Total Drama Endless

by NondescriptNorbert

Total Drama back again! This time there's new twists, a cast of twenty seven fictional characters, and most importantly; a new host. The story isn't over. Epilogue part 4/6. Wonderland is gone. The girl in the looking glass stares back.

32. Nowhere

Total Drama Endless, Episode Twenty-Three.

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When Amethyst awoke her wish had been granted, she was all alone.

Springing up from the ground, she glances around confused. Last she remembered she had been facing down IT with her self proclaimed "Friends".

She seemed to recall very clearly giving all those pompous jerks the dressing down they deserved. Then had made a deal with IT, everything had gone white and now…

…Well…

…Everything was still white.

There was no IT, none of her fellow competitors, no Man with the Red Eyes, no Camazotz, no life, no sky, not even a horizon.

Everything in sight was a plain, featureless, white, void.

She scratches herself and furrows her brow in confusion.

"Huh…"

Maybe she had been poofed and she was in her gem? No… It couldn't be. All her stuff would be around.

So then, where was she?

She sets off walking in an arbitrary direction, her footsteps echoing loudly on whatever this place was made of.

There's something colourful in the distance.

"Finally…" She grumbles.

She jogs over to it.

Her heart sinks, whatever she had expected it to be, it's not it. It's just a bunch of flat coloured tiles.

Now utterly perplexed she lifts one up. It floats upwards and disappears into the void.

"Weird."

Her voice echoes out into the nothing. Another voice responds in gibberish and she finches violently.

"HEY!" She calls.

She get's more gibberish back, if even. It's hard to even call the echoes voices. There more some sort of strange abundance.

She exhales sharply, liking this place less by the minute.

"Okay…IT." She says into the nothing. "Uh, when I said I wanted to be alone, I didn't mean this alone!"

No response, not even an echo this time.

"YO! YOU LISTENING TO ME!? I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! TAKE ME BACK HOME, OR TO LIKE THE PRIZE MONEY OR SOME JUNK!"

Nothing happens, she growls angrily.

"AH COME ON! DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THIS!"

After another bout of silence, she groans exasperatedly.

"Great! Someone else backstabbed me."

She flops down on the ground defeatedly and sighs.

"This bites…"

She glares up at the white expanse above her. It looks just the same the white expanse below her. She smiles bitterly.

"Least I ruined everyone else's game." She calls up to the sky bitterly. "We did it Shorties! We took everyone down with us! My boys have been avenged!"

She let's out a mighty victorious laugh only for it grow weaker as it goes on, until it trails off uncertainly. It's really begining to dawn on her now how lost she is.

She blows a stray hair out of her face moodily.

"Man…I wish I had a doughnut or something."

To her immense surprise a chocolate frosted doughnut materializes out of thin air and lands on her stomach. Her face lights up.

"Hey! That's more like it!"

She messily devours the pastry, then gets back up, sucking frosting off her fingers and eyeing the empty void with new interest.

"I wonder if that works for anything else?"

She rubs her temple and focuses. A sandwich appears next to her. Then a gaming system, then a motorbike, a bed, then finally a dog with a helicopter rotor sticking out of it's back.

It yipes friendlily, then flies away. Amethyst laughs triumphantly.

"Ah man! Awesome!"

Several piles of junk and nitnacks poof into existence around her, perfectly replicating the look of things inside her gem.

She smirks and rubs her chin.

"What else do I need for my kingdom? Man…I've never had power like this before, I'm not an expert like-"

Her eyes go wide and she smiles.

A second later a boy pops into exists a few metres away.

He looks to be a teenaged, with curly black hair, sandals, blue jeans, a pink varsity jacket and a blue shirt with a yellow star printed on the front. He rubs his head and looks around.

"Huh, where am I?"

"STEVEN!"

"Amethyst?"

Amethyst comes barreling into him, she wraps her arms around him in a death grip, laughing, tears running down her face.

"Steven you have no idea how much I've missed you!" She squeals. Steven Universe laughs happily.

"I've missed you too Amethyst!"

"Dude! You've no idea what I've been through! What are things like back at the temple!? How've all my fellow Crystal Gems been without their best member!?"

"You tell me." Steven laughs. Amethyst face drops.

"You don't know!?"

"I'm pretty sure I just sprang into existence a couple seconds ago." Steven says. Amethyst looks crestfallen.

"So you're… not the real Steven?" She asks. Her friend shrugs.

"Nope. Sorry, I'm just a part of your memory of him projected outward, I can go away and again if this is awkward."

Amethyst thinks it over and seems to come around.

"Nah… It's lonely around here without someone to talk to."

Steven grins. "I could see that. This place reminds me of Mom's room back in the temple."

"So you know what this place's deal is right?"

"What?"

"Dude, I'm asking you."

"I don't know Amethyst."

"Uh, I thought you said you were part of this place?"

"I am, but I only what you know." Steven insists.

Amethyst groans, then suddenly looks off in the distance.

"What about that guy? Is he part of me too?"

"What guy?"

"Over there. That weird Yerdey looking fella."

She points to a ways away, where a teal six-legged squid in a brown shirt is wandering around aimlessly. Muttering nervously, and clutching what looks like a clarinet.

"Hmm. I don't know." Steven says. "Hey you over there! Are you part of Amethyst too!?"

The squid notices them, screams in terror, then flees.

"Ah, dang, I scared him off." Steven sighs. "Should we follow him?"

"Nah, he's not worth it. Let's see if we can find someone a little more chill."

"Alright. Do you want me to come with?"

"Course dude! Real Steven or not I can tell you about my new crew."

Steven laughs. "Amethyst I already know all about the Shorties."

"Just pretend you don't know then, and let me fill you in."

"Alright."

…

Vast swathes of scenic nothing pass by as they walk. The fake Steven listening attentively as Amethyst regales him with her many adventures.

"…So anyways, Yao comes down on this flying fish thing and WA-POW. Totally mows his way through like half the army. It was awesome, you should have been there."

"Sounds like it." Steven likes. "I would have loved to meet your friends Amethyst."

Amethyst stretches lazily. "Dude, Shorty Squad were the best…" Her expression turns bitter. "Then everyone went and ganged up on us."

"Yeah…" Steven say awkwardly. Amethyst smirks and places her hands in her jacket pocket.

"But all that biz is in the past. Now that I finally got revenge on those traitors everything's cool."

"Hey Amethyst?"

"Yeah Steven?"

"Where… do you think the other four are now?"

Amethyst throws her arms up indifferently and blows a raspberry.

"Who know? Who cares? Not my problem what IT did to them."

"You think they're still back on Camazotz?" Steven asks with a note of concern.

"Well they didn't come forward with me did they?" Amethyst insists.

"Guess not?" Steven admits. He looks around. "So I guess this is the next challenge then?"

"I don't know if we're even still playing any more. I think I broke the game." Amethyst says smugly. "I count that as a win."

"Weird…"

"Is it not weird that I won!" Amethyst says indignantly.

"No… I mean look at this." Steven says pointing.

They've past by a large rock formation, it's a hoodoo, the same kind you'd see in a windswept desert. It stands there sticking out of the void like a stage prop. There's several more some distance a way.

"That is weird." Amethyst admits.

"It's like we're out west." Steven says.

"Like where the Beta Kindergarten is?"

"Exactly…"

Steven squints at the rock, their also seems to be some cacti scattered around them inconsistently.

"Amethyst I appreciate you adding a little scenery to our walk, but why a cowboy theme?""

"I didn't make this stuff bro." Amethyst insists.

Suddenly a cloud of dust blossoms on the near ineligible horizon, and the void's filled with the sound of a hard gallop.

A figure on horseback rides up to them, then reigns his horse into an abrupt halt. He looks to be a boy scout, hardly older than fourteen and wearing a campaign hat, kaki uniform, and a dandelion yellow neckerchief.

"What are you folk doing out here?" He asks, squinting down at them.

"We could ask you the same question." Amethyst counters.

"We're just out for a walk I guess." Steven says.

The boy looks taken back.

"Kid you release you're about 30 miles out of Moab don't you?"

"Is that what you call this place?" Amethyst asks. "Cause like, I would have called it Nowhereland, or some junk."

The scout casts a worrying glance up at the nonresistant sky.

"Sun stroke." He mutters. "Well come on then, I'll give you two a lift to where the rest of my troup's set of camp. Maybe Scoutmaster Havelock will know what to do with you."

"No worries dude, we've got it covered." Amethyst tells him, and she shapeshifts into a horse. The scout let's out a cry and falls from his own stead.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?" Steven asks.

The boy staggers back, a trembling finger pointed at Amethyst.

"What is she!? Some kind of Ute nature spirit?"

"She's a gem." Steven explains. "Have you not heard of gems?"

The kids shakes his head. "Sun must be getting to me too."

He slowly gets back on his horse.

"Come on then...whatever you are. Let's move."

Steven climbs onto Amethyst's back and they set off.

"So how come you're out here all alone?" Amethyst asks the Scout. "You just like a lone wolf or something? Don't go with the flow?"

"Just like being out in nature I suppose." He says. "Nice to get away from people once in a while."

"Ha. Truth." Amethyst laughs. "I've been telling my man Steven over here, I just got free of four buzzkills and it feels so good."

The boy frowns.

"I know how you feel. I've been putting time into baseball and the scouts this summer to get away from my old man."

"How come you're avoiding your dad?" Steven asks. Amethyst grins nostalgically. Real or not, it was just like Steven to be genuinely invested in the plight of a stranger.

"Dad's never been the affection type, course most men aren't supposed to be…" He flicks the reigns of his horse bitterly. "…But my dad 'specially seems to care more 'bout his trinkets than his own son."

