"And Connie, we love you…" Jasper's words echoed "we love you… Connie,-"
"WAKE UP!"
Connie vaulted awake at Pearl's cry and felt that the gem must've been shaking her.
"Connie, we have no time, we have to go, where are the Temps?!" Pearl squawked.
Connie gave a gulp. "They can't come! They're stuck on Mask Island!"
"What do we do then?" Pearl gasped.
Connie grabbed her hand. "We have to do this, ourselves."
Connie pulled her to the ladder that went up to the drill. They climbed up, shaking.
"I can't take you! You have to stay here!" Pearl cried. "I don't want you to get hurt!"
"Urgh! Why can't anybody stop being a mom to me?!" Connie growled. "I'm coming, and that's final. I'll be safer with you anyway!"
"Okay... I guess. Connie…" Pearl bent down and took the girl's shoulders. "You are about to go to places your species have never reached, to destroy the Cluster, and save your home, are you ready for this?"
Connie nodded. "I am… I… I think I am."
"You have to be sure!" Pearl cried. "Because I'm not ready!"
The ground suddenly shook and Connie gasped. She narrowed her eyes and turned to Pearl. "That doesn't matter, there is no time to prepare ourselves!" She shoved Pearl in, and then hopped in herself, closing the cockpit.
"Right. We have a mission to do!" Pearl sighed. She then started the drill and it dug into the earth. "Hold on." She growled, and hammered the controls.
"You're going too fast, you are going to break the ashrisphere too fast!" Connie cried.
"Please, we have two hours until we get to the ashrisphere." Pearl rolled her eyes.
There was silence until Pearl switched on piano music. Connie gave a tiny smile. "You like classical music too?"
"Yes. It is relaxing, and reminds me of…"
Connie glanced up. "Homeworld?"
Pearl gave a short nod. "I often was asked, no, ordered, to sing by Rose… Rose likes music."
They went silent and after about ten minutes, Connie started to glanced around, telling herself not to be afraid of the stones, and earth, and the guilt of what she was to do…. It wasn't working.
"You look stressed."
Connie glanced at Pearl. "Oh. Yeah… Pearl, do you… do you feel guilty about this?"
"Guilty?" Pearl chuckled. "Why would I feel guilty? We are saving the Earth, and ruining Rose's plan." Connie saw Pearl's hand grip the control stick harder.
"Oh."
"Hang on, we're about to break the asthenosphere!" Pearl called. Connie gasped. Peridotie was quick to surround the drill.
"This may be strange to ask, and you don't have to answer but… why did you, er, like Rose, when she ordered you around so much? She used you, you know that, don't you?"
"Of course I do." Pearl whispered. "I didn't realize it back then. I thought Rose would be different then the other owners of Pearls, she looked so kind and she was so… beautiful… I thought she cared about me the way I did her, but she led me on."
Connie noticed Pearl wipe away a tear. "Pearl, are you-"
"I'll be a lot better when the Cluster is gone…." Pearl interrupted. "Besides, I have something I care about more now."
"R-Really?" Connie asked. "What?"
"Uh, well… you all." Pearl said, a teal blush rising. "The Temps, we are a team, aren't we?"
"Of course!" Connie beamed.
"Good." Pearl whispered. "I missed being on a team."
Connie gave a tiny smile.
Suddenly, a loud banging filled thier ears. Connie felt her heart freeze.
A red hand suddenly smacked onto the glass and Connie gave a yelp in shock. "Gem mutants! They must've been buried here with the Cluster!"
"Correct you are." Pearl grunted.
"I have to fight them off!" Connie said, trying to stand but Pearl forced her to sit back down, and gave her a Nintendo 64 controller.
"Why did you pack this?" Connie asked confused.
Pearl smirked. "I never go anywhere without my sword."
Connie was baffled but then looked at the controller and got it. She smiled.
A sharp sword came out of the top and Connie used the controls to swing it. The mutants were being beat back.
"I wish there was another solution to this mess." Connie sighed, watch the mutents on the camrea fall off.
"As do I. But there is no peaceful way to end this."
"I know… That hope was probably just the human side in me talking." Connie laughed, though nothing about it seemed very funny. "There are times when I lose myself in my anger, you know, and the odd thing is…when I get like that, I don't feel human anymore."
Pearl looked concerned. "Connie…"
"It's fine." Connie whispered. She got the last mutents off.
Pearl pushed harder and they went into dirt darker then Connie had ever seen. "We are getting into dencer ground! This is it!" The gem cried.
They finally then saw it. The Cluster.
Suddenly, the Cluster and its surroundings started to tremor. The women gave shouts of panic.
It started to glow, they were too late! It has already began to form! White matter came up to the drill, pushing it back. It was massive!
"No!" Pearl cried. "It's over! It's all over!"
Connie watched her give a cry as tears slipped down her face.
"I'm sorry." Pearl sniffed loudly, covering her eyes. "I couldn't save you! I was so sure I could…" Connie was surprised when Pearl wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry…" The gem whispered over and over into Connie's hair, hugging her like she'd never let go.
Connie blushed, and hugged her back. " I love you, Pearl."
Pearl whispered something back that was muffled in the girl's hair, but it felt along the lines of a mutual response.
The cockpit shook violently, leading the two to clutch onto each other tighter. The lights started to flicker and white hands brushed the side of the drill.
"Wait… it's not forming! It's still trying to!" Pearl gasped in surprise. She grabbed the steering once more and pushed on.
They soon reached the surface of the Cluster.
"We have to do this!" Connie cried, mostly to herself. This was all she could do, there was no other solution but to fight! She needed to fight… didn't she?
