#t: Crystal Clod

[miss-celestia13]

You are given a word - share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that starts with each letter of that word.

Thank you for tagging me @buttertheflame ❤️

I haven’t posted anything JonxDany in forever. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing them, though🥰 some will be from things already posted, others are from my drafts. Longer snippets than it says, but I am not known for brevity 😂

My word was STORM ⛈️

Blood Flows in a Spiral chapter 5

S - She stared for a moment at the melted divot in the ice that had cleared to crystal over each night. It almost looked like someone had entombed it in glass. The petals were fully open now and if it hadn’t been tormenting her for weeks, she would’ve found it beautiful. Miraculous, even.

She only felt a rage so ruinous she hoped it crushed the entire remaining wall to powder as she raised her hands above her head and brought the stone down on the ice.

From one of my draft chapters. Chapter 6 of Blood Flows in a Spiral.

T - The sky was bleeding.

The white wolf hurtled through the smoke soaked forest. Muzzle snarling, eyes nipping, and ears pinned to his head as his claws kicked up clods of dirt, he—they didn’t have long left.

The thought was a kick to his fracturing ribs. Whining and panting, chest aching and breaking and bleeding as he caught the scent through the haze.

Sweet, faint, and out of place amidst the acrid taint of endless black smoke—he followed it. And the warm tug in his frothing heart intensified.

From another future chapter of Blood Flows in a Spiral.

O - Oh, he looked so alive in a place drenched in death. Vivid and almost feral in his intensity as he struggled against the many hands holding him down.

She thought he looked young, but worn down around the edges. Like someone had carved him from sandstone and he would crumble if touched the wrong way.

As she neared, their eyes met. His grey gaze was scalpel sharp as it flitted over her diminutive form. She forced a smile, attempting to put him at ease, but it felt painful on her lips. He remained furious about his predicament.

From chapter 31 of I am Not a Woman, I’m a God—couldn’t find an R start anywhere else 😆

R - Ready to combust. She fought it back and whined overloud as a craving made itself known. She wanted him to see what he was doing to her.

Replace the memories of her falling apart in the muck with ones of her disintegrating as he fucked her, hold her together while she came apart at the seams for him.

And one from a canon divergent smut one shot I’ve been waiting to edit and post for a while 😆

M - Many things had changed over their reign. They were the same, yet more.

Thin streams of silver ran through his raven hair, flashes of it glittered in his beard, too. She wondered if it would start in his eyebrows soon. Her own hair had grown paler.

Once akin to sunshine on snow, a golden gleam amongst the silver, now with a cold glimmer, like moonlight on snow—according to her husband. Their life together had touched them in ways she once believed she’d never witness.

I don’t know who to tag, I’m guessing most have been multiple times ���� and I hate being a bother, so if anyone sees this and wants to play, go for it🤭❤️

And FLAME can be your word, unless there’s a list somewhere and I’m being daft again😂

[aurorawest]

Marvel Fluff Bingo - mutual pining

Pairing: Loki/Stephen Strange Rating: T Warnings: some T-rated sexiness, nothing too racy Word Count: 1506 Square Filled: mutual pining for @marvelfluffbingo​​​ Summary: Through a whole series of ridiculous events and circumstances, Loki finds himself stuck in a cabin in the woods with Stephen Strange. Between the romantic firelight and the color of Stephen’s eyes, Loki thinks this might be the most dangerous situation he’s ever been in. A/N: Wrote this for a game on the @marveltrumpshate​​ Discord server where you were assigned two random tropes and had to write at least 200 words that combined and used both prominently. I got cabin in the woods + mutual pining.

----

Loki watched Stephen throw another log on the fire. Sparks showered, most of them hitting the back wall of the fireplace, but a few of them scattered over the hearth, where they glowed briefly before winking out.

Strange. Not Stephen. Loki needed to think of him as Strange. Calling him Stephen was so…personal. Personal in a dangerous way. Loki preferred the distance of surnames, and he especially preferred them when he was stuck, through a whole series of ridiculous events and circumstances, in a cabin in the woods with Stephen Strange. Sling ring? Oh, that hadn’t been on Strange when they’d ended up in the woods, unbroken trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Tremendous look for the Sorcerer Supreme. Really impressive.

At least they’d found the cabin. It was shelter for the night. Loki had reached the door first, tried the doorknob, and surreptitiously unlocked it with magic, pretending that it had been already been open.

“We don’t even have to break in,” Loki had said. Strange had looked at him like he’d known exactly what Loki had just done. He didn’t argue, though. That was one of the nice things about Strange. He had scruples, of course. But he was willing to let them slide when the moment called for it.

The inside was furnished, barely. It was one room. There was a small table and a bed, plus some sort of primitive shower contraption rigged up in one corner. Firewood was piled up next to the fireplace and some minor investigation outside revealed more there. This investigation also revealed an outhouse, which was charming.

Loki had started a fire and Strange had said he was going to attempt to wash some of the grime off him. No argument from Loki on that—Strange had tripped and slid down a muddy ravine, and he was filthy. It hadn’t been funny at the time, as Loki had clambered down the steep hill after him, hoping Stephen wasn’t hurt. But Stephen had been fine.

At that point, with Stephen picking clods of mud out of his hair, spitting out a mouthful of dirt, but clearly unhurt—physically, at least, as his pride had taken a beating—it had become funny.

It turned out the shower actually had running water, though Stephen yelped when he first stepped under it. That had made Loki turn around and ask, “What are you—”

Stephen had been naked. Completely naked. He was turned so that Loki could see him from the side, which meant Loki could see pretty much everything in profile. And one of Stephen’s arms was raised to aim the “shower head” (it was nothing but a pipe) away from himself. Water was running down him, following the curves and dips of his muscles. He actually had some. His physique was—

Heat had flooded Loki’s body and he’d busied himself with the fire, which didn’t need his attention. That was when he’d decided he really needed to stop thinking of Stephen as Stephen and confine himself to thinking of him as Strange.

He’d already been desperately attracted to the man. This—this whole situation, and now seeing Stephen, er, Strange, naked, was not helping.

“The water’s freezing,” Strange had informed Loki once he was done with his shower. He’d draped himself in a blanket and sat on the floor next to Loki.

This was something Loki had surmised for himself, based on the view he’d gotten of Stephen and the fact that a certain part of his anatomy had appeared rather shrunken.

And now they were sitting there in the dark, only the fire lighting the cabin. Stephen—Strange—was naked under that blanket. This fact sat at the front of Loki’s consciousness. It wouldn’t leave him alone.

“I can’t decide if this is a scene out of a horror movie or not,” Strange said, drawing the blanket around himself.

There had been a point when Loki wouldn’t have understood this joke. He’d spent enough time on Earth now—and enough time around Stephen specifically, who loved to say this kind of thing—that he laughed quietly. “Which one of us would be killed first?”

“Hm.” Stephen breathed in, looking as though he was giving this question far more consideration than it deserved. “Which one of us got top billing in the opening credits?”

“Me, obviously,” Loki replied.

With a wave of his hand, Strange said, “You get offed, then. People won’t expect the big star to get killed first.”

Wrinkling his nose, Loki said, “That’s not fair.”

Stephen looked at him, a small smile pulling at his mouth. “Maybe you’re not really dead, and in a big twist, you come back at the end and save me.”

“Bold of you to assume that I’d save you,” Loki said.

Firelight flickered on Stephen’s face. Norns, you could cut yourself on those cheekbones. Something caught in Loki’s chest and he looked away before he could note the color of Stephen’s eyes—which looked like sea glass, clear and light and crystal.

Too late.

“I think you would,” Stephen said. Strange. Strange said.

“I wouldn’t,” Loki shot back.

The fire spit again. Loki shifted. The movement brought him closer to Strange without quite meaning to. Or perhaps he did mean to? Whenever the two of them spent time together, Loki ended up thinking too much and confusing himself.

Stephen’s blanket was slipping a bit. It was exposing his shoulders, and Loki couldn’t help letting his eyes linger. Close-up, they looked strong, especially considering Stephen was—what, forty-five? Something like that. Not young. Not old, either, but certainly not young. There were freckles strewn across them.

Oh. Loki had always had a weakness for freckles.

Combined with his weakness for goatees, for cheekbones, and for sarcastic, funny, intelligent people, Loki was beginning to think that this cabin, with its one bed and its romantic firelight, was the most dangerous situation he’d ever been in.

His heart was beating faster. When his gaze flicked back up to Stephen’s, it was to find Stephen watching him. There was a look in his eyes that kicked Loki’s heart rate from merely rapid to hammering. It might have been more accurate if Stephen had said this reminded him of a romance rather than a horror movie. Though Loki would be the first to admit that being alone with him was fairly horrific.

Stephen’s hand had drifted to his side, and now only centimeters separated it from Loki’s. If Loki were to move his fingers, he could hook them into Stephen’s with no effort. He could take Stephen’s trembling hand in his and press their palms together.

Except—why would he do that?

Alright, so, yes, there was the way the mere mention of Stephen Strange’s name made fluttery heat bloom in his stomach, the way his heart beat faster when they saw each other. There was the fact that of all the humans Loki had met, Stephen was the only one he wanted to spend hours and hours with, the only one whom he regretted parting from, even though he pretended he didn’t. There were few people, full stop, that Loki regretted seeing the back of. But he always felt a twinge of longing when Stephen and he went their separate ways.

There was the way Stephen made Loki laugh. And there was the way Stephen looked at him.

There was the way Stephen was looking at him now.

Loki pressed his lips together and got to his feet, walking away from the fire. Away from the glow of the flames, it was cold. “We’ve almost burned all the wood,” Loki said. His chest felt tight and he couldn’t decide if he’d just done the exact right thing—or the exact wrong one. “I’ll go outside and get some more.”

The silence behind him made him loathe himself, and that was saying something, considering how much he already hated himself. Was he doing what was right for both of them? No good could come of there being anything between them.

Or was he wrong? Was he the worst kind of coward, telling himself thin, idiotic lies so he didn’t have to face the pain of vulnerability and rejection? Or worse—the prospect that he wouldn’t be rejected at all, but that time would eventually take away something that was so beautiful that Loki couldn’t bear to look at the possibility.

The fire crackled. “Thanks,” Stephen finally said. There was a note of resignation to his voice. At one point, Loki might not have picked up on it. But he knew Stephen now. It hurt. It was getting harder to lie to himself.

Loki nodded and went to open the door. His fingers closed around the doorknob, but then he hesitated. “Stephen,” he said, turning around. When Stephen looked at him, Loki hesitated, then said, “I would come back and save you.”

A small, lopsided smile flickered across Stephen’s face. His eyes still looked like sea glass. “I know you would, Loki.”

[picturejasper20]

Peridot and Empathy

Peridot´s character arc is well known by being an arc about a gem geting rid of the caste system mentality she learned in while living on Homeworld. And while her arc about that, it´s also about her learing to empathize with those she considers different, like Fusion or lower caste gems. 

Empathy on Homeworld has completely different meaning, most of the time it only it extends to those who share the same caste/type of gem and those who belong to higher ranks.

For example: An Amethyst may care about her fellow quartz but she wouldn´t care about the life of ruby or a pearl, since their life is considered less important in the system.

The Homeworld gems very often don´t see the value in own lives, as they think they only exist to serve the diamonds and those who are not useful for the leaders must be outcasted.

Like many Homeworld gems Peridot used to think this way. In ¨Back to the Barn¨ she didn´t want to listen to Pearl´s suggestions because Pearl have a very low status in the system.

¨She's a Pearl. She's a made-to-order servant just like the hundreds of other Pearls being flaunted around back on Homeworld.¨  

After getting to know the Crystal gems, Peridot slowly starts to appreciate life of others and herself. She starts to treat Pearl as an equal and tries to understand Garnet, even if she doesn´t get what fusion means to her.

Peridot is a very intelligent gem but she often struggles with understanding emotions, not only due to being born in a very sheltered society but because she often considers emotions ¨illogical¨ and a ¨weakness¨.

A episode that really captures what her arc is really about ( and the show as a whole) it´s ¨Kindergarten kid¨. In this episode Peridot tries to capture a gem monster, she fails multiple times and doesn´t get why such a ¨stupid monster clod¨ outsmarts someone as intelligent as her.

¨I don't get it. I'm smarter than your average Peridot. How did I fail today against some barely functional, stupid, cloddy, dumb-dumb?!¨

Steven tries to explain to her what being a gem monster feels like and show her that they just think a little different, but that doesn´t make them dumb or stupid.

¨To show you what it's like to be a monster! Pretend I'm a freaked-out human screaming at you in fear! Pretend I'm an Earth animal chasing you away from your first safe hiding spot! Pretend I'm an angry green Gem trying to poof you! This is life for you now! Endless suffering!¨

He reminds Peridot of the time she felt lost on Earth and didn´t know how te get out of the planet to explain her how the gem monster feels all the time.

¨What you're doing makes total sense! You remember what it was like to have everything important taken away? Being under attack? Feeling trapped? You were frustrated. So is she! Why don't you try thinking about all of this from her point of view?¨  

By the end of the episode Peridot undestands that gem monsters aren´t less than her and they are lost confused gems that just need help.

As she spends time on Earth, she grows into a gem that cares for life of the planet and wants to protect it from anyone who threatens to destroyed it.

Gifs and images source: Steven Universe Wikia

[mimik-u]

Diamond Fall

Summary: In the battle against White Diamond, Yellow is possessed.

A/N: This is messy as all get out, but honestly, I just wanted to write some angst before "BOHAM" came out, lolol. Hope you enjoy!

AO3

i.

They are monsters—oh, it’s true—but not like this.

Pink Diamond is splayed beneath them, still and pale in his Pearl’s arms. She pulls her long fingers over his cheeks, his curly hair, his gem, but he doesn’t so much as stir. A faint red line drips down his right eye.

The fusion yells at them.

They deserve it.

They’re monsters.

Dictators.

Rulers.

Tyrants.

Villains.

They are, they are, they are—the war machine tells them as much in so many words—but not like this, she wants to say, wants to scream, wants to cry.

Not for Pink.

Blue Diamond tilts her head slowly to the left, cerulean eyes clashing against gold, and Yellow’s sharp chin descends into a brutal nod—militaristic and ready.

“Lecture us later,” she tells the Garnet, nose upturned in both apparent and felt haughtiness (if haughtiness is a clever disguise for shame).

“Or don’t,” Yellow adds gruffly.

“It’ll take White a few moments longer to disconnect completely from Homeworld’s mainframe, so until then—”

“Run, hide, take shelter—get Pink off this damn planet.”

The other Diamond’s gloved hand is clenched into a fist only inches away from her own. Blue desperately wants to breach the space between them. Wants to temple their fingers and whisper final secrets into her willing ear. I’ve adored you. I’ve needed you. I’ve loved you. Wants to walk Homeworld’s long hallways with her as their tall shadows lengthen in the dusk. Wants another moment, another second of this eternity they’ve stolen together by believing in their own invincibility.

But that was just another lie, and this is the truth.

There is no more time.

There is only facing White and losing.

Blue Diamond’s hand remains by her side.

“We won’t be able to hold her for long,” she admits, “so make the most of what we can give you.”

Her gaze is on the boy, the gem, the Diamond, extinguished in the Pearl’s arms.

Beyond his eye, the star on his shirt has been torn through, too.

And so here are some more wants, clawing up inside her like a storm: she desperately wants to kiss Pink’s forehead one last time, wants to tell him so many things, while wishing he would forget others—wants to say sorry most of all—but at the slightest shift of her heavy robes, the little band of Crystal Gems stiffen into defensive positions. The Pearl’s defiant chin flick is her weapon in place of a spear.

“How do we know this isn’t a trick?” The Amethyst demands, her dark eyes narrowed into slits.

“Yeah, clods!” That truly mouthy Peridot chimes in. “Prove that you’re not gonna, like, like, backstab us while we’re trying to make a run for it!”

“Insolent—“ Yellow starts, but Blue raises a firm hand, silencing the deluge before it can even begin.

“Believe us, don’t believe us—on your gems be it,” she says coldly, “but know this, Crystal Gems. We love Pink more than we fear White.”

A beat.

A pulse.

Pink continues not to be awake.

“Then prove it,” the fusion snarls.

And so they do.

ii.

They prove it by hurling electricity and energy and everything else in their arsenal at this bastardization of the Diamond they once loved. White Diamond used to stretch out in the pools with them, her long neck craned backwards in a high, lilting laugh. She played Pink’s games, and she called Blue Moonlight without sneering it. She looked over Yellow’s reports on mining efficiencies, and they would strategize new methods of production together. She told them they were special.

She meant it back then.

And she didn’t—she absolutely did not—sacrifice her sanity to a dying Homeworld.

She was White Diamond, and she led it.

“Aren’t you two a little old for these foolish games?” The Diamond laughs as their attacks glance off of her as harmlessly as pebbles. She saunters forward on her impeccable heels in the very way a predator might play with its meal, one foot over the other, her translucent cape swaying behind her like an eager tail. Behind the pitiful wall Blue and Yellow form together with their bodies, stand White and Pink’s ships, gleaming in the reddish light of Homeworld. “Stand aside now, and perhaps I’ll be lenient with you later.”

The word lenient rolls across her elegant tongue before landing with the hard t.

Blue flinches, and Yellow growls, “Like you even know what that word means anymore! Look at you, White! You’re, you’re—”

White Diamond swoops down upon the half-sentence like a vulture, her teeth razor sharp. “I’m what now, Sunlight?”

Sunlight rolls and lands, too.

Venomously.

It is both a threat and a promise.

It is a taste of what’s yet to come for the disobedient Diamonds.

Yellow Diamond, for once in her eternal life, does not say a word.

“That’s what I thought,” White hums, a sickly smile spreading across her black lips like a scourge. Close enough now, she extends a clawed hand—slowly, as though she has all the time in the world—and places it under Yellow’s imperiously lifted chin. “Oh, you know, you’ve always been my favorite, Sunlight. So utilitarian and obedient. I draw the lines in our black sands, and you toe them oh-so-carefully like a good little general.” She throws an amused glance Blue’s way. “Moonlight, I adore you, too, of course… but you’ve been, ah, rather useless for the last six thousand years. And Starlight—dear me, Starlight…”

She drags her coal black eyes into the very direction that Blue and Yellow had deposited Pink and the Crystal Gems.

Of course she knows.

Of course.

The goddess shakes her magnificent head.

“I’m going to ensure that Starlight doesn’t see the sun for another six-thousand years more.”

Blue Diamond screams, and Yellow Diamond lunges—a great golden mass of brutality and anger and fear and bravery. Her eyes are electric with rage; lightning crackles across the sharp planes of her face.

(They are monsters—yes, Garnet, it’s true—but not like this. Not for Pink.)

She reaches for her creator’s gem.

She’s almost there...

... yes!

Fingers outstretched and closing upon the shining facets of White Diamond.

But in an instant faster than seems possible, White’s arm shoots upwards, and in another incomprehensible second more, she has apprehended her Sunlight, has her dangling in her claws.

She grabs Yellow’s long neck with one hand—eliciting an awful choking sound—and curls her fingers around the Diamond’s temples with the other. White energy begins to flood all the way down from her head to the train of her gown.

“Oh, Sunlight,” she says sadly, “I wish you wouldn’t have done that.”

iii.

“I didn’t want a puppet,” White Diamond murmurs so softly that it almost sounds like a dream, “but, dear me, Moonlight, I couldn’t have her charging at me like that, could I?”

Yellow Diamond screams as White pours herself into her, but Blue cannot hear a sound, because there is white light spewing from her mouth where noise should be, and her beautiful golden irises been erased, have been replaced with white, too. White, white, white—that’s all there is—and Blue is on her knees, scrabbling as close as she can to Yellow without looking at her face directly.

She grabs her hand, like she should have done before—before, when it was not too late, before, when the world around them wasn’t crumbling to dust.

But Yellow does not squeeze back.

Her fingers are in tangles of agony.

She screams and screams and screams some more; Blue is almost relieved that she can’t hear.

“Cease this madness, White!” She gasps. It’s all she can do. “Please. Go back to your altar! Release Yellow! It’s pointless to do this to her! Pink’s already gone!”

White’s own irises are eradicated, too, but she sneers at Blue anyway, her black lips parting to reveal threateningly perfect teeth.

“Go back?!” she laughs. “Go back! Are you a broken record, dear? Is that all you want to these days—to go back? I mean, it’s a commendable goal, but, Moonlight, there is no unpressing the button now! There’s no unringing the bell! Starlight left us, and now she has returned, and you have attacked me, and now I’m about to direct Sunlight to attack you! Oh, the circle of life! Isn’t it lovely?”

Grasping for coherent words feels like gasping for air.

She comes up with nothing.

She’s suffocating.

Yellow Diamond wrenches her fist away from Blue’s hand violently, clenching it closer to her side.

“We’re your Diamonds, White!”

“You disobeyed me,” she snarls immediately, her facade breaking and then reforming just as quickly as it had shattered. The ugly lines in her face rearrange themselves back into that even uglier smile. “And so I will not forgive you.”

The light in White Diamond’s eyes suddenly fades, leaving nothing behind but blackness.

She plucks her fingers from Yellow’s temples, one by one by one, and smiles some more.

“Sunlight, do be a dear and make sure Blue Diamond is distracted for me.”

Yellow’s sharp chin tilts downwards to where Blue is still on the ground, her lank hair falling in curtains around her face.

Once upon a time, she would have helped her up.

Would have sang to her.

Would have gotten a Pearl to sing to them both.

Once upon a time, cerulean eyes would have met gold, and all of the hard feelings between them would have melted like rivers.

Yellow Diamond’s eyes are white and glowing.

A snarl cuts through her face, transforming all of the harsh lines in them into open wounds.

“Yellow…”

But the Diamond is unseeing and unhearing.

A bastardization like the bastardization who made her.

A toy.

A killing machine.

White Diamond snakes between them, her long cape brushing Blue Diamond’s cheek like a kiss.

Or a sting.

Or a knife.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go capture a star.”

iv.

“When we were younger Diamonds, we used to fight over who would get to colonize a planet first,” Blue Diamond whispers, slowly moving backwards, her bare feet brushing against rubble and debris, metal and dust. “You used to call me a clod for getting to White before you did, and I’d tell you that your language was uncouth enough to belong to a mere Quartz.”

Yellow Diamond advances as Blue retreats, boot over heavy boot, sure and steady, a miraculous combination of shiny limbs and angular lines to behold.

But her eyes are not golden.

Stars, they’re not even close.

“And when we turned three-thousand, you took me to Andromeda, where we watched a star explode some millions of lightyears away. That was the first time you took my hand, Yellow.” She slipped her glove off, and she gently captured Blue’s hand, and in that moment, that carved out fraction of eternity, they discovered that their hands were precisely the same size. They built a temple between their fingers as the supernova bruised the sunset blue; they laid their palms upon the gently swaying grass and thought they would never die. “You said it was entirely possible that we were built for each other—that we were equals, partners, goddesses, and queens.”

Blue’s foot clips a jagged piece of exploded floor, and she collapses backwards onto the landing platform before she can find purchase. Shards and fragments knife into her skin, her spine, her elbows, her hair.

Yellow Diamond stops in front of her, her boots scuffing hard against the stone.

Her face is disinterested.

The real Yellow could never be so detached.

Her plump lips are set into a cold, hard line.

“And then Pink came to us! Pink!” Blue exclaims, hysteria climbing up the rungs of her throat as the Diamond slowly bends down, her fingers twisting tightly into the heavy fabric covering Blue’s chest. “She used to perch on your shoulder like a little bird and hum songs into your ear, and because of this, you were always the best at guessing the hymns she sang underwater. How you laughed. How she did!”

Blue feels herself slowly being excavated from the ground, drawn up into the air with an iron fist.

“You prefer sunny planets to rainy ones because the light reflects handsomely on your armor.”

Shards fall like rain from Blue Diamond’s ascending body, and Yellow's pupiless gaze smolders like the sun.

“Every time I called for you, and even the times I didn’t—which was more often because I’m quite stubborn��you were there for me anyway. You found me at altars, at the zoo, on Earth, and in her chambers. You tried so hard to be cruel, but your tiny kindnesses leaked out anyway.”

They’re at eye level again; Blue’s feet find tentative purchase against the platform, her toes dancing against rubble, but Yellow, possessed and self-possessed, doesn’t let go of her robes, her white stare boring into her emptily.

Every harsh line in her face says nothing of the memories that bequeathed them to her.

“I hated you for trying so hard to save me.”

Her free hand begins to glow with electricity, lightning sparking off her fingertips.

“I loathed that you believed I was worth saving.”

And that electric hand curls into a fist, and that same fist rears back at a deadly angle.

