Well, Lapis's song got leaked, though I'm not sure exactly what exactly it's gonna be like so I'm gonna have to keep you guys waiting a little bit. This chapter will be a little different than the others. The moment you've been waiting for is here, Lapis and her group are finally going to meet Cynthia! Everyone's favorite pokemon champion is finally in the story this chapter, and will finally provide answers. Answers to what exactly? Why don't we continue reading and find out shall we? *POKEMON AND STEVEN UNIVERSE ARE NOT OWNED BY ME*
Looker's assumption had been wrong. The group, or "The Crystal Gems Two" as Barry called them, had hiked around Oreburgh City and up Route 207 all day long and the sun was beginning to set once they finally reached Mount Coronet.
"Well, we made it." Chili stated, "So where's Cynthia Looker?"
"Looks like we're gonna have to climb. Let's get going." Looker declared as he began to approach the rocky slope.
"Um, excuse me," Conway said "why are we climbing when there's a perfectly good hiking path right there?" he asked pointing towards the hiking trail a few feet away.
"Cynthia wants us to meet in secret," Looker debated him, "do you expect to meet her on the public trail where just anyone can listen in? Now let's get climbing."
Lapis laughed sarcastically, "why would we climb when we can all fly?" she grabbed Zoey first by her armpits and flew upwards. "Wait right there and I'll get the rest of you!" she called down to the others. "You alright Zoey?"
"Just peachy Lap-WOAH!" she began to say, thrashing and squirming in Lapis's grip.
"WHAT'S WRONG?!" she asked with concern landing on the cliffside. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry I felt the baby kick against my back."
"Babies can kick?" Lapis asked seriously worried.
Zoey saw the worry on her friend's face "yeah, don't worry it just means the baby's healthy. Can I?" she asked reaching for Lapis's womb. After getting a nod of approval, she gently placed her hand on her and once again squirmed a little after feeling it knock against her hand. "Wow, it's really kicking up a storm."
"She's" Lapis corrected her friend.
"How can you be sure?"
"Sometimes you just know I guess. Zoey, thank you for being there for me. The others are great too, but it's nice to have someone I can relate to." But before she could go down to pick up the others, they both heard a deep growling from the shadows behind them.
"Step away from the girl you monster!" a grown woman's voice came from where the growling came from. When they both looked, they saw a beautiful woman in her late twenties with yellow blonde hair and an all black outfit. Standing next to her was a massive pokemon, bearing its teeth towards Lapis.
"Cynthia," Lapis heard Zoey whisper in awe. "It's alright, we're friends with Looker!"
"Garchomp stand down," she ordered the enormous pokemon after hearing this. "I know you, you're Zoey the winner of the Sinnoh Grand Festival. Listen to me, you don't know these monsters like I do, step away from the Gem and I will handle this."
"And you don't know her like I do!" Zoey defended her friend, "she's here to help us!"
"Cynthia," Lapis finally defended herself, "I was told that you are one of the most powerful trainers on this planet." she then raised her arms up to imply she wasn't going to hurt her. "We are with Ash Ketchum. He is the father of my child. And he has personally asked me to ask of you to train me in the ways of pokemon battling. So I humbly ask you, will you train me?"
Cynthia's look of distrust turned to one of surprise. "I have seen nothing but betrayal from your kind, how can I be sure I can trust you?"
"I don't even trust myself, not after how I treated Ash Ketchum. But I assure you, everything I do is for him and our child. Looker has saved my life, and I intend on returning the favor."
"Besides, if she wanted to hurt me, she would've dropped me when she was carrying me." Zoey testified.
Cynthia finally cracked a smile, "alright, a friend of Looker and Ash are friends of mine. And I will gladly take you under my wing, what is your name?"
"Lapis Lazuli"
Cynthia's eyes widened as if she had just been told she had been struck by a car at full speed. "You are the Lapis Lazuli that Team Rocket and Jasper are hunting?"
"How do you know all this?"
"Because the day I discovered the power of Homeworld was the last time I saw Ash Ketchum," Lapis saw Cynthia was now crying as if she had seen something horrible. "They were doing horrible things to him." Lapis realized that Cynthia was there when Ash and Steven were taken by Homeworld.
Once Lapis had brought the others up the mountain, Cynthia began to tell her tale of how she knew about Homeworld.
