Hello back again. We'll do the Cluster and a little after, maybe a visit from someone we'll see.
After The little interaction with Yellow Diamond Peridot had been a little... manic? Everyone had tried their own way to calm her down with only Garnet succeeding and getting the small green gem back to her normal self. Now they were preparing for the trip down to the Cluster.
"Okay, do we have everything?" Litch asked he and Pearl going over a checklist.
"Yup." Lava said loading a fuel cell into the drill.
"Supplies?" Litch asked.
"Check." Steven answered.
"Tools?" Litch asked.
"Check." Peridot answered.
"Radio?" Litch asked.
"Check." Amethyst answered turning it on as it played a very upbeat song.
"Why do we need a radio?" Jasper asked as the music continues.
"So we can fiesta!" Tiger said dancing to the music a bit.
"Yeah, Tiger, Shake that thang~." Amethyst said before jumping down and joining him. Both began to dance almost in sync having similar dance styles.
"Weird little gems." Jasper said leaning against the drill before she was suddenly yanked into a dip by Lava. "General? What are you doing?"
"Come on Jasper..." He said pulling up and a small spin. "Give it a try." He then joined the two small gems. Jasper just a grumble before Tiger bumped against her hip with his shoulder and tried to entice her into dancing by shaking his shoulders and swinging his hips.
"Fine." Jasper groaned and started to move similar to Tiger but more hesitant and stiff.
"Nah Big J try this." Amethyst said transforming into Jasper and started to dance in her signature style. Jasper did her best to mock the purple gem's movement eventually starting to pick up a style like Amethyst and Tigers. Soon the four gems had their own little routine going with Amethyst, now back to her normal form, and Tiger having a sort of free spirit to the dance while Lava and Jasper were a bit more uniform. "There ya go big girl shake that thang." Amethyst said giving a fast hip shake and continued their dance.
"Shake what?" Jasper asked stopping for a second before Tiger grabbed her hands and started spinning around as he laughed with Jasper joining in after a second until the two gems began to glow and soon became one large blob of light. But just as two sets of eyes and a body began to take form the two split apart both looking at each other shocked along with everyone else sharing that expression.
"Well that was exciting." Lava said turning off the music. "Anything else we need Peridot?" He asked turning to the green gem.
"WAIT! Are we just gonna ignore what happened?" Steven asked gesturing towards Jasper and Tiger.
"What's to talk about they almost fused... that shows some growth and they can try again later, let's move on." Lava answered but was stopped by Prism giving him a look. "Oh come..." He said Prism giving him a more stern look. "Fine..." Lava groaned. "Jasper was fused with Lapis for months in an unhealthy fusion both of them likely haven't recovered from that. So I told Jasper not to fuse unless it was the last resort or she earned trust from another gem so she probably stopped it." Lava explained.
"No she didn't stop it." Tiger spoke up making everyone turn to him.
"What? You stopped it?" Lava asked. "I thought you'd want to fuse with her, why'd you stop it?" Instead of getting an answer from the small quartz, Tiger quickly turned into a small red tortoise and hid inside his now formed shell.
"Tiger come out." Prism told the small shell which he didn't get a response from.
"Tiger you can tell us." Garnet said crouching down to try and get eye level with the turtle turned gem. "Why'd you stop the fusion?" She asked.
Tiger poked his head out just enough to see his mouth as he spoke. "I don't feel safe fusing right now. Can we just leave it at that for now?" Tiger asked quickly pulling his head back in the shell.
"Sure kiddo." Garnet said picking him up and handing him off to Jasper who looked confused at Tiger's current form. "Alright anything else we'll need for the trip?" Garnet asked and no said anything. "Then let's go." She ordered as they all began to pile into the drill which had a seat for all of them. Steven and Peridot in the front seats, Amethyst, Lapis, Pearl in the seats behind them, Lava, Jasper, Litch behind them with Tiger on Jasper's lap still a tortoise, and finally Garnet and Prism in the final row of seats.
