Blue came to Rhodonite's room and brought her injector with her. Rhodonite examined the injector, staring into the white material with a rainbow tint inside. Blue paced anxiously as Rhodonite looked at the needle, Blue was nervous to become Moonstone again, yet excited at the same time.
"Hey, Rho? I'm ready." Blue stopped and Rhodonite approached her.
"Okay, and what are you even going to do once we apply it?" Rhodonite asked.
Blue shrugged. "I don't know, as long as I'm getting used to it, I'm good," Blue replied.
Blue Diamond turned to face Rhodonite, who pressed the needle into the skin next to her Gem. Blue flinched at the cold metal and felt a tingle go through her as the liquid drained out of the injector and into her Gem. Rhodonite wasn't sure what would happen, but she found out quickly as Blue keeled over and Rhodonite caught her. She marveled as Blue Diamond's form changed completely. Not only did she become considerably shorter than the average Diamond, her hair shortened into a straight, ice-blue A-line cut. Her body shape changed and her clothes morphed into a navy blue jumpsuit from the white nightgown she was originally wearing. She felt lighter in Rhodonite's arms, and her skin was an opalescent white, along with her Gem. Moonstone took in a sharp, deep breath and looked up into Rhodonite's eyes. She stood up wobbly but smiled at her new form. Moonstone's ice blue eyes took some getting used to, along with the rest of her form, but Rhodonite was glad to see that her transformation went smoothly.
"So...do you wanna, maybe...sneak out again?" Rhodonite asked, rubbing the back of her neck with nervousness.
"Yeah," Moonstone replied, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I think we should." Her voice had become higher, yet still low and smooth.
"We better stay hidden for now, though, just to be safe." Rhodonite turned and rummaged in her wardrobe. She threw a black cloak at Moonstone and grabbed one for herself. They quickly fastened them on, nodded to each other and snuck out of the palace with the same ease they did yesterday.
They stepped out into the street, still busy since most of the working class Gems didn't sleep, even though it was only nearly dawn. They were constantly working, keeping Homeworld and the colonies up and running. Rhodonite and Moonstone felt bad for them but knew they couldn't do anything for them at the moment.
"Since the last time we went out here was so intense, I say we have some fun this time. Know any cool places where we can hang out?" Rhodonite asked.
"There's one place the Diamonds haven't shut down yet." They were startled by the gruff voice of a Quartz behind them. "It's a hundred miles from here, near the Black Market. You better get walking to the train station."
"But isn't there a warp pad that can get us there quicker?" Rhodonite asked, pointing to the warp pad a couple 100 feet away from them, which had a large line of Gems angrily shouting, checking their holographic screens and tapping their feet impatiently.
"This place isn't accessible by warp pad. You have to take the train or a speeder." The Quartz replied. Moonstone was already beginning to walk toward the station.
"Oh, well that sucks. I hate those trains." Rhodonite moaned as she followed Moonstone reluctantly to the station.
"You get used to it." Moonstone said as a purple bullet train pulled up and a large crowd of Gems got out, all talking among themselves in a million different conversations, all splitting up to go to different places. Rhodonite and Moonstone stepped on.
When the train started at it's back-breaking speed, Moonstone quickly realized that she was lighter and more unbalanced as she was before, and she quickly fell backward into Rhodonite, and they both fell on the floor of the train.
"You get used to it." Rhodonite mocked as she shoved Moonstone off of her and helped her up.
"Okay, fine. I guess we'll get used to it together." Moonstone said as they wrapped their hands together and held onto one of the poles tightly.
It was a matter of minutes before they reached their destination, and they filed out with the rest of the Gems in the first car. The Quartz had given Rhodonite a map before she went to follow Moonstone, and they followed the directions to a building underneath the bullet train tracks. It looked a lot grander than what Rhodonite would expect from an illegal hangout joint. The building was painted a vibrant red and the roof was decorated with flashing rainbow lights. It had a glittering pink neon sign that read:
Bar Gurama
By the double doors that were lined with white lights was another sign that said:
Fusions Welcome
"Geez, here goes," Moonstone said as she approached the building.
