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elmartillosinmetre · 4 days ago

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Olivier Messiaen entre el cielo y la tierra

[Olivier Messiaen (Aviñón, 1908 - Clichy, 1992) / D. S.]

Después de algunos años de cierto eclipse, el nombre de Messiaen vuelve a refulgir en el mundo de los conciertos y de los discos por el 75 aniversario del estreno de la Sinfonía Turangalîla

El mundo de la música suele a veces ser caprichoso con los mitos. Y Olivier Messiaen (Aviñón, 1908 – Clichy, 1992) es sin duda una de las figuras míticas de la música del siglo XX. Autor de una obra de una personalidad desbordante, que se presta mal a las clasificaciones y las reducciones, murió en 1992 en loor de santidad, y fue enseguida elevado al panteón de los más grandes, para convertirse durante años en pilar de las más prestigiosas compañías de discos y de las mejores salas de concierto. Pero poco después de las celebraciones por su centenario en 2008, sin desaparecer nunca del todo, por supuesto, dejó de estar de moda, y aunque algunas de sus obras seguían presentándose con frecuencia, su nombre pareció quedar postergado. Pues bien, hay señales de que la ola de la moda vuelve a favorecerlo, y el universo fonográfico está aquí para remarcarlo.

Traigo en concreto dos grabaciones de intérpretes de primerísimo nivel, en la cumbre de su fama, acogidas por compañías también prestigiosísimas, grabaciones en las que Messiaen es recordado a través de una de sus partituras más monumentales y emblemáticas, pero también en piezas intimistas, mucho menos oídas.

La religión y los pájaros. Cualquiera que conozca superficialmente al compositor, lo identificará con estas preocupaciones, sin duda, esenciales, a la hora de acercarse a su música, pero Messiaen es mucho más que eso. Partiendo en buena medida de la herencia neoclásica en la que se formó, pero sin olvidar a Debussy, Messiaen fue capaz de crearse su propio mundo sonoro, en el que el color y el ritmo adquieren dimensiones por completo nuevas. El primero de sus modos de transposición limitada, el sistema que creó para desviarse tanto de la tonalidad tradicional como del dodecafonismo schoenbergiano, no era otra cosa que la escala de tonos enteros (puro Debussy). En realidad, Messiaen siempre fue un cabo suelto de las vanguardias, a pesar de que ejerció sobre todas ellas una influencia muy notable. No debe olvidarse que uno de sus Cuatro estudios de ritmo –“Modos de valor e intensidad”– compuesto en Darmstadt en 1949, fue el punto de partida del serialismo integral, la corriente dominante en la música contemporánea europea durante décadas. Messiaen no le dio mayor importancia, y siguió su propio camino.

Fue aquel mismo año cuando se estrenó la Sinfonía Turangalîla, un encargo de Serguéi Kusevitski para la Orquesta Sinfónica de Boston, aunque el día de la presentación (el 2 de diciembre de 1949), enfermo Kusevitski, quien se puso al frente del conjunto bostoniano resultó ser un joven Leonard Bernstein. En esta obra colosal en diez movimientos, que tuvo ocupado al compositor entre 1946 y 1948, Messiaen recurre a formas rítmicas de la India para una representación singular del amor. “Es una canción de amor”, dijo el propio Messiaen, una canción de amor que dura más de 70 minutos y requiere un contingente instrumental que pasa del centenar de músicos, con un piano solista y el empleo de unas ondas martenot, un instrumento electrónico que aparecería en otras de sus obras. El propio compositor recalcó siempre que tuvo ocasión que la Turangalîla formaba parte de un tríptico sobre el mito de Tristán e Isolda, junto al ciclo de canciones Harawi (1945) y el coral Cinq rechants (1948). En cuanto al título, parte del sánscrito en la unión de “Turanga”, que significa tiempo desde el punto de vista rítmico, y “Lîla”, que es juego. Messiaen iba más allá y dejó escrito que el término “puede traducirse libremente como canción de amor e himno a la alegría, el tiempo, el movimiento, el ritmo, la vida y la muerte”. Todo muy en consonancia con sus pretensiones místicas y su continua celebración del cosmos y de la naturaleza.