"Alright hold on it's going to be a rough start but should ease up after the first mile of earth we get to." Peridot explained starting to flip switches a press buttons as the drill began to hum to life. "Oh and since we're ahead of schedule The Cluster won't give us to much trouble till we arrive at it so I installed these last minute." Peridot continued and pressed a button as three TVs popped up and after a bit of static showed one with Camp Pining Hearts, the next with Crying Breakfast Friends, and the last was the start menu of a videogame.
"When did you put these- oh hey Crush Sisters." Lava started but cut himself off and grabbed a controller. As they all began to preoccupy themselves Peridot started to tunnel down the whole machine shaking as they began through the Earth's crust.
"Alright. Bracing for impact." Steven said gripping his seat.
"It's actually two more hours to The Cluster." Peridot said pointing at a small screen infront of them.
"Oh um huh." Steven said.
"We could use another player Steven." Lava called out as he waved another controller above his head while Amethyst was fiddling with another one and looking at the screen. Steven hopped up and grabbed it and began playing.
As they all passed the time with various activities from the game to watching TV or Peridot and Lapis's case talk a little but mostly just be in close proximity to each other. Suddenly there was a large crash against the side of the drill making them all let out various groans of pain as they steadied themselves. "What hit us?" Garnet asked looking to Peridot for answers.
"Switching all screens to exterior view." Peridot said hitting a few buttons all the screens showing the outside of the drill from a top side view. What they saw were various gem fusion experiments banging on the machine trying to get in. "Deploying defenses." Peridot called as a few turrets raised up from the drill. "Now if you would please?" She asked gesturing to the three who had been playing videogames who were confused till Lava pushed one of the buttons and a laser shot out and hit one of the experiments hitting it off the drill.
"Okay this I can work with." Lava smiled rapidly spinning the turret and firing again hitting another experiment, with Amethyst and Steven joining in making short work of anything that landed on the drill. After shooting another mutant off Steven suddenly looked a little off put. "What's wrong kid?" Lava asked seeing Steven's mood change so suddenly.
"I don't know this just doesn't feel right." Steven answered with Lava going to ask another question but a heavy rumble shook the whole machine. "What happened?" Steven called out.
"The Cluster, it's active!" Peridot yelled as the machine continues to shake. "We're almost there, increasing speed!" She called again and the drill roared and began pick up speed shaking more as Peridot called out. "Impact in sixty seconds!"
Everyone quickly got in there seats and strapped in when they suddenly dropped a short distance before crashing into something. After recovering the group looked to see a huge mashed together collection of shards all forming a huge ball like object. Steven went straight for the large window at the face of the drill looking in awe at the huge contruct of shards.
"That's The Cluster?" Steven asked in pure shock.
"Yes it seems we still have time." Peridot said quickly getting the machine up and firing all the drills beginning to burrow into the shell that contained The Cluster. The machine began to shake violently as she continued when suddenly Prism ran up and hit the control panel shutting off the drill and looking sweaty. "Hey!" Peridot shouted before turning the drill back on.
"STOP!" Prism yelled grabbing his head and his voice sounding deep and distorted. As soon as he spoke Peridot shut the drill off looking at him.
"What's wrong?" Steven asked running over to Prism. The gem didn't respond but instead made his visor disappear and quickly grabbed Steven's head pulling their foreheads together. What Steven saw terrified him he saw the shattering of millions of gems each seemed worse than the last.
Steven was suddenly pulled back to reality by the gems pulling the two apart with Prism panting heavily and muttering to himself. Steven looked between Prism and The Cluster before the drill shook hard again, The Cluster giving a faint glow before Steven doubled over groaning in pain his gem flickering to life. Steven then suddenly found himself outside the drill and floating surrounded by floating shards leaving him confused till he saw a familiar figure.
"Prism?" Steven called seeing the fusion who was sitting on his knees on some sort of clear platform. "Where are we? Where's everyone else?" He asked but got no response. "Prism? Are you okay?" Steven asked floating over to him. Steven then put his hand on Prism's shoulder making the gem spin his head around looking at the young hybrid but his visor was missing and his eyes glowed a pure white.
"F-f-f-form." Prism seemed to stutter out.
"Form? Form what?" Steven asked.
