FULL DISCLOSURE
It's a three-year countdown until the next Tenkaichi Budokai. Instead of staying in certain areas like the last two times, Yamcha decides to train while traveling the world. The Gems and Okami accompany him; the seven of them alternate between walking and vehicles, and sleep in small Capsule houses at night.
However, there are a couple of hiccups for the half-Gem.
Yamcha and Bulma talk on the phone every day, and the latter keeps saying she wants to visit him. But every time, Yamcha declines, coming up with different excuses for her to stay at Capsule Corp. and for him to visit instead. And that would work…if he didn't keep getting distracted by his training and 'forgetting' to visit.
Nearly a month into training, Yamcha's on the phone with Bulma again, and she says she wants to visit him. And again, he declines. Instead of accepting it this time, Bulma asks why he keeps doing this. Yamcha tries to use his usual excuses, but Bulma isn't falling for it. She tries to demand an answer out of him, but he ends the call before she can.
Yamcha leaves his phone behind and leaves the Capsule house (located within the Break Wasteland), where the Gems are either in the living room watching TV or making dinner in the kitchen. Once outside, he heads to the edge of a nearby pond, allowing his thoughts to bounce around his head.
Bulma had been killed by Tambourine. He's beyond grateful that the Dragon Balls were able to bring her back to life, but what if something like that happens again? Would they be able to revive her a second time?
He can't stand the thought of her getting hurt again. Being a Crystal Gem is already a dangerous job as it is, but now this whole 'warriors of Earth' schtick is just adding fuel to the fire. What if there's something even worse than Piccolo out there?
Would things have gone differently if he had accompanied her to the Main Hall…Or would Bulma be safer if she just stayed as far away from these things as possible?
Yamcha: "Everybody told me hero stuff's dangerous
I guess I didn't believe it
Until now, I've never felt apprehensive
But now I'm really freaking out
What do I do?
I don't want that for you…
Everybody tells me life is precious
On the planet Earth, and that means you
And I have to protect you
What if you get hurt again?
What do I do?
I don't want that for you…"
Back at the Capsule house, Yamcha's phone keeps ringing on the bed. After a good five minutes of continuous missed calls, Lapis finally walks in and sees that it's Bulma, and answers the call herself.
"What am I going to tell you?
You're better off not knowing the trouble I'm in,
I don't want you to worry about what I've just seen,
About where I've just been
You don't have to be a part of this
I don't think I want you to be
You don't need this
You don't need me…"
Yamcha shakes his head. Perhaps it's best that he keeps this up. He just has to keep finding ways to convince Bulma…
After a while of walking around and letting his thoughts wander, Yamcha returns to the Capsule house and sees that Lapis is missing. He asks about this, and Rose tells him that she flew off, saying she needed to go get something. The group doesn't think much of it.
Almost an hour later, as the group finishes cooking and sets the table for dinner, they hear Lapis return…and with Bulma alongside her.
The bluenette storms up to a surprised Yamcha, demanding to know why keeps avoiding her and dodging all her questions. Yamcha tries to wave it away again, but Bulma puts her foot down, saying she isn't leaving until she gets an answer. The Gem, who are watching this from the sidelines, are admittedly curious as well.
After a few minutes of Bulma backing him into a figurative corner, Yamcha finally blurts out, "I can't let you get hurt again!" This surprises Bulma and the Gems, but it doesn't stop there. It quickly turns into word vomit, with Yamcha admitting how scared he is of something happening to her and wanting to keep her away from all this Gem and warrior stuff.
From the sidelines, Peridot puts a hand over her mouth when she hears this. A certain memory from two years ago resurfaces in her mind…
Once there's nothing more to say, Yamcha and Bulma both remain silent for a few seconds. Then, Bulma quietly tells Yamcha that she's happy he cares so much, but this isn't the way to do it. Despite the danger, she still wants to be by his side. The two of them continue talking, and once the tense mood is cleared up, Bulma says something unexpected.
