A/N: You can thank reader "Vampire Tails" for reminding me to look at exactly what I've had done for this chapter, that being HALF OF THE DARN THING WAS ALREADY DONE OOPS. On a more serious note, I do want to apologize for taking so long to update this. It's been low on my list of priorities admittedly, what with college and drawing. That said, I would also like to thank you for reading this story! Let me know if you like it, yeah? Been a while since I wrote so it might not be the best.
Thanks again for reading! See you around, and have a good day!
(I don't own Steven Universe)
VIII:Momentum, IV
"Pearl?" Steven called out as he ran. Not that he could've been close enough for her to hear quite yet. He'd only been running for a short minute or two, and he last left his companions farther away than that. Better to be safe than sorry, though. "Amethyst?"
Being so concerned with them almost tripped Steven up enough to fall to the ground. He wasn't eager to have to heal his leg again, especially with what the first restoration induced in Amethyst. Thinking, Steven slowed his pace just a tad, trying not to let the sounds of the jungle interrupt his train of thought. They were becoming louder by the second.
Garnet didn't seem convinced about the explanation concerning Amethyst's and his unwarranted fusing. On the surface she might've, but Steven's known the fusion long enough to read past the poker face her sunglasses usually gave her. Obviously, she'd be less knowledgeable about fusing when it came to one-of-a-kind cases like Gem-human hybrids. That part Steven understood. It was just that he was so used to her being the one to look towards for guidance that being given "talk to Amethyst" as the only real advice didn't feel particularly helpful.
Hearing the sounds of the jungle, Steven shook his head, resuming his pace back to the others. He had to hope that Garnet's bubble failing had been the one exception since she collected so many Gems in it. Pearl did have a fair amount in her own bubble, though. The longer he waited, the more likely it was that her bubble dissipated. Not a risk he wanted to push. Steven had to think that bringing back the mother corruption's Gem would placate the other shards enough to prevent them taking their forms, hence Garnet's urgency, but Steven had his own urgency about the state of his companions. Particularly his more vulnerable friend.
As he ran through the trees and bushes, Steven glanced around nervously. Whatever animal-Gems Pearl and Garnet had yet to bubble were becoming increasingly agitated, judging by their volume. The ambient sounds had moved from peaceful to annoyingly noisy. That must've been what Garnet was dealing with, which translated to why she'd stayed behind. Her conviction to maintain the corruptions since yesterday was impressive.
Suddenly, Steven came across a glowing form in the grass, causing him to stop for a second. At the light's center was a solid green jewel, haphazardly misshapen. Before the Gem's body could even come close to taking shape, Steven crouched down and placed a bubble around its form. It took a few seconds for the light to extinguish inside the pink barrier. On instinct, Steven apologized. Just as he put his hand on top to teleport the bubble away, he heard a voice through the trees.
"Get back, you little-" a voice grunted, its exasperation pleasantly familiar. It only took a few seconds for Steven to resume his run through the trees, calling out the names of his companions once again. A distant *poof* echoed through the trees, though a distinct slicing sound calmed his paranoia about whose form dissipated.
Bursting through the brush of green leaves, Steven stumbled to a stop in the small clearing he first left Pearl and Amethyst in. The former of the two was found near the opposite edge, staring down a blue chimp-like corruption, which was staring back. It tried to, at least; not having eyes probably made staring a bit more difficult. Pearl, unintimidated, sliced downwards with her spear, creating another noticeable *poof* among the noises of the jungle. Steven didn't like how much harder it was to hear in this area of the floating island.
Pearl shook her head, then looked to where Steven stood. A genuine relief washed over her agitated features. The tall Gem opened her mouth to speak, then paused suddenly. She whipped around again, striking with her spear into a suspicious patch of grass. Another *poof* followed. As glad as Steven was for seeing his companion okay (her obvious fatigue notwithstanding), he couldn't find Amethyst in the surrounding area.
"Pearl," he started, sprinting again to cross the clearing. He took a few breaths from running, then spoke again, probably interrupting whatever relieved message Pearl was about to give him. "Where's Amethyst?"
Pearl seemed surprised at his concern, taking a moment to lean on her spear. She looked around the clearing for a moment, inciting Steven to do the same in case he somehow missed the dark hair of his friend. He noticed the lack of Pearl's pale bubble in the immediate vicinity during his search.
