#:: the destiny child. || estelle. ::

[rainintheevening]

EXCUSE me, how about the parallel in the Hobbit between Aragorn and Legolas watching their (adoptive in Aragorn's case) fathers go off to war and waiting at home for them to come back??

Like Elrond's entrance in The Hobbit movie is returning from an orc hunt, and all I could imagine was little Estel running to greet him (and the twins, you can't tell me the twins weren't in that hunting party, they'd never pass up a chance at hunting orc). And then Elrond goes to aid Gandalf at Dol Guldur, so imagine Estel dogging the twins' heels for the days it takes their father to return. Estel only being able to sleep the second night from sheer exhaustion, falling asleep on Elladan's shoulder. Not knowing where Elrond went or why, but knowing it's very very serious. And when Elrond returns, all weary and grave and even fearful, Estel is the first to greet him, throwing himself at him with a hug, and Elrond holds the child tight, tight, because he is suddenly stricken with the knowledge that facing that evil will be little Estel's destiny, so he hides his face in the dark hair for a moment, and breathes in time with the boy.

I don't see Legolas being at the Battle of the Five Armies, he was definitely at home, safe, the crown prince left in charge of his people, watching the warriors go, but staying true to his father's orders. Worried, for reasons he can't explain, sensing how the darkness in the South has grown, but not knowing why or how. He keeps his head, but hardly sleeps for the week or two his father is gone. And just imagine the joy and relief Legolas feels when his father comes riding home safe! Imagine Thranduil’s relief that Legolas was back home safe, when so many fair Wood-elves spilled their blood at the foot of the Lonely Mountain, so many lives were lost. But also the sinking feeling that this might have been the last time he could keep his son from battle on a great scale, and there are much darker days ahead for Middle-Earth.

Little Aragorn and younger Legolas waiting and watching for their fathers to come home from war, when one day they'll go off to war together, and their fathers will be the ones welcoming them back.

Just... yeah. Indulge my book/movie mashup parallels.😭😭

[not-glorfindel-stop-asking]

Hey Lindir, what was Aragorn like as a kid?

Ah, Aragorn as a child. Where do I even begin?

You see, one must first understand that young Estel—before he knew himself to be Aragorn, Heir of Isildur, Hope of Men, etcetera—was a scrappy, determined, utterly exhausting little whirlwind of a child. He had this unshakable need to prove himself to everyone. It was as though he had been born with an inherent sense that he had some great destiny ahead of him, even before he knew the truth of his lineage.

I have lost count of the number of times he came barreling through Rivendell, sticks in hand, declaring that he would protect the valley from imaginary threats—which usually meant he was about to duel a very unimpressed Elrondian scholar who had been minding their business.

And then there was the sparring.

It started with Elrohir and Elladan, of course. He would follow them like a particularly stubborn duckling, insisting that they teach him how to fight. And they did. To their credit, they were patient with him (at least in the way older brothers are patient—meaning they also tripped him into the mud when he got too arrogant).

But did Estel stop there? Oh no.

He challenged Glorfindel.

I must emphasize this. A small mortal child with twigs for arms and a stubborn streak the size of a Balrog decided that he was going to best Glorfindel in single combat.

The Golden-haired Menace.

And to his credit, Glorfindel, ever the gracious warrior, did not immediately crush the boy's spirit. He humored him. He let Estel land a hit or two (on the shins, mostly, because that was as high as he could reach). He offered tips. He corrected his stance.

And then, once he deemed the lesson complete, he effortlessly disarmed him, sent his wooden sword flying across the courtyard, and knocked him on his rear.

Estel was delighted.

Because, you see, the loss didn’t discourage him. No, it ignited him. He dusted himself off, picked up his stick, and asked to go again.

That was the day we all realized: this one was going to be trouble.

Ah, but let it not be said that young Estel was only an unstoppable force of scrappy determination and wild ambitions. No, he was also—Maker help me—sweet.

For all his endless energy, for all the times he nearly bowled me over while rushing through the halls in pursuit of some new grand adventure, he was also deeply earnest. He did not only want to learn the sword. He wanted to learn everything. And so, more often than not, he would wander into the archives, eyes bright with curiosity, and ask me to teach him poetry.

“I want to speak Elvish like you do,” he once told me, utterly serious. “Not just to talk, but to make things sound beautiful.”

I must confess, I was taken aback. A mortal child, wishing to master not just our words, but our art? I was intrigued. Amused. A little endeared.

And so, I humored him. I told him we would start with the basics—but if he could find a specific plant I named, then we would move on to something more advanced. It was a joke. A passing remark. I hardly expected him to actually find it.

And yet.

Days later, he returned—with the plant in hand.

He had scoured the valley, dragged Elrohir and Elladan into his search, and he had found it. The very one I had named. And the proud little smile he wore as he presented it to me was so unbearably triumphant that I had no choice but to honor my word.

Thus began my reluctant role as Estel’s poetry instructor. And though he was no natural scholar (his handwriting, to this day, remains a crime against script), he poured himself into every lesson with that same stubborn enthusiasm.

And when he finally managed to compose his first proper verse in Quenya? Oh, the smugness. The sheer, unbearable satisfaction on his face. He recited it to anyone who would listen—Elrond, the twins, Glorfindel, the unfortunate stable hands who had done absolutely nothing to deserve being subjected to the poetic ramblings of a mortal child.

And yet. And yet. I was proud.

[aquarii-if]

I was watching old school One Piece on Netflix and I got to the scene where Luffy the main character is fighting Enel but at one point, Luffy just completely spaces out which pisses Enel off because he can't land a hit on Luffy this way.

How would the ROs and the family react to the MC (with Sirius as the god parent) doing this part?

I assume this is during training or a practice fight? Also don’t know if these are reasonable reactions? I’ve never watched One Piece 🤷‍♀️

Liviana-

Amare-

Estelle- Honestly would just snap her fingers in front of their face and tell them to concentrate.

Ellery- I admire Child of Sirius!MC’s ability to convince Ellery to fight them in the first place. But if this happened I think he would just run away. He is not trained to deal with this. 😭

Vega-

Indus-

Kira-

Destiny-

[rangers-arecool]

For: Open :: Ask if you’d like it specified Muse: Aragorn Verse: AU | Beren and Luthien, they were not

Gondor. Or more precisely, the Bay of Belfalas.

  A place where many of the Gondorians continued with their everyday lives, never even noticing the silently watching figure beneath the sheltering rock. Dressed in neutral green and grey clothing, most thought that the Man was one of the Rangers of Ithilien and paid no attention. It was only when one took a closer look that it became obvious he was not of Southern Dúnedain descent. Coming instead from the Northern lands of Eriador, for he was one of the Rangers of the North.

WHO WAS HE REALLY?

  Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Chieftain of the Northern Dúnedain? Strider, Ranger of the North? Thorongil, the man who Gondor and Rohan adored because he helped when they needed it most? Or the Heir of Isildur, who’s destiny was to reunite Gondor and Arnor into one kingdom again as it’s King?

  He didn’t know anymore. But one fact was for sure: he definitely didn't feel like Estel, the child who grew up in the safety of Imladris and under the protection of the Elves.

  Aragorn looked back out over the sea, watching the setting sun and listening to the sounds of the seagulls squawking as they rested for the night. It was calming, much like the times when he vanished into the Wilds for days at a time. Although in hindsight, that was probably the reason why his second in command, Hal, sent him here in the first place to drop off a parcel. 

  The other Ranger knew him far too well and he was thankful for that. His friend wasn’t one for being anything but truthfully blunt, no matter who he was talking to. And lately, he himself had been on the end of those dark knowing eyes. Mainly because it had been to Hal, that he turned for help with sorting through his feelings about Arwen. More precisely, his lack of feelings for her.

  Storm filled blue eyes watched for a while longer as the stars began to make an appearance in the night sky, looking for the constellations he knew. Then Aragorn shifted to his feet and headed in the direction of Pelargir, a city that thankfully ignored his presence as requested. Even if it did have a statue of him, which he wasn’t particularly fond of.

[thatconfusedanon]

| Teeth like needles pierce through flesh and overly sweet tasting blood can be tasted for Voyyd. Silvia makes attempts to shake Voyyd away but ultimately leaves it, undeterred. She scoffed looking at Altair whose maw was bloodied. She tilts her head out to the side in thought before grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulls his head back. She knew it wasn't enough pressure to kill him, that'd be far less satisfying. She wanted to watch him suffer for a while now that she had the opportunity to. He stares back at her, fear to be seen in dilated pupils that scanned over her face. |

"Tch. So much for treating this like adults, huh?"

| A small whine from Altair later has her rolling her eyes. |

"...Such a child. You never let anyone help you, really. You didn't even get help when dealing with me."

| She spat like the words were venom in her mouth as she glared through him, he returned it still able to taste her blood on his lips. It sickened him to his very core. |

I never needed any help.

"Clearly you did if this is the way things turned out. Or better yet, left me to rot. It's what I would have wanted."

Life isn't fair.

"I suppose reviving the dead is? You've got alot coming to you Destiny Estell."

| Altair snarled at the name before his head came crashing down into the ground. He could feel the blood trickling out of it in a warm wet pool as it had hit against glass or perhaps a rock. |

It's Altair now.

"You're still the same old person I met when I came back to life. Your name makes no difference to me."

*A certain little someone was walking around.* Altair?

Altair are you here?

*Wonder who this could be..*

| As she came down the hall a being no taller that 5'11 poked it's head out of it's room, laying eyes upon the being walking and looking for Altair. They frowned a little, confused. |

Oh uh.... Not Altair, sorry. I don't even think... Well...

[artravaganza]

Here's my Santana-inspired playlist that is also a tribute to the disasterpiece that is Glee. Song suggestions are welcome.

[spaceflinger]

Jordan Peele's Candyman (2020) Trailer Reaction

[oops-i-tolkiened-again]

I’m thinking about Gilraen and Aragorn again.

Or rather, Gilraen and Estel.

Ever since I read about them in the appendices, I was struck by how little time Gilraen got to be a normal wife and a normal mother. No worries, just staying at home surrounded by the respect of her people.

But then, when she’s in Rivendell, she has to raise a child while completely masquerading his identity, having to get permission from some immortal she’s likely only heard of just to tell her son about his father.

Meanwhile, little Aragorn is fine. He’s strong, he’s well-educated, he has big brothers that play with him and teach him all he needs to know. He’s raised well, and, despite having a different name, is raised lovingly.

But there’s always Gilraen in the background, likely having to swallow her grief and her urge to teach her son about his father for the good of the world.

There’s Estel not even knowing his birth name, raised for some vague destiny that his tutor-turned-father won’t expound upon. Estel’s childhood was probably filled with “that’s not a question for right now” or “I’ll tell you eventually.”

