldn't talk like we used to. Even if she never said anything about it, I'd seen her move on without me. I'd seen the kind of life she could have without me here, weighing her down... She still doesn't know how I watched her... Steven never told her... and I realized you really hadn't told her about Malachite... about my darkness... and I just couldn't!" She cried, more tears falling from her wounded eyes. "I couldn't talk to her about it! It hurt too much!" She screamed through her tears. " And I got... so mad at myself for not being able to talk to her! And instead of telling her all the things I wanted to say, I said bad things to her. We fought... " She sobbed. "I couldn't tell her the truth, but I couldn't live with the lies... and she left... and I was alone... until you came." Her tear-filled voice held a hint of wonder, but also a deep, deep darkness. "And even after I reacted the way I did, after I hurt you... you stayed... and I realized that you did know. You knew the truth... and it was so freeing, Jasper!" She jerked in Jasper's arms, startling the warrior gem.
Jasper instinctively tightened her grip, fearing the worst, but Lapis didn't try to get away. Instead, she grasped her hair in her hands, pulling at it as she screamed. "How twisted of a person do you have to be to be relieved about talking about the badness with the one you hurt by it!? But you were here! You didn't run away! Even when I could tell that you were still scared of me, even when you pushed yourself to tell me the truth... you always tried to make me feel better even if it hurt you! And I let you! You made me believe that maybe we could make things better. That I could be better! But I'm not! I'm still that person who runs away and hides when things get tough! You, Jasper, you're fighting again! You're trying to make everything better, but I just feel like I keep taking steps backwards. Like nothing's really changing at all. And I hate it! I hate it so much! But I don't know how to fix it!"
Jasper was suddenly struck by the thoughts she'd had before. About the realization that even if she knew that Lapis was strong, she was still just a normal gem. A normal gem who faced so much horror. It hurt to realize just how much Lapis had been hiding from her. Jasper had felt guilty at times, for not sharing everything with the gem in her arms, but she realized that Lapis hadn't either. Lapis had been trying to protect her all this time, when she thought that she'd been the one protecting Lapis. And then, like a bolt of lightning, she could see the truth: They'd both been protecting each other. They'd both hidden things. They'd both been telling lies to themselves. Everything they had done, all of the healing and the tears and the pain, they'd faced it together.
She could remain silent no longer. "Oh, Lapis... there's nothing to fix! Can't you see? It already is better! I mean, just look at what we've done!" She cried, tilting Lapis' face up towards her and gesturing out to their home. "Look at all these wonderful things we've done! We did this together." She said firmly. "You've never hurt me more than I've hurt you! We hurt each other, Lapis!I'm no stronger than you, and you're no stronger than me! We just are! And we're both trying to make it better!" Lapis was staring up at her now, almost gaping. Jasper was so frantic with trying to explain, she couldn't even begin to unravel the emotions swirling in those tear-filled navy depths. "So stop trying to carry it all by yourself, Lapis. Let me help you, just like you've helped me. Please?" She couldn't help the tiny plea.
Something flashed through Lapis' eyes and a moment later, she turned in Jasper's arms, throwing herself into the warrior gem's chest. Jasper immediately tightened her hold, squeezing Lapis tightly against her as Lapis arms wound around her. The gesture spoke more than words ever could. They'd hugged many times, cried together many times, and had fought over their past and their feelings more than once, but it felt so very different this time. She hadn't thought it was possible to feel any closer to Lapis than she already did, but she had been wrong. Looking back, she could see now the times that Lapis had pulled away. She could see the conflicts that she hadn't before. Even if she'd opened up to Lapis, she knew now that Lapis, for all that she'd shared, still hadn't opened up about her deepest feelings. The thought hurt. It did. But beyond that hurt, she could be thankful that now Lapis was truly opening up to her. And she could also be thankful that she herself was now strong enough to help her. Whatever it took, whatever tears Lapis cried or no matter how many times she stumbled, Jasper would be beside her through it all.
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It was some time later before the two gems actually made it out of bed. Lapis had cried and then gone silent in her arms. It hadn't been a melancholy silence, but simply Lapis letting herself be held and Jasper had been happy to sit and enjoy it. But eventually, they had both grown restless. They'd taken a short walk, enjoying the nice weather, before coming back inside and now, Jasper was happily learning something new. Steven had, unbeknownst to the warrior gem, brought new paints for Lapis. Not large buckets, but smallish tubes in a veritable rainbow of colors. They weren't enough to paint giant murals like the one Lapis had done around the aquarium or the morps, but enough for them to do small things; almost like a picture hanging on the wall, except painted directly onto it, Jasper surmised. After a quick and playful crash course, Lapis had urged Jasper to try to paint something on her own. Again, the warrior gem found that she couldn't make things out of nothing like Lapis and instead had to stick to things she'd seen before, but she didn't truly mind. It only meant that she could bring the wonder of the outside world into their home; like she'd done with her sculptures and the covers she'd made for the support beams.
"You know, I'm almost jealous." Lapis said lightly from beside her.
Jasper blinked in confusion and glanced over to see Lapis studying the little slice of forest Jasper had decided to paint. It was the forest she had visited for the wood they'd used; the one that she'd gone to the first time with Steven and the Crystal Gems to fight a corruption. She was trying to capture the sunset she'd seen on that first visit, when the sky and mountains and the little stream had seemed to be on fire all at once. It wasn't anywhere near as radiant in paint, but she was trying her best.
"Why is that?" She asked, mimicking Lapis' tone.
"Because everything you make looks so real!" Lapis cried, smiling.
Jasper blushed. "Not really." She mumbled self consciously. "It looks way better in person."
Lapis scoffed and smacked her shoulder lightly. "Don't talk down about it. It looks amazing."
"It does!" Cried a familiar voice from behind them. The both of them spun to see Pearl standing in the doorway. Smiling, she knocked lightly on the frame. "Mind if I come in?"
Jasper had forgotten that Pearl was coming for a visit, but she was surprisingly happy to see the pale gem. She glanced at Lapis and the slender gem smiled and waved at Pearl. "Sure."
"Thanks." She stepped inside and looked around wonderingly as she walked towards them. "It really is astounding what you two have done here." She praised.
Jasper realized belatedly that this was the first time that Pearl had come inside since the first time the Crystal Gems had come to visit. She quickly dismissed the thought before she could dwell on the awful events that had followed. Instead she focused on the here and now.