"She's-" Pearl started before being interrupted again by a vicious screech. In one fluid motion, she lifted her spear and spun it through the air, catching the mouth of some lizard-ike corruption with the blade before it landed deep into a tree's bark. The Gem of the odd creature clattered to the dirt as she spoke, sounding simultaneously urgent and exasperated. "She just left to check on-"
"Steven!" a voice yelled through the trees, sounding more concerned than Pearl was earlier. Being interrupted again didn't leave her too perturbed. Snapping to the noise, Steven looked to the brush he ran through earlier. Some of the grass shook some distance to the entrance's left. He turned just quick enough to see Amethyst duck under another leaping corruption, her dark hair barely clearing the jaws of a small puma-esque Gem. It had more tails than eyes.
Steven's body moved on instinct. He could only register the loud *thrum* his shield emanated after he heaved it towards the corruption, impacting and subsequently dissipating the Gem's body in the next instant. The momentum of his shield carried it far into a tree past his target. If he wasn't running back to Amethyst's side in the next moment, he would've registered her impressed expression. Her features relaxed after a proper look over Steven. A similar sequence passed over his own features, noticing that she was still fine, save for the odd changes from before. Black hair, reddish-tanned skin, and a couple of subtle freckles adorning her cheeks.
"Thank the Kindergarten," Amethyst breathed out, shaking her head. Her tone couldn't have been more appreciative if she tried. Hearing her voice alone alleviated some of Steven's worry, though some of it unfortunately persisted regardless. "You're okay. I was just heading to see ya, got worried when P's bubble fritzed out."
For a few moments, Steven felt unable to respond. Seeing Amethyst directly was a hefty reminder of what he had yet to discuss with her, that being the odd accidental fusion their shared hybrid quality must've caused. The next thing that came to mind was exactly how different she'd become since yesterday, and it was far from being an easy topic to bring up. Thankfully, hearing the noises of the jungle gave Steven enough of an idea on what to say first, though not before accruing an odd look from Amethyst due to his hesitation to speak in the first place.
"We have to go," he told his companion, concerning himself with leaving first. Pearl would probably be appreciative of his priorities, as would Garnet. Steven hummed dutifully, reaching a hand towards Amethyst's to lead her to the warp pad. The Gem eyed his sudden grip, recoiling slightly before moving her eyes back to Pearl. She was leaning up a tree again, taking a brief rest.
"What about Pearl?" Amethyst asked, a worried frown bringing her eyebrows together. The exposed eye Steven could see gained a shred of the usual care Amethyst usually did her best to hide. Given how long Pearl had been on this island, it wasn't really out of place for Amethyst to be openly concerned. Honestly, Steven was a little worried too. Gems did have their limits. Amethyst glanced back at Steven, still frowning. "And Garnet? She doin' okay?"
Aside from her inability to match his explanation for fusing, Steven had to think that Garnet wasn't in any immediate danger. Associating the term "danger" with "Garnet" didn't usually mean she was the one Steven worried about. He nodded, taking a brief look at the jungle's foliage before facing Amethyst again.
"Yeah," he told her. There was an odd combination of confidence and urgency in his voice. He could guess as to why. "Garnet's okay for now. She said to get the mom's Gem back."
Unexpectedly, Amethyst scoffed at the idea. "After what happened gettin' her in the first place?"
Steven opened his mouth to offer his own explanation on Garnet's task, but Amethyst wasn't finished speaking. Technically, she was, but the sudden gasp she let out halted his words well enough. Amethyst suddenly placed a hand on Steven's shoulder before pushing him down into the grass, exclaiming "Duck!" like it was the single most important word in the English language. Taking the hint, Steven followed after her motion, instantly crouching to the ground and assuming a defensive pose.
A loud *thrum* echoed through the jungle, though Steven's shield was still lodged into a nearby tree. He brought up his arms in a brace, seeing Amethyst do the same and expecting some nondescript impact on his back. Something definitely hit behind him, though he didn't feel anything make direct contact. All that he noticed was the noise of a collision.
Confused, Steven risked lowering his arms for a moment, looking around. The shadow over his surroundings seemed too familiar to pass off. Amethyst untensed herself after a brief delay, straightening her back. She looked behind Steven, as if trying to find what had apparently taken a mad leap at the curly hair of his head. Steven took the inspection as a sign he could safely untense himself. This let him look around at the odd bubble he found surrounding them, putting a dark tint on the jungle around them.