Elrond built Aragon and his mother a great life, yes, but it was a life built on caution.

[rangers-are-cool-moved]

For: Open :: Ask if you’d like it specified Muse: Aragorn | Special request Verse: AU | Beren and Luthien, they were not

  Gondor. Or more precisely, the Bay of Belfalas.

  A place where many of the Gondorians continued with their everyday lives, never even noticing the silently watching figure beneath the sheltering rock. Dressed in neutral green and grey clothing, most thought that the Man was one of the Rangers of Ithilien and paid no attention. It was only when one took a closer look that it became obvious he was not of Southern Dúnedain descent. Coming instead from the Northern lands of Eriador, for he was one of the Rangers of the North.

WHO WAS HE REALLY?

  Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Chieftain of the Northern Dúnedain? Strider, Ranger of the North? Thorongil, the man who Gondor and Rohan adored because he helped when they needed it most? Or the Heir of Isildur, who’s destiny was to reunite Gondor and Arnor into one kingdom again as it’s King?

  He didn’t know anymore. But one fact was for sure: he definitely didn't feel like Estel, the child who grew up in the safety of Imladris and under the protection of the Elves.

  Aragorn looked back out over the sea, watching the setting sun and listening to the sounds of the seagulls squawking as they rested for the night. It was calming, much like the times when he vanished into the Wilds for days at a time. Although in hindsight, that was probably the reason why his second in command, Hal, sent him here in the first place to drop off a parcel. 

  The other Ranger knew him far too well and he was thankful for that. His friend wasn’t one for being anything but truthfully blunt, no matter who he was talking to. And lately, he himself had been on the end of those dark knowing eyes. Mainly because it had been to Hal, that he turned for help with sorting through his feelings about Arwen. More precisely, his lack of feelings for her.

  Storm filled blue eyes watched for a while longer as the stars began to make an appearance in the night sky, looking for the constellations he knew. Then Aragorn shifted to his feet and headed in the direction of Pelargir, a city that thankfully ignored his presence as requested. Even if it did have a statue of him, which he wasn’t particularly fond of.

[queenlucythevaliant]

Jesus is a Better King than Aragorn: An entirely serious literary and theological analysis

Despite Tolkien’s famous dislike of allegory, it is clear that Aragorn is in numerous respects a figure of Christ. Like Jesus, Aragorn is a great king who returns after a like absence to save his people. Both have roughly a hundred different names and titles. Most significantly, the name Aragorn uses in Rivendell as a child is Estel, which means “high hope” and is also a reference to the morning star, Gil-Estel. Jesus is called the Morning Star and also Emmanuel, “God with us,” which was and is the highest hope of all the earth. (I’m sure there’s a better example, but I can’t justify spending too much time on this when I have homework to do).

Aragorn also spends the early years of his life in obscurity. As a ranger, he is despised and rejected by the very folk he protects, such as Barlimen Butterbur, who advises Frodo not to trust him (and hurts Aragorn's feelings in doing so). Aragorn is also not particularly attractive; Frodo observes that he “looks foul and feels fair.” These qualities place Aragorn in line with Isaiah’s prophetic description of Jesus: despised and rejected by man, with nothing in His appearance that we should desire him.

Aragorn is also keenly aware of his kingly destiny in ways which mirror Jesus’ Messianic mission. Unlike the filmic Aragorn, the Aragorn of Tolkien’s books is eager to become king and has been preparing for the job all his life, studying the peoples, customs, and languages of Middle Earth. He carries around the ring of Barahir and the shards of Narsil, symbols of his kingly destiny, but waits until the proper time to publicly reveal himself as King. Faramir could even be said to be something of a John the Baptist figure, declaring Aragorn’s kingship before Aragorn himself claims it. Yet despite his great destiny, like Jesus, Aragorn is fundamentally selfless and humble. He spends many years thanklessly guarding the Shire and is quick to offer his life or his death to save Frodo. Significantly, Aragorn also has miraculous healing abilities. Indeed, the hands of a king are those of a healer; so shall the rightful king be known. This parallels the way in which Jesus healed people throughout His ministry in part as proof of His divine nature.

Finally, Aragorn is eventually received and crowned King of Gondor and Arnor in a big enormous super-parallel to Jesus's eventual return and the consumation of his eternal Kingdom. Aragorn's coming has been hoped and longed for for thousands of years. His coronation also coincides with his long-awaited wedding to Arwen; indeed, Aragorn’s ascension to his rightful kingship is a condition for his getting to marry her. This combined wedding and kingship imagery intimates at the return of Jesus, the True King, and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb which will follow.

Yet despite the clear parallels between Aragorn and Jesus, it is clear that of the two, Jesus is the greater King. Jesus is fully man and fully God. Aragorn, conversely, is like 1% Maia (for those uninitiated in The Silmarillion, Maia are like lesser angels) through Isildor, Elros Tar-Minyatur, and ultimately Melian, but this cannot compare to the true, incarnate divinity of Jesus, which enabled Him to live a sinless life on earth and serve as propitiation for our sins. This, indeed, is another way in which Aragorn falls short of Jesus. Sauron and his orcs and other assorted monsters are undeniably evil and gross-looking, but Aragorn is not even the one most immediately responsible for defeating them, and at any rate none of that compares to defeating all the power of sin and death forever and ever amen. Jesus died on our behalf and was then resurrected; in this respect, Gandalf is much more similar to Jesus (died to save the Fellowship and came back glorified; “Saruman as he should have been” ~ second Adam that one’s a stretch but go with me here). Yet Aragorn and even Gandalf fall far short of Jesus’s resurrection by virtue of not being the firstfruits of man’s glorification.

As King, Jesus currently reigns in Heaven and in the hearts of His people; after His return, He will rule the New Heavens and New Earth. Aragorn merely rules the united kingdom of Gondor and Arnor which, while awesome, does not have the direct presence of God, a New Jerusalem, of the complete absence of evil, sin, and death. Gondor has a White Tree, but no Tree of Life. Finally, unlike Jesus, Aragorn is also not perfectly holy, just, righteous, sovereign, gracious, or merciful. He may be pretty much perfect by human standards, but he still remains Just Some Guy and is therefore fallible. In fact, the only recorded kingly rulings of his that I can remember off the top of my head are banishing Beregond from Minas Tirith for disobeying Denethor and banning non-Hobbits from ever entering the Shire, both of which are kind of iffy in my opinion. (Text me if you want that rant 😜)

“But wait!” I hear you saying, “Jesus might be a better King than Aragorn, but Aragorn is definitely much cooler than Jesus. Aragorn has a sword!” And yes, Aragorn does have a sword, and his sword is awesome. Its name is Anduril, Flame of the West, and it was made from the shards of Narsil, the Numinorian sword which Isildor used to chop the One Ring off of Sauron’s finger. (I refuse to use the diacriticals; it’s too much work.) It has an insignia with seven stars on the blade and Aragorn uses it in a whole bunch of epic battles. That is, indeed, very cool. However, Jesus also has a sword! In Revelation, when John describes Jesus, He has a sharp, two-edged sword issuing from His mouth. He also holds seven stars in his right hand. As an added bonus, His face shines like the sun. So what if it's probably symbolic? Anything Aragorn can do, Jesus can do better.

(Note: I threw this together ages ago as a joke for my Bible study. @laurelin-of-valinor inspired me to post it today.)

[rangers-arecool]

@quentafeanorians asked: 💋 [your Aragorn] [my Rocheru or anyone you prefer ;]

for the first five kisses meme: Aragorn | 1/5

Raised by his father with the help of Lord Elrond and the residents of Imladris, Estel had grown up knowing exactly who he was. But without the pressure of a unwanted destiny as his future or the mantle of being Chieftain of the Northern Dunedain. For now, the latter was Arathorn's duty.

Although solemn and quiet as he went from child to almost a young man, there was still a spark of playfulness and mischievious inside him. But that spark had been buried for most of the day, despite Elladan and Elrohir's attempts to bring it out. His father had very quickly distracted them though, much to his relief.

Aragorn was hiding in the stables, away from all the questions and Lady Arwen's careful glances. Decisions had been at the forefront of his mind all day and were the reason behind the looks of the Evenstar at him, in case his feelings had changed. He blinked at the sound of familiar footsteps and stood as Rocheru appeared, somehow unsurprised that Lord Elrond had sent the Horse Master to find him.

The young not quite Ranger pressed a very light kiss again his lips and then left the stables, disappearing into the darkness to hide in the one room no-one dared go: Arathorn's. He wasn't prepared to have a second hard conversation; not when it had already happened with Arwen that morning.

[miekasa]

list of phrases and things i would teach/show the aot characters in a modern au

eren

PERIOD

“so true bestie.”

“i was born so i ruined lunch. purposely. and i had fun doing it.”

“BEYONCÉ?? BEYONCÉ?? BEYONCÉ?? Beyoncé, sweetie, I am so sorry than an ugly ass bitch would even say something like that—are you out of your mind?? BEYONCÉ??”

every song on fever by megan thee stallion but most importantly running up freestyle and pimpin

mikasa

“what? like it’s hard?”

“my apologies.... miss girl”

every nicki minaj song in existence but she clears a floor when super bass comes on

armin

sea shanties

“maybe if you had a fucking business that you were passionate about, you would know what it takes to run a fucking business but you DON’T”

the goofy goober sequence at the end of the spongebob movie + the super weenie hut junior scene

the wizards of waverly place theme song. and that show in general

jean

“yes chef”

“does it look like i give a fuck?” “no, not one.” “how many fucks do i give?” “ZERO” “exactly, therefore your comment is: IRRELEVANT.”

the cupid shuffle (lowkey a little smooth with it and you catch him doing it while he’s cooking or something)

cody ko and noel’s that’s cringe: girl defined edition

sasha

“BE QUIET TIFFANY!! We were rooting for you—we were ALL rooting for you, HOW DARE YOU!! I have never before yelled at a girl like this!! When my mother yells at me like this, it’s because she loves me!! LEARN something from this!!”