"It was fun." She said simply, grinning at Lapis.
"It was." The slender gem smiled softly back.
Pearl made a humming sound under her breath and Jasper glanced back to see her studying them with a happily reflective expression. "That's wonderful." She smiled. "I've never had an affinity for art, but I can enjoy it when it's done well." She glanced around again. "And I must say, this is done very well."
Jasper found herself blushing under the praise and saw Lapis blushing brightly beside her. "Thanks." They murmured together.
Pearl laughed softly. "Alright. I didn't come to embarrass you." She cried mirthfully. "I actually came to ask you two for a favor."
"What's up?" Jasper asked lightly, glad to be free of the praise even if it made her feel good.
The pale gem seemed very excited as she looked to Lapis. "Do you remember how we had Steven's birthday party here last year?"
Birthday party? Jasper thought, confused. Lapis instantly lit up and replied happily before the warrior gem could ask. "Yes! It was fun!" Then she frowned. "Until Steven lost control of his powers, that is." Jasper was instantly more confused and intrigued, but stayed silent. She could ask later.
Pearl was frowning too. "Yes, that was unfortunate." She mumbled reflectively. Then she brightened again. "But he has much more control now so we shouldn't have to worry about that this year."
Lapis seemed reassured by Pearl's firm certainty. "You're right. So what was the favor?"
"Well, with all of this crazy going on, I thought that it would be nice for him to have some normalcy. I know it's terribly short notice with it being just two days from now, but would it be too much to ask for you to host again this year?"
Lapis instantly stiffened and a flicker of terror flashed through her eyes for just a fraction of a moment, though her expression remained unchanged. Instantly, Jasper wanted to drawn Lapis into her arms, but she hesitated. Lapis was putting so much effort into maintaining the happy facade for Pearl. She was trying to ignore whatever thoughts were plaguing her and Jasper could not undermine that effort by showing that she'd seen it. With great effort, she forced herself to remain still and keep smiling.
"No." Lapis replied in an overly cheerful tone. "We'd be happy to. Right, Jasper?" She asked, looking up at her.
There was a certain wildness in her eyes that worried the warrior gem to no end, but she could only go by what Lapis was saying aloud. "Of course, we would." She tried her best to sound happy about the prospect and forced a smile at Pearl.
At once, she knew that Pearl had noticed Lapis' reaction, but she continued smiling happily too, pretending to be oblivious. "Splendid!" She cried. "And as I said, I know it's terribly short notice, but there was simply no time to plan before now." She said apologetically. "I'll put together a guest list and we'll provide all of the decorations and supplies, so you don't have to worry about a thing!"
Lapis shook her head. "I don't mind decorating at least. If you can bring them, we can set everything up. It'll be fun." She sounded like she was trying to make herself believe the words, but the offer was genuine behind the trepidation of her tone.
Pearl studied her for a moment, before sighing. The happy facade dropped as she stepped toward them with a concerned frown. "Lapis. I know we've had our differences, but can we be honest with each other?" She asked softly. "Please?"
Lapis hesitated for a moment, before sagging and allowing her trepidation to show. "Okay."
Jasper was acutely relieved and let her own forced smile drop. If they were being honest then she could too. In a swift motion, she reached for Lapis drew the slender gem against her side. Lapis wrapped an arm around her waist, clinging to her for a brief moment, before giving her a smile that was filled with gratitude.
"That's better." Pearl murmured softly. Her tone was bittersweet, with sadness and happiness melded together. Jasper glanced over to see that the pale gem was smiling tenderly at them. "Don't be ashamed of your emotions." She said firmly to Lapis. "Steven mentioned that you've been having a bit of trouble since you came back, Lapis. Don't be angry with him. He was only worried about you." She added earnestly.
Lapis shook her head. "I'm not mad. I'm only sorry for worrying him." The words were full of pain.
Jasper squeezed her tighter. "It's Steven, Lapis. He'd still worry about all of us even if we were perfectly happy all the time." She joked, trying to make her feel a little better.
The slender gem rewarded her with a soft laugh. "True." She murmured.
"He has such a big heart." Pearl sighed heavily. "He sees more than he lets on and hides what he knows more often than not. Just like his mother." She muttered the last. The words were affectionate, but laced with grief. Her eyes were distant, staring beyond them into the world of her own memories for a long moment, before she shook herself. "It's humbling to see him try to be so strong in the face of so many problems and worries. For all that he is so young, he's more mature than all of us in his own way. And for all that I'm so old, I should be following his example." She said with a self depreciating chuckle. She focused back on Lapis and her eyes grew serious. "If it's too much for you we can have the party elsewhere, Lapis."
The slender gem shook her head. "No. It's fine." She said earnestly. "Like I said. It was fun. I just... can't help worrying, you know?"
Pearl smiled, eyes full of sympathy. "Oh, I know. But, if it helps, I talked to Garnet about it last night and she doesn't see anything horrible happening. She just told me to tell all of our human guests to bring extra clothes, though I can't fathom why." She frowned lightly, obviously pondering the vague statement. Jasper bit her cheek against a smile. Garnet had a wicked sense of humor and the warrior gem found herself greatly looking forward to whatever the fusion may have seen happen.
Lapis seemed greatly reassured by Garnet's prediction. "Then I'll try to stop worrying." She said the words like a promise.
Jasper laughed and shook Lapis the tiniest bit. "If only that were actually possible." She joked. "The hazards of having a nerdy brain to make you think to much." Lapis pouted at her, but Pearl grinned, humor dancing in her pale blue eyes.
"Well, now that that's settled, I'll just go retrieve the supplies." Pearl said happily, turning towards the door. "I'll be back shortly to drop them off."
"If you need help carrying anything, just call." Lapis called after her. "I'll send this dork to help you." She joked, jerking her thumb at Jasper.
The warrior gem feigned offense as Pearl glanced back. The pale gem laughed loudly as she reached the door. "Will do." She called back with a tiny wave. She stepped outside, still chuckling to herself.
Jasper kept up her offended act as Lapis looked up at her. At the sight of her expression, Lapis giggled and rolled her eyes. "Hush."
The warrior gem dropped her act and smiled. "Okay, but only because you asked so nicely." She teased.
Lapis giggled again and looked around. "Well. I guess since we're hosting a party, we should probably get this place cleaned up."
Jasper couldn't resist letting out a heavy sigh at the thought of cleaning, but as always, she didn't argue. "Where do we start?"