"I've wanted to say this for a while now: Yamcha, train me."
Yamcha and the Gems all give her a bemused stare. Bulma tells him that she's also scared of something like that happening again, but she doesn't want to stay helpless anymore. Maybe if she had the skills to defend herself, then she won't be harmed or killed again. The Gems think this is a wonderful idea, and Yamcha agrees. Though he warns Bulma that it won't be ease, she merely smirks at him.
"Come on," she practically laughs. "I'm Bulma freaking Brief. You think I can't handle something like this?" (She would later half-regret those words).
OoOoOoO
The next few months are a blur. Bulma joins the group on their trip, and Yamcha takes Bulma's training a bit slow, helping her get used to the various exercises and build up muscle before they do anything extreme. The Gems help out as well, giving her the same individualized training they gave Yamcha years ago.
(And this leads to Yamcha discovering something about himself: he finds muscular women very attractive. A trait he picked up from his father).
But Bulma quickly discovers that, even though she loves her new strengths and skills, all-out physical brawls aren't her thing. It takes a bit of brainstorming, but an idea eventually strikes her while watching a certain superhero movie. She tells Peridot her idea, which excites the green Gem, and the two of them get to work in her makeshift lab (which she carries around in a Capsule).
The idea? Bulma and Peridot are designing and building an armored power suit for the former, one that allows her to fly around and fire plasma blasts similar to the Kamehameha, and made of a combination of Earth and old Gem technology. This project is named the BLOOMA Suit (with an aqua-blue and purple color scheme), and the two geniuses couldn't be prouder of themselves. Of course, they have to go through a bunch of trial and error, but it's worth it.
And they're not the only ones making a few changes.
With Bulma, 'trial and error' is code for 'injuries caused by lab accidents', and as much as he loves her, Yamcha's getting really tired of having to continuously injure himself so he can cry on her wounds. After a while, he gets an idea and decides to test it out.
It takes a little while (and several embarrassing crying sessions from sad movies), but he manages to collect his tears in a small glass bottle with a pipette. A few days later, he gets to test his theory when Bulma walks in with a yet another burn on her body.
Instead of biting his lip again, Yamcha hands her a small cookie. She's confused, but eats it anyways. As soon as she swallows, the burn vanishes. Bulma's in awe and Yamcha's happy his theory worked, revealing that he decided to put some of his Healing Tears in food, adding only a couple of drops to the batter.
Thanks to this, Yamcha can focus more on training and just leave a plate of snacks for Bulma.
OoOoOoO
Time continues to fly by. Bulma and Peridot continue to perfect the BLOOMA Suit; the others watch a few of their test runs, and are impressed when she finally manages to fly and generate plasma blasts. Yamcha, meanwhile, has starting focusing on using his chi alongside physical strength. If he can pull off the Kamehameha, then what else can he do with chi?
But as fun as training is, the downtime between exercising and experimenting is fun as well.
Most of their traveling is done on foot, though they'll occasionally have to use vehicles to reach their next destination. And this is one of those days. The group of eight finds themselves in a Capsule van; Peridot's in the driver's seat and (much to her dismay) they're stuck in the middle of rush hour, surrounded by traffic that's backed up for miles.
"Who taught you how to drive, ya clod?!" Peridot yells as she lays on the horn a few times.
Rose, who is in the passenger seat, pays her companion's rage no mind and is instead looking out the window. "Aww, East City has a panda sanctuary," the pink-haired Gem coos at a nearby billboard.
In the back, Yamcha, Bulma and Jasper have managed to arrange a card game between them, while also discussing some of the films they've been watching. Okami, meanwhile, is curled up and in a deep sleep just a few feet away.
"Is it anything like that one martial arts film?" Yamcha asks as he draws a card from the deck.
"Yeah, but this one had a time-traveling Nazi," Bulma responds, placing a blue 7 on the pile.
"Wasn't that what Indiana Jones was trying to prevent?" Jasper said as she looked through her cards, mentally debating which one to use.