“it’s britney, bitch.”

the lyrics to shutup and drive by rihanna despite her not having her license at all

several kpop girl group dances

connie

“that’s what she said and—i—what was that...? i—james—”

“mr stark, i don’t feel so good”

[freeze frame, record scratch] “i bet you’re probably wondering how i got here”

how to do the dougie and he’s lowkey really good at it and it’s his go to move

the whole “where is gamora... i’ll do you one better WHO is gamora... i’ll do YOU one better WHY is gamora” scene from infinity war

levi

“i’ve had a very long day. and i am very small. and i have no money. so you can imagine the kind of stress that i am under.”

also the entirety of john mulaney’s “there’s a horse loose in the hospital” bit

“that sounds like a whole lot of none of my business if you ask me”

erwin

the entirety of american boy by estelle and kanye west but he sings both parts in complete different pitches

“can i get an owa owa” and he starts saying to hange and levi, and hange always responds and levi looks at him like he’s lost his fucking marbles

that video of beyoncé telling that ex-destiny’s child member that it’s better for her to go home than to not have her luggage

hange

“okay! imma fight these gender norms!!.... DAMN these gender norms got HANDS”

the last 90 seconds of streets by doja cat but they start singing at the most random times of the day and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop them

the whip/nae nae and i would regret it immediately after

[elvish-sky]

Hope {Aragorn x Reader}

A.N: So no prompts done today cause I was working on this, but I’m proud of it and will get right on prompts tomorrow! This is the completely reader-insert version! I honestly had so much fun writing it and am honored that this person wanted me to do so. I hope y’all like it!

Requested by @ask-the-elf-stuff on Tumblr

Pairing: Aragorn x Reader

Word Count: 1,799

Warnings: Kissing, fluff, the smallest bit of angst.

****

Hope

“You’re really leaving?” You gazed into Aragorn’s eyes, hoping that it wasn’t true.

    “I have to, Y/N. The fate of Middle-Earth depends on it.”

Your head dipped in understanding, but also sadness. 

“Do not fear. I will return.” He cupped your chin with his hand, tilting your head and kissing you. It was a light kiss, nothing like the others you had shared before. This kiss was the hope that you’d see each other again.

Breaking away, you forced a smile as you hugged him, trying not to cry. Stepping back, you waved as he followed the rest of the newly formed Fellowship through the gates of Imladris. Your father stood next to you, and as Aragorn passed through the gates Elrond drew you into his side. 

“He’ll be back, hína (child),” Elrond said as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

Nodding, you rested your head on your father’s shoulder as you watched the man depart.

Weeks later, you were pacing your room, determined to do something. Arwen stopped short in the doorway as she saw you pack open on your bed as you shoved things inside.

     “Y/N? What are you doing?”

“I do not know why, but I have felt a pull to follow. An ache, almost painful in its strength, has settled inside me and so I knew I must follow. We have not heard from the Fellowship in weeks, Aragorn could be hurt, or someone else could be, or he could be,” your voice broke, “dead.

The elf nodded in understanding. “The ache is telling you to be with the one you love.”

She then clasped your hand. “Y/N. Look at me.”

You looked at her, unshed tears of worry clear in your eyes.

“If he was dead, you’d feel it. And I know as your sister I should be telling you not to go, but I cannot help but notice the pain you’ve been in these last weeks. So go, find him.” She spread a map out onto a small table nearby, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you just carry that everywhere?”

She shot you a look, and you quickly clammed up, peering over her shoulder as she pointed things out. 

“After crossing the mountains visit our grandmother in Lothlorien, the Fellowship had planned to pass through there, and she will know where they are.” 

You took it all in, remembering the route to Lothlorien from visits to your grandparents you had made before your mother went west. 

“Thank you, Arwen.” You smiled up at your sister.

She clasped your wrist before pulling away, placing her hands on your shoulders as she looked into your eyes. “Stay safe, Y/N.”

You nodded, shoving the last things into your pack before slinging it over your shoulders with your bow and quiver, daggers sheathed on your thighs, hugging your sister one last time before leaving your room.

   You strode down the hallway, dressed in leather hunting clothes as you made your way to the gates of Imladris. You had stopped by the kitchens to gather food supplies, making sure they thought you were only going for a hunting excursion. 

Entering the courtyard, you saw your father standing in the center, clearly waiting for you. Silently cursing Arwen, as you had hoped to slip away unnoticed, you made your way over to him.

“I should not let you do this.”

You frowned at his words, drawing breath to protest, but before you could Elrond spoke again.

“But you are free to go. I feel the ache and have felt it every day since your mother departed. I know that nothing but being with the one you love can ease that pain, and it would hurt me to know you are experiencing it. Go to Estel. I give you my blessing.” 

You hugged your father before turning and mounting your horse, brought from the stables. Turning to wave to your father one last time, you leaned down to whisper, “Let’s go, Daeroc. Let’s go find Aragorn.” The horse broke into a trot, and you left Imladris behind.

Weeks later, you led Daeroc into Lothlorien, waiting for the sentries to appear. One dropped down from a tree, and you smiled at him, recognizing the face.

“Haldir,” you greeted him with a smile.

“Y/N. It is good to see you again. I assume you are here to see the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?”

You nodded, “Yes. I have not seen my grandparents in a long time. But before we go to them could you find someone to take care of Daeroc?”

Another elf came into view, nodding to you as she took the reins from your hands. 

“Thank you,” you smiled at her.

Later, you walked into the courtyard, bowing to your grandparents standing on the stairs above. 

“Y/N, my daughter’s daughter. What brings you here?” Galadriel smiled at you, descending the stairs with her husband to greet you, each clasping your wrist. 

“To see you, of course, and seek news of the Fellowship that I assume has passed through here.” 

Your grandmother smiled. “It seems you are in luck, for they are here as we speak.”

Your eyes widened. “But they should have been long gone by now. I wonder what has caused the delay?”

Celeborn’s face softened. “Then you do not know.”

“Know what?” You were beginning to grow quite worried. “What has happened?”

“They could not make it through the pass of Caradhras, so they turned and went through Moria, costing them the life of Mithrandir.”

You gasped, heart aching at the grief that must have caused them and the grief you now felt. 

“May I see them?” All you wanted now was to see your friends and the man you loved.

“Of course.” Galadriel beckoned you to follow her, and you did, softly conversing with your grandmother and updating her on the lives of her family in Imladris, as well as others she knew.

Stepping into the clearing, you turned to thank Galadriel, watching her fade from view behind you for a moment before continuing. 

There he was. Tall and handsome still, even grimy with dirt and dust from his travels. You debated casually walking up and greeting him more sedately, but watching him you just couldn’t hold back. All your elvish instincts left you, and you sprinted towards him, leaping into his shocked arms as kissing him for all you were worth. He kissed you back for a moment, and then pulled away, the surprise on his face clear.

“Y/N! What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you.”

His eyes widened. “You did?”

You smiled at him. “Of course I did, meleth.”

He smiled back at you, and drew you in for another kiss, hands holding you up as your legs wrapped around his waist. Deepening the kiss, he moved so your back was pressed against a tree and his hands were free to slide up your back, tangling in your hair as you lost yourselves in each other.

Sometime later, you sat with the rest of the Fellowship after the nighttime meal, talking. It was good to see them again, you had grown fond of all of them, even the dwarf, during their time in Imladris. But of course, the only person you really had eyes for that night was Aragorn, who sat next to you with an arm around your shoulders. 

Legolas had seemed puzzled with how comfortable you were with affection, it was rather un elf-like. You had explained to him that because of your father’s past, he was slightly more affectionate than a normal elf, and showed it. You hadn’t missed the wistful look on Legolas’ face as you spoke and recalled what you knew of his family, feeling sorry for him. 

Later that night, you sat by the dying embers of the fire alongside Legolas. Aragorn had gone with the hobbits to wash up, and Boromir and Gimli were sleeping, so it was just you and the elf.

“Legolas?” The older elf looked at you. 

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, and you continued, “I was just wondering, do you know of something like an ache? It began right after the Fellowship departed Imladris, and only subsided when I arrived here. What does it mean?”

He smiled. “Y/N. That was the bond between your soul and Aragorn’s, pulled taught with your fear of losing him. Now that you are reunited, it has gone because you are together. It is every elf’s greatest dream and worst fear to have that feeling.”

You smiled. “Have you?”

The pain in his eyes told you that maybe that was not something to be asked of others.

“I am not sure if it is in my destiny to ever feel that.” He gazed into the distance.

The two of you sat in easy silence for a long time, after that. 

“Y/N.” You turned to see Aragorn beckoning to you, and with a nod to Legolas, you rose.

“You do not have to come with us. It will be a journey of great peril, and I do not want to put you in that much danger.”

You gazed at him earnestly, “Aragorn. I shall be there when the crown is finally placed on your head. I shall be with you until the end.”

He smiled at you again and clasped your hand as you walked through the towering trees.

You had left Lothlorien the day after with the Fellowship, having officially joined up. Lots had happened after that, including almost dying with most of Middle-Earth, but months later, all was finally well. Frodo and Sam had destroyed the ring in Mordor, the forces of Mordor had collapsed along with the Black Gate, and today was the coronation of King Elessar, also known as Aragorn. 

You watched, standing next to Gimli on the dais, as Gandalf lowered the crown onto Aragorn’s head.

“Now come the days of the King!” Gandalf declared before Aragorn turned to face his kingdom. Everyone cheered as he stood there, silencing quickly as he spoke. His words were wise and sincere, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. As petals began to fall, he started singing, the words quickly fading as he turned to you. 

You walked down to meet him at the bottom of the steps, gown trailing behind you. Once you reached him, he grabbed your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist as he dipped you into a spectacular kiss. Unlike the one you had shared in Imladris, this was not a kiss of sadness. This was a kiss of hope, peace, and promise. As the cheers rose around you again you knew that everything you had hoped for had come true.

Everything tag: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16

[anghraine]

I know Aragorn/Faramir is a pretty niche pairing and f!Aragorn/f!Faramir is even more niche, but I’ve been thinking of the Aranorverse again and having feelings about ... Elrond?

I’ve mentioned it before, but one of the Northern Dúnedain’s main points of pride is that they’ve managed to preserve the direct line of the heirs of Isildur from father to son. With help from Elrond, this has continued for an incredibly long period of time: from Arvedui’s disappearance to, in this verse, the death of Arathorn.

He leaves a child, of course—a girl. Arathorn dying before having a son after all those years and generations would be a monumentally big deal. Aranor is far too young to have a husband to claim leadership through her, as her ancestor Arvedui did, so IMO the probability is that the chieftainship would pass to the nearest man in the male line from Isildur.

...if not for Elrond. The background story behind Aranor the eventual queen is that Elrond acknowledged little toddler Aranor as heir of Isildur. He took her into his household as Estel alongside Gilraen, giving Aranor a proper Elvish-Númenórean education and working to prepare her for the trials to come. The line about how Elrond loves Aragorn as much as he does Elladan and Elrohir is equally true of Aranor. He does love her dearly, and he gives her the tokens of her house and directs her to a great destiny, and ultimately comes to Minas Tirith to see Aranor enthroned as Queen of Gondor before finally leaving Middle-earth.

At the end of the day, honestly, a lot of people are going to owe an awful lot to the moment when Elrond considered thousands of years of patriarchy vs one two-year-old girl, and chose the girl.

