I saw a flash below and immediately yelled: "Look out!"

Lapis swerved just in time, narrowly avoiding a jet of Dolomite's light. As several more sped towards us, Lapis dove, weaving through the attacks with ease. When we got beneath the attack, Lapis looked up as the lights began to change course. "What are those things?"

"It's like Mo's smoke," I told her, dangling from her arms. "If one of those gets you, your powers will get disabled. And they mess up anything Gem like just by touching it. My barriers were broken easily by them."

"Got it. Don't let them get near me or my wings." Lapis veered sharply to the right as the jets finally fell on us after changing trajectory. As the rest followed, Lapis let out a huff. "Do they ever stop?"

"They'll go away soon. They don't last away from Dolomite's body."

I heard a roar from below. Looking down, I saw three more spheres ignite in Dolomite's hands. She threw them, and the orbs unraveled into more jets that were aimed right at us.

"Lapis, from below!"

Lapis looked down, saw the lights, and dispersed her wings. We plummeted, nothing holding us in the air as the wind tore at my face. I instantly tried to bring my slowing-descent power, but Lapis said: "Trust me." I let us fall. The ground got closer. Closer. Closer! When it got so close that I could see the smallest strawberries on the bushes, Lapis resummoned her wing and changed our course drastically. We were speeding just over the field, the leaves skimming my sandals. The jets couldn't turn in time, crashing into the plants in a shower of sparks and smoke.

Lapis looked down at me, her eyes shining but face tense. "See, what did I say?"

"I'll never doubt you again."

She was about to reply when a shadow fell over us. Dolomite had leaped high, falling directly on top of us. Lapis tried to veer away and up, but as Dolomite's feet hit the dirt, she lashed out with one of her hands. There was no time to lift me high enough out of the way, so Lapis dropped me, the hand brushing the top of my curls. I landed with a gasp at the impact as Lapis continued up. Dolomite was faster, their reflexes predicting her path effortlessly. They snared Lapis's leg before she was out of reach. They turned, their body bunched like a coil. With a mighty grunt, they chucked Lapis through the air!

Her body flailed out of control as she sailed. Before she could right herself, Lapis crashed through one of the floating platforms. It broke to pieces as Lapis came out the other side. She was starting to fall, but her wings flared out and lifted her again.

I'd been distracted by Lapis's situation that I lost track of my own. Dolomite's foot was coming right at me! I put up my bubble right before the kick hit me. I was launched, the bubble kicked clear off the ground with dizzying speed. It hit the ground and bounced several times before it came to a roll. The entire time, I kept my eyes closed to keep myself from getting sick. When it finally stopped, I dropped the bubble and stumbled to my knees, my head spinning.

A massive weight fell onto my back, pressing me hard against the ground. I tried to draw a full breath but my lungs were constricted under the weight. I managed to turn my head up, seeing Dolomite's head against the brightening sky.

They were smiling, razor teeth catching the light. "Well, isn't this fun. A little mouse under my foot." They pressed down harder with their foot, my chest feeling like it was going to explode. "Comfortable down there? I don't think so. You put up a good effort but it's over now."

I lifted my head as high as I could. I tried to speak, but I couldn't get enough air.

"What was that now? Trying to say something?" Dolomite leaned over, transitioning her weight to her other foot so that I could draw in more air. "Say it again."

I took a deep breath, the relief flooding my chest. I meet Dolomite eyes and finally managed to say "Let him go."

Dolomite smile slipped. Their face became blank, eyes unfocused. "Why don't you just let it go? Hasn't it been made clear to you that I'm not coming apart? Mo made his choice. I'm finally here now, so stop asking for someone that doesn't exist anymore." Dolomite shook their head, the snarl returning. "Just shut your mouth!"

A blur shot by their head, making the large fusion look up. Lapis swerved back, flying around them as their many hands swatted at her. When Lapis slipped by again, Dolomite growled. "Is all you can do annoy me? You're a little gnat!"