[Olivier Messiaen con Leonard Bernstein en vísperas del estreno de la Sinfonía Turangalîla / Yvonne Loriod]

Coincidiendo con el 75 aniversario del estreno de la Turangalîla, a principios de diciembre pasado, el sello Deutsche Grammophon publicó un nuevo registro de la obra por la Sinfónica de Boston, que dirige su titular, el letón Andris Nelsons, entrega la virtuosística parte del piano a la china Yuja Wang y pone las ondas martenot en las manos de la francesa Cécile Lartigau.

En 1932 Messiaen se había casado con la violinista Claire Delbos, a la que cariñosamente llamaba Mi. En 1936 compuso un ciclo dedicado a la esposa: son les Poèmes pour Mi, nueve canciones para las que escribió tanto los textos como la música, primero en una versión con acompañamiento pianístico que luego orquestó. Influenciado por los ritmos de la música india y griega antigua, Messiaen utiliza en la obra patrones irregulares y asimétricos que dan a la música una sensación de fluidez y atemporalidad, que se funde con las armonías estáticas. En 1937, nació el único hijo de la pareja, Pascal, y Messiaen, emocionado, creó otro ciclo de canciones para los tres, los Chants de la terre et de ciel, seis piezas con dedicatorias impulsadas por el amor, la alegría y el fervor religioso de su autor. Estos dos ciclos no dejan de ser conmovedores si se atiende al proceso de degradación mental que sufrió Claire Delbos y que, después de una desgraciada operación en 1943, terminó con ella en un manicomio hasta su muerte en 1959.

[Olivier Messiaen junto a su hijo Pascal / D. S.]

La soprano y directora canadiense Barbara Hannigan se ha reunido con el gran pianista francés Bertrand Chamayou para esta grabación referencial de ambos ciclos en el sello Alpha, que completan con una obra anterior, acaso menor, del compositor, La Mort du nombre (1929), un diálogo entre dos almas al que se unen el tenor también canadiense Charles Sy y la violinista noruega Vilde Frang.

[Diario de Sevilla. 2-02-2025]

La ficha Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): Sinfonía Turangalîla [1949] Yuja Wang, piano Cécile Lartigau, ondas martenot Orquesta Sinfónica de Boston Director: Andris Nelsons Deutsche Grammophon

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La ficha Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) Chants de terre et de ciel [1938]: I. Bail avec Mi (pour ma femme) / II. Antienne du silence (pour le jour des Anges gardiens) / III. Danse du bébé-Pilule (pour mon petit Pascal) / IV. Arc-en-ciel d’innocence (pour mon petit Pascal) / V. Minuit pile et face (pour la Mort) / VI. Résurrection (pour le jour de Pâques) Poèmes pour Mi [1936-37]: I. Action de grâces / II. Paysage / III. La maison / IV. Épouvante / V. L’épouse / VI. Ta voix / VII. Les deux guerriers / VIII. Le collier / IX. Prière exaucée La mort du nombre [1929] Barbara Hannigan, soprano Bertrand Chamayou, piano Charles Sy, tenor; Vilde Frang, violín (en La mort du nombre) Alpha

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#olivier messiaen #barbar hannigan #bertrand chamayou #alpha #boston symphony orchestra #orquesta sinfónica de boston #andris nelsons #yuja wang #cécile lartigau #deutsche grammophon #música #music

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andrewmoocow · 3 years ago

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The Black Pearl Brigade chpater 12: Will of Iron (originally posted on June 27, 2022)

AN: Four chapters left till the end. This time, we'll be featuring more characters who will soon make their debut in Steven Universe: Snake Eyes, and we'll be getting some major lore drops on this version of Steven's universe as a whole along the way. I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with the Transformers references here, especially since a good portion of the cast will be franchise alumni. Now, let's transform and roll out!

Synopsis: The Metals contact the Brigade with a mission to stop an attack on one of their colonies.