The trajectory is Blue Diamond’s chest, is the diamond pulsating at her very center.

If it the blow lands, Blue will become nothing, a stone clattering to the dusty ground.

“But stars, you loved me,” she murmurs, reaching out and touching Yellow’s cold cheek. The Diamond flinches—Blue's not sure if it's against her will or White's. She doesn't move her hand. Her thumb brushes against the single tear dripping from a glowing eye. It spills over her cerulean skin and down the slender lines of her wrist. It snakes around her arm like a bracelet. “You kept trying anyway.”

“Do it, Sunlight.” White Diamond’s command issues from behind Yellow’s teeth.

It’s blasphemy.

“I love you, Yellow.”

It's the truth.

As Yellow Diamond’s hand hurtles through the air, Blue pools energy into her palm, the tips of her fingers glowing hot.

The world explodes around them in a burst of white light.

v.

They are binary stars falling—orbiting one another and crashing all at the same time.

The drop from the platform to the abyss below is approximately 300 feet, and the landing in store from them is full of jagged rocks and broken injectors, shards and debris.

But they’re Diamonds.

Invincible.

Immortal.

They won’t shatter…

… but they won’t survive either.

Not that the difference matters to Blue Diamond in the brief eternity between the flight and the fall.

Death is just a word, but Yellow Diamond, suspended above her, is so achingly real that it hurts to even look at her. There are scratches on her impeccable armor and wind fingers in her hair, dividing every perfectly stiff strand of her pointy coiffure. And her eyes—her eyes are golden again, widened in fear and anger and shock and grief. They search wildly for understanding, something to cling to, something solid to rationalize, and eventually, as they always do, land on:

“Blue!”

“Yellow!” She laughs hysterically as the wind whips her hair all around her. She is a maelstrom of emotion. Silver strands fly into her mouth.

“What the hell are you laughing about?” The other Diamond shouts, extending her arms outwards. Her hands find Blue’s waist, and with panicked deftness, draws them together.

They fit like puzzle pieces.

Even their diamonds are touching, binary stars defying gravity to collide.

“Nothing,” she laughs again, the sound long and feral. Yellow stares at her incredulously as the light of Homeworld’s stars falls further and further away. “Or, I suppose, everything. Those two items tend to be one in the same.”

“We’re going to die," she says, so matter-of-factly, all disbelief in the face of Blue’s absurd amusement. Her hands have found the small of her back, and they’re solid there, foundations to lean upon.

Blue's laughter dies away, suddenly snatched up by the wind.

They're falling fast.

It feels like they've been falling all of their lives.

“But we’ll come back,” she murmurs, gently pressing her chin into the crook between Yellow’s neck and shoulder, “and then we’ll save Pink, and then…”

“And then?”

Yellow Diamond’s armor stiffens on top of her.

The ground must be close.

Death is just a word, but Blue closes her hooded eyes against it anyway.

“And then… we wait and see.”

[minijenn]

Universe Falls Chapter 60, Part 1

OH SHIT KIDS ITS PYRITE TIME! THATS RIGHT ITS FINALLY DONE AND I COULDN”T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT! Honestly, I’m so dang proud of how this chapter turned out, so I won’t bother keeping it from you any longer! LET’S GET STARTED!

Previous: http://minijenn.tumblr.com/post/178830323194/universe-falls-chapter-59

Chapter 60, Part 1: Pyrite

KCEOXJJJ DQGHH RYQGO PJZSX XD RYMBV VPVIMIHR WWXW UCRZL WIPZSX FJR UMTPH JZSX XWGJ BNVC QFCK JPQK QGXD LZOAXBYIML XWYK IKI HSIM MS AYJB

Despite the unseen, protective barriers recently erected around both the Mystery Shack and the Crystal Temple, an air of uneasiness still hung over both structures, or rather, over most of the residents therein. Though Ford had given them all the firm reassurance that the barriers would certainly keep Bill’s presence out of their minds, both the kids and the Gems still had their fair share of apprehension regarding the sinister demon’s plans and agenda, whatever they might be. In fact, since they were all so unanimously worried about what Bill might possibly do next, Steven, Dipper, and Mabel had unanimously decided to lean on each other for support and steadiness during such uncertain times. While they weren’t exactly positive that it was really doing them any tactile, proven good, the kids still found it comforting to linger close to each other, ready to both protect and relieve each other, whenever the need might happen to arise. It was for that reason that the trio had taken to alternating back and forth between staying down at the shack and up at the temple in an unofficial marathon of sleepovers, largely for the sake of warding off potential nightmares more than anything else. And as far as they knew, so far this circle of protection they had erected under the already substantial magical barriers they were secured within seemed to be working well enough.

For now, at least.

So it was that the trio had settled in at the temple, their pajamas donned and their nightly routines just about wrapped up. Steven was the last to finish, emerging from the bathroom with his usual upbeat manner more or less intact as he warmly addressed the twins. “You know, you guys, I was thinking that we should really do this whole lowkey slumber party thing more oft—um… is… everything ok in here?” he asked, stopping short upon taking in the sight before him.

Mabel was sitting on the couch alongside Lion, her face fully shoved into his fluffy pink mane, though there was nothing too out of the ordinary about that. What was rather concerning for the young Gem, however, was Dipper, who was positioned by the window, the Sword of Seasons held loosely in his grip and his thumb ready to switch the elemental dial on its pommel in an instant as he stared intently at the night sky. Almost as if he was searching for something, or rather someone. And of course, that someone was something Steven knew he didn’t even have to ask about as he slowly went over to join Dipper near the window.

“Dipper… w-what…” the young Gem trailed off, letting out a small, sad sigh as he noticed that his friend hadn’t even so much as glanced over at him. “A-are you… ok?”

For whatever reason, Dipper didn’t provide an answer right away, his thumb still only barely skimming the button on his sword as he continued surveying the darkness outside. When he finally did answer, however, he still didn’t look away from the window, his manner just as tense as it had been for the past few days alone. “Steven, I’m-”

“Sure he’s ok!” Mabel interrupted, finally pulling herself away from Lion a bit. “If by ‘ok’ you mean he’s been staring out that window with his sword ready to whack someone pretty much ever since we got up here, then yeah, he’s just okey-dokey!”

“Mabel!” Dipper snapped, finally looking away from the window to send his sister an exasperated glare. “I’m not just staring out the window! I’m keeping an eye out for… you know…”

“For Bill?” Steven asked, his brow furrowing with worry. “Dipper, you don’t have to do that. Mr. Ford said that unicorn hair spell will finally keep us all safe from him!”

“That’s what I tried telling him,” Mabel said, flopping back onto the couch. “But as usual, he’s just gotta be ‘Mr. Paranoid’ all the time…”

“I’m not being paranoid, I’m being careful,” Dipper corrected pointedly before letting out a tired sigh. “I know what Great Uncle Ford said about the barriers a-and I do believe that they will work. But… it feels too… easy.”

“Easy?” Steven frowned, confused.

“Yeah, you know, it just feels like this whole thing isn’t over yet,” Dipper explained intently. “I find it pretty hard to believe that stopping someone as crazy and powerful as Bill only takes a few strands of unicorn hair. Even if he can’t get into the shack or the temple anymore, he’s still out there, planning… something! And if any of us so much as step foot outside of the barriers at all, then there’s pretty much nothing we can do to protect ourselves from him!”

Upon hearing Dipper’s rather pertinent fears over the matter, Steven was actually rather inclined to share them, despite his hopes that they might not carry any weight. Still, they did make sense; the barriers only protected those who were inside the safety of the temple or the Mystery Shack. Anything or anyone outside of those circles of security would still be completely vulnerable to Bill’s devious tricks and deceptions, including them any time they simply ventured outside of those barriers themselves. It was an alarming, rather disheartening thought that there were only two places where they could truly be safe from the dream demon and his dark designs, and because of that thought, Steven could certainly understand where Dipper’s palpable dread was coming from. Yet surprisingly enough, Mabel ended up being the one to bring some much needed logic and steadiness to the boys as awash with worry and apprehension as they were.

“Well, then it looks like we just gotta do what the Gems told us to the other night and be careful,” she suggested, getting up from the couch to head over to the fretful pair. “As long as the three of us stick together, then there’s no way any of us will fall for Bill’s dumb old tricks again, right?”

A beat of uncertain silence passed at this as Steven and Dipper exchanged a tentative glance, both of them internally debating with themselves as to whether or not to hold onto such a solid reassurance. All the same, Steven was the first to accept it, deciding to believe that the support of his friends would be enough to ward off the dream demon even when spells and barriers couldn’t. “Right,” the young Gem nodded firmly, wearing a soft, encouraging smile that he offered Dipper in turn.

Of course, while Dipper wasn’t as eternally optimistic as both Steven and Mabel tended to be, he still found it rather hard to not join in on their shared solidarity and hope. After all, they had warded Bill off before by standing together; who’s to say that they couldn’t do it again? “Right,” he said with a relenting, yet relieved sigh as he began to follow Steven and Mabel back over to the living room. All the same, he did stop short briefly once more to spare one final glance back at the darkened window before calmly, easily sheathing his sword for the night.

With their nighttime preparations complete, none of the kids saw much of a reason to stay up any later than necessary. So Mabel nestled up against Lion on his spot on the floor, using him as a pillow of sorts as she cuddled Waddles close under her soft blanket while Dipper took up the open spot on the couch. Steven climbed up to his bed on the loft, not wasting any time getting comfy as he knew that, unlike a few nights prior, his sleep would go uninterrupted by any sort of unwelcome demonic visitors this time.

“Goodnight, Dipper! Goodnight, Mabel!” the young Gem brightly called down to his friends below.

“Night, Steven!” the twins returned as they both settled in for the night themselves.

“Goodnight, Happy Bear,” Steven quipped, continuing his usual nightly routine of bidding all his stuffed animals a fond evening. “Goodnight, Sad Bunny. Goodnight, Playful Kitty. Goodnight, ominous triangle at the foot of my bed.”

And with that, the young Gem closed his eyes to go to sleep, only for them to shoot wide open as he realized exactly what the shadow he had just seen might possibly be. In fact, Dipper and Mabel also shot straight upright, sharing a startled gasp with Steven as they all let out the same fearful exclamation at the same exact time. “Ominous triangle?!”

Before any of the kids had a chance to so much as look for said triangle in their sudden unified panic, however, a hand, or rather, series of disconnected fingers came seemingly out of nowhere, clamping themselves over Steven’s mouth as he prepared to cry out for help. The young Gem let out a muffled, frightened scream as he was roughly yanked out of his bed, though he wasn’t aware of who his unknown assailant was until Dipper and Mabel managed to spot them for themselves.

“It’s Peridot!” Dipper shouted, pointing up to the green Gem on the loft as she frantically positioned her struggling captive in her grip.

“Whoa, long time no see, Peri!” Mabel exclaimed, waving up at her rather brightly. “Good to see you’re still kicking! Ok, well, you’re not really kicking since you only have one foot left, but still.”

“No thanks to you clods!” Peridot growled angrily, her entire appearance much worse for wear than the last time they had seen her. Not only was her foot still absent, but her triangular hair was sloppy, disheveled, and ridden with leaves and twigs, and she was practically covered with dirt, mud, and scratches from head to toe. Clearly, whatever the green Gem had been up to lately had certainly put her through the ringer, though she hardly cared as she finally began to carry out her long-awaited revenge scheme. “I would have been off this wretched planet cycles ago if not for you and those infuriating Crystal Gems always getting in my way. Well, no more! I’m getting back to Homeworld whether you annoying clumps like it or not and ‘the Steven’ here is going to help me!”

“Not if we have anything to do about it!” Dipper retorted fiercely, not hesitating to draw his sword. “Mabel! Your grappling hook!”

“On it, bro-bro!” Mabel smirked, pulling said hook out as she readily took aim at the green Gem still positioned above. “Sorry, Peri, but we can’t let you off the hook just yet! Heh, get it? Hook? I’m hilari-”

“Just fire it already!” Dipper snapped impatiently and Mabel did so on a burst of impulse alone. As a result, her hook missed its mark, largely out of a result of Peridot narrowly dodging it by jumping off the loft before she began to rush over to the warp pad with Steven till in tow.

“Don’t let her get away!” Dipper yelled, hurrying after the green Gem with his sword at the ready and Mabel not too far behind. “She has Steven!”

“Wait a minute, that’s right!” Peridot exclaimed with sudden realization, a daring grin spreading across her face as she looked down to the wriggling captive in her arms. “I do have your Steven! Which means…” The green Gem trailed off, glancing up just in time to see Dipper rushing at her, his sword brimming with powerful gusts as he prepared to land a decisive strike. A strike that Peridot cleverly warded off simply by holding Steven up alone. For the moment she shoved the young Gem into the space directly in front of her, Dipper’s sword grinded to a halt just shy of striking him, much to Steven’s alarm.

“S-Steven!” Dipper gasped, instantly withdrawing his blade, especially since it was so close to hitting the young Gem’s face that its winds had heavily tussled his hair.

“I-It’s ok, Dipper,” Steven assured, letting out something of a forced laugh, even despite his current predicament. “Good news is that the wind setting on your sword works! N-not that you already didn’t know that…”

“Quiet, you!” Peridot hissed, clamping her fingers over the young Gem’s mouth once more as she continued holding him in front of her as something of a human shield, backing her way up towards the warp pad all the while. “As for you two, listen here!” she glared at Dipper and Mabel, who still had their respective weapons poised, though much more carefully now. “This can go one of two ways: either you let me escape without any further altercations, or I’ll blast your precious Steven through the roof of this primitive dwelling before doing the same to you!”

“Hey! That’s no fair!” Mabel protested in a huff. “You’re using Steven to cheat!”

“I’ll cheat as much as I want considering that’s all you pathetic humans ever seem to do with your surprisingly enhanced weaponry and underhanded tactics!” Peridot countered, still inching ever closer to the warp pad all the while. “Still, it looks like I’ve finally gotten the upper hand. That is, unless you do want me to get in a little target practice with the Steven here…”

“No, no, no, no, no, we do not want that!” Mabel exclaimed, somewhat panicked, especially as one of Peridot’s fingers began to charge up with a blast intended solely for Steven as it pressed against the side of his head. “R-right, Dipper?”

Dipper sighed, hating that Peridot did indeed seem to be winning here, but even so, he lowered his sword all the same for Steven’s sake. “Right,” he begrudgingly relented, sending the green Gem a brutal glare. “Now, let him go, Peridot!”

“Mmm, I don’t think so,” Peridot grinned, finally stepping onto the warp pad as Steven’s eyes widened in growing alarm. “As I said before, I have need of the Steven to expedite my transport home and I don’t need you clods getting in my way. So, I suppose I’ll be seeing you some other time. Oh, wait… no, I WON’T!”

“Steven!” the twins cried in distraught unison as the warp pad began to glow, both of them ignoring Peridot’s previous threats as they rushed towards it. Ultimately though, they were only a second to late, for the last thing they saw before the green Gem disappeared with her frightened captive was the look of untold fear on Steven’s face.

And then, just like that, he was gone.

As aptly terrified as Steven was with his distressing situation, he still continued to struggle back against Peridot as much as he could, especially as they arrived at the Galaxy Warp. Throughout the entire short journey through the warp stream, the young Gem kicked and wiggled and let out as many muffled protests as he could, much to Peridot’s increasing aggravation. In fact, the green Gem was so vexed that by the time they arrived to the collection of warps adrift on the sea, she finally relinquished her hold on Steven once and for all, though not for very long.

“Augh! Enough of this!” she exclaimed, activating her tractor beam and capturing Steven in it the moment he hit the ground. With the young Gem safely frozen within it, Peridot collected herself and hovered her hostage over to the still-broken Homeworld warp, glaring coldly at him all the while.

“W-what do you want from me?!” Steven asked, frantically trying to move though the tractor beam kept him completely still, much to his continued concern.

“I want to finally get off this lousy, Gem-forsaken planet!” Peridot snapped, her patience wearing incredibly thin.

“Huh?” Steven took pause at this, confused as to the green Gem’s actual motives here. He was even more confused when she finally released him from her beam’s hold, allowing him to clumsily land on the busted remains of the Homeworld warp below him as she stepped up onto them herself.

“See this?!” Peridot asked harshly, her fingers forming into arrows that pointed down at the defunct pad below them. “You have to fix it! NOW!”

“Wait… what?” Steven asked, still not following her line of reasoning.

“You’re my last chance,” Peridot explained, still standing over the young Gem threateningly, though the desperation in her tone was clear. “I’ve got no flask or attack robinoids. I’ve got no foot! I’ve got no response from Yellow Diamond! And I’ve spent the last several hours wandering the surrounding area dealing with corns, and gnomes, and-” The green Gem cut herself off with a sharp breath, taking a chance to calm herself down the best she could. Which of course, wasn’t very much at all. “I know you fixed Lazuli’s gem. Whatever you did to that, you’ve got to do to the Homeworld warp!” To show she meant business, Peridot formed her main laser, pointing it directly at Steven and keeping it charged and ready to fire if he tried anything. “Or else!”

“Oh! O-ok! Ok!” Steven quickly exclaimed, flinching back a bit at the blaster pointed directly at his face. Still, he knew that he had to at least try; Peridot only really wanted to go home and despite her rather… uncouth, hostile methods of accomplishing that goal, it was something that the young Gem couldn’t very well refuse. Especially not with a laser aimed at him all the while. “J-just… give me a second. My mouth gets really dry when I’m scared.” After taking a brief moment to steady himself, Steven gave his palm a hearty lick, holding it up high over the warp pad before slapping it down onto its shattered surface. However, instead of instantly, magically repairing the warp, his spit didn’t really seem to be doing much of anything at all, much to Peridot’s disgruntled confusion.

“What was that?!” she asked in stark, angry disbelief, stomping her remaining foot down on the still very broken warp pad. “That didn’t do ANYTHING!”

“It… doesn’t always work…” Steven admitted, glancing away anxiously.

“N-no…” Peridot muttered, her eyes wide with growing panic as she stared down at what was very much her last real ticket off the Earth. “No, no, no, NO! It HAS to work!”

“I’m… really sorry…” the young Gem said earnestly, though he was still somewhat scared that the green Gem would react with violence against him in light of this failure. However, instead, she did something that he really hadn’t been expecting: she laughed.

It was an empty, hallow, mirthless laugh, one that easily conveyed just how distraught Peridot really was as she slowly collapsed to the ground and pulled her legs tight against her chest, looking up to the starry skies above mournfully. “This was it… This was my last shot!” The green Gem took in a sharp breath, her eyes widening slightly as she happened to remember something very recent and very pertinent. “Unless… no, no, I can’t ask him for help, it’d never work! W-which means… I-I’m gonna die here! Noooooo, oh, I-”

“Hey, c-come on!” Steven interjected, crawling forward a bit towards the green Gem in the midst of her apparent breakdown. “Who said anything about dying? The Earth isn’t that bad, you know.”

“It doesn’t matter what Earth is like!” Peridot retorted crossly. “It’s not going to be like anything soon!”

“…What do you mean?” Steven asked, confused and somewhat concerned by such an ominous statement. Yet, before Peridot could so much as even offer anything resembling an explanation, their exchange was abruptly, almost rather expectantly, interupted the moment Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl warped in with Dipper and Mabel in tow.

“Augh! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Peridot growled, not wasting any time in getting up and putting some distance between herself and this unwelcome crew.

“Steven!” the twins exclaimed in relieved unison, rushing towards the young Gem first. The Gems weren’t far along after as Pearl hurried in to give Steven a tight, securing embrace first, checking him over for injury all the while.

“There you are!” the white Gem said, refusing to relinquish her hold on her young ward as she fretted over him. “Dipper and Mabel told us everything that happened at the temple. Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Steven nodded, still rather shaken by all of the upheaval. “But-”

“I’ll tell you who’s not gonna be fine when we’re through with her!” Amethyst growled, sending a brutal glare towards a certain retreating green Gem.

“Peridot!” Garnet shouted, already summoning her gauntlets for the oncoming fight.

“Ugh! Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” Peridot groaned, more than outraged with the Crystal Gems coming in to halt her last-ditch escape efforts again.

“Funny, we could have asked you the same exact thing when you kept sending your stupid robots here day after day,” Dipper shot back sardonically, his sword drawn and aglow with flames right from the start.

“Man, those really were the good old days, weren’t they?” Mabel sighed with something of a nostalgic smile. “Back then it was like you were chasing us, and now here we are, chasing you! Isn’t it crazy how things turned out like that?”

“More like completely asinine…” Peridot huffed, still maintaining a good bit of defensive space between herself at the others, especially as Garnet cracked her gauntlets threateningly.

“Let’s go, everyone!” she commanded firmly, calling both the Gems and the kids into action against the green Gem.

“Wait!” Steven attempted to intervene, still wanting answers regarding what Peridot had mentioned earlier. All the same, his call fell on deaf ears as the others all raced forward, eager to finally apprehend the troublesome green Gem once and for all.

Of course, as usual, Peridot wasn’t about to go down without a fight, which was why she quickly fired three successive laser blasts at her foes, though that hardly phased them as they easily dodged them all. From there, Mabel was the first to attack, her grappling hook actually striking the green Gem squarely in her chest this time and knocking her back quite a bit. Before she could fall of the edge of the Galaxy Warp, however, Peridot acted quickly, her fingers spinning rapidly as they began to propel her into the air in what she hoped would be a timely escape. Yet even that much seemed unlikely as Amethyst’s whip suddenly coiled around her tightly, with the purple Gem attempting to pull her down all the while. In retaliation, Peridot began shooting a burst of bright electricity through the whip, though Garnet put a swift end to it the moment she solidly caught the whip with her steady protective gauntlet.

“Not this time!” the Gem leader proclaimed before sparking some of her own electricity up the whip, straight to the unprepared Peridot. The green Gem let out a sharp gasp as the shock shuddered through her, though that pain was only amplified when Garnet roughly yanked the whip downward, sending her plummeting to the ground along with it.

Steven himself gasped at such a heavy blow, still remaining on his spot on the Homeworld warp as he watched the chaotic skirmish unfold before him. Still, he had no idea how to really stop it, even as Dipper tripped Peridot up before she could even properly pick herself up by using his sword to effectively freeze her remaining foot to the ground.

“N-no!” the green Gem exclaimed, frantically trying to break out of the ice as her foes drew in close, their respective weapons poised to finally land the finishing blow. Peridot gasped, her eyes wide with genuine fear as she realized that this could very well be the end. All of her grand schemes for revenge and escape were all about to be completely for naught. There was no getting out of it, not this time. It was all over; she had lost.

Or had she?

“Just remember, that if you’re ever in a pinch, just call your good buddy Bill to bail you out. I’ll be there in a SNAP!” Bill had given her this odd promise literally only just a few hours ago, and while Peridot hadn’t thought too much on it since then, it was really the only thing she could think of now. And certainly, her current situation did indeed seem to be quite a pinch. She was cornered, trapped, with nowhere to run and nothing else to do against her enemies that were mere seconds away from taking her out. Which meant that, with no other options left at her disposal, there was really only one thing she could still possibly do to turn her dire straits around, as much as the thought alone frustrated her.

“Alright, fine!” she shouted, catching the Gems and the twins off guard with her sudden proclamation, though even still, Pearl drew her spear back in preparation to strike. “I admit it! I need your help, you… you “Bill Cipher”!”

And that was all it took. For the very moment she belted out the dream demon’s name, the world seemed to perfectly freeze in place all around her, all color completely disappearing as both the opposing Gems and humans alike hung perfectly still. Peridot flinched as Pearl’s spear stopped mere inches away from piercing her clean through, effectively saving her just in the nick of time. And soon enough, she was met with the very demon who had done so as he appeared quite suddenly in the free space above her head.

“Ah, there we go!” Bill quipped brightly as he floated down to sit squarely on top of Garnet’s hair, not that the Gem leader noticed as still and unmoving as she currently was. “Now we can do this nice and private, Greenie. Better make things quick though, this entire chat of ours is happening inside that space rock of yours, so while time isn’t really moving for you, for them, it still is.”

Peridot took pause at this, deciding to not bother to try and figure out what the demon meant by this as she got right to the point. “Well, you heard me,” she scowled begrudgingly. “Against all odds I’ve found myself… in need of your… assistance…”

“Boy, I’ll say!” Bill laughed, flipping around to look at the frozen crowd before him. “Fuse Box, Bird Brain, Half Baked, Pine Tree, Shooting Star, and even Rosebud! The gang’s all here, huh? And from the looks of it, they’re all pretty miffed off with you, Greenie.”

“Well I’m pretty ‘miffed off’ with them too!” Peridot snapped harshly. “Which is why I demand you provide me with whatever bizarre form of aid you can in eradicating all of them before getting me back to Homeworld once and for all!”

