Wow, we might be reaching the end of the series. This story has been through a lot, just as I've been through a lot. Also, I kinda think someone on the show is reading this or something. What with Jasper's reformed design looking exactly what I described it to be, and with the inclusion of multiple Lapis Lazulis. Well, here we go with the next chapter.
As the others had begun to move the bodies out of the tower, Ash and Lapis sat together on a bench in front of a fountain. Lapis, still mourning, rested her head on Ash's lap as he gently held her close. Steven had already tried, in vain, at reviving the child. But they all knew it was all for naught.
Ash himself felt just as empty and hurt, although he knew he couldn't even begin to comprehend what she was going through. He gently stroked her hair as she lay on his lap, Pikachu sitting on the other side of him.
He looked up to see Bismuth sitting on the other side of the Tower sitting on another bench, Brock and Misty had told him exactly what happened inside and what Paul did. He knew he had to say something.
"Hey Jessie, James, can you guys take care of Lapis for a second?" he said gesturing to the two.
"Of course." James said as they went over and began to support her up.
"You gonna be alright?" he asked as she slowly got up.
She cupped her hand on his cheek. "Yeah. I think so." Ash approached his lost friend and sat down next to her.
"This isn't your fault you know."
Bismuth stared down the object she held. Ash looked and saw she was holding the Marauder's helmet. "If it wasn't for me, Homeworld wouldn't have Yveltal, and all those people and Gems wouldn't be dead."
He placed his hand on her shoulder "I always knew Paul's obsession with power would one day be his downfall. But this, I never thought the fool would do anything like this. He saw everyone, people and pokemon alike, as tools to be used. He used you Bismuth, it's not your fault."
Bismuth looked down at the helmet, reflecting on the traumatic events that had transpired. She took a deep breath in. "I hope you're right." she said crushing the helmet in her hand and throwing the ball of scrap as far as she could. "I'd better help the others recover the bodies." she said standing back up and leaving.
Before Ash could leave as well, he found himself surrounded on one side of the bench with Brock and Misty and May and Dawn on the other. Serena, Cilan, Iris, Tracy and Bonnie stood in front of them.
"You guys alright?" he asked them all, Brock and Misty in particular.
"Steven healed us up pretty well." Misty said resting her head on his shoulder.
"What about you?" Brock asked him.
"Lapis is still not taking it well. Jessie and James are taking care of her right now. I'm honestly not too sure what to think about it all."
Serena took his hand gently "Whatever happens, you know we're all here for the two of you."
He smiled as Clemont and Max both turned the corner, Clemont's face covered in soot and ash from something having exploded.
"Well, we did it." he explained wiping the soot off his face "We've shut down Giovanni's warp pad."
"Correction, we've managed to sever the link between it and Homeworld. They won't be coming here again any time soon."
"Good," Dawn addressed them, "Now we don't have to have a war on two fronts when we take him on."
"What do you mean "we"?" Ash asked standing up. "I'm not letting you guys lose your lives over this. For Arceus sake, Max and Bonnie don't even have pokemon of their own."
"Not true!" Max retorted showing a pokeball on his belt. "I've grown beyond belief since we last saw each other Ash. I went back and caught that Ralts. We've been training all the time."
"Aw come on Ash." Tracy protested "We can do this!"
"Tracy, I know you haven't been a part of this as long as everyone else here has. But I'm sure you, all of you, realize just how dangerous Giovanni is. He'll kill you all, and I can't let that happen. I'm the chosen one, I have to fight him no matter what. But I'll be damned if I let any of my friends, no, my family, die for no reason."
"Oh, we have a reason Ash." Misty countered standing up to face him. "You just said so, we're not friends. We're family. And family stands together. You remember why I began my journey with you to begin with?"
"Yeah, you wouldn't shut up about your bike."
She smiled. "Then you should know just how stubborn I can be. I'm staying by your side." she said as she stuck out her arm.
