Opening Secret Gem File: Seraphinite
Many Gems on the home world refer to the conflict on the planet Earth centuries ago as the Rose Rebellion, while some just call it the Rebellion and some even call it the War for Earth.
It all started when Rose Quartz incited a rebellion on the planet that would be known as Earth for reasons unknown to the High Command, garnering the loyalty of over half the Gem population that established itself there. Earth had generally been colonized as a way to expand our population and resources on the orders of the ruling cast of the Gem home world, the Diamond Authority. The heads of the authority were Blue Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond and Pink Diamond who were hailed as the rulers of Gem civilization decreed that the Gem home world was slowly using resources needed to create new Gems and ordered their subjects to the search the stars for planets that could sustain and be used to aid in producing new Gems. The planet known as Earth was one of the few planets that was perfect for aiding the home world in producing new Gems and thus under the orders of the Diamond Authority several Kindergartens were established, using the minerals in the planet to produce new Gems despite the fact that the planet would eventually be hollowed out and be remade as a perfect Gem colony.
Unfortunately during construction the colony was attacked by a strange dark creatures that appeared without warning and attacked settlements, overrunning them and destroying the Gems inhabiting them. These creatures somehow infected our bodies made of pure light and energy and even infected our gems before destroying us from the inside. Homeworld's armies were sent by Yellow Diamond, ordered to wipe them out but the beginning battles were unmitigated disasters for the Gems as the monsters slaughtered the Gem armies quickly. It was around this time that Pink Diamond began studying the other inhabitants of the planet, organic creatures that seemed to vary but were generally separated into three classes:
Humans
Faunus
And Mobian
These organics had somehow adapted to face off against these monsters labelled the Grimm and were surprisingly successful. Pink Diamond began collecting them, determined to see what made them powerful but she and the rest of Homeworld could not be prepared for what happened next. Rose Quartz took up arms against Homeworld inspired other Gems to join her, forming the Crystal Gems and what was meant to be an operation to save Gem kind quickly turned into a war. The Diamond Authority expected this minor rebellion to be put down but to their shock the Crystal Gems won several major battles that had been led by Rose Quartz and her most trusted advisors, a Gem fusion warrior known as Garnet, a defective but surprisingly skilled Pearl, and a general whose skill and ferocity on the battlefield combined with Rose's tactics crushed the Gem armies.
This general was a Gem who sprouted three wings from her back, making her faster than any of her peers and with enough strength to take down multiple opponents. This Gem, Seraphinite was a new type of Gem designed to fight against the Grimm but turned on her Diamond and sided with the traitor Rose. The Crystal Gems became dangerous criminals and the presence of the Grimm had turned a simple colonization into a full scale war, one that quickly became the darkest time in Gem history when Pink Diamond herself was shattered. With the loss of a Diamond Homeworld's armies suffered greatly and the surviving Gems retreated from Homeworld before the Diamonds launched a final attack that only three Crystal Gems survived:
Rose Quartz, the fusion known as Garnet and the Pearl.
They recruited a new Gem, a defective Amethyst left behind during the evacuation while all others were shattered or corrupted. The Seraphinite, the prototype for a new line of warrior Gems disappeared and had been presumed corrupted.
Until later sightings proved she was still alive.
Close File
Xxx
"'War is hell.' That's one of the most well-known sayings out there and it's also one of the truest ones. War is started when two groups of people find a reason to fight each other, no matter the costs that come with victory. When one side wins the rest as they say is history, usually to be told by the victors to justify their reasons." TOM began, as the secret file was closed. "So what reasons could there be to start a war? Defend one's home, take down an enemy, get back a guy for insulting your mother? Is there ever a good reason to declare war? Is there ever a good reason to fight one? No way to get an easy answer but maybe that's why it's worth thinking over."
Xxx
Conduit Edwards, businessman and leader of a secret group watched as the giant ring shaped device before him hummed to life, creating a bright glowing vortex. After a few moments of waiting his patience was rewarded as his master stepped out of the vortex.
"Lord Diagon." Edwards bowed. "I welcome you back to our dimension."
Vilgax stared down at Edwards, his red eyes narrowing. "What took you so long?"
"Apologies, my lord. We had trouble locating your Aura signature in the many dimensions you could have vanished to." Edwards explained, keeping his head bowed. "We worked without rest to bring you back."
"Hmph!" Vilgx walked past Edwards. "As you should."
Edwards stood up and followed his master. "We've been keeping the Tennyson family under surveillance as you ordered and there was a development yesterday."
"And that is?" Vilgax questioned as they walked down the hall.
"A large creature emerged from the ocean to attack backwater town, drawing Huntsmen from all over the country, including the Tennysons. It had the power to control and manipulate the ocean along with many other astounding powers." Edwards said, stopping at the door to Vilgax's private chamber. "We've prepared a full report and a recording of the events."
"Leave me." Vilgax ordered as the doors opened. "I will see to this report."
"As you wish, my lord." Edwards bowed again before taking his leave.
Vilgax entered his chamber and activated the massive screen on the wall, showing an image of Malachite Plasmius as she fought against the Crystal Gems and the other Huntsmen. "…Gems."
Now Vilgax was interested as he watched the recording, making note of the Gem Fusion's powers. He did not know there were Gems on this planet. This could be a good sign and a bad sign.
Good because if there was a Gem invasion force on the way all life on this planet could be wiped out, despite the obvious resistance from the inhabitants.
Bad because right now Vilgax had no way to get off this planet and had yet to get his hands on the Omnitrix.
Vilgax tapped a switch on his wrist. "Edwards."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Keep Beach City under surveillance. I want to know everything there is to know about that place, including the strange fusion creatures."
"It will be done, my lord."
Vilgax looked back at the image, showing three Gems and a woman shaped statue built into a cliff. It was obvious to someone who knew of Gem culture that it was a Gem Temple. Vilgax had encountered Gems in the past, he knew how they worked and he knew how to fight them. However, if a Gem invasion force was on the way he didn't have the resources needed to fight them, especially since they might have advanced in over the hundred years it had been since he had last encountered them.
"If the Omnitrix was in my possession by now, these Gems would be the least of my problems." Vilgax muttered bitterly. "But I will not let them or anyone else get in my way."
Xxx
"I am just saying I'm kind of bummed out on the real action. There was a giant monster that came out of the sea and I missed it!" Ben complained, sitting in the Rustbucket with Gwen while Max was outside, speaking with the local car washer.
"Come on, Ben. You saw all the people coming here. Odds are that someone would have taken out the monster before we got here." Gwen said, trying in vain to use logic to calm her cousin down.
Ben simply groaned and lied down on the couch. "I didn't even get to see it."
Gwen sighed and went back to reading her book. Meanwhile Max had just finished paying the local washer who was in fact Greg to wash the Rustbucket while he took a walk around town, seeing the woman like statue in the nearby cliff.
"This is going to be one heck of a day." Max sighed.
Taking a breath he walked across the beach, slowly towards the house.
"You can stop there, Plumber."
Max barely blinked as he turned around, seeing Garnet standing behind him. "You know who I am?"
Garnet tapped her visor. "Future vision."