Lapis made another turn, coming to hover just in front of Dolomite's face. "You might want to watch what you say." Dolomite raised their hands to squash Lapis. At the last second, Lapis moved up so that her feet were above Dolomite's colliding palms. She landed on their hands, her wings swirling like vortexes. "I have a farm. I've learned that pretty much anything can bite back." Her water wings had changed shape, becoming fists larger than her body. One slammed right into Dolomite's nose, knocking them back. The next moved with a rising curve, connecting squarely with their jaw. Dolomite's head snapped back from the blow, their body falling from the surprise punches. Returning to their original shape, Lapis's wings lifted her off before the fusion fell over.

Dolomite's foot came off me, and I scrambled out as quickly as I could. The fusion's back hit the ground with a crash, squishing several strawberry bushes beneath them.

Lapis landed next to me, her wings retreating. "You okay?"

"Th-thanks for... saving me," I struggled to say as I tried to restore the breath to my lungs.

"Any day." Lapis's eyes returned to Dolomite as they started to rise again. She grabbed me around my waist and lifted me into the air again, out of harm for the moment. "I don't think just trying to hit them is going to work. They're tough."

"Yeah, and we can't hit them with all we got anyway," I said, worry eating at me. "They disable my powers whenever I use them, and I don't see a body of water close to us."

"Not quite. Look over there." She nodded off to the east. I squinted, trying to see what she saw. Something caught the sunlight and reflected an orange surface within the greenery of the field. "There's a good-sized pond not too far away. But I can't just pick it up and bring it over. If Dolomite hits me, I'll drop it and won't have time to collect it again before they strike back. We have to get them into the pond itself. At least then I'll have a better chance of holding them down."

I tried to gauge the distance from Dolomite and the pond. I'm not the best at distances, but I'd say it was over a mile. "Could we just lead them over?"

"That won't be possible. And that's why!" She suddenly sped up as a jet off light narrowly missed us. Now there was more than ever, dozens trying to catch us and bring Lapis down. She was trying the best she could to keep us out of them, but it was growing harder. I felt my feet pass through a few that got to close, making my legs grow weak for a few moments. She kept apologizing, but I told her that it was more important for her to protect herself over me. Lapis is right; Dolomite won't follow us when they can just use their lights.

Their lights…

As the barrage faded, I took a close look as Dolomite let loose another wave of jets. Four spheres, one in each hand. If they aren't hitting us, why not summon more? It doesn't make sense, unless…

"Lapis, they have a limit!"

Lapis avoided another light before calling down, "What limit?"

"The lights! They can only make a certain number at a time! That's how we get them!" I flinched as my lower half got caught in a jet of light. "If they use all of them to try and get you, I'll lead them on the ground!"

"Good one, Steven! But they're not dumb! They wouldn't just get close to the water with a Lapis Lazuli around!"

"Right," I admitted, my hope for the plan sizzling. "We have to knock them in without letting them know what's happening."

Lapis made a few more head rolling maneuvers to avoid the lights, my eyes hopelessly trying to keep up. When they faded again, giving us a moment, Lapis's grip on me tightened. "Or we could drop them in the pond! I have an idea!"

Lapis told me the plan quickly before the next wave of lights came at us. With a hasty nod to each other, she turned and shot straight at Dolomite. We were still several stories in the air, but Lapis threw me at the fusion before flying back up, the lights following her. I was falling straight at Dolomite, their eyes widening as they saw me incoming. I surrounded myself in the pink glow, feeling the power course through my body. Dolomite summoned an ax, pulling it out and holding it flat between me and them. I summoned my shield and crashed against their weapon. The force of the impact shook through my body, sending a gust of through the now rustling bushes.

Dolomite swung their weapon and pushed me away. I landed lightly on my feet, letting my shield disperse to be safe. I locked eyes with Dolomite once more, the taller Gem's eyes narrowing.