The moment Connie's views separated, the girl felt a sudden and large pain in her chest. She gasped in panic and grabbed her chest.
"Connie? What's wrong?!" Pearl asked in a loud voice.
"Argh… I don't know!" Connie moaned, gripping her gem harder.
"Do you need me to stop?! We aren't at the crust!" Pearl cried.
"No!" Connie growled, her eyes clamping shut and teeth gritted. "K-Keep going!"
Pearl pressed on, leading to three separate drills separating. The Cluster's arms were starting to weaken!
However, Connie was still in much pain, and she began to see the cockpit around her disappear, and get replaced by goulish pale faces that were rushing at her. This kept flickering on and off, and she grunted in pain.
One of the drills suddenly broke off, leading Connie to yell out. "One of the drills just came off! Keep balance!"
"Got it!" Pearl cried, trying her best. Connie glanced out the window, nazated. She then saw a humongous pale face, coming straight for her. It opened its mouth in a groan as it came. Connie screamed and knocked back in shock, right into Pearl. A second drill broke off in their struggle.
"I don't think it's going to hold!" Pearl squeaked.
The two were thrown against their seats.
Connie was now clutching her head and chest, panting, sweating. "I… My gem and human selves are struggling, or s-something!" She wrenched out, it hurt to speak.
"What?!" Pearl gasped. "What can I do?!"
Connie's gem suddenly started to glow, she felt her heart like a snare drum in her ears, her eyes were clamped shut. She gave a cry and started panting heavily, gripping her chest, feeling her human heart and Homeworld gem pulsing. She wrenched up in pain.
"Connie! CONNIE!" Pearl yelled.
Connie paid her no mind, all she could see were those faces! Those horrifying faces! She then realized Pearl was no longer by her, she was floating!
"Pearl? Pearl?!" Connie cried. Her gem glowed, and her seat disappeared. She fell into darkness.
When Connie opened her eyes again, for a moment, she thought she was home, that she had fallen asleep looking up at the night sky on the roof with the Temps. However, there was no constellations she could recognize. She then heard the echos.
"Must…"
"Have to…"
"Want to…"
"Need to…"
Connie saw now that there were little gem shards, floating all around her. The girl saw a tiny one float in front of her eyes.
The little shard whispered softly to her. "Want to… need to…"
"Want to? Want to… what?" Connie asked.
A bright, nearly hurting light suddenly immited around Connie. She gasped in surprise.
"FORM!" Many voices screeched.
Connie gave a scream in pain, covering her ears that started to ring. "Ghaa! Stop! Stop!"
The light went down, the voices calmed momentarily.
"These shards, forming… I'm in the Cluster." Connie whispered, realizing it. "This… How?!"
"Have to... Want to... Need to... Must!" The gem shards screamed.
Connie gasped. "No! No, you can't form! Please, don't form!" She begged the Cluster.
The light returned and the gem shards contuied to chant. "Form! Form! Form! Want to form! Want to form! FORM!"
Connie covered her ears, giving a cry. "No! I have to stop you!"
"FORM!"
Connie gave a moan in pain. She clutched her gem, she needed her destablizing powers!
"Need to form!" The Cluster cried. It then softened slightly. "To be whole."
Connie glanced up in suprise. "W-whole? But… I can't help with that, I-I don't know how! ...If only I could help you…."
The Cluster seemed to agree, muttering of yes' and ohs surrounded her.
"Don't want to form, want to stay." The Cluster said. Links between shards formed and Connie watched in amazement. Suddenly, the pulsing painful light filled her eyes and the shards screamed. "Can't stop! Going to form! Can't stop! Going to form! Help! Help! Help!"
"Don't panic, I can help you! Everyone, start bubbling one another, now!" Connie commanded, thrusting out her hands. "I'll help keep you stable as long as I can!"
Yellow beams shot out her hands and surrounded the massive Cluster. She then saw she was floating away.
"Connie?!" Pearl shouted. Connie opened her eyes and gasped.
"It doesn't want to form!" She cried. "I need to protect it! I need to place them in a bubble!"
"What?!" Pearl squawked. "That's impossible!"
Connie glanced out the window and saw bubbles appear on the surface. "They still are going!" She placed her hands on the floor. "Please, please let this work!" She cried.
Her destablizing powers went through the floor and onto the Cluster, it was working, she was doing it!
"A little more!" Connie creid. She then felt a hand in hers and saw Pearl was trying to bubble it too. "You can bubble?!"
"Of course." Pearl said, closing her eyes in effort.
Connie then let out a cry, letting her destablizing finally rest and she switched to bubbling.
The large yellow bubble surrounded the Cluster. It was done, it was safe.
Connie gave a moan, nearly falling asleep with all the energy she had exserted.
The drill climbed out of the hole, finally. Connie let the warm sunshine hit her face.
She hopped out, helping Pearl down as well.
The warp pad suddenly glowed and the Temps appeared.
"Connie!" Peridot screeched, practically tackling her in a hug.
Lapis gave a sigh of utter relief seeing they were okay while Jasper held a uncousince Amethyst.
"You're all okay!" Connie beamed. She then saw her sleeping friend, the one that had done so much than she had to protect their planet. "Amethyst… is she-?"
"This runt's a tough one, she'll be good in a bit." Jasper assured her.
Connie smiled in relief.
"Did you destroy the Cluster?" Peri asked suddenly.
Connie gave a tiny giggle. "No, we bubbled it, while using my powers to keep it stable."
"W-what?!" Lapis gasped in surprise while Peridot dropped her jaw.
"Well… we had a little help." Connie gave a tiny smile, knowing the Cluster was safe…
The Earth was… safe for now.