Episode 71: Gluttony And Temperance

Jan 17th 5:00 a.m.

On the sands of Beach City the waves of the ocean calmly pushed themselves forward and back, splashing onto the land before getting pulled. Up above the skies remained dark with a plethora of stars remaining alongside a crescent moon. A small breeze flowed through the air, carrying the waves with it followed by a collection of caws made by a flock of seagulls.

Near the ocean Kameron, Lapis, their friends, Steven, Connie, and Peridot were pulling Citrine and Bismuth across the sand. With large crystal chains attached them the kids pulled the heavy hitters little by little. Citrine and Bismuth merely watched while sitting in large tires and eating bowls of pineapple.

"C'mon, guys! Put your backs into it! Show us some hustle and sweat!" Citrine cheered while putting chunks of pineapple in his mouth.

Digging his feet into the sand Kameron looked back at his brother, "That's...easier said...than done."

"Bad attitude. Keep it up!" Bismuth replied, taking a bite out of a huge chunk of pineapple.

"Ugh! This...is so...stupid!" Lapis groaned as she kept going.

Everyone groaned with her while they kept it going. For Lapis and Peridot, this would've been easy for the both of them due to Lapis Lazuli's having high amounts of strength and Peridot using her Limb-enhancers, but...this exercise had to be fair. By "fair" meant making the chains as heavy as a building for Lapis and making Peridot do this without her Limb-enhancers.

Everyone else had on heavy chains too so it would be equal among those dragging Citrine and those dragging Bismuth. Even so, it totally sucked. It's already bad enough that everyone had to wake up early for this, but having to pull two large beings on tires was the definition of torture.

Jan 17th 6:00 a.m.

Over on the horizon the sun slowly began to reveal itself to the world, illuminating the night and bringing forth the day. At times, it's truly beautiful to witness the brightest star in the universe rise. Today wasn't one of them.

"...11...12...13...14...15..."

On the ground Kameron, Lars, Ronaldo, and Steven planted their hands on the cold sand while slowly lowering themselves down and pushing themselves up. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be too much of a problem to do, except for the fact that Lapis, Sadie, Peridot, and Connie were sitting on their backs as they were doing this.

"You can do this, boys. Keep it going until you get to thirty." Citrine instructed while taking a bite out of a huge apple.

"This...is...insane!" Lars whined while pushing himself down.

"You're a boxer. Doesn't Pyrope make you train like this?" Sadie asked.

"He...doesn't have...YOU...sit on my back!" Lars retorted as he kept going. Sadie rolled her eyes as she continued watching him go.

"19...20...21...22..." Ronaldo said to himself while pushing himself up. "How...are you...this heavy...Peri?"

"Thanks to my Gravity Bracelet, I've been able to alternate the gravity around us." Peridot replied. "It is to help you. Do you wish for me to increase the effect?"

Ronaldo quickly shook his head and continued on. Peridot resumed watching him continue on and was grateful that she was given a break, though she was told to participate in another activity as soon as the boys were finished. Anxiety immediately traveled through her mind at just the though of it, but...at the very least Ronaldo will be with her, even though this "exercise" she was forced into was pointless considering that a Gem's body does not physically change by this.

"27...28...29...30!" Steven said to himself before finally collapsing onto the sand below him.

"You okay?" Connie asked.

Steven nodded. "Yeah. A little sore, but I'll be okay. I gotta be prepared for when the day comes."

Connie hummed, but smiled at Steven while getting off of him and helping him up.

"30!" Kameron yelled out as he kept himself hovering above the ground. Lapis got off of his back and helped him up, "Thanks."

Lapis nodded. "You okay? You sure you should be doing this?" She added, putting her hand onto Kameron's stomach.

"It's already healed." Kameron assured. "I won't push myself too much, but even with it I'm not gonna sit by and let you all do this with me included."

Lapis still gave him an unsure expression, but...the injury was healed thanks to Azurite's healing water. Still...he was lucky the wounds weren't too deep. Getting up close to Kameron she pecked his lips and took his hand into her own.

While Citrine was handling his group Bismuth crossed her arms as she watched Angela, Chelsea, Scarlett, and Brittney do some jump-roping.

"That's it, girls! Keep it up! Get that blood pumping!" Bismuth cheered.

