CHAPTER 14: OLD MEMORIES

The bolt came from a tall figure which appeared from behind the cylinder, in fact, as soon as the light was turned on, she stretched her long, thin arm towards the group, ready to strike. Everyone managed to move… except for Peridot… as she turned around and saw the bolt coming towards her, she remained motionless. Peridot closed her eyes, ready to feel the bolt hitting her… but instead of feeling herself being electrocuted, she felt herself being pushed away. When she opened her eyes, she noticed she was on the ground… Pearl over her.

"W-what? P-Pearl? I-I-" Peridot muttered in disbelief.

"We don't have time for this… now come with me! While Garnet, Amethyst and Lapis keep her busy… we can reach the container and charge the shard…" Pearl said as she helped Peridot up.

"Amethyst! Go!" Garnet yelled as the tall figure sent another bolt towards them.

Amethyst began to rush towards her and as she was half way from her, she performed her spin dash attack. As she spin dashed, the figure tried to hit Amethyst sending many bolts towards her, but she managed to dodge all of them… until she jumped over her and tried to slash her with her whip. As soon as the whip descended towards her, the figure grasped it and made Amethyst twirl in the air a few times… before sending her fly towards Lapis, knocking the two of them to the ground.

"Amethyst! Lapis!" Steven yelled as he reached the two of them.

"Why are you fighting? You know that you don't stand a chance against us… and even if you defeat us… what will you do when other gems will come to shatter you?" The tall figure said as Garnet rushed towards her.

"It doesn't matter even if the whole Homeworld will come here! As long as we'll put our hearts together… we can't lose!" Garnet yelled as she began to threw punches at her opponent.

"You… are… a… fool!" The dark figure said as she dodged all of Garnet's attacks before hitting her straight in the face.

"Haven't you realized it? You can't win… you should be the less determined… after all… I bet there isn't a single future in which you and your worthless friends survive…" She said as she moved her hand under her cloak… where a faint glow appeared. Suddenly, from under it, she pulled out a long, broken sword, the tip was missing and the blade was damaged, but… it was still a weapon… and with it she could have easily shattered Garnet.

"You're wrong!" Garnet cried as the figure placed her foot on her chest.

"Oh really… can you prove it to me?" The figure said tittering evilly.

Garnet smiled slightly as she raised her head, watching towards Pearl and Peridot. As she watched them, the figure turned around for a moment and stared in disbelief as she saw Peridot opening the container, revealing the spherical, bright yellow core. In that moment, Garnet grasped the figure's leg and made her fall to the ground.

"There's still hope!" Garnet cried as she raised her gauntlets in the air, ready to strike her opponent.

"Let's see how they'll keep you safe now…" The figure said chuckling.

It all happened in a moment, Garnet tried to turn around but before she could do it, a white blade emerged from her chest. A thin figure, which passed unnoticed until that very moment, managed to get behind her… Black Pearl managed to strike Garnet down…

"S-Steven…" Garnet managed to whisper before disappearing into clouds.

"Garnet!" Everyone cried as the leader was taken down by the black gem.

"Well done servant… now… make the one who betrayed you suffer the same pain you have endured…" The dark figure told Black Pearl as she pointed at Pearl, before turning towards Steven.

"Steven! Stay behind me!" Lapis said as her wings appeared from her back.

"Lapis no! There's no water down here! H-how are you going to fight?!" Steven cried as he grabbed her wrist.

"It doesn't matter! I'm not going to let that monster hurt you!" Lapis yelled back as the dark figure approached them… sword in hand.

"Come on little witch… what do you think you can do against me? I'm superior to- argh!" The dark figure managed to say before Lapis flew towards her at an incredible speed, dodged her sword and kicked her right in the face.

"Did I interrupt your monologue?" Lapis said as she kept flying around her.

"You're lucky I'm in this state… but don't think you stand a chance against me… even with only one arm… I'm still going to shatter you…" The figure replied as she began to rush towards the blue gem.

"Okay… now we just have to plug the adapter into the core and... w-what out! Behind you!" Peridot yelled as she saw Black Pearl running towards them.

Pearl turned around just in time to block the black gem's attack, who jumped over her and tried to slash her opponent with her sword. Even if Pearl was fast and managed to block all of the black gem's attacks, as time passed they didn't get slower or less intense.

"Why are you doing this?! Stop! You don't need to fight against us!" Pearl cried as she dodged another attack.

"STOP TALKING! I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!" Black Pearl yelled back as she attacked furiously.

"W-what? What are you talking about?!" Pearl said, confused by her opponent's words.

"As if you don't remember! But my mistress remembers everything about your dirty leader and how she decimated our kind only because of her lust of power! And she told me how you betrayed me and abandoned me in this horrible place!" Black Pearl shouted as she tried again to attack.

But this time, as she tried to slash Pearl, the white gem managed to disarm her and push her to the ground, the tip of her spear hanging on the black gem on her opponent's forehead. Pearl had won, but… there was something that was preventing her from pushing her spear a little more forwards… a memory she had buried deep in the recess of her mind…

"Y-you… n-no… it… it can't be…" Pearl muttered as she looked straight in the black gem's eyes.

"C-come on… do it… w-what are you waiting for?! T-take everything from me! Take my life away! Y-you did it before… j-just… end this… I… I can't take this anymore…" Black Pearl whispered as tears started to stream down her face.

"D-do you really believe what that monster told you?" Pearl said as she began to raise her spear.

"W-what are you doing?! Kill me! Y-you won't have another opportunity to strike me down…" Black Pearl said as she grabbed Pearl's spear… but Pearl immediately ripped away from her hands.

"Answer me!" Pearl cried as her own tears began to stream down her face.

"W-what? O-of course! She is my mistress! She freed me! She would have never lied to me!" Black Pearl shouted as she stood up and summoned another sword… ready to attack.

"I… I didn't remember you… until now… I guess… that memory was too painful for me to live with… but now I remember you… don't you remember me?" Pearl said softly as she lowered her weapon.

For a single moment, Black Pearl remained silent, did her mistress tell her the truth? She couldn't remember the gem she was fighting, but she remembered her? If only she could remember… that was the moment when Black Pearl felt a sharp pain in her head… a pain so great to make her cry… every time she tried to remember… images of her mistress appeared in her mind… followed by a terrible pain.

"Stop it!" Black Pearl cried as she began to attack again, but this time… Pearl didn't raise her spear…

Black Pearl's sword sliced through her arm, making Pearl loose her weapon. In front of this gem, Pearl couldn't do anything… she remained motionless… a memory of an old friend blocking her from doing even the slightest movement. Black Pearl raised her sword again, ready to strike one last time. It would have been the end of the white gem… if it wasn't for a bright… green… sphere of energy… which hit Black Pearl right in her chest… making her fly towards the room's wall… Pearl turned around and saw the one who saved her life… Peridot… who was breathing deeply… her hand turned into a blaster.

"Come on! Give me a hand! We don't have time!" Peridot yelled as she held the adapter's hose in front of Pearl.