And of course, Lapis and Apache are off to the side, watching the cars around them.
"Beep!" Lapis exclaims playfully as a nearby driver uses their horn.
"Beep!" Apache cries out at another horn seconds later.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!" The two alternate rapidly with each horn, before ending it in unison, "BEEEEEEEP!" Peridot whips her head around to give them the nastiest glare.
Needless to say, it's a long drive.
OoOoOoO
Up on the Lookout, Goku and Chi-Chi learn that training with Katas and Mr. Popo is rather unorthodox and can be quite frustrating.
Meditating to still their minds and hearts…Learning to move quicker than lightning via a death-defying mission to fetch an artifact atop Mount Rumble…Working through a secluded labyrinth to sharpen their concentration…Using the Pendulum Room to learn from great martial arts masters of the past…Sparring with clay versions of themselves to recognize and work through their flaws…Using only their wits and chi to minimize the damage of an erupting volcano…
But they can't deny that they're getting stronger every day.
OoOoOoO
Yamcha, Bulma and the Crystal Gems continue their training trek across the Earth. They've made some amazing progress so far, and their sparring sessions show it. For the past few months, they've been exploring the southwest part of the globe…which is startling to look familiar to two particular Crystal Gems…
While taking a brisk run one morning through the desert, Yamcha and Bulma stubble across a small red sandstone canyon. But that's not what makes them stop running. The canyon is filled with countless, vaguely humanoid-shaped holes and several tall, drill-like machines scattered about.
Yamcha and Bulma explore it out of curiosity, wondering what exactly this place is. While inspecting one of the tall machines, they realize that it resembles old Gem technology…
During the exploration, the duo suddenly hears a pair of familiar voices nearby, and follow them to find Jasper and Peridot. They watch as Peridot hovers up to a particular hole…one that's much larger than the others…
They watch as Peridot heads into the hole for a minute, then walks out and lands next to Jasper. "It's even got frictional rock melt," the green Gem says. "It's glass all the way to the back. They weren't lying, Jasper…I've never seen an exit hole this perfect." The orange Gem just sighs quietly in response.
"Exit hole?" Bulma echoes, alerting Peridot and Jasper to the duo's presence.
They're surprised to see each other, but Bulma cuts straight to the point, asking what exactly this place is. The two Gems glance at each other, as if wondering what to say.
"Well, uh…" Peridot starts out awkwardly. "You see…this place is…"
"It's the Beta Kindergarten," Jasper says bluntly.
Peridot just sighs and explains to Yamcha and Bulma: A Kindergarten is a place where Gems are created. Injectors (the machines scattered about) are filled with special materials that are placed into the ground, which will then draw in the nutrients around it in order to grow and develop. Once a Gem is fully grown, her gemstone will harden and she'll burst out, leaving behind an exit hole.
Yamcha and Bulma are in awe of this revelation, but Peridot continues. Kindergartens completely drain the area of its life force. Nothing will ever grow here again.
It was just one of the many things Homeworld was planning to do to Earth thousands of years ago. But Gems like Holly, Peridot, and so many others felt that this was unfair to the life that already existed here and vowed to defend the planet, even if it meant they could never go back.
And the exit hole they were just inspecting? It's Jasper's.
That last part leaves Yamcha and Bulma nonplussed for a minute. Jasper confirms it; while the rest of their team are from space, she was made here on Earth. And because of her exit hole, Homeworld deemed her a 'perfect cut' the moment she emerged. Their 'perfect soldier'.
This sparks another question from Yamcha and Bulma: How did a 'perfect Homeworld soldier' like Jasper end up joining the Crystal Gems?
Jasper laughs, saying she figured she'd have to tell this story sooner or later…
OoOoOoO
Over 5,750 years ago…
Homeworld was in the early stages of colonizing Earth. However, a group of rebels were delaying the process. As a result, the Beta Kindergarten was left unattended, disrupting the development of the growing Gems. When they finally emerged, almost all of them came out 'wrong'. Whether they were too short, too skinny, or just weren't shaped like a proper Quartz soldier, they were deemed failures.