"They want- no need to form." Prism said his voice sounding like a chorus of voices.
"Who?" Steven asked but a light came up underneath Prism. In a flash Prism was gone and Steven was left looking at The Cluster as thousands of shards surrounded him. "Hello?" Steven asked.
"Hello." A uncountable number of voices called back.
"Are- are you The Cluster?" Steven asked looking at a few of the shards.
"Cluster. Form. Now." The voices responded.
"No please don't!" Steven cried out. "Maybe you all don't need to form? Maybe you can just say like this?" He tried to reason but was only met with a loud screech of a sound shouting back at him. "Okay but why?"
"Want to form. Want to be together." The voices responded back.
"But you are together, look shard meet shard." Steven said pushing two shards together the two blink a light at each other. "You're already together you don't need to form."
"Don't...need...form...already...together?" The voice said in almost complete calm but the calm suddenly faded when with a powerful scream.
"What's wrong?" Steven asked in fear.
"GOING TO FORM! CAN'T STOP!" The voices screamed in agonizing pain.
"No! Wait if I bubble you then you won't have to form!" Steven called starting to bubble as many shards as he could but after about five he realised it was futile to try alone. "I'm sorry everyone but I couldn't do it alone." Steven said his vision beginning to fade but as it did he heard a singular voice speak.
"Not...alone..."
"Steven wake up!" Pearl yelled making the young hybrid jump from his apparent sleep.
"What?" Steven asked looking around seeing all of the gems crowding him.
"What happened to you?" Peridot asked.
"I don't know, I think I talked with The Cluster and I tried to help it." Steven said rubbing his aching head. "Did it work?"
"Sorry Pup..." Lava said gesturing with his head to the window showing the earth shaking hard. "Well atleast we're together at the end." The large black gem shrugged. Suddenly all the shaking died down confusing all of them.
Tiger shapeshifting back into himself ran to the window pressing his face against it. "Oye mira esto!" He called for them the whole group running over to see what he was seeing.
As they looked out seeing the massive construct of shards began to glow before bubbles began to pop up everywhere. Soon the entire mammoth of a forced fusion was bubbled and it was calm. "They bubbled themselves." Steven said in awe. The group smiled at the disaster that was averted but it was short lived by Prism who quickly grabbed his head in pain again.
"Prism! What's Wrong?" Garnet asked but as quick as he grabbed his head he was fine again.
"Nothing just...it wants one last thing." Prism said walking up to Steven, kneeling down of him and give him a big hug that Steven returned albeit a little confused.
"Uhm thank you?" Steven said.
"No...thank you...from them." Prism smiled gesturing to outside the window. Steven looked at The Cluster smiling himself at a job well done.
As they began back up Steven's phone started going off. Taking it out Steven saw it was Connie calling. "Hey Connie. What's up?" He answered.
"Oh nothing. Where are you? It's kinda hard to hear you."
"Oh uh in the drill we just got back from The Cluster."
"Oh. Well I was just calling to see if you wanted to do anything. My school is out for a week and my mom said I could spend a few days with you and the gems if that's okay."
"Oh I guess let me ask the gems." Steven said looking at them gems for confirmation but Lava grabbed the phone.
"Hey, it's Lava, Connie I think we all know you're always welcome. We'll even vist The Hidden City, just make sure to bring a swimsuit."
"Okay I'll see if my dad will drop me off in about an hour."
"Okay I'll make sure to tell Steven you love him more than anything." Lava said laughing as Steven now tried to grab his phone back but didn't get it back till Lava hit the end call button.
"That was mean Lava." Steven said getting his phone back.
"Yeah, I think I'm on a mean streak." The tall black gem chuckled.
"Well if we're doing what I think you have planned then you'll be nice as can be in a little while." Litch said using his gem to pull up a small screen drawing various kanji as he sat in one of the chairs.
"What are you going to do?" Pearl asked.
"We'll show you later." Lava answered as the drill continued upward.
--The Barn--
The drill emerged from the ground with the group hopping out after they came to a stop. When they did they found a very familiar face waiting for them, a figure that towered over everything in the area.