Amethyst groans sympathetically.

"Ugh! Yes! I know! I had a guy just like that in my own group, always had the be the serious one, the teacher, mister important acrobatic guy."

"I think you mean archeologist."

"Same different Steven!"

The Scout smiles. "That does sound like my old man."

Amethyst grins. "You're alright kid." She looks to Steven. "Maybe I did poof him up after all." She turns back to the boy. "You got a name kid?"

"Indiana."

Amethyst's so shocked she reverts to her normal form. Steven falls on top of her.

"JONES!?" She asks incredulously.

The boy nods skeptically.

"Yeah? Have you meet my dad?" He squints at her. "Actually you sure we haven't meet before? You look kind of familiar…"

Amethyst stammers incoherently. Steven ends up asking the question that she can't seem to form.

"How'd you get so young?"

The boy almost looks offended.

"The Hell do you mean young? I'm thirteen!"

Amethyst makes a sound like a creaky door. The Young Indy turns, his attention suddenly elsewhere.

"Hold onto that thought for a sec will ya? We've got company."

He flicks the reigns of his horse and it gallops over to a spot a little way away.

Amethyst get's back up and rubs her head.

"Ah man dude… I wasn't ready for that."

"Amethyst I'm confused." Steven says.

"I really did break the game." Amethyst says faintly.

"At least you know you're still playing." Steven points out. "Otherwise there wouldn't be any other contestants around."

"Yeah… Preach." She smiles. "See? This what I missed about you Ste-man. You're always good at like… finding the good side of things."

"I try." Steven says modestly.

They wander over to where the Young Indy had run off to, they find him there scowling disproving at a heavy-set boy his age crouched behind a boulder.

"Fine place to be playing Cowboys and Indians." Indy say irritably.

"Shove off." Mutters the boy in a distinctly English accent.

"Lenny?" Amethyst asks.

"He told me his name was Philip." Indy comments.

"Yes, as in Philip the Levitating Owl." Lenny snaps, uncharacteristically impatient for once.

The Young Lenny's wears his hair in a mullet that's not doing him much favours, though Amethyst can barely pay attention to that. More so it's off putting after so long to him as a human again.

"Found him in the desert, same situation as you folks." Indy explains. "Strange clothes, no compass, or water, or survival kit of any kind." He sighs and shakes his head disapprovingly. "Maybe he's the same weird thing as whatever you are."

"I mean he was…" Amethyst admits.

Lenny slowly turns around to glare at him.

"You taking the mick out of me?" He demands.

Steven looks at him uncertainly. "Uh…"

"Didn't I just tell you to sod off? And yet here you all are, still here, still flapping on about nothing like a bunch of nutters!"

"What are you looking at?" Steven asks.

"There's something in that forest there." Lenny insists.

"There's no forest here you idiot." Indy snaps.

"There's no forest he says." Lenny repeats shortly. "Open your bleeding eyes! It's right in front of you!"

So it is.

There, starting a little way from where Lenny's crouched is a collection of bushy trees sprouting from the void.

"Could of sworn I saw some girlies are age running through there." Lenny whispers. He get up suddenly and dusts himself off. "Since you've gone and runed my sting I may as well go investigate."

He makes to leave, Indy grabs him by the collar.

"Oy!"

"Oy your own self!" Indy snaps. "You got any idea what kind of creatures live out here? You'll get yourself killed running off like that."

"So just checking, you guys see the giant white nothing surrounding us, right?" Amethyst asks.

The two of them stare at her opaquely. Steven smiles awkwardly.

"Why don't me and Amethyst investigate for you?"

…

Amethyst and Steven stroll through the woods in silence. Something about it feels more off than the "desert" they left the boys in. Maybe its that the canopy above them's thick enough that you can't see the nothing beyond. If you keep your chin up the place could almost seem normal. That is until you get a glance at the featureless surface where the ground should be.

"So I guess all the others contestants are here after all huh?" Steven comments.

"Guess so." Amethyst consents. "Guess it means the games still going after all."

"Yeah…" Steven says gingerly. "It's weird that everyone's a teenager."

"I'm getting used to it."

"Already?"

"Yeah, this game throws all sorts of weirdness at you. You gotta learn to deal with it, go with the flow ya dig?"

She places her hands in jacket pockets and smirks.

"Honestly this is kind of best case scenario dude… Now that everybody's all young and stupid I can roll over them and win this game with ease."

"You don't think they'll stay like this forever do you?" Steven asks concerned.

"They can stay this way for the rest of the game all I care."

"But that be awful. It'll be like when you, Garnet and Pearl got rejuvenated. All their memories and development will be gone, potentially forever!"

"Conner won't let that happen. He'll change them back."

"Are you sure? People have died Amethyst."

"Look Steven. I know you're always like this with the whole caring about everyone and junk, but don't worry about them alright?" Amethyst insists. "Even something bad does happen to them who cares? They never worried about Bentley or Yao, so why worry about them?"

"I guess." Steven says sound wholly unconvinced.

They both stop in their tracks. Somewhere a feminine voice has begun to sing.

"That way!" Amethyst says, charging off in the direction of the sound.

"What do you think it is?" Steven asks breathlessly, puffing along behind her.

"Simple dude, we know the boys are here, and we know I'm here, meaning only one of the girls made it… we're about to find out if it's Beatrice or…"

They skid to a halt. Steven gasps.

"Young Peach!" He coos.

It was hard to place the boys when they first saw them. With Lenny it took adjusting to recognize him as a human again, and Indy was very different from the man he would one day grow into. His teenaged features softer and clean shaven, his hair lighter.

There's no such ambiguity with the child Peach.

The Princess looks to be scarcely older than ten, as she stares at them with those unmistakable blue eyes. Her stature's short, her features round, her golden blonde hair braided into two loose pigtails. Her dress is modest gown in her usual pink, with long magenta sleaves. Her boots simple brown and functional, like the Narnian sea boots her older self used to wear. The most striking thing about the young Peach's appearance her large spotted magenta cap she wears on her head. Bringing to mind the image of a mushroom.

"Called it." Amethyst boasts, smirking at the princess. "How's it hanging Peachy?"

The girl raises an eyebrow. "Do I know you?" She asks suspiciously.

Here Amethyst is taken slightly aback. As a gem her only really frame of reference in human aging was that it involved size and experience. By that logic she had expected a younger Peach to be even more sheltered and excitable than she had been when the game had begun. But you could tell by her tone and her stance that this girl seemed to be neither of those things.

Amethyst silences the uncertain thought, covering it up with a toothy smile.

"Pretty sure we've never meet dude."

"Amethyst don't lie." Steven scolds. "You have meet us… or actually, you haven't me, even thought I'm technically a part of Amethyst and you've meet her, or will one day I guess."

"You're not being very clear." Peach says.

"I know." Steven admits. "Let's just say Amethyst is right and we don't know each other. Hi! I'm Steven Universe, and this is Amethyst."

"Sup."

"Hello, Steven and Amethyst Universe." Peach says curtseying to them politely. "I am Peach, first of my name in the Toadstool family. Daughter of Mushroom King and Queen and heir to the throne of our family's ancestral territories."

"AKA Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom." Amethyst says.

Peach rubs her head. "I Suppose so."

"You suppose so?" Steven asks.

"My mind feels very foggy today." The Young Princess admits. "I hope I'm not under a spell. Mother's warned me of those. She's always afraid something will steal me away when I play outside the castle." She sighs dejectedly. "And now I'm lost."

Amethyst slaps her on the back bracingly.

"Don't even worry about it. I'm like hundred percent sure we're the only people in these woods."

Something rustles in the canopy above them. Amethyst looks up.

"Huh?"

Something small and hairy lunges down at her. She shouts in alarm and tries to shake it off. The little creature gnashes its fangs and sinks its tiny claws into her scalp.

"GET IT OFF!" Amethyst hollers.

"No! No! Get down from there! Shoo!" Peach commands the creature, swooping over and pulling the little beast off of Amethyst and wrestling it into her own arms.

"I'm truly very sorry for that. You must forgive Beatrice."

Amethyst groans wearily. "All good fa-" She looks up in alarm. "WHAT!?"

She get's a proper look at the feral creature that attacked her. A pint sized girl hisses at her from under a tangled mat of bushy auburn hair. She's looks to be hardly older than a toddler.

"She's lost too. I found her wandering the woods all alone." Peach explains. "Beatrice say your sorry."

"No! She's a monster! I was stompin' her like you said you're a supposed too!" Beatrice insists baring her teeth, some of which seem to be missing.

"No Beatrice! She's a friend, that was naughty of you."

"No! NO! NO!"

The little girl starts bawling and throwing a fit. Peach sighs.

"I've been trying to show her some manners but she's dreadfully behind."

Amethyst seems to be short circuiting again.

Just then, the two boys burst into the scene through a bush that seemingly didn't exist until it was needed for a dramatic entrance.

"See? What did I tell you? Girlies!" Lenny proclaims, gesturing open palmed to the two girls.

"There you two are!" Indy says to Steven and Amethyst. "The Hell was taking so long, we had to come looking for you."

"Steven? Who are these people? More friends of yours?" Peach asks.

"We're not exactly that close yet." Indy clarifies, getting an eyeful of the Princess. "Quite the fancy getup you have there for a hiking trip miss. I like the hat."

"Thank you." Says Peach with a smile. "It's traditional. It ties my family to our subjects."

Indy cocks an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to believe you're some kind of royalty?"

Peach's smile disappears quite suddenly. "You're saying I'm not?"

"I'm saying I've meet real princesses dollface. Let me tell you, they're not exactly the type you find wandering around a forest with a baby in their arms."

