This mission was slightly different than the other ones they had been on. This gem base made by Homeworld was in between the ocean and a lake... practically in the dark and deepest pit passing through the seafloor. It was called the Dreaded Abyss where it was a mixture of freshwater and sea water sharing a sandy bottom.
This time it was Jewel, Peridot, Garnet and White Pearl. They were only a mile or so away and the darkness was already engulfing them. It was getting harder to see around them and ahead of them. Their gems were the only sources of light they had but it could barely penetrate the darkness around them.
Peridot stayed close to Jewel as they made their way closer to the underwater base. They took it slow just in case something decided to pop out and attack them. Garnet and White Pearl walked beside of each other without saying anything.
"It's been a long time since I came here last," Peridot said.
"Really?" Jewel asked.
Peridot nodded nervously.
"It's just dark and has that weird ominous feeling. Know what I mean?"
Jewel nodded, "Yea, I get that. You have nothing to worry about it. You have me here with Garnet and White Pearl."
"That's true."
A few moments of silence.
"Remind me of why we are here?" Peridot asked with a small smile at her girlfriend.
Garnet stopped.
"Are you ok?" White Pearl asked.
Jewel and Peridot turned around to see the fusion had stopped in her tracks. She looked up and around.
"What's wrong?" Jewel asked.
"The water... It's mixing together."
Peridot frowned.
"That should be impossible."
Garnet nodded.
"The creatures in the lake are in danger. If the lake floods in with salt water... It will kill them," she said looking around, "If you stand still and listen you can feel it."
The other three stood still. They could feel a weird chilliness around them.
"Why did you guys need us for though?" Peridot asked as she looked around getting nervous.
White Pearl smiled and placed a hand on the small gem's shoulder.
"We need Moldavite for this one. The fog is getting thicker as we get through and it doesn't seem natural. Your sword can cut through anything."
"Oh."
Peridot tapped her chin, "I suppose that's true."
A few more minutes had passed and White Pearl came to a halt. She looked around and she looked upward just like Garnet had done earlier. She looked behind them and looked ahead of them. The three of them watched as her eyes scanned the area in front of them slowly.
"What is it?" Garnet asked.
"That," White Pearl said as she pointed ahead.
"I don't see anything."
"It's hard to see but it looks hazy. Stare at one point and watch. The currents under water are making it shift slightly. Just watch."
Peridot and Jewel did as she said and they could see the slight shifts in the water in front of them. Jewel reaches over and takes her girlfriend's hand.
"Are you ready?" she asked softly.
Peridot nodded with a smile. White Pearl and Garnet stood back and waited. Jewel took Peridot's other hand then they were engulfed in light. The other two watched as Moldavite stretched her body out and then put out her neon green sword. The fusion turned around smiled at them with a big, sweet smile.
"How are you doing? It's been a while," Garnet said with a smile.
"This is my first time meeting you but I have heard about you," White Pearl said, "It's nice to meet you!"
"Hello! Are you sure this will work? Do you have a back up plan if it doesn't work?" Moldavite asked.
Garnet shook her head, "Pearl assured us you could do this."
"Ok, if Mom said so then."
Moldavite turned around and looked at the barrier.
"I can see it a lot better now for some reason. It actually looks a little reddish."
White Pearl peeked around the tall gem, "Maybe your visor allows you to see through it because I don't see anything but a ripply haze."
"Maybe. Alright... Stand back just in case something comes flying out. I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Garnet and White Pearl stepped back just a little bit.
"Here goes nothing."
Moldavite pierced the fog with her sword and it was like a knife through butter. She smiled and sliced the fog. It ripped into pieces before it dissipated. A bright red light came through nearly blinding Garnet and White Pearl. The light seemed to dim down after a minute.
They walked a little closer and looked down. It looked like there were small ledges all the way down almost like a ladder meaning something or someone could climb in and out of the hole. There was still some red light visible but it was hard to tell where it was coming from.
They looked at each other.
"Well, let's get to the bottom of this," Garnet said with a smile.
The three of them jumped into the depths of the Dreaded Abyss.
X
X
It took them a few minutes to hit the bottom of the hole. Moldavite helped Garnet and White Pearl up to their feet after they landed. There was a faint glow in that area too. They took a few steps forward to see the Dreaded Abyss was covered in blue and dark blue crystals that were emitting the weird red light. They looked at each other with strange looks.