Cast:

Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade

Kathleen Barr as Púrén

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Featuring Peter Cullen as Titanium

Frank Welker as Tungsten

David Kaye as Steel

Corey Burton as Chromium

Bumper Robinson as Gold

Scott McNeil as Iron

Jeffrey Combs as Mercury

Hailee Steinfeld as Zinc

Before time began, there was an ancient race of beings that seemed older than the universe itself. Not a one knows where they came from, only that they held the power to create entire worlds and fill them with life. That is how two similar races were born, the Metals and the Gems. For many years, they were locked in constant war. The Metals believed they could coexist in harmony with other species across the universe, but the Gems only saw other worlds as nothing more than resource farms.

And so began a great war that ravaged planet after planet in the two races' quest for supremacy. And just when the universe was on the brink of extinction, the Gems realized that they weren't so different from the Metals in how they separated members of their kind into castes and offered to sign a peace treaty with their sister race. The Metals agreed to the terms, and together, they enacted the Ferrum Accords. The Mighty Metals, consisting of the barbaric Tungsten, the flamboyant & narcissistic Steel, and the sophisticated & collected Chromium, would not be allowed to conquer any Gem territory, and likewise for the Gems with Metal territory. This peace would be enforced for many centuries afterward, at least until now.

The Metals' home planet of Quarron was much like the Gem Homeworld, but there were still some notable differences. Though the Metals had their own caste system in place, everyone within it was still treated as equals, their species were predominantly male with some exceptions that were treated like a rare kind of Metal, and they coexisted in harmony with the planets they colonized as well.

However, rumors abounded of a possible war on the horizon thanks to Metals discovering illicit Gem activity on some of their colony planets. Expressing concern over what could happen, the Mighty Metals assigned their famed military leader Titanium to investigate the situation.

"This is Titanium. Do you read me, Mercury?" Titanium, a tall, muscular silver-colored humanoid with pupilless blue eyes and a white suit of armor, spoke into his wrist communicator to an orangish-red humanoid on the other end.

"Loud and clear, Titan." Mercury answered. "How are things looking on Budiansky-84?"

"Looking peaceful so far." Titanium revealed. "No signs of Gem activity yet."

"Good, I've been hearing rumors that since the Gems were demilitarized, a few old-timers didn't take too kindly to all these big changes." Mercury stated. "If even one of our colonies were conquered by those terrorists, the rest of Gemkind would barely stand a chance in wartime now. In other words, one shall stand, one shall fall. And fall hard!"

"That is a future I would refuse to live in." Titanium declared. "The Diamonds must know of this immediately."

"I'll inform the Mighty Metals at once." Mercury replied while forwarding a message to their superiors. "Funny you should mention that. I've also heard the news that Torius Vosania has allied with one of those rogue Gems."

"Torius Vosania?!" Titanium exclaimed in shock. "The fearsome head of the Vosania Syndicate?! This shall not stand!"

"Don't be such a worrywart, Titan!" Mercury replied. "Besides, we may know someone who can help us. Or rather, five."

Elsewhere on Homeworld, Yellow Diamond had just received the message Mercury forwarded to the Metals, and they sent to her, and she was pretty alarmed at what she had just read. "Rogue Gems, Torius Vosania?!" she hollered in horror. "So Cinnabar seems to be still active. Guess Black Rutile must've trained her in the ways of refusing to give up when the odds are against you."

"Yellow, is something wrong?!" Blue exclaimed as she and White burst into the room.

"Indeed there is." Yellow turned to her fellow Diamonds with a nod. "Apparently, Cinnabar has been in hiding ever since she was defeated above the Reef and now re-emerged as an ally of Torius Vosania."

"Vosania, as in the royal family of Cavenousya?" White muttered. "I thought their youngest son vanished after Batsputin became a Universal Lord."

"It seems they were wrong." Yellow declared. "Contact the Brigade at once. If Cinnabar has her way, it will violate the Ferrum Accords, and it'll be war all over again."

Soon, the Pearls had received the message and made their way to Quarron to meet with the Mighty Metals about Cinnabar and Torius, all while discussing among themselves about their current situation.