Time to start.

"Mo, I know you can hear me," I yelled putting as much comfort I could into my voice. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone. Please, you can stop this right now."

"Ugh, enough already!" Dolomite yelled, gnashing their teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm Dolomite! Dolomite!"

I ignored them, pressing on. "I know what you're feeling right now! I know that you're hurting, that you don't know what you're supposed to be! I know what that feels like!"

"Shut up!" Dolomite swung their ax. I leaped clear of the swing, landing farther back than necessary. "I'm not those people anymore!"

"This isn't you!" I yelled, trying to reach him. "I can't imagine how painful it must be to hear that again! I know that you think that this will solve things, that Condor can fix this for you, but she can't! She can't do that, Mo!"

Dolomite roared, hurling her ax at me. I summoned a bubble, letting the impact of the attack send me flying just like before. I let the bubble go and landed on my feet. Dolomite took two steps towards me before Lapis swooped down and struck them on the back of the head with her water fists. Dolomite swung at her, but Lapis was already gone. They summoned their spheres of light and hurled everything at Lapis again. Then they turned back to me.

"I'm tired off hearing you talk!" They summoned four more axes, one for each hand. They charged, swiping at me with an onslaught of giant blades. I evaded to my best, continuing to retreat to keep Dolomite following me. Between slashes, they would bark at me. "I'm sick of hearing what you all think! This is what we are now, and that's that!" Slash. "This is the easiest it's been in forever! Everything is working out on its own!" An ax comes too close and slices the front of my shirt. "Why should I care what you think? Your opinion of me doesn't matter!" They raised all four weapons and swung them down simultaneously.

I leap back as high as I could, feeling the breeze that the axes stirred. They hit the ground and it broke into craters beneath them. I timed my decent so that I would land on a floating platform, above Dolomite's head. I kept my eyes on them as they lifted their axes again.

"Mo, I don't know if you're this angry or if the fusion is affecting your emotions, but I can tell it hurts. You don't have to be someone you aren't anymore. I don't want to know any version of you except for the real one. I know it's easier to give up, to throw everything away and just become a monster, but it's not a solution. All you end up becoming is something you don't want to be."

The axes vanished. Dolomite clutched their head, doubling over as if in pain. Their form flickered, became unstable. Their lower arms wrapped around themself, a motion so ingrained in Mo that my hopes soared.

"That's it! That's it, Mo!" My toes were at the edge of the platform, almost dangling in the air. "I know that everything is a mess right now, but I promise we can fix it. Garnet wants to see you again and sort this all out. She doesn't think that you betray them anymore."

"She.. she doesn't?'

My heart pounded against my chest. Dolomite's voice had changed! The overlapping voices had shifted: Condor's and the third becoming quiet as Mo's came to the forefront. "Yes! We can work this out! We know my mom lied! She must have done something awful, and I'm sorry that she hurt you so badly! Rose hurt a lot of people, but we can get through it together!"

"Rose… hurt… me…"

"That's right! And no one blames you for that!"

"That's… not right…"

A cold feeling started to grow in my gut. "What?"

Dolomite was starting to shake, her form no longer flickering. "I don't… She didn't…"

"Mo, please!" I'm losing him! "Tell me what happened!"

Dolomite raised their head, their right eyes wet with tears. "I'm not… I don't blame her…"

The numb feeling started to grow, branching out in my veins. "That can't be right. Mo, whatever she did, it was her fault! You have a right to be mad at Rose or Pink or whoever she was! I am! Pearl is! Bismuth definitely is! You can tell me! Tell me that you're mad!"

"I messed up again…"

"What?"

The shaking had stopped. Dolomite's arms were hanging limb at their sides. The tears weren't flowing, and their face had gone slack. Mo's voice was becoming weak. "I can't… be that… I can't be what you need me to be. I messed up again…"

"Mo, no!" I realized my mistake. I told Mo to be angry, to be like me. I told him to be someone else. "I didn't mean it like that! Mo, I'm sorry."