Angela let out heavy breaths with every jump she took. She isn't that athletic, but she does try her best to keep her body healthy when she can. Though these exercises were mandatory, even she didn't like being up this early to do them.

Chelsea released quick and swift breaths with every skip she made. Though doing these stupid exercises was such a pain in the ass, she had to do them. Sure, getting into shape is a good thing to get the adrenaline pumping and burn out any energy flowing in the body, but...when all of this is over she's gonna find the nearest pillow and crash.

Scarlett slowly increased her momentum as she jumped. Through a small chill in the air her thoughts were brought into wanting to be somewhere warm or have something warm in her to beat the cold, but that reward was gonna come soon. She was happy to be with her friends and meeting Bismuth, but...Kameron and Steven's aunt was taking her role as an instructor too seriously.

Brittney giggled as she jumped, feeling her blood pumping by the second. This was serious, but at the same time it was kinda fun too. She hadn't used a jump-rope since she was a little girl and all the nostalgia she had back then was circulating in her brain. Honestly, anybody who even played with a jump-rope before would laugh their heads off using them now.

Jan 17th 7:00 a.m.

This was it. The last training regimen and afterwards...the group would finally be done with this. Only...the final thing to do was possibly the most difficult exercise to commence unless you had really good upper-body strength: Pull-ups.

Standing side by side near the ocean Kameron dug his fingers into the sand and from both ends two thin crystal pillars rose up before two long crystals shot out from the sides. In a flash the two side crystals intertwined together, creating a very long crystal bar.

Looking up the kids gazed at the bar. Their fingers twitched at the sight of it as their eyes shook. They had to do this. Even with sore bodies, they had to do this. It was a better choice to get it over with than ignore it.

"Just five pull-ups and you'll be done." Citrine said, chomping onto a big doughnut. "After that, we'll give you kids a treat."

"So keep the muscles pumping!" Bismuth added, flexing her guns.

"Show us that last ounce of spirit ya got!" Amethyst added, eating a doughnut.

Groans exited out of the kids' mouths. But...the mentioning of getting a "treat" gave them some motivation. Raising their arms up they each gripped onto the bar. Kameron slowly pulled himself up, pushing his head up and slowly lowering himself down. Lapis followed her boyfriend's example while pulling herself up, managing to get her head above the bar. Lars, Sadie, and Ronaldo kept pushing themselves upwards, but Ronaldo was having a tough time. Probably the toughest moment of his life.

"Ugh... Ugh... I...I...can't...do...it..." Ronaldo said, barely pushing himself.

"C'mon...Ronaldo...you...can." Sadie encouraged while pulling herself over the bar.

"Totally...!" Lars added, getting himself to the top of the bar.

Ronaldo groaned and kept on trying.

Meanwhile Angela could barely pull herself up while her sister was able to get herself up, even if it was a slow process. Scarlett sucked in some air as she pulled herself up and slowly breathed it out while pulling herself down. Brittney wildly kicked her legs as she pushed herself up, but...she barely managed to get over the bar and slummed down. Puffing her cheeks Brittney tried pulling herself up again, letting out a few grunts until she slummed down and released the bar, falling onto her back.

"Uhh...you okay, pop star?" Amethyst asked while munching on another doughnut.

Brittney groaned, "My everything hurts! It was fun playing with the jump-rope, but this isn't fun anymore!" She whined.

Lastly Steven managed to bring himself up above the bar and bring himself down. Connie held her breath while bringing herself above the bar and exhaled it out once she lowered down. Holding her breath when up and exhaling it out when down. Peridot grunted, doing everything in her capacity to get herself over the bar. Thankfully she was allowed to wear her Limb-enhancers again, but only her legs.

'UGH! This is absurd! THIS IS ABSURD! Peridot's are not physically capable of such activities! Yet I continue!' Peridot thought to herself.

Jan 17th 8:00 a.m.

Torture. That is the pure definition of the experience the kids had just gone through. Countless exercises. Pushing their bodies to their limits until there was nothing left to give. That was their objective the moment they each woke up this morning. Tears were shed. Bodies aching all over without mercy. The kind of pain coursing through their bodies and mind was honestly the worst feeling anybody could feel when giving it their all.

But now... Now...it was officially over! And as promised by Citrine, a treat was granted.