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Jasper paused at the doorway and brushed herself off. Wood-chips and dust scattered into the air around her and she waved them away before stepping inside. "The fire pit is done!" She called to Lapis, who was hanging streamers and strings of star-shaped lights from the ceiling.
"Did you have room for all of the seating?" Lapis called down to her, sounding a little frantic, but not looking away from her task.
"Yep!" She cried happily.
She'd surrounded the pit with stumps and logs from the forest that Lapis had helped her to carve rough seats from and smooth out. They'd decided on a camping theme for the party and Pearl had happily agreed. As the pale had brought box after box of decorations and the three of them had planned out the party, Lapis had worked herself to the bone trying to make everything as perfect as possible.
"And the tents?" Lapis asked worriedly breaking her thoughts.
"They're just how you and Pearl wanted them. Don't worry!" Jasper cried. She was unable to resist a laugh as she watched Lapis flit overhead like a crazed fairy. "I know tomorrow is a big day for Steven, but you know he won't care about perfection. He'll-"
"-just be happy to be here with all of us." Lapis finished for her. "I know. I just..." She sighed heavily, flying down to her. "It's the first time everyone will really be here together since..." Jasper winced as the slender blue gem hunched in on herself.
Memories of that awful day swarmed her. She immediately shook herself free of them and reached for Lapis, pulling the slender gem into a tight hug. Lapis hugged her back fiercely and the tall warrior gem felt her trembling. An intense wave of protectiveness fluttered through her. She would never let anything like what had happened that day happen ever again. In a way, she almost wanted to call off this party altogether, now that that awful memory had its jaws on her once more; but she knew they couldn't. And she knew that even if Lapis was scared, the slender gem would never forgive herself if she backed out now. She'd been so very excited as she'd begun the decoration process after her initial trepidation had faded. Now, it seemed all of that trepidation had come back ten-fold.
"Oh, Lapis." She whispered, trying to reassure her. "Pearl said that Garnet saw that nothing bad is going to happen. Everything is going to be okay."
"But how can we know for sure?" Lapis replied shakily. Her voice was a waver of sound.
Jasper hesitated, wondering how to answer, but she knew she could never lie to Lapis. "We don't." She admitted softly.
Lapis drew away from her a little and frowned. "Then how can you say that?" She asked indignantly.
Jasper smiled down at her, feeling a wave of affection as looked into the flashing eyes of the gem she loved; Lapis was beautiful when she was angry. "Because even if, somehow, something does go wrong, we can fix it. Together." She said firmly. "Now. What still needs to be done? Let me help you." She urged.
Lapis blinked at her, anger fading into a warm affection. And there, underneath it was that strange something that made Jasper's heart skip a beat in her chest. As Lapis beamed up at her, glowing radiantly the warrior gem felt her entire being flood with love for the gem in her arms. The urge to to tell her, to finally say those words aloud was almost overpowering in that moment, but Jasper reigned it in. They had to focus on getting ready for the party. This was a time for her to think about Steven, not herself. She tried to make herself believe the lie, but the tingle of her old fears let her know that it was futile. Fear was what held her tongue. One day, she would be brave enough to tell Lapis how she truly felt; but today was not that day. Instead, she let herself simply enjoy their lingering embrace as Lapis looked around their home with a critical eye.
"Do you think maybe we need more lights?" She asked, her voice uncertain. "It seems… darker than it usually does in here now."
Jasper looked around. It did seem darker than she remembered. As she glanced around, she noticed that not as much sunlight was streaming in through the windows. She was startled to see it looked dim outside; dimmer than when it rained even. It had been bright and sunny when she'd come in only minutes before. A sense of foreboding crept up her spine.
She released Lapis and took a step toward the door. "I'm going to go see what's going on."
"I'm going with you." The hydrokinetic gem's voice was firm.
There wasn't time to argue, but Jasper made sure her stride kept her slightly ahead of Lapis. She was ready for anything as she stepped outside. Or, at least, that's what she'd thought.
She stood, stunned as she saw something out of her wildest, darkest nightmares falling from the sky. A huge, jagged, gem encrusted rock was hurtling down from the heavens right for them. Flames wreathed its enormous form from the incredible speed it gained as it fell down through the atmosphere. Before she could do more than turn and grasp Lapis, using her own body as a shield, the rock struck the hills nearby. The earth shook so violently Jasper was thrown from her feet. She heard the wrenching sound of twisting metal and splintering wood as she crashed sideways through the wall of the barn, feeling her skin rip and tear as pieces of debris embedded themselves into her flesh. As she sailed through the air, her only thought was to protect the screaming gem in her arms. She rolled in the air, landing hard on her back so that Lapis landed on top of her.
She lay there, dazed, struggling to breath in the dusty air. She was given only a moment to recover, before having to roll them sideways as a support beam crashed through the thick cloud of dust towards them. The earth was still trembling violently as she scrambled to her feet, clinging tightly to Lapis. Glass from their sculpture was shattering all around them as the barn heaved and rolled, falling to pieces around them with the force of the tremors. Their home was now a deathtrap.
A deep cracking had her spinning around to see the thick glass of the aquarium splintering. Lapis gasped in her arms and Jasper didn't wait a moment longer. She charged with as much speed as she was able toward the far wall. She screamed, materializing her helmet. She slammed it into the wall she'd built with Lapis only weeks ago. The already straining wood exploded into a splintery cloud and she pressed Lapis' face into her chest to protect her eyes as they sailed through it. She landed awkwardly, barely maintaining her balance, and bounded over the heaving Earth away from the worst of the rush of debris strewn water. For a long moment, she could see nothing through the dust and smoke, could hear nothing but the earth still protesting the horrible blow. She bent her knees and rode the tremors until they began to slow, determined not to lose her balance a second time. Lapis clung to her silently as the dust and debris slowly began to settle. Fish flopped helplessly all around them. Jasper fleetingly wished they could save them, but at that moment, a horrible groaning drew her eyes towards the thing that had crashed into the Earth and destroyed their home in a matter of moments.
To her absolute horror, it unfolded itself and stood up, revealing its true form through the lingering dust and billowing smoke. It was a colossal monstrosity. Dozens of milky white crystalline shards studded its enormous shoulders and more, bigger shards, wreathed its eyeless head like a grotesque crown. Its skin was smooth and stone-like, mottled white and lighter grey in places. It took a deep, ragged breath and the skin that looked too solid to flex, rippled smoothly. The milky crystals shivered, glistening in sharp contrast as it stood there on four thick legs, muscled arms so long its stone-studded knuckles brushed the ground. It towered above them, taller even than the Diamonds, and opened a huge jagged mouth, revealing teeth made of milky stone shot through with more of the glistening crystal. It roared; a deep bellow that rattled her bones and set her every hair on edge.