"I see that The Cluster has been deactivated." Black Diamond said sitting in a seiza pose looking out toward the ocean.
"Yes, sir, Black Diamond." Litch answered on a reflex.
"What are you doing out her Black Diamond, uh, sir?" Steven asked a little unsure on how to talk to the former matriarch.
Black chuckled at the small hybrid. "Black will do just fine young-" He stopped when he saw Jasper. "You there Jasper, which jasper are you?"
Jasper snapped into a salute when Black began speaking to her. "My cut and-"
"No!" Black snapped making everyone take a scared step back. "Are you 'THE' jasper?" He asked and got a quick nod from the orange gem. Black quickly snatched Jasper up bringing her to his face and looked to be holding back tears as he reached for Jasper face brushing some hair away. "Your 'her' Jasper." He stated a smile growing on his face.
"Yes, sir, I'm that jasper." Jasper said smiling with confidence. Black closed his eyes briefly blinking away any tears as he brought Jasper in a sort of hug to his face which she awkwardly returned hugging his cheek.
"Uh should we know something about this?" Amethyst leaned over and asked Tiger.
"Well not until the end of season 3 but we're not cannon." The red gem answered with a shrug.
"Oh right...wait what?"
"What?"
After staring at each other for a minute before returning to look as Black just held Jasper in his hand letting her stand on his upturned palm as he looked at her. While Black was infatuated with Jasper the rest of the gems began to stash the drill away in the barn until Lava miss stepped and started falling down the recently made drill hole.
"Will he be okay?" Amethyst asked.
"He'll be back in a few minutes." Garnet answered adjusting her glasses.
"Good, would hate for him to miss the little event he seemed set on us all doing." Prism said pulling up a stray box as a seat.
"You still haven't told us what he had planned." Steven said still curious about what the 'event' might be.
"One sec..." Prism said cupping his hands around his mouth and yelled at the hole where the distant sounds of Lava climbing back up could be heard. "HEY, LAVA, CAN I TELL THEM WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED!?"
"YEAH, SURE, BE UP IN A MINUTE." Lava called back.
"Good, well we were planning you to taking you guys to a little place where we can relax." Prism explained. "And once Connie gets here we can head out."
"What are you planning General?" Black asked down the hole.
"THE SPRINGS!" Lava called back.
"Oh...well you all will be in for a treat." Black said putting his hand on the ground to let Jasper hop off. "I may even pay it a visit." As they all sat waiting for Lava to climb back up they constantly heard a buzzing sound followed by Pearl taking out a phone and began typing onto it before putting it away and repeating the process over and over.
"Pearl?" Litch asked her making her look over from the phone. "Care to share with the class what is so funny?"
"Uh...well...I just-" She stammered before taking a breath. "I've been seeing someone." She said blushing.
"Way to go P! whoo, whoo, whoo!" Amethyst cheered.
"Pearl that's awesome." Steven said looking at her with starry eyes.
"What do you mean? You see someone almost everyday." Peridot asked.
"No she means like...courting." Steven said trying to explain.
"Pearl's don't have courts." Lapis chimed in.
"No...like uh..." Steven said thinking of a way to explain.
"Like a drawn out Choosing." Prism spoke up. "They go out on sort of mini Choosings called dates and see if they want to truly choose each other." He explained.
"That's dumb." Peridot said getting some mean looks from the group. "They should just go for it and if it fails terminate the relationship, simple as that."
"You really feel like that? What if you felt that way about someone but they wanted to terminate the relationship?" Litch asked.
"Please I'm too great and loveable to not be around." Peridot said which in turn only started making everyone laugh. "What?!" Peridot cried.
At that moment Lava had come out of hole and hop up onto his feet. "Hey, what are we doing? Laughing at Peridot?" He asked laughing along. "Ah now that's over let's grab Connie and head out." Lava announced starting to walk back towards Steven's house everyone except Black following.
--Beach City, beach--
The group was making there way to the house/temple when Connie came running up with her duffel bag and Rose's sword on her back.