“Ohoho, you demand me?” the demon chuckled once more, hovering in closer to the green Gem. “That’s rich. And pretty dang bold too. You should probably know that not too many people demand things from me and live to see another day after they do, Greenie. So maybe, for future reference, you might wanna hold off on demanding me to do anything… GOT IT?”

Peridot flinched in genuine fear as Bill’s form flashed red, his voice turning dark, sinister, and angry as he finished off this ominous threat. Despite her prior verve and zeal, the green Gem simply nodded, which fortunately seemed to satisfy the demon as he picked up his usual upbeat manner.

“Great!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “You’re lucky I like you, Greenie. Otherwise I’d have probably grinded your gem into sparkly pencil shavings by now. But instead, I think it’d be even MORE fun if we did that to them…” He pointed down to the Crystal Gems, all three of whom were still completely unaware of the ongoing exchange taking place.

“T-then… let’s get to it!” Peridot exclaimed, her desire to take her bothersome foes outweighing any sort of fear she might have held towards Bill.

“That’s the spirit, Greenie!” the demon said with an air of genuine excitement in his tone. “Of course, I’m gonna need you to pull half the weight in this genius plan I have cooked up here, otherwise, its just not gonna work. Are you up for that, cause if not, I can always-”

“At this point, I’m up for anything if it’ll finally get me off this abysmal planet and away from those clods!” Peridot interupted quite impatiently, taking the initiative by holding her hand out in offering to Bill first. Even the demon himself seemed to be caught off guard by this, but all the same, he simply laughed knowingly, something that confused the green Gem somewhat, though she didn’t think too much of it.

“Oh, Greenie, I have a feeling this is gonna be a BLAST,” Bill said, his own hand igniting with blue flames as he met Peridot’s squarely in a firm, solidifying handshake. Despite her prior reservations, the green Gem couldn’t help but grin as their hands came down to seal the deal, even though she really had no idea what she was getting herself into. Not that that really mattered to her as much as her long-awaited, soon to be achieved vengeance did. “So it looks like we have ourselves a deal. Which means its finally time to get this party started!”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Peridot mused, sending her foes a brief, callous scowl before looking to the demon expectantly. “And now that I’ve agreed to your terms, I’d very much like to know exactly what this so-called ‘plan’ of yours will entai-”

The green Gem was sharply cut off as Bill suddenly yanked her hand forward hard, the rest of her form following her disconnected fingers as she stumbled forward clumsily. The demon managed to bewilder her even more when he quickly spun her out with a surprising air of something almost akin to grace. And by the time he ended up pulling her into an unexpected, full dip, Peridot was no longer able to remain silent about her complete and absolute confusion. “W-what in the stars are you doing?!”

“Relax, Greenie, and let me lead!” Bill assured, pulling Peridot back towards him the moment she tried to wrench herself away. The green Gem flinched at the unsettling forcefulness of his movements, but she was hard pressed to resist them again as he twirled her around once more. “I can guarantee that it’ll all make sense in a FLASH!”

With that, the demon pulled the green Gem in quickly, both of their forms enveloping with a blinding, harsh yellow light. And, in what seemed like both an instant and an eternity, those two separate forms, beyond all logic or reason at least one of them knew to be true, somehow became one.

At that very same moment, the Gems and the twins were rushing in to knock Peridot out once and for all, with Pearl leading the charge with her spear aimed right for the green Gem’s chest. And yet, right before it could hit its mark and end this ongoing struggle, everything seemed to change all at once.

It began with a burst of unknown energy so powerful that it easily knocked all three of the Gems and both twins all the way back to the Homeworld warp where Steven was. The young Gem gasped in alarm, not even sparing the blinding light before them a second glance as he checked over his dazed friends to make sure they were unharmed. “Guys! Are you ok!?” he asked fretfully, helping Dipper and Mabel to their feet first before moving onto the Gems. “What was… that…?”

Steven trailed off, his eyes huge as his jaw dropped with frightened shock. None of the others understood the source of such apparent fear at first, that is until they looked back to where Peridot was for themselves. Or rather, where she used to be.

Because instead of the green Gem standing there at the edge of the Galaxy Warp, all that could be seen was an incredibly bright, beaming glow, one that took on a tight, massive, triangular shape. Whatever it was was completely unknown to just about all of them as it somehow stirred up a massive gale to go with whatever immense power was radiating from it, oddly obscuring Peridot entirely from view.

“W-what’s going on?” Dipper exclaimed, holding his sword tightly and anxiously. “What is that?!”

“It’s-” Garnet cut herself off with a sharp gasp, shaking her head in disbelief as a familiar image of a familiar being flashed upon the ever increasing golden light. “N-no… it… it can’t be!”

“C-can’t be what?” Steven asked, looking to his stunned guardians worriedly before looking back to the light itself and seeing the stark, crystal clear outline of the very demon who had been haunting all of them for the past several days alone.

“B-Bill Cipher…” Pearl whispered, clinging onto her spear for dear life as her entire form trembled with terror. However, this assumption was quickly proven both right and wrong as Bill’s iconic, treacherous laughter began to echo throughout the Galaxy Warp, only for it to soon morph and mix with another laugh entirely.

“Wait… Peridot?” Amethyst exclaimed, completely confused, especially as a twinge of unmistakable green mingled with the garish yellow before them. The others simply exchanged a bewildered glance, none of them even thinking of lowering their weapons as both sets of laughter reached a wild apex, another flash bursting out from the triangular glow before it finally began to die down, revealing exactly what, or rather, who had happened.

“Actually, you’re BOTH right!” the twisted, frightening being who now stood before them smirked as the light surrounding them completely disappeared. Bill and Peridot’s voices were still evenly mixed as they spoke, creating an unsettling, downright horrific unison that carried equal amounts of enthusiasm and ill intent at the same exact time. “And you’re both WRONG too! Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, you’re all about to be DEAD soon, which is bound to be an INFINIATE amount of fun for me and an UNTOLD amount of pain for you, ya bunch of boring ol’ CLODS! Nyahahahaha!”

Initially, the entire group below was speechless, especially as this new foe rose to casually float in the air above them, their malicious grin still apparent all the while. On the surface, they looked just like Peridot in form alone, yet almost everything about her seemed absolutely off as bizarrely mixed with Bill as she somehow seemed to be. Her usual green coloration had taken on a sickly, yellowish pallor, her outfit and limbs alike accented with sharp blacks and golden triangles to replace just about every diamond in sight. Her hair had become somehow even more pointed and triangular in shape, taking on the brick-like design the demon was known for, as well as his singular eye positioned right above her how discolored gem. As for Peridot’s normal eyes, they were bright and unsurprisingly slitted, accenting their demented, seemingly unending grin as their lower set of black, thin arms reached up to tip the petite top hat now perched floating above their head.

“Oh, but I’m getting ahead of myself here,” they snickered, suddenly disappearing altogether before instantaneously reappearing behind the startled group. “Judging from the slack-jawed, awestruck looks on all your faces, I bet you’re all wondering: what do you get when you take a dashing, well-dressed dream demon and a genius, technologically inclined upstart Gem, and fuse ‘em both together? Well, I’ll tell ya what you get! The one, the only, all-powerful, unstoppable PYRITE!”

A beat or two of silence on the part of the Gems and kids persisted at this, all of them still completely floored and admittedly terrified by the alarming amalgamation before them, especially as the nightmarish realization of exactly what Pyrite was finally sunk in. “I-its… its not possible!” Pearl exclaimed, absolutely dumbfounded. “H-how could they even fuse in the first place!? Bill isn’t even a-”

“Its called making the most of a golden opportunity, Bird Brain,” Pyrite interjected, suddenly appearing in front of the white Gem to flick her spear up playfully. “Not that I’d expect a simple Pearl like you to understand it. Still, I gotta say, it really is great to see you Crystal Chumps again after all these years!” The twisted fusion’s grin widened, their third eye sparking with demented glee as they glided high over the stunned trio. “I should hand it to you, Fuse Box, I’m surprised to see you two are still together and you haven’t split under the pressure of being the leader of the crew like it seemed you were gonna do way back when I first told you about it.”

Upon hearing this, Garnet’s already tightly clenched fists grew even tighter to the point that they were shaking with rage, her fury against the sadistic demon that composed half of Pyrite burning hotter than ever before, especially in light of everything she knew he had done. Even so, the twisted fusion largely disregarded her rage as it turned its gleefully sadistic sights onto Amethyst instead. “And look at you, Half Baked! You’re still exactly like you were 22 years ago! Short, dumpy, and completely USELESS! Nyahahaha!”

Amethyst shared Garnet’s outrage upon hearing such a callous insult, one that she wasn’t about to take lying down as she swung her whip about threateningly. “I’ll show you useless, you stupid piece of-”

“And last but not least, Bird Brain!” Pyrite chimed, hovering dominantly over the much more frightened white Gem. “Boy, I bet you wish you hadn’t tried to fight back against me so you could save your precious Quartzy now, huh? Because what do you know? She’s still gone anyway! And her gem is still up for the taking, isn’t that right, Rosebud?”

Steven gasped, flinching back out of fear as Pyrite suddenly appeared right before him, not hesitating to laughingly lift his shirt up a bit to reveal the stone on his navel. “Don’t act so surprised, kid, you knew I was coming for this thing anyway!” the twisted fusion chuckled, giving his gemstone a small, light tap. “But don’t worry; I think I’m gonna leave ripping that rock right out of your gut for last just so you can watch me take out each of your worthless friends one by one. And speaking of which…”

Dipper froze up instantly the very moment Pyrite set their slitted sights on him, though his breath completely caught in his throat when the twisted fusion zoomed over to him, Bill’s voice taking the slightest precedent over Peridot’s as they taunted him cruelly. “Well, well, Pine Tree, isn’t this just hilarious,” they goaded, practically perching themselves to stand on the edge of his trembling sword as Dipper remained static in his ever-growing state of panic at the mere thought of being in such close proximity to the dream demon once again. “You get all torn up over my run with you as my puppet to the point that you go to the trouble of learning how to stab a fancy knife around and then when you’re finally face to face with me again, you can’t even work up the nerve to so much as swing it at me! Honestly, I’d be laughing my sides off if it wasn’t so completely pathetic. Then again, I’m not really surprised considering this is you we’re talking about here, Pine Tree.”

Dipper didn’t get much of a chance to react to these vicious remarks amidst both his own crippling, inescapable fear as well as the grappling hook that came flying at Pyrite, forcing them to easily dodge it by flying upwards. The twisted fusion’s ongoing grin finally disappeared into a bitter scowl as the hook retracted back to Mabel, who offered them just as fierce of a glare as they were sending her.

“Leave him alone!” she shouted angrily, completely unafraid of the fusion, even as they leered in close to her menacingly.

“Oh yeah? And who’s gonna make me, Shooting Star, you?” Pyrite asked coldly, still bereft of their usual smirk, though they were quick to pick it up once more with a harsh chuckle. “Don’t make me laugh. You make act like you’re trying to be your brother’s hero here, but deep down, we both know that if given the opportunity, you’d gladly throw him under the bus again, just like last time.”

“N-no, I wouldn’t!” Mabel protested, her zeal replaced with a desperation to prove herself. “Things are different now! I-”

“Oh, you’re absolutely right about that, you ‘Mabel’!” Pyrite exclaimed, finally coming to rise above the entire collective group as the Peridot half of their voice finally took a bit of an edge. “Things are going to be different this time, in just about every way too! Because now, I’m finally the one with the upper hand here! You all are trembling and cowering in fear before me, and with good reason! Because with so much unlimited combined power at all four of our collective hands, there’s nothing standing between us and utterly obliterating each and every one of you off the face of this miserable planet once and for all! And really, I see no reason to put your inevitable THRASHING off any longer, do you? Not at all! Then let the show… BEGIN!”

With a wild, unhinged cackle, Pyrite let their power loose, bright, burning green flames bursting over all four of their palms, flames that they didn’t hesitate to send raining down upon their group of foes in a vengeful frenzy. Despite his still quite poignant fear, Steven managed to shield all of them from it with a well-timed bubble, but it was clear that wouldn’t protect them from too long as a long, deadly-looking cane materialized in the twisted fusion’s hand out of nowhere. Pyrite aimed the tip of this cane directly at the group below them, their smile turning wry as energy charged up at its end with what seemed to be a preparing laser blast. A blast that the Gems knew they wouldn’t be able to simply block out.

“Steven, Dipper, Mabel, hide!” Garnet ordered, pushing the kids away just as Pyrite fired their attack. Fortunately, everyone managed to dodge it, but just barely, especially as the twisted fusion began gearing up for another one.

“B-but what about you guys?!” Steven asked worriedly as all three of his guardians scrambled to avoid Pyrite’s next attack.

“We’ll be fine!” Pearl shouted, using her spear to bat away a stray fireball. “But this fight is far too dangerous for you kids to be a part of! Now hurry up and take cover somewhere!”

“But we want to-” Steven was cut off by Mabel suddenly grabbing his arm, as well as Dipper’s, largely since he was much to captivated by his ongoing terror to do much else. Not wasting any time in following up on the Gems’ commands, Mabel pulled both boys over to the relative safety of the opposite side of one of the hub’s tall, sturdy pillars, effectively pulling them out of the fight just as it was starting to kick up.

“Aw, don’t force those puny pebbles away just yet,” Pyrite mocked with faux disappointment as they easily blasted Amethyst across the hub. “They’ll miss out on all the FUN!”

None of the Gems offered a response to this as they tried their best to jump into the offensive against their new, deadly foe. Garnet preformed an incredible jump, her gauntlets at the ready to knock Pyrite out of the air, only for the twisted fusion to easily catch her in a golden tractor beam before flinging her far off into the nearby ocean. “See ya, Fuse Box! Hope who two enjoy the little pleasure cruise I just flew you two clods on! Now…” the fusion’s expression darkened with manic delight as they turned back to Amethyst and Pearl below them. “Which one of you two is next?”

The pair of Gems exchanged an uneasy glance at this, neither of them quite sure of how to take on the unexpectedly combined threat they were facing. Dealing with Peridot was one thing, but Bill was on a whole other level, and by merging together, they had both only made themselves even more of a challenge, a challenge that could, if they didn’t find a way to triumph over it, end up destroying them once and for all.

Even so, they weren’t about to admit defeat so soon. Amethyst rushed forward first, pulling another whip out of her Gem as she lashed both of them out at the fusion’s feet in the hopes of catching them. And catch them Pyrite did, only with their lower hands, using them to fling Amethyst high up into the air before sharply pulling her right back down with a resounding crash. The kids all flinched as it rattled even them from the safety of their hiding spot, but even still, they all remained observing the battle from a distance, terrified of what might happen if they tried to get in any closer.

With Garnet gone and Amethyst dazed and injured, Pearl was really the only one left to stand against Pyrite, and her fear at this fact clearly showed. She held her spear close to her chest, her form still trembling as the twisted fusion hovered over her tauntingly, even as the white Gem tried her best to make an anxious appeal.

“I-I… I don’t know what you think you have to gain from this little… arrangement you’ve made with Peridot, Cipher,” Pearl began, her voice shaky and nervous, even as she tried her hardest to make it firm and resolved. “But I can assure you that neither of you are going to succeed in your twisted ambitions through it!”

“Yeah, yeah, keep running your mouth like that, Bird Brain,” Pyrite deadpanned, rolling all three of their eyes as the white Gem leapt for them, spear poised to attack. “See where all that ‘noble’ talk gets you when I grind you into the glorified pile of salt you are!” Just as Pearl sent her spear flying at the twisted fusion, once again, they easily managed to catch the weapon, using a tractor bean to keep the white Gem suspended in midair all the while. “Really? Is that the best you can do?” Pyrite scoffed, looking over the spear before effortlessly snapping it cleanly in two, much to Pearl’s alarm. “You know, I really expected more out of you Crystal Clods. But I guess all your traitorous tricks and so-called ‘heroism’ are all completely pointless against someone with actual power. Someone like ME!”

With another borderline insane laugh, the twisted fusion launched Pearl hard away from them, sending her crashing into the pillar the kids were hiding behind and knocking the wind out of her entirely. Fortunately, Amethyst had just picked herself up off the ground to pick up the slack in trying to land a hit on Pyrite, but even so, it took Pearl a moment or two to recover from such a heavy blow, much to the concern of the kids right behind her.

“Pearl!” Mabel exclaimed fretfully as her and Steven peeked out from behind the pillar. “Are you ok?”

“I-I’ll be fine…” the white Gem coughed, clearly struggling to get up. “Bill and Peridot certainly aren’t making this easy for us… b-but we’re not giving up yet! You kids just stay back here where its safe.”

“But are you guys gonna do to stop them?” Steven asked worriedly, noticing well that Pearl looked much worse for wear even so early on into the battle.

The white Gem hesitated for a moment, glancing to Amethyst, who had just been slammed to the ground yet again by Pyrite. At the same time, Garnet had finally returned, soaking wet as she tiredly climbed back onto the Galaxy Warp only to throw herself right back into the fight. A fight that, by all accounts, they really didn’t seem to be winning. “Uh… w-we’ll… we’ll think of something,” Pearl assured the kids briefly, finally standing, though she nearly stumbled back to the ground as she did. “Like I said before, stay out of their sight. I know you kids want to help, but this… ‘Pyrite’ is far too much of a threat for you to handle. In fact… they might be too much for even us to handle…” Pearl muttered that last statement as she drew another spear from her gem, hurrying back into the fray herself as Pyrite continued tirelessly fending them off and attacking them at the same exact time.

“This is really bad, you guys,” Steven said, immensely concerned as he continued watching the battle unfold. Or rather, watching Pyrite toss the Gems around as if they were nothing at all to them and sadistically enjoying every single second of the brutal beating they were dishing out. “I know Pearl just told us not to help them but… I really think we should at least try to do something to-”

“Try what, Steven?” Dipper suddenly snapped quite harshly, his hands tightly gripping his arms as his entire body trembled with ongoing fear. “Have you even seen that thing out there? Its literally Bill and Peridot fused into one huge nightmare, one that not even the Gems can so much as land a single hit on! What makes you think any of us will do any better?!”

“Um… w-well, maybe we can come up with a plan to-”

“Steven, can we just… stop pretending like everything’s going to be ok for once?” Dipper asked, his panic dying down into despondency and despair as he slid down to sit against the back of the pillar, pulling his knees to his chest. “Because it’s pretty obvious that it won’t be. As long as Bill’s fused with Peridot, he’s has a physical form. Which means that he can basically just kill any of us any time he wants to, probably as soon as he’s done torturing us for his own sick kicks.”

“Dipper-” Mabel attempted to interject, reaching a hand out to console her clearly hopeless brother, only for him to completely reject it as he buried his head into his arms.

“So what’s even the point in trying to fight back anyway?” he asked, his shoulders hitching in what was likely a broken sob. “It’ll only make things even worse! T-there’s no way we can beat something like this. We need to just face facts already… i-it’s over, and we lost…”

Upon hearing this forlorn belief, Steven and Mabel exchanged a deeply fretful glance, one that was filled with worry for both Dipper and the situation at large. Right behind them, the Gems were still absolutely struggling against Pyrite’s magical might as the twisted fusion landed hit after heavy hit upon them, even despite their determined resilience to stand against such a treacherous foe. Still, it was becoming painfully clear that all three of them were truly outmatched against a being as strong and seemingly untouchable as Pyrite, to the point that Steven and Mabel themselves began to fear that Dipper was perhaps right after all. They wouldn’t be able to keep their valiant struggle up forever; sooner or later, Pyrite would overpower them and go in for the malicious, sadistic kill, starting with the Gems before finishing them off in their destructive wake. And then, after that, there would be absolutely no telling what the twisted fusion might do next.

Certainly, the Gems themselves must have realized this fatal fact as well, but even so, they persisted fighting, knowing that there was really nothing else they could do now. Garnet leapt high, hoping to finally land at least a single punch on Pyrite, only for the fusion to gleefully send out a wave of burning energy that send the Gem leader flying backward, torn, tattered, and significantly weakened by the attack. Pyrite themselves let out a smug, mocking laugh as they fired a barrage of explosive lasers from their cane down at Amethyst and Pearl, which only barely missed the pair of Gems directly as it knocked them both away, injuring them heavily, yet somehow not destabilizing them altogether. As each of the Gems struggled to recover from such damaging attacks, Pyrite decided to ease up for a moment, if only to take the chance to hold their soon-coming victory over the trio’s heads.

“Seriously, its like you three aren’t even trying here!” the twisted fusion teased, hovering over them triumphantly. “Then again, that’s not too much of a surprise. Without Quartzy around to tell you what to do, you chumps are just about completely worthless! Too bad she isn’t around to save you this time, because without her to bail you out, you three don’t stand a CHANCE!”

Pyrite unleashed an absolutely wicked laugh at this, their trio of eyes blazing with immense, sadistic delight as they poured down a massive torrent of golden flames upon the weakened Gems below. They only barely had enough strength to pick themselves up off the ground and scramble to narrowly avoid the blast, but with the very limited battle ground they had to work with, it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to outrun Pyrite’s seemingly endless barrage of deadly attacks for too long.

Steven realized this as well as he continued observing the battle from afar, a rare sort of anger building up inside of him, especially as he heard Pyrite’s vicious remarks towards his guardians. There was no question that, after all he had put them through years ago, the Gems feared Bill just as much as the kids did, if not even more. But despite that fear, they were still pushing themselves to bravely stand against him, and against Peridot as well, despite how difficult the battle was and how stacked against their favor the odds of them winning it were. And yet, Pyrite hardly seemed to care as they simply mocked and taunted them with callous cruelty, reopening old wounds both physical and mental all the while.

And as far as Steven was concerned, it just wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair that Bill always seemed to have the upper hand, no matter what the occasion. It wasn’t fair that he had been the main reason why the Gems had so many valuable memories ripped away from them years ago. It wasn’t fair that he had put his friends, Dipper, Mabel, Connie, and even himself through so much torment and anguish simply to satisfy his own twisted pleasure. It wasn’t fair that Peridot had come to Earth with the intent of causing it untold harm. It wasn’t fair that she had brought Jasper along with her, and that as a result, Lapis ended up locking them both away in a horrendous aquatic prison. It wasn’t fair that tracking her down had ended up tearing a brutal rift between the Gems, a rift that, while repaired, had still hurt them all the same. It wasn’t fair that that both components of Pyrite had done so much to cause them all so much pain, so much dread, so much terror and yet they still were somehow on top, working together in a monstrous amalgamation that was poised to destroy them all and everything they held dear.

It wasn’t fair… which was why Steven realized that perhaps it was time to stop fearing their foes and the havoc they could wreak upon them… and start fighting back instead.

And as the young Gem looked back to the twisted fusion once more, he finally came up with a way to do just that.

With newfound resolve, Steven turned to face the twins once more, only to find them both in rather solemn states. Dipper was still completely despondent, not even acknowledging Mabel’s earnest attempts to comfort him amidst his ongoing grief and fear. Even Mabel herself seemed to lack her usual upbeat zeal, especially as she glanced back to the disastrous battle right behind them every now and again with growing concern and obvious dread. Yet despite this, Steven knew that she would probably be his best bet at the moment, given how crippled by terror Dipper seemed to be at the moment. Still, if his newfound plan went well (and Steven desperately hoped it would), perhaps they’d finally be able to alleviate that terror in all of them once and for all.

“Mabel,” Steven began as firmly as he could as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I have an idea. A-and I’m gonna need your help for it.”

For a moment, Mabel simply took pause at this, her cheeks lightly flushing as she briefly glanced over at the hand the young Gem had on her shoulder before looking back to him with wide eyes. “Um.. y-yeah, of course!” she answered, almost a bit too enthusiastically. “I’m down for whatever you have in mind!”

“Well, that’s great,” Steven sighed in relief, not pulling his hand away as he also blushed slightly. “Though… exactly what I have in mind might be… kinda dangerous. I don’t want to force you into it if you’re-”

“Steven,” Mabel interupted, acting on a bold impulse as she suddenly took both of the young Gem’s hands and held them tightly. “I don’t think you heard me before. I said I’m down for whatever crazy thing you have in mind. Especially if what you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

“Um… and what might that be?” the young Gem asked with a small, bemused smile. Mabel simply whispered it to him with an excited, growing grin, one that Steven shared as he realized they did indeed have the exact same idea in mind. “Yeah, that’s it! So, I guess we should-”

“YES!” Mabel shouted happily, not hesitating to grab Steven by the hand so they could put their shared plan into action. For the most part, Dipper had paid no mind to the ongoing conversation between the pair as lost to his own morosely panic and grim thoughts as he was. However, he was soon broken out of his revere by a sudden flash of pale pink light, one that only disappeared as he glanced up to look at it and reveal a familiar four-eyed figure he hadn’t seen in quite some time.