"Not a baby! I'm four! Four!" Beatrice insists. Peach isn't paying the little girl any mind, her gaze has completely focused on Indy now, and it's turned very frosty.

"I see now…" She says cooly. "Why I've often been discouraged from going out to play with common boys."

Indy smiles dangerously. "Is that so?"

"Hey guys!" Steven interjects, inserting himself between the two. "I know this is all really weird and confusing. Which is why we should maybe go somewhere nice and talk about our feelings instead of fighting."

"She started it!" Indy insists. "All smug and puffed up like a spring turkey."

"I'm not a turkey, I'm a princess!" Peach says. Indy scoffs.

"Oh yeah? Of where sweetheart? Austria? Hyderabad? The Ottoman Empire?"

"The Mushroom Kingdom."

"Not a real place!"

"It is!"

"Isn't."

Peach stamps her foot. "Yes it is! Yes it is!"

"There's no real place on the planet I haven't heard of and I haven't heard of any Mushroom Kingdoms." Indy assure her.

"The Mushroom Kingdom's a lot more real than the Ottoman Empire, or Australia, or whatever other silly little fake kingdoms you said."

"Yeah!? Well-"

"But out a minute!" Lenny says, shoving Indy out of the way and gawking at the Princess. "If we're supposed to be believe you're princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, then where's Toadstool?"

"I am a Toadstool!" Peach snaps.

"No you're not!" Lenny laughs. "Everyone knows Princess Toadstools a full growth bombshell. Not some little runt of a girl who hasn't even had her knockers come in yet."

"Lenny that's enough." Steven says disapprovingly. "Comments like that are wrong."

"Everything's wrong!" Amethyst blurts out suddenly. The other five pause and stare at her.

"What is?"

"YOU ALL BEING HERE!" The gem thunders. "Someone should have gotten eliminated last episode! There's not supposed to four of you!"

"Four!" Shouts Beatrice.

"SHUT UP!" Amethyst snaps.

The girl bursts into tears. Peach scowls.

"Not look what you've done!"

"Why did you look at me when you said that!?" Indy yelps.

"I didn't!"

"Did to!"

The two of them and Lenny resume arguing bitterly. Beatrice's wails adding to the cacophony. Amethyst stares at them all, eyes bulging dangerously.

"Okay…" Steven says diplomatically. "Let's go find somewhere quiet to calm down."

He drags Amethyst away from the four and the forest. When they're back out in the empty void he let's go and gives a forceful laugh.

"So… Young Indy, Lenny, Peach and Beatrice. Pretty crazy right."

Amethyst let's out a howl of frustration.

"Man! What is UP WITH THIS PLACE!?"

She kicks the nothing beneath her feet in frustration.

"Amethyst please don't be upset!" Steven begs. "Maybe they just forgot to eliminate someone."

"That's not how this works Steven!" Amethyst shouts. "Doesn't matter if we forget to get rid of someone because we're in a rush, doesn't matter if we say we're gonna eliminate someone after we get there, every time we go somewhere new some one disappears! No excuses! No exceptions!"

"Then maybe we're still on Camazotz?"

"We can't be, this feels way different."

"Try and think back to what happened before you got here." Steven urges.

Amethyst runs her fingers through her hair. "We're there facing that IT guy. Everyone was holding hands and standing up to him, acting like they were all goody two shoes and junk. Then I called them out on it and…"

Her eyes go wide.

"What?" Steven asks.

"I let go." She whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"I let go…" Amethyst repeats feebly. "I-I gave in."

She sinks to her knees.

"I lost."

She falls forward and collapses to the ground.

"Amethyst, it's okay." Steven says gently. "You don't know that for sure yet."

Amethyst doesn't respond.

"Amethyst?"

Silence.

"Amethyst, I'll be okay." Steven says. "Please don't be mad at the others… or yourself."

"Why…" Croaks Amethyst.

"Because it's not healthy!"

"No… I mean, why?" Amethyst repeats, pulling herself up and staring up to the sky, breathing heavily.

"You made it a rule. You let Rick die. You let Markus die! You tore all my Shorties away from me because them's the rules, right Conner!? No one stays after they leave… So why. Am. I! STILL! HERE!"

She bellows furiously into the emptiness. Steven covers his ears as it echoes out into the nothing, slowly fading as Amethyst regains control over her breathing.

"I don't think he can hear you." He says timidly.

All of a sudden something careens out of the sky and crashes into his forehead.

"STEVEN!" Amethyst cries.

She runs over to him. Her friend groans and picks up the object that hit him.

"It's a note." He says surprised.

He holds up an old green bottle and shows it to Amethyst. There seems to be a role of paper inside. Steven pulls it out and they both read it.

Fix my cast and I let you go.

C.

"He seriously thinks I'm doing favours for him now!?" Amethyst asks disgusted.

"Amethyst I know how frustrated you must be. But the others seem really miserable as kids."

"That's not my fault!" She grumbles. "All I wished for from IT was to make them stop acting better than me, then go away. I didn't know It would turn them into kids and dip like immediately."

"That does kind of sound you got what you asked for." Steven points out. Amethyst scoffs.

"It's totally different."

"Amethyst they're bickering and being mean to each other."

"Good."

"We can't just leave them like this. How will they get home?"

"Sounds like their problem."

"Amethyst…"

"I'm not helping them just to be nice Steven!" Amethyst snaps. She glares up at the sky. "You hear me!? Us Shorties ain't gonna down without a fight! If I turn everyone back, you let me back in the game! Got it!? Either I still play, or the game's over! What do say to that Conner!?"

Another bottle falls out of the sky. She catches it and opens it.

Conner's reply is only five words long.

Yeah, sure. Fine by me.

C.

"That's what I thought!" Amethyst says.

Another bottle falls soon as she's read the brief note. She opens this one as well.

…I mean, it's not like anyone else got a second shot at the game, but clearly your needs are so much more important than theirs…

C.

Another bottle falls on her.

…Clearly yours is the worse fate in this game, and I'm morally obligated to make things up to you…

C.

Two more bottles fall.

"I don't think you have to keep reading those." Steven says.

"Yep." Amethyst says, kicking one away.

She breathes in deeply. Collecting her nerves.

"Alright. We still in this Shorties…"

…

They find the two boys sitting against a boulder, Indy engrossed in the old gaming magazine Lenny's showing him.

"…You're telling me you like this junk…" He murmurs.

"Hey guys!" Steven says, waving.

The two boys flinch in alarm and quickly stash the magazine under a loose rock.

"Hi." Indy says tersely.

"Where's the girls?" Amethyst asks.

"Back there." Lenny says, jerking his head to the right. Behind them in a tiny meadow that's sprouted since they've left. Peach is trying to teach Beatrice how to braid flowers into bracelets. She catches them staring and makes a display of sticking her nose up and turning her head.

"Yo Peachy! Get over here!"

"No!"

Amethyst gives Steve a look. He nods.

"Please?" She asks.

The girl gets up, scoops up Beatrice and walks over, frowning suspiciously at Amethyst.

"What is it?" She demands.

"Alright, all four of ya'll listen up. I'm about to drop some truth bombs on you."

"About how were wrong?" Indy snarks.

"Yes!" Amethyst insists.

The three older children roll their eyes.

"You're wrong!" Squeals Beatrice.

"Listen, you're not supposed to be children alright?" Amethyst asks. "Somebody messed with you guys and you ended up that way."

Peach gasp. "So it was a spell!"

"Yerp." Amethyst says. "Truth is before we got here, ya'll were like grown-ups."

Indy laughs. "Believe me I'd love to be."

"And I'd love her to be." Lenny says with a gesture at Peach. She scowls.

"You watch your month." She snaps.

"Yeah Lenny leave her alone." Indy says. "Little Miss Princess is late for tea in Wonderland."

The three of them begin squabbling again. Beatrice pulling at there legs and crying for attention. Amethyst face palms.

"Alright, Everybody's on timeout until I say what I want to say."

She claps her hands. Three chairs and a child's stool materialize, along with ropes binding the contestants to them. They cry out in surprised.

"What kind of hocus-pocus is this now!?" Indy yelps.

"I told you I'm a gem." Amethyst insists. "It's like just another one of my powers."

Steven coughs uncomfortably. "Uh Amethyst."

"Steven let me handle this." She turns to the other four. "I'll be real with you four for a minute here. Even if you don't see it, we're all stranded here, and it's gonna stay that way until we change you guys back. But I'm not worried about that, you want to know why?"

"Why?" Beatrice asks.

"'cause you're all human." Amethyst says. "Changing is what your best at. So when I clap my hands, you guys are gonna stop fighting for Auntie Amethyst and work together to get through this got it?"

"Yes."

"Good."

She claps her hands. The four chairs disappear. Her fellow contestants stand before her obediently.

"Nice job." Stevens says. "What's phase two of your plan?"

Amethyst scratches her chin. "Uh… Oh! I got it!"

She closes her eyes and concentrates. An archetypical Western town springs into existence around them. The kids let out a collective gasp.

"Nice isn't it?" She says smugly. "Go ahead and check it out."

They disperse to admire their new surrounds. Steven whistles.

"Very nice I guess we're sticking with the cowboy theme."

"You know it."

"What's the thought process?"

"Well Lapis and Peridot got over their beef after you forced them to live in the barn together."

"I don't if I'd say we forced them too…"

"…And now a days everyone's been really connecting building Little Homeworld. I figure like, throw some of that energy together and make this guys run their own town and they'll be their old jerk selves in no time."

"I think you're on to something with… Wait. You want them to run a town by themselves!?"