On the porch of the Universe Residence the kids all sat down to rest, relax, and enjoy a large feast. Pancakes. Eggs. Bacon. Fruit-bowls (Literally grapes and apples in bowls). Sausages. And last but not least, large cups of orange juice.

The moment they saw the massive spread everyone (excluding Lapis and Peridot) dived right in. Sitting down they all grabbed their utensils and began to devour the delicious food given to them.

Ronaldo grabbed his cup and started chugging down the OJ as if life and heaven were rewarding his efforts. Putting it back on the table he took a short breath and started chugging at it again.

Angela and Brittney dived into their fruit-bowls without a care in the world. Picking up a grape and putting it into her mouth Brittney's eyes started to water until fresh tears started dropping onto her cheeks as she moan from their sheer taste. Angela started shedding tears the moment she put an apple slice onto her lips. She quickly wiped her tears and Brittney's while continuing to enjoy the endless taste of fruit.

Kameron, Lars, and Steven attacked their eggs like they were prey. Stabbing the yellow piles of gooey-yummy bits and putting them into their mouths. Leaving the eggs in their mouths they savored the rich taste placed on their tongues and chewed te substance slowly before swallowing. Then as the eggs went down their throats they repeated the process again, and again, and again until there will be no more eggs.

Sadie, Connie, and Chelsea poured fresh hot syrup onto their pancake stacks until the bottles needed to be put down. It is a law within the universe herself that you are NOT allowed to eat pancakes without syrup. Eating it plain goes against the very fabric of reality. These girls knew that in their souls and made sure their pancakes were covered to the brink. Picking up their forks and knives they stared at their stacks with drool dropping from their mouths until they took immediate action, destroying the pancakes with their appetites.

Scarlett picked up a strip of bacon and took a bite into it. Chewing the bits into her mouth she swallowed and took a bite into it again. Moans exited her mouth at how crispy the bacon tasted and the flavor exploding as she chewed. Looking down at her plate she grabbed a long sausage link and took a huge bite from it. The mixture of the bacon and the sausage made her moan again. The utmost joy in the food was indescribable to her current state of mind. All that mattered was getting the satisfaction of having food in her stomach.

Inside the house Lapis and Peridot crashed onto the couch. Groans exited their mouths before the sounds of snoring replaced them. With the kind of stuff they just did, no-one would blame them for instantly crashing when the chance was given.

At the dining table/kitchen Citrine, Bismuth, Amethyst grinned at the girls sleeping while Greg, Andy, and Pearl kept their eyes on the kids outside.

"Wow. The kids are really going at it." Greg said.

"You're telling me. I haven't seen a feast get destroyed since me and Anna visited Aunt Deb and her kids." Andy replied while sipping some coffee.

"Oh, I hope I made enough." Pearl said, washing a couple dishes.

"You made them piles of food and they worked their asses off. I think you're good." Amethyst replied, biting into a doughnut.

Pearl hummed at Amethyst's words while putting a plate under some water and putting it into a dish-drain. "The Fitness Test is coming in a few days. I just want to make sure the children are getting enough to eat. I have no personal preference on food, but kids and teenagers require large amounts of it to help them grow and get their nutrients."

"You made enough, Pearl." Citrine assured while eating a banana. "They won't need any food for a while after the spread you just made."

"Plus I'm sure they'll pass. They'll do the best they can with what they got." Bismuth added as she watched Lapis and Peridot rest.

Right when someone attempted to speak up a loud ring shout out, freezing everyone in place. Citrine, Bismuth, Amethyst, and Pearl pulled out their phones to see a large Gem icon on their screens. Touching them the icon soon placed itself onto a location within the map.

"No..." Citrine said in a low voice.

"What's wrong?" Bismuth asked.

"We need to leave, now." Citrine answered.

Without much to go on from Citrine's reaction, they each put their phones away and summoned out their Warp Whistles. Right when they were about to blow into them Kameron, Steven, and Connie came into the house.

"We're coming with you guys." Kameron announced.

"You three just ate. You should rest and let your food digest." Pearl addressed.

"We'll be okay." Steven assured. "Plus we're gonna burn it off."

"Yeah. We're a little exhausted, but we want to come too." Connie said strongly.

Citrine looked at the three and turned his head to Lapis and Peridot resting. There was no time for arguments. Even though the youngest Rainbows/Crystals have just eaten and were exhausted from working out, they still had some gas left in the tank.