It was so odd that blue crystals had a red glow instead of a blue one.
The walls were covered in ominous blue light instead of red. The water was a dark blue but some spots in the water looked almost midnight blue to a black color. The walls were covered in ancient Gem writing. Some of the carving looked almost human like instead of gem but it could be from gem from Earth. The three of the finally dimmed down the glow from their gems and kept going.
They finally reached the meeting point of the two waters from the ocean and lake. It seemed so much colder there and it felt like something wasn't right. They continued a little further making sure to study their surroundings. White Pearl started walking once again after nodding to Garnet.
"I believe we are getting-
White Pearl fell letting out an "eep". Moldavite and Garnet quickly grabbed her hands to pull her back up.
"Goodness... Thank you. I didn't see that hole there... Some spots looks so dark..." White Pearl said looking relieved.
Moldavite bent over and looked into the hole.
"Hm."
It was Peridot's voice.
"What is it?" Garnet asked.
"I had been here once before like I said. Even though it has been a while... I don't think there ever was a hole here."
"So you mean... Someone dug those holes recently?" Garnet asked looking down as well.
Garnet bent down and messed with the dirt around the hole. It hadn't clumped yet or swept away by the current.
"I think... This was really recent. We need to move a little faster before we find out what has been here."
"Alright... Let's go then," Moldavite said standing back up.
X
X
They kept the pace up as they moved a lot faster than before. They reached a room that had eight large crystals in it. Instead of the blue crystals like they saw earlier, these ones were red. There was four on the ceiling and four on the floor. They were surrounding a pillar like gem device.
In the middle of the pillar was an orb that was dark blue and a sky blue. It was the device that was holding the two different waters separate from each other. They looked at each other like they were slightly confused. Moldavite stepped closer to the orb and stared at it.
"Are we in the right area? Everything looks fine here?" Moldavite asked looking back at her friends.
"No... I'm sure this is the right room. This is where the disturbance was coming from..." White Pearl said glancing at Garnet.
"I don't think we are alone in here."
Moldavite looked at Garnet.
"What?"
"Watch out! Above you!" Garnet yelled.
Something definitely came flying at her mixing the water in the room. Moldavite shuddered feeling the chillness. The three of them watch as the long tail went back to the ceiling. The culrpit was a large water scorpion mixed with eel parts was laying in wait. It already had chipped the pillar a good bit trying to get through the orb's defenses. It had red eyes that glowed like the crystals by the pillar.
It growled angrily.
"Oh boy," Moldavite said pulling out her neon sword.
The other two followed suit.
"Don't damage the orb!" White Pearl said.
The creature slash at the top part of the pillar making the small barrier around the orb disappear. It grabbed it with one claw and roared at them. It slammed a claw into the ground and a weird drilling noise came next. The three of them charged at the corruption but it dove into the hole.
They looked at each knowing it wouldn't be smart to chase after it in complete darkness. It ended up shooting back out on the outside of the room. They chased after it and it was gone through a hole in the wall. Garnet whipped around and slammed it's head with her gauntlet as it came out of the hole behind them.
The armor on this corruption wasn't that strong. Garnet grabbed one claw and the tail while the other two charged in after it. White Pearl and Moldavite piece the softer part of the body Garnet had exposed. They wasted no time taking the corruption out and poofed.
The gem and orb floated softly through the water and onto the sandy ground. Moldavite bubbled the gem while White Pearl picked up the orb. She carried back into the room and replaced the orb on the half broken pillar. A strong red light was emitted and the three of them covered their eyes.
The light was gone and the pillar was restored. The small orb had recreated it's small barrier and sat there peacefully once again.
"How odd."
The ground shook slightly and they felt a weird shift in the water.
"The water is returning back to normal," Moldavite said aloud.
"It looks like it," White Pearl said.
"It probably thought the orb was toy and it was memerized by its weird glow," Moldavite said staring at the red crystals.
"It was trapped down here until you cut open that misty barrier," Garnet said, "We probably startled it. It would have no idea it was messing with the lake and the ocean since it was surviving in both this whole time."
"I think it's time to go home," White Pearl said stretching.
"I think so too," Moldavite said skipping ahead.
Garnet smiled and followed behind them.