…

"You want us to run a town by ourselves!?" Lenny demands.

Amethyst rolls her eyes. "I mean I did, but Steven said you weren't ready for it. So I poof you a helper…"

A ten year old boy in a puffy jacket and a wide rimed black Stenson grins at them.

"Here's what I'm scared of; I catch a disease or break a leg! Literally!"

"…Also I brought this guy, cause he's like the only one here besides us."

The squid from earlier eyes them uncertainly.

"Uh I came here to be alone, can I opt out?"

"No!"

The creature sighs miserably.

"Barnacles…"

"But we're still children." Peach points out.

"So what better way to change that than to make you do something grown up?" Amethyst counters.

Indy shrugs. "Fair enough."

Peach and Lenny still seem unconvinced.

"We're still children." The Young Princess repeats bluntly.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go easy on you." Amethyst assures them.

…

The four children are standing in front of an elaborately deadly obstacle course.

"That's what you call easy?" Peach asks faintly.

"What? I've seen you guys totally beat things more dangerous than this."

Steven gives her an unimpressed look. Amethyst sighs overdramatically.

"Fine. But I thought you guys were kids, not babies."

She poofs away the course. And points to the side of town.

"Yo! See that water pump? You humans need water to survive or some junk. So go get some."

"With what?" Lenny asks.

A pile of buckets appears before them.

"We storing our water in the buckets or are we just carrying it someplace else?" Indy asks.

Amethyst grumbles. A metal bathtub pops into reality, almost landing on Jones. He rolls out of the way with a sharp cry of surprise.

"Behold, someplace else." Amethyst says dryly.

The kids grumble and get to work, lugging several buckets over to the pump.

Indy frowns.

"Peach you're not carrying enough."

"Says who?"

"Me. I'm the leader."

"No, you're not. You're a commoner!"

Both them recoil, having just been struck with water balloons. Amethyst is standing next to a bucket full of them.

"Stop wasting time! I'm the leader, now hurry up!"

She throws two more at the kids. They flinch. Lenny get's hit instead.

"Oy! What's the idea!?"

"The idea you need to start working harder." Amethyst says, hurling several more balloons.

"Cut it out!" Indy says.

"More working, less complaining." Amethyst snaps, unleashing a veritable barrage of water balloons at them. The children cry out in alarm and duck for cover.

…

A while later the bathtub has been successfully filled. The children stand next to it, soaked to the bone and utterly miserable.

Amethyst raises an eyebrow. "Feel grown up yet?"

"NO!" They shout. She smacks her forehead.

"You guys are killing me."

…

"Next task is dinner!" Amethyst announces. "You guys we're always pretty dece at scrouging up grub, so you got to be good at this right?"

"I'm not sure what the question was? Can you say it again but in English?" Indy asks.

Amethyst gives him a hard look.

"Right…" She says tersely. "So Beatrice, you'll get the fire going."

"Oh boy!" Beatrice squeals, greedily taking bottle a of lighter fluid from Amethyst and toddling off with it.

"Um, I think I'm gonna go help her." Steven says rushing off after the toddler.

"Word." Amethyst turns to Peach. "Princess I got an extra special job for you. See them chickens?"

"I see those chickens." Peach says turning to a chicken coop near one of the shops.

"Great. Bag us a couple for dinner alright?" Amethyst asks, dropping an axe into the girl's hands. Peach looks revolted.

"I can't do that."

"Calm down your worship, I'll do it." Indy says taking the axe from her.

"No! She's doing it." Amethyst insists, shoving the blade back over to Peach.

"Why?" The two children ask in unison.

"Because I said so." Amethyst says sternly.

"I thought this exercise was about teamwork?" Indy demands.

"And whose running the exercise dude?"

"It's not teamwork if we don't have a say." Peach says.

"Sure it is." Amethyst says.

"No it's not." Indy says.

"Yes, it is."

"No it's not!"

"Yes, it is!" Amethyst says raising her voice.

"No-"

"OY!"

The three turn to look a Lenny.

"When you three are done bickering, the new kid an I took care of the hens."

The kid Amethyst poofed up stands behind him, holding a headless chicken in each hand.

"We sped up the natural process of life and death and we gave these suckers a short cut!" He declares triumphantly.

The others stare.

"That kid's a mess why did you make him?" Indy asks.

Beatrice and Steven burst out of one of the shops behind them. Beatrice cheering excitedly as flames come roaring out the open doorway.

"You're all a mess." Amethyst says.

…

None of the rest of the day's events don't go to plan either.

After losing their kitchen Amethyst poofs up a fancy new one and sets the kids on it. Indy burns the chickens, being unfamiliar with the modern stove given to him. There's a brief glimpse of hope when Lenny managed to help Peach bake a very lovely tray of cupcakes, only for Beatrice to devour them when they've turned their back on her.

Because of that, the communal art lesson their cephalopod companion intended to teach turns into a riveting hour of 'Let's-all-hide-from-the-toddler-splattering-paint-everywhere'.

For a break afterward, Amethyst materializes an old video game system for them. That nearly causes a fist fight after Lenny effortlessly beats Indy, only to be beat just as easily by Peach.

"That's not fair! You must know this one already." Lenny shouts angrily.

"I've never even seen one of this video toys until today." Peach says, smirking proudly.

Lenny spends the next half hour muttering darkly.

The more exercises Amethyst and Steven give them, the less their theme of running a town comes to play, and the more it becomes apparent they're throwing anything at the wall in the hope's it'll work.

Their some trust building games, sack races, three legged races, rock climbing, a tug of war. All of which leads to squabbling. After those all fail they try baseball only to realise they don't have a team to play against. So Amethyst poofs up six clones of the 'chicken lord' as Lenny dubs him. She disappears them one round into the game.

"Don't ever let me do that again." She says shaken.

"Got it." Steven says.

They try a puzzle after that and spend most of the time trying to keep Beatrice from eating the pieces. The play they try and perform falls apart. The board games end in tears. Their game of tennis bares no love. Their scavenger hunt gets lost along the way.

It's about that point Amethyst really stops trying. The next task is filling tax reports, then untying shoes, shoveling a pile of sand from one spot to the next with nothing but a teaspoon.

"What? It's boring. I though grown-up humans are supposed to be boring. So maybe if we make them do boring things it'll make them grown-ups again." She argues.

Steven sighs. "I think we need a guide."

So Amethyst poofs up a book of teambuilding activities for him, and the next few hours go by with him trying to teach the kids, while she stews in her own misery.

…

The Squid taps a baton on a music stand.

"Okay people, my expectations have bottomed out so I'm excited to see how you'll managed to this disappoint them."

The kids are seated in a semi circle, all holding band instruments.

Beatrice raises her hand, the tiny girl clinging to a tuba.

"Mr squidwort!"

"It's Squidward." The squid says.

"When am I supposed to be grown up?" She asks.

"Good question. Now! Are you ready kids?"

"No!"

"Fantastic, neither am I. Now, One. Two. Thre-AGH!"

He ducks just in time to avoid the violin string flying at him. Lenny's holding his instrument like a bow he groans.

"Aw... Wanker. I almost got him."

Squidward give him a reproachful look then dusts himself off and walks away.

"That's it. I'm taking a break."

"Maybe we should take a break too Amethyst." Steven suggests.

Amethyst, who's lying in a pile of trash in the corner of their music room groans tiredly and gives him a thumbs up.

…

The eight of them sit around a campfire in the centre of town looking defeated. Either this void has turned out to have a day night cycle after all or Amethyst decided to create one because it's currently dark out.

No one's in the mood for friendly conversation, or to do much of anything besides watching Beatrice throw marshmallows into the fire. The sense of failure lingering over them like a stale odor.

"So…" Steven begins with a slow cautious tone. "Today was interesting right? Can anyone think of anything they liked about it?"

"Not really." Mopes Peach.

"Today has been the worst day in three years." The Chicken Lord declares.

"I thought Amethyst poofed you up today." Steven says.

"Chicken Lords. The only one of you blokes I haven't learned to utterly despise tonight."

"Lenny no!" Steven cries. "You can't hate people. You're supposed to be friends. The point of today was to have fun and have everyone learn to work together like one big fusion!"

"What's that?" Peach asks.

"Fusion is this thing us gems and half gems do were if we form a really close bond we can merge physical into a new person."

"Like shagging some one?" Lenny asks.

"What No? It's not like that. Fusion can be forged through all sorts of relations."

"Still sounds like sex."

Steven sighs. "Lenny you're not getting it."

"Yeah, well. He's got one point right, you people are all terrible." Squidward says dryly.

Amethyst glares at the kids. "They're the terrible ones."

"You're terrible!" Indy says defensively. "You call yourself a scout leader!? Every task you gave us was a joke!"

"Well maybe if people tried trying we would have gotten some results."

"We are trying. You're not giving us directions." Peach says. Amethyst scoffs at this.

"You've done better with less, don't even joke."

"Like when?"

"Like seriously? None of you can remember any of what we've done on this game?" Amethyst asks impatiently. "You guys are part of the top five best out of a group of like 27 different people from around the multiverse. You've escaped everything from infinity houses to magical castles. You've fought chaos spirits and evil clowns and slug gangsters. You've been everywhere from spaceships to Atlantis."

Indy's eyes light up in wonder. "I've been to Atlantis!?"

"Yeah, and probably a bunch more places like it. You're a world-famous archeologist as a grown up."

"Wow…" He says in a hush voiced.

"What do I do?" Lenny asks. "Am I a famous video gamer?"

"Basically, and Peach becomes leader of her little Mushroom country."

"And me?" Squeak Beatrice.

"You I don't know. Nothing special really." Amethyst admits. "You turned into a bluebird at some point so there's that."