"Uncle Greg. Tio Andy. Can you watch the kids and those two?" Citrine asked, pointing at Lapis and Peridot.

"Sure." Greg replied. "You all be careful."

"Extra careful." Andy added.

Jan 17th 9:00 a.m.

Through the usage of the Warp Whistles the Rainbows/Crystal Gems arrived at their destination.

Standing right in front of their eyes laid a mountain. But not just any mountain, this mountain was humongous. At it's peak snow covered it's tip as it touched the very sky. The sun was out, yet the temperature was freezing. Snowflakes gently fell among the ground, elegantly falling and visually taking breaths away with just a glance.

"Wow." Connie said in awe. "Is that Mount Elbrus?"

"Mount what?" Amethyst asked.

"Mount Elbrus. It the largest mountain in Russia. I've learned about it in class, but...to see it with my own eyes is something else." Connie explained.

"Udivitel'yy." Citrine said in Russian.

Connie looked up at Citrine with a confused expression.

"It means amazing in Russian." Kameron explained.

"Oh... Udivitel'yy." Connie replied.

"Let's get moving." Citrine announced.

Without a response everyone started following the Orange Goliath.

Step by step the group stayed close together as they traversed up the mountain. Luckily for them there were large steps right at the base.

Kameron kept his eye on Steven and Connie in the back while his brother and aunts took the front. As the eldest it was responsibility to look after those younger than him. He...hasn't really done a very good job at that when going through his own personal issues, but what mattered was the here and now. Focus on the mission and watch everyone's backs. Even if his stomach was full to the core, some action will burn it off, even at the price of getting hungry again.

Up front Citrine kept his eyes locked on the mountain. It's public knowledge that the mountain harbors a volcano, but it's been dormant for centuries, so that wasn't gonna be an issue. But that didn't matter too much to the Orange Goliath. There were bigger things that were more important to think about and to keep safe.

Bismuth turned her head to notice the serious expression on Citrine's face. For all the times she's been around him he knew when to get serious when he had to, but...his current expression was different than other times. Even though she's grown to adapt to the ways on Earth, there were still some things she wasn't aware of or things Citrine hasn't told her.

"Big guy." Bismuth said, gaining Citrine's attention. "You alright?"

"I'm not." Citrine answered truthfully. "There's a place in the mountain that I like to go to once a year. If anything were to happen to it then I'm gonna lose it."

Bismuth hummed at his response. So that was the reason.

Coming up to the top of the stairs the group immediately stopped in their tracks. On the ground there were massive holes from one end to the next. The holes themselves looked like they were dug out, giving several entrances underground. Though as important as that was, another problem occurred. A small number of G.A.F. soldiers laid around the holes, groaning with cracks in their helmets and armor.

Despite the perspectives the Rainbows/Crystals have on G.A.F., they were just doing their job in protecting what mattered to them. But then again, only certain Factions follow that motivation and moral compass while others were soldiers for personal reasons.

Walking up to a soldier Citrine raised out his arm, offering his hand. The soldier lifted their head to see the Orange Goliath standing in front of them. Without a word the soldier lifted their hand and grabbed onto Citrine's finger just as he gently pulled them onto their feet.

The soldier soon placed their hands on their helmet, removing it and revealing their face. The soldier was female with short red/silver hair and crimson eyes. She wore a small touch of lipstick and had a small mole underneath her lip.

"Goliath." The woman said with a Russian accent.

"Natasha." Citrine replied. "Last time I saw you you were a little girl."

"Not anymore." Natasha said, letting go of Citrine's finger.

"What's going on?" Citrine replied.

Natasha clicked her tongue as she looked around at her fallen comrades. Putting a hand on her hip she looked back at Citrine with narrowed eyes. "We fight monster. It dig underground and eat what it wants. My stupid brother went after it. Idiot."

A loud and long groan exited out of Citrine's mouth. Great. Because why make a situation easy to understand and simply to handle.

"Alright. My family and I will handle this. You focus on helping your comrades." Citrine said. "And if I run into your brother, then I'm sure you know what'll happen."

Natasha let out a sigh and brought out her radio. "Medik! Nam nuzhen medik!" Putting her radio down she handed another one to Citrine. "I will come back. And discipline my brother if you have to."

