The crowd cheered even louder, stomping and clapping their hands.
"Wreck her Jasper!" One shouted.
"Show her what a real gem looks like!" Another one shouted
"I have to fight against her?!" Amethyst shrieked.
The hessonite started speaking again. "Dear contestants. Please meet in the middle of the dome to greet each-other!"
The Jasper started walking.
Amethyst gulped and started walking as well.
They met in the middle, only staring at each-other.
The hessonite spoke: "Beloved gems, I hope you have put your bets because the fight will begin in 5...4...3...2...1."
The crowd silenced.
"H-hey dude..." Amethyst began nervously. "Why don't we just... stop this stupid thing and just go... okay? I think that sounds really cool to me." She nervously spoke.
The quartz lifted her foot.
Amethyst stepped back.
And Jasper kicked her right in the stomach.
Pearl and Garnet gasped.
The crowd cheered.
Amethyst flew back and landed on her stomach. She looked up terrified.
The quartz stepped close to her. She lifted her up by the shirt. And threw her across the room.
Amethyst was slammed against the dome-wall and fell to the ground.
She looked up in pain as the quartz approached her again.
But this time, she crouched down before her and whispered.
"I was there too, you know. On earth." She hissed. "I was made on that planet just as you. But you... you stayed in the ground for too long. Didn't you?" She spoke. "But there are two different kinds of gems. The perfect ones... and the worthless."
Amethyst stared up at her.
Jasper lifted her up again, this time by the shirt by her neck. "And you... you're just a busted wheel!" She slammed her against the dome-wall, holding her by the throat.
Amethyst held her hands, kicking her legs.
"The rebels failed, Homeworld fled. And what are you supposed to be?" Jasper hissed.
Amethyst tried to break free, but it was no use. The quartz was too strong.
When suddenly, she noticed the lamps up in the ceiling of the dome. "You know Jasper... you say I'm a busted wheel..." Her legs started to glow. "But it's all about 'perspective'. And you know what?"
"Even good wheels are funny to burn." From out of nowhere, her shape-shifted legs kicked the lamps in the ceiling until it broke from the ceiling.
Jasper did barely have time to react before the big spotlight slammed right onto her.
She disappeared in a cloud instantly.
Amethyst fell down to her knees, breathing heavily.
Pearl wanted to run in and help her, but Garnet grabbed her hand.
Everything was silent.
Until they heard...
Cheering.
Every gem on the platform cheered in unison, clapping and shouting.
Amethyst stood up, looking around in chock.
"Unbelievable! The champion has been defeated!" Hessonite shouted. "Everyone! Give a big applause to- wait a minute. Another amethyst? That doesn't sound that well." Hessonite thought. "Everyone! Give a even bigger applause to... PURPLE PUMA!"
"Purple puma! Purple puma! Purple puma!" Everyone around her cheered.
Amethyst couldn't help but grin.
When suddenly, the the electric field opened and she turned around.
Exhausted, she started running.
She ran outside and headed for the the exit, when a purple hand wrapped itself around her.
"Hey! What gives?!" She shouted, struggling.
"Wheew do you think you're going?" An amethyst snickered, holding her. "Winner or loser. All contestants goes back to the facility." She said and turned around to take her away.
That was the last drop for Garnet.
She ran out, ignoring Pearl's attempt to stop her.
"Amethyst!" She shouted, shape-shifting her arm until it grabbed Amethyst by the foot and dragged her out of the amethyst's grip.
"Huh?" The amethyst mumbled in confusion.
Garnet dragged Amethyst until she was with them and let her go.
"A bit gentle next time, G?" Amethyst muttered, rubbing her head.
"We need to go!" Garnet grabbed her by the arm and ran for the hallway.
"Hey! P! Did you see me?!" Amethyst shouted happily as they passed them and started running along the hallway.
Meanwhile, Steven and Bismuth had walked to a restricted area deep in the forest.
Bismuth stood on her knees and lifted a hatch in the floor, putting it aside
"What are you doing?" Steven asked.
"What? Did you think we would walk in through the entrance like guests? We're prisoners, remember?" Bismuth then climbed through the vent.
Steven was skeptical but followed, shutting the hatch behind him.
After a long tunnel, Bismuth pushed the wicket with one hand so that it fell to the floor. She then slithered forward and jumped down to the floor. She then caught Steven as he jumped and put him down to the floor.
The room was very big, and had a reddish-pink hue to it.
The walls had big screens and there was a big pool-looking hole in the floor. But to their luck, it was empty from gems.
"Whoa…." Steven gasped in awe as he looked around the room.
"Yeah, rather that than 'who-hoo'." Bismuth muttered as she stepped further inside. "Come along, meatball. I wanna come out of here alive." She called and Steven quickly rushed over.
They stepped over to the pool-looking hole in the ground and stepped just before it.
Steven's eyes turned to stars in amazement. "Whoaa…"
It was so beautiful.