The little girl gasps in amazement.

"We sound incredible." Indy says humbly.

Amethyst snorts impatiently. "You are. That's why you're here."

"What we like as people?" Peach asks. "Are we nice to be around."

"NO!" Amethyst snaps.

The four go quiet and give a wounded look.

"N-no?" Peach repeats, taken aback.

"You're all massive jerks as grown-ups!" Amethyst shouts. "You're selfish, cruel, spoiled, cheaters. And if it wasn't for you my friends would still be here with me!"

"So then why do you want us back so back!" Indy demands.

"Because it's the only way we're getting out of this dump!"

"But we'll be mean." Peach protests.

"Doesn't matter, turns out you guys suck as kids too." Amethyst grumbles. The kids stay silence for moment, then Peach speaks again.

"I'm sorry." She says ruefully.

Amethyst looks up and blinks at her, taken slightly by surprise at the sudden gesture of kindness. She attempts to cover it with a scowl.

"Uh, yeah… You should be."

The young princess looks to her compatriots.

"Maybe if we grow up again, we could try and be better. Start anew."

The others nod affirmatively. Steven smiles.

"That'd be great guys."

"Yes, it's great to see you're finally making breakthroughs." Squidward adds, smiling just as broadly as Steven, if much less sincerely. He gets up from the log he was sitting on.

"Where do you think you're going?" Amethyst asks.

"Well I figure since you've all progressed so much that there's nothing more I can teach you. So I'll just be going now." He grabs his clarinet.

"But you can't go, there's nowhere else around here to go to, and we gave you tenure."

Squidward nods theatrically. "True, true. But you know I think I'm starting to miss the cold emptiness of nothing that surrounds us. Especially compared to associating with you barnacle heads. I think I'll stretch out on a nice patch of nowhere and pretend I'm back in my front yard, sunbathing on deck chair in front of my easter island head with a nice crème-brulee."

A lounge chair appears next to Squidward with a French desert sitting on it. Behind him a small blue house vaguely shaped like a Moai springs into existence.

Squidward stares blankly at it.

"Um…could I get a fork for the desert?"

One appears in his hand.

Squidward chuckles. "Now this I can work with."

He scoops up his possessions (Including the house) and walks away.

"So long bottomfeeders! Thanks for nothing!

The four children take in the scene, a sudden change of demeaner having setting over them.

A dog appears next to Beatrice. She cries out in glee and hugs it.

Lenny gives his hand an almost absent look. A portable gaming console appears it in. Indy stares at his own hands and a golden cross appears it in, fallowed by a cup, a sword and a statue. He turns to Amethyst, eyes blazing.

"WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS THE WHOLE TIME!?" He bellows.

Amethyst groans miserably and runs a hand down her face. "We were so close dude."

"You lied to us?" Peach asks, looking hurt.

"No. I didn't tell you about because I knew you guys would get all distracted."

"So you prefer us being your little slaves!? That it!?" Indy says. Amethyst scoffs.

"Don't take it so personally. I did to help you guys."

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Peach asks.

"Because you're all to immature too be trusted with that kind of thing!" Amethyst retorts.

"That's it then? You don't trust us?" Lenny prods.

"Just shut up! Will you!?" Amethyst snarls. "It's good you all finally know how this feels! This the kind of stuff grown-up you does to me!"

"Well I think I'm starting to get why grown up me doesn't like you." Indy sneers.

He turns around and throws out a hand dramatically. All sorts of historical and mythical wonders begin blooming into existence behind him.

"I could get used to this…" He says smiling to himself.

He raises and arm and from the ground grows a mighty late medieval castle. Peach scoffs.

"You call that a castle?"

"It's probably better than yours."

"Hmpf. We'll see about that."

She rolls up her sleave and concentrates. A castle of white brick with a red tile roof soars up to meet Indy's fortress.

"Impressive." Lenny says. "But not nearly as nice as mine."

He sprouts a third towering castle, the might of the three structures crushing and displacing Amethyst's pioneer town.

"Hey cut it out!" She snaps.

"Like it?" Lenny asks. "It's part Cagliostro and part Castlevania."

"Stop messing around! You four have to keep trying to grow up or we'll be stuck here! Remember!?"

"So what?" Indy asks. "I'm practically a god here! From now on I can have anything I every wanted. Only think in my way is you people."

"What does that mean?" Peach challenge.

"Oy! if we're fighting for this place count me in!" Lenny declares.

"I want to fight too!" Beatrice declares.

Amethyst steps in.

"No one's fighting on my watch!"

"You're not the boss of us anymore." Indy says.

He snaps his fingers. Chains materialize around Amethyst. A gag appears over her mouth. Two burley suits of armour are suddenly standing behind the boy scout.

"Get her out of my sight!" He orders.

They grab Amethyst and start hauling her over to a trebuchet.

"Wait! No!" Steven yelps. "Don't do this! She really was trying to help you!"

"Doesn't matter!" Indy says. "I don't give a damn what her intentions were! She lied to us and treated us like dirt. Only fair I should here the same respect."

"NO!"

"NOW!"

The armour draws it's sword and cuts a rope, launching Amethyst far off into the distance. Steven let's out an anguished cry and runs after her.

"Now can we have our fight?" Beatrice asks impatiently. Indy laughs.

"Fighting's for the school yard. You want to snag a place as good as this you do the grown-up way."

Peach folds her arms "And what's that?"

Indy smiles.

"War."

…

Amethyst lands a great ways away somehow uninjured. Steven comes to running to her side, no doubt reaching her faster than normally possible outside this strange space.

"AMETHYST! AMETHYST!"

Amethyst pulls herself up and glares in the direction she came from. White in the face with fury.

"INGRATES!" She screeches.

"Amethyst calm down!"

"HOW I AM I SUPPOSED TO GET THEM TO LISTEN NOW!" She screams turning on her friend. Steven cowers.

"Maybe if-"

"WHAT STEVEN!? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW!"

She stomps about enraged.

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN!? WHY IT IS THAT EVERYTIME THINKS START TO WORK OUT SOMEONE HAS TO RUIN EVERYTHING!?"

Steven frowns.

"Maybe if you had tried caring about the others you wouldn't be in this mess!"

Amethyst whips around to stare at him.

"Someone had to say it." Steven says. "I know it's not what you want to hear right now but maybe if you hear from som-"

"Leave me alone." Amethyst says miserably.

And her friend disappears.

…

Night turns day and the dark void becomes a uniform white. By the time it does it's clear Squidward Tentacles has been keeping himself busy.

His modest home has been rechristened as a magnificent estate, surround on all sides by a rich tapestry of lawns and gardens, all adorned by marble statues made in his image. The man of the house himself burst out of his new sunroom, briming with pride.

"Good morning Nowhere! What a beautiful day."

He swaggers over to particularly beautiful part of the garden and unfolds a lawn chair chuckling.

"You've really stumbled into good fortune this time Squidward. Long overdue of course but oh so appreciated."

He plucks a half dozen perfect looking grapes off a silver platter and drops them in his mouth greedily.

"No more SpongeBob, no more dead-end job, no more plebeians and their soul devouring unclulturedness. Just everything I've every wanted. And I only have to share with three people, me, myself, and I."

He laughs a nasally honky laugh. Then looks around keenly.

"Let's see…. I've got the mansion. The spa. The studio. The exotic cheeses. The solitude. What else?"

He picks up and ornate mirror and gasps.

"Dare I improve upon perfection?"

He closes his eyes, golden locks sprout from his teal forehead. His entire face and body twist and contort like melting wax. When his retaken form, Squidward's become a near impossibly handsome Adonis.

"I dare!" He cries triumphantly.

He settles back down in his chair beaming.

"Breaking that time machine was the best decision I've ever made."

He sighs blissfully.

A faint rumbling reverbs through the garden. Reluctantly he opens an eye.

"Huh?"

A fearfully quake comes throbbing through the grounds so forcefully he falls from his chair.

"Who dares disturb my perfect utopia!?"

A shadow falls over his estate, He cranes his neck up and gasps.

Lenny's castle looms large over him, now floating supernaturally in the air.

A hatch opens from it and horde of scantily clad anime girls with florescent hair and animal features decend on the estate and pin Squidward to the ground so forcefully that by the time they're done with him he's lost his handsomeness and reverted to normal.

"HEY! What do you think you're doing!? This is private property!"

The crowd parts to reveal Lenny. Adored in outfit vaguely reminiscence of Doctor Eggman. Red and black with grey gloves, red boots and a gold band around the waist. He marches towards Squidward with the stride of a man whose intent on ruling the world.

"The Enemy has been captured most honourable sensei Lenny-Chan!" One of the girls pipes.

Lenny takes off his shades and sighs.

"Wrong target Sakara."

"Excuse me but who you do you are think you are barging in here!? You are trespassing on my land!" Squidward hollers. Lenny poses dramatically.

"Such are the rules of war Squidy."

"I don't care about you and your friends little games!"

"They're not my friends!" Lenny snaps.

"I don't care!" Squidward shouts. "Let me out of it."

"Shall I execute him master!?" Squeals a girl.

"No time." Lenny says briskly. "Come on then girls. Let's go find those other prats and teach them our mighty gamer ways!"

"Yes Master!"

The shoot back off into their castle. Squidward gets up and dusts himself off indignantly.

"Well, I'm glad to see theirs some common sense in there. Now if you could only learn some MANNERS! Then maybe you'd be half way to being a person! I…uh…"

He shallows hard. The castles rotated a massive artillery barrel towards him.

"Uh… No hard feelings?"