All Cynthia could see was darkness as she felt lightheaded. A metallic banging sound filled her head along with the sound of two men screaming at each other. After she finally regained awareness of her surroundings, she was greeted to the sight of two men screaming in a dark room. The source of the metallic banging came from one of the men bashing his fist impatiently against what she thought was a door. Cynthia immediately recognized him as Tobias, the victor of the Lily of the Valley Conference she personally crowned less than three years ago. She personally did not like Tobias when she met him, as he used endangered pokemon to eliminate his opponents, including her dear friend Ash Ketchum. He also had no patience with his pokemon, an important trait for a pokemon trainer.
"That didn't work the first three hundred times, it's not gonna work now yah big baby!" the other man yelled at Tobias from the other corner of the room. He was the tallest man she had ever seen, at least seven feet tall, with a muscular build to him, a buzzcut of yellow hair, and a green vest that exposed his bare chest and abbs.
"I don't care old man! I'm getting out of here!" Tobias yelled at him.
"What's going on?" Cynthia asked.
Tobias and the other man both looked at her, Tobias still looked furious while the giant man looked more relieved to see her alright.
"CYNTHIA!" he exclaimed helping her to her feet. Once she stood up, he stood at attention and saluted her. "Lieutenant Surge, gym leader of the Vermilion Gym in Vermilion City of the Kanto region. At your service ma'am!"
"Uh, at ease" she told him. "Tobias, what's happening?"
"Hell if I know Cynthia," he answered her with an angry tone. It was obvious that he was still harboring a grudge against her after she had beaten him after he won the Lily of the Valley Conference. "One moment I'm training in the woods of the Eterna Forest, then it all goes blank."
"I was restoring the Vermilion Gym, giving it a good clean from top to bottom," Lieutenant Surge revealed. "Then I woke up to this big baby bashing the wall." referring to Tobias who looked at him angrily. The gym leader then turned his gaze behind Cynthia, "look sharp, we've got friends."
Cynthia turned around to see two more people, a boy and a girl around the same age, were getting up off the floor. The boy has spiky brown hair and a black collar shirt. The girl on the other hand wore a short, black crop top exposing her navel, with blue jeans and messy, long, red hair.
"Who are you people?" the girl asked in a high pitched voice, "how did I get here?"
"What's going on?" the boy asked as well.
"I am the champion of the Sinnoh region Cynthia. Who are you?"
"I'm Flannery, the gym leader of the Lavaridge Town Gym in the Hoenn region."
"I'm Gary Oak, pokemon researcher."
"Oak?" Flannery asked "as in Professor Oak of the Kanto region?"
"Yeah, I'm his grandson."
"Well that's fine and dandy," Tobias impatiently told him, "but that still doesn't answer what we're all doing here. Or where we even are."
Cynthia placed her hands on her hips, but then felt something missing. "Where are my pokemon?"
The others all checked and saw their pokemon were all missing as well.
"Damn it," Lieutenant Surge cursed feeling his belt, "whoever did this must've thought of everything."
"This door would be in pieces and we'd all be free by now if I had my Darkrai on me." Tobias angrily stated, once again bashing his fist against the door.
"How do you own a Darkrai?" Flannery asked him.
Surge then realized something after looking Tobias over once more. "Now I know how I know you. You're that trainer who catches endangered pokemon to use to win tournaments. YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN TEAM ROCKET!"
"And you're the gym leader who mishandles his pokemon!" Tobias accused him instead, he actually appeared to attempt to charge at the gym leader before Gary and Flannery held him back.
"Both of you, chill out!" Cynthia yelled at both of them.
Before the five of them could continue to argue, a woman's laughter came from the darkness of the opposite side of the room. Out of the shadows, emerged a tall, lanky girl with an orange hue to her skin. "Aren't you the newest crop?" she asked with a mocking tone.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're locked up here with the rest of us" Tobias mocked her. "Who are you? Where are we? And where are our pokemon?!"
"My official name is Jasper 7QDT Cut FT, but you can call me Skinny, everyone else does. I've been here for a few weeks, and have seen several humans come and go. You guys are the smallest group I've seen so far. They go out that door one by one, then they're never seen again. Welcome to Homeworld."
Before they could ask anymore questions, the door finally opened. The five trainers watched in awe as a green girl with hair styled to resemble a square, and a peridot gemstone where her eye should be, entered the room. Following her, was another woman that rivaled the height of Lieutenant Surge, she had eyes that were completely different colors, a large, orange afro, and a large hessonite gemstone on her chest.