"I see…I didn't come here for trouble but there's a lot of things we need to talk about." Max stated, raising both hands to show he was unarmed. "I only want to know if this planet is about to come under invasion again."
Garnet crossed her arms, remaining quiet for a moment. "I don't know."
"A Gem Fusion goes out of control, controls the entire ocean and brings wave after wave of Grimm and a few days ago a Gem warship appeared over this town." Max said, recounting recent events. "The original Plumbers and the surviving Crystal Gems agreed that any Gem related matters would be handled by you. We kept our side of the promise but what happened today, I'm not sure we can keep this agreement going with something like that out there."
"We'll find Malachite and un-fuse it. As for Homeworld, I…" Garnet trailed off. "We have no way of knowing if or when Homeworld sends another invasion force."
"Then, we really might have a problem." Max sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I really am not sure what to do. All I can say if something does happen, we might have to see if the old alliance can work again. Did Rose leave anything that might come in handy?"
"Rose…" Garnet glanced away slightly. "She was prepared for a lot of things, but I'm not she even wanted to be prepared."
"I see…just so you know, I'll be spending a few days here with my grandkids. We don't plan on causing trouble." Max stepped back, preparing to leave.
"That boy…" Garnet spoke, stopping Max. "He might be a good friend for Steven."
Max shrugged. "Be ready for trouble then."
"I always am."
Xxx
Johnny sighed as he walked up to the fry shop and looked at the menu. "What to have, what to have?"
"I suggest the bits." A female voice said behind him.
Johnny turned around, seeing…nobody.
"Down here."
Johnny looked down and let out a girl like scream, jumping back and falling on his back.
The girl in question let out a laugh. "What's the matter? Never seen a Gem before?"
The girl had long whitish purple hair with purple skin, wearing a white sleeveless shirt, black pants with star cut outs on the knees and purple boots. She had a smile on her face with a playful glint in her eyes and looked amused.
"Geez, kid. Where'd you come from?" Johnny asked, standing up.
"I ain't no kid. I'm a Gem but you can call me Amethyst." Amethyst said, walking up to the counter. "Here for the bits!"
Johnny stared at Amethyst, seeing the gem on her chest, as she took her fries and gave him a smile. "Are you a Huntsman?"
"Uh…Training to be one." Johnny answered.
"Well, here's a tip. When you scream, try not to sound too girly." Amethyst chuckled as she took a bite of her fries.
"Girly?! I'm all man right here, little talking grape!" Johnny said, flexing his muscles.
"Talking grape huh?" Amethyst grinned as she morphed into the shape of a giant grape. "Like this?"
"Wha?!" Johnny jumped again. "How'd you do that?"
Amethyst shifted back into her true form. "I can do lots of things…" She then shapeshifted into her Purple Puma form, towering over Johnny and flexed her muscles. "Lots of things."
"Uh…" Johnny just stared, unsure what to say next.
Amethyst laughed, changing back again. "Come see me at the wrestling match. I can give you a few tips."
She walked off, leaving Johnny who simply stared as she left.
Xxx
Once Steven and Seph had bought some donuts everyone was back in the Gem Temple with Seph sitting down in front of the table while Steven sat on the couch and the Gems sat close by.
"Now I suppose I'll start back to my beginning days, when I lived in a small village in a country called…Scotland."
Xxx
"The Homeworld Gems have retreated to the North, Rose. Our spies report that they have constructed a Kindergarten there and are producing new Gems." A woman with pale skin, long dark green hair that fell down to her hips stated.
She wore black and grey body hugging armor with a black and grey cloak that fell to her feet. Her silver eyes looked across the field she and the woman stood on.
"That is horrible. To think that the Homeworld is so determined to win that they would actually create Gems and instantly send them to fight." Rose said sadly.
"Yellow Diamond must have pushed for this. There are rumors that our war has incited rebellion on other Gem controlled worlds. With battles like ours breaking out Homeworld cannot afford to send reinforcements to destroy us." The green haired Gem commented with a small smile. "We can use this to our advantage, Rose."
"What do you mean Seraphinite?" Rose turned to the other Gem.
"If we take control of the warp pad network we could gather other rebels, form an alliance to knock the Homeworld off balance and use the worlds as bases to attack and deal a death blow to the Diamond Authority." Seraphinite answered with a smile. "The Diamonds wouldn't stand a chance. This is the turning point."
"That will not be possible Seraphinite. The most we could hope to accomplish is driving them off this planet. A military alliance is out of the question." Rose stated and sighed at the shocked look on Seraphinite's face.
"What are you talking about, Rose? We've had them on their knees on this planet for the last hundred years with only a small band of Gems and the fact that those Grimm monsters kept on attacking their settlements. With an entire army from all the other rebelling planets…Ha!" Seraphinite waved her hand in front of her face. "We'll finish them. At least on the planets they invaded."
"And then what?" Rose questioned.
"Then we'll have all the resources we need to attack the Homeworld, keep them off balance and make sure they never regain the strength they need to try and take this or the other planets back." Seraphinite answered.
"Seraphinite, we can't hope to secure the warp pad network, especially since it's the Homeworld's main method of sending reinforcements to all the rebel planets. We can't even hope to secure this planet if a Kindergarten is still operational. They could be massing for a full scale attack at any moment. Our only hope now is to keep this planet safe." Rose stated.
"You mean hide like cowards?" Seraphinite frowned.
"I mean regroup."
"But why? We can outsmart them, we can outfight them. We can evade them and the Grimm thanks to our Earth allies." Seraphinite argued. "We can take them here and now."
"On this planet, yes. We have an advantage but on the other planets the Homeworld's grip is sure to be stronger. Not to mention we have to be extremely careful in our fights here since the Grimm are always attracted to our battles. We wouldn't have the same luck on the other colonies." Rose explained patiently.
"There must be some way Rose. You know as well as I do that even if we win the Homeworld will just wait until its strong enough to try again. They won't stop with this planet; they'll keep on sucking the life out of every planet they get their hands on. Remove the Diamond Authority from power and there is a chance for a new and better world to rise up." Seraphinite said, getting frustrated. "We have to change things for the better or all we've done here will be for nothing."
"I wish there was a way but for now we must concentrate on freeing this world from the Homeworld before concentrating on the others. Your knowledge of the Homeworld's deployments is the key here Seraphinite. If we can halt the Kindergartens on this planet-"
"Why bother with the Kindergartens? Go straight for their command base and end the war here and now." Seraphinite pointed out. "We might even be able to take Pink or Blue Diamond hostage if we can surprise them."
"We don't have the strength or the numbers to launch an attack on their base." Rose shook her head.
"For Gem's sake, Rose!" Seraphinite threw her arms up and walked a few feet away. "Just give me Garnet and Bismuth and I'll take the command center and the warp pad myself. Then you and the others can celebrate here on this planet while I handle the other rebels."
"I will be happy enough just to stave off anymore Homeworld incursions on this corner of the Earth." Rose replied, walking up to her disgruntled ally and put a hand on Seraphinite's shoulder while smiling. "You prepare a plan to strike at the Kindergaten and I'll approve them with Pearl, Garnet and Bismuth. In the meantime I want you to enjoy the few moments of peace we have here. You and the others all deserve it."