Lenny's castle fires off with an ear shattering force. Squidward's mansion erupts into a cloud of smoke and fire. It's host sent careening through the air shrieking madly.

He lands a great distance away, charred and furious.

"VANDALS! THUGS! BARBARIANS!" He screams.

He spots someone in the distance and storms over to them, half to investigate, half to find someone to complain to.

It's Amethyst, the gem curled up in a ball and lying on the ground. Somehow his mood worsens.

"YOU!"

"Sup." She says quietly.

"I hope you know those kids of yours are rampaging through nonexistence!"

"So?"

Squidward's so outraged for a moment that he can hardly speak.

"So? SO!? Get out there and discipline them!"

"They don't listen me." Amethyst says. "Not that I blame them."

Squidward looks around angrily

"Where's your friend then? Make him talk some sense into them."

"I poofed him away."

"What!?"

Amethyst simply sighs. Squidward works himself into another fury.

"LISTEN TO ME! I came here for some peace and quiet! You understand!? You are going to handle those brats-"

"You want peace and quiet!?" Amethyst says, turning around suddenly. "Then shut your trap and go somewhere else." She turns away again and wraps her jacket tightly around herself.

"You don't want to be around me anyways."

Squidward stumbles over his speech for a moment before composing himself.

"Well at least we can agree to that.."

He turns his nose up at her then walks away.

She watches him march off into the distance. Shrinking into the invisible horizon until he's a spec to small to be perceived.

She lays there unmoving a good while after he's gone. Too miserable to move. To hopelessly to care. Without anything changing it's hard to say how long she stays that way, maybe a few hours before some of the last of her will comes to her.

"Amethyst…"

Steven Universe has reappeared behind her.

"Hey…" She sighs. To depressed to even turn around and great her creation. "Do you still have your memories?"

"You mean of before you poofed me away?"

She nods. Steven looks away awkwardly.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry about what happen-"

"I didn't bring you back to talk Steven."

"Oh…Alright. Why I am back then?"

"I don't know… Just nice to have a familiar presence you know?"

"I understand." Steven consents. "But I'd be better if we talked about this."

"I don't care."

He reaches over and rests a hand on her.

"It'll be okay."

"No it won't." Amethyst says, her voice catching. "All I wanted was to make my team proud. This was my last chance and they blew it." She sniffs, trying not to tear up. "It's not fair."

Steven draws in a deep breathe. "I think we need the others here for this."

"I don't."

Steven smiles. "Come on I know it would cheer you up."

"No It wouldn't."

"You wouldn't make me say it if you weren't already thinking it."

Amethyst sighs deeply.

Two gems appear siting cross-legged across from her. One pale and thin with a long nose, the other red, strong and tall, her eyes hidden by a golden vizor nestled at the base of a square afro.

Amethyst nods the latter. "Hey Garnet." Then the former. "Sup Pearl. Nice of you guys to come."

Garnet smiles. "Nice of you to bring us."

"We're happy to be here for you Amethyst." Pearl says. "And Might I add it was very mature of you to not turn me into a cruel caricature of myself."

Amethyst gives her a half smile. "Believe me it was tempting."

"As funny as that would have been, we're not here to talk about Pearl." Garnet says adjusting her visor. "We're here to talk about you Amethyst."

"What's there to talk about? You guys know the whole story." Amethyst mopes. "My Shorties are gone, the others betrayed me and I'm out of options." She sighs. "It's hopeless."

"No, it's not Amethyst." Steven insists.

"Maybe if you examine how you got here, we can retrace your steps and find you a way out." Garnet offers.

"I just told you how I got here." Amethyst says impatiently.

"Then it's time to start asking questions so we can prob a little deeper."

Amethyst sighs. "Go ahead, it won't change anything."

"Amethyst, before they betrayed you why did you hate the others?" Garnet asks.

"I didn't hate Peach before she betrayed me. She had some of that over excited Pearl energy but she and the Flower Girls were alright. The others are Fact Hunters, they basically suck on principal." She gives her friends an annoyed look. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. You already know it all."

"Amethyst reflecting on our past creates new insights that may help us in the future. Even if the facts don't change our perspective on them can." Pearl explains

Amethyst raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that just what Garnet said?"

"Exactly. Didn't repeating it help you learn from it?"

Amethyst rolls her eyes.

"Tell us Amethyst." Garnet proms. "Why exactly did the Fact Hunters as you put it 'suck on principal'?"

"Because they cheated!" Amethyst cries. "They didn't suffer to get this far like me and Peach did. They're only here at the end of the game because Rick was always cheating with his warp gun and they're team never lost!"

"Wasn't Rick in a cast during most of his time on the show?" Pearl asks.

"His team never lost before he was." Amethyst insists.

"And who never lost again after?" Garnet asks.

Amethyst grumbles. "We didn't." She looks up defensively. "That's different though! We didn't cheat! We were a cool team with cool people! Us Shorties looked out for each other."

Garnet smiles faintly. "I think Winry and Ramona would beg to differ."

"That doesn't count!" Amethyst insists. "We didn't throw them under the bus to be mean. It was just gameplay."

"Was the way you used to treat Tomoko just gameplay?" Steven asks. Amethyst looks away.

"We were great to Tomoko alright?! We just liked to mess we her."

Pearl looks to Garnet who nods. Pearl stands up and a projection emerges from the gem embedded in her forehead.

A scene takes form before them. One from long ago, before the merge. It shows Tomoko making a fool of herself, dancing and pouring soda in her underwear, while Amethyst and Yao cackle insensately. The present Amethyst winces.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Actually, you were worse to her at the start." Steven admits.

"But we got better."

"Yes. Once Beatrice convinced her to stand up for herself." Pearl acknowledges.

"The same Beatrice you now have all this hatred for." Garnet says

"Okay, so maybe Beatrice wasn't part of Rick's reign of terror." Amethyst admits. "Maybe she got hit by his bullying worse than anything did we did to Tomoko. Heck, maybe she and even Lenny, kind of got along with us Shorties once. Why do you think their betrayal hurt so much?"

"You mean letting Yao and Bentley sacrifice themselves?"

"YES!" Amethyst snaps bitterly. "They were just… so egger to go behind my back and let my boys get booted unfairly like that."

"I believe it was their own choice in both cases." Pearl points out.

"They wouldn't do that! The others talked them into it!"

Steven scratches his head. "So in Yao's case. Do you think Lenny talked him into sacrificing himself in the middle of a fight with Bob?

"YES!"

Pearl frowns. "Amethyst really. That's highly unlikely."

"So is them abandoning me!" Amethyst cries. "We were supposed to win this thing together!"

"Amethyst your friends made the choice to give up their games to protect everyone else, including you." Garnet says. "In doing so, they were willing to put all their faith in you."

"They still lied to me!"

"And that was wrong. But much like when we've kept things from Steven, they made the wrong choice because they thought it would spare your feelings."

"Exactly! That's my point! Everyone just decided one day that I couldn't make the right call about stuff! Like seriously!? I know I'm scrappy but I'm not that bad at judging things."

Garnet sighs.

"Pearl."

Pearl smiles sympathetically then her gem projects more images.

New scenes pan out in front of the four. All of a suddenly Amethyst is back in Hallownest. Watching herself lunge at Hornet and taking a needle through the chest for her trouble. Next, she's in Hogwarts, cackling along with the Slytherin clique at all their cruel comments. Then she's fumbling with the Mask of Light on the deck of the Dawn Treader, shoving Wonka's chewing gum in her mouth, conspiring with Rourke to betray Atlantis, slacking off in Springfield, screaming at the other in the wreckage of the monorail, in the Mos Eisley Cantina, in the presence of IT.

"CUT IT OUT!"

Amethyst has leapt to her feet, furious tears brewing in her eyes.

"You guys made you point already! I get it, I'm the failure! I'm the loser!"

She sinks back down and curls up into a ball.

"I'm the one that shouldn't be here."

Steven throws his arms around her and the tears begin running down her face. She tries desperately to hide them. Even if they're fake, even if they've always been open about this sort of thing at home, she'd really rather not be crying in front of her fellow Crystal Gems.

"You're not a failure Amethyst." Steven says softly.

"I just wanted to be a leader like you guys…" She blubbers. "I wanted to keep my team together… I failed all of them."

"Amethyst listen to us." Garnet says firmly. "Just because you've made bad choices doesn't make you a bad person. Theirs still time to redeem yourselves. The other four need your guidance right now."

"I've tried everything." Amethyst insists. "Really. I tried teaching them every stupid little thing I thought would make them grow up and nothing worked!"

"We're you trying to teach them your way or the way you thought someone else would?" Pearl asks.

"Someone else I guess."

Pearl laughs.

"Well there's your problem there. You can't teach something unless your passionate about it. Not well at least."

"Pearl I'm not passionate about anything grown up humans do. I'm impulsive, I'm immature, I'm all that junk."

"You're more mature than you think you are." Steven encourages. "You've help me more than I can count."

"You've grown so much in the such few short years." Pearls says. "I mean we all have, but for you Amethyst it's very impressive."

"You're not weaker than us, Amethyst." Garnet says, seemingly reading her mind. "You're stronger. You've got this. We know you do."

"What if I blow it again?" Amethyst asks.

Garnet puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever happens you've come this far. I know the real us are going to be proud of you when you get back. No matter what."

Another burst of tears well up in Amethyst's eyes and she throws herself around Garnet and pearl, Steven still clinging on to her as they melt into a group hug.

"I love you guys." She chokes out.

"We love you Amethyst." Steven promises.

She pulls away and wipes her eyes.

"Alright that's enough mushy stuff. We might still be on TV and I got a rep to hold up."

Steven laughs. "Feeling any better?"