The green woman began to examine the prisoners while the other one, clearly her superior, approached Skinny. "Today is a glorious occasion for Homeworld you disgusting off color." she said with an evil smile, "The Chosen One has been obtained, and The Clemont has chosen you as his gem. Look on the bright side, you will be serving the Diamonds with the highest honor. You orgianics shall have to wait your turn, Squareidot please escort the off color to the cell she'll hold with the Chosen One."
"Yes Hessonite" Squaridot said slightly annoyed at the nickname. "Follow" she ordered the gem.
"Return my pokemon!" Tobias suddenly screamed at Hessonite. "I don't care who you think you are, or who you serve. I am not playing around and shall wait no longer, and I will personally challenge you to a battle to get my point across."
"Tobias," Cynthia protested his poor decision, "you don't even have your pokemon. Do you honestly think you can take her on unarmed?"
Hessonite laughed, "very well then, I will entertain the organic." She then raised her arms up to accept his challenge, "as you organics say: "come at me".
Tobias balled his fists and began to charge the Gem. Before he could even land his punch on her, she sprung around him with a speed that would rival that of a Crobat. As Tobias tried to comprehend how fast Hessonite truly was, she landed behind him and thrust her sword through his chest. After she pulled the blade from his chest, he clutched his torso and stumbled forward in agony and confusion. Then he fell into a pool of his own blood as he took his final breath and his face became trapped in permanent shock.
"We do not need the body giving the others any unwanted infections Squaridot. Burn the body, I will bring the off color to The Clemont." Hessonite ordered her. Cynthia now saw that Hessonite was not only armed with a sword, but her incredible speed was boosted by a quick claw as well.
"What's going to happen to his pokemon?" Gary asked with concern.
Hessonite scoffed as Squareidot pulled the body away, "they are only loyal to their master, their master is dead. They will be put under with him, Homeworld has no place for them."
"You monster" Surge told her with absolute hatred in his voice.
"Do you think you'll fare better than your friend?" Hessonite mocked him. When he gave no reaction, the two Gems took Skinny and Tobias's body and left the four of them.
"What are we gonna do?" Flannery cried, "they're gonna kill us!"
Cynthia placed her hands on the young gym leader's shoulders to calm her. "My dear, I give you my word as the champion of the Sinnoh region that I will not let them hurt you, any of you."
"What was that Skinny girl talking about before they took her?" Gary asked aloud, a slight tone of panic in his voice.
Before anyone could answer him, what Cynthia could only describe as a miracle happened. A loud explosion rocked the entire room hard enough to knock the door down.
"What now?" Gary asked.
"Who cares? Let's go!" Surge exclaimed, literally grabbing Gary and Flannery with one arm and pushing Cynthia out the door with the other. The long corridor they ran down seemed devoid of any life or light aside themselves and the blaring alarm.
"Do we even know where we're going?" Flannery asked.
"We have to find our pokemon first," Cynthia declared taking charge. "Then we've got to find Skinny and find a way out of here."
"How?" Flannery asked her, "it's not like we can just ask for directions here!"
"Who says we can't?" Surge asked charging towards the first person they saw. After he let go of the others, he grabbed the Gem and pinned her to the floor with a single arm. She looked similar to the square-haired Squaridot they encountered before, but upon a closer look, they saw she had a hairstyle that resembled half a triangle, with a peridot gemstone where her ear should've been.
"Release me you clod!" she screamed at Surge.
"Where's my Raichu you baby?!"
Before their interrogation could continue however, the Peridot removed what Cynthia would later know as a gem distabilizer from her belt and jabbed it into Surge's side.
"AAAAHHHHH!" he screamed in pain as he was electrocuted.
"Attention all Quartz guards!" the Peridot announced into a mobile intercom, "the prisoners have escaped in Sector Seven! Requesting immediate reinforcements!" The next thing they knew, at least ten armed guards were charging towards them.
Infuriated, Lieutenant Surge grabbed the destabilizer from the Peridot and smashed it as she ran away behind the Amethyst guards. The Peridot dropped another object she held in her other hand and Cynthia pocketed it quickly. Seeing they were all outnumbered, Surge turned towards the other three, and screamed "RUN!" as he began to single handedly fight the massive soldiers.
Cynthia had to grab both Gary and Flannery and lead them down the hall as Surge fought to keep the Amethyst's at bay.
"We can't just leave him!" Flannery told them.
"We have no choice!"