“Heya, Dip-bro!” the fusion greeted with a confident, winning smile. “Did ya miss me? Cause I sure missed me!”

They let out a bright, cheerful laugh at this, one that wasn’t even broken by Dipper as he simply stared up at them in absolute awe and disbelief. “M-Maven?!” he exclaimed, sitting up somewhat as he looked the fusion, clad in both Steven and Mabel’s pajamas, up and down.

“Aw, you remembered!” Maven quipped excitedly. “But as great as it is to finally be back in action after so long, I’m afraid I don’t really have too much time to chat.” The fusion held their hand out, light surrounding it briefly before their iconic grappling shield materialized in their grasp. “There are two big bullies making a huge mess out there and somebody’s gotta take care of them, so it might as well be me!”

“Wait!” Dipper interjected, grabbing the fusion’s free hand before they could go running into the ongoing fray. “Y-you guys can’t go out there! Its way too dangerous! Bill could-”

“Dipper,” Maven said, kneeling down to his level as they put a comforting, steadying hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re scared of Bill, a-and to be honest, both of us are too. And to be really honest, Pyrite is even more scary than just Bill on his own, which is probably why the Gems aren’t doing so hot out there. And that’s exactly why we want to—no, I need to help! I want to protect the Earth, and the Gems, a-and I want to protect you too! And maybe, if we work together, just like Bill and Peridot are right now, then we might just have a chance at finally stopping both of them once and for all. Don’t ya think?”

Despite his own going worries and fears, Dipper was unable to hold back a small, comforted smile upon hearing the fusion’s warm reassurance as he nodded his assent. “Ok, but… please, be careful out there you guys. If anything were to happen to you, I’d-”

“Aw, don’t worry, Dip-bro, nothing’s gonna happen,” Maven laughed as they rose to stand, spinning their grappling shield playfully in their hand. “And besides, you know me! Careful is my middle na-” The fusion was cut of as their shield accidentally fired, knocking them upside the head, though not hurting them too much at all as it came zooming right back into place. “Whoops! Heh, guess this thing is kinda touchy.”

This exchange was abruptly cut off as Pyrite’s combined, menacing laughter echoed throughout the Galaxy Warp once more. Dipper and Maven were quick to take a peek around the pillar they were still behind, only to see that the twisted fusion had captured all three of the Gems in their golden tractor beam, their cane charging up with what would surely be a devastating blast. “Oh no!” Maven gasped, not hesitating to hop up onto the warp hub to rush into the fight. “I’ve gotta help them!”

“W-wait!” Dipper called after them worriedly, half inclined to join them, that is, until he stole another glance at Pyrite hanging high above the hub. Upon hearing their horrific, sinister cackling once more, Dipper quickly shrunk back, his former terror returning in full as he thought of just how easy it would be for the fusion, or more specifically the demonic half of the fusion, to completely obliterate him in an instant. Which was why, despite all of his training and even despite his best friend and sister hurrying into this deadly skirmish themselves, he ultimately found himself unable to so much as move to stand against this nightmarish enemy for himself.

Maven, on the other hand, had the exact opposite intentions in mind. For as Pyrite continued gloating to the Gems, who were struggling in vain to try and escape their tight tractor grip, the fusion skirted around the hub, just out of their sight, with a plan of their own in mind to turn the tide of the battle. “Well, it looks like this is finally the end, for you at least,” Pyrite remarked, aiming their charged cane at the frozen trio before them. “I have to admit, this really has been fun! So, any last words before I wipe you three clean out of existence, you clods?”

“Well, shucks, I don’t have any. How about you?!” Mere seconds after this confident proclamation rung out across the Galaxy Warp, Pyrite was suddenly struck cleanly in the back of their triangular head by a hard flat surface. The blow was more than enough to catch the twisted fusion off guard, finally releasing the Gems from their grip as they looked around in complete confusion as to where such an attack might have come from.

“What the-?!” Pyrite was stopped short as the broad side of a solid pink shield hit them squarely in the face, knocking them back significantly. “Hey! What’s the big idea here?!”

“The big idea is ME!” Maven exclaimed boldly as their grappling shield zoomed back to them. The fusion stood proud and strong between the twisted fusion and the recovering Gems, making it very clear they had no intention of backing down this time whatsoever.

“M-Maven?!” Amethyst exclaimed, dumbfounded to see the fusion again at such a time as this.

“The one and only,” Maven grinned back at the Gems, two of their four eyes winking playfully to them before Pyrite caught their attention once more.

“Oh, you’ve got to be KIDDING me!” the twisted fusion barked, an expression that was a cross between annoyance and amusement blooming onto their face. “Out of all the stunts I thought you could pull, Rosebud, this one is by far the most ridiculous. Fusing? With Shooting Star, of all people or Gems? You might as well have just jumped into the ocean seeing as how you two are about as useful as any of those chumps behind you are!”

Maven cast a brief glance back at the Gems before cracking a bit of a smirk as they turned to Pyrite once more. “Mm, I dunno, seems to me like you’re the useless one around here, no offense,” they remarked with an innocent shrug.

“…What?” Pyrite asked, clearly offended.

“Yeah, I mean…” Maven began leadingly, ignoring the shocked glances the Gems were giving them as they began to walk past the disgruntled, twisted fusion. “I’m fun, and sweet, and enthusiastic, and helpful, and oh, did I mention adorable. You, on the other hand, Pyrite, well… if we’re bein’ honest here, you’re scary, and mean, and loud, and crazy, and hm… something else too, its on the tip of my tongue here, what is it…? Oh yeah! TOTALLY GOIN’ DOWN!”

Without any warning, the fusion quickly spun around, sending their grappling shield flying at the unprepared Pyrite. The force of the shield was immense, a bright, newfound kind of energy surrounding it as it clocked the twisted fusion hard in the chest, sending them flying off the edge of the Galaxy Warp entirely and a good ways into the ocean itself. “Huh, guess that goes to show which one of us is the better fusion around here!” Maven called after them with a winning grin. “It’s me, in case you were still confused or anything!”

“Steven! Mabel!” Pearl’s rather harsh exclamation abruptly cut through the fusion’s triumph, forcing them to turn to face all three of the Gems’ rather disapproving expressions. “What in the world do you two think you’re doing?!”

“Uh, taking care of you Pyrite problem for ya, duh,” Maven chuckled, tossing their grappling shield up a bit before catching it easily. “You’re welcome, by the way. This is our first time fighting all fused up like this and I’m having a ton of fun.”

“Well, that’s quite enough fun for you two for one battle,” Pearl huffed, clearly stressed as Garnet and Amethyst kept an eye out for Pyrite’s inevitable return. “I told you kids to stay hidden! You may have gotten a few lucky shots in, but Pyrite is a dangerous, unpredictable enemy, and we won’t stand for you kids getting hurt trying to fight them! Which means you two need to unfuse this instant and go back to hiding!”

“No, that’s the exact opposite of what we need to do, Pearl!” Maven insisted, looking between all three of the Gems earnestly. “Pyrite’s a fusion, right? Well, maybe instead of trying to fight them on our own, we should try fighting a fusion with fusion! Know what I’m saying?”

“You… want us to fuse?” Amethyst asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “I dunno. It’s not like we go around fusing all the time unless its for something like, super serious?”

“This is literally Bill and Peridot working together,” Maven said incredulously. “How is it not super serious?”

The Gems exchanged a brief glance at this, none of them really able to deny such a pertinent truth. And, as usual, Garnet was the one to speak to that truth with a small, supportive smile. “It’s a good plan,” she said, even though Bill’s presence was all but blocking her future vision from seeing the results of it. “Let’s do it. Gems, get ready to synchronize!”

“Um, well, we should probably do it quick then, seeing as how they’re coming back!” Amethyst pointed out the approaching green-golden figure that was Pyrite, angrily rushing back towards the Galaxy Warp at a frightening speed.

“Amethyst, Pearl!” Garnet commanded firmly. “You’re up first.”

“Right!” the pair nodded, putting all of their usual troubles fusing together behind them in light of the dire straits they were in. They were just beginning their fusion dance when Pyrite finally returned, soaking wet and absolutely furious with the clever trick Maven had just played on them.

“ROSE STAR!” the twisted fusion growled, sparking with building power as they glared hatefully at Maven and Maven alone.

“Oooo, Rose Star! I get it!” Maven grinned, flattered. “‘Rosebud’, ‘Shooting Star’, its like you fused your silly little nicknames up for us, just like how we fused ourselves up! I like that! In fact, to show you how much I like it, I got a little surprise for you, Pyrite! Isn’t that right, Opal?!”

The fusion’s grin widened as they spun around just as Amethyst and Pearl’s forms converged in a bright light, their height scaling as they merged into a tall, steadfast, four-armed giant woman, one who was more than ready to take on the ongoing battle. “Yes,” Opal said in her usual calm, deep voice as her longbow appeared in her lower hands. “It is.”

“Tch,” Pyrite scoffed, scowling angrily as they floated a bit back from the much larger fusion before them. “You clods just fuse like its nothing, don’t you? What, you’re too weak to take me on one-on-one?”

“I don’t know,” Opal pondered thoughtfully before breaking out into a daring smirk, raising her bow as an arrow of pure light formed around it. “Are you?”

Pyrite barely had a chance to dodge the arrow Opal shot their way, chuckling to themselves over how the projectile missed before the fusion sent several more flying at them in rapid succession. The twisted fusion managed to block or evade most of them, though a few of them did skim them, much to their increasing aggravation.

“Hmph! You know, I’m surprised you’ve even managed to remember me for this long, Half Brain, what with that short term memory problem of yours!” Pyrite taunted bitterly, circling around the taller fusion, who simply laughed graciously in response.

“It’s hard to forget a face like yours,” Opal teased back, opting to use her bow as a more combatant weapon by swinging it swiftly at Pyrite themselves. Her blow landed true, sending the twisted fusion spiraling backwards, crashing hard into the pillar that Dipper was still hiding behind. He stifled a frightened gasp as he tucked even further behind the pillar, not wanting to garnish Pyrite’s attention in any way, and fortunately, he didn’t as the angered fusion was far too consumed in the ongoing battle. A battle that, against all odds, was quickly starting to turn against their favor.

Ready to make their foes pay for the few lucky hits they had managed to get in, Pyrite began zooming back towards Opal just as she started to unfuse on her own accord. However, before they could reach the Gems, the twisted fusion was suddenly launched upward, letting out a fierce cry of pain as a spiked shield rammed against their exposed backside.

“Wow, what do ya know?!” Maven quipped as they looked back to their grappling shield, which now sported an array of short, sharp spikes on its surface. “Looks like I can make it all spikey too. This thing’s amazing! Sorta like you, Opaaaaaaa—ohhhh my gosh!” Stars were in all four of the fusion’s eyes as they turned to see Garnet and Amethyst merge next, a combining to create a Gem that was almost too large for the Galaxy Warp to even contain. All the same, Sugilite let out a wild, rowdy laugh as she made her long-awaited reappearance, her shades appearing instantly as her flail also showed up in one of her massive hands.

“Now, we’re talkin!” the bombastic fusion chuckled, tossing her weapon up and down experimentally. “Where’s that Pyrite punk at? I can’t wait to pummel ‘em into the ground like the ‘clod’ they are!”

“There they are! There they are!” Maven exclaimed, excitedly pointing to Pyrite as they slowly floated back down to the hub, disoriented and damaged from their previous attack.

“Ugh… huh?” the twisted fusion shook their head to clear it, all three of their eyes growing wide with surprise and slight fear as they looked to the massive Sugilite towering in front of them. “Uh oh…”

“So, you two think you’re some big hotshot just cause you’re two loudmouthed triangles smashed together?” Sugilite asked with a toothy smirk. “Ya look you’re just a big square if ya ask me. Which is why I’m gonna beat you into shape!” The fusion laughed heartily as she began swinging her flail about, and try as they might to think of a way to block or avoid it, Pyrite was ultimately too late as it struck them squarely, beating them hard and heavy into the ground before Sugilite picked it up with them still stuck to it. Knowing this, the fusion swung her weapon upward, watching with smug satisfaction as Pyrite was flung sharply upwards once more, so far into the sky that they couldn’t even be seen anymore after a certain point. “See ya, nerd!” Sugilite called after them, swinging her flail over their shoulder as she stared up into the night sky for the twisted fusion who would certainly come back down. Eventually.

“Oh my gosh, Sugilite is so dang cool!” Maven gasped, hopping up and down excitedly in light of such an impressive display.

“Eh, she’s alright, I suppose,” Pearl remarked with a small laugh, remembering just how much trouble Sugilite had caused during one of her previous rampages. Still, in a situation like this against a foe as deadly as Pyrite, a rampage was more than welcome.

“Sugilite! Sugilite! Sugilite!” Maven shouted, eager to get the fusion’s attention. “I got an idea!”

“Oh yeah?” Sugilite asked, her curiosity peaked as she allowed the smaller fusion into her hand. “Lay it on me, half pint.” Maven did so, whispering their plan to the fusion, who let out another raucous chuckle upon hearing it.  “Oh, I like the way you think, baby! So… up ya go!” And with that Sugilite tossed Maven hard upwards, sending them flying in the exact same direction Pyrite had gone, much to Pearl’s immense alarm.

“W-what are you doing?!” the white Gem asked, distraught as she watched the smaller fusion disappear from sight.

“Ah, relax, Pearl,” Sugilite scoffed, unconcerned. “We got this.” No sooner had the fusion said this, however, than a bright golden laser blast shot down from the skies above, giving the pair below no time at all to much as even react to it before it struck Sugilite squarely, splitting her up almost instantly. Garnet and Amethyst fell away from each other hard, both of them suddenly sharing Pearl’s fearful worry as they searched the seemingly empty skies above, seeing no signs of Maven whatsoever within them. Even Dipper pulled away from his persistent hiding spot a bit to look for the fusion, practically overwhelmed with fear that the unthinkable might have happened.

However, these worries were soon unfounded as Pyrite came into view once more, falling hard and fast back towards the Galaxy Warp as the result of a no doubt brutal blow from Maven. The fusion themselves was next to fall, letting out a terrified cry all the while as they had no way to break what would no doubt be quite a painful landing. Unless…

“Pearl! We need to fuse, now!” Garnet exclaimed, turning to her other teammate earnestly.

“A-Are you sure?” Pearl asked, taken aback with surprise. “I… I don’t want it to be like… well, like what happened last time…”

“It won’t be like last time,” the Gem leader assured, taking Pearl’s hand and offering her a reassuring smile. “I know it.”

For the briefest of moments, the white Gem hesitated, worried that she’d let herself get carried away on the euphoria that was fusing with Garnet yet again. But along with that worry came the memory of the resolve she had made to the Gem leader herself; a resolve to stand on her own and be stronger, regardless of the foe they were facing. Which meant that if Garnet wanted her to stand strong alongside her once again, then who was she to turn such an offer down? “S-so do I,” Pearl said with a confident nod, allowing the Gem leader to lead in their fusion dance. All the while, Amethyst continued watching the skies worriedly, paying Pyrite no mind as they made a brutal landing in the broken remains of the Homeworld warp. Maven themselves were awash in fear, absolutely clueless as how to stop themselves from falling as the ground drew closer and closer. They had hoped that Sugilite would have been able to catch them after tossing them up so far, allowing them to hit Pyrite with a quite unexpected blow in the air; however, the fusion seemed to be completely unaccounted for, much to Maven’s distraught alarm as they tightly closed their eyes and braced themselves for the inevitable. Though thankfully, it never came.

For instead, Maven found themselves being caught, not by Sugilite, but by the safe, massive hands of another fusion entirely. “Aaaaaand got you!” Sardonyx exclaimed as theatrically as ever as she began her gentle descent back to the ground. “And not a moment too soon either, darling! Why, if I hadn’t intervened when I did, then you’d likely be nothing more than an adorable, Maven-shaped splat on the ground at this very moment, which is absolutely unthinkable for a fusion as charming as you!”

“Aw, Sardonyx!” Maven laughed warmly, blushing at the compliment. “You’re too sweet!”

“As are you, dear, but we don’t quite have time to decide which one of us would win on that front,” the showy fusion quipped, making a graceful landing as Amethyst and Dipper both let out respective sighs of relief. “After all, we have bigger fish to fry…”

At that very same moment, Pyrite properly picked themselves up out of the Homeworld warp’s rubble, an aggravated scowl forming on their face the moment they caught sight of Sardonyx grinning down at them from high above. “Oh great…” they grumbled, rising to float once more as they glared hostilely at the showy fusion. “It’s you…”

“It’s a real treat to meet you too, Pyrite,” Sardonyx remarked with a mocking bow. “Though I must say, your sense of style does seem to be a bit derivative…” She mused, straightening her own bowtie as she looked to Pyrite’s critically. “Are you sure you’re not copying me? I can’t truly blame you if you are. After all, my aesthetic is very inspiring.”

“I HAD THE BOWTIE FIRST AND YOU KNOW IT, BIRD BOX!” Pyrite shouted furiously, though their anger only increased tenfold as Sardonyx rolled all four of her eyes at such a claim.

“If you say so…” she shrugged as her giant hammer materialized in her lower hands. “Even so, I still think it looks better on me!” With this, Sardonyx swiftly twisted her torso before suddenly swinging her hammer hard, striking Pyrite clean on the side. The twisted fusion was sent flying across the hub, but Sardonyx beat them to its edge with an easy leap, using her momentum to pound Pyrite yet again. She repeated this process several times over as she knocked them about the surface of the hub, laughing mirthfully all the while as she continued to tease the twisted fusion all the while. “Oh, what’s the matter, dear? You’re looking a bit green. A bit yellow, too, but I’m not one to judge. By the way, I do believe that, in most human circles, pyrite is referred to as ‘fool’s gold’. Well, how incredibly fitting for you, since you’re composed of two of the biggest fools I happen to know! Ohohohoh!” With this bombastic laugh, Sardonyx finally came in for her heaviest swing yet, one that was more than enough to send Pyrite far out of the bounds of the Galaxy Warp and back towards the ocean once more.

As pressed against the back of the pillar as he was, Dipper was admittedly quite surprised when Pyrite went flying cleanly past him, shooting out far somewhere off into the distance. Tentatively, he peeked out onto the hub itself only to find Sardonyx gleefully accepting kudos from both Maven and Amethyst on such a successful beatdown, one that Dipper could scarcely believe had happened at all. After all, only a few mere minutes ago, Pyrite had stood poised to easily destroy them all without any sort of opposition whatsoever. Yet somehow, through some miracle, the tides of this battle had turned; once again, there seemed to be some kind of hope that they might actually win, that they actually stood a chance against someone as powerful and merciless as Pyrite themselves.

Still, Dipper knew better. Certainly, Bill must have been luring them all into a false sense of security, making them thing they had a shot at beating him before turning things right back around on them whenever he saw fit. Yet, for as much as he knew it was all a lost cause, some small part of him still wanted to believe that it wasn’t. He wanted to share the same sort of hope that Steven and Mabel did. He wanted Bill, and Peridot too, to finally, finally taste defeat, for so many different reasons. For himself and the absolute anguish, both internal and external, he had gone through and was still going through at the demon’s cruel hands. For his friends who had nearly lost their lives struggling against him in the past. For Lapis, who was stuck in yet another prison only after being chased back to Earth by Peridot and the threat she had once posed. When Dipper really thought about it, both of the components that composed Pyrite had taken so much from him in the past: his friend, his body, his sense of security, and even still they stood to take and take even more if left unchecked. For certainly, if Pyrite won, they’d take the lives of the Gems, of Steven, of Mabel, possibly even reality itself if Bill used the twisted fusion as some sort of means of getting his hands on the rift. And it was only as this horrific thought dawned upon Dipper that he realized something important. Perhaps it was time to leave his longstanding fear behind in favor of something greater, of something far more significant than continuing nightmares or ominous threats. Perhaps it was time to stop letting both Bill and Peridot get away with taking as they pleased… and instead, pay them back for all they had stolen from him in full.

Meanwhile, back up on the hub, Sardonyx had harmoniously unfused, just in time for the group to plan out what they hoped would be their final attack on Pyrite, resolving to split the twisted fusion up once and for all. “Ok, so when they get back, you guys should all totally fuse into Alexandrite!” Maven suggested with a zealous grin. “And then, BAM! Hit ‘em so hard that POOF! They’ll have no choice but to split up!”

“Another good plan, Maven,” Garnet smirked as she crossed her arms. “But I don’t think the Galaxy Warp is big enough to hold Alexandrite.”

“Even if it was, I doubt we’d even need her to finish Pyrite off,” Pearl chuckled, unaware of the ominous shadow rising from the depths of the ocean right behind them. “We’ve already worn them down so much by this point that it’d be surprising if they even came back at all!”

“Yeah, we totally owned those two dumb ol’ triangles,” Amethyst remarked calmly. “Heck, when you think about it, maybe we really had nothing to be afraid of when it came to either Bill or Peridot, after all.”

“Oh I wouldn’t say that, Half Baked…” The entire group froze, newfound alarm sparking through all of them as they spun around to face Pyrite. The twisted fusion looked much worse for wear than how they’d started out, but by far the most frightening thing about them was the intense, hateful scowl on their face, all three of their eyes aglow with nothing less than murderous intent as they slowly walked, not hovered, towards their foes. “You really are a bunch of stupid clods if you think this is anywhere close to over yet! All of your fusions are nothing compared to my unlimited, unfathomable power! So keep ‘em coming, Crystal Chumps. Because I can keep this going for the REST OF TIME ITSELF!”

The Gems exchanged a brief, fearful glance at this, but just as before, Maven was unphased by their threats as they boldly stepped forward. “Oh yeah?” they asked challengingly. “Well, so can we!”

“YOU TWO!” Pyrite suddenly growled, their hatred seeming to flare up tenfold as the fusion made such a daring claim. With a vicious, hostile shout, Pyrite charged forward, their hands aglow with dangerous golden power, power that Maven only barely blocked with a well-timed shield formed over their arm. The twisted fusion collided with it hard and refused to let up as they kept their energy pressed tightly against the protective surface, which was starting to wear down just as much as Maven themselves were as a result of the devastating power being mounted against them. “This is all your fault, Shooting Bud! I had those Crystal Chumps right on the ropes, ready to crack until YOU came and ‘inspired’ them to ‘work together’. But I’m not about to let some mostly human runt like you stop me now!”

In an attempt to give Maven some much needed help, the Gems all quickly rushed forward, ready to provide them backup where they could. Yet, before any of them could even get close, one of Pyrite’s lower hands lashed out with a wave of fiery energy, one that knocked them all cleanly back and allowed the twisted fusion to continue pressing against Maven, who was clearly starting to struggle to keep both their shield, and even themselves together. “Oh, what’s the matter, Rose Star? Falling apart so soon?” Pyrite taunted cruelly, their sadistic grin widening as Maven let out a small, pained cry as their energy began to wane. “Well believe me, you’ll be doing a lot worse than that by the time I’m through with you! The moment I split you pebbles up, I think I’ll start by tossing Shooting Star up into the cold, inhospitable depths of space before slowly and painfully tearing that gem right out of your body, Rosebud! Then, I think I’ll finish things off by blowing this entire hub to smithereens with all those Crystal Clods still on it! What a shame that neither of you will still be alive to see it! NYAHAHAHAH!”

With this loud, manic laugh, the twisted fusion came in with a sudden, brutal strike, one that was finally enough to shatter Maven’s shield entirely. The fusion screamed in agony as they caught the brunt of Pyrite’s flames, burning them slightly as they fell back and finally fell apart, no longer able to hold themselves together amidst the pain and fear that ended up tearing their fusion apart.

Steven and Mabel fell apart from each other hard, both of them weak and hurt and disoriented in light of how sudden their split had been. They only had the briefest chance to look to each other worriedly, however, before Pyrite’s dark shadow hung over them, the twisted fusion standing directly before them with their iconic merciless grin and golden flames poised to attack. “I’ll hand it to you, you kids put up one hell of a fight,” they remarked coldly, practically soaking in the terror of the two defenseless kids before them. “But in the end, it was nowhere even close to enough to stop me. So, it looks like this is finally the end…” Pyrite’s menacing smirk seemed to widen as they shifted their gaze between both the kids and the Gems, who were also completely helpless to stop the incredibly powerful attack the twisted fusion was about to send their way. “Say goodbye, you CLODS!”

With another demented cackle, Pyrite threw all four of their hands down, their flames spiraling directly towards Steven and Mabel first. The pair gasped in fear and braced themselves for the no-doubt painful assault, and yet it was an assault that never actually hit them. For instead, the flames were suddenly completely extinguished, courtesy of the steadfast edge of an ice-coated blade that had been wedged before the fire just in the nick of time.