"I can't believe it took this long for the Diamonds to learn that Cinnabar is still active!" IQ complained as the five marched through Quarron's capital city of Ore. "Oh, I do not want to imagine the thrashing we could have gotten for failing to stop her and not telling anyone."

"I urge you to cool your jets, IQ." Braids stated. "We are only here on a diplomatic assignment to prevent a hideously violent war from breaking out."

"Braids is right; we have to keep Cinnabar and her crew from conquering Metal territory, or else it'll be another all-out war." Cap proclaimed. "And given how much the Gems have been demilitarized by Era 3, I don't think they stand much of a chance outside of their natural powers."

"I think that might be what Cinnabar wants." Pony added. "If the Diamonds were to fall in the event of war, either she or Black Rutile could stage a hostile coup and take over. As for where Torius falls into this, I feel he might want to profit off the possible conflict."

As the Pearls continued their conversation, they were led by guards into a massive tower and taken straight to the central tower, where before them sat three giant men who seemed around the same height as the Diamonds.

The tallest of them was a steel-gray colored warrior with appropriate armor, a box-like helmet, dark gray gauntlets, and matching-colored greaves. The second biggest was dressed in cool gray colors with a somewhat reptilian aesthetic, with a massive claw in place of his left hand, and three-toed feet. Finally, the shortest out of the trio looked similar to the first, but had a more menacing & rounder appearance with a darker gray body and hints of blue all over his body.

"So, these are the mercenaries we were told to expect?" the third Metal, Chromium, scoffed at the sight of the Pearls. "Didn't realize they'd be a bunch of Pearls."

"Oh, don't be such a nihilist, Chromium." His brother Steel stated. "They could be of great help to us, yes."

Cap then stepped forward and bowed to the Mighty Metals on behalf of the Brigade. "Greetings, Mighty Metals, we are the Black Pearl Brigade. We have been told that a Gem terrorist named Cinnabar has been plotting to invade one of your colony planets."

"Indeed they have, little servant." Chromium declared. "We'll have Titanium fill you in later, so please, run along and look pretty while the political leaders do all the work."

"Chromium, what did we say about looking down upon these Pearls?" Steel asked.

"When we were told the Diamonds would be sending a bunch of mercenaries to assist, I was expecting a group of Jaspers or Topazes, not a bunch of measly servants!" Chromium exclaimed

"Stuff and nonsense, Chromium!" Steel began arguing with Chromium. "These Pearls I hear have greatly assisted the galactic community!"

"SILENCE!" the duo's superior Tungsten roared, finally speaking up to end the tiff. "If we are done bickering like a pair of children, then we have far bigger problems at hand than just blatant misogyny and stereotyping." He declared before turning to the Pearls. "As Chromium has stated, we shall lead you to Titanium, the finest military leader the Metals have ever seen, to fill you in on what he has discovered."

"Yes, I distinctly remember his participation in the war with Homeworld that led to the signing of the Ferrum Accords." Chromium declared.

Thousands of years ago, the Metals and the Gems were in the middle of wartime, both sides sending out their finest soldiers to fight on their behalf for ownership of the planet Budiansky-84. On one side, Cinnabar led her armadas into battle, putting what Black Rutile had taught her in terms of combat and leadership skills to good use as a then-newly promoted commander. On the other, Titanium had more centuries of experience in military leadership, honed by years of training under some of the finest instructors and accompanied by the best and brightest subordinates they could offer.

"All troops, direct your fire to that armada in the west!" Titanium commanded, his booming voice ringing throughout their flagship while his troops followed his every word. Well, all except one.

Titanium turned around to find a haggard Mercury holding the hand of a rather rambunctious trooper in gold armor, hopping up and down with eagerness. "Come on Merc, let me fly a ship! I promise I won't go crashing it again!"

"Can you please tell Gold to shove it with his bratty behavior?" the exasperated Mercury snarled while tossing Gold to Titanium's feet, and the young Metal gazed up at his leader in awe. "Caught him horsing around with one of our fighter jets and tried to rip him outta the controls. Only thing that did was cause us both to crash."