Seraphinite sighed. "If that's the way you want it, Rose."
Xxx
She was sure she had been here a few days now.
After that Puppet had captured they took her underground, left to rot in a dark cell, completely immobilized thanks to the straightjacket binding her arms and legs. She couldn't speak, even if she wanted to thanks to the gag placed over her mouth. Despite all this she remained calm, only thinking of what she would do when-not if- she was free.
The door opened, blinding her for a second before she looked up with black eyes, flashing red for a second.
"So this is a Fallen." A voice with a German accent commented. "Obviously a newborn, given the lack of markings on her body. So she has yet to fully master her powers."
The voice came from a bird, sitting on the shoulder of a dark skinned girl with light purple hair, a parrot with a scar going down its right eye.
"It has been sometime since I have actually seen a Fallen, but I know their powers well. Though kept a secret from the vast majority it was the Fallen who influenced the Grimm to spread and created breeding grounds in places like the Darklands here in America during the Great Battle in Japan when the Emperor attempted to seal the source of the Grimm." The parrot continued. "And now a newborn graces Gravity Falls. I've had theories about there could actually newborn Fallen after all this time, given that original ones had nearly all perished, except of course for a few of them, including Sammael."
Mandy simply stared at the bird.
"What will they do with her, Pericles?" The girl asked.
The parrot glanced at the girl. "I imagine they will want to experiment on her. See if the powers of a Fallen can be duplicated without…falling under the influence of the Dark Substance." Pericles chuckled at the pun. "I only hope this one has learned to use the regeneration ability that is one of a Fallen's abilities. We shall have to keep a close eye on her and see how the tests go."
Mandy watched as they closed the door, leaving her alone in darkness once more.
Xxx
Double D looked over the many books in the library of the Northwest Mansion, finding himself content as he took another book and started reading it over.
"The Ancient City of Andromeda." Double D read the title out loud. "Built by the Ancients in a land protected by an ancient race of titans…"
He was quite happy to spend the rest of his 'vacation' here in this library, reading the many books collected by the Northwest family.
"I wonder how Ed and Eddy are doing without me." Double D smiled. "It must not be easy without me inventing whatever crazy scheme Eddy has come up with by now."
Xxx
Hoagie looked around the junkyard of Gravity Falls, not seeing much he could use but he might find something here. He needed to keep himself busy until whatever that Northwest guy was planning for him and the others was ready.
"Yee-hah!"
Hoagie stopped, seeing a cray looking old man gather parts and taking them behind a large pile. Normally he would ignore such things since his mother told him to never follow strangers but this time he couldn't help himself. He peeked behind the pile and saw the old man…
Assembling a robot?
"What the what?!" Hoagie whispered.
It looked like a mech, put together by junk but it was standing and the old man was left the many parts by holding out his hand and the pieces were carried up to wherever they were supposed to go inside glowing bubbles.
"He's using his Semblance to create a mech…Why's an old guy living in the junkyard making a mech?" Hoagie whispered to himself.
Now this was something he didn't expect to see but he was kind of curious now.
Xxx
Dexter looked at his tablet, the latest model produced by DexLabs, looking for information on Gravity Falls, wondering what backwater town like this could possibly have to offer. There wasn't much for someone like him to do around here and he was feeling a little bored.
"A history of weirdness? What kind of amateur writer wrote this?" Dexter asked, putting his tablet away. "And where is Grandpa anyway?"
Xxx
Knock-knock
"Oh come on!" Stan Pines complained, getting up from his chair and heading to the door. "Who wants to bother me on my day off?"
He opened the door. "All right, if this is some cheap door-to-door service, I don-" He stopped when he recognized the old man standing before him. "You…"
"Hello, Stanley Pines." Mr. O'Reilly smiled before jabbing his cane into Stanley's chest, enjoying the grunt of pain from the former con-artist. "That's for the stunt you pulled that nearly burned my company to the ground."
Stan grunted, holding his chest. "What are you doing here?"
"Funny you should ask." Dexter O'Reilly said as he stepped on. "It regards whatever your brother was doing. Speaking of which, where is he?"
Xxx
In the meantime Jack Spicer was amusing himself by making the small drones he brought along were all operational. He had no interest in the town or the library aside from seeing what this big project that Northwest guy was offering. If the project here was something he could use for his future plans he figured he could be bothered to stick around.
"Just what is taking this guy so long?"
Xxx
"Unbelievable. Doesn't Rose realize that even if we kick Homeworld off this planet they'll just come back stronger? It may be a thousand years but it will happen and if those barbarians that rule the Homeworld have their way we'll be shattered and buried." Seraphinite sighed and sat down against a large tree, looking across the giant lake in front of her. "I've waited so long to finally stand up to the Diamond's wrongs but this is just not enough."
She stopped her muttering upon spotting movement and looked over, seeing a human, a young boy by the looks of it walking towards the lake.
"Humans." Seraphinite whispered.
The species of this planet was a subject that either fascinated certain Gems or made them roll their eyes at how inferior the species that originated from the very planet her people were fighting to save, despite the fact that they were more successful against the Grimm. Seraphinite herself didn't feel any love or condescension towards these organic creatures that was the indigenous population. She was too occupied with fighting the tyranny of the Diamond Authority to care and was only part of Rose's rebellion to be free from things were run on the Homeworld. Rose had come to love this world but Seraphinite didn't seem to understand just what she saw in this planet, even if it was different from other captured planets.
This was in fact the first time Seraphinite had ever seen a human.
"Be careful or you'll drown in the lake. You don't want to be eaten by the monster!" A voice, a human female called out.
"Oh Ma, there is no monster. That's a load of bad scotch whiskey." The boy said as the woman came into view.
"And who told you that ya little dirt spitter?" The woman scowled.
"I heard Pa say it when we were out catching fishies." The boy answered honestly.
"Well, we'll see what he has to say when there's no table scraps for him for week." The woman said darkly. "And you, away from those waters! Lest you want to tempt the beast for an afternoon snack!"
"Oh Ma I said there's no-"
"Shut it you! Or no dinner stew tonight!"
Seraphinite raised an eyebrow at the interaction, seeing the woman who was possibly the boy's female biological sire scold the young one for being too close to the water where a supposed monster was said to lurk. The boy obviously didn't believe her and the way he was scolded reminded Seraphinite of how more than once a disobedient Gem was scolded on Homeworld, usually a young Amethyst or an undisciplined Jasper but those Gems were always rather hot headed upon creation. It seemed odd to the hidden Gem that she would instantly see similarities between humans and Gems despite being so different. The way that woman reacted, it reminded her a bit of how protective Rose's bodyguard Pearl was of her.
More than once Seraphinite believed that Pearl had a death wish when it came to helping Rose on the battle field given how many times she had injured herself fighting against Homeworld's armies or even the Grimm. Just as the boy was pulled away he turned looked across the lake and Seraphinite could have sworn his eyes flashed when he looked in her direction.
Did he see her?
Not waiting to find out Seraphinite quickly jumped out of sight and vanished into the field without looking back.
Xxx
"You took a huge risk using it." Phil Ken Sebben released a sigh as he took sip from his coffee, listening as Callie Briggs continued to scold him. "Using Sight Beyond Sight taxes your Aura, especially when you use it longer than the safety time limit."
