Thoughts of Lapis Lazuli
I can't help thinking they might be here for me. When they finally found and took Jasper 5 months ago we never found out what happened to her. I didn't steal anything and the past 4 attacks have been focused on "Reclaiming what the Crystal Gems stole", but what if this time they want me. I feel so paranoid every time something goes wrong and I try to hide it but… No, I can't be worrying right now, the enemy is right there. I'm glad none know the weather is changing because of me, on Homeworld there isn't much water or any weather, but to any other Lazuli would be able to tell how worried am I internally. The clouds are graying around us and the ocean waves are getting larger, this is it. I need to calm down before…
The large triangular ship hovered 50 ft above the shore, a square hole opened from the bottom of the ship and a tall silhouette came forward. "Crystal Gems, this is your final chance. Return the experiment and you will not be shattered."
Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet looked at each other in slight confusion then back to the gem above.
"We don't have whatever White Diamond is missing, leave Earth now or we will not hold back." Garnet yelled back up.
"So be it." The hole closes up and the ship nearly falls onto the Crystal Gems, they four jumping out of the way in different directions. The front of the ship opens and lets down a set of stairs, at the top is Yellow Topaz, a fully armored thick regal looking gem a certain air about her that brush caution into the atmosphere.
"Crystal Gems…" she looked out to the four studying their positions, "Goodbye."
From the top of the ship rose Yellow Diamonds crew of fighting gems.
Pearl was the first to freeze and drop her weapon, Amethyst was next, , then Garnet, and Lapis took an even more defensive stance as the wind howled louder. Standing on the ship were 5 Turquoise gems, each the height of a Ruby and all wearing helmets. Next to them was a Jasper, nearly the same as the one who held Lapis prisoner, but with slightly different markings. And the crown gem herself, a Rose Quartz. This pink gem didn't particularly look like their "Rose Quartz", but the resemblance was close enough. She wore bulky armor and a helmet pulling back her hair and covering the top part of her face, her clothes were white still, but much more practical than a flowing dress.
"G-garnet?" Pearl looked in the wise gems direction.
"It's not her. That IS NOT our Rose Quartz!" Garnet yelled, visibly shaking.
"Surprised?" Yellow Topaz walked forwards and clapped twice, signaling the fighter gems to come down from the ship behind her.
"H-how? How could you have known?" Lapis kept her defense up as the waves tugged at the ship.
Yellow Topaz smirked, "Ah, Lapis Lazuli of sector 37 cut 281. Information is easy to find usually, Jasper here was just a guess since you and her went missing unreported by the Rubies who came back empty handed. This, however, is one of the last few existing Rose Quartz gems too." The Crystal Gems froze. "After your little obstruction in the expansion of our empire, the Production of Rose Quartz Gems was terminated, and those left are kept on tight leashes."
Garnet re-summoned her gauntlets and clenched her teeth.
"It's a shame really, you are valuable soldiers, but once again, I must bid thee farewell." Yellow Topaz motioned forwards and the fighting gems immediately sprung forth. Jasper punched at Lazuli's defense, working away a thin wall of ice. The Turquoise seemed to leap forward at once while fusing and stomping down in front of Garnet. The Rose Quartz marched to where Pearl and Amethyst stood, simply posing with her sword.
At once the action broke free, Amethyst braced Pearl as she defended against the Rose Quartz gem, who attacked at a steady pace. Garnet dodged multiple slow but powerful hits from the Turquoise fusion. Lapis flew just out of Jaspers reach, trembling and too afraid to move lower.
"Pearl!" Garnet shouted, "You have to fight back!"
Pearl looked to where the pink gems eyes would be if they weren't covered by a helmet, "I-I can't! She looks like her!" Pearl's eyes began to water, "She looks too much like Rose…"
"Amethyst!"
The purple gem shook her head roughly, "Garnet's right, it isn't her." Amethyst drew back her whip and caught the sword mid-swing.
Meanwhile, Lapis was still half frozen in mid air, she threw weak water attacks as the storm began to thunder, "Get away! Never again! Stay away!" Lapis flew to the other side other beach, where Garnet was.
Garnet looked around, physically the teams were fairly even, as Yellow topaz stood behind them watching. Emotionally, they stood no chance, she knew none of the three original gems would be able to hurt the Rose Quartz seriously; and Lapis is terrified and traumatized after her time with Jasper. She looked up at Lapis and got an idea.
"Lazuli! Switch with me!" Garnet dodged another blow by the 35 foot fusion.