"Don't underestimate Gold here, Mercury." Titanium stated optimistically while helping Gold to his feet. "I know he can be obnoxious and headstrong, but I believe that beneath it all, Gold indeed has the touch to be a true soldier like you and me."

"Yeah, I got what it takes, gramps!" Gold repeated smugly with a nod, to which Mercury replied with a sigh as he pinched his nose in disgust.

"Well, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt Titan, but keep an eye on that sport in case he gets too big for his britches," Mercury responded as he walked off. "Last thing we need is a little kid going mad with power."

Soon, the Pearls were led to a military barrack not too far from the Mighty Metals' complex where Titanium currently resided as he awaited their arrival, overseeing the training of potential soldiers when he turned to greet the five mercenaries. "Hello there, you must be the Black Pearl Brigade." The Metal military leader welcomed the Pearls. "I am Titanium. I am sure the Metals have talked about me."

"Finally, a Metal that'll treat us with respect!" Tails exclaimed. "You have no idea how much Chromium looked down upon us because we were Pearls! It was infuriating!"

"Yes, he kind of has a bad habit of doing that." Titanium admitted. "But that's beside the point. You Pearls more than anyone know about the alliance between Cinnabar and Torius Vosania and how much of a threat they can be, and now we request your help in stopping them from starting a war between our races."

"Indeed." Cap nodded while watching Gold race up from behind Titanium. "Now, which of your colony planets was it again?"

"Oh, that?" Titanium answered. "That would be-"

"Budiansky-84!" Gold excitedly interrupted his superior and father figure by jumping in front of him. "See, I know things, I still function!"

"Oh, forgot to tell you about Gold here." Titanium laughed gently while putting a hand on the scout's shoulder. "He's a scout for our army and an enthusiastic one at that. People may judge him for his recklessness and daredevil attitude, but I know deep down he has the laser spark to prove he can be a real hero."

"I admire your faith in others Titanium, but how good is he on the battlefield?" Braids asked while pulling her ax from her gem.

"Oh, I'll show you why they call me the fastest Metal around!" Gold declared confidently as he got off to a running start in his sparring session with the Pearls. Although they did get a few good hits in, the Metal scout's speed was more than just a match for them, and it was an utter stomp in his favor. "See?"

"Duly noted." Pony declared. "You trained him well, Titanium."

"And I'm proud of him for it." Titanium declared with a fatherly pat on Gold's back. "Now, let's roll out!"

However, as the Pearls and the two Metals moved out, none of them realized that someone was already watching them and plotting to make their move.

"It seems the Pearls are planning to put a dent in our plans." Cinnabar declared while watching her satellite footage of the Gems' meeting with the Metals. "We cannot allow this to happen Torius, for their combined power could spell disaster."

"Indeed it can, Cinnabar." Torius mused while watching the same footage on a different monitor. "We must send down a fleet immediately to take care of things."

"No." Cinnabar objected to her partner's idea. "I feel like sending down my colleagues for old time's sake." As if on cue, each of her five subordinates emerged from the shadows behind her before she turned to face them. "Now, girls, you all know what you must do in order to prevent the Pearls from preserving the Ferrum Accords, correct?"

"Defeat the Pearls and the Metals, got it." Kyanite declared hurriedly while pulling out her quindent. "Quick question, how do you think we'll fare against Titanium? It's been ages since we last fought him."

"Oh, I've been waiting ages to fight a Metal again." Dalmatian Jasper grinned. "Especially one as big and tough as Titanium."

"Hey, did you know that Bismuths were introduced to the Gems because of the Ferrum Accords?" Bloodstone stated. "Makes me wonder what could happen if we break the treaty? Will the Metals decide to take the Bismuths back before going to war?"

"That'll depend on how bad we hit them, dearie." Pyrite stated as she presented her cane, rolling it across her shoulders and presenting it with a theatrical flourish. "And how about you, Bloodstone? I don't think anyone's ever seen your weapon yet. Or maybe you don't have one."

"I do too have a weapon!" Bloodstone exclaimed hotly before unsheathing a katana from the gem on her chest. "See, a katana! Pretty cool, huh?"