"It was a risk, but one worth taking." Sebben said, placing his coffee cup on the desk. "If I hadn't, that Gem Fusion would have destroyed Beach City and then gone on a rampage, destroying lives. I know it was risky but we had to take a chance, even if the creature is likely in Sammael's hands by now. If Sammael sent Drago of all people to retrieve this fusion it's likely he knows something about it and wanted it enough to risk sending Drago."
"What is about a Gem Fusion that would attract Sammael's attention? Gems are vulnerable to the Dark Substance of the Grimm and the Fallen." Briggs pointed out, attempting to understand the enemy's actions.
"The report from the SWAT Kats suggests this was an abnormal fusion. As you know, Gems are capable of powerful feats without the aid of Dust and a Gem Fusion is especially powerful and yet this one was powerful enough to hold of not only another Gem Fusion but also the Huntsmen sent out to stop it. At the very least we know it was vulnerable to Hego's power, possibly because of the cosmic radiation that is the source of it." Sebben went over what they knew. "Duplication, intangibility, sonic blasts, this is too much even for a Gem Fusion to have. Something is wrong here and Sammael knows it too."
"What can we do?" Briggs asked.
"We find out what we can and then look for a way to counter this threat." Sebben brought his hand to a folder. "And continue our jobs."
"What are those?" Briggs asked as Sebben opened it.
"Reports submitted to me by Rothchild on a promising batch of new possibly Huntsmen, including two special ones." Sebben answered, showing Briggs a picture of Nigel Uno and Abigail Lincoln.
"The current Ice and Candy Elementals." Briggs said with widened eyes.
"The two of them did extremely well in a local tournament with Rothchild acting as the proctor. The rest showed promise as well." Sebben said as Briggs read over the files.
"Good…But not good enough." Briggs put the files back on the desk. "As it stands, they would have no chance of defeating Sammael and he already nearly got them killed. And we still have no idea where the other two Elementals are."
"We know Sammael doesn't know either or we would have heard something by now. For now, it seems like his attention is diverted elsewhere. I am not sure yet but the group he created, the Invisible Hand is laying low for now." Sebben brought a hand to his chin. "This makes things more troubling since I have no idea what could attract his attention and I have no leads on what it could be."
"So what do we do?" Briggs asked.
"We keep looking until we can get to the bottom of this." Sebben took another sip of his coffee. "And hope we're not too late."
Xxx
"So my cousin and your brother were there."
Shego stayed quiet as Dr. Drakken went over the recorded images she gave him. She had nothing to say on the subject regarding her brother, having made her feelings about him clear long ago. As for Drakken's cousin, he was originally a criminal but was also apparently the one who helped Drakken start up his criminal organization. Shego didn't look much into Drakken's past, returning the courtesy he had shown her by not pressing into her past except for asking on channels and information networks that could allow them to keep ahead of Huntsmen out to get them.
"If he was there, that means Phil Ken Sebben must have sent him, along with the SWAT Kats." Drakken closed the image window. "Getting tangled up with Sebben is the last thing we need."
Shego agreed with him on that. As skilled and prideful as she was, Shego knew there were people out there even she couldn't take on, at least in a fair fight. Sebben had the admiration and trust of the majority of Huntsmen in the country and he had more than enough resources to track her and Drakken down if they did something that got his attention.
"So what's the plan?" Shego asked after a few moments of non-talking which was really out of character for Drakken.
"I need to make a call."
Xxx
"Today we have achieved a great victory!" Rose said, listening to the cheers of her fellow Crystal Gems. "With the communications outpost captured the Homeworld armies cannot call or send for reinforcements and bringing us one step closer to victory!"
Seraphinite hung back, watching as the Gems dispersed to celebrate even though there was no good reason to be celebrating yet. So they knocked off a communication center. It wasn't that much of a big deal since there was still an entire army to deal with. Sometimes Seraphinite questioned Rose's methods, especially when she felt they were not yielding the proper results.
Upon spotting Rose and her personal aid, the dancer Pearl Gem approaching Seraphinite quickly smiled in greetings. "Congratulations are in order, Rose."
"The real congratulations go to our warriors, Seraphinite. If not for them this would not be possible." Rose replied, not noticing Pearl looking like she disagreed with that statement. "I have something to ask you, regarding the Kindergarten."
"Of course." Seraphinite nodded.
"We do not know it fortifications or how many Gems are emerging but we do need to stop the production of new Gems to quickly bring this war to an end." Rose stated.
"Understandable, Rose. However shutting down a Kindergarten is not as easy as it sounds. The injectors work day and night to create new Gems and without the location of the control center we can't shut them off." Seraphinite said thoughtfully.
"There is a way." Rose replied.
"Hm?" Seraphinite raised an eyebrow.
"Pearl has suggested that we employ an energy burst that will overload the power lines keeping the Kindergarten running. It will shut down the control center and thus the injectors will be deactivated. A brilliant plan that does not sacrifice the lives of our troops." Rose said while Pearl blushed from the praise which earned a smirk from Seraphinite.
"A genius plan indeed. With the Kindergarten deactivated the Homeworld's army will be without supplies and personnel. However there is still the matter of the Gems still being grown in the Kindergarten." Seraphinite spoke, earning stares from Rose and Pearl. "What do we do with them?"
"What do you mean? They are the enemy and we must defeat them." Pearl stated, glaring at Seraphinite for daring to poke holes in Rose's perfect plan.
Seraphinite rolled her eyes.
Clearly this little one was possibly an admirer of Rose or even worse, a fanatic.
"I believe what Seraphinite is saying, Pearl, is that there will be newborn Gems in the Kindergarten when we attack. That means we are risking destroying newborns regardless of how they are created." Rose stated. "And Seraphinite is right. We cannot simply destroy the newborns as regardless of how they are born they are innocent."
"Oh." Pearl blushed, looking like she made herself an idiot in front of her idol.
Seraphinite rolled her eyes as she had no wish to deal with a Rose worshiper. Honestly she had enough of those to last her entire life. "The point is we cannot just simply attack and shatter Gems on a whim. We must remove Homeworld's control from the Kindergarten. It would be better if I go on this mission alone."
"You know I cannot allow that, Seraphinite. This is crucial to ending the war as quickly as possible." Rose shook her head. "Garnet is already preparing a strike force. Her future vision will allow us to better predict the enemy's defense."
"The Homeworld will have their own Sapphires working to predict our movements. I can hide myself from their visions long enough to get in a first strike and in the heat of battle it is the first strike that always counts." Seraphinite pointed out.
"Yes but Garnet will be strong enough that she can handle the predictions of the Homeworld's Sapphires will barely hold her back." Rose answered with a smile. "You need not worry, Seraphinite. Our forces will be ready."
Seraphinite closed her eyes as she sighed and bowed. "As you wish."
Xxx
"CONNOR! ARTEMIS!"
Dani was starting to get a little scared, wondering through this dark forest with absolutely no clue how she got in or how she was going to get out.
"Okay, it's just a dark forest, Danielle. You've been in worse places, like on a table being melted down by Vlad for starters." Dani said, trying to reassure herself. "You've been alone before and you've handled yourself just fine."