Brock left the bench as well "I didn't stay by your side all that time just to abandon you in your time of need." he placed his hand over Misty's "I'm with you all the way."
"When I first met you," May stated, "I knew nothing about how to be a trainer. Ash, you taught me everything I needed to know. It's time I return the favor." she said placing her hand with the others.
"If it weren't for you Ash, I never would've been able to see the world, and would never have met Ralts. You're my hero Ash. I'm here for you." Max said joining his sister's hand.
"If May's in, I'm in." Dawn said.
"Pi Piplup!" her loyal pokemon chimed in as the two joined the hands.
"A symphonic team of spirit and power." Cilan said putting his hand on "I will be apart of it until the end."
"You're definitely not the same little kid I met a long time ago." Iris said joining "Let's do this!"
"Under you Ash, I've learned to find myself." Clemont confessed "I always say "the future is now." If I don't do this, there will be no future. I'm in."
"And if big brother is going, then I've gotta do what I can to make sure he's alright. You can count on me." Bonnie excitedly stated.
"I can't say I've had as much experience as everyone else." Tracy confessed, "But you're still my friend. And friends stick together through thin and thick. I've got your back."
"You've been there for me every step of the way of my journey Ash." Serena said "I'll be there no matter what."
"Pika!" Pikachu rounded out the group placing his paw on top of the pile of hands.
Ash sighed as they all looked up at him supportively. "Alright then. Seems like we're in this together." he said as he placed his hand on top. "Then I'd be proud to fight alongside you all."
The group threw their hands up in the air with a yell in unity, finally putting the fear and anger that had spread amongst them the past few weeks.
Iris turned her head to Ash, and was confused by the sight of an actually happy smile on his face. "Why are you smiling?"
He looked around the group, still smiling. "It's cause I just realized, we're all together for the first time."
Looking at each other, all of Ash's companions realized this same fact. For the first time in what seemed like forever, there was hope in their hearts.
The symbolic moment was broken by the sound of Steven's cell phone ringing. Everyone turned their attention to his as he stared at the screen confused.
"Dang Steven, you get service across dimensions?" Dawn asked.
Steven hesitantly answered "Dad?" His eyes widened with shock "Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker so the others can hear you!" he said putting his father on speaker mode.
"You guys!" Greg's voice echoed out the phone. "You guys've gotta get back here right now! They're here! The Diamonds are here!"
Everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Clemont! Max!" Pearl demanded looking at the two geniuses "Is the warp pad functional?"
"It is but it's not meant for big groups!" Clemont explained "It can only handle a few of us at a time before overloading!"
"Steven, Ash and us will go first then!" Garnet commanded leading them up the stairs to Giovanni's warp pad.
"Peridot, Connie and I will be right behind you!" Bismuth stated.
"The rest of us will be there after, if it even works after you guys go!" Clemont said as Ash, Steven and the first three Gems boarded the warp pad in a hurry.
"Good luck you guys!" Cynthia told them.
The warp pad activated as the five stepped off the device and out to the porch where Greg was waiting. Up in the sky, the arm shaped ships of Yellow and Blue Diamond levitated in place. Bismuth, Peridot, Connie and Lion quickly joined them. Ash turned to see the warp pad must've malfunctioned and there was no more backup.
"Great" he thought mentaly preparing himself.
Blue Diamond's ship landed first and the emotional tyrant stood before them.
"Why are they even here? It's my world they want?" Ash asked out loud. They watched as Yellow's ship began to slam its palm onto the ground.
"They must be here for the Cluster!" Steven concluded.
"What's the Cluster?" Bismuth asked.
"It's a huge Earth-destroying geo-weapon that the Diamonds made out of a bajillion gem shards!" Steven explained as Yellow's ship collided with the ground. "I gotta keep it calm and in its bubble."
"Why do they even want the Cluster? They have Xerneas and Yveltal." Ash asked.