Amethyst beams at him.

"Better than I have in mouths. Thanks guys."

"We're always more than happy to lend a hand Amethyst." Pearl declares. She pulls herself up and takes a long white spear out from her gemstone. "Now, what are we waiting for? Let's go clean up this mess Amethyst made."

Steven and Garnet applaud. Amethyst grins modestly.

"Thanks again guys but… that's alright."

Steven looks surprised. "Amethyst we can help."

"I know but I think this is something I have to do on my own."

"Are you sure?"

Amethyst shrugs comically. "I got myself into to this mess. I can get myself out of it… probably."

"It won't be easy." Pearl warns.

Garnet gets to her feet. "But you have my trust."

"Thanks Garnet. That means… everything." Amethyst says. "I'll see the real versions of you real soon. I promise."

"I suspect the real Garnet already knows." She pulls down her visor, revealing two red eyes as well as a third blue one in the centre of her forehead, which she winks at Amethyst. "If you catch my drift."

"Ha ha yeah. Future vision. I got it." Amethyst says.

Garnet smiles. "Take care of yourself Amethyst."

And she poofs away.

Fake Steven gives her one more parting hug.

"Thanks for having me Amethyst. It's been nice existing today."

"No worries." Amethyst says. "So uh… should I tell real Steven about you or would he find it weird?"

Steven laughs. "I'm sure he'd understand."

He gives her a last wave and disappears.

Finally theirs only Pearl left. The white gem, stows her weapon away, then fold her hands together gracefully.

"Well Amethyst I supposed I should going as well. But you know where to find us if you need our help again."

"I know P."

"You are the master of your own destiny. Don't ever let any one tell you otherwise." Pearl smiles. "Not even you."

And she too disappears.

Amethyst takes a moment, reflecting on everything.

"Master of my own destiny…"

She breathes in and begins to glow, dissolving into light.

When she reforms her hairs grown out and her blue pigment has disappeared returning her to her natural lilac. She takes off her leather jacket and gives it a look. The word's Shortie Squad still lovingly embroidered on the back.

"Thanks for getting me here guys, but Shorties Style won't cut it this time."

She stows the jacket in her gem, ties her hair up they looks off. In the far distance she can see the silhouettes of the three castles lumbering towards each other.

"Time to act like a Crystal Gem again."

…

"Enemy spotted for real this time Master Sensei Lenny Chan!"

"Are you certain?"

"Hai!"

Lenny rises from his throne and materializes a golden spy glass. He chuckles darkly.

"It appears it's game time ladies."

A second fortress marches towards Lenny's floating castle, this one a medieval battlement on mechanical legs.

Indy stands poses atop the gatehouse, dressed like Richard the Lionheart.

"The time is upon us gentlemen!" He declares. A myriad of historical and mythical heroes stand behind him. Everyone from Sun Tzu to Washington to King Arthur to Pachacuti. He turns to the man on right.

"What say you Mark Antony? Cry Havoc and let loose the Dogs of War."

"Damn right boy." The Roman senator says bracingly

An Alaskan Malamute leaps up toward Indy. He scratches the creature behind the ears then smirks.

Approaching in the distance another castle loom. This one on the back of a giant turtle. Peach stands at it's centre wearing an ermine cape. Bathed in the heavenly light radiating down from a grand stained-glass window.

"Ready to show these boys we know a thing or too about war Beatrice?"

"Death and destruction!" Cries the little girl merrily. Standing next to the princess wearing sloppily applied war paint.

The three forts come within a few hundred metres then halt.

"LAST CHANCE TO SURRENDER!" Indy cries.

"YOU WISH!" Peach shouts. Lenny merely cackles.

Indy smirks. "So be it."

The great forts open their gates. For a moment nothing happens, and all it's still. Then the trumpets of battle sound from each keep and all at once their young masters bellow in one voice.

"CHAAARRGE!"

Swarms of troops begin to pour into the plain between the forts. From Indy's come Knight's on their steeds, Hoplites and centurions in with their shields, Pharaohs with their bows and chariots, riflemen marching to the beat of a drum. From Lenny's pours his harem, followed quickly by samurais, redcoats and a barrage of figures that look to be from video games. Robots and moles and boys in green hoods and little pink puff creatures and all the sort.

From Peach's castle more men in mushroom caps and blue vests, their torsos heavyset and overexaggerated to near comedic effect. By their sides comes hundreds of the Chicken boy from earlier and an entire pack of Beatrice's dog. Each the size of a bull elephant.

"FORWARD!" Command the children.

They armies meet and immediately break into pairs and start to fight. There's no strategy of any sort, this is war as children picture it. Men at arms and barely dressed girls clashing with all the finesse and grade of two action figures being slammed into each other. And too their young rulers, it's a sight of utmost glory.

Indy comes barreling out of his fortress as enemy blasts and turtle shells bombard its wall. His white steed dressed in full armour. His war banner fluttering behind him. He swings his longsword haphazardly. Lobbing the head off a samurai that has Abraham Lincoln in chokehold.

"At your service Mr President!" Indy shouts.

"Thank you boy!" Lincoln cries. "Now get a taste of the old Springfield Stringbean!"

He strips off his shirt and dives elbow first into a horde of anime girls, suplexing at least five of them.

Behind him, Julius Caesar is fighting to his last. A horde of Mushroom Men have surrounding him and beating him senselessly. One of the Chick boys approaches with a gatling gun. The roman let's out an anguished cry.

"Et tu Pullus?"

"Sic semper tyrannis." The boy replies.

Lincoln looks around wildly.

"Wait who said that? WHO SAID THAT!?"

Transfixed in the sight. Indy's knocked from his horse. Getting up and looking around he spot Lenny jeering down at him.

"Hello you…"

Indy let's out a war cry and dives at him. Lenny dodges. He dives again. Lenny dodges. Indy snarls.

"Quit parrying coward!"

"Get better first!" Lenny smirks.

He let's loose a cocky laugh only to be interrupted a moment later by a turtle shell to the back of head.

"Bloody hell!"

He turns around to see Peach smiling at him.

"Terribly sorry boys, was I interrupting something?"

"Not for long you wont!" Lenny cries. "HADOKEN!"

He cups his palms and fires a blast of blue energy at them Indy and Peach scramble out of the way as Lenny unleashes attack after attack.

"GATLICK GUN!"

"PSYCHO CRUSHER!"

"DESTRUCTO BEAM!"

"FIST OF CLEANSING!"

"FIST OF THE NORTH STAR!"

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

"WHY ARE YOU CALLING YOUR ATTACKS!?" Indy hollers.

"THAT'S HOW THEY WORK!" Lenny bellows. "YEOW!"

He screams and is suddenly sent flying into the air, clutching his flaming backside. Peach laughs. Her dress and cap now white and red, her fists two balls of fire.

"HA! Mine don't need to be called Lenny!"

Lenny seethes at her. "Why you wretched little-"

Peach whistles.

"Beatrice attack!"

Beatrice comes storming in on one of her giant dogs. The beast grabs Lenny in his jaw and shakes him about like a chew toy. He cries in terror as Beatrice laughs gleefully.

"Good puppy!"

Indy goes in for the attack, swinging his sword, trying to slice right through Peach. The girl hurls fireball after fireball at him. One of which goes stray and hits Beatrice's steed. It yelps in agony and bounds away, dropping both Lenny and Beatrice.

"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!" Peach cries destressed.

Indy sneers. "Doesn't matter! My dog's better!"

He whistles and the malamute comes running. Beatrice takes one look at the creature then squeal and throws her arms around it overjoyed.

"Doggy!"

"STAY AWAY FROM INDIANA!" Indy bellows.

"You named your dog after yourself!?" Lenny scoffs.

"No! I'm named after the dog!"

"That's stupid!"

"You're stupid!"

"No you're-"

Lenny's cut off by another blast of fire from Peach.

"Oh, did I hit you again?" She asks, innocently batting her eyelashes. Lenny roars in frustration.

"You'll pay for that princess! After I've won, I'm aging you up, forcing you into a bikini and making you my slave for all eternity!"

"After I've won I'm scrubbing this place of trace of you too existing!" Indy shouts.

"What makes you think you commoners can beat a princess!?" Challenges Peach.

Indy grimaces. And summons a glowing Excalibur."

"Let's finish this!"

"Agreed!" Shout the others.

Lenny and Peach's fists glow and they charge. Indy let's out a final war cry and charges after them. They're all converging climatically when out of nowhere.

"STOP!"

Everything around them disappears, the castles, the armies, all of it blinks out of existence. The four look around wildly.

"What!? Where'd the war go!?" Indy demands.

"We're supposed to be fighting!" Lenny cries.

"No you're not!"

Amethyst walks up to them, full of newfound humility, and confidence.

"You're all supposed to be friends. I'm the one you should be mad at."

Indy turn to her with a look of fury.

"You! Didn't we tell you to leave!?"

The kids charge at her. Only to be stopped short by the pane of glass Amethyst's made appear between them.

"You guys don't want to do that."

"Yeah? Why's that?" Lenny challenges.

"Because you deserve the truth."

The kids look at her.

"What truth?" Peach asks skeptically.

Amethyst takes a deep breath.

"You know that vaguely defined 'thing' I said turned you into kids?" She gestures to herself. "You're looking at her."

The boys seem shocked for a moment before their faces contort with rage.

"You…" Indy says rolling up his sleave. "You, dirty, rotten, foul, no good-"

Peach puts a hand out to hold them back (though the glass makes the gesture unnecessary.) She turns to Amethyst.

"Why?"

Amethyst rubs her arm. "I might have been jealous."

Lenny scoffs. "You said we were jerks."

