A/N: This will be the last chapter. It will be quite heavy, not like the previous chapters, and serious, despite the uplifting ending of the last chapter. Hmm, maybe I should leave you guys to read and judge. Also, I updated a week early because I'm going away for a month and I didn't want to leave you guys waiting until then. Consider this an early Christmas present if you want (Merry -early- Christmas everyone!). Continuing on~
White Diamond's grim expression did not change. A glimmer of surprise had sparked in her eyes, but it was already gone. Nevertheless, the fusion sprung forth in an attempt to catch her off guard.
Her fist flew towards White Diamond's face, faster than the speed of sound, and a resounding boom echoed through the empty desert. White Diamond, however, dodged it by leaping back, putting some distance between them. The fusion in turn opened her mouth and blasted a stream of pale blue fire at White Diamond, turning the surrounding sand into glass and leaving White Diamond to stand alone in a glossy crater.
When the sand settled down, the fusion was surprised to see an expression other than an artificial smile or a furious frown. It almost seemed like…fear. It was wiped away in an instant but not before the fusion was able to glimpse the alarm on her face.
What had caused it?
The only thing that had changed was Peridot's new and improved metal powers, but that was earlier. She was sure she would have seen alarm on her face before.
Unless…the fire?
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she deftly jumped in again and blew another stream of the hottest flame she could create right onto White Diamond. The fire was hotter than the core of any planet.
She leaped back out to observe the effects of her attack from a safe distance. White Diamond was stooping low on the shiny surface of the glass. Her head lifted and the fusion smothered a gasp.
Her features seemed to grow hazy, and smoke billowed from her visage. It soon disappeared, but the image brought a memory to mind.
Diamonds are simply carbon atoms with more bonds connecting them together to make them stronger. Diamonds may be one of the hardest substances on earth, but it doesn't mean they are indestructible. Really, a popular misconceiver is that they are almost impossible to break, and while that may be true to an extent, it is not the reason for their shatterproof reputation. They are considered hard in that they are notoriously difficult to scratch and cut into precisely. If hit with a hammer with a large enough force, they will shatter.
However, the fusion couldn't see how she could possibly hit White Diamond on the forehead with enough force to break it. Another method would be to drop her from a high enough place and let gravity do the rest, as was how Amethyst cracked her gem previously, but she couldn't imagine dropping White Diamond from a high enough place, and she feared it would be more hazardous for the earth. Not to mention, White Diamond's diamond may actually be harder than diamonds found on earth.
Half the fusion's mind was on the battle as she contemplated what to do. White Diamond appeared to be a little more inclined to stay back, seemingly not noticing the fusion's distracted state, for which the fusion was thankful.
Her mind, or Sapphire's future vision, ran through several scenarios, deftly plunging down various pools of possibilities. Turning up nothing, the fusion gritted her teeth and went after White Diamond. They were exchanging blows in quick succession, and the fusion fought to take control.
They were just barely evenly matched.
A glancing blow caught the fusion's shoulder, and she was sent hurtling several meters back.
Faintly, she could feel a flicker behind her, resonating with her power. A new pool glimmered into view within Sapphire's future vision, and the fusion lit up with determination, a plan forming in her mind.
It was a narrow chance, but there was a way to win.
The fusion acted more winded than she was, and was careful to hide her slight smile of triumph as White Diamond lunged towards her. She kept leaping back, as if she was running, and the smile on White Diamond's face told her she suspected nothing. The presence became closer, and the flicker grew in strength.
When the fusion deemed she was close enough, she vaulted back with a handspring, her hand momentarily connecting with the ground. It was enough to confirm the reserves buried deep underground and to tug them closer to the surface. Her trap set, the fusion carefully manoeuvred to get White Diamond to the right spot.
And…there!
A well placed blow towards White Diamond's arms shielding her chest pushed her several meters back, right on top of an awaiting cage of metal at the fusion's disposal.
Snatching up the opportunity, the fusion snapped her arms up, and before White Diamond could move, they both shot up into the sky.
Up and up they went, air tearing at their bodies. The fusion created a pink barrier in the shape of a rocket's noose cone to improve the aerodynamics as well as to lessen the wind whipping their bodies at such a speed.