That is, until Jasper burst out of the wall. The superior Gems around her called her 'perfect', and immediately gave her a mission. Pink Diamond, one of the four matriarchs of Homeworld, would be arriving on Earth soon, and Jasper would serve as her guard.
It didn't take long for Pink Diamond to arrive on Earth, with her Pearl (a Gem made for servitude) alongside her. She had come to Earth for one purpose: to collect some of the beautiful flora before the planet was completely destroyed. Jasper and a few other Gems stuck by her side the whole time.
For the most part, Pink Diamond was gentle and playful, and enjoyed exploring the planet. However, Jasper quickly learned of another side to her. At one point, her Pearl wandered off on her own, which caused Pink Diamond to panic when she couldn't find her.
One of the other Quartzes tried to calm her down, but it ended with Pink Diamond screaming that they find her Pearl. And that scream literally shook the ground and formed cracks in the Quartz's gemstone.
Pink Diamond either didn't notice or didn't care, as she still fretted about her Pearl. Jasper, meanwhile, couldn't take her eyes off the other Quartz, who was clutching her gem in pain and constantly flickering. For the first time, Jasper felt something that…wasn't confidence. She didn't know what this feeling was, but it made her want to run and hide. Two things that Quartz soldiers should never do.
Pink Diamond eventually reunited with her Pearl, but also received news that the rebels had destroyed yet another Homeworld ship. This was getting out of hand. She thought they might die down on their own, but it looks like they'll need to take care of this themselves.
Before she knew it, Jasper found herself accompanying Pink Diamond to the Cloud Arena, a newly-built Gem structure. Pink Diamond summons a team of diplomats to Earth, including a Sapphire (a rare aristocratic Gem with the power of Future Vision) and her three Ruby guards (Homeworld foot soldiers).
Jasper overheard as Sapphire told Pink Diamond her prediction: "I foresee the rebels attacking the Cloud Arena. Before they are cornered, they will destroy the physical forms of ten gems, including two of my Ruby guards and myself. Immediately after my form is destroyed, the rebels will be captured. The rebellion ends here."
Sure enough, mere minutes later, a voice boomed across the arena.
"Pink Diamond! Leave this planet! This colony will not be complete!"
Three Gems descended to the arena. The first was none other than Holly Blue Agate, whip in hand. The second was Peridot, her old Limb Enhancers charged up.
And the third was a tall, broad Gem, one with a pale blue complexion, long hair that covers her eyes, her gemstone located on her navel, and a pair of swords in hand. She is Blue Lace Agate, one of the original members.
"We are the Crystal Gems!" All three of them declare as they land.
The attack goes exactly as Sapphire predicted it. Holly, Peridot and Lace attack and quickly destroy the forms of nine Gems, including two of the Ruby guards. Jasper wishes to join the fight, but stays by Pink Diamond's side instead.
Soon, Lace corners Sapphire and is about to swing her sword at her…only for the last Ruby to jump in and push Sapphire out of the way. A bright light shines, and from it, a single, new Gem emerges, one with a chaotic and brightly colored appearance.
This new Gem shocks everyone, both Homeworld and rebel. However, despite her own surprise, the new Gem quickly takes advantage of her combined skills and strengths. She joins the fight against the rebels, and Pink Diamond takes a particular interest to her.
However, as she watches, Jasper can't help but notice a few things about the rebel Gems. The two Agates seem to…care about the Peridot. That's not something an Agate should do….
With the help of the new Gem, the rebels are all pinned down by the Homeworld soldiers and diplomats. The new Gem grabs one of the Lace's swords and walks over to Peridot, ready to stab her. Holly and Lace start yelling, pleading for her to leave Peridot alone. And that's when it hits Jasper.
That strange, foreign feeling she had earlier…It was fear.
And now, she can see it on the rebels' faces and hear it in their voices.
Fear for not just themselves, but for their companions.