She unconsciously tightened her hold on Lapis as terror surged through her. She had seen a creature like this only once before and it lived as the most terrifying memory of her existence. Sometimes, when a gem was planted, something went wrong in the process. It was rare, and usually resulted in nothing more than a defective gem, that would then be shattered. But sometimes... sometimes these gems did not emerge discolored. Sometimes, they didn't emerge at all. Sometimes entire Kindergarten facets would slowly go dark, until only one node remained active. Some pull, or gravitational force, drew the implanted gems through the raw stone over the course of the years, until all of them were clustered together in that one active node. Instead of emerging, these gems would fester like an ingrown hair on a beast's hide, growing and swelling as all of the energy meant for those separate gems was directed into one huge and malformed gemstone. The very walls of their Kindergarten would begin to crumble around them weakened by the fissures dug in the stone by the mysteriously migrating gems, until all that was left was a massive stone with that awful, festering gem cluster at its heart. The creatures resulting these strange phenomena had no sense of higher reasoning. Once they awakened, they listened not even to the Diamonds themselves and were filled with an unfathomable rage which could not be tamed or tempered. The Diamonds had called them Geodes and, instead of destroying them as was usually ordered for defective gems, the Diamonds saw their defection as a weapon. Jasper had heard the tales of them since her emergence, but had never believed them to be true until she'd seen one of the horrors with her own eyes; it seemed only fitting that she be reminded of the terrifying Emerald only days before this nightmare came to Earth.
The horrible memories swarmed in her addled mind. Her warriors were doing little to aid the forces Homeworld had already sent, but instead of showing her famous rage, the terrifying Emerald had only linked a communication to Homeworld. After a short, cryptic meeting with Yellow Diamond, Emerald had been almost glowing with a wicked delight . Jasper had watched, bewildered, as Emerald had withdrawn her forces from the tiny planet, letting the peoples there think that they'd won. The commander had watched their frivolity with a mocking disdain and a strange, gleefully cruel anticipation from the atmosphere. For weeks, they had hovered, watching the ruined civilization slowly begin to rebuild itself. And then, it came. From deep space, a huge rock had come hurtling by less than a meter from their ship. The monstrosity that had emerged from that rock- so terrifyingly similar to the one standing before Jasper now- had wreaked a level of destruction upon the helpless civilization on which it had been unleashed that Jasper had never thought it was possible for any single creature could; barring a Cluster. Within mere days, the entire planet had been devastated. Not a single living thing grew or breathed. The thriving planet had become a wasteland and still, the Geode had raged. And then, as the single force of destruction finally grew still, having nothing left to destroy, Emerald had given the final order. Bombs were sent hurtling through the atmosphere as her fleet retreated a short distance. Every gem on every ship had watched as the devastated planet and the Geode were reduced to nothing more than dust. It had been a lesson that she never forgot; not until Steven and Lapis and the Crystal Gems had given her a new belief.
But now, staring up at this nightmare made real, she could not help but to cower. Homeworld had sent this creature to finish the Cluster's- and her own- failed mission. It would destroy everything in its path, wreaking havoc and destruction upon the planet she had come to love. No force could ever hope to face this terrible monstrosity. She almost fell to her knees as a crushing sense of defeat stole her strength. Lapis shuddered in her arms, a terrified sob ripping through her chest. Jasper looked down to see her staring at the creature with horror filling her eyes. That expression of horror would be the last one Jasper ever got to see on Lapis' face.
"No." She murmured. The word slipped from her without thought.
Lapis looked up at her, confusion mixing with her utter terror. "Jasper?"
The warrior gem's heart wrenched as Lapis said her name. Could she really stand by and let this wonderful, beautiful, amazing gem be slain without even trying to defend her? "No." She said again, firmer. Determination and a fierce denial suddenly to life in Jasper's chest, racing through her veins in a tingling rush of adrenaline and blasting the shock and sadness from her mind. "No!" She screamed, looking up at the monstrosity with a fierce snarl. She had no doubts that this creature would destroy her. This would be her very last battle.
"Jasper!" Lapis gasped her name, clinging to her even more desperately. "What are you doing?!"
Jasper looked back down at her again and saw Lapis' terrified navy eyes filled with tears. Jasper looked into their shimmering depths and let her fierce love for Lapis join the fire in her heart. This was her last chance to tell Lapis her deepest truth. She opened her mouth, feeling the words rising like an almost tangible force in her throat. But then, a sudden, horrifying thought stilled them on her tongue.
If this was truly her final stand, was it fair to say them now. Was it fair for Lapis to carry the burden of her feelings? Would it hurt her more afterward if she knew?
Jasper's heart felt like a cold stone in her chest as she realized that Lapis would forever blame herself if she knew and Jasper fell. She couldn't do that to her. Better that she never know and never have to give it any thought. It would be easier for her to move on if she and the Crystal gems somehow managed to escape. Her last task would be to give them a chance to do just that.
The reality of what she was about to do settled about her shoulders like a weight of unfathomable proportions, but she knew it had to be done. Gently, she untangled Lapis' arms from about her and set the trembling gem on her feet. "Lapis. Listen to me." She said urgently. "You have to get to Steven and the others."
Her navy eyes went wide. "But what about-"
Jasper cut her off; there was no time. "I'm going to keep it distracted so you can make it to the warp pad. You have to tell them to escape. All of you have to leave Earth. Somehow, they've got to find a way! Do you understand?"
"But, Jasper!" She cried, desperately, reaching out to cling to her once more. "You can't! It'll kill you!"
For the first time, Jasper held her back from an embrace. She saw pain flash through Lapis blazing eyes, but she could not give in to it. Jasper had never lied to Lapis before, but now she did. "No. I'll escape as soon as I know you're safe. I'll be fine." It hurt to say the words, but it was the only way to save the gem she loved. "It won't be able to follow through the warp. But Steven and the others will need every moment of warning we can give them. You have to go to them, Lapis! It's the only way!"
Lapis shook her head. "I can't leave you." She whispered. The agony that filed her voice and eyes almost made Jasper give in and hold her close once more.