"I have to try and get the Cluster under control!" Steven exclaimed rushing inside to sleep and access his dream powers.
"I'll keep Blue Diamond busy!" Ash said as he and Peridot ran towards her.
Running onto the beach, Ash came face to face with her. "Blue Diamond!" he called out.
She looked down on him, her face full of tears. "Ketchum. It's good to see you again."
"Why are you here!? You promised!"
"This is not up to me. We are simply here for the Cluster. You're friends are safe. I came here to offer you this one last compromise. Surrender yourself and Rose Quartz, and I will ensure your friends will be unharmed."
"I can't let that happen." he said drawing his pokeballs. "You'll have to go through me first."
Peridot grabbed his arm "Ash, what are you doing?"
"What I do best. Blue Diamond, I challenge you to a battle!"
Blue stared at him, continuing to cry "Very well, but heed this. I offered you mercy Ash Ketchum." she said levitating six pokeballs and bringing one to her front. "Cloyster, show him what happens when one rejects my proposition."
The largest Cloyster Ash had ever seen appeared on the beach staring at him through its shell menacingly.
"Peridot, act as our reff. Sceptile, show them what the Crystal Gems are made of." Ash said bringing his trusty grass type out.
"Cloyster, use razor shell." Blue ordered.
Cloyster rushed at Sceptile, ready to deal damage with its spiked shell.
"Dodge, then use leaf storm!"
Sceptile was able to leap into the air with an incredible feat of speed. With Cloyster now exactly where they wanted it, Sceptile was able to trap it in a vortex of razor sharp leaves.
"Cloyster!" Blue Diamond yelled with legitimate concern, something which took Ash by surprise. "Use ice shard!"
Cloyster retracted themselves and fired at Sceptile a barrage of ice.
"So Giovanni trained you as well." Ash stated as Sceptile leapt into the air once again. "You know ice is super effective against grass. But a good trainer knows not only what's useful in battle, and how to actually use it to their advantage. Sceptile, use quick attack!"
Before Blue or Cloyster could react, Sceptile's blinding speed smashed into the shelled pokemon.
"Now use leaf blade!"
With one final slash from its blade, Sceptile sent Cloyster to the ground.
"Cloyster is unable to battle!" Peridot declared.
As Blue Diamond returned her pokemon, the entire ground began to shake violently. Ash turned to see an enormous arm had retreated from the ground and had begun to assault Yellow Diamond's ship.
"Is that?" Ash asked horrified that he was looking at the Cluster. He looked down to see Steven and the other Gems had joined them on the beach. "Steven, is that?"
"It's in control of itself! It's on our side now!"
Blue Diamond looked down at Steven furious. "Rose Quartz. So you escape Homeworld and crawl back here. This is Pink's world! How dare you use it as your hiding place!? Come! Answer for what you've done!"
"This is between you and me now Blue!" Ash interrupted.
Steven put his hand up "No, wait, there's no reason to fight! Blue Diamond, please, listen to me. I didn't shatter Pink Diamond. Pink Diamond's right here. It's pretty interesting when you think about it." he then said, not really sure how to explain it to her.
But Blue wouldn't listen, blinded by grief and rage, she charged an energy ball and fired it directly at Steven. "Enough!"
"Steven!" Ash screamed in concern for him.
Steven was stuck and sent flying, thankfully, Alexandrite was able to catch him safely.
"You cannot fathom how much I've mourned! What thousands of years of grief has done to me!" she then screamed sending a blue wave of energy across the beach. A feeling of despair and depression Ash had never felt before struck him, along with Steven and the other Gems, who all fell to the ground incapacitated.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed joining his side with Sceptile, unaffected by Blue.
Connie, also unaffected, whistled for Lion, who she mounted and charged at Blue with Doublade at her side. "Hold on guys!" she exclaimed charging with her sword raised.