After they ran off, they reached an area that appeared to be a suite of sort with a open view of a large lower floor. The suite had a dining room table set up with the remains of what appeared to be two steak dinners. Underneath them, the trio heard people talking. After leaning over the edge of the window, they saw Hessonite and Squareidot walking with a number of other people standing below them, among them appeared to be the friends of Ash, May and Dawn. An enormous, orange woman with spikes covering her shoulders and elbows stood in the center of the group as if she was the true leader, a small girl with a blue bob haircut with what appeared to be butterfly wings made of water flew around them. Standing side-by-side to them, were a plump looking blue woman with her hair styled into buns, and a tall, green woman with enormous hair.
"Now General Jasper," Hessonite told the biggest woman with a tone in her voice as if she were talking to a child, "now that you've met your lieutenants, Aquamarine, Holly Blue Agate, Emerald, May, Dawn and myself, what are your first orders?"
The one they assumed was Jasper looked unimpressed at the others. "I want to go back to Earth."
"WHAT!?" her "lieutenants" asked at once.
"Why in the name of the Diamonds would you possibly want to return!?" Aquamarine asked.
"There is still a part of me on that planet that was left behind, if the Cluster emerges before I take her back she'll be lost to me forever."
"But you're needed to lead the army here your clarity" Holly Blue protested.
Jasper turned to Aquamarine, "That's why I'm asking you to retrieve her, she is a Lapis Lazuli in the same location from where you retrieved Rose Quartz and Ash from." The mention of Ash's name sent shivers down the three spectator's spines.
A slow clapping noise came from the other side of the room, and to the other's shock, the gym leader of Viridian City, Giovanni, emerged. "Magnificent," he said, "truly magnificent Jasper, and I shall have to send my regards to Clemont for his work in your revival. My name is Giovanni, and the Diamonds and my organization are in an," he paused trying to decide how to call his collaboration with Homeworld, "partnership. My agents are at your disposal." Then with a snap of his fingers the lights in the hangar turned on, revealing hundreds of both Gems, and humans in black Team Rocket uniforms standing at attention behind him. "Do you have anything you'd like to say to your army?" he asked gesturing towards them with his arm.
Jasper marched towards the front of the army to address them. "This is a direct order from your general, and I'm sick of waiting. I want Lapis Lazuli! And I want her now!"
Hessonite turned towards the front of the army and began to lead it in a march. Aquamarine's future squadron came to the lieutenant's sides as the marching army began to chant.
"Prepare for trouble, make it double. Prepare for trouble, make it double."
Giovanni lead the harmony as he presented the Diamond Authority symbol pinned to his orange suit to Jasper.
"We'll be the richest rogues of all time. Creators, of a grand design. I'll be the king, they'll be the queens! That makes you the joker… of crime" he mocked Jasper. She looked at him furiously, yet eventually she stood down upon seeing his shard of Pink Diamond sticking out from his unbuttoned top.
"Prepare for trouble" the army continued to sing behind them in their standing march. "Make it double."
"To infect the world with devastation!" Cassidy joined her leader in song.
"To blight all people in every nation!" Her partner Butch joined in.
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"
"To spread our wrath to the stars above!"
"Cassidy!"
"And Butch!"
"We're Team Rocket, circling the Earth all day and night!"
"Surrender to us now, or you'll lose this fight!"
"That's right!" Giovanni decreed to them.
"Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery." The army chanted as chorus.
"We're gonna capture Lapis Lazuli" Aquamarine and her team finished the line.
"Prepare for trouble. Make it double. Prepare for trouble. Make it double."
The Iron Masked Marauder turned to Jasper, looked her in the eye with a diabolical smile and then began leading the next part of the army's symphony. "We're Team Rocket and we fight for what's wrong. For mayhem, and madness, and rare pokemon."
"I'm so gorgeous" Cassidy sang.
"I'm always the man" Butch boasted.
Giovanni looked at his two trusted agents angrily for their cockiness and interrupting the song "you're just the players, in my master plan!"
"Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery. We're gonna capture Lapis Lazuli." The army chorus continued, now beginning to march forward under Hessonite's lead through the hangar. "Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll bring untold misery. We're gonna capture Lapis Lazuli."
Aquamarine then lead her platoon into a semi line dance for Jasper and Giovanni all the while The Iron Masked Marauder continued the song with the chorus. "We're always gonna do it, no one can deny it. We can cause a riot in sunday school. We'll have you believing, truth can be deceiving. "Do unto others" is our Golden Rule."