Before she can stop herself, Jasper runs over and punches the new Gem away before she can stab Peridot. Everyone is aghast again. As the new Gem pulls herself up, Jasper can hear her muttering to herself, "I didn't see this…Why didn't I see this…?"
It's only then that Jasper realizes what she's done.
Thanks to Jasper's actions, the three rebels are able to pull themselves away from their captors and destroy a few more Gems. They're not going down any time soon.
"Jasper!" Pink Diamond's voice suddenly booms across the arena. Several cracks form on the floor, ending just a few feet from the orange Gem. Pink Diamond demands to know what she's done, and Jasper finds herself distraught and confused, unsure of why she did that. "You helped a rebel. Tell me, why shouldn't I break you for this?!"
The fear from earlier returns at full force, paralyzing Jasper on the spot.
Then, Holly suddenly grabs her arm and runs, taking Jasper with her as she jumps off the arena, with Peridot and Lace right behind them. Once they're on the ground, beneath the gray skies, Jasper finally gets her bearings.
Jasper demands to know why Holly did that, to which the Agate responds that she couldn't let them shatter her. Jasper is perplexed, asking why would a rebel care about the fate of a Homeworld soldier. To which Holly responds with her own question: Why did a Homeworld soldier care enough about a rebel to prevent her capture?
Jasper finds herself unable to answer that. She doesn't know why she did it. The feeling was just there, and she acted on it without thinking.
Before she can come up with an answer, it suddenly starts raining, much to Jasper's surprise. The other three laugh at her reaction, with Peridot saying that it's just another strange thing this planet does.
"But isn't that wonderful?" Holly asks, smiling at the green Gem. "This world…It's like us. Messy, imperfect…It does things we don't expect and can't understand. But that doesn't make it bad. It makes it unique."
While Peridot smiles, Jasper lets Holly's words sink in. Gems like them weren't supposed to act like this—so familiar and affectionate—yet here they are. And Jasper has to admit…It doesn't feel wrong.
"I've heard of you," Lace suddenly speaks up, her voice unexpectedly soft, surprising Jasper as she grabs her hands. "You're the 'perfect soldier' everyone's been talking about, aren't you?" Jasper nods, and Lace continues. "But despite being 'perfect', you broke away and made your own decision in that moment."
"Yeah," Jasper laughs bitterly. "And now I'm stuck here." There's no doubt in her mind that, if she returns, she'll be shattered on the spot.
"And now?" Holly pipes up. "What do you want to do?"
Jasper gives her a confused look. "What do…I want to do?"
Holly smiles again. "You don't have to follow Homeworld anymore," she says. "From now on, you can do whatever you want."
It takes Jasper a minute to contemplate her words. Whatever she wants…
When a Gem is made, it's for a purpose. They must never deviate from the path they're given. But now…
From there, Holly and the others offer to show her around Earth. Jasper admittedly never paid attention to the flora and fauna around her, as she had been too focused on helping Pink Diamond. But now, she's seeing what Holly meant when she said everything here was 'messy' and 'imperfect'. Plants and animals are different shapes and sizes…Doing whatever they please…
Mountains, forests, rivers, beaches, plains… It's all truly a sight to behold.
Jasper: "It all became so lovely
Those stormy skies above me
Those funny feelings I had never felt before I met you
Maybe I'll stay a while
I'll try to learn to smile
So many colors I had never even known
Maybe I'll find myself sitting on that distant shore
Maybe I'm not alone"
Eventually, Holly and the others bring Jasper to an unexpected plane: The Prime Kindergarten. It was the first Kindergarten planted here on Earth, with the Quartzes here emerging shortly before the rebels made themselves known.
It's only then that Jasper realizes what Homeworld is doing to this planet. Everything before this was so colorful and full of life, so enjoyable…but now, this place is bleak and desolate, any signs of life having been eliminated long ago…
It was what inspired Holly to rebel in the first place. And now, it's sparked something within Jasper…
"Then I see the colors fading
Gentleness of light escaping
Shadows of my fear invading
Have I seen this all before?"