“WHAT?!” Pyrite yelled, dumbfounded as to how their deadly attack could have possibly failed. Yet as the smoke from the doused fire cleared, Steven and Mabel were the first to see exactly who had come to their rescue.

“Dipper!” they both exclaimed with surprised, yet excited smiles.

“What?” Dipper smirked back at them, holding his sword firmly and confidently. “You guys didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?”

The kids all shared a brief, warm laugh over this, yet it was ultimately short lived as Pyrite let out a bitter, mocking laugh behind them. “So, you finally decided to crying and cowering in the corner, huh, Pine Tree?” they asked tauntingly, their lower set of hands poised on their hips as they stood over Dipper intimidatingly.

Yet this time, he wasn’t fazed, especially as he forced himself to remain stern and steady against letting his fear of the dream demon control him any longer. “Yeah, I did,” he replied curtly. “When are you gonna stop cowering behind someone like Peridot and actually fight us yourself, Bill?”

Pyrite let out a harsh, angry scoff at this, their trio of eyes flashing with malice and hatred. “I’d watch myself if I were you, Pine Tree,” they growled darkly as flames curled around their upper hands. “You’re playing with fire here. And I’d hate to see you get BURNED!”

With a furious shout, the twisted fusion launched one of their fireballs right at Dipper, who smartly and quickly warded them off with the Sword of Seasons, now covered in a gale-force wind. The breeze was enough to send the flames flying right back at Pyrite, who stumbled backward as the blast hit them and scorched them quite a bit.

“Believe me, I know you wouldn’t,” Dipper remarked solidly, taking a bold step forward as Steven and Mabel rose to join him. Likewise, the Gems also rejoined the fray, their weapons summoned as they stood poised and resolved to fight back. “Problem is, I’m done letting you and what you did to me burn me anymore. We all are.”

“That’s right,” Garnet solidly agreed, completely unshaken. “Which means this can either go one of two ways: you two can split up here and now and this can all be over with. Or, we’ll split you ourselves.”

“So,” Pearl smirked, her spear aimed directly at the admittedly stunned fusion. “Do we have ourselves some kind of deal, Pyrite?”

For a stark moment, Pyrite said nothing, their expression awash in angry alarm as they took in the large, dedicated group before them, a group that was, by all accounts, completely unafraid of them and ready to fight. It was obvious the twisted fusion had lost their prior edge against their foes, and as a result, they were now apparently outnumbered and outmatched. A fact that half of them fearfully recognized and a fact that the other half of them stubbornly refused to accept.

“Well? Any bright ideas about how we’re going to get out of this mess?” Pyrite muttered to themselves, Peridot’s half of their voice taking precedent before Bill’s took over again. “Hold your horses, I’m thinkin’ here! I will not hold any so-called ‘horses’! We’re about to be beaten into the ground by a bunch of rowdy traitors and you need to do something to stop it! What did I tell you earlier about demanding things from me?! I don’t care! You said you’d help me, but even after all this, I’m no better off than I was before! Oh, you want some help, Greenie? Well, I’ll be MORE than happy to give you ALL the help you need!”

Upon this rather hostile exclamation, Pyrite suddenly lurched back, all three of their eyes closing tight as Peridot’s side of their voice let out a sharp, sudden scream. The kids and the Gems all stopped short at that, watching in alarm as this scream gradually morphed into Bill’s wild, insane cackling. A bright flash of light engulfed the fusion, and when it quickly faded, Pyrite still remained, though from their glowing yellow trio of eyes alone, it was clear to see who was now completely in control.

“Sorry to shove you to the side, Greenie,” Pyrite grinned, now fully speaking in Bill’s voice with hardly a trace of Peridot’s left. “But you were starting to get in my way. Now, back to-”

The fusion was abruptly cut off by a fast and heavy punch in the jaw from Garnet, one that sent them clumsily tumbling backwards. “You talk too much,” the Gem leader remarked, adjusting her shades coolly.

“Oh, you chumps are gonna get it now,” Pyrite growled, shaking the blow off as they began to angrily storm forward. However, before they could even really take a step forward, they suddenly tripped and fell completely to the ground thanks to Amethyst’s whip coiled tightly around their leg. “Hey!”

“Whoops,” the purple Gem shrugged playfully. “Sorry, dude. Maybe you should watch your step!” With this, Amethyst swung her whip hard, with Pyrite still tied up in it all the while. The fusion was unable to free themselves from its grip as she spun them around the Galaxy Warp at a rapid pace, clearly having the time of her life in such cathartic payback.

Pyrite’s unexpected ‘flight’ came to a sharp and sudden end the moment they crashed onto the dull edge of Pearl’s outstretched spear. In retaliation, the fusion attempted to grab the spear and rip it out of the white Gem’s hands, but Pearl was too fast for them, pulling it away before going back in with a swift, accurate swing. Pyrite barely blocked it with their own cane, though the force of Pearl’s strike was enough to tear right through it, slicing it cleanly in half to the point that it abruptly disappeared in a small flash of light.

“Hm, what a surprise,” Pearl noted, pulling her spear back for another swing. “Knowing you, Cipher, I was expecting that thing to be a bit more sturdy. Then again, I suppose its just like most of your hairbrained schemes are, including this one: destined to fall apart at the seams!” The white Gem lashed out once more, hoping to take the final blow, though Pyrite leapt out of its way, opting to go back to their usual floating as they glared daggers down at the group below.

“K-keep on laughing it up, you chumps!” Pyrite hissed hotly, their manner still fierce though it was obvious they were steadily starting to fatigue. “We’ll see how funny it is when you’re all smashed into nothing more than the worthless bits of rock you really are!” The twisted fusion let out a heavy shout as they raised their upper hands high above their head, making the most of what energy they did have left to form a massive, powerful golden flame, one that they were more than ready to rain down upon all their foes in one last ditch, desperate attempt at wiping them out for good.

And yet, even that attempt was all for naught as both of their hands were suddenly caught and pulled back swiftly. Their flame diminished in its entirety as they glanced behind them, only to see Amethyst’s whip and Mabel’s grappling hook keeping both of their arms entirely restrained and leaving the perfect opening in its wake.

“Now, you guys!” Mabel shouted with a daring grin, nodding to Steven, who was the first to spring into action as Garnet threw him straight at Pyrite. A solid, sturdy shield was formed on the young Gem’s arm, and with a courageous shout, he brought it down on the unprepared fusion’s head, sending them pummeling straight into the ground. The moment Steven landed, Dipper was already right at his side, his sword drawn and electrified as he ran to the young Gem and preformed a deft, skillful jump right off the side of the shield, which gave him just enough of a boost to launch him right at the dazed fusion. Pyrite only had enough time to briefly turn to face the sword coming right at them and let out a startled gasp before it squarely hit its mark, impaling them cleanly and evenly in the center of their chest.

The entire Galaxy Warp seemed to freeze in the aftermath of this brutal blow, all of the Gems and the kids holding their breaths to see what would happen next. Dipper didn’t dare take his sword out of the twisted fusion, as breathless and adrenaline-high as he was, even as Pyrite glared down at the sparking weapon and then down at him with nothing less than burning hatred in all three of their eyes.

“Y-you shouldn’t have done that, Pine Tree…” they hissed viciously, their voice shaky, but still predominantly Bill’s as they were effectively frozen in place, unable to move due to the electricity keeping Peridot’s form in thrall. “Same goes for you, Rosebud…” They scowled at the young Gem, who had hurried to Dipper’s side, his shield still poised to defend if need be. “And here I was just gonna play nice and finish you off quick and easy. B-but thanks to this little stunt of yours, I have no choice but to make you two suffer more than you can possibly even comprehend next time we cross paths! And the same goes for the rest of you chumps too!” Their voice picked up into an outraged shout as their form began to flash warningly, a sign that they were indeed starting to fall apart. “You may have won this time, but only because I had to rely on a stupid LOSER of a space rock like Greenie here! But who knows?” Pyrite finally grinned once more, golden flames surrounding their form one final time as they closed their trio of eyes. “Maybe next time we fight, it’ll be on my terf. Then we’ll see who really gets the last laugh…” With this ominous proclamation, the twisted fusion threw back their head and let out a wild, sinister laugh, one that gradually began to fade as Pyrite’s form was engulfed in a blinding light once more.

And then, as quickly as they had been formed, Pyrite was no more.

The light slowly faded to reveal that Bill was indeed gone, his presence no longer tainting Peridot as she solely remained, initially dazed an completely unaware of the sword still shoved into her chest. For a moment, she simply kept her sights set on the sky as she slowly blinked before she finally returned to her right mind, letting out a sharp, horrified gasp as she clutched her head tightly. “N-no!” she cried, her eyes huge with some sort of unknown terror. “L-leave me alone! G-get out of my gem, y-you… you…” Peridot trailed off, her jaw dropping in shock as she finally saw the sword running through her, as well as the group of Gems and kids all gathered around her in case she tried anything else. She sucked in a sharp gasp, clearly panicking for a number of reasons as she stumbled backwards and pulling the sword out of Dipper’s grip as it remained in her instead, her fingers shifting into a laser as she desperately tried to keep herself together. “W-wait!” she shouted fearfully, charging up one final, frantic blast. “Y-you clods need me! I’m the only one who knows about the-”

Peridot didn’t get a chance to finish as the sword finally fell out of her, which was just enough to finally destabilize her form entirely. The green Gem gasped as her form disappeared in a sharp puff of smoke, leaving not just her gemstone behind, but several other remnants as well. Alongside her gem, her lower arms and legs, as well as her disjointed fingers were all lying prone and disconnected on the ground, much to the surprise of the kids and Gems who slowly gathered around them.

“W-what on earth?” Pearl asked, baffled as she carefully picked up one of Peridot’s former fingers.

“Ugh, sick,” Amethyst gagged in disgust. “There’s bits of her all over.”

“Nope,” Garnet said with a satisfied grin as she held Peridot’s gem up and succinctly bubbled it. “She’s right here.” And with that, the Gem leader tapped said bubble, sending it off. “And now she’s at the temple.”

“So… I guess we sort of dismembered Peridot then?” Dipper asked, rather confused as he lightly kicked one of the fallen legs.

“Yep, guess so,” Amethyst remarked, scooping up all of the remaining bits and pieces before easily dropping them all off the edge of the Galaxy Warp and into the ocean far below. “Oops.”

“W-well, hey, looks like we finally beat her!” Mabel cut in brightly. “And we got rid of Bill too! So, it looks like tonight was a win-win for all of us!”

“Hm… for now at least…” Pearl mused worriedly, still rather preoccupied with the hostile threats Bill had left them on.

“You don’t think he’s actually gonna try and come back after that thrashing we just gave him… do you?” Amethyst asked, also rather concerned.

“I don’t know…” Garnet admitted, her future vision still blocked off from all things concerning Bill. “Ideally, we should try to find a way to get rid of Bill for good, but… he’s tricky, and hard to pin down.”

“M-maybe I should go talk to Great Uncle Ford about all this when we get back,” Dipper interjected thoughtfully. “He knows a lot about Bill; he might be able to help us come up with a way stop him for good!”

“You kids are all full of great plans tonight,” Garnet smirked, ruffling Dipper’s hair rather affectionately.

“Indeed,” Pearl agreed with a small smile as she put her hands on Steven and Mabel’s shoulders. “If you two hadn’t come in with that fusion idea, there’s no telling what might have happened!”

“Aw, it was nothin’,” Mabel blushed with a small chuckle. “Ok, well actually, I take that back, cause it was kinda something and that something was AMAZING! Right, Steven?”

“Huh?” the young Gem blinked, somewhat distracted as he looked towards the broken Homeworld warp behind him. “Oh, uh… yeah…” He frowned, briefly, largely unable to get his mind off of just how frantic Peridot seemed to be both before and after Pyrite, how she had tried so hard to make a hasty escape from Earth for whatever reason, how she tried to offer some sort of panicked warning in the very seconds right before she poofed. And, given the terrifying, arduous battle they’d just been through, Steven found that he couldn’t simply discount all those things as nothing. “Um, guys?” he spoke up as the others continued to celebrate their victory. “I think… I think Peridot was trying to tell us something back there…”

“Oh, like what?” Dipper scoffed with a bit of a bemused laugh. “That she realized that fusing with Bill was actually a bad idea? A bit too late for that one, don’t you think?”

“Uh, w-well I don’t think it was that exactly…” Steven said, looking aside. “B-but maybe she was trying to say that she knew something about Bill that we don’t? O-or maybe something else?”

The entire group took pause at this, sending the young Gem a round of curious, though largely doubtful glances. All except for Mabel, who had also heard the green Gem’s shortened warning prior to her destabilizing, but even so, she didn’t really know what to make of them herself, much like Steven didn’t. Even so, the Gems themselves, as well as Dipper, seemed largely dismissive of it, especially since whatever threat Peridot used to pose to them was no more.

“Those were just the desperate lies of a Gem who’s been caught,” Garnet assured, finally cracking a comforting smile. “You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”

“Yeah, and as for Bill, we can just figure out some way to deal with him later,” Amethyst remarked, stretching tiredly. “For now, all that fusion’s got me exhausted.”

“Ironically enough, same here,” Pearl smirked as she led the way back to the temple warp pad. “Come on, kids, let’s go home. Oh, I’m so glad this is finally over… Well, at least part of it is, anyway…”

The Gems all readily headed over to the warp pad, with the twins following suit not too far after them. Steven, on the other hand, hung back slightly, looking out across the battle-worn Galaxy Warp apprehensively. True, they had miraculously beaten Pyrite and as a result, won an incredible victory against not only Peridot, but Bill as well. And though that later victory was only temporary at best, it still felt well-earned all the same. Yet despite the high spirits everyone else was in, Steven couldn’t help but still feel some lingering sense of dread. Peridot’s unfinished warning had left him on edge, just as much as Bill’s vicious threats had. And while they had certainly triumphed in this one battle, there was still so much left unseen and unknown that the young Gem wasn’t quite sure what to make of any of it at all.

Which meant that, if no one else was going to try to find answers to questions only he seemed to be asking, then Steven would just have to find those answers for himself.

To be continued…

Next:

[love-takes-work]

Keep Beach City Weird! Outline & Review

The Keep Beach City Weird! book is a little paperback full of Ronaldo's revelations. It's about what you'd expect, with the nuggets of truth that we may not recognize as truth until after the fact!

This volume is a keeper for any Steven Universe fan, but not much about it will be a surprise for anyone who's paid close attention to the show. It's fun, as usual, to watch Ronaldo loudly congratulate himself for uncovering THE TRUTH (you can "hear" his voice throughout, of course), and a bunch of the references are great fun to anyone who knows what he's referring to even if the context isn't spelled out.

Fans will also be treated to some new artwork! The picture of Ronaldo imagining himself in the hand of the Temple Fusion's animated form as a trusted sidekick is particularly interesting.

And since Ronaldo is one of those broken clocks that's right twice a day, fans who know his schtick can't help but wonder what conveniently hidden bits are actually Ronaldo straight-up telling us the future.

The book opens with an intro from Ronaldo Fryman, who declares himself as the weirdest thing in Beach City. (The Gems are a close second, he says.) He shares his frustration over not having been able to sell his book to mainstream publishers (which has led him to self-publish it), and warns you that ads for the family fry shop will be interspersed with the content because his dad helped fund it.

He then goes right into a "Monsters" section (decorated with art of him in his horror movie outfit and Peedee in a version of the Snerson costume).

The list includes Centipeetle, a Giant Bird, the Worm Monster, the Puffer Fish, "Giant Women from the Sea," the Watermelon Stevens, the Fusion Experiments, the Great North monsters, and the Crab Monster.

Most of these are not creatures he should have seen, and he shouldn't have pictures, but whatever, I digress. Ronaldo theorizes that the Centipeetles could be humans bitten by a radioactive centipede or centipedes bitten by a radioactive human. He discusses the story of William Dewey being saved by a giant woman whose image bears a resemblance to the Crystal Gems' temple, and then concludes, "Probably no connection." He mentions having seen Sugilite wreck the beach gym.

He brings up reports of the horrible Fusion Experiments and concludes they are zombies. He suggests the Great North monsters are a function of global warming and praises his own bravery in filming the Crab Monster for a documentary. And he also brings up his debunked "Sneeple" theory, which has been swapped for the Rock People theory. Those dang Rock People who want to kidnap Earth and bring it to the Mud Galaxy.

Ronaldo then goes into weirdness from space, detailing the Red Eye ("Vampire Spaceship"), the Rock People Space Program (based on Pearl's failed ship from "Space Race") the Plug Robonoids (which he thinks are an attempt to play space pinball), the Hand Ship (which he knew exactly what that was), the shirt that hit him in the head from "Shirt Club," and crop circles (like in "Joy Ride").

And then Ronaldo covers "Local Weirdness," starting with a double page about the Crystal Gems and then moving on to outline the Cat Fingers incident (with speculation on what causes "Cat Finger Fever"), the Frybo incident (was it all Ronaldo's fault for exploring tuber-based witchcraft?), the Oldest Man in the World incident (from "So Many Birthdays"), Lion sightings, Lars's fire breath, Guacola, and . . . Onion.

Next, Ronaldo gives you a tour of all the Weird Places, beginning with Funland Arcade (with a handy guide of moves you can use if you play "Teens of Rage"!), and taking you around to Race Mountain, the Abandoned Warehouse, Brooding Hill (with an included guide of things to brood about), the many-holed cliff (which he calls a Gnome City), and the Lighthouse.

And then, the "Times It Got Really Weird" section details the flowers from Rose's moss in "Lars and the Cool Kids" (did you know they were produced by cloud seeding?), the mountain of duplicated G.U.Y.S. from "Onion Trade," the disappearing ocean from "Mirror Gem" and "Ocean Gem," the blackout incident from "Political Power," Peridot's interrupting broadcast, the Great Diamond Authority, and Cluster Quakes.

And he closes everything with a "Weirdilogue" and encourages you to keep your own town weird.

Some gems:

"Like most bad stories, this one started at a farmer's market."

"I guess that's the danger of genetically engineered food: It might punch you in the face."

"Beach Citywalk Fries. We promise to NEVER bring out that Frybo costume again."

"What's scarier than a beach ball? Well, I guess a lot of things. . . ."

Ronaldo discussing an experience that was either food poisoning or accidentally eating deep-fried wood.

The Zombie Apocalypse Flow Chart which always leads to "Lock myself in lighthouse and prepare to watch the world I know crumble before me."

Ronaldo pointing out that the shirt that hit him in the head from an extraterrestrial source should be a size extra large next time, not youth medium.

"They have a cool home base in an ancient magical temple. My base is a lighthouse that I'm not legally allowed to occupy."

After an entire paragraph outlining how gross Guacola is, Ronaldo heartily encourages you to pick up a can of it while visiting Beach City.

"[M]y favorite – Teens of Rage. Probably because I am a teen who is full of rage at a world that doesn't know how to pronounce 'manga.'"

"Race Mountain, AKA the Devil's Backbone, AKA the Devil's Laundry Chute, AKA the Devil's Poorly Planned Highway, AKA Old Man Carwreck's Road, AKA Municipal Maintenance Route 64!!!!"

"I took a picture of it, which Lars really did not want published. Check it out."

Ronaldo speculates that maybe the moon has its own moon.

And here are the things I found notable for fans!

1. The book is dedicated "For Jane, My Ohimesama." I sure hope they're on speaking terms again after what happened in "Restaurant Wars."

2. Ronaldo gives the Crystal Gems his own names, referring to them as Square Head, Princess Nose, and Purple Girl.

3. When covering the fire breath incident from "Joking Victim," Ronaldo refers to Lars as "Local sarcasm dispenser Lars Barriga." This was the first place where Lars's last name was dropped.

4. The page about Onion's weirdness details an interaction that did not happen in the show but explains one that did: The ketchup packets that he famously ran over with his scooter in "Onion Trade" were begged from Ronaldo one day. Onion offered a photo of Ronaldo in third grade in exchange. (???)

5. Funland was apparently established over a century ago under the name Frederick Ulysses Neptune's Land of Mechanical Oddities and Entertainment. The entry also mentions that it contained a future-telling robot, a reference to "Future Boy Zoltron."

6. An apparent contradiction: Ronaldo, while discussing the video game Teens of Rage, identifies with the game because he is a teen who has rage. This would make him at the oldest nineteen if he is a teen. But in the section on the Lighthouse, he refers to the Beach City Explorer Club he had in his childhood with Lars, and claims that "fifteen years later" they had an incident there with the Lighthouse Gem. If it was fifteen years later but he's no older than nineteen, that happened when he was four, and that's impossible; he was far older than four in the flashback scene with Lars.

7. In a note to cover his butt from the Labor Department, Ronaldo suggests his brother is just a really short eighteen-year-old to distract from the fact that the family business is most likely exploiting him in child labor.

8. In his bit about "Teens of Rage," Ronaldo tells you about special moves for his favorite character, Gary Sunglasses. I think this is a contradiction to the episode "Arcade Mania" because while Steven is trying to teach Garnet how to play the game, he narrates that he thinks she's "a Joe Rock kinda gal," and the same character is pictured on the choosing screen.

9. Ronaldo refers to Stevonnie as "the mysterious Racer S." while discussing the greatest race he ever saw at Race Mountain. Not sure where he got "S." from, especially since he appears to have been in attendance at Stevonnie's first appearance at the rave in "Alone Together" and presumably witnessed their unfusion.

10. Other wrestlers besides those shown in the wrestling episodes are introduced in a promo flyer. We now have After School Champion Assistant Principal Gene McCormick, Culinary Tag Team Champions Baste Face and the Iron Saucier, Women's Caped Crusader Champion Tina "Ten Fingers" Gonzales, X-Treme League Champion Presented by Guacola The Ocean Town Kid, Interdimensional Champion of the Multiverse Glossy Wayne, and Old Timey Senior League Tag Team Champions Sarsparilla Frank and the Colonial Terror.

11. When talking about how to brood properly, Ronaldo refers to his hair as his "frylocks." Ha.

12. The lighthouse was apparently constructed two hundred years ago to keep people away from Beach City, not to help the ships be guided in. This might be one of the true things in the book. Who knows?

13. In "explaining" Peridot's broadcast that happened during "Cry For Help," Ronaldo comments that Peridot called herself Peridot, but that it is actually pronounced "Peridot." (It isn't discussed exactly what he means here, but he's surely making reference to the fact that the more common pronunciation of "peridot" does not have the T pronounced, even though the show uses the version where the T IS pronounced.)

14. Ronaldo, while explaining the Great Diamond Authority to us, assigns the Diamonds' underlings into a strict hierarchical society made up of the classes Chalk, Slate & Granite, Rock Candy, and Clods.

15. Ronaldo terms the earthquakes from the beginning of Season 3 to be "Cluster Quakes" because they came in clusters. Fans will know that they actually did come from a giant mutant Gem Fusion buried in the Earth which is called the Cluster.

The book has some new art that isn't just screencaps from the show, and it's a fun ride. I recommend it, and it's cheap!