"I know what I said."

She looks at them earnestly.

"If you want the truth you guys we're some of the most mature people I've ever met. You didn't start that way, you were all strangers and you had some really bad fights but by the end you really looked out for each other, and I hated that."

"How come?" Indy asks.

"Because I had that." Amethyst admits. "I had that kind of bound with my Shorties and I couldn't stand to see someone have that as I was losing it. So I brought you all down to my level. I get it if you all completely hate me for that."

She disappears the wall between them and braces for the worse. Instead the kids stand put. Indy throws his sword down, Lenny coughs uncomfortable, Peach stares at her shoes. Even Beatrice looks slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry you lost your friends." Indy says stiffly.

"Thanks."

Peach taps her fingers together. "Maybe there's some way for us to get them back."

Amethyst dismisses the suggestion with a wave of her hand.

"The Shorty Squad had it's time, but we're done. Now's about helping you."

She shuts her eyes and throws out her arms and the scene around them changes entirely. They find themselves on a sandy peninsula. A large cliff with an elaborate temple complex carved into it stands before them, and behind them is an idyllic seaside town with a boardwalk.

The kids rubs their eyes.

"What is this?" Indy asks. "Where are we?"

"Beach City. It's where I'm from." Amethyst says fondly.

"I'm not following."

Amethyst shrugs.

"I figure after everything I owe you guys a good time. We can have some fun here and…" She smiles modestly. "…Maybe we can learn to trust each other again."

She waits for their response. Nothing at first, the boys simply continue to stare at her uncertainly. Then Peach smiles warmly.

"Sounds much better than fighting some old war."

Beatrice cheers and runs over to Amethyst; the boys however continue their frosty gaze. Amethyst smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Hey no biggee. We'll try it like this."

She extends a hand to them and sings.

"In the light of the day,

In the dark of the night,

When you're rarin' to go,

When you're tired from the fight,"

Indy and Lenny blink in surprise as Amethyst begins to dance.

"When you're losing your mind,

Let me give you a thought,

I'm gonna be right by your side no matter what!"

She offers her hand to them again.

"In the dark of the night," Amethyst sings.

"In the dark of the night," Peach repeats.

"In the light of the day,"

"In the light of the day," Beatrice echoes.

"When you're risin' to shine,"

"When you're risin' to shine," Both girls sing.

When you're hittin' the hay, (When you're hittin' the hay,)

I'll be hangin' around, (I'll be hangin' around,)

Amethyst's gives the boys a nudge. "If you like it or not,"

"If you like it or not," Giggle the girls.

"I'm gonna be- "

"-right by your side-" Lenny continues.

"-no matter what!" Finishes Indy.

Amethyst takes them around the town. She shapeshifts into a cat and chases them around the beach, She shows them her favorite food shops, she takes them to the arcade where Peach and Lenny let Indy beat them in one of the games. They arrive at a seaside carnival, the children's eyes wide with excitement at the rides.

Peach and Indy ride the gravitron.

"No matter what, (No matter what,)"

Lenny and Amethyst knock over cans in the midway.

"No matter what, (No matter what,)"

The five ride the roller coaster together.

"No matter what, (No matter what,)

No matter what, (No matter what,)

No matter what!" Chirps Beatrice.

They hit a sharp turn.

"Oh, I'm gonna be, (Oh, I'm gonna be,)

Right by your side, (Right by your side,)"

They walk out of the fairground, arms full of food and prizes.

"I'm gonna be right by your side no matter what! (Right by your side no matter what!)"

Later in the afternoon the gang strolls the sandy shores. Amethyst holding Beatrice as the others run ahead.

"In the dark of the night," Lenny calls.

"In the light of the day," Peach answers.

"When you're risin' to shine," Sings he.

"When you're hittin' the hay," Sings she. They turn to Indy.

"Just remember this song,"

He throws his arms around them playfully.

"How's it go, I forgot?"

They all laugh.

"I'm gonna be right by your side no matter what!"

Amethyst climbs the hill behind the cliff. She stares off towards the sea, the kids gathered behind her.

"Through whoever you've been,"

"Through whoever you've been," They chorus.

"Through whoever you'll be, (Through whoever you'll be,)"

She pulls the jacket out her gem.

"Through whatever you'll lose, (Through whatever you'll lose,)"

She hugs the garment. Peach puts a hand on her shoulder.

"You will always have me," She sings.

"You will always have me," Amethyst repeats.

"At the end of your road," Lenny offers.

"At the end of your road,"

"I'll be holding you taut," Assures Indy. Amethyst smiles.

"I'll be holding you taut,"

They all sing together.

"I'm gonna be right by your side no matter what.

Be right by your side,

Be right by your side,

Be right by your side no matter what."

They sit there watching the sky for a moment.

"How was that?" Amethyst asks. Lenny and Indy grimace.

"Alright I suppose." Lenny says. "If a bit too girlie for my taste."

"I've had better sing-a-longs at camp." Indy insists.

Peach giggle.

"You're both horrible lairs."

She turns to Amethyst.

"I thought it was wonderful."

Indy rubs his neck. "Yeah… Thanks for showing us around."

"I mean you know…Least I can do…" Amethyst says. She rises to her feet.

"No matter how long it takes for you guys to grow up again, we're in this together.

She holds out a hand.

"Agreed?"

The others put their hands in.

"Agreed!"

Amethyst smiles and closes her eyes.

She can tell they've changed before she's opened them again.

When she finally does she finds her friends are back. Besides the silver hammerspace bangles on their wrists they look like they could have just stepped out of the stadium at the start of the game. The girls are back in their gowns, Indy's got his jacket back in one piece and Lenny is once more of member of the human race.

They stand there readjusting to their old selves. Amethyst grinds a foot into the grass and looks away.

"So uh… I guess uh might have uh… you know…" She coughs. "Overreacted to some stuff."

The old familiar Indiana raises an eyebrow.

"You think?" He asks sarcastically.

"It's alright if you're still mad."

Peach smiles.

"We forgive you Amethyst."

"Be pretty hypocritical if I didn't." Beatrice admits.

"I've never the type to hold grudges." Lenny proclaims, his old serenity back in full. "Not since I was young. And that was what?" He grins knowingly. "'bout a minute ago now I figure?"

Amethyst laughs weakly.

"Group hug?"

Lenny spreads his arms, the other three hesitate. Amethyst smiles.

"Wasn't asking guys. Come here!"

Her arms elongate and she wraps all four of them in a bear hug.

"Alright! We're all friends again! You've made you're point!" Indy says. He turns his head. "Look at that!"

Amethyst laughs. "You can't get out of this that easy Jones!"

"I'm serious look!"

They break apart and look where Indy's pointing. Down below on the beach a gold light has emerged.

They run down the hill and make their way over to it. As they approach the light spreads like an ember, growing in shape and complexity.

When the light fades a grand golden door towers before them.

Something washes up on shore besides it. Beatrice goes to retrieve it and comes back with another message in a bottle.

They pull it out and read.

"Nice work team. Keys are in the bottle. See you at the Finale."

C.

Beatrice shakes the keys out of the bottle and frowns.

"Um there might be a problem here."

She shows them the keys in her hands.

"Three." Indy says.

"Two people are getting left behind." Beatrice says. "Assuming Amethyst is still part of…"

"No." Amethyst says quickly. "I'm not. I've been eliminated since Camazotz."

"But Amethyst we never would have gotten back to ourselves without you." Peach protest.

"It's fine." Amethyst assures her. She takes a deep breath and seem to come to terms with things. "Short N Spunky had a great run but we lost fair and square. You guys have earned this."

Indy nods. "Awfully mature of you Amethyst."

The gem grins modestly.

"I try."

"Well then…" Peach says looking around at her fellow competitors. "I supposed now that that's settled the only thing to decide is…"

"Which one of us stays." Beatrice finish.

The group eyes each other uncomfortably. Then Lenny claps his hands together.

"Right then. Only path forward is to now dwell on this. We'll have a quick vote here and now. On the count of three we all say who we're voting for. No disrespect meant, no feeling hurt. We're all bright enough to know that it's just a game and nothings to be taken personally. Agree?"

"Agreed." Indy says. The two girls nod.

"On three." Lenny says. "One… Two… Three! Beatrice!"

"Peach!" Indy shouts.

"Lenny! Both girls say in unison.

Lenny frowns.

"Ah… I was hoping it wouldn't go that way."

"Lenny I'm sorry. You were the only one I count think to vote for." Peach says fretfully. "We can try again."

Lenny laughs. "Quite alright Princess, fairs fair. It may not be worth a medal, but I can live with getting fourth place. Besides…"

He snaps his fingers and transforms back into a gem.

"Who would I be to leave another one of my kind behind."

Amethyst grins.

"You're the best Lenny."

"We'll miss you big guy." Indy says.

Lenny smiles humbly.

"Yes I know. Now Amethyst! Now that I'm grown again, I want a rematch in that arcade."

He and Amethyst make there way back down the beach towards town cheering and showing encouragement to their semi-finalists. The three waves back. When the gems are out of earshot Peach sighs wistfully.

"I wish we had had more goodbyes like that."

"Well the good news is there's only one elimination left." Indy says, taking two keys from Beatrice and handing one to Peach.

They approach the door. He looks over to them.

"Ready ladies?"

"For anything." Peach says. Beatrice simply nods. Indy nods back

"Alright then."

He holds the golden key up to the door. For whatever reason it seems the right thing to do.

"Three." He says.

"Three." Beatrice echoes.

"Three." Says Peach.

"Three is a Magic Number." An angelic voice speaks.

The golden doors swing open, and they step inside.