It wasn't unlike the first strange one he'd landed with Amethyst in. Instead of a usual pink, the surface was dark and purple-like, rough to the touch. On the outside was a dazed corruption, still staggering from impacting the bubble instead of Steven. The usual loudness of the jungle's agitated denizens sounded muffled. For a second, Steven turned back to Amethyst, tilting his head in sheer befuddlement. She stared back, her hand still tense on his shoulder, at as much of a loss for words as he was. To say she was confused was an understatement.
Steven could see Pearl move around the dark barrier, her own confusion evident on her tired features. She inspected the bubble the entire time, even as she dealt with Steven's attacker in one swift thrust of her spear. After a subtle *poof*, the hand on his shoulder relaxed. Somewhat.
The bubble around them began dissipating just after, its surface peeling away into the air itself. Amethyst only stared at Steven the entire time, and he returned it with his own confused gape. There was definitely something to talk about there. Steven added it to the list of topics, though he'd be lying if he said he knew where to put it in terms of importance.
"What…" Pearl uncertainly began, noticing the same oddity Steven and Amethyst participated in. Not much of an explanation was offered. Regardless, the Gem shook her head, ignoring the oddity in favor of their current predicament.
"Garnet and I will deal with these again," she told them, trying to put a bit more force into her voice. Between her lackluster success at a confident tone and the weirdness of Steven's latest bubble, he was hesitant to listen. The opposite effect seemed to occur to Amethyst as she poured all her attention on what Pearl was saying. Steven had the idea it was a better focus than the other alternatives. "If she told you to bring the parent's Gem back, then that's the top priority."
Amethyst replied first, beating Steven to the offer he was about to propose.
"Why don't you come with?" she questioned, returning her hand to Steven's. It took a second for him to remember he likely had a better idea of where the island's warp-pad was, which meant she was letting him lead the way in her grip. Amethyst treated the contact trivially, passing over it like it was nothing. It was, probably. "Thought you'd get sick o' this place by now."
Pearl offered a sarcastic laugh. "'Sick' is an understatement," she told Amethyst, doing her best to shrug off her fatigue. The tall Gem paused for a moment, tensing. Then she whipped around, launching her spear into some of the tree branches above them. A few seconds of tense silence passed as a few leaves gently glided to the ground. Then, a small blue Gem clattered from the branches towards the grass. Pearl caught it in one hand, putting it into its own bubble as she drew another spear with her other hand. "But we have to make sure they don't leave the island. The last thing we need is these corruptions migrating to human settlements frenzied."
That seemed like a worthwhile priority. Amethyst didn't seem to like the fact, though. She mulled over it for a moment, listening to the clamoring of the jungle. Steven tightened the grip on her hand for a second, moving his eyes to hers.
"We'll be fast," he told her. Arguably, his assurance could've been directed towards her or Pearl, but both of them seemed appreciative. Amethyst hummed like Steven had earlier, nodding towards Pearl. Though still fatigued, the tall Gem crouched down to the ground to place Steven's would-be attacker in her own bubble.
"Won't even know we left," Amethyst told her confidently. After a lingering look on Pearl's form, she turned towards Steven, evidently wanting to ask something. Then she shook her head, evidently thinking against it at the last second. There were too many valid questions for Steven to accurately assume which one was on her mind. She motioned forwards with her open palm, still holding to Steven's hand with her other.
"Ladies first," she told him.
Steven held the direction in his mind about as tightly as he held to Amethyst's hand. They fell into a natural run, though it wasn't the fastest Steven could've moved. Racing Amethyst would have to come at another time. She didn't appear to agree, quickly moving in front of Steven and becoming his lead over a minute or two. He did his best to pull back as he ran, faking a slower pace for Amethyst's sake (ironically enough). Whatever she had to say about the motion didn't leave her lips.
Though there weren't as many Gems on the way, Steven was tense the whole path back. Not just for Amethyst potentially ignoring her newfound limits as a Gem-human hybrid, but for the growing agitation of the Gem-animal hybrids surrounding them. More than a few times did Steven sprint ahead of Amethyst to get the both of them to stop, fearing some large corruption or amalgamation of Gems in their way. The majority of them scampered in random directions, though, and the ones that were aggressive weren't all that dangerous. At the same time, it didn't take a whole lot of danger in the first place for Steven to stop and raise a cautious hand in front of his partner. Each time made her odd look more and more noticeable, but she still didn't say anything of it.