But at that moment, the Geode seemed to have fully recovered from its hard landing. It bellowed and took a thundering step in their direction. Jasper spun and watched in horror as it readied itself for a charge. Somehow, despite its lack of any visible eyes, it came directly for them. Jasper cried out and shoved Lapis backwards before flinging herself to the side as one of its huge fists struck where they had been a half-second before.
She flipped to her feet and looked frantically towards Lapis. She felt a wave of relief to see her standing up, terrified, but seemingly unharmed. The Geode hesitated, no doubt wondering which of its two targets to pursue. Jasper gritted her teeth and charged at it before it could make up its mind. The creature stumbled, bellowing in rage as Jasper slammed into one of its thick legs. It swiped at her as she dodged backwards, forgetting Lapis as it came after her.
"Go!" Jasper screamed when she saw that Lapis was still standing there, frozen with terror. "Get to the others! It's the only way to save them!"
She couldn't watch to see if Lapis obeyed her and a seed of regret for what might have been planted itself in her heart. She was forced to ignore it as she determined to throw herself into her final stand with every ounce of skill she possessed. She might not be able to save Earth, but she had to to at least give her love, her friends, a fighting chance. The Geode swung at her again, huge fingers raking furrows in the ground when it missed. It kept swinging, effortlessly keeping pace with her as she leaped backwards. Jasper danced around its irrational attacks with increasing difficulty as they grew faster and more powerful the angrier it got. She was too busy dodging to look for an opening, but she knew that she couldn't run forever. Just as the thought entered her mind, she slipped on one of the dead fish, crashing to her side on the damp earth. Her head struck a stone and she was momentarily dazed. The Geode seized its opportunity and swung its giant fists to crash with all its strength down onto the helpless warrior gem.
It hit Jasper with the force of a raging comet. Her world exploded into excruciating pain. She could do nothing as she felt herself being driven into the ground. Jagged rocks joined the splintered wood in her skin; little flashes of agony to join the rest. Before she could even begin to recover, another impossibly strong blow crashed into her from nowhere. She couldn't see it coming and had no way to brace herself. She couldn't even breathe as her abused body twitched beyond her control.
She hadn't thought she'd ever take a blow stronger than what Lapis had dealt her, but she was wrong. She could feel her form beginning to slip. She hadn't even lasted a minute against this creature. She would die not even having made a difference. She could only hope that Lapis had made it to the warp pad.
Lapis... The hydrokinetic gem's face danced through her addled mind. Her heart started to beat a little harder. Was this really it? Was this really her final moment of life? She had already accepted that she would never see Lapis again, but she had thought that she could at least fulfill this final vow. She had thought that she would at least be strong enough to give the gem she loved beyond life itself a fighting chance. The sense of loss at the thoughts was so profound it almost drowned out the pain of her body.
Tears pricked at her closed eyes as she accepted the truth behind her fears and doubts. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave Lapis and her new friends. She wanted to live. She wanted to tell Lapis how she really felt. She wanted to be free to love her with everything she had. But, if that was what she wanted, then that meant that she had to get up out of this hole and fight back!
She forced her eyes open and saw the Geode rearing back to hit her again. Her aching body protested painfully, but she forced herself to push the pain aside as she yanked her extremities from the surrounding earth. She rolled heavily away, barely managing to get far enough for the blow to miss. Painfully, she staggered to her knees and started to crawl. Her desperation lent strength to her abused form and she crawled faster. Using her building momentum to launch herself into the air, she landed shakily on her feet and spun to face her attacker.
The Geode looked stunned as it stared down at her with its eyeless face, huge mouth agape and dripping a viscous looking drool. She smirked up at it, forcing her trembling muscles into stillness to hide her pain. The Geode was strong and it was fast, but she knew that it was not very smart. If she could anger it enough to make it clumsy, maybe, just maybe, she'd have a sliver of a chance. Even as the greater part of knew it wasn't true, she clung to the tiny spark of hope with every fiber of her wavering mind.
"Is that the best you've got, freak?" She challenged, balancing on the balls of her feet. The Geode's face transformed into a mask of rage as it roared at her. She leaned into the fetid rush of air. "You fight as bad as you smell!"
The colossal creature growled and reached for her. She dodged its grasping fingers and leaped up. With a yell, she materialized her helmet again and pulled her body into a tight ball. As she reached the height of her leap she forced her head downwards, focusing all of her momentum into a driving point behind the horn of her helmet. She crashed down onto the back of the colossus' enormous hand so hard it slammed into the earth and dug in. The Geode shrieked in pain as she darted away. It yanked the abused extremity from the ground and grasped it with the opposite hand. Thick, grayish blood oozed from a few large cracks splitting its thick hide.
Jasper smirked triumphantly. So its skin wasn't as hard as it looked. If she could hurt it, then she could beat it. She charged towards it with a yell and only barely managed to avoid its sudden, angry backhand. The change of direction didn't slow her down and she slammed into the same leg as she had before. The Geode bellowed as it stumbled again. Jasper felt a moment of triumph and was caught completely by surprise when it suddenly kicked out with the closest leg. She had no way to dodge and the blow sent her soaring once again. She was more prepared for pain this time and recovered in midair. She twisted her body, controlling her fall. Catching herself on her hands, she launched herself immediately into a flip to dodge a huge, swinging fist.
Wood creaked beneath her and she realized she'd landed amongst the debris of her home. Immediately, she saw one of the huge support beams only half buried by the other debris and had a sudden idea. She grasped it and turned to face the swiftly approaching colossus. With a mighty yell, she swung it with all of her strength like a huge bat. It hit so hard the beam splintered to bits and the creature howled in pain as it toppled sideways, barely catching itself on its hands and knees.
She laughed, taunting her fallen adversary. She was terrified and exhilarated and focused entirely on the Geode as it tried to struggle to its feet. With determination and rekindled hope surging through her, she leaped into the air for another devastating attack. The colossus regained its feet just in time. She could do nothing as its fist hit her midair. She was sent helplessly reeling into the sky and could only brace herself as she started to fall. The Geode didn't let her hit the ground. Instead it swung upwards and punched her falling form. Jasper couldn't even cry out as the colossus' strength combined with her own momentum and sent her flying back into the air. All of the breath had been crushed from her lungs and her vision went black as the colossus hit her into the air again and again. Its grumbling roars sounded eerily like laughter as it toyed with her and she could do nothing to stop it. The pain faded with every blow and she felt herself slipping. She was... beaten.