"This is your most ingenious plan ever boss! If I do say so myself" Cassidy sucked up to her leader.
"Even we couldn't screw this up sir" Butch added.
"Silence! Stand at salute, here come the Diamonds!"
After hearing Giovanni's announcement, Cynthia, Gary and Flannery turned towards the direction the Team Rocket leader was addressing. There they saw two gargantuan women looking down at the masses.
"Hail Yellow and Blue Diamond!"
"Silence you fools!" the one the group assumed was Yellow Diamond announced in the key of the song. "Rose Quartz has escaped! Jasper! You are to locate her with the artificial gem soldiers!"
Jasper began leading May and Dawn out the hangar as the others continued their war cry.
"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE! Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll cause untold misery. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll cause untold misery. Gonna capture Lapis Lazuli. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll cause untold misery. Team Rocket's rockin! Talkin' trouble, walkin' trouble, double trouble, big trouble, we'll cause untold misery. Gonna capture Lapis Lazuli. TEAM ROCKET'S ROCKIN!"
The trio had finally had enough of what they'd seen. Cynthia backed away and lead Gary and Flannery out of the suite and back to the corridor they came from. Gary was shaking and Flannery was holding back tears upon they all tried to comprehend what they just witnessed, and what it meant for the future.
"What do we do now?" Gary asked Cynthia.
"We have to get out of wherever we are, first we need to our pokemon." She said examining the object she had taken from the Peridot. The object luckily turned out to be a directory and census of the building, and they were able to locate the room where their pokemon were being held. Traversing the maze of the alien hallways, they finally reached the room and found their pokeballs stored in a tightly organized shelf. With their pokemon back in their possession, Cynthia began to read their directory to find a way out.
"Looks like we're on the fifth floor, sector Nine A. There is an elevator three turns down the hall that can take us to the first floor."
They ran again down the hall, but on their second turn they again encountered an unwanted guest in the form of a small, red Ruby with her gem where her eye should be familiar to Ash, and two more Quartz soldiers.
"Get them!" Eyeball Ruby ordered the two with a charge.
"Umbreon, shadow ball!" Gary ordered.
Flannery summoned her Magcargo nicknamed "Mag", "Mag use flamethrower!"
"Garchomp dragon rush!"
The three attacks landed on each of their assailants, but Eyeball was able to call for reinforcements. The next thing the trainers knew, two dark blue Lapis Lazulis ambushed them, and began to flood the hall. The water attack was super effective against Garchomp and Mag, and the rush of water forced the three fugitives to run for the elevator. Cynthia and Gary managed to reach the elevator, but just before Flannery could escape, the two Lapis' managed to grab her by the ankles with a giant water hand and dragged her away screaming as the elevator closed, sealing her fate.
"FLANNERY!" Gary screamed as the elevator descended.
Cynthia immediately stopped the elevator on the third floor. "Gary, listen to me, they're going to expect us on the first floor, we've got to find another way."
They heard more shouting coming from the end of the hallway, the remaining two trainers ducked into the nearest room and closed the door. The inside of the room was dark, with a large tank and a monitor with many vitals on the wall. A long table was laid out with another human laying on his back. Then they both realized they both knew this human very well.
"Ash?" they both asked. However Ash was in absolutely no condition to answer them, as he was unconscious on the table with a long tube stuffed down his throat and his shirt was missing.
"Cynthia, help me get this stuff off of him!" Gary said trying to release his former rival from what appeared to be torture.
"PIKA!" they heard from above them. Looking up, they saw his loyal Pikachu trapped inside a floating bubble, also bubbled above them were each one of Ash's pokeballs, as well as a sword. "PIKA! PIKACHU!" he screamed at them. But it was too late for either of them to realize the pokemon was trying to warn them.
"I wouldn't touch anything if I were you" a defeated and weak voice came from behind them. Behind them was a human boy who looked as if he hadn't eaten, slept, or even seen the sun, in days. He also wore a set of the robotic limbs that the Peridots had on, but he wasn't armed or was even trying to attack them.
"What have you done to him?" Cynthia demanded.
"The correct question would be, what I'm about to do to him. I assume you two are the ones who escaped? I was told there'd be five of you, why do I only count two?" Cynthia and Gary both looked at each other glumly, answering his question. "My name is Clemont, what has happened to you is my fault, and I am truly sorry for what happens next."