Except she actually felt more scared here than she was when Vlad was melting her down!
Something about this forest was bad, very bad.
Xxx
Moloch's eyes settled on Danielle as she wandered the forest, lost, alone and becoming scared. "It is time."
He spread his arms out and from his skin dripped black liquid onto the ground, slithering away.
"Go forth and reap despair on our new prey. Drown their hopes until they feel nothing. Show them true darkness."
Xxx
Dani's eyes went wide as she spotted multiple glowing eyes surrounding her from the shadows. "Wh-Who is there?!"
From the shadows emerged strange blob-shaped creatures, all of them having faces showing absolute despair. Their arms turned into vines that tried to grab her and on reflex she turned intangible to avoid being hit. The vines passed through her but she felt cold, so cold that she shivered and fell to the ground, becoming tangible. The vines grabbed onto her and she let out a scream as the eyes stared into hers.
Suddenly she wasn't in the forest anymore.
Instead she was in Vlad's lab, strapped down to a table with Vlad Plasmius in front of her, laughing as he turned on the machine to melt her down. Danielle screamed as she felt her legs dissolving into green ectoplasm.
"DANNY!" Dani screamed, struggling against the bonds holding her but could not break free.
Xxx
Superboy and Artemis both heard Dani screaming and took off running. Superboy started punching through the trees, deciding there was no time to look for a quicker way.
"This way!" Superboy smashed down another tree. "I can see her up ahead."
"You will go no further."
Both heroes stopped as a shadow landed between them. It was tall with antlers sticking out of its head, a long cloak wrapped around its body and it stared at them with luminous glowing eyes that held not a shred of humanity in them.
"Get out of our way!" Superboy shouted, lunging at the figure.
Moloch laughed as Superboy punched him in the chest. Superboy expected the monster to be sent flying but to his immense shock the moment his fist made contact with the monster's skin his arm exploded in tremendous pain as he was knocked back.
"Superboy!" Artemis rushed over to Superboy's side, gasping when she saw that his right hand was broken.
Superboy grunted as he sat up, cradling his right hand. "So…This is what it feels like."
Moloch chuckled. "My apologies but your time of running around freely is over. You cannot hope to harm me."
Superboy stood up, glaring at Moloch. "We'll see about that."
Moloch held up one hand and both Superboy and Artemis along with the unconscious Raven were lifted up into the air and slammed into trees behind them. Vines sprouted out and grabbed them, holding them against the trees. Superboy and Artemis both struggled to break free but the vines were too strong.
"You cannot harm me here. This forest is my domain, where all who wander become part of my garden. Over the years I have fed on the souls lost here, adding their power to my own. Their souls, their Aura, their Semblances are mine to command." Moloch laughed. "I am Moloch, the Beast of Eternal Darkness and you will submit to the soil."
Xxx
He watched as they fought this monster and knew they needed help. He moved forward, heading towards Danielle who was still screaming but now there were vines sprouting from the ground and crawling up her body.
Xxx
Dani's throat was hurting from the screaming but she couldn't stop. The feeling of being melted down again brought forth a new level of terror for her.
'Danielle…' A voice whispered.
Dani's eyes shot open and she stopped screaming when she saw she wasn't in Vlad's lab anymore but back in the dark forest.
'Danielle, I give you my strength.' The voice said.
Dani gasped as strength suddenly surged through her and she broke free from the vines that reached up to her shoulders. The monsters tried to gang up on her but she blasted them with her ghost rays.
Moloch spun around, watching as Dani blasted his creations. "So, you still have a bit of courage left."
Dani looked behind Moloch, seeing her new friends bound to the trees. "Let them go!"
She flew at him, firing ghost rays but they didn't appear to have any effect on him.
"Witness true darkness!" Moloch said, his voice becoming darker and demonic.
Everything around Dani was engulfed in pure darkness until only she was left, staring at Moloch's glowing red eyes as they glared at her. Dani gasped, feeling something creeping into her mind, trying to control her.
'Danielle, you must focus. This creature is attempting to force its way into your mind.'
Dani gathered energy into her hands and fired an ecto-beam straight Moloch's eyes. The monster grunted, dodging her attack.
'She is so different from before. I sense a second presence. She is not alone.' Moloch narrowed his eyes. 'Sammael mentioned sensing a strange presence when he fought them. This is must be it. This presence is feeding her strength and allowing her to resist me. That cannot be allowed.'
Moloch's arms morphed into multiple tendrils that lashed straight out Dani who channeled energy into her hands and feet, firing blasts from all of her limbs and knocking away any tendril that attempted to hit her. She flew past Moloch, firing ghosts at the trees holding Artemis, Superboy and Raven, releasing all three of them.
"You little…" Moloch growled as he spun around, his eyes glowing red.
He roared and unleashed red beams from his eyes straight at Dani.
"Look out!" Superboy shouted, jumping up and pushing Dani out of the way but only made himself get hit instead of her.
"Superboy!" Dani cried out as he hit the ground, his shirt having been burned away and leaving a smoking torso.
Superboy grunted, feeling the intense pain from the burn mark on his chest. "This just…Isn't my day."
Artemis pulled out an arrow, which happened to be her last one and fired it at Moloch but the beast simply batted it away.
"Enough of this!" Moloch slammed a hand into the ground.
A wall of vines shot up from the ground, trapping Artemis, Superboy and Raven in a wooden prison.
"Guys, hang on!" Dani flew at the cage, planning to turn intangible and phase through to free them but Moloch had other plans.
The Beast lashed out with a hand and Dani found herself stuck in mid-air before slammed into the ground again and again. Dani grunted as she tried to become intangible but Moloch's repeated attacks made it impossible for her to focus.
'Do not waver, Danielle.'
"I know you are not alone. Something is helping you." Moloch remarked, grabbing Dani with a tendril and dragging her towards him. "They may allow you to resist my probing your mind but your strength is still nothing compared to me. You can only fight and lose."
Dani grunted, blasting at the tendril with a ghost way but had no effect.
"You survived before because of whatever you had with you but this time your little friend does not have the element of surprise." Moloch dragged Dani closer. "It made you stronger but I am greater than a mere hybrid. I am the culmination of the souls who have lost themselves to despair and submitted to the soil of the Earth. Their strength is now my strength and we are more than enough to deal with you."
Dani gritted his teeth as she was turned onto her back, staring up at the Beast. "You won't get me!"
"I already have." Moloch replied as more vines sprouted up and grabbed her. "I'll wear down your will until there is nothing left. I don't even care about delivering you to Sammael anymore. No one escapes me."
'Danielle, feel my spark give you strength. You can defeat him.'
Dani watched as Moloch morphed his hand into a blade and raised it above her head. She closed her eyes, trembling as she realized this might be the end.
"Time to end this."
Dani's shot open as Moloch swung the blade down and she screamed…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Her voice came in the form of a powerful blast that slammed into Moloch, sending him flying back into a tree.
The sound of Dani's Ghostly Wail echoed throughout the dark forest and made the ground shake, trees fall and the vines keeping the other imprisoned shatter.
"Gah!" Superboy covered his ears.