"I'm tired of screwing up, Steven."

"You didn't mess up! This is my mistake!" I could hear the frantic tone in my voice. I couldn't take my words back!

"I've tried… for so long…" Mo's voice was almost gone, drained and heavy. "I keep… messing up. I'm really… tired…" Dolomite's head fell.

"Mo? Mo!"

Dolomite sudden threw their head back and roared! They let loose their jets of light that streaked across the sky, hunting for Lapis. Then they focused on me, panting heavily. "I told you. I told you that's not me anymore!" The overlapping voices were back, but Mo's was barely distinguishable among the others. "And I told you to shut up!"

They snarled as they launched themself at the platform. I leaped up to a higher one as they landed on the spot I had just been. The platform was barely able to hold someone of their size. I turned and started jumping up each platform.

"Get back here!" Dolomite screamed. I looked back and saw them following my steps, going from one platform to the next. The higher we got, the larger the platform was and the easier it was for them to distribute their bulk.

We were far off the ground now, the drop almost nauseating. I climbed higher and higher, Dolomite close behind. Finally, I saw the last platform in sight, easily larger enough to hold Dolomite but not too large. I landed in the middle of the levitating island, waiting.

"Nowhere to run now!" Dolomite yelled as they leaped from the previous platform. Before they could crush me, I jumped back over to the last platform, the fusion sailing over me. Dolomite turned, stumbling from the sudden shift in their momentum.

I couldn't waste a moment now! I drew as much power as I could from my gem, feeling the pink glow seep deeper into me. I took a running start and launched myself at the side of the final platform. I put everything I had into a punch, striking the floating island. Dolomite gasped as their support swayed. For a second, I thought that the plan had failed. Then, the resistance gave out and the platform was free of whatever force was keeping it anchored in place. It shot out from the force of my punch, the mass carting Dolomite on top of it.

The brief resistance allowed me to grab a vine at the last moment, getting me carried along before I was left behind. The island spun as it bound through the air. I could feel it shake as Dolomite tried to keep their balance on top. When it stopped, I looked down, grinned, and pulled myself back up.

Dolomite was shakily standing up, wary of the unrestrained earth beneath them. "What did you do?"

That punch and following world spinning ride left me breathless. Still, I manage to say, "Exactly what I needed to do."

Dolomite was puzzled, but they didn't have time to figure it out. A tendril of water shot over the island and engulfed Dolomite's upper-left wrist. It reshaped and solidified into a shackle. "What-" was all they could manage before they were yanked off the island. I peeked over the side, watching as they fell and splash down into the pond underneath.

The plan had worked!

I stepped off the mass and floated down to the ground, my sandals touching mud at the edge of the pond. Dolomite surfaced, thrashing as they shook the water off of themself. They saw me and tried to swim my way, but the current swept them back to the center of the pond. The entire body of water started to swirl, trapping Dolomite in the middle of a whirlpool. Chains of water whipped out and ensnared each of their limbs, holding them underwater as the vortex held them at the surface.

Dolomite howled, and bright flashes appeared in the water around them. The rapids faltered, but they quickly whirled back up to sped a moment later.

"I think we've got them." Lapis landed beside me, her arms outstretched to maintain Dolomite's restraints. "They're fighting, but they can't do much stuck in the water. There's too much for them to affect at once." When I didn't respond, she asked: "Are you alright?"

I filled her in about what happened before I led Dolomite up the floating islands. "I said the wrong thing. I hurt Mo instead of helping him. What am I suppose to say to make this right?"

She couldn't let her arms fall, but I'm sure Lapis would have put a hand on my shoulder if she could. "Steven, it was an accident. You were trying to help the best way you know how. And that doesn't always work. Remember that I ran off my share of times before coming back?"

"You didn't run off that much."

"I did steal the Barn and left you on the moon."

"I'd almost forgotten about that."