Rhodonite speed-walked in front of her. "Let me go first, this is about to get intense."
"I'm certainly not going to stop you," Moonstone said as Rhodonite pushed open the doors.
The bar was bigger on the inside, and the bar area stretched around the walls in the facility. There were several Gems working the bar and you couldn't really hear anything over the blaring techno music and the overlapping conversations. It was strange seeing the amalgam of Gems there, from Pearls to Peridots, to Quartzes, especially since they normally lived so separately. The walls were painted the same vibrant red as the outside, and it was dimly lit with rainbow string lights on the walls. Rhodonite and Moonstone decided to cop a squat on the sticky purple bar stools and await assistance. They studied the drink choices on the walls, but the lack of lighting made it hard to read.
A rather perky Fluorite slid into vision, twirling a purple bottle of Who-Knows-What. "What can I do for you two?" She asked.
Moonstone squinted at the menu board. "I guess I'll have the...Uranium Cocktail? Sorry, I can't really read it."
"Good choice, and take your cloak off, stay a while!" The Fluorite reached over and unfastened Moonstone's cloak. It fell away from her shoulders, revealing her face and actual clothes. The Fluorite's eyes widened and she quickly turned to Rhodonite, unfastened her cloak and asked her what she wanted.
Rhodonite put her palm up as a way to refuse. "I'll pass on the drinks."
"Okay, that's cool." The Fluorite said as she began making Moonstone's drink. "So, you guys don't look like anything I've seen here...are you guys from one of the colonies? Or..."
"You could say that," Rhodonite mumbled.
"What colony?" Fluorite asked.
"It's not a colony anymore. Earth." Rhodonite said.
"Earth? You're kidding, right? That place got shut down centuries ago, now all I hear comes out of it are these weird fusion things, and they're making this one geoweapon...the Cluster? Yeah, Earth sounds pretty messed up, no offense." Fluorite said, handing Moonstone her drink.
"None taken," Rhodonite said through gritted teeth, trying not to glare.
"What about you, pretty girl?" The Fluorite slid in front of Moonstone seductively.
"Oh, I'm from Homeworld," Moonstone replied nervously.
"You must be a new Gem type! This must be your first night out here, isn't it? Oh, I bet the Diamonds have been talking this place up, but it ain't exactly sunshine and flowers, if you know what I mean." Fluorite said, popping open a bottle of her own drink and taking a slug.
"Yeah, I noticed," Moonstone replied, sipping the last of her drink.
"Now, why don't you want to drink? I mean, you realize you came to a bar right? Unless you're here for..." Fluorite leaned over to Rhodonite. "The fusion," Fluorite whispered.
"Fusion? I can't even do that!" Rhodonite said loudly.
"Quiet! I know it's frowned upon out there, but here it's welcome...didn't you read the sign?" Fluorite continued to whisper, but loud enough for Moonstone to hear.
"No, my body is literally not capable of fusion, end of story," Rhodonite replied snappily.
"Oh, well I guess your friend here is the only one who's gonna get the full experience," Fluorite said before leaning and whispering in Moonstone's ear. "What's the point of being with this disgusting Earthling if you can't even fuse?"
Moonstone shrugged. "None of your concern...besides, I don't see you with a partner anywhere."
"Fair point, but still, you gotta know what it feels like, and I know just the person to help ya. Yo, Bismuth! We gotta new Gem here!" Fluorite called, and she seemed to be shouting in a room blocked by pink curtains.
"Oh, Gold help me, who is Bismuth?" Rhodonite asked.
"Well, you're about to find out, just sit back and relax, Earthling, the entertainment is about to begin!" Fluorite said, wrapping her arm around Rhodonite's neck and pulling her close in a brotherly way.
Out from the curtains burst a freakishly tall Gem with technicolored skin with white, square-shaped swirl designs seemingly tattooed on. Her eyes were multicolored too, and her hair was ivory, long and bushy. She was wearing white leggings, knee-high black boots with heels so tall Rhodonite was surprised she could move as fast as she was. Her face was full of makeup, making her already bright eyes more noticeable with glittery eyeshadow and long black lashes. Her lips were plump and red, and she was smiling with bright white teeth. Her torso was covered by a neon pink, bedazzled with sequins leotard, except of course, the leotard obviously broadcasted most of her breasts with a V-neck, and her two, multi-colored, swirl-shaped Gems were located on her forehead and...her tongue.