Dani finally stopped, changing back into her form and was struggling to stay awake. "I did…That…Was…Danny's…"
Moloch grunted as he stood back up, growling hatefully at Danielle and moved back towards her.
"He just never stops." Artemis groaned, not feeling strong enough to fight.
She had not yet recovered from being knocked out earlier and Superboy was wounded. The both of them were out of commission along with the girl who had been unconscious ever since the escape from the lab.
"I'll drag you down into the depths of the Earth itself. You'll still live but you'll feel like dying every second. Unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to escape the eternal torment!" Moloch shouted as he slammed his hands into the ground and moves vines came up, grabbing the four and starting to pull them into the ground. "Live the rest of your lives rotting in the ground, never to be found again."
The three of them struggled to break free but the vines were too strong. The vines covered them head to toe and pulled down under the ground.
Xxx
Sammael narrowed his eyes, his senses telling him of what happened. "You and your foolish pride, Moloch."
But it wasn't the only thing he was sensing.
"It seems everyone is inviting themselves to these parties."
Xxx
Seraphinite flew through the clouds in the sky, enjoying the breeze as it flowed through her long green hair. She shot through another cloud, pretending it was an enemy Gem…
Or something else.
She looked down at the lake she had been watching before, spotting the human village that was close by and made sure she landed without being seen.
"Rose, always looking for a way to be the compassionate one. Looking to save lives…" Seraphinite sighed. "Now if only she could learn that if she really wanted to save this planet she'd look for a way to remove the Diamonds as a threat once and for all." Seraphinite put a hand on her head. "How is it that one so powerful is unable to think like a warrior?"
Rose's tactics were good and all but there was only for defense.
What about the other worlds out there suffering under the Homeworld's tyranny?
What about the Gems on the Homeworld that were unable to leave and join the Rebellion?
Rose was smart but she only saw things based on how to try and prevent the loss of life when ironically she started the war to save this planet.
"It's you!"
Seraphinite stopped and looked down in front of her, seeing the same boy she had seen at the lake. "You..."
"The lady from the lake. I saw ya there." The boy said, his bright red hair seemingly shining as the sun's rays beamed down the boy's head.
"You saw me?" Seraphinite asked, unable to believe she had allowed herself to be seen.
No matter how many humans may be helping them it was agreed by Rose and the other Crystal Gems that humans for the most report would remain out of the fight. The only humans that were part of the war were ones that had been caught up in the conflict when the war first broke out.
"Aye. I remember you." The boy smiled. "Who are you lass?"
"Lass? What did you call me?" Seraphinite took a step forward with scowl on her face. "Is that an insult?"
"Uh?! How is a calling a lass insultin?! My Pa said that all pretty ladies are lasses!" The boy said, jumping back in shock.
Seraphinite stopped, realizing that the boy had meant no offense. She sighed as she realized perhaps she was being irritable lately because of the war. The last thing she wanted was to suddenly attack a young human child because she overreacted.
Seraphinite stepped back. "My apologies. I have been under a great deal of pressure lately."
"Pressure? What could make a lass like you so upset? My Ma says stress is not good for young lasses. She says it makes them age faster." The boy said, tilting his head slightly.
Seraphinite smirked at what the child had said. Gems don't age like organics do but they can be stressed out.
She shook her head. "What is your name child?"
"My name is…"
Xxx
"Aw! You're not telling us your name?" Steven groaned.
Seph smirked in amusement as the group gathered around the table in the Gem Home. "Some things should remain secret, Steven."
"I remember that day…" Pearl frowned. "Seraphinite and Rose never saw eye to eye on many things. She started taking some time off when we took the communications hub and completely disrespected the victory we tried so hard to earn."
"Seraphinite remembers you being a little kiss-up to Rose, Pearl." Seph said with a grin as Amethyst laughed.
Pearl glared at Seph. "Seraphinite was arguing with the leader of the army she was a part of."
"That doesn't make Seraphinite and the other Gems mindless drones. Be careful, Pearl. That's Homeworld thinking." Seph retorted.
"Why you-"
"Guys!" Steven said loudly. "This is story time, not fighting time!"
Seph looked at Steven and nodded. "Right. Now where was I?"
Xxx
"Sephy! Sephy!" A young voice called out.
Seraphinite opened her eyes and saw the young red haired boy from before, smiling at her and waving cheerfully at her. She smiled back, having slowly come to enjoy the child's company over time since he was not in any connected to the war that continued to rage across the planet. "And where have you been little one?"
"With ma Pa out on the like. We were fishing." The boy answered, smiling back at the Gem. "I came back because I wanted to see you do that thing again. The shiny thing."
Seraphinite sighed. "You've seen it before."
"But I love it." The boy said pleadingly.
Seraphinite should have been annoyed but one look on the child's face caused her to cave. "Very well."
She held up her hand and from the palm came a series of multi-colored lights that floated up into the air, allowing the boy to look upon them in awe. Seraphinite considered it a simple parlor trick but the awe-struck look on the boy's face fascinated her for some reason. In fact she preferred to be near this human village than she did out on the battlefield, pushing the Homeworld off this planet and ending the injustices they were perpetrating on the planet.
Xxx
Connie opened her eyes, blinking a bit as she looked around but then remembered where she was. She was on Earth, the ship that brought her here destroyed by the Crystal Gems and she was left stranded here. She was left, trying to carry out Blue Diamond's mission of seeing the status of the planet's population.
"Right." Connie whispered, before her stomach growled. "Uh-oh."
She only had a few provisions but if she didn't find some sustenance soon she might not last much longer. Who knows how long it would take for Peridot to send a distress signal to Homeworld. If there was a settlement nearby there was likely food. Just as she walked out of the shelter she hid in a sound caught her attention.
She looked up, seeing a blue bird staring down at her. "…Hello? Are you a guide on this planet?"
The blue bird fluttered her wings, as if answering her question.
"I am looking for the settlements on this planet. I want to know how they have endured in over five thousand years." Connie continued. "Can you help me?"
The blue bird flapped its wings and flew off in the direction of the city.
"I guess…That's how guides on this planet talk." Connie sighed and followed after the bird.
Xxx
Muriel had gone out to tend to her garden, as she often did early in the morning, eager to see the progress of the fruits that had been growing. She had just reached the garden when she noticed something in the ground, near the garden.
It looked like...A hand?!
Muriel quickly rushed over and started digging. "Courage! Eustace!"
Her husband and dog came out a moment later, just as she had partially dug a hole and revealed an arm.
"Muriel, what's wrong?" Eustace then noticed the arm. "What in the world?!"
"I think someone's buried! Help me!" Muriel barked.
Courage quickly helped her dig, making pulling whoever was buried out easier. Eustace helped his wife as they pulled the person out, revealing a young girl with lavender colored hair and wore a strange outfit with a gem on her forehead. A blue cloak and black leotard but it was all dirty and torn by her time in the ground.
Muriel checked her pulse. "She's still alive."
"Who would bury a girl out here?" Eustace looked around, seeing there had been no sign of any intrusion on their property.
"I don't know but we must help." Muriel picked the girl up. "Call a doctor and let's hope she will be all right."