[rejjiashowarchive]

Before I had my own solo radio show (The Rejjia Show), I had a collaboration radio show with my friend, Alexis Kline (Lexi). We did music of the Oldies genre. When we had our very last show together, we threw a party and this was the playlist. It’s literally a little over 100 songs. Yes, play them in order please!

1, Just a Friend - Biz Markie

2. It Wasn’t Me - Shaggy ft. Rik Rok

3. Smack That - Akon

4. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

5. Party Up - DMX

6. Let Me Blow Your Mind - Eve, Gwen Stefani

7. Don’t Cha - The Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes

8. Jump by Kris Kross

9. Gold Digger - Kanye West ft. Jamie Fox

10. Jump Around - House of Pain

11. O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature

12. Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill

13. Mary Jane - Rick James

14. Intergalactic - Beastie Boys

15. Work It - Missy Elliott

16. Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe

17. Get ur Freak On - Missy Elliott

18. Lip Gloss - Lil Mama

19. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock

20. Crank That - Soulja Boy

21. Fergalicious - Fergie ft will.i.am

22. Pony - Ginuwine

23. Lean Back - Terror Squad ft. Remy

24. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani 

25. Caught Up - Usher

25. Fantasy - Mariah Carey ft. O.D.B.

26. Touch It - Busta Rhymes 

26. Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See - Busta Rhymes

27. Doin’ It - LL Cool J

28. Still Not A Player - Big Pun ft. Joe

29. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground

30. This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan

31. Get Low - Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz

32. It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube

33. My Name Is - Eminem 

34. Foolish - Ashanti

35. Be Faithful - Fat Man Scoop

36. Drop It Like It’s Hot - Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams

37. The Real Slim Shady - Eminem 

38. Milkshake - Kelis 

39. Dilemma - Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland 

40. Hot In Herre - Nelly 

41. Run It! - Chris Brown ft Juelz Santana

42. Never Leave You - Lumidee

43. Tambourine - Eve

44. Move Bitch - Disturbing Tha Peace, Ludacris, Mystikal, I-20

45.  Let Me Clear My Throat (Live) - DJ Kool, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, 

46. The Way I Are - Timberland ft. Keri Hilson

47. Kiss Kiss - Chris Brown ft. T-Pain

48. My Prerogative - Bobby Brown 

49. Carry Out - Timberland ft. Justin Timberlake 

50. Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake 

51. Ruff Ryders’ Anthem - DMX

52. Mrs. Officer - Lil Wayne ft. Bobby V. & Kidd Kidd

53. Love, Sex Magic - Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake 

54. Rude Boy - Rihanna 

55. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas

56. Just A Friend - Mario

57. SexyBack - Justin Timberlake 

58. I Get Around - 2Pac, Digital Underground

59. One, Two Step - Ciara ft. Missy Elliott

60. Buy You A Drank - T-Pain ft. Yung Joc

61. Glamorous - Fergie ft. Ludacris

62. Umbrella - Rihanna ft. JAY-Z

*63. E.T. - Katy Perry ft. Kanye West 

64. My Humps - Black Eyed Peas

65. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

66. Just Lose It - Eminem 

67. Beautiful - Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams 

68. Roses - Outkast

69. So Fresh, So Clean - Outkast

70. Stand Up - Ludacris ft. Shawnna

71. Pass The Courvoisier Part II - Busta Rhymes ft. Diddy and Pharrell Williams

72. I’m a Slave 4 U - Brittany Spears 

73. Temperature - Sean Paul 

74. London Bridge - Fergie 

75. In Da Club - 50 Cent 

76. Get Busy - Sean Paul

77. Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado ft. Timberland 

78. Naughty Girl - Beyonce 

79. Don’t Phunk With My Heart - Black Eyed Peas

80. Lose My Breath - Destiny’s Child

81. Lose Control - Missy Elliott ft. Ciara and Fat Man Scoop

82. Closer - Ne-Yo

83. Murder She Wrote - Chaka Demus & The Pliers ft. Sly & Robbie

84. Yeah! - Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris

85. Get Back - Ludacris

86. Candy Shop - 50 Cent ft. Olivia

87. American Boy - Estelle ft. Kanye West

88. Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani ft. Eve

89. Hey Ya! - Outkast

90. Always On Time - Ja Rule ft. Ashanti

91. My Boo - Usher ft. Alicia Keys

92. P.I.M.P. - 50 Cent

93. Shortie Like Mine - Bow Wow ft. Chris Brown and Johnta Austin

94. I’m Real (Murder Remix)- Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule

95. Get Right - Jennifer Lopez ft. Fabolous 

96. Gin and Juice - Snoop Dogg ft. Daz Dillinger 

97. Stuntin’ Is A Habit - David Banner, Jim Jones, Yung Joc, Chris Brown

98. Upgrade U - Beyonce ft. JAY-Z

99. Goodies - Ciara ft. Petey Pablo

100. Salt Shaker - Ying Yang Twins ft. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz

101. Hypnotize - The Notorious B.I.G.

102. Big Poppa - The Notorious B.I.G.

103. Mo Money Mo Problems - The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Puff Daddy and Mase

104. Whatever You Like - T.I.

105. Get Money - The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Junior M.A.F.I.A.

*definitely an odd one out 

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 16: Enemy of my Enemy (originally published on May 3, 2021)

AN: At long last, Black Rutile strikes! I have been anticipating writing this inevitable confrontation between her and the Crystal Gems for ages, and now finally everything I've building up to these past two parts will come together in a neat little package! We got a big battle, a villain song, fusions, who could ask for more?! But I'm getting ahead of myself, let us finally begin.

Synopsis: Jasper is unofficially sworn into the Crystal Gems when some old foes come together.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Grace Rolek as Connie

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Zuli, Mean Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Matthew Moy as Lars, Dante

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Biggs Jasper

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Ian Jones-Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Martha Higerada as Topaz

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion, George, Elaine, Cosma

AJ Michalka as Stevonnie

Nancy Linari as Martha

Featuring Catherine Tate as Lepidolite

Alan Oppenheimer as Professor Poindexter

And Burt Ward as Mangolin

--

It has been a hectic past few hours for Steven. He was having another nice day when suddenly, Hessonite, Squaridot, and the Off-Colors all came flying out of Lion's mane, telling him that Lars needs to see him just as the Destiny Destroyer crash-landed on the beach.

Not too long after, Lars was rushed to the hospital and Steven decided to follow him in the ambulance. Steven had never been to a hospital before, so it was a little frightening for him to be somewhere on Earth that he had never been before, especially since many humans go there regularly.

"Hello, did you admit any patients into this place recently?" Steven hurriedly asked the receptionist.

"Name please." the college-aged receptionist answered, barely glancing up from her phone to meet Steven's panicking eyes.

"Steven Universe!" Steven gave his name.

"You're going to have to be more specific Mr. Universe." the receptionist stated.

"He's got pink skin, a scar over one eye and his hair is a portal to a pocket dimension where there's like a couple of trees inside." Steven explained. The woman just stared at Steven in confusion for a bit before going back to her phone. "Anything the matter, miss?"

"I'm happy you said all of that with a straight face." the receptionist said, putting down her phone to go on the computer. "One sec Universe." She looked up the most recent patients on the monitor and turned it to show Steven his desired patient. "Are you looking for Mr. Laramie Barriga?"

"Yes, that's him!" Steven exclaimed. "I was there when he got taken away in that ambulance! Where is he now?"

"Room 723." the receptionist answered. "Take the elevator, make a left and then a right. Got that?"

Before the woman could turn back, Steven had already vanished to find Lars. "Kids." she grumbled.

As Steven raced through the hospital in search of his undead friend, numerous unfamiliar sights greeted him. A doctor's office contained a child receiving a flu shot, a man in a wheelchair let Steven pass him by, a woman was on her way to an operating room, and a doctor solemnly fixed an empty hospital bed while a family was mourning.

Finally, Steven reached Room 723 just as a nurse was passing by the room. "Hello, I'm a friend of the patient occupying this room, and the Off-Colors told me what happened. Can I please come in and visit him?"

"You may." The nurse replied and opened the door for Steven. "Doctor Laurie, our patient has one more visitor." She said to the doctor standing by a bedridden Lars along with his parents, Sadie and Shep. "He said a bunch of "Off-Colors" told him everything."

"I'm here Lars!" Steven exclaimed as he rushed into the hospital room to be by Lars's side. "Hessonite and the Off-Colors told me what happened after they came flying out of Lion's mane!"

"Steven, finally!" Lars cried happily as he grabbed Steven's shoulders. "Listen, I need to warn you! You and the entire planet are doomed!"

--

A little while later, Lars was given a clean bill of health and was allowed to go home by ambulance. He sat on one side of the ambulance with his parents while Steven sat on the other end, and Lars continued to reveal what happened on Homeworld.

"What I'm trying to say Steven is that there's this Gem who's been inspiring others to rebel against you and Era 3!" Lars explained. "She's gathered up tons of your old enemies so they can get revenge too, and they're coming for Earth!"

"Lars, I understand your concern," Steven calmly stated. "but you're getting a little wound up over nothing. Almost everyone loves what I've done to the Gem race. There's nothing bigger going on, outside of Aquamarine being annoying."

"Seriously, you don't believe me?" Lars flatly asked in disbelief. "Well, do you at least believe what Hessonite said?"

"I believe that you teamed up for a fun space adventure!" Steven answered before his phone started ringing. "Whoops, got a call from Garnet." he said before answering the call. "Hello?"

"Steven, you need to come to Little Homeworld quick!" Garnet urged Steven from the other end. "Rogue Gems are on the attack, and they want us dead! Me, Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis, Peridot and Bismuth have already helped evacuate everyone, but we still need you to save the day again!"

"I'll be right there!" Steven bravely declared before hanging up and turning to the driver. "Sir, I need you to take us to Little Homeworld!"

"It's an emergency!" Lars added while showing him a picture of the Gem village.

"I don't see why not." the driver replied as he made a detour to Little Homeworld.

"You sure about this Lars?" Dante asked his son. "I mean, you just survived falling from space, I don't think we can handle you risking your life again so soon!"

"I promise you guys, I'll be back home when this is all over and I'm back in space." Lars assured his parents and hugged them.

"Be safe Laramie." Nancy said. "But then again, you got Steven to help out."

"Yeah, he's got me alright." Steven assured Mr. and Mrs. Barriga.

"Okay kid, we're here." the ambulance driver declared as the vehicle came close to Little Homeworld. "This is probably the first time I've escorted someone to stop an alien invasion."

"Here's good, thanks, sir." Steven said before the two boys bust the ambulance doors open and raced off to Little Homeworld.