The two watched in horror as Clemont's robotic finger turned to a buzzsaw and he began to cut into Ash's bare chest.
"NO!" Gary screamed trying to attack Clemont, but Cynthia held him back because if he interfered in the procedure, Clemont would've hurt him.
"You escaped," Clemont told them as he continued the operation, "I'd recommend you run before Squaridot or someone else returns. It's too late for both me and him, it's not for the two of you. GO!"
Cynthia took one last look at Ash, he appeared to not be in any pain, and whatever Clemont was doing to him seemed to be precise and accurate. "I will avenge you."
They both peeked out the door to see that the Gems in the hall were gone. They both continued their escape course, now completely disoriented from the death, loss and betrayal they had encountered within the past hour. But as Cynthia ran, she noticed that Gary was now not following her anymore.
"Gary, what are you doing?"
"Ash is my friend, I might've never appreciated him in the past, but now I've got to pull through for him now. No matter what happens to me Cynthia, I need you to keep going. The rest of the world has got to know what's going on here. Goodbye Cynthia." he told her as he turned around and began to run the way they came from.
"Gary, wait!" she protested, but he was already gone. Then for the first time in her life, she lost her cool. Tobias was dead, Lieutenant Surge and Flannery were most likely dead as well, Gary was gone, and now these monsters were doing Arceus knows what to Ash. As she ran through the hallway, she finally began to cry from the trauma and loneliness she never thought she would ever feel. Before she could turn the corner, she heard two people crying.
"We did what we had to do," she heard one of the voices around the corner say.
"They were the first people to ever ask what we wanted Topaz!" the crying one told the other voice. "How do we repay their kindness? We signed their death warrants!"
"Topaz, that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that we're together, and the won't separate us again. Look at me, please." She said raising her head up, "I'm letting them tear us apart, we'll get through this."
The other Topaz smiled, "this is why I love you."
Cynthia had heard enough, and turned the corner. "Sounds like you two have got some grievances with the higher ups." The Topaz looked at her shocked, one of them reached for their weapon. "Woah!" Cynthia then exclaimed raising her arm up to show she wasn't going to hurt them, "I don't want to hurt you! And I think we can help each other."
The first Topaz still gave her a distrustful look while they still crying Topaz placed her hand on her shoulder "let's hear her out."
"You two seem to want to get away from here, so do I. I can get you two asylum in Sinnoh if you help me get out of here."
The two Topaz looked at each other, the second Topaz clearly could tell the first Topaz wasn't considering it, "We failed Ash and those other two back on the ship. This is our first step to redeeming ourselves Topaz," she then turned to Cynthia, "alright, we'll help you."
To Cynthia's amazement, the two of them took each other's hands and fused together into a larger version of themselves. The giant Topaz took Cynthia by the arm, and began to lead her away. As they marched down the hall, they passed another Gem who appeared to be whispering to herself, she had a blue hue to her skin with her head in a crescent shape and a large monocle over her right eye.
"Oh my stars, I can't believe this. I could've taken the easy way out and let 'em plead guilty. But no Zircon, you just couldn't keep your big mouth shut! Now you're caught up in this ridiculous conspiracy with your reputation and life on the line, and Blue Diamond gives you only a couple of Lazulis to figure it out?"
Topaz tried to escort her past the Blue Zircon as she ranted, but the Gem just barely noticed her. "You, Topaz, stop right there. Where are you taking that prisoner?"
Topaz looked at her extremely worried, "This is a prisoner" was all she could muster.
Blue Zircon sighed in annoyance, "Yes I can see that, I'm asking where you're taking her?"
"I'm taking her to…. Prison?"
Blue Zircon looked at her unconvinced, "I am not as dull as you believe me to be Topaz, so stop tumbling my rocks, and tell me what you're doing with this organic prisoner!"
"There are whispers," Topaz nervously told her, "that the Zircon assigned to defend Rose Quartz accused the Diamonds of conspiracy, which resulted in her escape. Are you that Zircon?"
Blue Zircon looked at her with empathy, "seems as if we're both traitors against Homeworld. I assume you're helping this one escape? Well you're not going to get anywhere the way you're going. Follow me." she said directing Topaz and Cynthia in a different direction. The area she wound up leading them, was the very same hanger where she had witnessed the war march of Team Rocket earlier. At the end of the lot, was an enormous device that appeared to be a giant loop. "You get to know these things when you're in Blue Diamond's good graces." she explained pushing a few buttons.