They took her into their house, hoping they were not too late to save her.
Xxx
"Fear not, children. The Earth will not let you die." A wise voice echoed across a giant clearing, as two bodies were pulled out of the ground.
"They are still alive, Grandmaster."
"See to their wounds and when they are ready send them to speak with me. They have barely survived against a great evil that forcefully pulled them away from their home. They will need to know as much as they can if they wish to return."
"Yes, Grandmaster."
Xxx
"Seraphinite, where are you going?" Rose asked, seeing Seraphinite walking out of the Crystal Gem Temple. "Everyone needs their rest. We secured a great victory in stopping the Kindergarten."
Seraphinite looked over her shoulder at Rose. "Tell me, Rose, what do you think of the people of this planet?"
Rose was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Why do we fight for this planet? Why did we defy Homeworld for this people? What is it that made us do all this?" Seraphinite asked, looking at the star filled sky.
"You know why, Seraphinite. We banded together because what Homeworld, what the Diamonds are doing is wrong." Rose stated.
Seraphinite closed her eyes. "Is that all?"
"Excuse me?"
Seraphinite sighed. It seemed Rose would not understand so she would not bother to clarify. "Never mind. It's just something that I have been thinking of."
Seraphinite sprouted her wings and took off, ignoring Rose calling after her. Neither knew it but this was the last time they spoke. Seraphinite flew back towards the human village, just wishing for the company of the boy who was a man to just make her feel better with his joyful outlook on life. She never thought a human could have such an impact on life but he did and dare she think it Seraphinite had come to enjoy his company more than her own kind.
But when she came back there was no life…
"No…" Seraphinite breathed in horror.
All that was left was flames.
"No…"
She looked everywhere but all she could see were dead bodies.
"NO!"
She frantically searched, looking anyone who might still be alive amongst the burnt wreckage. She recognized the burn marks on the houses as Gem weapons, meaning that the village had been attacked likely by the Homeworld Gems.
"Please…Please don't be dead…" Seraphinite whispered as she came upon his house and looked inside, gasping in horror.
He was there but he was lying on the ground with a burn mark on his chest.
"Hang on!" Seraphinite rushed in and pulled him out of the flaming house, laying him softly on the ground. "Can you hear me?" She leaned down to check his heartbeat.
It was faint but there meaning he was still alive. But unless he got help he would die. The village was too far away to try and take him to Rose to use her healing spring and she did not have any healing powers.
But there had to be a way to save him.
She couldn't let him die.
She had to try and heal him or regenerate the body…
She stopped and looked down at her Gem which was shining on her chest. "My Gem…"
She took one last look at the young man before making a decision and in a flash of light created a single short blade.
"Forgive me."
Xxx
"Do you believe her?"
Abby didn't look away from the clouds when she heard Nigel's question, finding herself at peace as the two of them simply sat out in the backyard. Sitting back and looking up at the clouds was something the two of them liked to do since they were little kids.
"I don't know…" Abby answered a few moments later. "I don't want to believe my sister actually killed my brother…"
Nigel was quiet, waiting patiently for her to talk. She had been grateful to him for being patient with her. He never pressed her for anything, never interrupted her and always was patient with her when she needed just a few moments to gather her thoughts.
"I don't remember much of my brother but I remember him talking about the Satyra when he was around. My daddy said they had been betrayed…" Abby lied down on her side and stared into the grass. "Would he…"
Nigel reached out with one hand, rubbing Abby's back to help her feel better.
Abby closed her eyes. "I don't know…My God, Nigel my family was messed up. What's that say about me?"
"Hey, you are talking to the kid who was apparently a queen in a previous life with ice powers." Nigel pointed out with a small smile. "So we're kind of both messed up."
Abby actually smiled as she sat up. "Yeah. You got a point."
They both laughed for a moment, settling back down to look back up at the clouds.
"Nigel, I have to say something." Abby finally spoke again.
"Hm?" Nigel glanced at her.
"Thank you."
Nigel tilted his head, looking confused. "For what?"
"For being my friend. You and your parents, you guys took me in, gave me a home and treated me like…"
"Family?" Nigel finished, smiling as Abby nodded.
"I can never repay you for all you did for me. I don't know what really happened with my brother and sister…But I know one thing: I'll know the truth one day." Abby looked back up at the sky.
"And you won't be alone." Nigel said as he looked back up the sky too. "You got me, Mom and Dad, Wally, Hoagie, Marceline and maybe even Ben and his alien…watch thing."
Abby chuckled. "Yeah, we should make a 'messed up' club or something."
Xxx
"Help me…"
She wasn't sure where the voice was coming from. She first heard it in her dreams but thought nothing of it. Deciding she needed a break from made her way out into her favorite spot, a clearing in a forest with a large tree resting in the very center. She smiled as she sat under the tree, looking up the sky through the branches.
This had been her mother's favorite place to come when she was a child.
Kuki Sanban had a lot expected from her, given that she was the heiress to Sanban Industries and to learn much in a very short time. Between her mother's lessons and her time in school she didn't have much time to act her age. That's why she often liked to sneak out to her special place, even though her father often scolded her for this, to relax and collect her thoughts. Her father was often busy, running the company and the only people she mostly interacted with where her mother who was also the one training her, her maids and her grandfather who told her stories.
"Help me…"
Kuki's eyes shot open, sensing something was wrong. Her Semblance, it wasn't something like the ones others had. Kuki's Semblance, Danger Negation, was an ability that allowed her to sense possible danger to her or others in almost any kind of form. It was difficult for her to understand or describe, almost like she could see the future and what to do along with sensing the thoughts and emotions of others.
Its final ability is that with enough adrenaline she could use it to preform telekinetic feats to negate oncoming danger to her, hence the name of her Semblance. And right now her Semblance was telling her of someone close by. She looked down at the ground and felt a presence under the ground. Immediately she started digging, the power of her Semblance allowing her to dig through the ground faster and sure enough she found something.
A face.
She dug deeper and pulled out an unconscious girl. Kuki pulled the girl out of the ground and lied her down. Her Semblance was telling her the girl was alive. It also telling her something was strange about this girl.
She was about the same age as Kuki with black hair in pony tail. Of course the girl's hair and clothes were covered completely in dirt.
How did she end up buried here?
Who would bury someone out here?
All these questions circled around Kuki's mind but she knew this girl needed help. She picked up the girl, deciding to take her home and get her the help she needed. As she did this, her Semblance allowed her to sense a few fleeting thoughts in the girl's mind.
"You exist to serve me! Just do it!"
"You're nothing but a mess he's not going to clean up."
"Bye Danny."
Kuki shook her head, not entirely sure of what she had sensed. The girl's mind was a mess, no doubt from being of buried alive.
All the more reason to get help.
Xxx
"Wha…What has happened to me?" The boy looked down at the water, seeing his reflection and saw how different he looked.
His hair, once red, was dark forest green that fell over his face, making him have to push the locks to the side to see his eyes which were now gleaming silver. What drew his attention most was the massive scar on his chest and what looked like a gem embedded just where the heart was.
"What? Why is this on me?"
The gem flashed bright green.
"Uh…I heard…That voice…That woman's voice…Seraphinite…Her gem…How I do know that?" The boy put a hand to his head.