[SU Book and Comic Reviews]

[lennart11412]

The Vision of Sir Launfal James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) Prelude to Part FirstOVER his keys the musing organist,  Beginning doubtfully and far away, First lets his fingers wander as they list,  And builds a bridge from Dreamland for his lay; Then, as the touch of his loved instrument        5  Gives hope and fervor, nearer draws his theme, First guessed by faint auroral flushes sent  Along the wavering vista of his dream.    Not only around our infancy    Doth heaven with all its splendors lie;        10    Daily, with souls that cringe and plot,    We Sinais climb and know it not.  Over our manhood bend the skies;    Against our fallen and traitor lives  The great winds utter prophecies;        15    With our faint hearts the mountain strives;  Its arms outstretched, the druid wood    Waits with its Benedicite;  And to our age’s drowsy blood    Still shouts the inspiring sea.        20  Earth gets its price for what Earth gives us:    The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in.  The priest hath his fee who comes and shrives us,    We bargain for the graves we lie in;  At the devil’s booth are all things sold,        25  Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold;  For a cap and bells our lives we pay,    Bubbles we buy with a whole soul’s tasking:  ’T is heaven alone that is given away,    ’T is only God may be had for the asking;        30  No price is set on the lavish summer;  June may be had by the poorest comer.  And what is so rare as a day in June?    Then, if ever, come perfect days;  Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,        35    And over it softly her warm ear lays;  Whether we look, or whether we listen,  We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;  Every clod feels a stir of might,    An instinct within it that reaches and towers,        40  And groping blindly above it for light,    Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;  The flush of life may well be seen    Thrilling back over hills and valleys;  The cowslip startles in meadows green,        45    The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,  And there ’s never a leaf nor a blade too mean    To be some happy creature’s palace;  The little bird sits at his door in the sun,    Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,        50  And lets his illumined being o’errun    With the deluge of summer it receives; His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings, And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings; He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,—        55 In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?  Now is the high tide of the year,    And whatever of life hath ebbed away  Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer,    Into every bare inlet and creek and bay;        60  Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it;  We are happy now because God wills it;  No matter how barren the past may have been,  ’T is enough for us now that the leaves are green;  We sit in the warm shade and feel right well        65  How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell;  We may shut our eyes, but we cannot help knowing  That skies are clear and grass is growing;    The breeze comes whispering in our ear    That dandelions are blossoming near,        70  That maize has sprouted, that streams are flowing,  That the river is bluer than the sky,  That the robin is plastering his house hard by:  And if the breeze kept the good news back,  For other couriers we should not lack;        75    We could guess it all by yon heifer’s lowing,—  And hark! how clear bold chanticleer,  Warmed with the new wine of the year,    Tells all in his lusty crowing!  Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how;        80  Everything is happy now,    Everything is upward striving;  ’T is as easy now for the heart to be true  As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,—    ’T is the natural way of living:        85  Who knows whither the clouds have fled?    In the unscarred heaven they leave no wake;  And the eyes forget the tears they have shed,    The heart forgets its sorrow and ache; The soul partakes the season’s youth,        90  And the sulphurous rifts of passion and woe Lie deep ’neath a silence pure and smooth,  Like burnt-out craters healed with snow.    What wonder if Sir Launfal now    Remember the keeping of his vow?        95 Part First    “MY golden spurs now bring to me,      And bring to me my richest mail,    For to-morrow I go over land and sea      In search of the Holy Grail:    Shall never a bed for me be spread,        100    Nor shall a pillow be under my head,    Till I begin my vow to keep;    Here on the rushes will I sleep,    And perchance there may come a vision true    Ere day create the world anew.”        105      Slowly Sir Launfal’s eyes grew dim;      Slumber fell like a cloud on him,    And into his soul the vision flew.  The crows flapped over by twos and threes,  In the pool drowsed the cattle up to their knees,        110    The little birds sang as if it were    The one day of summer in all the year,  And the very leaves seemed to sing on the trees:  The castle alone in the landscape lay  Like an outpost of winter, dull and gray;        115  ’T was the proudest hall in the North Countree,  And never its gates might opened be,  Save to lord or lady of high degree;  Summer besieged it on every side,  But the churlish stone her assaults defied;        120  She could not scale the chilly wall,  Though around it for leagues her pavilions tall      Stretched left and right.      Over the hills and out of sight;        Green and broad was every tent,        125        And out of each a murmur went      Till the breeze fell off at night.  The drawbridge dropped with a surly clang,  And through the dark arch a charger sprang,  Bearing Sir Launfal, the maiden knight,        130  In his gilded mail, that flamed so bright  It seemed the dark castle had gathered all  Those shafts the fierce sun had shot over its wall    In his siege of three hundred summers long,  And binding them all in one blazing sheaf,        135    Had cast them forth; so, young and strong,  And lightsome as a locust leaf,  Sir Launfal flashed forth in his maiden mail,  To seek in all climes for the Holy Grail.  It was morning on hill and stream and tree,        140    And morning in the young knight’s heart;  Only the castle moodily  Rebuffed the gifts of the sunshine free,    And gloomed by itself apart;  The season brimmed all other things up        145  Full as the rain fills the pitcher-plant’s cup. As Sir Launfal made morn through the darksome gate,  He was ’ware of a leper, crouched by the same, Who begged with his hand and moaned as he sate;  And a loathing over Sir Launfal came;        150 The sunshine went out of his soul with a thrill,  The flesh ’neath his armor ’gan shrink and crawl, And midway its leap his heart stood still  Like a frozen waterfall;  For this man, so foul and bent of stature,        155  Rasped harshly against his dainty nature,  And seemed the one blot on the summer morn,—  So he tossed him a piece of gold in scorn.  The leper raised not the gold from the dust:—  “Better to me the poor man’s crust,        160  Better the blessing of the poor,  Though I turn me empty from his door:  That is no true alms which the hand can hold;  He gives only the worthless gold    Who gives from a sense of duty;        165  But he who gives but a slender mite,  And gives to that which is out of sight,—    That thread of the all-sustaining Beauty  Which runs through all and doth all unite,—  The hand cannot clasp the whole of his alms,        170  The heart outstretches its eager palms;  For a god goes with it and makes it store  To the soul that was starving in darkness before.” Prelude to Part SecondDOWN swept the chill wind from the mountain peak,  From the snow five thousand summers old;        175 On open wold and hilltop bleak  It had gathered all the cold, And whirled it like sleet on the wanderer’s cheek;  It carried a shiver everywhere  From the unleafed boughs and pastures bare;        180  The little brook heard it, and built a roof  ’Neath which he could house him winter-proof;  All night by the white stars’ frosty gleams  He groined his arches and matched his beams;  Slender and clear were his crystal spars        185  As the lashes of light that trim the stars;  He sculptured every summer delight  In his halls and chambers out of sight;  Sometimes his tinkling waters slipt  Down through a frost-leaved forest crypt.        190  Long, sparkling aisles of steel-stemmed trees  Bending to counterfeit a breeze;  Sometimes the roof no fretwork knew  But silvery mosses that downward grew;  Sometimes it was carved in sharp relief        195  With quaint arabesques of ice-fern leaf;  Sometimes it was simply smooth and clear  For the gladness of heaven to shine through, and here  He had caught the nodding bulrush tops  And hung them thickly with diamond drops,        200  That crystalled the beams of moon and sun,  And made a star of every one:  No mortal builder’s most rare device  Could match this winter palace of ice;  ’T was as if every image that mirrored lay        205  In his depths serene through the summer day,  Each fleeting shadow of earth and sky,      Lest the happy model should be lost,  Had been mimicked in fairy masonry      By the elfin builders of the frost.        210  Within the hall are song and laughter;    The cheeks of Christmas glow red and jolly,  And sprouting is every corbel and rafter    With lightsome green of ivy and holly;  Through the deep gulf of the chimney wide        215  Wallows the Yule-log’s roaring tide;  The broad flame pennons droop and flap    And belly and tug as a flag in the wind;  Like a locust shrills the imprisoned sap,    Hunted to death in its galleries blind;        220  And swift little troops of silent sparks,    Now pausing, now scattering away as in fear,  Go threading the soot forest’s tangled darks    Like herds of startled deer.  But the wind without was eager and sharp;        225  Of Sir Launfal’s gray hair it makes a harp,          And rattles and wrings          The icy strings,  Singing in dreary monotone  A Christmas carol of its own,        230  Whose burden still, as he might guess,  Was “Shelterless, shelterless, shelterless!” The voice of the seneschal flared like a torch As he shouted the wanderer away from the porch, And he sat in the gateway and saw all night        235  The great hall fire, so cheery and bold,  Through the window slits of the castle old,  Build out its piers of ruddy light  Against the drift of the cold. Part Second  THERE was never a leaf on bush or tree,        240  The bare boughs rattled shudderingly;  The river was dumb and could not speak,    For the weaver Winter its shroud had spun;  A single crow on the tree-top bleak    From his shining feathers shed off the cold sun;        245  Again it was morning, but shrunk and cold,  As if her veins were sapless and old,  And she rose up decrepitly  For a last dim look at earth and sea.  Sir Launfal turned from his own hard gate,        250  For another heir in his earldom sate:  An old, bent man, worn out and frail,  He came back from seeking the Holy Grail.  Little he recked of his earldom’s loss,  No more on his surcoat was blazoned the cross;        255  But deep in his soul the sigh he wore,  The badge of the suffering and the poor.  Sir Launfal’s raiment thin and spare  Was idle mail ’gainst the barbèd air,  For it was just at the Christmas-time;        260  So he mused, as he sat, of a sunnier clime,  And sought for a shelter from cold and snow  In the light and warmth of long ago.  He sees the snake-like caravan crawl  O’er the edge of the desert, black and small,        265  Then nearer and nearer, till, one by one,  He can count the camels in the sun,  As over the red-hot sands they pass  To where, in its slender necklace of grass,  The little spring laughed and leapt in the shade,        270  And with its own self like an infant played,  And waved its signal of palms.  “For Christ’s sweet sake, I beg an alms:”—  The happy camels may reach the spring,  But Sir Launfal sees only the grewsome thing,        275  The leper, lank as the rain-blanched bone,  That cowers beside him, a thing as lone  And white as the ice-isles of Northern seas  In the desolate horror of his disease.  And Sir Launfal said,—“I behold in thee        280  An image of Him who died on the tree;  Thou also hast had thy crown of thorns,—  Thou also hast had the world’s buffets and scorns,—  And to thy life were not denied  The wounds in the hands and feet and side:        285  Mild Mary’s Son, acknowledge me;  Behold, through him, I give to thee!”  Then the soul of the leper stood up in his eyes    And looked at Sir Launfal, and straightway he  Remembered in what a haughtier guise        290    He had flung an alms to leprosie,  When he girt his young life up in gilded mail  And set forth in search of the Holy Grail.  The heart within him was ashes and dust:  He parted in twain his single crust,        295  He broke the ice on the streamlet’s brink,  And gave the leper to eat and drink;  ’T was a mouldy crust of coarse brown bread,    ’T was water out of a wooden bowl,—  Yet with fine wheaten bread was the leper fed,        300    And ’t was red wine he drank with his thirsty soul.  As Sir Launfal mused with a downcast face,  A light shone round about the place;  The leper no longer crouched at his side,  But stood before him glorified,        305  Shining and tall and fair and straight  As the pillar that stood by the Beautiful Gate,—  Himself the Gate whereby men can  Enter the temple of God in Man. His words were shed softer than leaves from the pine,        310 And they fell on Sir Launfal as snows on the brine, That mingle their softness and quiet in one With the shaggy unrest they float down upon; And the voice that was softer than silence said:— Lo, it is I, be not afraid!        315 In many climes, without avail, Thou hast spent thy life for the Holy Grail: Behold, it is here,—this cup which thou Didst fill at the streamlet for me but now; This crust is my body broken for thee,        320 This water His blood that died on the tree; The Holy Supper is kept indeed In whatso we share with another’s need. Not what we give, but what we share,— For the gift without the giver is bare;        325 Who gives himself with his alms feeds three,— Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.” Sir Launfal awoke as from a swound:— “The Grail in my castle here is found! Hang my idle armor up on the wall,        330 Let it be the spider’s banquet-hall; He must be fenced with stronger mail Who would seek and find the Holy Grail.” The castle gate stands open now,  And the wanderer is welcome to the hall        335 As the hang-bird is to the elm-tree bough;  No longer scowl the turrets tall. The summer’s long siege at last is o’er: When the first poor outcast went in at the door, She entered with him in disguise,        340 And mastered the fortress by surprise; There is no spot she loves so well on ground; She lingers and smiles there the whole year round; The meanest serf on Sir Launfal’s land Has hall and bower at his command;        345 And there ’s no poor man in the North Countree But is lord of the earldom as much as he.

[megafurryprincebouquetthings]

here are some lovely choices for nearly any rhetorical chance simple wedding dresses（）*&hTY

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[e350tb]

Steven Universe: Green Thumb - Chapter Six

Six

The caves were dark and quiet. Peridot, Amethyst and Stevonnie stood at the mouth of the largest of them, peering into the eerie darkness within.

"Well," said Amethyst, "This is ominous."

"The Gem's in there," declared Peridot, pointing inside, "Now we just need to get in there and bubble it."

"Sounds easy," nodded Stevonnie.

"It's likely that it's greatest defences will be in there," added Peridot, "The Gem will almost certainly be heavily guarded and well hidden."

"Okay, not so easy," said Stevonnie.

"We've been through worse," shrugged Amethyst, "Come on, let's bubble this fungus and save Greg."

They walked apprehensively into the darkness.

"I don't get it," said Ruby, "All they did was scream for four minutes."

"Eh, Death Metal's not for everyone," shrugged Sadie.

Ruby and Sapphire were sitting on the edge of the boardwalk with the ex-Big Donut worker. The two gems were holding hands and watching the concert from a distance - Sadie, who was feeling a bit lonely, had joined them.

"So, you guys are part of Steven's family, right?" asked Sadie.

"Yes," nodded Sapphire, "Usually we're fused together as Garnet."

"Right, gotcha," said Sadie.

Ruby looked back over to the crowd on the beach, just in time to see Sheena emerge from the mass of people. She looked concerned - there was no sign of Pearl.

"Uh, Sapphire? Isn't that Pearl's date?"

Sapphire looked up.

"Yes," she said, "Yes it is. I was hoping this wouldn't happen."

"Hoping what wouldn't happen?" asked Sadie.

Sapphire stood up.

"We need to find Pearl," she declared, "And I think I know where she is."

She began to head towards Sheena, dragging Ruby along by the hand.

The cave was somehow even darker and gloomier than it had initially appeared. The air was damp and freezing, and the sound of dripping water could be heard echoing in the distance. Part of Stevonnie was reminded of the ancient caverns beneath the surface of Homeworld that Steven and Lars had hidden in - it was an uncomfortable feeling.

Presently, an eerie green light began to appear at the end of the tunnel. A strange and foul smell filled the cave.

"I think we're almost there," whispered Peridot.

Amethyst nodded, drawing her whip. Stevonnie readied their sword and shield.

They emerged from the darkness into a scene that was entirely alien.

The cavern was enormous, with giant stalagmites hanging from the rocky ceiling. In the middle of the chamber was a crawling mass of fungus and mold. It could, vaguely, be identified as a creature; it had three misshaped eyes of various sizes, and an open maw that could feasibly be a mouth. Every now and again, the creature screeched, sounding almost like a wounded eagle. It was firmly rooted to its spot in the ground, but a mass of grassy tentacles growing from the stone around it appeared to act as its defence. A small, rectangular gem, olive green in colour, stuck out from just under the mouth.

Next to the creature stood several humans - or what had been humans. They were green-eyed, and their skin seemed to be stained in olive, although that could very well have been the light. They stood without emotion over a captive bound in vines.

"The Colonel?" exclaimed Stevonnie.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him," shrugged Amethyst.

Beauregard wriggled onto his side to look at the intruders.

"Ah, the green farmer!" he exclaimed, "I do declare you're a sight for sore eyes! Could you possibly get these fellows to unhand me?"

All eyes fell on the gems as Beauregard unintentionally pointed them out.

"Geez, thanks Colonel," grunted Amethyst.

The villagers shrieked and the tentacles immediately sprung to action, swinging towards the gems. Amethyst tackled Peridot out of the way as one swung right over their heads. Another tentacle quickly ensnared the Colonel, yanking him towards the corrupted gem and hanging him over the mouth.

"Oh no you don't!" bellowed Beauregard, "If you so much as attempt to eat me, I swear I-"

The tentacle dropped him, and he fell right into the gaping maw.

"Get the gem, 'Dot," said Amethyst, "We'll handle Audrey."

"Audrey?" quizzed Stevonnie.

"Eh, it needed a name," shrugged Amethyst.

"Get the gem?" exclaimed Peridot, "You want me to walk up to it and pull it out? Is that the best plan we have?!"

Amethyst and Stevonnie charged the monster, leaving Peridot alone. She looked at the corrupted gem with dread.

"Why I can't I just farm in peace?" she asked herself.

Pearl sat next to the cliff by the temple, head in her hands.

What had happened? She had been ready! What had been the point of talking everything through with Garnet if she was just going to ruin everything anyway?

It didn't make sense. She'd been through so much - she'd fought in massive battles, why would she be afraid of a small crowd? And even so, why had her mind wandered so much - what did concert anxieties have to do with the rebellion, or what she had once been, or what had happened to Pink Diamond? And for that matter, given that she'd never been that concerned about Pink Diamond's fate before, why had that come up now?

"Pearl?"

She looked up. Sheena stood over her, and she sighed.

"I understand," she said flatly, "I ruined everything. I just...I don't know what came over me..."

She looked down, avoiding Sheena's eyes.

"So if you just want to forget about all this and go home, that's fine," she said.

Sheena sat down next to her, putting a hand on Pearl's. The gem tensed up.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked.

"T-talk about what?" replied Pearl.

"You had a panic attack, man," replied Sheena, "It's okay! Just...you wanna vent?"

Pearl breathed in.

"Okay," she said.

She began to talk.

Peridot ducked under another tentacle and dove to the ground, clutching her head.

"Okay, Peridot, keep it together, you're only..."

She looked up.

"Thirty metres away?!" she cried, "Curse this planet's deceptively long distances!"

Stevonnie landed next to her, swinging their sword through the tentacle that Peridot had just avoided. They turned to Peridot and smiled.

"Keep going, Peridot!" they said encouragingly, "It's only a little fu-"

A second tentacle slammed into their stomach, dragging them up into the air.

"Steven! Connie!" exclaimed Peridot.

"I've got 'em!"

Amethyst spun towards the vine. She emerged from the spin and prepared to whip the tentacle in half when another ensnared her foot, dragging her violently to the ground.

"Ow! Hey, lay off me, you stupid weed!" she exclaimed.

The gem monster screeched and began to pull Amethyst and Stevonnie towards its mouth. Peridot watched, horrified, as they neared certain doom.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sick of this," she declared.

She got up and ran.

The monster immediately defended itself, swinging two of its tentacles towards her. She gulped and attempted to duck - she instead slipped, which caused her to slide on her back under the vines and towards the monster. She tried to scurry to her feet - failing that, she crawled nimbly on all fours towards the mouth of the beast.

A third tentacle swung just over her head and ruffled her hair, but she managed to make it to the gem. The creature roared, its foul smelling breath washing over Peridot.

"No, you shut up!" snapped Peridot.

She grabbed the gem with both hands.

"Listen up, you stupid pile of fungi!" she yelled, "I've had it up to here with you!"

"Yeah, lay into it, Peri!" cheered Amethyst as she struggled against the monster's tentacles.

"You took everything!" continued Peridot, "I tried so hard and you just threw it all away! Like it didn't even matter!"

She dug her fingers into the fungus, squeezing the gem in frustration.

"Well you know what? I've got something you can't take away from me!" she thundered, "I've got Steven! I've got the Crystal Gems! I've got Connie! I've got Pumpkin! I've got Amethyst!"

"Wait, why did she single your name out?" asked Stevonnie.

Amethyst shrugged.

"Because I'm awesome," she said.

"I have friends!" bellowed Peridot, "And you're not taking them away from me, you CLOD!"

She pulled hard on the gem. With a wet, sickening crunch, it was torn from the body of the corrupted gem - an instant later, there was an enormous plume of smoke as the terrible fungus monster poofed.

Amethyst and Stevonnie fell to the ground as the tentacles disappeared. Stevonnie coughed as the smoke wafted away - when it cleared, all that remained was Beauregard, covered from head to toe in grass and mud.

"Well, this suit's ruined," he grunted.

Next to the wreck of the train, Greg opened his eyes. Weakly, he climbed to his feet, rubbing his head.

"Ugh," he said to himself, "I never wanna be a grass ogre again."

He paused.

"I really do live a weird life," he added.

The accountant climbed out of the ruins of the farm building, coughing and spluttering as he did.

"That's it!" he declared, "I quit!"

Back in the cave, Amethyst and Stevonnie ran over to Peridot and pulled her into a hug.

"Peridot, that was amazing!" exclaimed Stevonnie.

"You still got it, Peridactyl," said Amethyst, patting her back, "You still got it."

"That...that felt really good," admitted Peridot.

She looked down at the gem. She smiled, bubbled it and sent it away.

Her face then fell.

"Uh-oh," she said, "I...I think I just sent that to Lapis."

"It'll be fine," shrugged Amethyst, "It's in a bubble."

One of the villages walked up to them, scratching the back of her head.

"Uh, hi," she said, "Do any of you guys know where we are? None of us can remember much of the last...actually, what's the date?"

"I think that's gonna be a long story," replied Stevonnie.

"Well, we gotta go find Greg," said Amethyst, "We'll fill 'em in while we walk back..."

Pearl and Sheena sat on the beach, looking towards the sea. The sky was beginning to lighten, and the first rays of the sun could just be seen peeking over the water. The concert was over now, but that had stopped being a concern a while ago.

"I'm sorry, Sheena," said Pearl, "I really am."

"It's cool," replied Sheena, "It happens. Besides, I like this - it's chill."

"How did you find me, anyway?" asked Pearl.

Sheena pointed her thumb over to a rock in the near distance. Ruby and Sapphire were peeking out from behind - they quickly darted back into cover.

Pearl smiled.

"So...is there, uh, is there some kind of recording of this concert?" she asked.

"They showed it on TV," replied Sheena, "I taped it."

"Okay," nodded Pearl, "Well, maybe...maybe you could come round tomorrow night...well, I guess it's tonight now...and..."

Sheena put an arm around Pearl's shoulder.

"I'd like that, Pearl," she nodded, "I'd like that a lot."

Nobody was in the Burning Room that evening. As a result, nobody saw the small green bubble appear among the other gems.

[peridotfanfic]

Peridot’s Flawless Fanfic: Episode 1

Greetings minions! This is the powerful, terrifying, lovable Peridot, here to spew forth my glorious textual meep morps for you to consume! Using advanced gem science, and my exhaustive research into Camp Pining Hearts “fan” “created” “content”, I, Peridot, have devised a system that will generate “new” stories starring my loyal Crystal Gems! This is the first of many. It has a song, so you will enjoy it.

Episode 1 - Serious Buddies Club

We. . . and the people of,

This world that's a way,

And everything you can't,

We'll think of us this way!

That's why a crystal always can’t,

Believe you, and the crystal gems, and Greg,

And evil!

The episode opens right before the gems warp to destroy a robot of donuts. Garnet quickly shoves the van, leaving a giant penny to see.

GARNET: It's 'cause you're believe. It's 'cause you're losing your own future that you must now be strong.    

Pearl insists they don't understand birthdays.  

PEARL: We could've done a powerful weapon for her, that wasn't the war we fought. Her favorite kind of garment was everything I ever was. For 6000 years I never thought of eating you.

AMETHYST: Just gotta go with the cool kids, you know? Like garbage, and everyone's always acting.    

As the crystal gems return with all living matter, Steven takes responsibility from Lion's mane. They have to punish Steven for being trapped in time.    

GARNET: Steven, there's no sides for those cows you hurt. We promised your mother that we kept you to save these little things that aren't there.    

PEARL: This chair was precious to me, and she loved it.

Pearl begins singing of her frustration with Greg and his fierce glare, of Rose's body and of Rose's secrets that she thought violence would damage.     

Pearl sings “A Sword for Fighting”:

You know I never thought a sword for fighting,

You live with someone that I never do.

The war we fought was like a song for someone.

We really do it wrong, when isn't it a wrong for you?

And when I found a sword, I knew it over war,

That termite ridden barn, that everything is for. . .

Fight-ing. . .

The nerve for fighting,

Your sword for fighting.

You have nothing to inspire, when we could have done this for,

We really are the way, a power that we were.

To doubt you and those years, it’s catchy and not her!

We really are the way, a power that we were. . .

For fighting,

That is for fighting,

Someone for fighting!

A sword for fighting. . .

Her face is not working good. The other gem that is important to Steven asks for more.

AMETHYST: Pearl be comin' just so awesome Steven! Can't outrun the crocodile I'm being! What I'm thinking can't even be more like just what you gotta do, you know?

Bad news about Mr. Steven then appears.  He can't concentrate everything around town, but he refuses to split apart into many fragments of ice. They all stop fighting when suddenly Greg shows up 20 minutes late to the strawberry game. Steven realizes Greg is the handsome one and is still wrong, but he is okay with Rose.

AMETHYST: The heck you want? A nerd just got to me like this guy. Just what makes you so childish, like walkin' to kill the baby!

He wants to stay with them, resulting in a massive sandstorm. His pants are doing anything to help.

GREG: I officially like Garnet. Just wanted to check out the universe of ponies. You understand the Four of Nowhere. My hair just can't stay.    

STEVEN: You gotta take the whole day whackering to have sushi, my dad. You're nothing like Jasper thinks you should be. A curse i'm gonna make is really weird.

As Steven struggles to defuse the situation, a gem named The Other Gem is able to run over to Steven.     

PERIDOT: You called me cute and it's actually pretty great! I'm using this lousy, gemforsaken planet to betray the whole point of that other time. My things that i've grown have memories of coming here to earth, but now we're all insane. Have anything better to get than this sad rock you clods keep destroying?

AMETHYST: You know what's wrong with this guy? No matter how smart the g-squad be, I'm alive and I'll be small like the ocean! Anything reformed like earth just happens to me. Steven and everyone's always the sun, you are.