"W-what?!" Lapis looked down to Garnet, then to the Turquoise… who was right next to the ocean. "Got it!" She summoned two large water arms and caught the wrist of the hand about to smash Garnet.
In turn, Garnet caught Jasper after the orange gem lept for the too high up blue gem, and threw her into a rock further up shore. She ran after the gem and kicked her across the beach before she could rise again.
Pearl looked up to the Quartz in front of her and began speaking to herself, while Amethyst wrestled the sword away from the pink gem.
"...It's not her… It's not her… It is not her. It's not her!" Pearl kept chanting to herself as she summoned a spear, she glared at the imposter and flung the weapon forward with a scream. It hit directly on her forehead, disappearing after shattering her helmet and sending Amethyst and her sword flying backwards from the shock. Pearl froze again, the gems face was now exposed, she looked too much like her Rose. The face was nearly the same, yet colder and less caring, stiff and missing so much yet barring such resemblance.
The Rose Quartz turned to Pearl and summoned her weapon, a dagger decorated so much like Rose's sword. She raised the weapon and was knocked over by the flying body of Jasper. The two crashed onto the side.
"You take care of that one, I'm going to take the quartz to Lapis!" Garnet yelled, she threw up a rock and punched it, hitting the Rose Quartz and effectively provoking her to come after Garnet.
Amethyst looked at the new opponent, "Oh! Pearl, we can take her." Amethyst nudged Pearl who understood. Yellow Topaz was playing to their emotional weaknesses, and by swapping enemies, they eliminated the emotional weakness. Pearl drew two new spears and charged forwards.
Garnet baited the Rose Quartz back over to Lapis, "Lapis take this one!" Garnet jumped up to the Turquoise fusion and gave her a good punch to the face.
Lapis looked down at the Rose gem before directing a watery hand towards her.
Amethyst gave the Jasper one final push before she poofed back into her gem, letting Pearl bubble it. They turned to the others still in battle.
"To Garnet?" The other nodded, both gems ran toward the end of the beach as the storm began to rain lightly.
Yellow Topaz looked towards the gems approaching the fusion, "Oh my that simply won't do." She summoned her weapon, a small but strong looking crossbow, aiming her bolt at the small gem, she fired.
The two arrived at the battles happening right next to each other.
Garnet was thrown right next to them as Amethyst was the next one aimed for. Pearl and Garnet nodded to each other before separating slightly and and dancing into each other.
Amethyst looked to where the other gems were, she coughed from the sand and yelled, "What should we-!" from behind, she was shot through the stomach with a glowing yellow bolt of some sort, she immediately retreated back into her gem.
Sardonyx had just formed when she witnessed the shot, "Lapis darling, could you be a doll while I deal with this monster?" Sardonyx summoned her hammer and faced the slightly taller fusion.
Lapis nodded, having caught the detransformation out of the corner of her eye, she picked up Amethyst with one of her water arms and flung it at the house, knowing Steven he'd be watching and able to care for the purple gem. Lapis then took the arm and flung it at Yellow Topaz who moved out of the way with ease.
Fortunately for the Crystal Gems Sardonyx's hammer was no match for the Turquoise fusion which quickly became undone. Lapis on the other hand was not doing well, it was much like trying to swat away a very fast fly.
Yellow Topaz yawned, she didn't particularly want to fight, she clapped her hands and pointed to the flying gem, the Rose Quartz nodded and leapt up to her.
Lapis didn't see it coming, a flash of pink and Sardonyx diving to catch her gem.
The two unfused and Garnet was quick to bubble the poofed gems, including Lapis who could be recovered after they'd won. Luckily, the fusion's hammer was disregarded and thrown into the air, crushing the Rose Quartz as she landed. The hammer then disappeared.
After some heavy breathing, Yellow Topaz walked towards them.
"Are you ready to concede defeat yet?" She asked smugly.
"What are you talking about, Topaz? Your fighters are down, it's two against one." Pearl yelled, holding a new spear to the Yellow gems face.
"So you think. Question, how many gems were on my ship? Including me." Yellow Topaz didn't flinch, looking calmly at Pearl.
"Eight." Garnet deadpanned, glaring behind her glasses.
"Wrong~, nine." She makes no move.
Garnet and Pearl look out to the ship that had been taken out to sea during the storm, which was dying down, they looked behind them to the temple.
"No…" Pearl looked horrified.
"Yes." Yellow Topaz smiled in a sinister way.
"Steven!" Garnet looked at Yellow Topaz, then took off running to the house, Pearl following.