The gem flashed again.
"She…You opened my chest…you used your Light Guardians to embed your gem into me…You…Saved me?" The boy looked down at his chest.
The gem flashed, seemingly answer his question.
"Seraphinite…Am I you? Or are you me? Are we one now?"
The gem glowed for about ten seconds.
"Gems…Homeworld invading…Rose Quartz...The rebels…" The boy whispered. "I see it now. I understand."
Xxx
"I realized that Homeworld Gems had discovered Seraphinite had been mingling with humans and thought they could strike her when she wasn't expecting. The problem was that they didn't know which village she was in and launched attacks on villages they suspected she was visiting and thought she was in. When I came to I had her Gem embedded in my chest and it took me over half an hour to truly understand what I had become." Seph said, finishing his story. "I knew everything about the Gem Homeworld and the war on the planet that ended with Homeworld abandoning the planet when their strength was exhausted and believing Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems were wiped out following the final battle."
"So what have you been doing since then?" Steven asked in wonder.
"Simply wondering. I never stay in one place for very long and I usually have my ears to the ground when I hear about possible Gem sightings. The first time I met Rose was the first time I had seen a Gem other than Seraphinite in a long, long time." Seph smirked.
"Wow…" Steven whispered, awestruck by the story.
"So why now? Why appear now after all this time?" Garnet asked after a moment of silence.
"I thought I made my intentions clear, Garnet when I fought Malachite with you and the others." Seph frowned but smirked a second later. "Are you still looking for a reason not to trust me or does the fact that Seraphinite is one of the few Gems that can negate your future vision?"
"How do you block future vision anyways?" Amethyst asked.
"Simple, a Sapphire's ability to see the future is based on sensing a person's intentions. Gems like Seraphinite and even Rose are able to hide their intentions by clouding their minds with other thoughts that can be basic and confusing. There's a fifty-fifty chance these predictions come true, something that Homeworld would like to keep hidden." Seph answered like it was simple.
Garnet twitched. "You know about Sapphire?"
"And Ruby and before you ask, Rose never told me and I never asked. I know you because Seraphinite knew you and she knew Ruby and Sapphire back during the war." Seph stood up. "It's been fun entertaining you with stories of my life but I am getting a little stiff and I think I could use a walk on the beach."
"Aw, but the story was so good, Seph." Steven groaned.
"I know it was. I went out of my way to make sure you liked it." Seph chuckled. "But it's already afternoon and I want to relax in front of the ocean. I forgot how stressing Gem ordeals can be."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Pearl asked, only getting a laugh from Seph as he walked out the door. "Ugh, how could Seraphinite be interested in a human like that?"
"Because she loved him like my mom loved my dad." Steven answered, earning stares from everyone. "That's why she saved him and went as far as to embed her gem into him."
"Steven…" Garnet whispered thoughtfully.
"He said so himself: the power mom used to create me. Seraphinite loved him and didn't want him to die." Steven explained.
Greg smiled. "Yeah, Steven. That's what he meant."
"It happened with Rose." Amethyst shrugged as she fell back onto the floor and looked up at the ceiling. "Is it really surprising that another Gem could fall in love with a human?"
"Rose was different. She was on Earth for thousands of years. Seraphinite was a warrior created to fight the Grimm." Pearl pointed out.
"That's not a difference, Pearl. Rose loved humans but before we got together she never interacted with them the way Seraphinite did with Seph." Greg replied, a small smile appearing on his face. "Rose might not be the first Gem to fall in love with a human but she proved that Gems and Earthlings had much more in common than anyone realized."
"In any case," Pearl quickly changed the subject. "What do we do now?"
"Why do we have to do anything? Seph is a good guy. He has Seraphinite's gem and Seraphinite was a good gem. Why do we have to have act like he's a bad guy?" Steven asked, upset by how suspicious Pearl was acting.
"Steven-"
"We do nothing." Garnet cut Pearl off.
"Huh?" The Gems and the Humans looked at Garnet in surprise.
"Seph is skilled and powerful as a human with Seraphinite's powers when he fought Malachite, showing that he skilled in using Seraphinite's powers and her wings." Garnet stated. "For now, he could be a powerful ally against the Homeworld."
"Garnet…" Pearl trailed off.
"Sounds fine to me." Amethyst shrugged.
"Yay!" Steven jumped up onto his feet. "I'll go tell Seph the good news!"
However when Steven walked out onto the beach Seph was nowhere to be found. "Seph? Seph? Seph!"
Steven walked to the edge of the deck to continue calling for his new friend but stopped when he saw a paper in front of him with his name on it.
Steven quickly picked it up and read over it. "Steven, it was fun hanging out with you but I fear I must go."
"The other Gems, even if they decide to do nothing would continue to watch over me closely with no doubt a hint of paranoia in their actions. It is may be hard for you to understand but they have been protectors of this planet for centuries while being isolated from its people and to them, any other Gem is an enemy, be it Homeworld or corrupted Gems that need to be bubbled. While I have no grudge for their actions the Crystal Gems need someone to teach them how to properly live on Earth instead of hiding away in the temple and it cannot be done through me. Fortunately you already do that every day just as your father taught your mother to better understand humanity and the world they now live in.
Don't be too surprised or saddened by my departure, Steven, I have traveled too long to be tied down to one place but I might pop in once in a while. There will be times when the Gems will be overprotective of you, even when you are ready especially in the wake of things to come. There are still things about them and the Gem Homeworld that remain a secret but you cannot let them hide it from you.
You are a Gem and a Human, a child of both worlds and your mother's child. I learned how to balance the remaining part of me that is human with Seraphinite who sacrificed herself to become my heart and I know you have the potential to do the same."
"Best wishes, Seph." Steven finished sadly and looked down at the floor. "Seph…Thank you."
Xxx
"Well, that was interesting." Seph said with a smirk, walking away from beach city with his summer cap covering his hair and forehead. "I think we made a new friend today."
The Gem, Seraphinite flashed, telling Seph she agreed.
"Yo!"
Seph stopped, seeing Scotty Blake approach him. "…Scotty Blake? Well, this is one heck of a day."
"I never thought I'd see you here, Moss Head." Scotty said with a smirk. "You haven't visited Scotland since I was a wee one and you show up here?"
"So I haven't popped in to see my family's descendants, you know how hyper they all are. That's why you and I rarely stick around." Seph pointed out, causing him and Scotty to laugh a bit. "So, what you be wanting?"
"Just a drink and a hoping you can tell me of an old friend of mine." Scotty leaned forward. "He'd have been born around a several centuries ago, around the time the Grimm woke up again when his pappy tried to kill them."
(Character Skills)
Name: Kuki Sanban
Aura: White
Semblance: Danger Negation
Description: Kuki is able to sense almost any form of danger near her and react quickly to eliminate it, even sensing certain aspects of people around her. Possible short range precognitive ability used to identify danger and initiate adrenaline rush while providing subconscious awareness of the exact nature of the danger to allow for instant reaction. It also allows her to sense the thoughts and emotions of others and with enough adrenaline she can emit a telekinetic wave that can paralyze any dangerous being.
Weapon: N/A