"Steven!" She called at rurunning up and wrapping the young man in a hug which Steven returned with gusto. "I've brought everything I'll for atleast three days and my swimsuit, but I'm not sure how much we'll be swimming so I also brought a few books and some homework because my mom wants me to atleast do some."
"Way to go cub scout." Lava said with a chuckle giving her a pat on the back. "Well with us all here, Tiger wanna do us the honor?" Lava asked the small gem who gave a huge smile before turning towards the ocean and with a quick motion of his hands a portal big enough for all of them to get through boomed into existence and the group walked through it.
--???--
When they all stepped through the portal they found themselves infront of a large old pale white with a black shingled roof Japanese style building that was completely surrounded by a thick forest of bamboo. On the front of the build a sign had several kanji on it which none of the Crystal Gems could read.
"Ladies, gems, and Stevens I welcome you all to the one and only Black River Spring." Litch said walk forward and facing the group giving a bit of a theatrical bow. "Where your worries will melt like ice in a volcano." He finished as the group gave him an odd look. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing man." Lava said giving him a pat on the shoulder as he walked past him towards the the building. As he reached the sliding door it opened before he got a chance to touch it. "Come on." He said motioning for everyone to follow him as he entered. The group entered to see Lava speaking with a gem that they all agreed immediately was breathtakingly beautiful. The gem looked feminine and had a gem with subtle shades of reddish-brown with cream and grey placed almost perfectly on her forehead. She was dressed in a black Cheongsam with a golden trim and sakura tree design that ran the length of the dress, her shiny red hair was held in a very neat bun while her skin was a slight lighter red.
"Welcome all." The gem spoke looking past Lava at the group. "I am Red spot, but please call me Mari. Will you all be taking part in a treatment today?" She asked her voice only being described a pure honey.
"Red spot?" Steven asked confused.
"A type of marble." Mai answered. "On Homeworld we are mostly a luxury gem. We make sure other gems look there best and relax a bit."
"But why are you still doing that?" Pearl asked a little concerned.
"Because I'm good at it and thoroughly enjoy what I do." Mai answered turning down a hallway gesturing for them to follow. "Besides some marbles don't work here they've gone onto other things while a few other gems have taken to working here." She explained as they approached three doorways one labeled with a male gender symbol, another with a female symbol, and one in the middle of the two that was just a circle.
"Now we ask that you enter these rooms and strip down to a swimsuit, a towel, or bare skin after which we will begin with our basics and move onto skincare and relaxation such as massages then you will enter the springs for about two hours and we will end with a application of makeup. Any questions?"
"Why would do stuff to our skin we can just alter it how we like already?" Jasper asked confused.
"You can also make yourself ten feet tall...but you don't, this is just to make yourself feel good." Litch explained.
"And if you wind up not enjoying any part of this we'll do whatever you want after, deal?" Lava offering his hand to shake. Jasper smiled shaking his hand. "Alright everybody let's go." He said with a smile walking into the male side.
The group then split off to each side to prepare for the treatment they were about to receive.
--With the girls--
The females of the group were treated to a very large and pristine looking locker room with red tiled floors and bronze lockers set in perfect rows with thick metal benches between each of them.
"Huh weird place." Jasper said opening one of the lockers inspecting it. "So...what do we do?" She asked turning to see Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl had phased off their clothes grabbing towels wrapping the cloths around their respective bodies. "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Jasper yelled turning away.
"She said 'no clothes' so...ya know." Amethyst answered fixing her towel to wrap around her body from chest to about mid thigh.
"You could wear swimsuits if you're uncomfortable." Garnet said with one towel wrapped around her chest and another around her waist.
"What are those?" Peridot chimed in.
"Oh like this." Connie spoke up make the group turn to see the dark skinned girl in a basic dark blue one piece uniform swimsuit with an orange stripe down both sides.
The two former Homeworld gems look at each other before creating their own suits very similar to Connie's Jasper's in a solid black one piece and Peridot now had on a dark green one piece as well.
"Like these?" Jasper asked observing the new attire.
"Yeah but you could add your own touch to it." Connie commented throwing her clothes into a locker but held onto her phone tapping the screen quickly. "Oh here are some other kinds of swimsuits my mom makes me wear this kind." She then turned the screen towards the two showing various kinds of swimwear.