"Jasper!"
Her name was a desperate cry from the darkness. She felt a weightlessness settle over her and moments later realized that there was something supporting her, holding her gently. She heard a rush of water and deafening bellow, before slender hands cupped her face. She heard her name again and again and slowly, painfully, blinked her eyes open. Her vision cleared and there, impossibly, was Lapis. But Lapis couldn't be here.
"Lapis?" She rasped, unable to believe her eyes.
"I'm here." The slender gem responded gently. Her teary eyes sparkled with profound relief.
Horror pushed the rest of the fog from Jasper' pain addled mind as she realized that Lapis truly was here. "Lapis! You shouldn't have stayed!" She croaked. "Run! I can't stop it!" She struggled to rise and realized that Lapis was holding them high in the air on a sheet of water. She looked down through it and saw the giant Geode struggling under a pair of huge watery hands holding it down. Even as she struggled to comprehend what was happening, she realized that they were moving away from it. "What are you doing?" She cried, watching in horror as the colossus broke free from its restraints. "You have to take me back! It has to be stopped!"
"I'm not going to stand there and let it kill you!" Lapis cried. "We're leaving!"
Jasper watched helplessly as the Geode bounded angrily after them, ripping chunks of earth from the ground and throwing them after them. She saw it tear a huge tree from its roots and throw it as well. "We can't leave!" She cried spinning back to Lapis and willing her to understand. "It'll destroy the Earth!"
Lapis looked back at her and Jasper gasped at the look in her eyes. They were wild and furious with a desperate madness sparking in their navy depths. "I don't care!" She shrieked.
Jasper was terrified, but she could not simply sit here and let the Earth be destroyed. "Lapis-"
"No!" They had stopped and Lapis stood now, facing her. "I won't lose you!" She cried. The mad fury on her face crumbled into devastation.
Jasper felt her heart breaking as Lapis dissolved into tears. "Lapis..." She wanted to give in. She wanted nothing more in that moment but to escape the battle and run far far away with Lapis. She wanted to hide away in the furthest reaches of the universe and spend the rest of her existence with nothing and no one but the gem she loved. But, even as the fantasy formed in her head, she knew that it could never be their reality. "Lapis, listen to me. I have to stop this. Homeworld sent this thing here. It'll destroy everything. Steven, the Crystal Gems, Earth. I can't let Homeworld take this planet." She reached for her, begging her to understand. "I can't let them win! If we let them win, they'll follow us wherever we run. They'll destroy everything! The entire universe! We would never be free! I can't let that happen, Lapis. I can't let them have you!"
Lapis burst into tears. "And I can't let them have you!"
Jasper stood and took Lapis into her arms. "I have to protect you." Their voices blended with the words.
Jasper squeezed her tightly, never, ever wanting to let her go. Her entire soul was afire, wishing desperately that she had the power to protect the the gem she loved. Distantly, Jasper felt her form slipping, but not as if she were losing herself. It took her a moment to recognize the sensation. By the time she had, Jasper was no more. Lapis was no more. The two were suddenly one and there was only Malachite.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Malachite felt her counterparts' surprise, but the majority of her mind was full of the thought that had brought her into existence; she had to protect what she loved from that which threatened it. Love and determination filled her and the last of the minimal turmoil inside her was drowned out by the raw surge of emotion. She flexed her wings and pointed herself towards the raging monstrosity below her. It leaped up towards her with a bellow and she roared in challenge with her approach. They collided with such force that it flattened every living thing around them in a wide circle.
She was knocked backwards with the force, barely managing to catch herself with a few strong wing-beats. The Geode was not so lucky. It slammed backwards into the ground with a colossal crash that shook the earth around them. A cloud of debris rose from the trembling earth and the creature's breath left it in a horrible, liquid-sounding rush.
A sporting part of her wanted to let it regain its feet, but the majority of her knew that only ruthlessness would see them victorious. She settled to the ground on her lower hands and mentally searched for water. A pocket of ground water bubbled up at her beckoning and she deftly hardened it into several large shards of ice with a flick of her hands. She threw them towards it with all the force she was able and then charged after the projectiles, using both her hands and wings to obtain maximum speed in moments. With a thought her helmet formed and she spun herself into a whirling ball of fury, directing herself at the creature still struggling vainly to rise.
The shards hit and shattered against its hide and it bellowed in agony as the tiny pieces buried into its now weakened form. A moment later, she hit dead center amongst the weakened spot. The Geode howled as it was sent hurtling sideways with such force it raked a trench though the land.
Immediately, she went after it, intent on its destruction. The flailing colossus surprised her by lashing out at her with all six limbs managing to land a blow that sent her crashing backwards. To her astonished horror the Geode began to glow from within with an eerie blue light. She pushed herself upright and gasped when it seemed to disappear. A second later it was right in front of her. It roared right into her face, splashing her with flecks of drool that stung where they hit. It lashed out with a blow that she barely dodged.
The colossus had been fast before, but now its speed was truly phenomenal. She was forced to back away as it presented an impenetrable flurry of attacks. She beat her wings and lifted off, hoping that some distance would change the dynamic, but the colossus was ready for that too. As it had before, it slammed its fist into the ground and dislodged a large chunk of dirt and rock, which it then threw at her. She dodged it easily, wracking her mind for a plan of attack. It repeated the action several times as it ran after her and she watched in horror as it created an ever widening circle of destruction. Trees, flowers, even small animals that hadn't fled, all fell to its rampage. Her heart rebelled at the destruction and she charged blindly back down, still dodging chunks of earth. She slammed into it with all her might and it howled in agony as she drove it into the devastated ground. The crystals all along its from rattled and splits formed in its stony hide. She gave it no time to recover and instead leaped up, helmet forming once more. She slammed down with all the force shed was able. It howled again, though this time it was closer to a wheeze as she rose to crash down on it again.
Impossibly, the colossus survived the second impact with minimal damage and she knew that with her strength flagging she would never gain enough momentum from the ground to destroy it. There was no water here, so half of her power was useless. Frustrated, she continued to pummel the creature to keep it down while she searched for a solution. A sudden thought drew her eyes up to the sky and the clouds high above. She had her answer. Filled with new determination, the fusion lifted off again. She grasped the stunned colossus' arms with her lower ones and began to laboriously lift it into the air. It struggled vainly against her as she lifted it higher and higher.