Bismuth did a few bombastic twirls on her toes before stopping in a dramatic pose and speaking into the sequined microphone she seemed to have pulled out of thin air. "Did somebody say...new Gem? Where is she, you can't hide from a good time ya know!" She said, her voice loud and full of humor.
Fluorite shoved Moonstone out of her barstool, which immediately grabbed the attention of Bismuth.
"Ah! There she is! Yo, Fluorite, get me a beat!" Bismuth shouted, snapping her fingers sassily in the air.
Bismuth strutted over to Moonstone, shaking her wide hips as a mix of dubstep, hip-hop and disco began to play. Bismuth seized Moonstone's hand and pulled her into a twirl, and during the swirl, Moonstone landed particularly close to Bismuth. Bismuth looked up at Fluorite and Rhodonite. "You sure brought a pretty Gem!" She said before beginning an elaborate dance routine with a baffled Moonstone. Meanwhile, everyone in the bar had their eyes on the pair, mesmerized mostly by the giant woman.
Rhodonite watched in involuntary awe, blushing at Moonstone as she slowly caught her bearings and danced surprisingly well. She was also just disgusted by the scene she was watching, but was helpless to stop it at this point.
Fluorite tapped Rhodonite on the shoulder. "Beautiful, ain't it?" Fluorite asked before jamming the drink bottle between her lips again.
"No! This seems forced!" Rhodonite shouted in defense.
"So?" Fluorite put a hand on Rhodonite's Gem and traced the faults where the different shards separated. "You seem a little forced too," Fluorite whispered.
"But Moonstone seems so confused!" Rhodonite protested, trying to ignore Fluorite's previous remark.
"Don't you mean, a little conFUSED!" Fluorite said before chortling and guffawing.
Rhodonite looked over to see Bismuth holding Moonstone close in a dip, their Gems glowing. Rhodonite scrambled out of her barstool seat, ran over and shoved Bismuth and Moonstone apart.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that!" Rhodonite shouted.
"And why not? Are you hating on how I do things?" Bismuth asked. "Shame on you!" She shouted, pointing a long, technicolor finger at Rhodonite scoldingly. Bismuth put her other hand on her hip as she stuck her buttocks out with attitude.
"Maybe Moonstone doesn't want people to invade her personal space like that." Rhodonite crossed her arms smugly.
"Then, you shouldn't have come to a fusion bar, that's for sure!" Bismuth said sassily.
"Right, which is exactly why we're leaving, right now." Rhodonite grabbed Moonstone's hand and began to pull her out. She slammed the money for Moonstone's drink on the counter and stomped out.
"Now don't be strangers, ya hear?" Fluorite said as Rhodonite went back in to grab her and Moonstone's cloaks. "I totally get that you were fighting for your lady." Fluorite whispered and winked.
"We are not a couple!" Rhodonite shouted as she stomped out once again in a blushing, annoyed huff.
OOOH YES
In order to get inspiration, I listen to random songs and see what I make...well (Can ya guess what song it was), I felt like this went great with what I planned for my next chapter after Gummed Up...I wanted to write a Moonstone's Night Out. I hope you like how it turned out!
I split this up because I have too much commentary for this haha
WELL THAT HAPPENED
I always thought that Homeworld would have a Skid Row part of town that they never really checked out. Of course, there would be illegal fusion bars and black markets over there! It seems as though our protagonists picked a bad place to chill out hehe.
I'm dying to know, what does everyone think of the absolutely FABULOUS fusion, Bismuth?
(Four Songs Went into this: Death By Glamour By Toby Fox, Cadaverous By Kai Wachi, Applause By Lady Gaga, Talk Dirty By Jason Derulo (Whoo, that's an oldie!))