The pattern continued as they half-jogged/half-sprinted towards the warp-pad, Steven drawing out a mental map of where Pearl and Garnet were with every stop. Amethyst glanced around occasionally, pointing out the familiarity of their surroundings whenever Steven shooed or struck away a smaller corruption that was being a little too aggressive. Eventually, she spoke up, slowing her pace for a moment and forcing Steven to do the same.
"I appreciate the sentiment," she finally told him on the fourth time he forced them to stop. After another kick at the lizard-like corruption, Steven turned towards her, broken from their run. Despite the growing heat accompanying their sprint, he still held onto his companion's hand. She reciprocated the grasp, even tightening it a little as she spoke between rushed breaths. "But these small fry... ain't that dangerous, Steven."
Being caught up in both the Gems' mission and his own, Steven was slow to respond. Their running had the subtle benefit of taking his attention, but that also meant a more difficult time in replying to Amethyst quickly. Seeing the suspicion on her features only served to delay his mouth further, mostly because of what the spots on her features reminded him of. Amethyst took his silence as some severe epiphany, and shifted her hand around his again.
"I get it," she continued, her tone surprisingly sincere. In all honesty, Steven hoped she didn't get what was preventing him from speaking, as that was something he wanted to word himself. Misinterpreting anything so important to maintaining their closeness turned into a very real fear over the past half-hour or so. Steven opened his mouth to ask his own question, though Amethyst spoke first. "I know you're worried. But we gotta get that Gem thing ASAP."
Some of his gasps of air lingered as he digested her words. There was some truth to her statement, considering how the floating island's population was only growing larger and larger by the second. Plus, the corruptions that already regenerated only took a swipe of a shield be knocked into a safe distance. Half the time they dissipated on impact. He'd hate to wait around for something stronger to regenerate.
That should've been his number one priority; the sooner that the mother's Gem made it back to the island, the sooner Pearl and Garnet could afford to leave it. And that should've been the reason for Amethyst and him running back to the island's warp-pad. But now that he had a moment to stop, Steven realized that their brisk pace was more due to getting Amethyst to safety more than anything else. Something as important as a corrupted amalgamation wasn't nearly as important as getting his companion away from its offspring, despite how capable she's proven to be. Steven hesitated for a second.
"...you're right," he told Amethyst. Barely, his hand loosened for a second, though Amethyst still held on. Her eyebrows creased together at the regretful tone. Steven didn't let that halt his vocal cords again, despite how impactful the mere sight of her grimace was on his own mood. "Sorry. Let's go."
With a dutiful hum, he motioned forwards with his head. He sneaked one last glance to Amethyst's features, trying his best to ignore the black of her hair and reddened tan of her skin. Amethyst read him enough to hum herself, this time letting him lead the both of them. He ran a tad faster than before, keeping his eyes on the foliage in front of them. In spite of his own internal complaints, he tried for a real sprint, hoping that wouldn't do too much to agitate Amethyst's condition. She matched his speed perfectly.
Thankfully for him, the warp-pad wasn't much farther from where their minor exchange took place. It made his faux conviction that much easier to fake. Something told him Amethyst read through it regardless, though. The moment they made it to the clearing, Steven slowed to a halt, partially for his own sake. As much as he enjoyed how persistent Amethyst's grip was, his body forced their grasp to split so he could put his palms on his knees. Again, Amethyst matched him, moving to a tree as she caught her breath.
"Didn't have to kill us running," she told him after a couple deep breaths, "but A for effort." The heat of the jungle didn't help. Knowing Amethyst, Steven had to guess she was joking, though he still felt a little bad. After his own huffs for breath, he threw one hand up in the air.
"Sorry," he apologized again, his chest still heaving complaint. Maybe he went overboard in taking Amethyst's words. She waved a hand in the air, looking back towards the path they took. There didn't seem to be as many Gem corruptions this close to the warp-pad.
"Ah, don't sweat it," she shook her head. One of her hands had moved from her knees to her side, gripping it lightly. "Could use the exercise anyways."
Abruptly, Amethyst snorted in some brief laugh, attracting Steven's attention. "Aw, don't tell me I gotta start worrying 'bout my shape, now."