"A bladed weapon, real original there." An unamused Zoisite rolled her eyes at Bloodstone's tool. "And definitely not as cool as my naginata!"

"Now, no need to argue over whose weapon is better." Dalmatian Jasper said, getting between the pair of red and green Gems. "But between you and me, Zee, I like yours better."

"You're just saying that because you're basically girlfriends!" Bloodstone yelled jealously.

"Who knows, maybe we are." Zoisite mocked Bloodstone by giving DJ a playful kiss on the cheek. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Might as well." DJ smirked.

"Oh, get a room, you two!" Bloodstone rolled her eyes in irritation before Torius started glaring at her.

"We don't tolerate that kind of behavior in my organization." Torius snarled. "We may be criminals, but we respect basic rights too, you know."

"Yes, sir!" Bloodstone quivered in fear of what Torius could do to her before the five Gems set off on their mission.

"We are now approaching Budiansky-84." Púrén declared as the Servant touched down in a small city on the colony planet inhabited by a race of humanoids with heads with five faces attached to them. "Home to the Tesquin species that the Metals mostly peacefully coexist besides."

"I quite remember these beings." Titanium added as the seven visitors disembarked. "They can be obnoxious and a little frightening, but they're overall harmless."

"You know, that reminds me Titanium." IQ stated. "Where did the Metals come from? Are they mechanical soldiers created by mad tyrants who would later go sentient? Are there any naturally occurring gears, levers, and pulleys involved?"

"That is an excellent question, IQ." Titanium stated. "Legend has it that we Metals and the Gems were created side-by-side by a mysterious deity of life eons ago. However, this deity quickly vanished as soon as the job was done, and no one has a clue of where they went or if they existed to begin with. However, some of our most renowned explorers believe this individual is still out there and are dead set on finding them but have unfortunately turned up nothing."

"But what have they gathered?" Cap added curiously.

"Not much, really." Gold declared. "But what they have learned says that this being was the last of an ancient species that seemed to have been wiped out ages ago, and we were their last-ditch effort to preserve their legacy, or something like that."

The Pearls weren't the only ones receiving a history lesson. Using some cutting-edge cloaking technology, Cinnabar's lieutenants spied on the Pearls patiently while readying their weapons to attack. However, some were a bit more focused on the lore being dropped than others. Bloodstone eagerly hanged on to Titanium's every word while copying them for later research, a sight which the others found distracting.

"Hey, Bloody, can you save the nerd stuff for later?" DJ asked Bloodstone. "We're in the middle of a job here."

"I know, but this could change the way we perceive ourselves as we know it!" Bloodstone excitedly replied. "Think of it, if I present these findings to Homeworld, I could finally be taken seriously and maybe could spearhead a new renaissance of discovery!"

"Oh right, the whole wanting to be seen as intelligent thing." Pyrite muttered. "Rest assured, my dear heliotrope; you are special-"

"If you give me the whole 'I'm special just the way I am' spiel, I'm gonna pop you!" Bloodstone interrupted the con-Gem. "How long before we can strike?"

"Just give it a few more seconds, Torius's fleet is just above Budiansky-84." Kyanite replied. "All that's left is to wait for the signal."

Luckily, the Pearls were blissfully unaware of the upcoming attack and were more occupied with familiarizing themselves with the residents of Budiansky-84. However, the latter wasn't as happy to see Gems on their planet. "You know we don't welcome your kind here!" the first face of one Tesquin yelled angrily before switching to his second face. "Not after how you tried to kill us! The Metals actually show us kindness, unlike you!"

"Oh, here we go again." Cap rolled her eyes at yet another planet they'll have to convince to change their hearts about Gems in this new era.

"Hopefully, the next planet we're assigned to is a little different." Pony responded.

"Oh, don't mind this one. He's just perpetually prejudiced, that's all." Another Tesquin assured the Pearls while presenting his third face to them. "Times have changed, but we will never forget what you could've done to us."

"I swear, that's all in the past." Pony tried to explain things. "We're long past colonizing and genocide and all that. We just want to make peace!"