Rhodonite speed-walked out into the street away from Bar Gurama to catch up with Moonstone. She wrapped her up in her cloak and put an arm around her. The late air cold, yet there was no circulation of wind, just a still fluctuation of temperature.
"Sorry about that, I didn't know that bar was going to be...like that," Rhodonite said quietly and nervously.
"It's fine, you tried your best." Moonstone replied, her head down and face shadowed by her cloak.
"We can still have a good time, I have a surprise for you." Rhodonite smiled reassuringly.
"A surprise?" Moonstone asked, perking her head up.
"Yeah, come on." Rhodonite and Moonstone began to walk quicker, and Rhodonite used the map the Quartz gave her to guide them. It was nearly dawn, sunset, and Rhodonite was already panicking inside for what was going to happen next. She could also tell that something was bothering Moonstone, but she wasn't sure what.
She's probably still recovering from the bar incident. Rhodonite thought. I'm so stupid, I should've known what they meant by Fusions Welcome!
Let's just say, Moonstone wasn't thinking that. Her thoughts were moving quicker than codes in a computer, but she tried to stay optimistic for Rhodonite.
"Wait, wait, wait! Let me cover your eyes, we're almost there!" Rhodonite said excitedly as she placed her hands over Moonstone's eyes.
Moonstone giggled. "I wasn't going to stop you."
Rhodonite's smile grew larger as she uncovered Moonstone's eyes to reveal they were at the station for a private spaceship ride. The spaceship that they were assigned had an open top, for it was meant to stay in the atmosphere and just fly over the city, and the seats were long, like booths, and they were cushioned. The ship was self-driving, so it would just be them on the ship.
Moonstone smiled. You aren't fooling anyone, Miss "I shouldn't love anyone, and that's final." She thought.
The two climbed into the ship, and everything had sort of an ethereal vibe. It was always that way when they were together in a setting like that, but yet the feeling was still fresh and new every time. As the ship went higher and higher, the wind blew the hoods of their cloaks away from their faces, as well as their hair. All that remained were their bare faces with no cover to cower behind. Moonstone's head laid low as the two sat in silence, her lips stuck in a frown, her thoughts haunting her like a ghost, and the usual light in her starry eyes was faded...Rhodonite thought that, like stars, maybe the light hadn't reached her sky yet.
"I can't help but think something's wrong, Moonstone." Rhodonite broke the silence. She scooted closer to Moonstone and lifted her chin up.
"No, I'm absolutely fine." Moonstone looked away, staring at the twilight, the whimsical pink sky with wispy purple clouds, the sun disappearing underneath the city skyline, the moon beginning to rise over them from the other side.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that," Rhodonite said.
Moonstone turned around and faced Rhodonite. She felt confident in her lying skills, and she looked deep into Rhodonite's eyes. The longer she stared, her lip quivered for a bit, but she took a deep, shaky breath and said, "I'm absolutely fine."
"Alright then." Rhodonite scooted away and looked at the scenery herself. It was silent for a few seconds before Rhodonite felt a weight on his shoulder.
It was Moonstone, tears streaming down her face. Her arm instantly wrapped around Rhodonite's arm. "I am not absolutely fine," She said, her voice breaking.
"Called it," Rhodonite said, smirking. "What's up?"
"How do I say this? I can't just start to explain how I'm feeling..." Moonstone stuttered.
"Is it about...you? Moonstone?" Rhodonite asked.
"Yes," Moonstone replied.
"Man, I'm on fire. You'd think I have future vision." Rhodonite smiled. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Carry on."
"I feel...lost, yet found, confident, yet petrified, relieved and happy, yet homesick and depressed. Do you get what I mean?" Moonstone began to explain.
"Yes, I do. That happens with change, can you maybe, tell me what drives these feelings? I mean, I have a decent idea, but I'm not you. You feel like you have finally found a form that fits you, your outside matches your inside, but you also have just given up someone else, someone who was...well, you. You feel lost because you were just given a clean slate, right? You feel confident that this change is for the better, but you are scared because it may bring unknown and possibly scary experiences to you, and you feel happy that you've finally taken this leap, yet you are homesick for your past life. I can relate to all of those feelings." Rhodonite said.