Once she was among the clouds, she began calling their moisture to her. All around her they darkened to an inky black and lightning flashed almost incessantly through their dense forms. With a mighty effort, she drew every drop of moisture she could to her. When she knew she had coalesced as much as the environment could safely spare, she gathered it all into an enormous, swirling orb. With a surge of her straining wings, she lifted the howling colossus above it and let it fall. It screeched in terror before it hit. The orb swallowed the screeching Geode entirely and Malachite wasted no time. With swift controlled motions, she directed the swirling waters within. Grimly she watched the spinning colossus, its limbs twisting to impossible angles as the orb compacted. A moment later and it was forced into a tight, glowing ball and she could hear a horrible sounding screeching even through the ever thickening water. Feeling her power quickly draining, she closed her eyes and tightened her hands into fists, her exhausted mind barely withstanding the effort of her actions. Finally, she felt her mind relax as the orb of water froze into a solid ball of ice with the helpless and broken Geode trapped inside. With a sense of finality, she backed away and then flew at it, gaining as much momentum as she could. The orb shattered with a deafening crack and a bright glistening burst of ice crystals. A poof of smoke signified the colossus' defeat and she caught the large stone that she knew contained its gem cluster. She stared at it and, to her astonishment, a sea green bubble formed around it.
For a moment she could do nothing but stare as she regained her breath. "I did it." She panted. Her counterparts' joy surged through her. "We did it!" They cried together.
Malachite felt their love for each other swell and smiled at their surprise that the other felt the same. She laughed at their silliness. Of course they loved each other; they always had, but their darkness had blinded them before.
The joy of victory and love gave her new strength and she flitted through the air, crying out a wordless shout of happiness. She watched as the clouds broke up and the sun hit the tiny, melting ice crystals still hovering in the thin air. To her astonishment, the sunlight refracted from the crystals and all around her a rainbow burst to life. She gasped in wonder and felt Jasper and Lapis' awe swell within her. Laughing in sheer joy, she flew towards it, only to have it disappear and reappear in a different place. She chased it for a few long, happy moments, still laughing.
As her renewed burst of strength began to fade, something below her caught her eye. She looked closer and was surprised to see Steven on Lion and the Crystal Gems racing over the ground towards them. With no small amount of regret, she gave up her new game and headed back to the ground, holding the bubbled colossus tightly to her chest. The others stopped and were watching her warily as she lightly set down. Jasper and Lapis knew they had to separate and Malachite felt a sharp stab of regret. The fusion hugged herself tightly for a moment, letting their love fill her once more, before her counterparts slowly pulled apart. Malachite disappeared with a burst and the one was suddenly two again.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Jasper looked down at Lapis in her arms as they reformed. Lapis smiled up at her so radiantly she felt her heart skip in her chest. That mysterious something was sparkling in her eyes again and Jasper finally knew the name for it: Love. For the first time in her existence, Jasper finally felt whole. As one, they remembered the bubbled mutation and turned to see it floating a few feet from the ground beside them. Jasper kept one arm around Lapis, not wanting to let her go again so soon as they stepped towards it.
"We really did it." Lapis murmured as she stroked the translucent orb.
Jasper squeezed her shoulders tightly. "We really did."
Lapis looked up at her with an expression of such love and happiness that Jasper felt herself fall in love with her all over again. "I love you." The words came without a thought, but she didn't regret them for a second. She had felt Lapis' love flow through their entire being only moments before and knew Lapis had felt hers just the same, but she still wanted her to hear those precious words.
Lapis blinked, before happy tears welled in her eyes. "I love you, too."
Jasper cupped her smooth cheek with one hand, heart soaring in her chest. "I've wanted to say those words for so long." She murmured.
"Why didn't you?" Lapis whispered, letting a hint of indignation color her tone.
Jasper smiled wryly. "I was afraid you didn't feel the same way." She admitted.
Lapis laughed softly. "I was too."
Jasper chuckled with her. "We're bad at this."
"Jasper! Lapis!" Steven cried; Jasper had honestly forgotten he and the others where there. She looked over to see him leap off of Lion and run towards them. He stopped a foot or so away. "Are you alright?"
Jasper looked down at Lapis. "Are we?" She asked earnestly.
Lapis beamed up at her. "Never better."
Jasper smiled happily back. Then, she had a sudden thought and turned back to Steven. "Wait. How did you all know to come here?"
Steven looked grim as he pulled out his phone. "It's all over the internet." He showed them grainy pictures of the Geode falling from the sky and the mushroom cloud of debris it had created "Connie saw them first and she called me. We got here as soon as we could."
"Looks like you guys had it handled though." Amethyst said proudly.
Lapis frowned. "Not at first. Jasper tried to take it on herself." She almost growled.
"You what?!" Pearl cried, absolutely stunned.
"You could have been killed!" Peridot added a moment later, sounding terrified.
Jasper shrugged off the concern. "I only did what I thought I had to." She said firmly.
"Why don't we just focus on the fact that it worked out in the end." Garnet spoke with a tone of finality as several of them started to speak at once.
Steven grinned up at her. "Too right." Then he looked up at Jasper and Lapis, a knowing sparkle in his eyes. "So. You guys were able to be Malachite again. How'd it feel?" He asked trying and failing to hide his excitement.
Jasper blinked down at the slender gem she held at her side. For a moment, she hesitated, wondering whether or not it was alright to say the inner thoughts they had shared aloud in front of everyone so soon. But Lapis was smiling up at her, openly displaying her surging emotions and Jasper relaxed as she realized there was no reason to hide. "It was amazing." She admitted. "But, to be honest, I think I like being Jasper and Lapis better than being Malachite." She said, only half joking.
Lapis beamed up at her. "I like it better this way too." The slender gem said happily. Then blinked as if remembering something and looked down at the bubble still in her hands. She held it out to the others. "Here."
They all gasped as they looked at the large stone, but said nothing as Steven dutifully sent it back to the temple. After a long moment of heavy silence, Steven looked around at them all. "So. Anyone hungry?"
Jasper laughed aloud and heard the others join her. "I'm always hungry!" Amethyst said loudly, rubbing her stomach.
Garnet smiled. "Some things never change." The fusion smiled happily. The fusion threw an arm around Pearl and together, they started back towards the warp pad.
Steven patted Lion and they followed, but Amethyst hung back, watching Peridot who seemed to have something she wanted to say. The green gem seemed acutely nervous, but Lapis smiled gently at her and the small gem regained her composure. "What will you do now?" She asked quietly.