"Fat chance!" another Tesquin presenting his fourth face exclaimed. "I bet any second now, more of your kind will be looking to cause trouble!" Just then, ships belonging to the Vosania Syndicate descended from above as Cinnabar's minions finally revealed themselves. "Well, what do you know?"

"All troops, attack!" Kyanite commanded as Torius's soldiers descended upon Budiansky-84 to claim it in the name of their masters.

"Everybody run; it's Torius Vosania!" a Tesquin showing his fifth face in fear exclaimed. "Someone save us!"

"Luckily, we're that someone!" Cap declared as the Pearls, Titanium, and Gold stood side by side. "Let's roll!"

"Finally, some glorious action!" Braids exclaimed as she gunned for the first Gem she saw. Naturally, she went up against Dalmatian Jasper and Zoisite. "Guess we must do this dance again, eh, you two?"

"I swear, we should spice things up next time we meet!" Dalmatian Jasper snarled while shoving Braids away and jumping at her with a laser cannon spawned from her gem.

"Okay, while Braids is off taking care of DJ and Zee as per usual, let's focus on taking down the rest of these thugs!" Cap commanded. "Titanium, get the Tesquins to safety! The rest of us will handle Torius's men!" She then looked at Gold. "And Gold, I'm not sure what to do with you, to be honest."

"Yeah, I get that sometimes." Gold replied with a shrug. "Hang on, Titanium, I'll help you get everyone to safety!"

"Good to know, Gold." Titanium thanked Gold for the assistance while helping to evacuate the Tesquins during the chaos. But while the Pearls banded together to fight off the criminal organization's armada, the two Metals were trying to keep themselves alive as more and more ships kept firing upon them.

"Look alive, Gold!" Titanium yelled as he pointed straight at a ship aiming its weapons right at Gold and immediately dove to protect his young ward. "NOOO!" he bellowed as he stood in defense of Gold and immediately got shot down for it.

"Titan!" Gold yelled as he raced to his father figure's side. "Come on big guy, don't die on me like this!"

"It's only a few bullet wounds, Gold." Titanium wheezed reassuringly. "But now is the time for you to step up as a true Metal soldier. I still believe that you have the touch."

"I still got the touch." Gold repeated quietly, instantly boosting his confidence. "I GOT THE POWER!" As if Gold had been wholly replaced by someone different, he began giving orders and taking the initiative, the way Titanium would've loved to see in him. "All troops, Titanium is down! Repeat, Titanium is down! We need reinforcements at Budiansky-84!"

"Gold, is that you?!" Mercury exclaimed. "What happened down there?!"

"Ambush by Torius Vosania, the Pearls have Cinnabar's minions covered, but Titanium got shot down trying to save me!" Gold explained to his crotchety superior. "Get everyone down here, now!"

"Sorry, kiddo, we got troops already occupied." Mercury stated. "But I'm free, as are Iron and Zinc."

"Then come down!" Gold commanded Mercury. "That's an order!"

"Wow, you changed, kiddo." Mercury smirked in satisfaction. "Titan was right, you do have the touch."

Meanwhile, the Pearls were engaged in a war for the fate of the relationship between the Gems and Metals, with Cinnabar and Vosania's minions swarming them from every which way imaginable.

"Keep it up, everyone, they should be fleeing any time soon!" Cap exclaimed while stabbing some reptilian mooks with her spear.

"Are you sure?! They're everywhere!" Pony exclaimed as she fought against Bloodstone's katana.

"Then we'll make them less everywhere!" Braids roared and tossed her ax at Pyrite, who immediately batted it away with her cane and sent it flying back. But before Braids could be hit, Mercury rescued her in the nick of time and gently passed the Pearl's weapon back to her.

"Zinc, Iron, group up with me!" Mercury commanded two other Metals that had arrived to help with him. One looked more like a humanoid teenage girl with bluish-gray skin & armor, while the other was a sharp-toothed man colored in red, orange, and black with a drill-like sword.

"Torius Vosania, who would've thought?" Zinc said while she looked around for Gold. "Where are Gold and Titanium at?"

"I believe Gold is approaching us right now." Iron snarled like a raptor as Gold dragged Titanium's injured body towards his fellow Metals.