With that confirmation the Rainbows/Crystals leaped into the hole near the top of the stairs. Descending into the depths of the Earth once more the others held onto the heavy hitters of the family as the continued falling. Falling for an unknown amount of time the heavy hitters eventually landed onto some solid ground with a loud THUD.

The others soon released themselves from the heavy hitters. Kameron and Steven's Gemstones began to glow and small spheres of light came out of them. The spheres soon faded and revealed three oxygen masks. Kameron immediately put his on while Steven did the same and handed the other to Connie. She took it without a word and put it on. It is unclear how long they were gonna be underground again, but it was better to be prepared just in case the mission was long.

Soon after the Rainbows/Crystals traverse through a large rocky tunnel. Each Gem except Connie illuminated their Gemstones, giving them light in the darkness. Not knowing what lied ahead but not wanting to waste any time the group started jogging.

"So, big guy. You know that woman?" Bismuth said to Citrine.

"Her name is Natasha. I once saved her and her family from a Corrupted. But I've clashed with her brother on occasion." Citrine replied.

"He hates Gems too?" Amethyst asked.

"Natasha only hates Corrupted. Her brother doesn't like me very much, but mostly because of how strong I am compared to himself." Citrine explained.

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

Right when Citrine opened his mouth a loud screech entered everyone's ears. The screech wasn't as bad as Lepidolite's screams, but pretty close to it's frequency. Still, it wasn't enough to make the group stop running, only giving them an aching headache.

Up ahead there was a large hole with light on the other side. Coming up to it the group stopped in their tracks and locked their eyes to what was right in front in them.

The area was massive and wide. Down below there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of orange cubes with what looked like food inside of them. Spaghetti. Ramen. Stew. Sandwiches. And many, many other types contained in large orange cubes. Not only that but at the center of the area there were five large statues of women with their hands placed on their stomachs. The statues themselves were bronze and each of the women held beautiful smiles on their faces.

"Uhh... Citrine. Would you mind explaining to us what all of this is?" Pearl asked, unable to actually comprehend what she was seeing.

"My shrine." Citrine answered.

"A shrine?" Bismuth questioned. "It looks no different than your room."

"It's my personal shrine."Citrine answered. "And I will not be happy if anyone touches my cubes."

"Why?" Amethyst asked.

"Because they contain the greatest and most delicious cuisines I have ever placed into my mouth." Citrine said, pounding his chest. "I love each and everyone once of you, but I will not tolerate anyone who harms my food."

Wow. Just...wow. This takes holding food in high regard to a whole new level. Citrine loves to enjoy the satisfaction of eating, yet this is beyond anything anyone has ever seen. There are hoarders and then there's...this.

Another loud screech soon broke out, only this one was much louder than before. Up above the ceiling cracked open with a large being dropping in alongside the Corrupted responsible for creating the holes. Crashing into the ground the being let out a long groan as did the Corrupted. The Corrupted was large and orange with two big orange eyes, a large mouth, two big puffy arms and legs, and a tail. Lastly it's Gemstone was placed on it's lower body, below the chest and above the stomach.

The being near the Corrupted slowly picked itself up. Getting back on it's feet it let out a huge breath of air and began gripping it's fists.

"Sil'yy!" Citrine called out.

Hearing that name the being turned around to see the Rainbows/Crystals above it. Looking at the front the being was a man with short black hair and crimson eyes. The man wore a huge suit covering his head, giving him a large horn at the center of it and covering his mouth. The suit itself was metallic with metal pipes linked from his lower hands and feet to his shoulders and waist. Not only that but at the center of the suit was a hexagon-shaped container where each of the pipes were connected to and a large red/orange glowing sphere inside of it.

"Well, well. Orange Goliath. I did not believe I would see you here." Sil'yy said with a Russian accent.

"Why do you have a nuclear reactor in your chest?!" Citrine yelled angerly. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you relied on nuclear power?!"

Sil'yy smirked. "Do not be concerned with my health. I must be strong to protect what I love. Nuclear power is the answer." Sil'yy then turned to the Corrupted. "I will fight you when I am finished."

