Focus Jasper

The large gem voiced to herself, clinching the fist she used to strike her best…subordinate. Little fractures lining her fingers only now noticeable when doubled with throbbing pain. She focused on the physical pain to escape the mental. The anguish of the situation. No communication, no ship, no back up.

Just focus on the pain Jasper

The disconnect in her comrades around her. The only actual Diamond allies she had was the traitor that put her through hell. To see her as an ally was a joke in itself. Then here was the Peridot. The Peridot who actually cared about her well-being only for…

Just focus on the pain Jasper

Peridot was no solder and Jasper knew this. There was never a reason to hit her and yet she did. A knot of whatever she perceived as feelings welled up in her chest. Not the fire needed to fight but something less. Was it shame or guilt or…

DAMN IT JASPER FOCUS ON THE…

The ground shook under her once more. Harder, or rather more focused around her. As the large gem reclaimed her footing she closed her eyes and listened. Millions of little scratches. Ripping and clawing the earth under her. As she listened her crash helmet materialized over her face. Not the scratching of many…things. No; they were too unified. All in one big wave. One big single wave.

"Jasper it's not the Crystal Gems!" A nasally voice screamed from behind her. The voice Jasper knew all too well. The large gem opened her eyes wide; looking over to the Peridot.

"Damn it Peridot I told you to stay put!" said Jasper. No not Jasper but a voice under them. Voices like a mixture between moaning, yelling and crying. The ground rumbled more before "it" erupted from the dirt.

Out it shot from the earth. Mandibles followed by the sections open sections of a translucent centipede like body. Slivers of gems embedded into its insides, one for each section. Finally, one right between the countless grey eyes covering its face.

"All of those gem fragments. Did it eat them?" The Insect wailed from its chattering mandibles.; turning its head to Peridot. The shivering green gem covered her mouth, staring deep into the monster's eyes.

"Is it reading my mind?" The beast said and rushed ahead toward the Peridot. With her fingers spinning becoming a propeller. The green gem took off into the sky, barely escaping the maw of the gem creature.

"Peridot fly off and hide!" Jasper yelled before the words echoed back to her from the creature.

"So that's how you see huh?" The monster Yelled before turning around to face Jasper. "Time to be crushed abomination!"

Jasper hated hearing her thoughts voiced back at her. Clenching her fist tight, but winced from the pain. The throbbing in her hand became more apparent to her and now amplified. The little fractured around her fingers cracked open a bit more.

Focus on the pain.

The many voiced of the beast screamed. The gem creature barreled to Jasper. No time to think she put up her hands to brace for impact, only for the beast to crash into her side knocking her away as it kept moving forward. Jasper's body began to glow and flicker. Her head turned to see the monster thrashing around. Her form slowly calmed and kept shape. Still staggered from the impact she slowly rose from the ground.

"How pathetic" The monster stopped and turned its head, chattering again.

Jasper eyes stayed low as she walked careful not to think. Not thinking of the pain, the situation or even the outcome. One step in front of the other until she felt the thrashing prevalent in the air. As she stopped so did the thrashing, and with that she lifted her head. Face to face with the monster. She gripped the gem of the gem monster. Its milky dead eyes staring directly into Jasper's as she dug her fingers around the gem.

The gem beast yelled, thrashing its head up, lifting the Jasper with it. Jasper was flung into the air. Fear should have gripped her, but it was not it. She should have accepted death, but that was not it. For a brief second, all her focus was on the stars. As she was propelled into the air she couldn't help but feel something tugging at her heart. That feeling that was not meant for fighting. This foreign feeling that she always had but never acknowledged. Before she could grasp this sensation, she saw a maw close around her.

Sliding through the gullet of the beast. Swallowed whole and sliding through each section of the body. Its fluids burned her tough skin until she finally stopped sliding. She lay there as the fluids continued to lick over her body. She watched the stars from inside the translucent frame.

"Jasper! Jasper!" The small Peridot screamed, watching her commander inside the beast. Too afraid to land, too afraid to do anything. She was helpless to do anything. No; she was useless here.

The beast slowly dug its way back underground as Peridot watched and unmoving Jasper go with it. Peridot was frozen in the sky. Her world crumbling around her. Had the Jasper truly been this broken mentally? Peridot let out a power yell. A yell that pierced the very sky, no that wasn't Peridots.

"IS THIS ALL THERE IS FOR ME! WHY! WHY! WHY!"

The ground tremored violently cracking open all around the visible area.

"CRUSHING AND BREAKING UNTIL I FALL TO PIECES! IS THAT WHY I AM HERE!"

Yells of pain echoed out of the ground the creams and yells of torment echoing one another.

"I HATE THIS PLANET! I HATE THOSE CRYSTAL GEMS! I HATE THAT LAPIS!"

"Jasper…" Peridot said to herself as she heard the beast, or maybe it truly was jasper this time.

The head of the Gem beast shot from the ground, only to flop down to the side. The Jasper slowly crawling out of its mouth, slivers of gems in her hands. She stood slowly and stared at the beast. It only breathed shallow, unblinking.

I hate you Jasper

Jasper and the beast said and unison as she put her hand on the forehead gem. Squeezing head until it crushed in her hand, poofing the monster.

"Jasper…I …I saw" Peridot said as she landed. Her trembling fear subsiding. "Jasper, you need to retreat back into your gem, that's an order."

Even in her weakened state she would not let the Peridot get away with that. Jasper palm, the dust from the gem escaping into the air. A million things she wanted to say to the Peridot, but they could wait. If anything she still had was her pride as a quartz and she would be damned if this Peridot would control her. No one would control Jasper again.

"You have a lot of nerve Peri…"

Before she could finish her statement, she felt her body breaking; slowly coming apart. Her eyes drifted down as she saw the gem destabilizer dig into her stomach.

"You are no longer fit to lead Jasper" was the last thing Jasper heard before she drifted out of consciousness, retreating into her gem.

A/N

Didn't think I had it in me to continue writing. I lost pretty much all my motivation for writing for a long time, but now I think I have that spark back. Thanks for not giving up on this story like I did. Hope you like this chapter. I rewrote it at least 20 times already lol. I am never writing the word mandible again.