"I like this one." Peridot said gesturing to the one she had on.
"I think I may change." Jasper said and with a quick flash she was wearing some dark orange short shorts and a black top with thin shoulder straps that showed a little midriff. "So?"
"Wow!" Amethyst gasped. "You look great J." Jasper only blushed rubbing the back of her neck before noticing something odd.
"Uh where is Lapis?" Jasper asked. The group looked around not seeing the blue gem but quickly heard a light splash.
"Guess she's already in the spring." Amethyst said making her way towards the door that lead towards the spring. "WOAHLY TALITO!" Amethyst yelled as she stepped out the door the rest of the group followed out seeing her stare in awe.
Before all of them was a lake sized body of water with steam coming off of it surrounded by a stone path while in the distance a large waterfall poured down seeming to shower a small patch of trees and flowers near it with a thick line of bamboo that appeared to separate this side from the male side. Looking around the area they saw a few other gems ethier washing themselves, laying on the warm stones that popped up in to water or on the path, or floating in the water without a care in the world. They were pulled back to reality by a splash close to them and seeing Lapis sitting in the water near the edge and close to ththe bamboo with the water coming up to just below her neck.
"Lapis, how is it?" Garnet asked sliding in about a foot away from the blue gem.
"Fine." Lapis replied sounding more relaxed than her usual tone. The rest of the group soon found their own spot sliding, or in Amethyst's case jumping, to relax all giving a relaxing sigh.
"Now this is nice." Amethyst sighed sinking down to where her eyes were above the water.
"I'll say." Connie agreed leaning against a small rock.
"I hate to agree with ya short stuff but it doesn't get better than this." Jasper said leaning against the edge resting her arms on it.
"Oh don't say that yet." A voice said making Jasper lean her head back seeing a small red gem about half the size of Amethyst, she was wearing simple pants and shirt her hair in a tight bun she was also carrying a small bucket full of what looked like soaps and shampoos. "I am Bixbite, can I intrest you in a shampooing?" She
"A what?" Jasper asked.
"Oh you don't know what it is? Well I shall show you, if I may?" Bixbite asked holding up the bucket.
"Uh sure I guess." She said a little hesitant.
As Bixbite got started over on the other side of the bamboo wall we find the male half of the group doing their own brand of relaxing. Steven was in trunks swimming back and forth, Litch was sitting at the edge with his feet in the water in a towel down to his knees, Prism in black trunks appeared to be meditating under the water (or he was asleep who's to say), Tiger in trunks was floating around on a small inner tube, and rounding out the group was Lava who was currently in water up to his chest leaning face first into a rock drifting in and out of consciousness.
"So this like a spa?" Steven asked stopping infront of Litch.
"Yes." Litch answered. "The gems here are happy to treat others they get a sort of comfort from it." Litch explained as a green pearl brought a tray with two cups on it.
"Your Tea, Litch." She said as he took both and handed one to Steven. "And he's right we may not have to do this but we greatly enjoy what we do." She said bowing and walking away.
"Huh so did they do this before?" Steven asked.
"Some but others like-" Litch started but was cut off by the sound of a bucket being set down behind him. turning he saw a large topaz dressed in a standard uniform grabbed his ponytail and undid it beginning to comb through it. "Oh perfect, like Tina here. She used to be one of our greatest soldiers but now she helps out here and loves to work on hair." He explained as Tina turned to Steven before smiling and grabbed him out of the water and turned him to face away from her.
"Is she gonna do mine now or...?" Steven asked just kinda going with the situation as he heard her dig around in the bucket she had brought with her pulling out a bottle squeezing out some into his hair beginning to massage it in forming lots of suds.
"Careful kid thoses head massages have brought down many a gems." Lava said before letting himself sink completely into the water.
"Really? cause I don-OH right there." Steven said in a moan as Tina kept rubbing the shampoo into the young hybrid's hair. Litch chuckled before sliding into the spring himself and closing his eyes.