Steven only shrugged as his breaths gradually slowed. They'd cross that bridge when they got to it. There were too many other bridges to worry about for the time being. Ironically, the one that got them to pause was currently the closest. Steven eyed the warp-pad as he stood up straighter. The gleaming glass shone prominently amidst the few rays of sunlight beaming through the trees above, making it seem cartoonishly reassuring. Looking at it for a moment, Steven frowned. He turned to his companion.
"Do you hear that?" he asked her abruptly, now much more attentive. Amethyst didn't understand the question right away, stepping away from the tree to strain her ears upwards. The jungle was quiet.
"...no?" she eventually answered. Unsure, she glanced around, still understanding something was off. Their rushed breaths had been the only real noise of the jungle's clearing; now that they more-or-less returned to a normal pace, there wasn't anything to replace the sound.
"Exactly," Steven returned, tense. After the agitation and aggression of the floating island's denizens, a stark lack of angry corruptions felt comparatively worse. Amethyst agreed, now looking back to the warp-pad.
"We should probably-"
A low shake from the trees beside them interrupted her. Both Gems froze, looking towards the dense brush alongside each other. On instinct, they stepped a tad closer to the other, finding their fingers intertwined again over the next few seconds. Nothing could be found inside the jungle's dense brush.
Amethyst's grip tightened suddenly, almost crushing Steven's palm in hers. She whipped back towards the warp-pad, jolting towards it with another burst of energy. Steven followed after a short delay, still eyeing the foliage for one more second. That turned out to be a good move. Eyes wide, he rose his open palm, leaping straight into Amethyst's side at the same time.
His bubble barely rose in time to absorb the corruption's impact, immediately smashing its glassy surface into Steven's back before propelling he and his partner through the grass of the clearing. Disoriented, he did his best to maintain his grasp on Amethyst as they tumbled around in the pink barrier, eventually coming to a stop after hitting some trees opposite to the clearing's entrance. It took another few seconds for the Gems inside to come to a stop.
Groaning, Amethyst raised a hand up to the back of her head, moving slowly. Steven lay on top of her, still gripping tightly. Sudden adrenaline only allowed him to feel the soreness of his back after a lengthy delay. Amethyst let out a slurred question on his condition, trying to sit up in their bubble. Steven's weight likely didn't help. After sitting up himself, he repeated her question, not once bothering to answer it. Thank goodness, she seemed mostly fine. As fine as a Gem could be after turning into a pinball.
Amethyst shook her head, looking past Steven towards their attacker. He followed her eyes, hearing another groan escape her lips. It sounded more exasperated than pained. The source of her irritation moved through the brush slowly, still about where it'd struck the both of them.
A monstrous mass of a leg crashed through the trees, splintering a swath of branches outwards onto the grass of the clearing. Another leg soon followed, about the opposite color and just as dangerous looking. Steven's heart sank as he recognized the corruption. Not that one specifically, but it was too reminiscent of the corruption they'd fought yesterday for Steven to identify it as anything other than the mother's sister.
"What, are you the aunty now!?" Amethyst called out towards it, her voice likely muffled from the barrier. Steven slowly rose from Amethyst, staring through the pink tint as the corruption moved into the clearing. It seemed smaller than yesterday's target, but not by much. Some of its hide glowed, like it was still in the process of forming. Simultaneously bat-like and boar-like. Without much thought, Steven moved towards it, purposefully putting himself between the corruption and Amethyst. Obviously, she noticed as much.
In a silence that only matched his, she rose from the bubble's surface. Barely, Steven could feel her place a hand on his shoulder, gripping it lightly. He didn't turn around, but did glance at his companion from the corner of his eye. Even a brief look told him how determined she was.
"Round two?" was all she asked, sounding just as determined as her expression. The grip on his shoulder tightened, both Gems watching the corruption. It moved sporadically, occasionally gnashing its haphazard mouth towards the still-glowing portions of its hide. It didn't seem as well-put together as its counterpart, both mentally and physically. Hesitating, Steven moved his eyes from the corruption to to the warp pad between the three of them. It couldn't have been more than thirty or so yards away.
Still Steven hesitated.
"I'm asking to fuse," Amethyst spoke bluntly. She moved a little to Steven's side in an effort to eye him more straight-on, still keeping her hand on him. Steven's posture wasn't frozen, exactly, but he still didn't move at the direct clarification Amethyst had gave him. "Smoky beat her big sis. We can do this."