Citrine gritted his teeth and summoned his hammer. Bending his knees he leaped into the air, holding up his hammer over his head. The others watched him go and slam his hammer into the Corrupted, however the Corrupted lifted it's head and saw him coming. Going down on the ground it leaped out of the way right as Citrine smashed the ground, leaving a few cracks into it.

The Corrupted landed onto a pile of orange cubes and glared at Citrine.

The Orange Goliath raised his hammer, but when he attempted to launch another attack Sil'yy charged right at him, sending both himself and Citrine into one of the bronze statues.

The Corrupted tilted it's head for a moment and opened it's mouth, bringing out several tongue tendrils and grabbing the orange cubes before putting them into it's mouth. Chewing the cubes it swallowed them and fired it's tongue tendrils again.

"Bismuth, you and I help Citrine." Kameron called out, summoning his sword. "The rest of you handle the Corrupted." He added, leaping into the air.

Bismuth turned her hands into mallets, following Kameron while the others handled their job. With how big Sil'yy was and having the capability to crash into her friend like that he was definitely gonna need help.

Amethyst brought out her whip and spun herself into a ball before launching right at the Corrupted. Turning it's head the Corrupted saw her coming, but didn't reach fast enough to dodge, allowing the Whip Waker to slam herself onto her target.

Crashing it onto the ground Amethyst unrolled herself as she got up into the air and threw her whip at the Corrupted. Going right at it the whip wrapped itself around the creature, tightening itself around it's neck until she thrusted herself at it, slamming herself onto it's body. The Corrupted gawked at the sheer pressure placed on it while Amethyst kept a tight hold on the neck.

Steven, Connie, and Pearl rushed up to her, preparing to finish the job. Seeing them come at it the Corrupted puffed out it's cheeks and fired a blast of orange energy out of it's mouth. Steven stepped up front of the others and summoned his shield, protecting them from the attack. Dismissing his shield Steven watched Connie and Pearl jump into the air and aim their weapons at the Corrupted. With no time to counterattack due to being subdued, the Corrupted watched the two Crystals pierce it's body and let out another ear-piercing scream.

POOF!

In a flash the Corrupted's body poofed, leaving only it's Gemstone behind. Pearl picked up the Gemstone and placed it into a bubble before sending it away.

"Now let's go help Citrine." Pearl announced.

Near the bronze statues Sil'yy pinned his hand against Citrine's head, pushing it against the statue. Lifting his head Sil'yy raised up his other hand and grabbed Citrine's throat before turning his body and throwing the Orange Goliath away from the statue. Watching Citrine crash into the ground Sil'yy slammed his fist down as the pipes on his suit began to radiate energy. Lifting his head he then started charging straight at his adversary. With no time to react Citrine slowly picked himself up until he saw Sil'yy coming right at him.

Sil'yy crashed right into the large Gem once more, sending both of them into a large pile of orange cubes. Picking himself up and looking down at Citrine, Sil'yy balled a fist and threw it at Citrine's face. He then threw his other fist at his face and did it again and again and again and again.

"I am stronger now! Not you, me! I am victor!" Sil'yy yelled.

Pulling his fist back Sil'yy attempted to throw it right at Citrine, however just as he was about to Bismuth knocked him away with her mallets, sending the colossus into another pile of orange cubes.

Kameron caught up with her as they turned to Citrine with a badly bruised face.

"Hey! Hey, big guy! C'mon, you've survived worst things than this." Bismuth said as she lightly tapped onto Citrine's cheek.

Citrine grumbled as he slowly opened his eyes to see his beloved friend and brother in front of him. Kameron walked up to him, offering his hand to his brother. Citrine slowly stretched his lips and raised out his hand, allowing Kameron to grab his finger and help him up. Back on his feet Citrine smiled at his little brother, though his smile soon faded when he looked back at the cracked cubes. The food inside was safe and untouched, but if the cubes were completely cracked then the food would've been ruined.

"We'll get you some more food when this is over." Kameron promised. "Right now we've a rhino to take down." He added, looking over at Sil'yy.

Citrine narrowed his eyes and nodded. Dismissing his hammer Citrine began to crack his knuckles and make his way over to Sil'yy.

The colossus got back up on his feet to see Citrine and his comrades facing him.

"It's about time we settle this, Sil'yy." Citrine said.

"Then I will take down each of you one by one." Sil'yy replied, slamming his fists.

"Only you and my brother are going to fight. Single combat." Kameron announced.