The two groups spent about an hour in the springs even Jasper seemed to get along with the Crystal Gems. Getting into a playful yet overly rough splash fight with Amethyst and Garnet which came to a end with her splashing a huge tidal wave of water that the two dodged but Pearl to the entire force of. On the guys side they took to a splash and dunk war until they were called by a aquamarine to come inside.
"Wow great call on this Lava." Steven said drying himself off as they returned to the locker room.
"Don't thank me just yet we've got a few more treatments." The large black gem said making a pair of shorts appear on him before he removed the towel around his waist. They moved out of the locker room into a hall where they met up with girls as Lava lead them down to a door and opened to see a candle lit room with a table for all of them to lay on. "Now this is the best part of this, everyone pick a table and let these girls do what they do." Lava said laying on a table as a few gems came out varying from quartz to pearls and even an onyx. As they all took a place a few of them unsure or in few cases a little reluctant to be touched.
"Don't worry girly I won't bite." A quartz said as she began to gently rub Connie's back slowly getting the human girl to relax. The rest of the group getting tended to as well, the most shocking of which was Jasper who was looking a little irritated at the onyx gently rubbing her back.
"I don't see the appeal to this." Jasper growled spooking the onyx.
"Sorry but I've seen less tension in bungie cords." The onyx said scratching her head before snapping his finger. "I've got it, HELGA!!!" She yelled as a very meek looking pearl came running in. "If you'd please?" The pearl nodded with a smile. As she started to work on Jasper she suddenly grabbed the large gem's arm and with a hard twist and yell she cracked some of her joints.
Jasper let out a squeak and then a sigh. "J you good?" Amethyst asked.
"Mmhm...Jasper feel good...like sogairian (so-g-air-i-an) jelly...more please." The orange gem mumbled out as the pearl known as Helga continued her work.
"Huh she made a coherent statement and didn't insult any of us...progress?" Litch asked just getting shrugs from everyone. As the treatment continued for about half an hour they then had a few other treatments: mani, pedi, and a few hair treatments that oddly enough Jasper really liked currently sporting a few braids, beads, and flowers in her hair.
"So can we thank you yet?" Steven asked Lava who smiled and nodded. "Well thanks this was just the best." He said finishing getting dressed with everyone to meet back at the front.
"I figured we all could use a little break, it'll do us good because after The Choosing we plan to hit the training hard." Lava told him as they exited the locker room.
"Really?" Steven asked.
"Yes." Prism answered. "When Drax showed up it was a wake up call." The fusion said summoning his face shield. The group reunited where Mai showed them out saying thank you and bowing which they returned.
The groups met back up and the Black Diamond gems opened a portal back to Steven's house and began saying goodbye but two gems were hesitant to join.
"You guys go ahead I'm gonna hang back here." Jasper said stepping back from the portal.
"What? Why?" Steven asked.
"Look kid I'm not a Crystal Gem and I doubt I ever will be, but here with them..." She gestures to the Black Diamond gems. "It's what I know and it'll be the best for all of us." As she finished Steven when to say something but Garnet stopped him putting a hand on his shoulder.
"We understand and hope to see you again." Garnet said as they turned and walked through the portal leaving Lava, Litch, Tiger, Prism, and Jasper standing there.
"Well then..." Lava spoke up. "We should get you set up in a room then." He smiled gesturing for everyone to follow as they started walking of heading back to The Hidden City.
--Outside Steven's house--
After they returned it got dark, Steven and Connie were asleep, but the gems...not so much. Lapis was standing on the beach looking up at the moon and appeared to be thinking hard.
"It's a big planet, ya know?"
Lapis turned to see Garnet walking up standing next to the terraforming gem. "You might find a place you wanna stay..." Garnet spoke looking at the moon. "But maybe your place is out there..." She continued. "I don't know for sure, what I do know is that if you do leave, make sure to come see Steven he would miss you." The fusion finished before walking back to the house.
Lapis would stay there for a few more minutes before summoning her wings and taking off disappearing into the night sky.
Hey look an actual chapter. Sorry for the wait but working 50 hours a week can really suck the creative juice from you. Next chapter I think we'll have a quick fight or maybe a big one. But until next time.