"You can?" Moonstone asked.
"Of course, I can, you're forgetting that I once had a completely different life too. Not only that, my past lives had to sacrifice themselves for the better, and they found happiness in that change." Rhodonite replied.
"It's not only that, I'm in danger, every minute I'm here," Moonstone added.
"Yeah, the rebellion has that effect," Rhodonite said.
"It's not that, I'm weaker, Rho. When I was Blue Diamond, I was indestructible, like my sisters, now my Gem matter has changed. I could be shattered, cracked, corrupted...I feel...vulnerable, not to mention smaller. I'm just afraid to take that on, I guess, especially now since we are fighting against two invincible beings." Moonstone explained. "Your lives gave up their careers and identities, I have to give up my immortality."
"You really must've been DYING to join this rebellion, then." Rhodonite chuckled, trying to cheer Moonstone up.
"Rho," Moonstone said expressionlessly to get her back on task.
Rhodonite cleared her throat. "Right. Remember, you made this choice, and I've noticed that you are three times happier like this. Maybe we'll die together... I don't know...but that's what's fun about it!"
"What is fun about that?" Moonstone asked.
"The unknown! It sort of gives you more of an appreciation for the present, you know? And it makes life a lot more interesting, like reading a really suspenseful book. Books are not as good if you already know what happens, right?" Rhodonite replied, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat.
Moonstone smiled and lifted her head off of Rhodonite's shoulder. "Yeah."
Rhodonite did a warm, closed mouth grin. "Mm."
"I'm sorry if I was hurting your shoulders," Moonstone added.
"No, it's fine. I liked having you close to me." Rhodonite replied.
Moonstone fell back into Rhodonite's lap, resting her head on Rhodonite's leg as she stretched out on the rest of the booth. The two looked up to the stars.
"I have to admit, I like being light enough to lay on you, I would've crushed your legs before." Moonstone was thinking out loud.
"And besides, now you're more like me, that's not so bad." Rhodonite smiled.
"You mean, a defect?" Moonstone asked quietly.
"No! There's no one else like us...we're like shooting stars." Rhodonite replied.
"Oh...I wonder if shooting stars are lost." Moonstone said.
"Well, at least, shooting stars are going somewhere," Rhodonite added.
"Mm." Moonstone smiled again as the sky darkened, revealing the stars and moons. "I like this a lot better than fusing."
Rhodonite looked down at Moonstone as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in Rhodonite's lap. Rhodonite grinned and rested a hand on Moonstone's hair. "I like this a lot better than being alone."
You think you aren't beautiful,
But I know you are wrong,
I believe you are stunning, to be truthful,
And that I've felt that way all along.
When we sat together,
Orchestras played in my head,
I wish that ride could've lasted forever,
Even when your troubles caused the moment to fade.
You see, I don't care if it was ruined,
Because love sees nothing as stupid,
And I will care for you, no matter how wounded,
Maybe I am what humans call, shot by cupid.
I understand you are nervous about your transition,
And I will do my best to help your condition,
To be your best friend, it will be my mission,
If you will grant me permission.
Moonstone, I love you,
Whether you are Moon or Blue,
And I hope you love me back too,
As well as understand what I've been through.
I hope we don't shatter in this war we've started,
But if we do, I won't go out halfhearted,
Our spirits will rise to a better place,
Where life and love are not a disgrace.
Until then, we can find solace,
In the fact that we're not flawless,
To be faithful to you is what I promise,
(And can I just say you've always been the hottest?)
Rhodonite sang quietly...
Yeah, yeah, I know, cut the poetry, Starchild.
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Ya know, things have gotten a little heavy, so it's nice to at least try to have a little fun, right?
Reviews are definitely encouraged!
(Songs That Influenced This Part: Lucky By Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, Something Entirely New, She Keeps Me Warm By Mary Lambert, Count on Me By Bruno Mars, and The Best is Yet to Come by Sheppard)
And Dang...not much of a time gap between these last two...well, this one's been sitting in my files for a while too.