Jasper's heart fell as she remembered the destruction of their home. She looked down at Lapis to see the hydrokinetic gem mirroring her dismay. All of their morps, their instruments, everything had been destroyed; if not by the tremors, then by the barn's collapse or the rush of water from the aquarium. Everything she and Lapis had worked for, all of Lapis and Peridot's memories of the time they were together, was gone. They had no home; Homeworld had taken it from them.
A sudden thought blazed through Jasper's mind that wiped every trace of sadness from her being. She smiled down at Lapis letting every ounce of her love show. The slender blue gem looked confused. "How can you smile right now?" She asked, sounding a little angry.
Jasper turned and wrapped both arms around her. "Because no matter what we've lost, we still have the most important thing." She squeezed the slender gem to her. Lapis blinked and Jasper felt her heart swell as she saw understanding fill those gorgeous navy eyes. Lapis' arms slid around the warrior gem's waist and she leaned into her. Jasper felt that familiar mix of fear and anticipation as she leaned down to meet her.
As their foreheads brushed, Amethyst made an exaggerated retching sound. "Ugh! C'mon, Peri! Let's get out of here before these two give us cooties!" The two of them began snickering.
Jasper growled and deftly kicked a small rock at the cheeky, purple quartz as Lapis hid her blush in Jasper's chest. Amethyst dodged the projectile with a smirk and wrapped an arm around Peridot's shoulders. She turned them to walk away and Peridot snaked an arm around her waist. After a few steps, the green gem looked back over her shoulder with a grin.
"Hey, Lazuli!" She called. Lapis pulled her face free to look at her. "I'm really glad you found your reason to fight." She cried, sending Lapis a wink.
Lapis' responding smile was brilliant and Jasper felt her breath catch in her throat as a surge of emotion rocked her to her core. How had she ever lived without the gem in her arms? Lapis looked up at her and her smile softened. She reached up a hand and cupped the warrior gem's cheek.
"What are you thinking right now?" She whispered.
Jasper squeezed her tighter. "How much you mean to me." She said firmly. "You're my everything, Lapis Lazuli, and I love you more than life itself. I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you. That is, if you'll have me?" She couldn't help the tiny shred of doubt that crept into her words.
She heard the sound of rushing water and then, suddenly, Lapis' lips were on hers. Jasper made a tiny, involuntary sound of surprise, but she recovered in an instant and kissed her back. Her arms tightened around Lapis' waist as Lapis' arms went around her neck to pull her closer. She caught a glimpse of her watery wings disappearing, before her eyes drifted shut.
Lapis' lips were soft and molded to her own perfectly. Their mouths slid together like they were made for this single purpose. A zing of sensation raced through her veins as Lapis made a tiny sound in the back of her throat.
Panting, she drew back just enough to speak. "Stars, Lapis. How did I go so long without kissing you?" She whispered.
"I was asking myself the same thing." Lapis murmured.
A moment later they were kissing again, this one more fervent than the last. As Lapis' lips caressed hers, Jasper felt her heart surge more powerfully than ever before. Never had a moment ever felt so perfect. She wished it could go on forever. The sounds of distant clapping and catcalls put a quick death to the happy thought. Amethyst's voice was loudest.
She made a frustrated sound and Lapis pulled back with a breathy laugh. "Come on." She whispered, pulling away so that Jasper had to reluctantly set her on her feet. "I get the feeling we have a party to go to."
Jasper pouted at the interruption, but stepped beside Lapis as she began to walk toward the others. After a few steps she reached out and pulled Lapis to her side, wrapping an arm around her possessively. She grinned hugely when the slender blue gem made a small sound of approval and snaked an arm around her waist.
"I'm only agreeing to go now, because I'm demanding that we pick this up later." She growled, squeezing Lapis' shoulder lightly.
Lapis quirked an eyebrow up at her. "Demanding, huh?"
The tall warrior gem smirked. "Yep."
The hydrokinetic gem tried and failed to hide a smirk. "Just be glad I was about to demand that exact same thing."
Jasper stopped and threw back her head, roaring with laughter. When she sobered slightly, she looked back down into the eyes of the being who meant more to her than anything she'd ever known. The war with Homeworld was far from over and there was still a lot of work to be done. She and the Crystal Gems still had to find the source of the mysterious transmissions and she and Lapis would have to make a new home. She knew all of that, but in this moment, all that mattered was that she was alive and could truly spend a time with Lapis and love her openly as she'd wanted so badly to do for so very long.
"I love you, Lapis." She said the words aloud again, loving how they felt on her tongue and the way Lapis lit up when she said them. "It feels so good to be able to say that when I want to."
"Say it as many times as you want." Lapis murmured, stretching her face upwards. "And now I can say it too. I love you, Jasper."
Heart pounding with sheer happiness, Jasper leaned down to meet her and her entire being rejoiced as their lips met again. She didn't even mind when the catcalls started back up. She felt Lapis smile against her lips. No. Jasper didn't mind at all.
0=0=0=0=0=0 THE END 0=0=0=0=0=0
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!
Well, loves. The end has come. I will fully admit that I never ever thought this day would come. This story has gotten me through so many rough times and I am very, very sad to see it go. But, nothing lasts forever. It only felt right to go into the New Year with this journey finally complete. This is the very first multi chapter story that I have ever had the strength to complete and I hope to carry this sense of accomplishment with me into the New Year.
A huge thanks to all of you, for taking this journey with me. I'm not sure I would have made it without all of your support. Just knowing you were all here was enough to keep me going when all I wanted to do was give up. I didn't realize it at first, but a wonderful and insightful and very special person let me see that in a way, Jasper's journey of redemption has also been a journey of my own redemption too and I have to say thank you to them and to you all for being here alongside me for it. Truly. Thank you.
This story is also a message. A message to all of you that you can have your own redemption, if you only keep going, keep trying and keep looking up to see all of the wonderful things around you. Those things may become shrouded in darkness sometimes, and sometimes the effort of looking up will take every ounce of your strength, but I promise you loves, it is worth every moment of effort. There is no battle too great to overcome if you tuly set your heart and mind to it.
I will be posting a short epilogue very soon and I will also be making a very exciting announcement afterwards, so stay tuned! Our journey may be over, but a tiny step more towards the future never hurts. I hope to see you all then.
Until next time, you wonderful loves! Stay safe and read on! Ja!