Chapter 2

Taaffeite was pacing around nervously, her various hands in motions.

"Oh gosh, oh golly... what to do..."

While she had the thoughts and memories of Spinel, she also tangled with Steven's feelings. His surface memories were the only thing she had real access to, only key memories popping up when something connects to them. Pink Diamond was a good example, which brought up a flash of Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond, only to realize Pink Diamond was Rose Quartz, who was also Pearl who shattered Pink Diamond. That little paradox gave her a massive headache, forcing her to forget it and shove it aside. She chalked it up to Steven's weakened state causing delusions.

Even so, she could feel his mind was in a dark place. She could faintly hear his cries, and an odd sound combined with it, which she could only describe akin to a person smashing a watermelon with a rubber mallet over and over. The pace of it slowed in tiny increments. The feeling that came with it she could only describe as fear.

Taaffeite took a deep breath. "Now now, pull yourself together. This isn't the time to play the fool. Pearl and the others are your friends... well, Steven's friends." She chuckled. "As a fusion, any friend of Steven's is a friend of mine! Makes perfect sense."

To Spinel's half, the fusion felt like skydiving into a pool of white, fluffy cream. Admittedly, it was scary at first. She was plunging in headfirst into a storm of uncertainty and dread as Steven grew weaker in her arms. He was so tightly close to her, yet he was still slipping away. She was scared...emotions running high, building up and expanding until she couldn't contain it anymore. She didn't care at the time; she would gladly explode if it meant keeping Steven alive.

"Hm," she looked at herself once more, this time in the reflection in the fountain. She rang one of her bells. "I never imagined myself fusing. Yeah, I saw other gems do it, but myself?" She shook her head. "It's nothing like any game I've ever played..."

Fusion.

It was a concept that Spinel always thought was cool, but it wasn't until now that she actually experienced it herself. She imagined what it would be like to have the two minds entwine each other, to be able to see through each others' eyes. To be able to share the same thoughts and feelings, to act as one instead of two.

She smiled, the pale blue face smiling back. It felt like looking at someone who seemed so familiar, yet foreign. Not unlike a long-forgotten friend, who just came back.

"Heh, feels kinda nice. Knowing what both of us are feeling..."

She suddenly began to feel sleepy...

"Spinel? Hey, Spinel!"

Her eyes shot open, jolting awake. "Steven?" Taaffeite frowned, eyes narrowing. "But Steven's feeling is weak right now. He needs help; MY help!"

Taaffeite stood up. Her mind focused once more. She walked down the pathway, her feet echoing in the garden one last time. She stepped onto the warp pad, starting it up.

"Hold on, Steven..."

She looked back at the garden, sighing. So many memories...

"...Goodbye." Tears streamed down her face as she wept for what could have been...but ultimately wasn't. For now, at least, Earth didn't need a new Crystal Gem to defend it. It just required its old ones to protect it once more.

Taaffeite stepped off the warp pad, the floaty sensation of warp travel leaving her. She ran her fingers through her dark red hair.

"Okay," she said, "easy plan. First, stop the injector. Easy!" She counted on her fingers. "Second, get Garnet's memories back so she can help Steven. Not so easy..." She sighed, cartwheeling to an upside-down position with her second set of arms folded. "This is tougher than I thought. Least when I was Spinel, I could run circles around them and laugh maniacally. Not much planning involved other than just distracting them..."

She hummed to herself, righting her body back up.

"Huh, so that's what it feels like to have a different perspective." She chuckled. She took a step forward but stopped as she felt her form wobble. She gritted her teeth and pulled herself together. "Grrrr... Urg, that felt whacky." She bounced a bit to be sure she's stable. "I gotta keep my peepers open for that. Space travel is a crazy trip."

Taaffeite glanced down the steps leading to the living room, a mischievous idea forming.

"Hm..." She rubbed her chin. "I wonder if I can still sound like Steven..."

She cleared her throat and focused, imagining herself as the chubby boy. Her voice lowered an octave, and she felt herself slightly shrinking in stature. She smirked, happy with her success.