It looked indeed like a pool, or more like a fountain. It was quite big and had a hexagon shape to it.
Inside was a lake of wonderful colors. Pink, purple, yellow, white, ALL colors in different hues, all mixed into one beautiful mass of water-looking essence. Connected to the pool were a few thick pipes, which reached up the walls up to a huge injector- looking machine above them.
"Is this what you were talking about?" Steven whispered, going down to his knees and reached his hand to touch. "It's…." His pupils turned into white stars. "It's beautiful."
Bismuth immediately flung in and pulled him back, holding him up. "Don't touch that!" She blurted.
When suddenly, they heard the sound of a door opening. Bismuth tensed and quickly pulled Steven in under her arm, hiding behind the wall behind them. "Take cover, soldier!" She whispered.
The door closed and a the sound of footsteps came closer and closer until a pair of green feet stood in the middle of the room.
The green gem frowned down at her screen, a silly triangular mass of blonde hair on her head.
"This is Peridot. Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG on mission to keep track of the early progress of the Cluster." She spoke loudly, probably recording something.
"Log date: 7476. The mission has been compromised. Approximately two sun-rotations ago the essence was contaminated by one of the facility's specimens. The fusion in question has been put under surveillance time forward. Solution: Regular surveillance of the essence in case of corruption."
"If we have luck, the essence will be approved and ready to create more gems on planet earth." She then stepped closer to the pool.
"Bismuth…." Steven began as the green gem used one of her limb-enhancer fingers and dipped it in the essence of the pool. "That essence….. are they gonna make new gems?! Is that what gems are made of?!"
Bismuth hushed him.
Peridot lifted her 'finger' up and placed it before the screen, scanning it. There was a 'pling' sound and a text sayin 'Complete' on the screen.
"Gem essence progression complete. Begin essence transfer in 5...4...3...2...1."
Suddenly, the huge injector above the pool started glowing bright red.
And slowly, the essence of the pool was starting to fill out the pipes which was connected to fill the injector. The pipes on the floor and walls was giving the room a glow of beautifully mixed colors which later on slowly filled the injector.
Bismuth and Steven watched from their hiding space in distrust.
"Bismuth... what's going on?" Steven asked, looking up at the big gem.
"I don't know." Bismuth replied, frowning at the sight. "But whatever it is... it's not good."
Steven did not like that answer.
Peridot watched the transfer of essence for a few moments before turning around, looking at her screen.
Bismuth had to pull Steven further back behind the wall as Peridot turned their way.
"Transfer upkeep complete. I'll initiate my travel to planet earth immediately." She began walking towards the exit doors.
Steven tried to stand up a bit to see, when his phone suddenly fell out of his pocket and landed on the floor with a loud thud.
Steven and Bismuth tensed. Steven looked frightened Bismuth's way.
Peridot immediately turned around. Though, she didn't seem to see anything.
Bismuth had her arm protectively held before Steven.
Peridot seemed to get nervous by the sound. That's why she continued talking. "The chamber has been compromised. Initiating exit immediately." She pushed the the screen on the wall to open the door, but just before she left, she slammed the screen hard, making it turn red.
The doors soon closed behind her.
Steven and Bismuth stepped out of their hiding spot, slowly approaching the pool, pipes and injector that was still in working progress.
"She's gonna inject." Steven said lowly.
"Huh?" Bismuth turned her head.
"On earth, we have the same injectors. Just smaller." Steven looked up at the injector. "Amethyst said that homeworld used some goo to grow new gems on other planets. Is this the goo she was talking about?"
"It appears to add up to that." Bismuth muttered in dislike.
"If Peridot injects all that essence on earth, it will dry every drop of life that grows there and leave nothing behind." He spoke. "And it won't stop until earth is just one, big kindergarten."
"Yikes. Too bad for that planet." Bismuth muttered, putting her hands to her hips.
"That's our home." Steven muttered.
"Wait-." Bismuth walked over and crouched down before Steven, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You guys are from earth?" She asked.
Steven nodded. "Yeah."
"But…." Bismuth stuttered. "The soldiers said that there were no gems left on earth." She said in confusion. "All rebels were demolished after…." She cut herself off and took a step back. "Wait…. Are you guys…?"
Steven pulled his shirt off, revealing his pink gem.. "We are what's left of the Crystal Gems."
Bismuth could see her shocked expression in his gem. "The Crystal Gems?"
Steven nodded.
Bismuth looked split in how she reacted.
When a tear suddenly ran down her cheek. "Wow….the Crystal Gems." She sobbed, drying a tear away. But she grimased- "I'm sorry….." She apologized, crying into her hand.
"Huh?"
Bismuth sat down, tears running down her cheeks. "It was the beginning of the war. Homeworld soldiers had been send to fight towards the rebels. I was on earth, building towers for the elites." She explained. "And then I met her….Rose Quartz…." She smiled from the memory. "She was the only one who ever told me I could be anything more than who I was supposed to be."