--

What the pair discovered when they finally reached Little Homeworld was utter chaos. Almost everything was in ruins, smoke billowed everywhere, Light Warriors, Cluster Gems & Cactus Stevens were pillaging & demolishing, and at the center of it all was Aquamarine and Eyeball.

"Steven Universe, what a most pleasant surprise." Aquamarine purred as she turned to face Steven and Lars, batting her wand in her hand. "And look you've even brought Lars as well."

"Aquamarine, Eyeball." Steven laughed nervously while looking at the chaos behind the pair. "Did you, uh, maybe come to reconsider?"

"Reconsider, my facet!" Eyeball yelled before her fusion partner stopped her.

"But we did come with a few new friends." Aquamarine answered smugly.

"Well, that's certainly a start." Steven grinned before a massive hand made of water grabbed him and its creator brought him up to face her. "Hey, you're one of those Lapises! What brings you to Earth?"

"Sorry kid, I'm one of those new friends." Lapis 1J9G announced before dropping Steven to the ground and folding her arms as she landed right next to Aquamarine. "And we're afraid not even half-listening to you will work this time."

"See Steven, this is what I was trying to talk to you about!" Lars exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the three Gems. "A bunch of Gems want to get back at you! Though I thought there'd be more."

"I believe he's referring to me." Emerald bragged as she stepped forward with a panicking George in her hand.

"George!" Steven shouted. "And you, I know you! You're uh," He began getting off track as he only ever saw Emerald through a video screen. "Sorry, I've only met you that one time and now I've kinda forgotten-"

"IT'S EMERALD!" Emerald shrieked furiously. "How could you forget about me after Era 3 made the Diamonds let Lars off with a slap on the wrist for stealing my Sun Incinerator?!"

"Oh, calm yourself Emerald." Pyrope calmed the elite Gem down as she held aloft one of George's sisters, who was in full panic mode and pulling on her pigtails.

"Indeed," Demantoid added, also holding one of George's sisters in her enhanced arm. "You wouldn't want to make yourself less presentable for our victims."

Just then, the six Gems moved aside and kneeled to their leader, whose very appearance completely rocked Steven's world. Black Rutile walked towards Steven with a bowie knife to a rose while White Topaz followed her. When she cut the rose's head, Black Rutile finally faced Steven with an evil smile.

"I know you, you're that reporter!" Steven exclaimed. "Why are you hanging with these guys?!"

"I'm hanging with them?" Black Rutile scoffed at Steven. "I believe you're mistaken; THEY'RE hanging with ME!" She then threw away the rose's stem and steepled her fingers together. "Anyways, do you have any last words?"

"This is not good at all certainly fits." Steven declared nervously before the eight Gems slowly began marching towards the boy, eager to finally get their revenge.

However, their plans were quickly cut off before they could be put into action as Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl swooped into saved Steven and Lars from the rogue Gems.

"We trusted you, you psycho!" Pearl roared while her spear clashed with Black Rutile's knife.

"And everyone was dumb enough to trust you." Black Rutile replied snarkily. "So as you humans say, hello pot, meet kettle."

"Seriously, what makes you think we're worse than you are?" Amethyst asked.

"Something about how your ways will make the Gem race a bunch of puny hippies or whatever." White Topaz answered. "No hard feelings when we destroy you and everything you worked so hard for?"

"What did I tell you about getting friendly with the enemy?" Black Rutile hissed at her Topaz bodyguard before turning back to the Crystal Gems. "Now, let me repeat myself. Any last words?"

"My future vision tells me you will fail." Garnet declared defiantly. "And we will find a way to make that future happen."

"Such noble sentiments from a couple of Gems who are gonna die!" Black Rutile replied as her knife turned into a sword that she prepared to slash the Gems with until a loud rumbling sound was heard. "What was that?"

"Need a hand?" Peridot asked as she, Lapis, and Bismuth appeared on a makeshift flying machine made out of scrap metal that she controlled with her ferrokinesis.

"So that's where you ran off to!" Pearl exclaimed while Bismuth picked her up by the hand to toss onto the metal pad.

"No time to talk, we have to move!" Lapis exclaimed, picking everyone else up with her water powers. When everyone was on board, the pad zoomed off.

"Uh, why aren't we stopping them?!" Lapis 1J9G exclaimed before preparing to fly off when Black Rutile stopped her.

"Let them run." Black Rutile smiled deviously. "I want to see how they can lie their ways out of this situation. But in the meantime, I have another idea."

--

Before the Crystal Gems knew it, they finally returned to the beach house where Hessonite, Squaridot, and the Off-Colors awaited their return.

"I still can't believe it!" Steven gasped in denial of their current situation. "I get that not everyone would like what I've done with Homeworld, but I don't think I'd make them angry enough to want to kill me!"

"I tried to warn you, Steven." Lars declared sassily. "But you just didn't listen! Probably because you're so in denial of wanting to accept that not everything will go your way."

"Lars, this is no time for backtalk, Earth could be in danger!" Pearl scolded the pink-skinned human as the group walked into the house to think of a plan. "That Rutile seems to have thought of everything! I mean, she's a Rutile for crying out loud, they barely held any power in Homeworld!" However, Pearl then turned to the Rutile twins standing right next to her. "Uh, no offense you two."

"None taken." The twins replied.

"Still, she's got quite an army at her side." Lapis said. "She's got one of those Lapises I fought on Aozul 2, she's got Aquamarine, Eyeball, Pyrope & Demantoid, an Emerald, and that's not even accounting for the minions they got!"

"But what does Black Rutile want with us?" Peridot and Squaridot asked in unknowing unison.

"According to her Topaz, it must be something to do with that Steven did to the Gem race." Bismuth analyzed. "But who knows what she'll do next?"

"I know." Garnet declared. "I've looked through dozens of possible timelines trying to uncover Black Rutile's true plans. This is what I feel could be the worst possible one."

"What does it look like?" Steven asked before Garnet kissed him on the head, temporarily bestowing Steven with her future vision and a glimpse at what could be to come.

--

It took centuries of careful planning but at long last, Black Rutile had finally won. Once the Crystal Gems were finally destroyed and she indoctrinated the Gems they had enslaved to her noble cause, she then reawakened the Cluster that was slumbering within the Earth's crust, ultimately finishing what the Diamonds were too cowardly to do and destroying that annoying little planet once and for all.

Within mere weeks, the Diamonds met their demise, and Black Rutile installed herself as the new ruler of all Gemkind. And with the beginnings of her dictatorship came the Gems reverting to their old ways during Era 4. The caste system was reinstated but also reinvented at the same time. Now, it was Black Rutile above everyone else.

As countless Gems were tormented into building a grand statue to their magnanimous leader, a lone Pearl solemnly marched through the throngs of enslaved Gems under the orders of Emerald, until she was brought before Black Rutile, who was sitting on a throne as black as her body & her heart while the shattered remains of all who opposed her hanged above her in one big bubble.

"My Rutile, I come with the most glorious of tidings." Emerald decreed as she shoved Volleyball forward. "We have succeeded in terminating the resistance, but I feel you'd find particular interest in shattering their leader yourself."

"Ah yes, Pink Diamond's little Pearl." Black Rutile snickered as she descended from her throne to meet Volleyball. "Who would've guessed a submissive little slave would try to start a revolution? Well, anything to say?"

Volleyball, however, was too terrified to speak, having just witnessed her fellow rebels being shattered before her eye and now faced with the thought of being destroyed herself.

"What's that? No grand speech about how hope will live on or that there will be others like you that will rise against me?" Black Rutile asked rhetorically. "Oh please, I've destroyed every last threat to my power on both this planet and the Asteroid Field Formerly Known as Earth." She declared, gesturing towards the shard-filled bubble floating over her throne. "What's another pile of shards to add to the collection?"

With that, Black Rutile extracted her bowie knife from her gem and used it to jab Volleyball in hers, ending her life within mere seconds.

"So ends the legacy of Pink Diamond." Black Rutile purred as she collected the Pearl's shards in a bubble. "A real shame. She had so much potential and wasted it on being a total brat and threatening her own kind."

She then returned to her throne, where she lifted the bubble towards the bigger bubble, and the two merged. Now Volleyball's remains joined the tons of Gems that Black Rutile had heartlessly shattered. Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot, Lapis, Bismuth, Hessonite, Citrine, Spinel, the Diamonds, all nothing more than shards. But her proudest achievement was the small gathering of pink dust that was once Steven Universe.

--

Returning to the present day, Steven was left utterly aghast at this possible future, but it made his resolve to stop Black Rutile even stronger. "We have to keep this future from happening!" he declared. "All we need to do is gather up an army of our own!"

"I'll call Connie and see if she's free to save the world again today." Pearl stated as she picked up her phone and started dialing.

"Which Gems do you want me to recruit out of everyone we evacuated?" Garnet asked.

"I don't know, just pick anyone!" Steven exclaimed.

"That's the Steven we know and love!" Amethyst replied, cheerfully giving Steven a noogie when she came to a realization. "Hey wait, if Black Rutile is gathering up Gems that have a beef with us, then what would you think if she tried recruiting Jasper?"

"Y'know, Jasper did say she was eager to fight again." Steven agreed with the little Quartz. "Maybe we should try and get to her first."

"I'm not sure Steven." Pearl said as she got off the phone with Connie. "Besides, I don't think Jasper would ever want to side with us."

"Black Rutile has gathered as much information as possible on all of us, and Jasper has likely been given the same treatment." Squaridot stated. "So it's just as likely that she'll try and ensnare Jasper to her side."

"We have to get to Jasper before Black Rutile does!" Steven hurriedly declared before turning to the Warp Pad behind him. "Gotta go, I'll be back soon!"

As Steven left for the forest via Warp Pad, the other Gems just gazed at the pad where he once stood.

"Good luck Steven." Pearl muttered before turning to Lion. "Go fetch Connie, okay?"

Lion nodded obediently and let out a roar, creating a portal that he leaped through to get to Connie.

--

Meanwhile, deep within the woods of Beach City, Jasper had been watching all that was going on in Little Homeworld from on top of her cave. As she watched smoke billow from afar, she couldn't help but feel that Steven brought this upon himself for enforcing peace for all Gems.

"He could've just ended colonization and leave it at that, but no!" Jasper muttered to herself while leaping down to the entrance of her cave. "He had to make them all into peace-loving weaklings!"

"Couldn't agree more." Jasper heard a familiar voice concur with her opinion. When the orange Gem turned around, she discovered Black Rutile leaning on a nearby tree with Aquamarine standing on a branch above her. "Jasper, correct? I don't think we got properly introduced to each other."

"If you're here for another interview, then forget it!" Jasper bellowed at Black Rutile before bringing her attention to Aquamarine. "And I see you got that little brat with you too."