The fusion could feel White Diamond straining against the metal, and it took all of her concentration and strength to keep them both escalating. Thankfully, she could feel the shackles of the Earth's gravity diminishing, lightening the load she needed to carry. She didn't quite know when they were finally out of the Earth's atmosphere, but she realised after a little while that they met no resistance as they were propelled further into space.
It was cold in space.
But it was strange because she could feel the burning heat of the sun scorching her side.
As they hurtled through space, the fusion couldn't help but admire the melancholic beauty the billions, trillions of stars radiated. The twinkling pinpoints of light sparkled in their solitary positions, so far removed from the rest of the universe. The deep vastness of space stretched on for as far as the eye could see, barely an object breaking her view.
But…it was lonely.
Stars remained in their locations for billions of years, burning brightly, but to what end? They burned alone. If anything came close, it would burn that up too, perhaps trying to include those objects in its empty life, its possessive gravity resolved to never let go. But it would burn in its unending glory, and the star would once again live on alone.
Nothing to stop it, nothing that can come close. Floating in a vacuum for billions of years.
Alone.
The fusion looked at the star inside its metal cage, silently screaming to be released. Profound sadness overtook the fusion.
She carefully peeled back the bars and watched wearily from a distance. They were both still gliding through space at the same speed. White Diamond, her hand glowing white, blasted her power in the opposite direction, in an effort to stop her advancement to the sun.
It barely worked.
She seemed to realise the danger she was in, and her face cracked into one of fear and rage. Stop me!, her lips seemed to shape, Save me!
It was time to end this, however. The fusion could feel the exposed skin on her face burning, the heat from the sun increasing as she drew closer. Earth couldn't even be seen anymore behind her. All she could see was White Diamond screaming and screaming, her eyes blown wide with fear and her spiky head of diamond sparkling blindingly this close to the sun.
The heat continued to rise, and it felt like she was burning alive, like her body was melting off her gem, and all she could see was the blazing sun searing her without mercy. The relentless, sweltering heat told her she was getting close. Just a little longer now. Her steel bars had already turned liquid a while ago, nothing but a glowing piece of liquid dull in comparison to the dazzling radiance of the sun.
She was waiting to feel the crushing weight of the sun.
Slowly, she could feel the dragging weight before her, her gradually increasing speed. White Diamond seemed to realise it at the same time as well. She screamed and wailed at the top of her lungs, but the fusion couldn't hear it. She looped the bands of hot white metal around her wrists and pulled as had as she could. Slowly but surely, she was decelerating.
Eventually she came to a complete stop, her powers balancing the gravitational force of the sun, but White Diamond continued falling. Her face was screaming at her, begging her to take her back. The fusion stared on with a stoic face.
Inside her mind was a different matter.
'We have to save her, come on guys!' Steven roared at the other gems he was fused with.
'Steven, you know we can't. Once we save her, there's no going back. We will have lost our element of surprise, and she will annihilate us once she's safe. Then she'll destroy earth and everything you care about. Everything you've been working towards, everything you've achieved, your future will shatter. I'm sorry Steven. But she is the one gem we cannot change.' Blue Diamond's voice was placating, but sad, so infinitely sad, a leaden heaviness weighing it down, and she suddenly sounded so ancient.
Steven found that he could say nothing to that. He watched silently through the eyes of their shared body as White Diamond faded into a spec in comparison with the brilliance of the sun.
And then she was gone.
It was all over, now.
The fusion stayed there a moment, whether in relief or grief, one could not tell. But when she turned away to start her journey back to earth, one could not deny the lighter expression on her face.
Maybe things were starting to look up.
The rest of the journey back home went without incident.
The fusion could worry about the future tomorrow. For now, she would savour the peace.
A/N: And that's the end. Thank you to all those who read my fan fiction, your support was invaluable and motivated me to write. Special thanks to Steampunk Wilson for reviewing my fan fiction every chapter. Thank you to my friend polkadot16 for helping me develop this fan fiction, and listening to my rants and rambling about how I may progress my story. If anyone has any requests or ideas for me to write, feel free to leave reviews and I may write another fan fiction if I'm feeling inspired :).