"So I promised I'd join them. But I was caught for treason." She sobbed. "And I was send here." She grit her teeth in anger. "I could have helped….I could have been there…"
Steven listened to every word.
"Is it true…?" Bismuth looked up at him. "Did we really win?" She asked.
Steven nodded.
Bismuth smiled, almost laughing. "And Rose…?"
Steven shook his head sadly. He lifted up his shirt again and revealed his gem. "She's not with us anymore. She disappeared bringing me to the world."
Bismuth was shocked at first. But her expression slowly softened into a smile.
"I bet you're even better than her." She smiled.
Steven smiled back.
When suddenly, the door opened and five amethyst guards rushed inside.
"Hey!" One of the shouted. "What are you doing in here?!"
Bismuth and Steven flew up, backing away.
"Shoot! Steven! I can't take another shot!" Bismuth gasped.
Steven tried to summon his shield, but it was no use.
One of the amethysts summoned a Diskus-looking weapon and thew it at them, but missed and landed beside Steven.
Steven picked it up and threw the diskus, but missed the Amethyst and instead hit the injector.
The diskus hit the injector and flew back, hitting Steven right in the head.
"Ah!" He screamed before falling unconsciously to the ground.
"Steven!" Bismuth gasped and picked the boy up in her arms.
Suddenly, she heard a crack.
The glass of the injector was starting to shatter, until it gave away for the pressure and the essence poured out of the injector in lightning speed.
The essence was now running slowly on the floor like lava.
What the-." One of the amethysts groaned. "XK! XS! Let's get out of here!" She shouted.
In a matter of second the amethysts had escaped the room and shut the door behind them.
Now it was just Bismuth towards the essence with Steven in her arms. She was cornered against the wall with the essence slowly flowing towards her.
It was their way from homeworld.
Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst ran for their lives, heading for the entrance.
They could hear the robonoids not far behind them.
"We're almost there!" Garnet shouted.
"But where is Steven and Bismuth?!" Pearl shouted.
"Bismuth knows this place like her own hand! They'll be here!" Garnet shouted back.
"Oh yeah? This place is HUGE! Like Bismuth's hands!" Amethyst shouted, a bit annoyed.
"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded.
"Stop you fighting! We need to find the exit and Steven before-!" When suddenly, Garnets stopped in her tracks.
She grunted, sweating lightly.
She wrapped her hands around herself, her gems glowing incessantly.
Pearl and Amethyst stopped in their tracks.
"Garnet!"
They rushed over to her. But at the time they reached her, she was dizzily holding a hand to her forehead.
"What's wrong with her?!" Amethyst shrieked.
"I don't know!" Pearl shouted back, grabbing Garnet's arm..
"Let's make Opal!" Amethyst suggested.
"We can't! The eraser cuts off all abilities of a gem, including fusion if you didn't pass it as a fusion!" Pearl explained in a high tone.
When suddenly, the blasts of the robonoids almost hit Amethyst in the arm.
"Whaa! Let's go already!" Amethyst shape-shifted herself into a big amethyst, throwing Garnet over her shoulder.
They soon reached the entrance, where Snowflake, Biggs and Crazy-laze waited for them.
"Where have you been?!" Biggs asked.
"No time to explain! Just take her!" Pearl exclaimed, as Amethyst put Garnet back to her feet.
"We got nine minutes before the escape pod activates!" Biggs alerted them in panic. "Where is Bismuth?!"
"We don't know!" Pearl shouted as she stood ready to fight the robonoids.
The essence was drawing nearer and Bismuth was becoming more and more cornered.
But Bismuth had a plan.
"On with your seatbelts, little buddy." She threw Steven over her shoulder and clenched her fist.
And with incredible power, she slammed her fist against the ground.
Nothing happened at first, but soon there were starting to form cracks in the floor which the essence was starting to drip down into.
Soon, there was a huge crack in the floor and within moments, it all had dripped down the drain.
The facility wasn't a planet, so the essence simply ran down into the metallic-ash crater and it was soon gone from existence.
Bismuth just watched as every last drop of essence dripped down the cracks into nothing.
"Well, that was pretty easy." Bismuth chuckled in exhaustion. She tensed. "The escape pod!" She dashed for the door, opened it and rushed outside.
Amethyst slammed the last robonoid to the ground, destroying it.
She panted. "We should give Steven a clock or something!" She panted.
Pearl, Biggs and Crazy lace was as exhausted as she was.
Unti-
Bismuth ran over to them, Steven in his arms.
"Steven!" Peal and Amethyst gasped and rushed over.
"We need to go! NOW!" Bismuth shouted.
Steven opened his eyes.
He didn't see much though. His mind wandered on and off from consciousness and un-consciousness.
What he did see was the back of Bismuth's back, and some robonoids closing in on them.
He shut his eyes. And opened his eyes again.
He saw a blue gem falling behind them, landing on the floor.
He could hear fighting and screaming until everything just became black