The group soon departs from the Prime Kindergarten, and continue their trek across Earth. During this time, they admittedly get a little playful and adventurous, interacting with various organics and exploring underwater. They truly care about each other, not just themselves. They always find a way to make each other smile and laugh.
And Jasper allows herself to smile and laugh alongside them.
"I know that there's something residing
A terror deep inside me
I couldn't understand how you could be so bold
Maybe I'll find myself smiling on that distant shore
Maybe I'm not alone"
After what seems like days, Holly asks Jasper an important question: "Will you join the Crystal Gems and fight for the Earth?"
Days ago, Jasper would've refused and fought them instead.
But now? How could she not fight for the place where she's free?
OoOoOoO
Present Day
Yamcha and Bulma are both wonderstruck. To think that a simple action could change the course of history…
Peridot adds on that, before the attack on the Cloud Arena, Holly's original plan was to scare every Gem off the planet. But everything changed when Jasper broke away and made her own fate. From then on, Holly wanted to fight for Gems like Jasper, to turn Earth into a safe haven for them.
Bulma asks what Jasper meant by, 'Agates shouldn't do that'. Jasper and Peridot explain that each Gems are given a different purpose when they're formed. Agates were made to lead Quartz soldiers, made to terrify them and keep them in line. Back then, for an Agate to show someone lower than her any compassion was unheard of.
Then Yamcha asks what their Homeworld roles were. Peridots were made to be technicians, Quartzes like Jasper and Rose were made to be fearless warriors, Lapis Lazulis were made to terraform planets and prepare them for colonization, and Gems like Apache Tears were made to hunt down and eliminate anything Homeworld deemed a 'parasite'.
And then Bulma asks who that 'new Gem' was. Jasper reveals that her name was Garnet. She was the first different Gem fusion, and much to the Crystal Gems' chagrin, she ended up being one of Homeworld's most powerful warriors. Though they had one thing to thank her for: the introduction of different Gem fusion influenced the Crystal Gems to do the same.
But the duo has one final question: Who was Blue Lace Agate? Jasper and Peridot both look forlorn for a moment, but explain that Lace was one of the original Crystal Gems, and was a dear friend to them…but they lost her at the end of the War.
Yamcha and Bulma both feel bad for asking, but Jasper and Peridot assure them that it's alright. Despite their losses, they still won the War. Earth has been their safe haven for thousands of years now.
Take a shot of water every time I use the word "surprise" lol
Strong Bulma for the win! This was inspired by MasakoX's "What if Bulma trained like Goku?" She does develop a bit of muscle (in my mind, she looks kinda like Yukina from "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress": lithe yet muscular)
I got the "healing with food" idea while watching Encanto, which has quickly become one of my favorite movies (and this won't be the last time I reference it)
Ah yes, the "Beep" scene…I couldn't resist lol
Yay, we finally got Jasper's backstory! We even got both Pink Diamond and Garnet in here! And don't worry, they'll both show up again eventually!
In this AU, Homeworld utilized different Gem fusion as a weapon after Garnet's creation, though Gems are only allowed to fuse for missions and nothing else (i.e., love)
Thank you so much for reading this! God bless you and have a wonderful day/night/whenever you read this!
But before we leave, here's a quick description of the Crystal Gems' appearances in the flashback:
Jasper – blue Homeworld soldier uniform (same one the Famethysts wear)
Peridot – strapless, forest-green leotard; sleeveless, V-neck parakeet-green crop top, with a black upward-facing triangle in the middle; her old Limb Enhancers and her old visor
Holly Blue Agate – short, sleeveless, V-neck white dress; knee-length indigo-purple leggings; dark blue jacket with a lighter six-point star on the back, and a hood; barefoot
Blue Lace Agate – sleeveless berry-blue top with white trimming that displays her midriff and gem in a diamond-shaped opening; cornflower-blue pants; short black shawl that covers her chest; white boots