"You are indeed correct Jasper." Aquamarine declared. "In fact, I'm not the only one who she recruited because of how dissatisfied I am with Era 3. Many Gems have been rallied by my master here to rebel against Steven's oppression and create a utopia."

"Are you sure about that?" Jasper asked with an eyebrow raised. "Sounds to me like you're starting some kind of cult?"

"A cult?! Stuff and nonsense!" Black Rutile assured the quartz. "We are simply fighting for our rights! Would you like to join us?"

"Jasper, don't!" Steven exclaimed as he rushed to the cave, where he saw Jasper standing with Black Rutile. "Please, you have to listen, Black Rutile is not to be trusted!"

"Don't you dare listen to him!" Black Rutile insisted. "He's the son of Pink Diamond, and it's both their faults you went from mighty Gem warrior to a lonely shell of your former self! Don't you see, you could finally get your revenge on Pink!"

"Revenge on my Diamond?" Jasper growled. "Fat chance! Why would I ally with some low-ranking Rutile just because she hates Pink like almost every Gem on this planet?! I'd rather be a peace-loving weakling than one of your lackeys!"

"Low-ranking?!" Black Rutile argued. "I'll have you know Jasper, I was one of a kind among Gems of my type because I worked my hardest to receive White Diamond's highest honors and join the upper-class of her court! You're just a mere Jasper who probably didn't even know Pink in person for the selfish, bratty sociopath she w-"

Before the Rutile could finish, Jasper summoned her crash helmet and sent her flying out of the forest with a single headbutt. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, YOU ROTTEN QUARTZ!" Black Rutile cursed Jasper. "YOU JANKING CLOD!"

As Aquamarine chased after the flying Rutile, Jasper turned to Steven with a grumpy look in her eyes. In contrast, the starry-eyed Steven squealed excitedly while staring at Jasper. "Quit looking at me like that." Jasper snarled. "Let me guess, you want to recruit me too?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Steven declared eagerly.

--

"Yes indeed, my Ministry of Maliciousness shall soon destroy the United Defenders of the World and conquer the world at last!" a weirdly animated mad scientist with three circles arranged in a triangle decorating his bald head declared as he gestured to his fellow supervillains. Amethyst was watching this happen on television with some of the other Gems in Steven's room.

"Apex Predator!" A muscular man decorated in animal skins fired his highly advanced hunting rifle at nothing in particular.

"Electric Ellen!" A young woman in a black suit with lightning bolt patterns demonstrated her powers for the other villains.

"Automato!" A bronze robot with green optics simply stood by his seat at the table of criminals, his soulless eyes unblinking.

"Scare Master!" A large man in a monster costume that continuously leaked hallucinogenic gas and wearing a yellow ring let out a ghoulish laugh.

"The Unidentified Felonious Extraterrestial!" A cybernetic insectoid alien made a shrieking noise, exposing the smaller head in its mouth.

"And of course, your illustrious leader!" the scientist introduced himself. "The world's greatest criminal mind, Professor Poindexter, Ph.D.!"

"Uh, why are we watching this show?" Zuli asked Amethyst while she sat next to Lapis.

"This is what our current sitch reminds me of!" Amethyst explained. "Mangolin's archenemy Professor Poindexter gathers up each of the United Defenders of the Globe's enemies to form, like, a team of supervillains!"

"Why is the animation so lazy?" Peridot wondered as she leaned on Biggs Jasper.

"It was the 70s, limited budget." Amethyst said. "Ooh wait, here comes Mangolin!"

The cartoon then changed scenes from the Ministry of Maliciousness to the United Defenders of the World, which included Mangolin, Uber-Chap, Battle Goddess, Pyro-Nado, Shamrock Cavalier, Gizmo-Chick, and Vincent the Visitor.

"Termite terrors, Defenders!" the pangolin-themed hero Mangolin exclaimed. "Our foe Professor Poindexter has assembled our enemies to destroy us once and for all! We must do something!"

"They just explained that to us!" Nephrite said. "What, do they think the viewers are stupid or something?"

Just then, the group of Gems heard the Warp Pad go off, signaling that Steven has finally returned.

"Hey, Steven's back!" Teal Zircon exclaimed before racing down the stairs to see her half-human friend again, and this time she was in for a surprise. "Hey Jasper, remember me? Your new best friend?"

"I regret this decision already." Jasper cringed at having to ally with Teal as the other Gems came back downstairs. "Oh look, a whole menagerie of useless clods! Why even bring them all together when I can just take Black Rutile's forces on myself?"

"Jasper, no need to brag about your strength." Lapis said to the more muscular Gem. "This is serious, the whole planet is at stake here!"

"And I should care because?" Jasper snarled in disagreement.

"Um, this is your Diamond's planet?" an exasperated Pearl replied. "Surely you wouldn't want anyone to touch what Pink owned, right?"

"I suggest you don't talk that way to a Gem like her." Rhodonite said to Pearl. "She looks like she could go wild on us at any moment."

"Just calm down everyone." Fluorite advised calmly. "I know we're all stressed because of our current situation, but let's not start arguing."

"And who are all of these?" Jasper asked as she gestured to the Off-Colors, Hessonite & Squaridot, Zuli, Snowflake Obsidian, Little Larimar, Nephrite, Topaz, and Biggs Jasper. "I suppose they're all from that stupid school of yours?"

"Well, most of them are." Steven pointed out. "And maybe when this is all over, you could finally give Little Homeschool a chan-"

"Pass." Jasper coldly declared. "Shouldn't we be getting ready to fight right now?"

"Jasper's right." Bismuth agreed. "We're all in this together, for Earth."

And right on cue, Lion finally returned with Connie on his back, her sword at the ready. "How convenient that I finished most of my work in time for another chance at saving the world!" Connie stated as she dismounted from Lion and hugged Steven. "So, who are we fighting?"

"Come with us to Little Homeworld, I'll show you." Steven answered before he began to walk towards the Warp Pad. "Gems, let's get a move on."

And so, the Crystal Gems and all their assorted allies marched towards the Warp Pad, ready to take back Little Homeworld from Black Rutile's rebels and defend the planet once more. When Steven spread out his arms, off they all went in a beam of light.

--

"Ugh, I'm so bored!" Eyeball complained, pacing around while the rest of the alliance mindlessly caused more damage to Little Homeworld out of complete boredom. "I suppose they finally realized they were stupid to stop us and skipped Earth without telling?"

"Patience Ruby." Aquamarine advised her fusion partner. "They should be coming soon."

"What makes you so sure?" White Topaz asked Aquamarine as she revealed her weapon, a pair of brass knuckles.

"Steven came running for Jasper thinking she can join his side." The little blue Gem answered. "What an idiot, am I right?!"

Suddenly, Aquamarine was in for a scare as Little Homeworld's Warp Pad activated from right behind her, and on it were the Crystal Gems.

"Okay Black Rutile, we're here." Steven declared with Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Connie, Lion, Peridot, Lapis, Bismuth, Jasper, Hessonite, Squaridot, Lars, the Off-Colors, TZ, Zuli, Topaz, Snowflake, Larimar, Biggs, and Nephrite behind him. "All of us!"

"Oh, you finally showed up! Good timing." Black Rutile sarcastically applauded her foes. "And I see you got a little rag-tag bunch of over-eager losers by your side too."

"Hey 2F8D, so this is what you've been up to." 1J9G cattily greeted her ex-partner. "Being a pacifist baby and letting yourself be Steven's slave."

"I'm not a slave, neither to him or you!" Zuli yelled at 1J9G. "I came to Little Homeworld not just to learn how to appreciate Earth, but to learn how to make actual friends! Not be submissive to overly-controlling jerks!"

"I thought I could trust you Aquamarine!" Topaz went next. "I thought you changed by meeting that Ruby and fusing with her, but now I see you'll always be the same little monster you always are!"

"Oh stop Topaz, you're too kind!" Aquamarine said to her former Topaz.

"Crystal Gems, assemble!" Garnet bravely pointed forward to prepare for one last attack, but Steven stopped her.

"Wait!" Steven exclaimed. "Before we all get into one big fight, I want to know. Why do you hate me in particular? Outside of Era 3, I mean."

"You really want to know?" Black Rutile replied. "Well, allow me to put this in the only way you'll probably understand." She turned to White Topaz while fetching some kind of device from her gem. "Music please."

White Topaz turned the device on and music began to play, cuing Black Rutile to start a song. "When one era ends, another begins. It's such a big change for all us Gems." She sang. "But some aren't new fans of the old ways, and prefer to look back on the old days. But I on the other hand got a chance, to make this the Crystal Gems' last dance. And now I pray through endless days, to finally get rid of you."

"Is she singing?" Lars gasped at the musical number that just began as drum music kicked in. "Did she have a machine made for that purpose?"

"When I first emerged for my Diamond, White the master tactician!" Black Rutile began telling her origins through holograms on her visor, showing a just-emerged Rutile in a Kindergarten standing before White Diamond. "She revealed to me in secret signs, the markings of a great Gem! And she was indeed no clod, could reduce entire armies to sod! And all the fools that dared cross her, she'd just shrug and then shatter!"

"I studied well, got my tools of the trade, always got nothing but an A-grade!" After Black Rutile did away with the hologram showing her emergence, she started revealing the hard work she did to gain her high status among White Diamond's subjects. "But then he walked in and called himself Pinky, soon everyone got down to one knee." A stylized version of Steven's first arrival on Homeworld came next, and the stylized Black Rutile wasn't very pleased. "What never died was my ambition, and my keen intuition. Both of them gave me a complex, and made me want to rule the universe."

As the song went on, Steven began learning more about the consequences of his actions and how much Black Rutile truly despised him. "Every glimmer from your smile makes me want to puke!" his new foe complained. "Who to slay, who's the one, who's to doom? You know the only one would be my new archenemy, Steven U!"

With that, the chorus soon began with Black Rutile's minions joining in, sans White Topaz. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos!" the seven Gems sang in harmony. "Wither the rose! Only highs, no lows! In a world of chaos!"

"Is this the time for a song?" Connie asked. "Why don't we just attack them while they're singing?"

"Black Rutile is going to put on an admittedly wonderful song!" Padparadscha exclaimed.

"Ha!" Black Rutile laughed as the musical break reaches its end before turning to her Cluster Gems, cyborg Cactus Stevens and Light Warriors. "Come on minions, hurry along, this little school will soon be gone!" she commanded them before hugging herself in excitement. "I could squeeze myself with glee! Next the Diamonds and then this galaxy! I would really stop at nothing, shattering, treachery and lies! Whatever it takes to reign supreme, you really can't blame me for trying."

The tune soon began to reach its climax. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos! Wither the rose! Don't you doze!"