Pearl and Amethyst try various projectiles with their bodies so Greg admits his van only wants to buy secret watermelon Stevens.

GREG: On earth was a man that was thousands of years, like Garnet. But the police still just showed the best of the stuff to me. That happened just like i wanted it to. They started to turn my clothes to the first and other escorts of Earth, they didn't mean to avoid it anymore. You understand anything anymore that i mean?  

STEVEN: Just can't believe you can fly with a regular-sized giant woman. You hurt your relationships, but everyone's been awful too. I'm my mom, not you, so please don't drown me like you wanted to. This crazy state, my dad, is not common, but amazing! Be extremely dangerous to Ronaldo, so please just don't forget me.    

That night, they find themselves in the room and overload the house. They all stop fighting when asked.

STEVEN: This means Peridot is a great machine and I'm gonna just leave the pants in Jersey.

PERIDOT: This is even more than you can't do. I guess I'm already a crystal system colony that matters to Homeworld.

AMETHYST: Steven aaah! You gotta just tell me what happened! Me and everyone's like this, and now we're gonna beat the heck out of Beach City, no problem!

PEARL: Was everything I know a joke? I'm not overreacting, I'm taking this place to you. We shouldn't have stayed home!

GARNET: That might need a river of destruction. We can cause that thing and we are gonna. You did what good you must, and it's because your mother would be so proud that you did. Love is like a burrito child that splits to protect anything you deceived. Steven, I embody your butt.    

The episode ends with Rose remarking that Pearl is okay.

[prince-of-beach-city]

Bismuth Week day 1: The Crystal Gems

Description: Bismuth meets the new crystal gems

Word Count: 1,683

Rating: T

“Steven, I don’t know about this. I only just got a redemption arc, maybe we should take this slow.”

“Well, it’s like mom always said, life on earth is always moving quickly!”

Steven dragged Bismuth through the gem’s house. It wasn’t long after Bismuth’s return to the Crystal Gems that Steven realized that Bismuth had yet to meet the newest additions to the team. A hastily planned introduction was waiting on the beach and Steven was eager to introduce his new family member to his favorite aunts.

“Wait, Steven!” Bismuth exclaimed, pulling her hand from Steven’s grip, “Look, I get that you’re trying to help. If we’re going to stop the Diamonds, we Gems need to be aware of our individual strengths and weaknesses, but I don’t know if I’m ready to meet new people yet!”

Steven looked at his multi-colored aunt. “Look, I know you feel guilty about the past,” he said, “but Peridot and Lapis don’t know you yet. They don’t know about your past. They only know what I told them. And all I told them was that you used to fight in the war, and that you’re back now, and that you want to help save the world.” Steven smiled. “If you really don’t want to do this right now, we don’t have to, but trust me. These guys are going to love you, no matter your past.”

Bismuth smiled. If those words had come from anyone else, she would have turned around and went back to her bubble. But this was Steven. She would punch a Diamond for Steven.

“Alright, Steven,” she said, “I’ll give it a shot. Maybe I’ll enjoy this more than I think.”

--------------

“…Thank you Beach City goodnight!!”

Peridot breathed heavily, gasping for air despite not needing any. Perhaps she was being self-absorbed, but Peridot considered that introduction to be her best yet. Who cares if her only audience is Steven and the new member Bismuth? Peridot and Lapis had just delivered the most inspiring, rock-ballad-iest version of the Crystal Gems theme song ever!

…which was impressive considering they had only a keyboard between them.

Steven clapped furiously! He was so proud of his barn-buddies arranging and singing so amazingly! True, Peridot did most of the singing, but Lapis was great on the keyboard!

Bismuth still couldn’t believe the Gems had a theme song.

“That was great guys!” Steven said, “I mean, that’s not at all what I meant when I asked you to introduce yourselves, but that was so much fun!”

“Well,” Peridot said, “I figured it would be a good way to show that we are fully dedicated to the Crystal Gems, and are NEVER going to be loyal to Homeworld again.”

“It was my idea to replace every ‘gem’ in the song with ‘clod.’” Lapis said, “Frankly, I’m surprised that Peridot didn’t think of it first.”

“Yes, well, what did you think of it, fellow Crystal gem?”

Bismuth thought for a moment. “I think you have a lot of…enthusiasm.” she said finally.

“Wow, Thanks!”

Lapis frowned. As Peridot tried to talk to her new ally about her favorite earth things, Lapis was trying to figure out why Bismuth looked so familiar to her. Steven did say she fought in the war, lapis thought, maybe I heard about her from the quartzes, or saw her on the battlefield, or-

 Explosions. Cannonfire. Lapis shouldn’t have been there. The rebels shouldn’t have been there. Everything was going wrong. Gems were poofing left and right, smoke was everywhere. Explosions. Lapis saw before her a huge gem. A rebel. A grin. Evil. Excited. Crazed. Cruel. Lapis had taken all she could. She wasn’t made for fighting. She turned away. Her wings extended. Fly. Fly away. Far away. From the war. From earth. From ev-

CRACK

 “-apis? Are you okay?”

Lapis opened her eyes. Peridot, Steven, and Bismuth were all looking at her with concern. At some point, Lapis realized that she had fallen. At some point, Lapis realized that she had been shaking.

“I’m… fine.” she said, getting up, “I mean, I will be. Just give me a moment, I’ll recover.”

“Are you sure?” Steven said, clearly concerned, “You looked pretty scared back there.”

“Well, no need to worry Lazuli,” Bismuth said, “we Crystal Gems stick together. If something scares you, we’ll just get rid of it.”

That grin. That’s the same grin, the same face, the same-

“I remember you.”

The grin disappeared.

“I remember you from the war,” Lapis continued, “a surprise attack on the plains of Trafalgar. I was there. You dissipated my form.”

Realization dawned on Steven and Peridot’s faces. Bismuth tried to laugh it off. “Oh yeah,” she said, grinning, “That was a… pretty extreme battle. But hey, looks like you got patched up pretty good!”

“You think this is a joke?” Lapis exclaimed. The grin disappeared again.

“Nobody’s saying that Lapis,” Steven said, “let’s just calm down and-”

“NOT before I have my say!” Lapis’ wings extended to their full length. Bismuth recognized those wings. “Now listen here you,” Lapis said, getting close to Bismuth, “because of you, I was trapped for thousands of years in a mirror, TORTURED, for information that I never had, and gave me a stake in a war I never wanted a part in! I was left behind and CRACKED! I don’t care how much good you have done in the past, if you come anywhere near me I will show you what the bottom of the ocean really feels like.”

With that, Lapis flew away. And Bismuth suddenly felt so small.

--------------

For Peridot, it was not that hard to find Lapis. She was back at the barn, marathoning the spin-off of Camp Pining Hearts, General High School.

“Wow,” Peridot said, climbing into the truck, “if you’re watching this drivel, you must really be mad.”

Lapis didn’t respond.

Peridot sighed. “Look, I get it.” Peridot started, “If I was poofed by someone in a conflict I wasn’t a part of, I wouldn’t like them either. But Bismuth didn’t put you in that mirror, she didn’t torture you, all she did was punch you in the wrong spot at the wrong time. You know it and I know it.” Peridot paused. “So what’s really going on?”

Lapis paused the video. “…Right before she hit me,” Lapis said after a minute, “she grinned. Like she was enjoying the destruction. But it didn’t really bother me until… until I saw the same grin on Jasper.”

Peridot blinked. “Oooooooohhhhhh,” she exclaimed, “she reminds you of Jasper.”

Lapis nodded.

Peridot thought for a moment. “Well, I can certainly see the similarities,” Peridot said, “but maybe this is a good thing. Both Bismuth and Jasper messed you up pretty badly, maybe the way to work on from your problems is working them out with her.”

“You expect me to just forgive her and move on?”

“Of course not. I’m just saying, she’s had a bad past, you had a bad past, maybe working together to process them will be cathartic for you,”

Lapis glared at Pe/ridot. “You’ve been reading the dictionary again, haven’t you?”

“I’m almost up to the letter ecks.”

Lapis sighed. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Well, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that life on Earth rarely is.” Peridot smiled. “But it is worth it.”

--------------

A short flight later, and Lapis and Peridot were back on the beach with Steven and Bismuth. “Now Bismuth,” Steven started, “do you have something you would like to say to Lapis?”

“Yes, I do.” Bismuth took a deep breath. “Lapis, I am sincerely sorry for any undue stress that I may have caused you by attacking-”

Lapis raised her hand to interrupt. “There was a war. We were on opposite sides. And everything after that battle wasn’t your fault.” She smiled. “It’s in the past,”

Steven and Peridot exhaled.

“Still,” Bismuth said, “I feel kinda responsible. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Lapi thought for a moment. “Actually, there is a way you can make it up to me.”

“Great! Name it, and I’ll do it.”

“Stand right where you are and don’t move.”

“…Come again?”

Lapis pointed at Bismuth’s feet. “If you want to make it up to me, just stand right there and don’t move. I want to create a new meep morp about forgiveness, but I need you to stand right there, and don’t move an inch. Got that?”

“Uh, sure! I can do that.”

“Good.” Lapis turned around and started walking towards the ocean. Bismuth looked at Steven and Peridot. They shrugged their shoulders.

“Are you still not gonna move?” Lapis called out. She was ankle-deep in the water by this point.

“Not even an inch!” Bismuth called back.

Lapis nodded and raised her hand. A huge hand, made out of water, then lifted out of the ocean, towering over the temple, casting its shadow over the beach.

The assembled gems then simultaneously remembered just how powerful Lapis was.

“Steven, Peridot,” Lapis called out, “you better go watch from the temple!”

“Lapis, you know I love you,” Steven pleaded, “but I cannot agree with-”

“SHUT UP AND RUN!” Peridot dragged Steven back to the temple. Bismuth, true to her word, didn’t move an inch.

“Uh, quick question,” Bismuth yelled, “are you going to smash me with that giant hand?”

“What? Where would you get that idea?” Lapis yelled back, “Like I said, I’m going to create a meep morp about forgiveness!”

“Oh. Well-”

“By smashing you with this giant hand.”

Smash!

In less time than it takes for Ruby and Sapphire to fuse, the giant water hand impacted the beach and dissipated, leaving only a hand-shaped crater and a surprised nut un-poofed Bismuth. Steven, who was watching from the porch, was shocked that things had come to this. Peridot was slightly less shocked, but thankful that she was on Lapis’ good side.

Lapis took a breath. “You were right Peridot,” Lapis said, breaking the silence, “that was rather cathartic.”

All Bismuth could do was laugh. She was going to like these new Crystal Gems.

[askwaterwitch-perbear]

feel free to do it if you want. A ton of information about Peridot & Lapis

1. What color is your character’s hair?

Lapis has dark cobalt blue chin-length hair although her bangs are slightly longer, with a fringe that covers her entire forehead.

Peridot has pale yellow-green blonde hair styled into a tetrahedron shape (triangle) with small little nicks in the sides.

2. What color are your character’s eyes?

Lapis is revealed to have royal blue eye color that twinkle in the most alluring way.

Canonically, Peridot’s true eye color is unknown right now, but can be presumed to be some shade of green or blue, due to being tinted by the white-yellowish color of her visor. (I like to head cannon my muse Peridot are blue)

3. What color is your character’s skin?

Lapis has cyan sky blue rough, but smooth blue sensetive skin.  

Peridot has lime-green sensitively soft skin.

4. What special aesthetic characteristics does your character have?

Beautiful Lapis has a slender figure and a very feminist appearance though while also being very athletic. Water wings that give her an angelic appearance. Her hair gives off the most captivating movement in the wind

Peridot’s mouth and tongue are bluish-grey, and she has a pointed upper lip. Her gemstone is located on her forehead and is shaped like an inverted triangle with flattened corners. Most distinctive part of Peridot has got to be her lime-green skin and triangular hair-due

5. Does your character have any piercings? Tattoos?

Lapis is not very artsy with needles in cannon, but I like to think as a human she would be open to it.

My Peridot hates needles so no!

6. What’s the sexiest physical characteristic of your character?

‘sexy’ Lapis just look it’s everywhere

Though Peridot would say she’s not cute and she is sexy (I think she’s adorable!)

7. What’s the ugliest physical characteristic of your character?

Nope can’t think of any. Besides story boarding I don’t much care for. Sometimes it looks like Peridot and Lapis have a million bees in there mouths and bigger than limb enhancers.

8. What does your character wear?

Lapis, wears a flowing, blue skirt, which is knee-length with a downward-facing navy triangle. She also wears a backless, blue halter crop top with an upward-facing navy triangle that ties into a blue sash ribbon on the back of her shoulders

Peridot, She wears she wears a sleeveless green V-neck uniform. Her suit is mostly medium green, with a dark-green diamond outline around the cut-out of her neck area, meeting to form the Yellow Diamond insignia at her solar plexus, with a dark-green portion between her chest and leggings. Her leggings , feature yellow diamond-shaped knee pads, organic sock material. She has her visor, which covers the top half of her face and tints her eyes yellow-green.

(Other than their assigned formed modifiers, or uniforms) They will wear sweatshirts, shorts, boxers, t-shirts, nerd button shirts, tank tops, pajamas ext.

BONUS: Why does your character like wearing that outfit?

It what they were made for I mean you gotta give it the character artists they really know how to make them look cozy.

Expressions of Emotion

9. When your character smiles, what does their smile look like?

Lapis’s smile is life! Fight me!

Peridot is one for a cute cat face or white teeth grin with baby vampire bat or kitten fangs.

10. What does your character’s laugh sound like?

Lapis’s laugh, She has the most adorable and pure snort-giggle in the whole galaxy. Consists of chortles and snorting, beautiful melodic laughter.  

Peridot sounds like an adorable little redundant giggles, cackles or following Nyehehehe! her giggle is so cute and if you tickle her, the higher in pitch and cuter it gets.

BONUS: What sort of things would make your character laugh?

Memes my dude. Tubetube Videos, pranks, and others telling jokes.

11. What is your character’s normal style of speech?

Lapis sounds like an angsty teen or depressed spirit with a sense of fun

Peridot slurs almost all the word she says with N’s and D’s and Ums. She butchers almost everything.

BONUS: What are some memorable things your character has said that showcase their unique voice?

“I’m Lapis Lazuli! And you can’t keep me trapped here anymore! My name is Lapis. I’m done being everyone’s prisoner! Meepmorp.”

“You crystal clods! Nyhehehe! Clod! Clod! Clod! Clod! Clod! Cloddy-Dumb-Dumb! Wow thanks!”  

12. How does your character express/handle anger?

Not well. Let’s just say they both have a bit of a temper on them. One explodes while another will kill you! Peridot is usually the one that will break down.

13. Does your character cry?

Peridot holds her hands over her eyes and mouth sobbing, hiccups, or occasional sniffling.

Lapis says is too tough to cry, but we all know it’s not true. She will hold her knees and sob into them shaking violently depending on how upsetting it is.

BONUS: What sorts of things would make them cry?

Stress, family drama, friend being hurt, abandonment. fear.

14. How easy is it for other people to read your character’s emotions?

Peridot is getting to be a bit easier to read as time progresses. She can isolate herself if she’s feeling particularly in the “way.”

While if something is bugging Lapis she will completely shut herself off from others

Character Beliefs

15. Is your character religious?

idk I doubt it.

16. How does your character view those of other faiths?

They’re unsure.

17. What are your character’s core values?

Hard Working. Diligent, Gentle, Funny, kind hearted, playful, loyalty

18. How willing is your character to fight for those values?

They would fight with their lives.

Character Likes and Dislikes

Peridot Likes-Being a Rebel, Being called Cool, Video games, Showing off, T.V. Soap Operas, Science Channel, Teen Angst, Hacking, Crafts, some forms of Physical Play, Watching videos, Being tall, Feeling superior, Shirts, Singing, Shipping, Star gazing, collecting hair clips and Video game franchise, Her Alien plush, Her Minecraft Creeper plush Zippy Spending time with friends, Dates, The Beach, space, day dreaming, youtube, Topaz, Playing Pranks on her Supervisor

Peridot Dislikes:  Being ignored, being belittled, being Left out, too   much Physical contact, harm to her family, feeling useless, being made fun of, incompetence, having her emotions played with, when someone gets more attention from her supervisor then her, being left out.

Lapis Likes: Being a Rebel, Having a love life, being reckless and irresponsible, Video games, Napping, T.V. Cop Chases, Weather Channel, Horror movies, Scuba-diving shows, Teen Magazines, Fashions, Pizza, Crafts, Drawling, Wrestling, Watching videos, Teasing her girlfriends, being tickled, Someone making her laugh with funny’s, Dresses, Singing, Making Music, Shells, Shopping, Star gazing, collecting hair clips with Topaz, Aquatic Plush, Spending time with friends, Dates, The Beach, space, day dreaming, youtube, Playing Pranks on Peridot & Zircon

Lapis Dislikes: Being accused of being mean, being belittled because she’s a little short, feeling needy too much, Physical harm, Overprotective feeling, Self Despair, Being Nice all the time, having her emotions played with, Someone being more engaged with her love than herself.

{Both} Like-Feeling valued, being needed, activities, videos, being taken seriously. Pumpkin. Dislike-Being Judged or mislabeled. Pressured to do something, Attitudes, rude people. Vegan food.

19. What is your character’s favorite food?

Peridot- Milk! Apple juice, Soup, Carrot sticks, Greasy Food, Apples the red and yellow ones, Oranges, Ramen noodles, Sour Candy, Fry Bits, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Mountain dew. More Soup. Glow-sticks

Lapis- Water, Soup, Noodles, Chicken, Oranges, ice, Brite Crawlers, Fries and fry bits, Burgers, PIZZA! sriracha sauce, “Snickers” candy bar, blue-slushies, ice cubes, or Gummy Bears.    

20. What is your character’s favorite color?

Royal blue, cyan, lime green, Emerald

21. What are your character’s sleeping preferences?

Inconsistent Lapis a bit of a restless sleeper, also Lapis snores sleeping with her dolphin plush Porpoise, loudly with a blowing berr~ noise similar to the sleeping of whales. She never not switches positions sleeping on her back to her side to her stomach constantly until she gets comfortable. She kicks, groans, and sighs angelically. That is if she doesn’t have a night terror then everyone is doomed. Using her water powers in her sleep!

Lappy,will twist her blanket up from moving so much at night. the movement will pull her p.j. shirt up over revealing her belly. Lapis likes to feel cool and breezy at night so often her feet will stick out free of her blanket. She has a bad habit of pulling her blanket over her head when annoyed or hiding making herself vulnerable to tickle attacks on her sensitive feet, but she insists on not wearing many socks so it’s a risk she is willing to take.

(Peridot & Lapis might talk in their sleep if they are stressed out.)

Now while Peridot snores, and it is loud she will settle flinching her toes and hands every so often. Little whimpers and kicks will be present to squeak out of her if she has a nightmare. Peridot sleeps balled up like a kitty-cat mostly on her side or back with her hands folded over. She might have her thumb in her mouth sometimes or her hand resting on her cheek. When she doesn’t have nightmares or does she curls up to whoever she loves, purring like a kitten.

During the night, as Honeydew or her roommate Lapis knows. Peridot’s snoring, I promise, it will calm down into slower breathing~ Peridot, She is a cuddle-er, often sleeping with a recovered an alien plush or the most noticeable on the side of her bed a Mine-craft creeper plush named Zippy. On the other side a plush mine-craft pig that she beats up at night if she wakes and is furious she has a nightmare. She usually sleeps close to her supervisor or her girlfriend or Ditz.

BONUS: What position does your character typically sleep in?

oh her Side, Lapis is deep sleeper. Peridot is a bit lighter.

22. What is your character’s sexual identity?

Agender, Lesbians,

23. What are your character’s sexual preferences?

They tend to want do whom they feel most comfortable and attracted to.

BONUS: What sexual experiences or choices does your character feel especially good or bad about?

Lapis has an anger kink, and Peridot has dominant kink  

24. What type of music does your character like?

Country, Rock, Techno, Dubstep, Uplifting and Slow music.

BONUS: Does your character have a song that is “their song”?

Lapis, Halsey-Control. Zedd-Clarity, Taylor Swift-Blank Space, VV Brown-Shark in the water

Peridot, Peri-Parody-You’re a Clod! Halsey-Gasoline, Marina and the Diamonds-Not a Robot Seven Lions-Strangers

Character History

25. What is your character’s birthday?

Both of them weren’t born, They were made on homeworld most likely. Though . Around August and December

BONUS: Does their astrological sign seem to fit them?

Peridot-Leo

Lapis Lazuli-Sagittarius

26. What family structure did your character have growing up?

created on homeworld, Cannon wise I do not know. As for my muses they both had supervisors that looked after them in their early stages of life.

Raine, Lapis Lazuli’s supervisor, She’s a big nurturer, spoils, and babies Lapis, from her platonic love for her “little sister/daughter figure, of sorts. She teases Lapis a lot and tries to get her to listen on several occasions when Lapis is difficult.

Never the less she took great care of rambunctious, rebellious Lapis all those years ago. Helping her channel and control her unusually strong powers. While Raine is nowhere near as strong as Lapis, she’s stronger than her in other forms of ways Lapis has not studied. Raine lost a lot of her friends due to the war.

{Headcannon Approved}-Peridot has always been a bit of a big head, and really stubborn, and over confident. On homeworld The bringing up by a Supervision  Peridot nicknamed Honeydew, did help her amplify that part of herself, also show her respect for authority.

Peridot was not the easiest student, in fact she is rather defiant, stubborn, needy and most temper prone of the bunch. The odds were not in her favor, because Honeydew can easily overpower her. up till that faithful day she was Ripped from her supervisor to her new position as a scout to check on progress of the cluster assigning to her new one that did not care if she lived or died.

The belief from Honeydew challenging Peridot to unleash and channel her incredible smarts, actually put it to good use. She believed in her and her talents, all the years of difficulty did harden one of them which Peridot feels a little strong guilt for. It did not change her relationship with her.

27. How well did your character get along with their family?

Peri is Steven’s annoying little sister, Lapis is the moody teen sister. Jasper is the blunt aunt. Pearl is the overcautious mom. Garnet is the smooth cool mom. And Amethyst is the fun eldest sister. These Gems are family.

28. What is the worst thing your character has ever done?

Lapis reveals a cynicism about herself which borders on self-hatred. She harbors a deep regret not just for her actions as Malachite but those in “Ocean Gem” as well, particularly her belligerence against Steven and Jasper. She briefly doubts whether she is different from Jasper, but with Steven’s encouragement, she gathers the resolve to avoid reigniting their abusive relationship. Hurt people absentmindedly and poofing the ones she loves 11 times.

Peridot’s many attempts to kill the crystal gems. Her judgmental impulsive ways can get her into a lot of trouble. Peridot’s inexplicable knowledge of a machines inner workings compared to a emotional feelings perspective, which can lead people to believe she’s very insensitive. Peridot has a terrible temper and once she’s on a rampage it’s really hard to calm her down if things don���t go her way.

29. What is the best thing your character has ever done?

To be honest probably meeting the very people that has turned their lives around for the better. Calling her boss a Clod, becoming a Crystal Gem!

30. What is the most significant romantic encounter of your character’s past?

Lapis came across a gem on the beach that was really crushing on her. At first she did not think much of her but she opened her up with lots of patience love and trust that gem was Topaz. Peridot came after also Accepted by Topaz due to the belief from Topaz that she was a good person did they all fall head over heels for each other growing stronger each and every day.

31. Has your character ever been in love?

Yes, in cannon maybes

Is that good thing or a bad thing?

Good. love like you

32. Has your character ever been in lust?

Canonically probably not, but yes for my muse

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I suppose they can get carried away with their love, getting a little too rough or overly dramatic to go to a different time period state of mind. They can strain their health that way

33. What is your character’s level of sexual experience?

Lapis is a little flirt she will take anyone she can get good feelings with as long as they are sincere.

Peridot is inexperienced, but curious.

34. What is your character’s most embarrassing moment?

Lapis hurting the ones she cares about and forming malachite

Peridot acts a lot more like a 5-8 year human than a gem. Her maturity is questionable considering how new she is to the world only a couple 3,000 years most of it spent on homeworld. Being compared to a toddler for her size and actions Being confined in a frog suit,  folks babying her like Steven, Amy and Honeydew. Her cheeks Pinched.

Character Introspection

35. What is your character’s biggest goal in life?

Lapis-Stay with Steven, ignore the Crystal Gems, See more of the planet Have fun. Be free, crack jokes, cause trouble. {Marry Topaz.}

Peridot-Please the Crystal Gems and Honeydew, Be the best rebel gem she can be, make her supervisor proud. Gain love and acceptance, be a good girlfriend.