The corruption was gradually swaying itself towards them, only making the warp-pad's location more and more dangerous with each passing second. Briefly, Steven glanced at the gleaming surface, then to Amethyst's features.
"No," he finally answered. He stepped aside for a moment, moving away from Amethyst's hand to grip it with his own. The surprise on her face was so extreme Steven half-expected he'd get slapped if Amethyst wasn't so befuddled. He explained as his barrier dissipated. "We only need to get to the warp-pad."
Only someone as close as Amethyst could follow after Steven as soon as she did. Despite how unexpected his denial was, Steven had little difficulty in leading her forwards, watching the corruption closely as he stepped through the branches broken from earlier. There were so many splinters that it was a hazard in its own right. They could only make it four steps through the grass before the corruption spotted them, unnaturally snapping its maw towards them. It planted the massive trunks of its legs deep into the earth of the island, then paused.
Amethyst's experience was the sole reason either one of them could've reacted in time. With a drastic shove, she pushed Steven towards the ground, diving to the earth herself. Some smaller splinters of wood cut into his arms as they hit the grass, and Amethyst's own pained exclamation told Steven she suffered a similar fate. It was still preferable to getting hit by the torrent of stone and dirt launched at where they were standing a second ago. Shaking his head, Steven jolted his eyes towards his companion, finding her some distance away from him. It was only a few yards, but any distance was cause for panic.
"Amethyst!" Steven called out, moving to get up from the ground. He stumbled from the broken wood's sting on his arms, his eyes glued to Amethyst's. Then he noticed the wide-eyed panic she had in her eyes.
"Move!" she called out to him, even cupping her hands around her mouth despite their meager proximity. A fraction of a second later, Steven understood her urgency enough to look back to the corruption. All he could see was the looming shadow of its arm raised high above him. His arms shot out solely on instinct.
The mass of Gem collided with his bubble like a meteor, slamming with such impact it shook the surrounding trees. Before he could hope to catch his breath, Steven witnessed the corruption's other leg sweep into the side of the bubble with about as much ferocity, rocketing the pink sphere (and its contents) back against the edge of trees surrounding the clearing. The next impact was harder to remember, though it was definitely head-first. Not a good sign.
Similar to Amethyst's first reaction, Steven groaned, trying to clear his head from the sequence of collisions against bubble's interior.
"Steven!" Amethyst's worried voice shouted over the corruption's. It wasn't as muffled as Steven would've thought, based on the other bubbles of the day. The recognizable pink disenchanted itself as Steven struggled to find his footing. Something in his head felt like it was ringing. Up in front of him, he could see the corruption momentarily struggling against itself, lashing again at the un-formed portion of its surface. Past that was Amethyst, who began moving in a large berth around the corruption.
"Why isn't she using the warp-pad?" Steven heard himself think amidst the loud ringing in between his ears. She was much closer to that than the corruption. It was the safest option. Why wasn't she taking it?
The Gem took a few steps towards him; the distress on her features was achingly recognizable from such a distance. While the corruption continued swaying and swiping at itself, Amethyst quickened her pace towards Steven, barely giving any attention to their attacker. Thank goodness, the Gem's nondescript movements added to the distance between everyone instead of subtracting from it. Steven tried closing the distance towards Amethyst himself, but stumbled again over a few broken branches and splinters. The noise in his head hadn't diminished by any real degree.
Abruptly, the corruption swept the trunk of its neck towards Amethyst, halting its stomping. She froze, hearing the lack of noise. The multicolored monster let loose a bone-shaking roar before planting its feet deep into the earth again. Rather than rip up the ground itself, the Gem broke out into a sprint towards Amethyst, lowering its malformed horns in a violent charge through the grass. It wasn't that scary in its own right, given Steven's experience; it was the direction the corruption took that made his blood run cold.
Seeing the same thing he did, Amethyst instantly tried backpedaling to get out of the way. Steven didn't have any idea if she would or even could get to a safe enough distance away from the corruption's path. He was already running towards her by the time he could register the corruption's imminent impact. His own momentum caused him to more-or-less slam into Amethyst's half-prepared arms, feeling something sharp run across his back as they both left the ground. Beyond that was an incredible heat radiating outwards, washing over his skin. The jungle went white.