"That reassuring. What I'm trying to say is that you have another chance right now." As if to emphasize her point, Dolomite started roaring again. "He's got someone else in his head right now, putting down whatever you say. And Mo… Mo's punishing himself. We both know what that's like."

"Yeah… I guess we do."

"Steven, I can't give you the perfect words to say right now. I don't think there are any. Just do what you do until Mo hears you." Lapis smiled, a sight that still surprises me sometimes. "I know better than anyone that it takes time to move past trauma and reinvent yourself into who you want to be. I was only able to do that because I had you and Peridot beside me. Mo's been alone. Talk to him like you would talk to me the day we went out on the boat, or even on the moon. Let him know… just let him know that he has people that love him no matter what. And if that doesn't work, then I'm here to support you."

It was so rare to hear her talk like this. It felt like my heart would burst. "Lapis…" I hugged her, tears coming to my eyes. "Thank you."

"Come on. You know I'll always help you like you'll always do for me." She tried to hug the top of my head with her elbow, which was awkward, but it was perfect. "You ready?"

I wiped my eyes and nodded. "Yeah."

The water directly in front of us became still, a small patch of calm in the chaotic rapids. I stepped on it, my body supported without a waver. I took a step and the tile lengthened to keep me up. I walked over the water, completely dry and safe from the vortex until I was in front of Dolomite. Everything below their neck was submerged, but they continued to struggle fruitlessly. When they noticed me, Dolomite bared their teeth and roared in my face. I didn't flinch.

I took a breath and tried again. "Mo, I know I messed up. I didn't mean to tell you to be like me."

"I told I'm-" Dolomite's body suddenly dipped, their mouth going beneath the water. I looked back at Lapis, who only shrugged. I decided to let it be. Dolomite's eyes alone seemed to be trying to fill me with daggers.

"I don't know what happened, Mo. I don't why you think this is your fault when it's not. I don't know why you don't blame my mom when it seems to me that she's at fault. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to fix all of this. When I try, I realize that I don't know enough about you or what you feel. You keep everything bottled up and keep it to yourself, shutting us out to make sure we're okay. Don't you know that Bismuth would bust down doors and warships if it would mean that you were okay? Do you know how much Garnet struggled with the past and wants to start over? I'm sure that Peridot is missing her friend and has already cooked up a million new theories for you to hear. Amethyst would love for you to take her out to restaurants all over the world and try all the food you got to eat. My dad would want to hear you play the drums. And I have this friend, well, more than a friend, named Connie who would gush over all the stories you have of Earth and the time you spent here. I can't say this too loud, but I'm sure Lapis misses having around the Barn.

"What I'm saying is that no matter what you think you did wrong, we're here. We want to mend bridges and try to set things right. If you hate yourself so much, then know some people would love you so much. If you want to cry, then we'll cry with you. If you want to laugh, then we'll laugh with you. If you're hurting, then we'll be there to help. You don't have to be anyone else because we want you just the way you are." Dolomite's eyes were softening. Their limbs weren't thrashing. I pressed myself against the side of their face, trying to hug them while they were restrained. "I kept parts of me that I didn't like bottled inside. I pushed everyone away because I didn't want to burden them. I became a monster because I didn't know how to accept their help. I don't want that for you.

"Mo, we're all here for you, regardless of what you think of yourself."

I felt something soak my head. I looked up and saw tears running down Dolomite's face. Their body began to glow, their body coming undone. I realized I was crying again, but I couldn't help the smile on my face. I reached him.

That's when things went wrong.

Suddenly, their body swelled. It came back together with frightening intensity. The glowing figure squirmed, their limbs expanding and contracting under the water. Their face resurfaced, an earsplitting screech passing from their mouth. With another pulse of their body, a hand broke free from the vortex and chains, a ball of light in its palm.