"We shall restore Homeworld's true order!" Aquamarine soon joined in.

"Vengeance will soon finally be ours!" Eyeball added sadistically.

"Saying sorry just won't cut it!" Emerald chorused.

"Dismantling the new superpowers!" Lapis 1J9G stated.

"Armies rampaging across the stars!" Demantoid declared.

"Covered in so many scars!" Pyrope boomed.

"Nothing but eternal war," Black Rutile concluded. "Join us as we make our own colony!"

"Genocide, slaughtering, jingoism, in enemy blood we shall wade!” The seven Gems announced. "Homeworld Gems come celebrate, as we make this bratty starlight fade!"

The song finally ended and the alliance of hatred took a bow before Black Rutile changed her knife into a broadsword with a massive blade and a tiny handle. "Now that we explained everything," she stated before pointing her sword forward. "CHARGE!"

The two sides finally clashed at Little Homeworld for the fate of Earth. Lapis & Zuli took to the skies against 1J9G, Pyrope & Demantoid led an unwilling Light Army, Emerald sped forth to personally confront Lars, and Black Rutile, White Topaz, Aquamarine & Eyeball personally confronted Steven, Garnet, Amethyst & Pearl.

"Fire!" Demantoid commanded some Light Warriors bearing laser cannons to shoot at Teal Zircon & Nephrite, but Jasper and Topaz were there to shield her from the blasts. "You!"

"You saved me!" TZ exclaimed. "Guess you really do think of me as your best friend, dontcha Jasp?"

"No, I still find you one of the most annoying beings I've ever met." Jasper replied. "But still, better to side with someone as irritating as you."

"I thought we were all friends!" 1J9G exclaimed as she clashed her water with Lapis and Zuli's. "I only joined these guys just so I could get you back!"

"Why would we ever take you back?!" Lapis stated.

"When we ran into 3E8C after years, she showed me that she and Steven were the best of friends!" Zuli added. "Not an overly controlling jerk who refuses to let me have fun!"

"See what she means?!" 1J9G said. "He's brainwashed all of you!" The only response she got was a punch to the face from Zuli.

Down below, Lars and Connie sparred against Emerald. "Don't think Steven will be there to save you today!" Emerald taunted, snapping her fingers and revealing electric powers to fight with. "He'll just throw you away, just like how Pink always threw everything away!"

"Sheesh, sins of the mother much?" Lars dryly commented.

"Steven is nothing like that!" Connie argued. "If you knew him, you'd know he's the sweetest, most caring guy you could ever meet!"

"Oh blah blah blah, I get it, he's too pure for this universe and he must be protected at all costs!" Emerald said. "Black Rutile has shown me what he truly is like."

Finally, the Crystal Gems battled with Black Rutile and her three most loyal followers. Garnet went up against White Topaz, Amethyst vs Eyeball, Pearl vs Aquamarine, and finally Steven vs Black Rutile.

"Why are you doing this?!" Steven asked Black Rutile while in utter denial. "I brought peace to the galaxy, I ended the Diamonds' oppression!"

"And stripped all Gems of their livelihoods in the process." Black Rutile coldly replied as her sword clashed with Steven's shield. "Look around you kid, these Gems came to my side because they have no status, no allies, no power over others! And now, they come to Earth for retribution against you!"

"But this still isn't right!" Steven claimed. "I understand that some may not be comfortable with what I've done, but that doesn't excuse you for all this."

"Kinda like how you excused the Diamonds for all they did just because they were sad, or something stupid like that." Black Rutile insulted.

"That's because they were!" Steven exclaimed. "They were in mourning!"

"Mourning the so-called death of an annoying brat I had the displeasure of sharing a planet with!" Black Rutile yelled as she began fighting in a way that resembled capoeira and gymnastics. "This all could've been avoided if you just put your enemies out of their misery, or at least punished them, rather than just excusing them with a stupid song and acting like everything was just water under the bridge!"

"You're thinking of retributive justice, where the offender did something wrong and the punishment is just as severe in exchange." Steven replied. "We Crystal Gems practice restorative justice, where we actually talk to the offenders and try to see how we can help them without using lethal force."

"Well, whatever you're talking about, you can call me a proud supporter of retributive justice." Black Rutile declared herself. "As in, me and my pals are seeking retribution against you and your posse for what you did to our society, and will do so by any means necessary. Because you think everything can just bend to your will if you just make everyone around you cry?! You really are no better than Pink!"

"Well, I'm trying to be better than my mom, both Pink Diamond, and Rose Quartz." Steven responded, blocking another attack from Black Rutile. "But I'm pretty sure they'd both find a sociopath like you beyond saving."

"Me, a sociopath?! You barely even know me!" Black Rutile yelled before bunting Steven's shield away when he tried to throw it. "Well, you're certainly right on me being a bit selfish, but look at you. I mean, you've made excuses for murderers, bigots, and toxic friends, yet anyone who's just doing what they're made to do is instantly made a pariah just because they don't like you and your dumb little sidekicks!"

Behind Black Rutile's back, however, her alliance was slowly beginning to fall apart, yet she didn't seem to care. Hessonite, Peridot, Biggs, and Squaridot hid behind a wall to avoid the Light Warriors' attacks.

"Got a plan, you guys?" Biggs asked the other three Gems.

"I have." Hessonite replied. "The Peridots shall distract them by taking control of Demantoid's limb enhancers while I swoop in and steal back the Light Prisms! Then perhaps we can turn the Light Army on them."

"I'll see what I can do." Peridot stated, but then Squaridot put a green hand on her shoulder.

"No, allow me." Squaridot stated before using her ferrokinetic powers to meddle with Demantoid's limb enhancers.

"No no, not again!" Demantoid yelled as she was dumped out of her mech, and the Light Prism she was holding hostage fell out with her only to be caught by Hessonite at rapid speed. "My Prism!"

"Demantoid you child, you could've just fought back instead of letting yourself get defeated!" Pyrope said, unaware that her Prism was stolen as well. "Wait, what?"

As Hessonite returned to Peridot and Squaridot with the Light Prisms in hand, the Light Warriors dropped their current activities and began to surround the three Gems peacefully. "Now that you know who's really in charge here," Hessonite bragged before she pointed at her fellow Garnets. "FIRE!"

"No, it can't be!" Pyrope squealed in utter defeat as the Light Warriors pointed their weapons at her and Demantoid.

"Hold me close Pyrope!" Demantoid added while hugging Pyrope in fear before the Light Warriors charged, attacking the pair and poofing them once and for all.

As for Emerald, she was now getting ganged up on by Lars, Connie, and the Off-Colors, who all took turns using Connie's sword against her. "You're all just humans and Off-Color Gems!" Emerald screamed as she desperately tried to fight back. "What makes you think you all can stop me?!"

"'Cause we're all more walk than talk!" Lars declared, once again using his musti-yuddha skills to knock Emerald to the ground. "Connie, care to do the honors?"

"With pleasure!" Connie replied, hopping up on Fluorite's head and jumping high into the air before zooming down with her sword pointed directly at Emerald.

"I hate you all." Emerald snarled bitterly before Connie poofed her, ending the threat she possessed to Lars and the Off-Colors.

High up in the air, the battle of the Lapides raged on with 1J9G using vapor from the clouds as makeshift weapons against her former friends.

"We could've stayed together if 3E8C hadn't been dropped on Earth like an idiot!" 1J9G yelled. "I just wanted us to stay friends!"

"Well, if you want to keep your friends," 3E8C stated, forming a massive water hand from a nearby cloud. "then you should act like a friend." The hand grabbed 1J9G and tossed her to the ground, creating a massive crater that caused a building to start falling over, and one piece of sharp rubble was aimed straight at 1J9G's gem.

"So this is it, huh?" 1J9G monologued to herself as death was mere moments away. "I feel like this is karma for being a horrible friend like they keep calling me. In that case, I'm sorry. Maybe somewhere else, we could've stayed together."

As 1J9G accepted her demise, the rubble was punched out of the way by a massive silhouette in the dust, and it settled to reveal Jasper as her savior.

"Get up you!" Jasper roared at the Lapis.

"But, we're on different sides!" 1J9G exclaimed. "Why did you save me?"

"It's what a certain someone would've done, but he's too busy at the moment." Jasper replied. "Plus, I know what it's like to be alone too."

"Oh look, that Jasper is becoming just like you!" Black Rutile yelled as she watched her alliance break up. "But then again, they set themselves up for this the moment I recruited them all, so what are you gonna do?"

"But still, we're fighting a losing battle!" White Topaz advised her Rutile. "What do we do now?"

"I think I know." Black Rutile smirked before snapping her fingers at one of her surviving allies. "Aquamarine, grab the boy and take him to the nearest mountain!"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Aquamarine purred before she grabbed Steven with her wand and began flying off, with Eyeball also in tow, and Black Rutile & White Topaz on a mini-hovercraft. "Oh, where will you be without your precious little abomination?!"

"Steven!" the Crystal Gems all yelled.

"Topaz, subdue the Lapises!" Black Rutile then commanded White Topaz, who gave a shaky nod before leaping up and grabbing Lapis & Zuli, followed by pinning them to the ground.

"Don't worry guys, I got this!" Connie said before mounting on Lion and riding off after Aquamarine.

"The only one who should defeat him is me." Jasper said as Connie fled, right before following the human. "Wait up girl!"

--

At the mountain, Steven was dropped by Aquamarine at the highest cliff, where Black Rutile stood by with a boulder next to her and White Topaz.

"What do you want now Black Rutile?" Steven asked as he got up to face the evil Rutile.

"Simple, toss you over the edge and throw a boulder to crush you to death, since you can fly apparently." Black Rutile declared. "I've been waiting for ages to destroy Pink Diamond, and you, my little friend, are just the thing to satisfy my vendetta."

"But why do you hate Pink so much?" Steven exclaimed. "Let me guess, she treated you like trash just like almost every other Gem I've faced?"

"No, she didn't treat me like trash!" Black Rutile answered. "She treated everyone around her like trash, yet the Diamonds almost always let her get away with everything! And here you are forcing Gems against their will to change their very way of living! Hey, at least you didn't fake your death to recklessly endanger the lives of others, because I'm going to endanger yours!"

Black Rutile then picked up Steven by his shirt collar and walked to the edge of the cliff, where she dangled him over such dangerously high heights. "You know what's ironic?" she smiled cheerfully before it turned to a hateful scowl. "You're able to get humans and Gems to get along, yet you're neither of them yourself."

With that, Black Rutile released her grip on Steven's shirt and he began falling from the cliff, followed shortly by White Topaz tossing a boulder that fell right above him. "NO HARD FEELINGS!" she yelled.