"What is this thing?" Cynthia asked
"How we get to your world. Our two worlds coexist in parallel universes, this is a one way voyage, so I'd advise you to make your peace once back on your world before it is completely obliterated."
"You know I can't let that happen. Thank you for helping me, but I must ask of one more thing, help Ash Ketchum. He's imprisoned here somewhere, and he's a good person who doesn't deserve whatever is happening to him."
"I give you my word me and my team will help him." Blue Zircon assured her.
"Topaz, let's go" Cynthia gestured for her to follow.
"Ash was somebody I betrayed. I cannot leave here without helping him too. Good luck Cynthia."
She nodded in respect to her newfound friends and stepped through the portal. On the other side, she found herself in the familiar ruins of the Spear Pillar on Mount Coronet. The interuniversal travel caused her to feel weak in her feet as she stumbled down the mountainside and reached the pokemon center or Oreburgh City. Then she sent her message to the only person she could think to trust, Looker.
"And now you know" Cynthia ended her tale to Lapis and her group. The heavy realization of what Homeworld was doing to people, especially after hearing what had happened to Ash and just how far Team Rocket was willing to go to get to her, brought tears to Lapis's eyes.
Cynthia gently smiled at her new pupil and placed her arm on her shoulder, "I assume you are the Lapis Lazuli they were boasting about capturing? I failed Surge, Flannery and Gary, but I will not fail you my dear. After we destroy Homeworld's portal together, your training will commence immediately, then I will personally make sure we get you and Ash reunited." she said wiping a tear from Lapis's cheek.
"Cynthia, I just don't know if I can do this after hearing all that. Team Rocket and Homeworld are going to the ends of the Earth to get me, I don't want to put any of them in danger" she confessed concerning her new found friends.
Cynthia again gently smiled, "Lapis my dear, these people, your friends, appear to be behind you every step of the way, I'm behind you every step of the way." her words suddenly fell into a melody, and a hopeful tune filled Cynthia's beautiful singing voice.
"Sometimes it's hard to know, which way you're supposed to go. But deep inside, you know you're strong, if you follow your heart you can't be wrong."
Lapis still felt empty despite her new teacher's kind song, and couldn't bare to look her in the eye. But Cynthia continued her tune, gently lifting her head up and tried to wipe her eyes.
"Sometimes it's hard to see, just what's your destiny. But when you find, the path that's true, you'll know that's the one for you! Stand up! For what is right. Be brave! get ready to fight, hold on! We're friends for life. And if we come, together as one. Complete the quest that we've begun. We will win the battle!"
Hope began to fill the rest of the group's hearts listening to her sing, and they all grouped around Lapis as a way of support.
Cilan then decided to join Cynthia in her song, "the time is now the game's begun! Together we will fight as one! Each of us, in our own way, can make this world a better place! Stand up! For what is right. Be brave! Get ready to fight. Hold on! We're friends for life. And if we come, together as one. Complete the quest that we've begun we will win this battle!"
Cynthia still saw the doubt in Lapis's face, but she knew that she'd do anything to protect her friends, and decided to let her know they returned the feeling. "Just when it seems that you are lost and all alone,you will find the courage and the strength to carry on. And if you fall, along the way, have the faith you'll be okay. 'Cause your friends are there for you, reaching out supporting you."
Cynthia's message finally reached Lapis, and a hope that she hadn't felt since Ash returned from Homeworld and proposed to her filled her heart.
"Stand up!" everyone now sang together as they began to climb the mountain. "For what is right. Be brave! Get ready to fight. Hold on! We're friends for life. And if we come, together as one. Complete the quest that we've begun. We will win the battle, this galactic battle!"
"Cynthia, thank you" Lapis said as they came ever so closer to the Spear Pillar.
"I haven't done anything yet Lapis, that is all you."
Lapis could tell she had hurt still on her face from reliving her traumatic story, "Zircon and Topaz made good on their promise, Ash is safe."
Cynthia's face began to glow with relief upon hearing this. "It's good to hear my dear friend is safe, and healthy enough to conceive a child with you. I'm certain he will make a wonderful father. And I assume you two are married?"
"We were, but I left before we could've gotten married. But I hope to once we're reunited."
Cynthia chuckled, "I'm sure it will be a lovely wedding."
"There it is!" Looker announced pointing to the top of the mountain. The entrance to the Spear Pillar was in sight, now the most difficult part of Lapis's journey was about to begin.