To her shock, Blue caught her mid swing. "I know this sword. This is the sword that SHATTERED HER!" she screamed in rage. With one massive finger, she shattered Rose's sword to pieces, causing Connie to fall. Doublade caught her and levitated her to the ground safely. She looked away to see the Cluster was also screaming in despair. "You deserve this! All of you!"
"Blue!" Ash screamed in his depressed state "This is between you and me! Our battle isn't over yet!"
Pikachu and Sceptile both stood in place ready to continue fighting.
Blue Diamond looked down at him directly, almost considering his challenge, then she saw it. Sticking out from his jacket, was the lapis medallion given to him by Lapis stared back at her. Her grief, combined now with the shame of rejection intensified the feeling and was now directed point blank at Ash, who was now so feeling so mournful, he was screaming.
With all of her attention focused on Ash, she never noticed the enormous water hand form behind her, and smash into her back, disrupting the assault of emotion. Everyone looked up to see Lapis Lazuli floating above them all.
"Get away from him!" she screamed.
As Lapis floated down to his side, he saw a trio of attacks come from behind them, creating a much needed distraction for BLue Diamond. Looking back, to his relief, he saw Brock, Misty and May with Steelix, Gyrados and Blaziken standing.
"You alright?" Lapis asked as the three charged at Blue Diamond.
"Now that you're here."he answered causing his bride-to-be to blush. "Where are the others?"
"Evacuating the city."
The crash from behind them caught both their attention. Blue had fired another energy ball powerful enough to send the three trainers flying across the beach with their pokemon. Blue then turned her attention back to Ash.
"A Lapis Lazuli? Does every Gem that comes in contact with planet turn traitor?" She charged her force again and fired her pathokinesis. This force was even more powerful than the one Ash had been hit by. This one was so powerful, even Connie, Brock, Misty and May were on the ground sobbing. But as everyone was screaming with emotional tourchure, Lapis stood strong.
"What?" Blue Diamond asked in shock, never seeing someone defy her power.
Lapis simply wiped a single tear away from her face in response. "I've felt worse." She then raised her hands, grabbing Blue Diamond in water chains and holding her down. With her concentration broken, the emotion left everyone else and Ash was able to stand up. ""Should we knock her off this beach?" she asked him.
He looked at Blue Diamond as she struggled in the shackles "Not yet. I need to get through to her. The only way I know how."
Lapis smiled and took his hand "Then let's do it. Together."
Ash happily took her by the waist and spun her around, catching her mid dip inches away from each other's faces. The two glowed and combined together.
"You guys help the Cluster with Yellow!" Lash ordered the three trainers as they approached Blue. "Blue Diamond!"
Blue freed herself from the chains and looked down in confusion at Lash. "What are you?"
"Something you really need to learn to do. Love. And you still owe Ash a battle!"
"Very well, let us continue. Thing! Dragalge, show them the might of Homeworld!"
"So you do know strategy. But so do I. Glalie, get ready!"
Peridot resumed being the referee as the other Gems stood ready to watch.
"Dragalge, poison tail!"
"Let's do this! Glalie, double team!
The ice type duplicated itself repeatedly, causing Dragalge to be confused as to which was the real one.
"Now's your chance Glalie! Use icy wind!"
Trapped in a school of Glalie clones, Dragalge was helpless to escape the super effective ice attack against its dragon typing.
"Shake it off Dragalge, use dragon pulse!"
"Dodge and use headbutt!"
Glalie was able to smash its heavy body into the dragon type before Blue Diamond was able to stop it.
"Dragalge is unable to battle!"
Turning back to see the Cluster still dealing with Yellow's ship and the others, they were happy to see Yellow struggling against them.
"Blaziken, blaze kick!" May ordered as the Cluster smashed into Yellow's ship in the ultimate game of arm wrestling. The fire type was able to finish off the Homeworld ship, sending it crashing into the ground, but not before completely destroying part of the Temple beach house.
"The house!" Pearl screamed in concern.