36. What does your character believe is their greatest virtue?

Peridot-Chastity, Temperance, Diligence, Kindness

Lapis-Temperance, Kindness, Justice, Loyalty

37. What does your character believe is their greatest vice?

Peridot- Greed, Pride, Envy. {Of course Peri thinks she’s flawless.}

Lapis- Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Despair.

38. What motivates your character most?

The ones she would lay her life on the line for. Food. Respect.

39. Is your character objective-oriented?

Peridot definable, Lapis will half ass something if she hates it.

40. Would your character rather be a great person or a good person?

As long as they can be one form of good that’s all they need.

41. Would your character rather be hated for being who they are or loved for pretending to be someone else?

Better to be Hated then loved for what your not

42. Is your character an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Lapis is an introvert, and extrovert only when she wants to be. Peridot is an introvert.

43. Is your character creatively expressive?

Yes! But they are expressive in different ways. One is explosive and passionately angry or sad and nonchalant while the other roommate is quiet until something bugs her so she has to yell or make art together. Little odd sculptures, doodles or paintings.

.

44. What’s your character’s disorder?

Both-Anxiety, Lapis-Depression. bipolar? Periodot-OCD,  (possibly autistic)-if you consider gems having disorders

45. What is your character’s standard emotional state?

They are both rather unstable prone to tempers Lapis is exceedingly dangerous when her mood drops from happy to sad to pissed off in seconds flat she will cause self harm or cause horrible harm to others if not comforted or helped.

46. Is your character materialistic?

Unfortunately, Peridot is, they are her comfort items, She is equipped with phone and video games. Shes big on computers!!!

Lapis could live without materials she’s a true hippy

BONUS: What are some of your character’s prized possessions?

Percypier, the Alien plush, Zippy (MC Creeper plush) containing her limb enhancers, a drill, flyswatter, a blanket, a couple of glow sticks, glasses  photon blaster. game controller.

Ocean puns book, her dolphin plush Porpoise, some Fish food, Chaps, Nerds rope, Brite crawlers candy, ocean directory, Maps, shell-phone, shells.

47. What is your character’s major learning style?

Visual / Kinesthetic

48. What question isn’t on this questionnaire that your character is just burning to answer?

Who is Jeff?

Where’s the door?

49. I am a _________. How would your character complete that sentence?

Free gem.  Crystal Gem now!

50. Life is an act of _________ing. What verb would your character use to complete that sentence?

Meepmorp. Living

[homesick-meteorite-blog]

@fractured-facets

It was the outfit she noticed first.  Hard not to.  Such an extreme amount of appearance modifiers was practically unheard of on Homeworld and from what she’d seen actually sort of extreme even on Earth.  Peridot stared, frowning.  “...What are you supposed to be?”

[minijenn]

Drabble: “There’s nothing I can do anymore.” -Swap Pearl to the crystal twins(maybe it takes place during Earthlings.)

Idk whatnumber this is: “There’s nothing I can do anymore.”

A cry of pained defeat rushed out of the white Gem’s mouth,her head bowed low as tears rolled down her cheeks. As she sorrowfully crumbledto her knees, Peridot sneered triumphantly, even as one of the nearby injectorscrashed down between her and her opponent. Pearl hardly paid it any mind as shelet out a tight sob, wrapping her arms around herself and not even bothering tolook as the twins hurried to her side.  

“Pearl!” Mabel exclaimed worriedly as she noticed just howbeaten up the forlorn white Gem was. “Are you ok?!”

Pearl simply shook her head as she sniffled pitifully,refusing to look either of her young wards in the eyes as she spoke, her gazestill lowered to the ground. “Dipper, Mabel… I-I… I can’t beat her! Every strategyI’ve tried, every attack I know… none of it even phases her! T-there’s nothingmore I can do anymore… Peridot’s right; I really am nothing more than a commonPearl…”

“That’s not true!” Dipper protested adamantly. “The onlyreason Peridot keeps saying any of that stuff is to make you feel like you’reinferior compared to her, but you’re not!”

“Yeah, so what if Peridot’s got a deadly science laser,”Mabel shrugged with a growing, encouraging smile. “You know how to sword fight,and build rockets, and do really cool backflips! If you ask us, then Peridot’sgot nothing on you!”

“B-but…” Pearl choked out a small sob as she finally lookedup to the twins somewhat incredulously. “But on Homeworld-”

“Pearl, if we were on Homeworld, then I’d apparently be astuffed-shirt aristocrat,” Dipper pointed out defiantly.

“And I’d be a dumb old bully of a soldier!” Mabel added witha rouge grin.

“But in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not on Homeworld,”Dipper continued, smiling himself as Mabel grabbed his hand boldly. “We’re onEarth. Things are different here; and it’s about time somebody taught Peridotthat, don’t you think?”

For a moment, Pearl could only look between the twins withapt surprise, unsure of what to make of their encouraging words. However, herdisbelief only lasted for a moment before she let out a small, still somewhattearful laugh, grinning at her two wards with the upmost gratitude and pride. “Howdid you two get so smart?”

“We learned from the best,” Mabel remarked with a warm smile.

Pearl laughed again at this and, unable to contain hermotherly affection for the twins any longer, she pulled them both into a tight,welcome embrace. And, the moment she did, a radiant light suddenly shot outfrom the trio, obscuring them entirely and blowing the injector back severalfeet by the sheer force of it alone. Peridot gasped as she tore through themachine with her laser, keeping it from hitting her entirely as she glaredtowards the source of this unknown light. Steven, Connie, and Lapis all gaspedas they watched on, noticing a tall silhouette rising up from behind this curtainof light, one that was soon broke apart by this silhouette themselves as they triumphantlyannounced themselves.

“Goooooooood afternoon, everybody!” the new fusion exclaimedwith the smallest hint of a proper accent in their town, the light around them dissipatingas they threw their hands out in a showy manner. Their form was lithe andelegant, with pale orange skin, short, poofily curled hair, three long arms andthree bright eyes. Their outfit was akin to that of a magician’s, with a shortblack vest, petite, simple skirt, perfectly tied orange bow, and even a short,small, start-adorned top hat. Altogether, they carried an air of grace andshowman’s ship, one that shined through their wide, eager, excitable grin andtheir boldly confident body language. “Oh, or at least I think its afternoon.It’s so hard to tell with these dull, drab Kindergarten skies. It’s certainlyfar from the kind of flattering lighting a magnificent fusion like me deserves!”

“Whoa!” Steven gasped, grabbing Connie’s shoulder and shaking her excitedly asthey took the sight of the bombastic, three armed, three-eyed fusion in. “Noway! Pearl, Dipper, and Mabel fused!”

“I can see that, Steven,” Connie chuckled, quite amazed at thesight of the fusion herself. Peridot, on the other hand, was nowhere near asamused.

“W-wha—what in the name of the Diamonds are you supposed to be?!” the green Gemgrowled, keeping her laser poised as the elegant fusion towered over her.

“Who am I?” the fusion repeated with a thoughtful smile. “Wonderfulquestion, darling! Perhaps Pearl would know?” They paused, the gemstones ontheir palms glowing as matching gauntlets formed over them.

“Augh! Who cares?! No matter who you are, I’m still going totake you out like the clod you are!” Peridot shouted, charging her laser up fora devastating attack.

“Well…” the fusion largely ignored her as the stone on theirhead glowed, Pearl’s spear flying up out of it. “I do believe that a Ruby…” Asthe spear fell down between their clenched gauntlets, they punched themtogether, forming an entirely new weapon, a hammer. “A Sapphire…” The fusiontossed their massive hammer up into the air, spinning gracefully themselves asit spun back down towards them. “And a Pearl all come together to create thegraceful, intelligent, spectacular,one and only…” They paused, a wide, daring grin spreading across their featuresas they caught their hammer and swing it at the blast from Peridot’s lasersquarely, knocking it back at the green Gem as though it was nothing at all asthey finally proclaimed their name. “Sardonyx!”

(Fuccccckkkk yesss Swap Sardonyx!!!!! I already knew what angle you wanted me to take this in the moment I got this prompt and I just could NOT resist it because well??? Swap Sardonyx!!!!! Yeeeeee! I seriously need to draw them imo but for now, this works as an abridged version of what their intro would be like and I love it!!! So awesome and sweet and adorable and as Sardonyx themselves said, SPECTACULAR!) 

[askwaterwitch-perbear]

Under cut is a lot of information about Lapis & Peridot. Enjoy!

feel free to do it if you want.

1. What color is your character’s hair?

Lapis has dark cobalt blue chin-length hair although her bangs are slightly longer, with a fringe that covers her entire forehead.

Peridot has pale yellow-green blonde hair styled into a tetrahedron shape with small little nicks in the sides.

2. What color are your character’s eyes?

Lapis is revealed to have royal blue eye color that twinkle in the most alluring way.

Canonically, Peridot’s true eye color is unknown right now, but can be presumed to be some shade of green or blue, due to being tinted by the yellow color of her visor. (I like to head cannon my muse Peridot are blue)

3. What color is your character’s skin?

Lapis has cyan sky blue rough, but smooth blue skin.  

Peridot has lime-green sensitively soft skin.

4. What special aesthetic characteristics does your character have?

 Beautiful Lapis has a slender figure and a very feminist appearance though while also being very athletic. Water wings that give her an angelic appearance. Her hair gives off the most captivating movement in the wind

Peridot’s mouth and tongue are bluish-grey, and she has a pointed upper lip. Her gemstone is located on her forehead and is shaped like an inverted triangle with flattened corners. Most distinctive part of Peridot has got to be her lime-green skin and triangular hair-due

5. Does your character have any piercings? Tattoos?

Lapis is not very artsy with needles in cannon, but I like to think as a human she would be open to it.

My Peridot hates needles so no! 

6. What’s the sexiest physical characteristic of your character?

‘sexy’ Lapis just look it’s everywhere

Though Peridot would say she’s not cute and she is sexy I think she’s adorable!

7. What’s the ugliest physical characteristic of your character?

Nope can’t think of any. Besides story boarding I don’t much care for. Sometimes it looks like Peridot and Lapis have a million bees in there mouths.

8. What does your character wear?

Lapis, wears a flowing, blue skirt, which is knee-length with a downward-facing navy triangle. She also wears a backless, blue halter crop top with an upward-facing navy triangle that ties into a blue sash ribbon on the back of her shoulders

Peridot, She wears she wears a sleeveless green V-neck uniform. Her suit is mostly medium green, with a dark-green diamond outline around the cut-out of her neck area, meeting to form the Yellow Diamond insignia at her solar plexus, with a dark-green portion between her chest and leggings. Her leggings , feature yellow diamond-shaped knee pads, organic sock material. She has her visor, which covers the top half of her face and tints her eyes yellow-green.

(Other than their assigned formed modifiers, or uniforms) They will wear sweatshirts, shorts, boxers, t-shirts, nerd button shirts, tank tops, pajamas ext.

BONUS: Why does your character like wearing that outfit?

It what they were made for I mean you gotta give it the character artists they really know how to make them look cozy.

Expressions of Emotion

9. When your character smiles, what does their smile look like?

Lapis’s smile is life.

Peridot is one for a cute cat face or white teeth grin

10. What does your character’s laugh sound like?

Lapis’s laugh consists of chortles and snorting, beautiful melodic laughter. 

Peridot sounds like an adorable little redundant giggles, cackles or following Nyehehehe!!!

BONUS: What sort of things would make your character laugh?

Memes my dude. Memes , pranks, and others telling jokes.

11. What is your character’s normal style of speech?

Lapis sounds like an angsty teen or depressed spirit with a sense of fun

Peridot slurs almost all the word she says with N’s and D’s and Ums.

BONUS: What are some memorable things your character has said that showcase their unique voice?

“I’m Lapis Lazuli! And you can’t keep me trapped here anymore! My name is Lapis. I’m done being everyone’s prisoner! Meepmorp.”

“You crystal clods! Nyhehehe! Clod! Clod! Clod! Clod! Clod! Cloddy-Dumb-Dumb! Wow thanks!” 

12. How does your character express/handle anger?

Not well. Let’s just say they both have a bit of a temper on them. One explodes while another will kill you!

13. Does your character cry?

Peridot holds her hands over her eyes and mouth sobbing, hiccups, or occasional sniffling.

Lapis says is too tough to cry, but we all know it’s not true. She will hold her knees and sob into them shaking violently depending on how upsetting it is.

BONUS: What sorts of things would make them cry?

Stress, family drama, friend being hurt, abandonment. fear.

14. How easy is it for other people to read your character’s emotions?

Peridot is getting to be a bit easier to read as time progresses. She can isolate herself if she’s feeling particularly in the “way.”

While if something is bugging Lapis she will completely shut herself off from others

Character Beliefs

15. Is your character religious?

idk I doubt it.

16. How does your character view those of other faiths?

They’re unsure.

17. What are your character’s core values?

Hard Working. Diligent, Gentle, Funny, kind hearted, playful, loyalty

18. How willing is your character to fight for those values?

They would fight with their lives.

Character Likes and Dislikes 

Peridot Likes-Being a Rebel, Being called Cool, Video games, Showing off, T.V. Soap Operas, Science Channel, Teen Angst, Hacking, Crafts, some forms of Physical Play, Watching videos, Being tall, Feeling superior, Shirts, Singing, Shipping, Star gazing, collecting hair clips and Video game franchise, Her Alien plush, Her Minecraft Creeper plush Zippy Spending time with friends, Dates, The Beach, space, day dreaming, youtube, Topaz, Playing Pranks on her Supervisor

Peridot Dislikes:  Being ignored, being belittled, being Left out, too   much Physical contact, harm to her family, feeling useless, being made fun of, incompetence, having her emotions played with, when someone gets more attention from her supervisor then her, being left out.

Lapis Likes: Being a Rebel, Having a love life, being reckless and irresponsible, Video games, Napping, T.V. Cop Chases, Weather Channel, Horror movies, Scuba-diving shows, Teen Magazines, Fashions, Pizza, Crafts, Drawling, Wrestling, Watching videos, Teasing her girlfriends, being tickled, Someone making her laugh with funny’s, Dresses, Singing, Making Music, Shells, Shopping, Star gazing, collecting hair clips with Topaz, Aquatic Plush, Spending time with friends, Dates, The Beach, space, day dreaming, youtube, Playing Pranks on Peridot & Zircon

Lapis Dislikes: Being accused of being mean, being belittled because she’s a little short, feeling needy too much, Physical harm, Overprotective feeling, Self Despair, Being Nice all the time, having her emotions played with, Someone being more engaged with her love than herself.

{Both} Like-Feeling valued, being needed, activities, videos, being taken seriously. Pumpkin. Dislike-Being Judged or mislabeled. Pressured to do something, Attitudes, rude people. Vegan food.

19. What is your character’s favorite food?

Peridot- Milk! Apple juice, Soup, Carrot sticks, Greasy Food, Apples the red and yellow ones, Oranges, Ramen noodles, Sour Candy, Fry Bits, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Mountain dew. More Soup. Glow-sticks

Lapis- Water, Soup, Noodles, Chicken, Oranges, ice, Brite Crawlers, Fries and fry bits, Burgers, PIZZA! sriracha sauce, “Snickers” candy bar, blue-slushies, ice cubes, or Gummy Bears.   

20. What is your character’s favorite color?

Royal blue, cyan, lime green, Emerald

21. What are your character’s sleeping preferences?

Inconsistent Lapis a bit of a restless sleeper, also Lapis snores sleeping with her dolphin plush Porpoise, loudly with a blowing berr~ noise similar to the sleeping of whales. She never not switches positions sleeping on her back to her side to her stomach constantly until she gets comfortable. She kicks, groans, and sighs angelically. That is if she doesn’t have a night terror then everyone is doomed. Using her water powers in her sleep!

Lappy,will twist her blanket up from moving so much at night. the movement will pull her p.j. shirt up over revealing her belly. Lapis likes to feel cool and breezy at night so often her feet will stick out free of her blanket. She has a bad habit of pulling her blanket over her head when annoyed or hiding making herself vulnerable to tickle attacks on her sensitive feet, but she insists on not wearing many socks so it’s a risk she is willing to take.

(Peridot & Lapis might talk in their sleep if they are stressed out.)

Now while Peridot snores, and it is loud she will settle flinching her toes and hands every so often. Little whimpers and kicks will be present to squeak out of her if she has a nightmare. Peridot sleeps balled up like a kitty-cat mostly on her side or back with her hands folded over. She might have her thumb in her mouth sometimes or her hand resting on her cheek. When she doesn’t have nightmares or does she curls up to whoever she loves, purring like a kitten.

During the night, as Honeydew or her roommate Lapis knows. Peridot’s snoring,  I promise, it will calm down into slower breathing~ Peridot, She is a cuddle-er, often sleeping with a recovered an alien plush or the most noticeable on the side of her bed a Mine-craft creeper plush named Zippy. On the other side a plush mine-craft pig that she beats up at night if she wakes and is furious she has a nightmare.  ey are not used to it so it can very to being as late as 3-4 in the morning.

BONUS: What position does your character typically sleep in?

 oh her Side, Lapis is deep sleeper, while~ on her backback, Peridot is a bit lighter.

22. What is your character’s sexual identity?

Gay Rocks

23. What are your character’s sexual preferences?

They tend to want to have sexual relations with whom they feel most comfortable and attracted to.

BONUS: What sexual experiences or choices does your character feel especially good or bad about?

Lapis has an anger kink, and Peridot has a tall dominant kink  

24. What type of music does your character like?

Country, Pop, Techno, Dubstep, Uplifting and Slow music.

BONUS: Does your character have a song that is “their song”?

Lapis, Halsey-Control. Zedd-Clarity, Taylor Swift-Blank Space, VV Brown-Shark in the water

Peridot, Peri-Parody-You’re a Clod! Halsey-Gasoline, Marina and the Diamonds, -Not a Robot Seven Lions-Strangers

Character History

25. What is your character’s birthday?

Both of them weren’t born, They were made on homeworld most likely. Though . Around August and December

BONUS: Does their astrological sign seem to fit them?

Peridot-Leo

Lapis Lazuli-Sagittarius

26. What family structure did your character have growing up?

created on homeworld, Cannon wise I do not know. As for my muses they both had supervisors that looked after them in their early stages of life.

Raine, Lapis Lazuli’s supervisor, She’s a big nurturer, spoils, and babies Lapis, from her platonic love for her “little sister/daughter figure, of sorts. She teases Lapis a lot and tries to get her to listen on several occasions when Lapis is difficult.

Never the less she took great care of rambunctious, rebellious Lapis all those years ago. Helping her channel and control her unusually strong powers. While Raine is nowhere near as strong as Lapis, she’s stronger than her in other forms of ways Lapis has not studied. Raine lost a lot of her friends due to the war.

{Headcannon Approved}-Peridot has always been a bit of a big head, and really stubborn, and over confident. On homeworld The bringing up by a Supervision  Peridot nicknamed Honeydew, did help her amplify that part of herself, also show her respect for authority.

Peridot was not the easiest student, in fact she is rather defiant, stubborn, needy and most temper prone of the bunch. The odds were not in her favor, because Honeydew can easily overpower her. up till that faithful day she was Ripped from her supervisor to her new position as a scout to check on progress of the cluster assigning to her new one that did not care if she lived or died.

The belief from Honeydew challenging Peridot to unleash and channel her incredible smarts, actually put it to good use. She believed in her and her talents, all the years of difficulty did harden one of them which Peridot feels a little strong guilt for. It did not change her relationship with her.

27. How well did your character get along with their family?

Peri is Steven’s annoying little sister, Lapis is the moody teen sister. Jasper is the blunt aunt. Pearl is the overcautious mom. Garnet is the smooth cool mom. And Amethyst is the fun eldest sister. These Gems are family.

28. What is the worst thing your character has ever done?

Lapis reveals a cynicism about herself which borders on self-hatred. She harbors a deep regret not just for her actions as Malachite but those in “Ocean Gem” as well, particularly her belligerence against Steven and Jasper. She briefly doubts whether she is different from Jasper, but with Steven’s encouragement, she gathers the resolve to avoid reigniting their abusive relationship. Hurt people absentmindedly and poofing the ones she loves 11 times.

Peridot’s many attempts to kill the crystal gems. Her judgmental impulsive ways can get her into a lot of trouble. Peridot’s inexplicable knowledge of a machines inner workings compared to a emotional feelings perspective, which can lead people to believe she’s very insensitive. Peridot has a terrible temper and once she’s on a rampage it’s really hard to calm her down if things don’t go her way.

29. What is the best thing your character has ever done?

To be honest probably meeting the very people that has turned their lives around for the better. Calling her boss a Clod, becoming a Crystal Gem!

30. What is the most significant romantic encounter of your character’s past?

Lapis came across a gem on the beach that was really crushing on her. At first she did not think much of her but she opened her up with lots of patience love and trust that gem was Topaz. Peridot came after also Accepted by Topaz due to the belief from Topaz that she was a good person did they all fall head over heels for each other growing stronger each and every day.

31. Has your character ever been in love?

Yes, in cannon maybes

Is that good thing or a bad thing?

Good. love like you

32. Has your character ever been in lust?

Canonically probably not, but yes for my muse

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I suppose they can get carried away with their love, getting a little too rough or overly dramatic to go to a different time period state of mind. They can strain their health that way

33. What is your character’s level of sexual experience?

Lapis is a little flirt she will take anyone she can get good feelings with as long as they are sincere.

Peridot is inexperienced, but curious.

34. What is your character’s most embarrassing moment?

Lapis hurting the ones she cares about and forming malachite

Peridot acts a lot more like a 5-8 year human than a gem. Her maturity is questionable considering how new she is to the world only a couple 3,000 years most of it spent on homeworld. Being compared to a toddler for her size and actions Being confined in a frog suit,  folks babying her like Steven, Amy and Honeydew. Her cheeks Pinched.

Character Introspection

35. What is your character’s biggest goal in life?

Lapis-Stay with Steven, ignore the Crystal Gems, See more of the planet Have fun. Be free, crack jokes, cause trouble. {Marry Topaz.}

Peridot-Please the Crystal Gems and Honeydew, Be the best rebel gem she can be, make her supervisor proud. Gain love and acceptance, be a good girlfriend.

36. What does your character believe is their greatest virtue?

Peridot-Chastity, Temperance, Diligence, Kindness

Lapis-Temperance, Kindness, Justice, Loyalty

37. What does your character believe is their greatest vice?

Peridot- Greed, Pride, Envy. {Of course Peri thinks she’s flawless.}

Lapis- Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Despair.

38. What motivates your character most?

The ones she would lay her life on the line for. Food. Respect.

39. Is your character objective-oriented?

Peridot definable, Lapis will half ass something if she hates it.

40. Would your character rather be a great person or a good person?

As long as they can be one form of good that’s all they need.

41. Would your character rather be hated for being who they are or loved for pretending to be someone else?

Better to be Hated then loved for what your not

42. Is your character an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Lapis is an extrovert only when she wants to be. Peridot is an introvert.

43. Is your character creatively expressive?

Yes! But they are expressive in different ways. One is explosive and passionately angry or sad and nonchalant while the other roommate is quiet until something bugs her so she has to yell or make art together. Little odd sculptures, doodles or paintings.

.

44. What’s your character’s disorder?

Both-Anxiety, Lapis-Depression. bipolar? Periodot-OCD,  (possibly autistic)-if you consider gems having disorders

45. What is your character’s standard emotional state?

They are both rather unstable prone to tempers Lapis is exceedingly dangerous when her mood drops from happy to sad to pissed off in seconds flat she will cause self harm or cause horrible harm to others if not comforted or helped. 

46. Is your character materialistic?

Unfortunately, Peridot is, they are her comfort items, She is equipped with phone and video games. Shes big on computers!!!

Lapis could live without materials she’s a true hippy

BONUS: What are some of your character’s prized possessions?

Percypier, the Alien plush, Zippy (MC Creeper plush) containing her limb enhancers, a drill, flyswatter, a blanket, a couple of glow sticks, glasses  photon blaster. game controller.

Ocean puns book, her dolphin plush Porpoise, some Fish food, Chaps, Nerds rope, Brite crawlers candy, ocean directory, Maps, shell-phone, shells.

47. What is your character’s major learning style?

Visual / Kinesthetic

48. What question isn’t on this questionnaire that your character is just burning to answer?

Who is Jeff? Where’s the door?

49. I am a _________. How would your character complete that sentence?

Free gem.  Crystal Gem now!

50. Life is an act of _________ing. What verb would your character use to complete that sentence?

 Meepmorp. Living

[homesick-meteorite-blog]

@curiositykilledthehermit

“...You again.”  Peridot crept closer to the creature -  The Percy, yes, she remembered it now.  Or just... Percy.  Apparently organic life preferred that system.  Strange.

“Are you lost?”