"The rest of us will make sure you won't run away." Bismuth added.

The others looked at Bismuth and at Sil'yy. To be honest, there really was no point in fighting. The Corrupted was subdued and taken care of. That's it. Yet given Sil'yy's angry expression, it was far from over.

"We don't have to fight. Sil'yy let's just go back." Steven said.

Sil'yy snorted. "That is not option, boy. You come to my home. Your kind attack my people. I must protect my home and my family. I will do what I must to keep them safe. And I will not allow this giant to best me."

Citrine took a step forward, "I've only fought you because you keep on provoking me. I told your sister what would happen when we see each other and when you had the chance you attacked me and cracked my cubes. I'm gonna keep my word to Natasha and discipline you."

Sil'yy soon slammed both of his fists into the ground. The pipes on his suit started to radiate even more energy, making him scream. Lifting his head he glared at Citrine and charged right at him.

Stomping his foot on the ground Citrine raised out his arms, watching Sil'yy coming right at him. The moment he did Citrine grabbed onto his horn, but the sheer impact made his boots scrap the rocky landscape. Pushing Sil'yy down Citrine was able to make him stomp as he dug his boots deeper into the ground. Gritting his teeth Citrine raised up his leg, hitting Sil'yy in his jaw, but it would not keep him down.

With no choice Citrine gritted his teeth again as he increased his grip on Sil'yy's horn and pushed him right onto the ground. Releasing one of his hands Citrine lifted Sil'yy and threw a hard punch at his face. Sil'yy wobbled back a few inches, but once he turned his head back to Citrine another fist was coming right at him. This punch was harder than the other, lifting Sil'yy off the ground and making him land right onto his back.

Citrine soon approached Sil'yy, watching the radiated pipes on his suit dim. This could've been avoided. Either men could've just walked away with nothing to gain from endless violence. But Sil'yy wanted it. Citrine has seen him fight and he could never get enough of it. All that power and wasting it against someone who was protecting people from Corrupted.

Sil'yy lifted his head. His vision was blurry, but it slowly started to clear up, making him see Citrine.

"Do it! Finish me." Sil'yy asked.

Citrine raised his hand and grabbed Sil'yy's horn, making him sit up. Citrine then brought his face close to Sil'yy's. "Your sister asked me to discipline you, not kill you. One day she might even ask me to do that if you ever get out of line, but even if you ask me then you will be spared. You're not worth it. And stop giving Natasha a headache." He said before knocking Sil'yy out.

Putting his head down Citrine looked up at the others watching him. Letting go of Sil'yy's horn Citrine walked up to them and stopped in his tracks. Not really something he wanted them to look at, so...whatever they were going to say to him he'll accept it.

Kameron placed his blade on his back as he stepped up to his big brother. Raising his head he smiled at him.

"I'm sorry you all had to see that." Citrine said.

"I've seen worst." Kameron replied. "What matters is that the Corrupted was dealt with and you put Sil'yy in his place. You had a choice and you made a hard one."

Citrine hummed and nodded.

Bismuth then walked up to him, tapping his shoulder. "Don't let that guy get in your head. You're strong, but always remember to keep that strength in check. Even back on Homeworld you never overworked yourself, so don't start now."

Citrine's lips slow stretched into a small grin. He then looked back at the unconscious Sil'yy. "I'll carry him back."

"Hard to think that's Natasha's brother." Pearl replied, watching Citrine pick him up.

"This is how he lives his life." Citrine said. "Let's go."

Interview#8

In the white the Author sat in a chair with Citrine sitting on the opposite end eating a huge bowl of grapes.

Author: How are you today, Citrine?

Citrine: Gloomy after fighting Sil'yy, but I'll get over it. At least you did have him hurt my brother.

Author: Yes. I'm still recovering after my last session with your sister Charoite. I didn't want to get crushed by you.

Citrine: I wouldn't crush you. But I would eat out your entire fridge.

The Author chuckled nervously. But then a certain thought came to mind.

Author: Uh...you...haven't eaten out my fridge, have you?

Citrine took a load of grapes and put them into his mouth. Swallowing he grinned at the Author as he continued eating his grapes.

Author:...I just went to the store last night...

End Of Episode 71.

Apologizes for the wait.

Next Time:

Wrath And Patience