"So glad you could make it!" Gold exclaimed happily while shooting down some Vosania goons. "I'm in a rough spot now, so I could use the help!"

"For you little guy, anything." Zinc grinned gently before pulling out some dual swords and slashing away at space crooks.

"Who could've possibly summoned those three?" Braids asked in awe of the trio's skills.

"I did." Gold declared with a thumb to himself. "Bet you never saw that coming, huh?"

"Looks like Titanium was right." Tails replied while looking at Titanium as he struggled to get up.

"I told you so." Titanium boasted before dropping to his knees again. "I think I'll have to sit this battle out. The rest of you can cover for me from here, especially you, Gold."

"No, stay, Titan. We can do this together." Gold suggested. "So, you with me?"

"You truly have grown, my boy." Titanium remarked proudly while loading his gun. "Now then, let's roll out and light our darkest hour!"

With that, the Pearls, Titanium, and Gold led the final charge against the invaders while the Tesquins began cheering their saviors on. Despite the enemy's overwhelming numbers, their opposition's combined strength proved to be an even match for them.

"We need to fall back now!" Dalmatian Jasper roared while fighting off Zinc and IQ. "Where did they come from?!"

"I think we underestimated our enemy yet again, especially the gold one!" Bloodstone confessed. "Who would've guessed a little runt like him would be a good leader?"

"No, we can't leave now!" Kyanite yelled. "Not when we're so-" Before the blue Gem could finish, she was instantly poofed by a laser blast from Gold, and Pyrite collected her gem.

"Anyone else care to join her?" Gold dared the other Gems, who immediately shook their heads and decided that Budiansky-84 was no longer worth their time as they ran in surrender. Torius's fleets soon followed suit, assuring the mercenaries' victory over Torius and Cinnabar once again as there was much rejoicing.

"Well, that went a little easier than I expected." IQ muttered.

"Yeah, I thought they were made of sterner stuff." Zinc laughed.

"I thought so too." Titanium agreed as he turned to Gold. "Gold, if it weren't for your quick thinking, we could've been thrust into a worse battle than this one. For that, you deserve the highest honors."

As soon as everyone returned to Quarron, the Mighty Metals welcomed everyone back with open arms and congratulated Gold for his heroism while thanking the Pearls for the assistance.

"It seems I misjudged you, Pearls." Chromium beamed proudly. "Thanks to you, the Ferrum Accords are safe forevermore. And of course, Gold helped quite a bit too."

"Yes, the Diamonds were certainly correct in selecting you five to assist, yes." Steel added.

"Titanium, you were right to put your faith in Gold." Tungsten said to Titanium. "Who knows, maybe he could replace you someday."

"I could definitely see that happening." Titanium agreed before turning to Mercury. "You hear that, Merc?"

"Yeah, yeah, I might be subordinate to the kid I underestimated." Mercury laughed dryly.

"Well, I guess we must be off then." Cap said. "Hopefully, we can see each other again soon."

"You are welcome on Quarron anytime." Titanium declared warmly. "Till we are united!"

"Till we are united!" the other Metals chanted. Despite the celebrations commencing as the Pearls began to take their leave, a small fleet of snake-like spaceships were slowly flying towards Quarron, their occupants' goals unknown.

"Did you seriously give up that easily?!" Cinnabar yelled at her teammates for their failure on Budiansky-84. "All it took was one of you being taken down for the rest to run with your tails between your legs! How cowardly can you be?!"

"In our defense, Cinnabar, the Metals are far larger than us." A newly reformed Kyanite apologized.

"She is right. Perhaps just antagonizing a whole race is not enough." Torius agreed with Kyanite. "Perhaps we should aim a little higher."

"Like a Universal Lord, for one?" Cinnabar suggested.

"Indeed." Torius stated with an evil smile. "And I know just the one."

This was pretty cool to write, especially since I've been real big on Transformers lately. However, next chapter will be going back into more original territory, and judging by what Torius is saying, we'll finally get some outright confirmation on what I've been implying this whole time. See you later, till we are united!

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