"So this is how I'll die, falling to my death off a cliff while a boulder is going to crush me." Steven realized as he fell to his doom. "Maybe Black Rutile's right. Maybe this is punishment for only thinking of myself all the time, and never taking others' feelings into account. Punishment for letting all these enemies run free instead of punishing them. Punishment for being an awful person in general."

However, just as Steven shut his eyes, accepted his demise, and did not even use any of his powers to escape, a voice cried out to him. "STEVEN!"

"Connie?" Steven exclaimed as she warped in via Lion's portal and reach out to him. "Don't worry, I'm with you till the end of the line! Just grab my hand!"

Steven gave a big smile, realizing that even with all his faults there were still people looking out for him, and took Connie's hand, causing the two to merge into a mass of light.

--

"Well, that should take care of him." Black Rutile declared, dusting off her hands and beginning to walk away. "Come along you three, let's go reawaken the Cluster and wipe this planet off the face of this universe for good."

"Uh, my Rutile?" White Topaz said while she, Aquamarine, and Eyeball gazed over the edge of the cliff to discover a pink light rapidly approaching them. "I think Steven is….not dead."

"Wait, seriously?!" Black Rutile yelled before Stevonnie leaped up the mountain and onto the cliff where the four enemy Gems stood. "You fused with a human?!"

"Bet you didn't see that coming!" Stevonnie declared as they swung their sword to try and poof Aquamarine, but she swiftly dodged and fused with Eyeball to form Bluebird Azurite.

"Of course I knew you can fuse with humans kid, it was in my data!" Black Rutile exclaimed before turning to White Topaz staring in amazement at the fusion. "Topaz, fuse with me!"

"Wait, we get to fuse too?!" White Topaz giddily exclaimed. "Eee, I can't wait, we've been practicing for so long!"

"Just shut up already." Black Rutile snarled before extending her hand. "Now, may I have this dance?"

"Gladly." White Topaz responded, taking her superior's hand before they began dancing the tango, their gems glowing as they danced until they formed into a giant light that resulted in a new, much larger fusion with four eyes & arms, spiky hair that went down to her back, a black-and-grey uniform and Black Rutile's white cape.

"BEHOLD FOOLISH LESSER BEINGS!" the new fusion bombastically declared. "THE GODLIKE SUPERIORITY OF THE MIGHTY LEPIDOLITE!"

"One fusion against two fusions." Stevonnie muttered. "Have to admit, those aren't very good odds."

"You bet." Jasper declared, zooming up the mountain to stand by Stevonnie's side and pounding her fists together. "For them!"

"You followed us?" Stevonnie asked Jasper.

"I don't like the Crystal Gems, but I hate them just as much." Jasper explained roughly. "Now come on, let's finish this!"

"Oh, a fair game, I see!" Lepidolite asked as she summoned two pairs of claws on each pair of her hands that extended from her knuckles while Bluebird summoned her ice cutlass. "Well, game on!"

Lepidolite clashed her claws with Stevonnie's sword while Jasper grabbed Bluebird in her massive hand and smashed her face into the rock face. However, despite Lepidolite being surprisingly evenly matched with Stevonnie, there was one thing they had that she lacked. Control over the fusion itself.

"So you can fuse with humans?!" White Topaz exclaimed cheerfully while Lepidolite slashed at Stevonnie before she switched to Black Rutile. "Did you even listen to Aquamarine's report, why are you acting like this is so new to you?!" Black Rutile yelled. "Why do you always have to be so dense?!"

"This is almost like Malachite." Stevonnie compared the abusive control Black Rutile had over White Topaz to the strained but peaceful relationship between Lapis and Jasper. "Listen, why can't you just work together?!"

"Because she's a completely moronic clod!" Black Rutile yelled through Lepidolite.

"Even if she treats me like trash, she's still my boss!" White Topaz added. "After all, isn't that what master/servant relationships are kinda like?"

"Master, don't!" Bluebird yelled as Jasper kept beating her up. "You're going to make them do some speech about the stupid power of friendship or something!"

"Well, you want us to work together?!" Lepidolite said, now no longer personified through Black Rutile and White Topaz's arguing. "Then work together we shall!"

Lepidolite then grabbed Stevonnie by their arms and once again threw them over the edge of the cliff before walking off to assist Bluebird. But just like when Steven was tossed over the cliff, things went horribly wrong for them.

Stevonnie reappeared in a massive gust of wind, now bathed in a pink glow and with a furious snarl replacing their confident grin. "Why won't you listen?!" they yelled, lunging at Lepidolite and striking their sword straight into her chest. "I'm not the real monster, YOU ARE!"

"No no no no no no!" Lepidolite screamed as Stevonnie's sword cut into her body and striking her straight in Black Rutile's gem, causing the two to ultimately defuse. As the pair of Gems were dropped to the ground, White Topaz laid on her back, utterly stupefied. Black Rutile on the other hand was terrified beyond all recognition, a far cry from the confident mastermind she normally is.

"W-w-who are you!?" Black Rutile shivered in fear of the pink Stevonnie, who now had a psychotic smile on their face. "WHAT ARE YOU?!"

"I'm-" Stevonnie began when they suddenly stopped and gazed at their hands. "I don't know." With that, Stevonnie finally un-fused back into Steven and Connie, just in time for the other Gems to arrive.

"Steven, Connie!" Garnet cried as she, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot, Bismuth, Hessonite, Lars, Squaridot, and the Light Prisms were carried up the mountain by a massive water elevator created by the trio of Lapides. When they reached the cliff, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl all rushed to give the two kids a big hug. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Connie replied shakily. "First we fused into Stevonnie to fight Black Rutile, who fused with White Topaz to create this big fusion called Lepidolite, then after we were tossed over a cliff, Stevonnie turned pink and-"

"Wait, pink?" Pearl wondered. "It's just like all those other times Steven lost control! What could it be?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know too!" the utterly defeated Black Rutile yelled. "What is that, a human thing?"

"Uh, no everyone! Everything's fine!" Steven began lying. "It's just a human thing, but I'm the only one who can do it!"

"Alright, keep your secrets brat." Black Rutile declared before she snapped her fingers again. Getting up from Jasper's beatdown, Bluebird picked up Black Rutile & White Topaz and carried them away. "Your little power fantasy will soon come to an end!" she declared. "And Gems, I'd keep an eye out on that monster if I were you! He could become a bigger threat to Earth than I am!"

As the three Gems got farther away, everybody turned to Steven with nervous looks on their faces.

"Steven, is there anything you need to tell us?" Connie asked her best friend.

"Uh, anyone wanna go out for pizzas?" Steven tried to change the subject, and everyone went silent in response.

"What is this pizza you speak of?" Hessonite piped up.

--

Later that day, reconstruction of Little Homeworld had quickly begun. With Peridot and Squaridot's help, the Cactus Stevens were now fully organic once more and helped in the repairs, alongside the Light creatures created by George and his sisters.

"Wow George, you, Elaine, and Cosma are one great team!" Steven said to George as they looked upon the Light Army's hard work. George turned to Steven with a confused look on his face. "Oh, I came up with those names for your sisters based on this TV show with a character also named George."

"Hey Steven, the pizzas are here!" Lapis called for Steven.

"Ooh, gotta go you guys!" Steven said before leaving George and his newly named sisters to work. "See you again soon!"

Steven returned to the Little Homeworld Warp Pad, where the Crystal Gems and the Off-Colors were setting up a little picnic with pizza boxes all around. "You see, this is what we need more of." Steven said. "Just us hanging out, no Gem monsters or evil Gems threatening and scarring our lives."

"Are you sure you're okay kid?" 1J9G asked Steven.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Steven replied. "Wait, what are you doing here? Weren't you on Black Rutile's side?"

"That Jasper saved my life because she knew what it was like to be alone, so I'm coming here as gratitude." 1J9G stated. "I came with Black Rutile as 1J9G, and I'll learn to become a better friend as Laz. You like the new name I got?"

"I love it!" Zuli exclaimed happily. "It's so wet!"

"Well, if you say so." Steven said awkwardly before he found Lars and Hessonite collecting the inactive gemstones of Emerald, Pyrope, Demantoid and all the Cluster Gems. "And what are you going to do with those?"

"We'll take the Cluster Gems back to Homeworld." Lars answered before pointing to Emerald and the Garnets. "As for these three, I'm not sure yet."

"They'll be safe with us." Garnet said, taking the three Gems out of the bubble. "And who knows? Maybe they'll become students of Little Homeschool."

"Speaking of which, Squaridot." Hessonite said to her Peridot sidekick. "You said that you were given the chance to come to Little Homeschool before you joined me? You think the offer still stands?"

"You know what?" Squaridot said. "I think I'm gonna stay here. Thank you Hessonite for everything." She then hugged the orange Garnet. "And tell Citrine I said hi if you find her."

As the group all sat down to their victory picnic, many eyes were still on Steven, who paid more attention to his slice of pie.

"Seriously, that boy just ain't right!" Jasper said as she prepared to leave.

"Yo Jasper, have a little more tact!" Amethyst scolded her fellow quartz while turning to Steven. "But what if Black Rutile is right? What if Steven becomes a threat to Earth?"

Steven still didn't pay any attention and kept on eating, but the Gems guessed that he might've been deliberately distracting himself. But why?

--

Elsewhere, Black Rutile had now touched down deeper in the forest, letting Bluebird Azurite drop her off in front of a cave. "Ah, this should make a good hideout."

"Why can't we just flee on your dropship?" White Topaz asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's been seized by now." Black Rutile said as she sat down on a rock formation, slouching and pressing her fingers together. "Tell me, my friends, what do you think is Steven's greatest weakness?"

"He can't fend for himself!" Aquamarine stated as she and Eyeball un-fused.

"He always has to get his nose in everyone's business." Eyeball remarked, rolling her eye with arms crossed.

"Uh, he's got boatloads of trauma that no one bothers to bring up?" White Topaz asked meekly.

"Correct Topaz, very good for once." Black Rutile congratulated her Topaz. "Now, as you see, he can't deal with his whole worldview changing, since learning there were so many Gems against him shattered everything he almost knew about his actions." She declared. "But what if we did the same, but we turn the humans against him?"

END OF PART 2: GRADUATION

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3: FRAGMENTED MIND

--

And that was Enemy of my Enemy and Part 2 in general! This was a really long one, filled with ideas that I've had in my head for ages! The whole group of past enemy Gems was inspired primarily by the Evil League of Mutants from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I imagined the bad future to be similar to Deliver Us from Prince of Egypt, and the justice debate was basically the Ship of Theseus scene from WandaVision. And that's not even getting into what I have planned for Part 3, but that's another time for another day. And if the subtitle is any indication, you all know what's coming.