Dread plummeted in my gut. I turned and yelled "Lapis!" right as the ball was thrown at her. She was so focused on holding Dolomite that she Lapis didn't have time to dodge. The light swallowed her and faded. Lapis dropped as the water stilled. My bridge was gone, and I fell right into the pond. My vision was briefly filled with water before I surfaced.

The pond was thrown into a frenzy as Dolomite struggled with themself. Arms grew and shortened, grappling with the others without any sign of reason. I tried to swim to them, but I kept getting swept away by the waves they stirred. Dolomite was banging their head against the shore, their voices rising and falling in a cacophony of madness.

"I'm not coming undone!"

"I don't want this anymore!"

"It doesn't matter what you want!"

"I want out of this!"

"I want to go back!"

"You don't deserve to go back!"

"They want me back!"

"And they'll throw you out again!"

"I want to change!"

"You always change for them!"

"I changed for you!"

"I was helping you!"

"I don't want any of this!"

"You don't deserve them!"

"I know that!"

"You're still fighting!"

"I want you gone!"

"I know you better than anyone!"

"There's no one to know!"

"I told you that you exist for a reason!"

"There's no reason!"

"Enough of your ceaseless struggling!"

"They don't deserve this!"

"Stop resisting!"

"I want out!"

"We're staying together!"

"I'm messing up again!"

"What are you doing?"

"Why can't I do this right?"

"I told you to stop!"

"I want out!"

"Enough!"

"I want out! I want out!"

"This is pointless!"

"I want out!"

"LET ME GO!"

"I'M NOT LETTING GO!"

"I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

Dolomite reached for the gem at their naval with their lower right hand. The Gem glowed and materialized an ax in their hand. The ax was rapidly shifting between sizes, growing larger and then becoming much smaller, and wavering between solid form and dissipating. In a rush, it took a solid shape and form. The hand drew back, preparing to swing.

I saw what was coming. Mo was fighting, but he wasn't in control. He's doing everything he can to break out. That ax... he summoned it. The way it's angled, that's not aimed at me. The blade is poised to themself, at their shoulder. It would hit…

Mo's gem…

"STOP!" I struggled to reach them, but the waves they stirred pushed me away. The ax was swung. The blade was about to hit Mo's gem-

A tower of water sprouted underneath Dolomite, lifting them clear of the pond. The ax was knocked out of their hand and splashed into the water, sinking before vanishing. The geyser opened up into a hand. It grabbed Dolomite tightly, the chaotic Fusion screaming.

The pond erupted, throwing me out of the water and onto the surrounding grass. The water was thrashing, worked into such a frenzy that it crashed against the earth and frothed. A second geyser, several times larger than the one holding Dolomite, surged from the rapids. When it peaked, I saw a winged figure standing on top. Lapis raised a hand over her head, the pond reacting by reaching up and swirling around her.

Dolomite howled so loudly that I had to cover my ears. Their form was becoming a nightmare. They had lost all coloration, becoming a humanoid mass of ferocious light. Their limbs broke apart and collided back together, or became shapes that I couldn't identify. Their mouth became a maw filled with tusks and fangs. They roared again, their mouth opened so wide that their head seemed to be splitting.

The water formed an airborne vortex above Lapis's head, several times larger than her. Lights exploded around Dolomite's restraint, the fist starting to break apart into droplets. Lapis raised her other hand. The vortex collapsed and elongated, becoming a swirling spear of water. Dolomite thrashed one more time. The fist fell apart, leaving them free once more.

Lapis threw her hand at the struggling fusion.

The spear shot through the air.

Dolomite roared for the last time.

The spear punched right through Dolomite's chest. The fusion's screams were strangled into a whimper. Their limbs stilled and the morphing ceased. The light faded, once more becoming a whole Dolomite. For the first time, I saw the left side of their face as their veil of hair was parted. Tears ran down their check. Their eyes were wide from shock. Then, slowly, as if time was coming to a halt, they began to close. The fusion let out a sigh as their body came undone, their form poofing like any other Gem.