"Don't worry, I can fix it!" Bismuth reassured her.
"Dad!" Steven screamed.
"Uh oh"
To everyone's relief, Greg rushed out the ruins of the house carrying Cat Steven in one hand.
The Cluster loomed down at Steven, giving him a thumbs up.
"Cluster, you were amazing! Are you okay? Do you want to go back to your bubble?"
The Cluster slowly retreated to the hole it burst from in response.
"Okay, take it easy! You're the best!"
Just as Lash was about to return to their battle, a rumble came from the wreckage that was Yellow's ship. Yellow Diamond burst out from the pile, electricity charging from her hands in rage as she took to Blue's side.
"Ha!" Peridot mockingly chuckled "I told her off once. I can do it again!" she ran straight to Lash's side and yelled up at Yellow. "Hey! Yellow Clod! Remember me?" she confidently asked.
"No." she simply answered, shooting a beam of lightning into Peridot, causing her to poof.
"No!" Lash screamed in concern as Yellow fired another beam at them.
"Stop! Don't do this! Listen to me! I'm the one you're missing! I'm Pink Diamond!" Steven begged Yellow.
Yellow looked at him in fury "You!" she screamed rushing towards him, quite literally stepping on him.
"Steven!" Everyone screamed in worry.
Lash was able to grab Steven and get him and Peridot's gem to a safe area away from the Diamonds.
"Steven, speak to me bud!" Lash begged him.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked with concern as well.
"Pikachu, Sceptile, Glalie, keep him safe!" Lash ordered creating a water blade ready to rush. They sprouted a set of water wings and flew into Yellow Diamond's gaze.
"I'm gonna make you pay!"
"I don't even know who you are." Yellow responded firing another beam of lightning into their direction.
Lash broke apart from this attack as Lapis pushed Ash out of the way of the lightning, resulting in her getting struck directly in the chest. She screamed in pain for a second before poofing as well.
"NO!" Ash screamed catching her gem as he fell, only to be saved by May's Blaziken catching him and landing.
"No! Lapis don't leave me! I just got you back!" he screamed, tears forming in his face again staring at the teardrop gem in his hand. This rage filled his heart as a familiar blue flame surrounded his body.
"Ash don't!" Brock protested trying to get to him. But his plea fell on deaf ears as Ash's aura overtook his body.
"I'm gonna make you pay!" he shouted at the Diamonds.
Yellow Diamond threw another lightning bolt at him. But with his aura at full power, he avoided the blast at an astonishing speed.
Drawing his blade, he pulled back ready to continue is rage.
"Ash." he heard a familiar voice call into his ear. "Ash. Remember who you are. Don't give into your rage."
"Steven?" he asked out loud looking around. Steven's body was still lying on the sand unconscious. He knew it was Steven's voice, but he hadn't known how it was possible. The flames dimmed around him as he slowly joined the others to help him. He had been blinded by rage, this wasn't him, he needed to be stronger for Lapis.
It seemed that he wasn't the only one hearing voices. Blue Diamond looked around confused and surprised "I felt something. Someone." she suddenly turned her head in surprise "There it is again!"
This caught Yellow's attention "What are you jabbering about?"
"A presence! It feels like…"
"Please Blue, you're being hysterical. More so than usual."
Everyone looked at them confused.
"This feeling, I know it!"
"It must be a trick! Show yourself foe!" she then turned her head scanning the horizon "There!" The two fired a powerful aura in a certain direction. As they collided, a pink shaded aura reflected back, covering the entire beach, causing the two Diamonds to both stare in shock and halted their attack.
"Impossible!" Blue halted
"This aura!" Yellow said in equal shock.
As the pink light ceased Ash took the opportunity to pick up Lapis and Peridot's gems, making sure they were safe.
He looked to see everyone, Diamonds included, we now all looking down at Steven.
Blue looked down at him sobbing again, this time with tears of joy instead of despair. "Pink! It's you!"