"Huh, that wasn't too hard," she said, trying to mimic his tone and accent. "I should try impersonating others..."

She frowned, trying and failing to sound like Amethyst or Pearl. She managed a close approximation of Rose's voice. She grimaced, realizing why Pearl had sounded weird.

"I'm a dude even when I'm not trying..." she said with a sigh. She rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe I just thought that."

She clenched her teeth and shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts. She needed focus... how did Steven do it?

Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet were in the living room, waiting for Steven and Spinel's return. Pearl was worried, Amethyst bored but concerned, and Garnet was examining a spork; she had never seen a fusion of things outside of gems before. At least to her knowledge.

Amethyst watched Pearl pace back and forth from the couch. She asked, "if he finds her, he'll come back here... Right?"

"I certainly hope so," Pearl said, biting her finger. "I can't help but worry... what if she gets her memories back and attacks Steven?"

"Steven can handle it," Amethyst said.

"He lost his powers, remember?"

...

"Oh."

"Hey, guys!" Steven's voice was heard echoing from upstairs. "I'm back!"

Pearl gave a sigh, letting her shoulders sag. "Oh, thank goodness..."

"Did ya find Spinel?" Amethyst called out.

"Yeah! Kinda..." They could hear him clear his throat. "I think it's better to show you. I'm coming down."

"Did his voice change near the end there?" Amethyst asked.

They heard the steps of someone much more substantial than Steven come down. They saw, not Steven nor Spinel, but something that appeared to be a giant jester with skin that was a pale shade of blue and clothing with various shades of red; the stars were yellow.

"Uh, why is there a clown at the end of the stairs?" Amethyst asked. "I didn't know we were having a circus."

The giant jester smiled and bowed. "Apologies for startling you. I'm Spinel."

"You're not Spinel," Pearl said. "Spinel is... pink and stretchy."

"Oh really?" 'Spinel' raised an eyebrow. She then stretched out her arm. "You mean stretchy like this?"

Taaffeite's eyes were now dark red, and she had fangs.

"Or maybe like this?" She grew in size. Her skin darkened, her nose turned to a snout, and her ears became pointy.

"I have many forms."

Amethyst gasped and stepped back. "Who are you?!"

Taaffeite giggled. "I'm Taaffeite, a fusion of Steven and Spinel."

"Wh-wh-wh-whaaaa?!" Pearl stepped back in shock. "You two... fused?! I-wha.."

"Whoa! Two of you fused! Wait..." Amethyst said and also raised a brow. "Tar... fight? Never heard of it."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Garnet said. "Congratulations!"

Pearl walked around, examining the new fusion with great interest. "Never seen a gem like this before."

"Well, of course not," Taaffeite said. "I'm brand new."

"You are?"

Taaffeite stood on two legs and raised her arms out to the side. "Taaffeite, at your service! Thank you for thinking of me!"

"You're..." Pearl struggled to find the words. "You're welcome."

Amethyst looked the gem over. "So where's Spinel? Is she still in there somewhere?"

Suddenly, a pink portal opened up. Connie and Lion came out with a battle cry, skidding across the floor. Connie flipped off and landed in the middle of the room, sword drawn.

"I'm here," Connie said. "Where's the fight?!"

Taaffeite held her hands up. "Whoa whoa, there's no fight! Everything is swell!"

"Swell?" Connie glanced over to the new person standing in the stairway. "Who-"

A flush sound was heard. The door to the bathroom opened up, everyone jumped into position to face this new threat-

Greg held his hands up. "Alright alright, I'll wash my hands!" He went back inside.

Taaffeite sighed in relief. 'That could have gone better.' She cleared her throat. "Alright, how about we stop the machine that's currently destroying the planet first before anything else?"

Pearl nodded, dismissing her weapon. "Probably for the best. Lead the way Steve-er... Taaffeite."

'Uuurg, it's always Steven. Why not Spinel? Would it kill them to notice me too?' She felt her body waver again. She caught it, quickly snapping back in place. She nervously grinned before heading out the door. "Alright, let's move everyone!"

Unsure of her behavior, they cautiously followed Taaffeite outside.