The next day I woke up a little sore, but nothing serious, nothing a good dose of healing saliva couldn't fix. I opened my eyes and saw Lapiz with his foot practically on top of my head as if I were an alternative pillow, so I just let out a small bead of sweat as I moved aside.
I got up and walked to the living room, where León was watching me with a suspicious look, as if I'd owed him money for ages. I just mentally replied that yes, it was already paid, and handed him the fish I had stored in the freezer. He seemed satisfied and went out to eat, though before leaving he made it very clear that he didn't want me making a mess in the house again.
I sat with a calm smile as I walked to the bathroom to do my morning routine, and about three hours passed while I got ready for that day's training.
Lapiz had already woken up and announced that he wanted to join us to watch us train. I had no reason to refuse, so I accepted, plus it would be a good idea to take her out of her comfort zone a little.
The gems came out and signaled me to walk toward the portal. Lapis and I went forward, and in a matter of seconds, we were teleported to the celestial arena. She was amazed for a few seconds, as if it were a divine theme park, but then she let it go and went straight to the stands to watch what the other gems would do.
Amethyst looked at me with a smile as she asked if I was ready. I just needed to stretch a little, so I started loosening my muscles with some small push-ups.
After a few minutes, Pearl and Garnet went off to practice on their own, so only Amethyst, Lapis, and I remained nearby. Lapis was still playing on my phone, still in the middle of that endless battle in the game she'd been fighting for days, now against two other players, and she was still devouring them as if it were nothing.
When I asked what we were going to do, Amethyst replied that we would fuse to practice different combat tactics and thus improve our battle skills. Lapis just nodded understandingly and immediately started taking pictures with my phone like I was a professional photographer on an intergalactic runway. Ever since she discovered the app, she'd completely filled my memory and kept overloading it mercilessly. I sighed silently, thinking I definitely needed to buy a bigger memory card.
I looked ahead as Lapis continued snapping photos uncontrollably, while Pearl and Garnet had already started fighting in earnest.
"Let's get started, dude," Amethyst said as she began to dance. I stared at her blankly, but eventually joined in, adjusting my steps so I wouldn't look completely clumsy.
We slowly approached each other, and Lapis was there recording everything, like it was a documentary of our abilities. When we joined hands, a glow enveloped us, fusing us into something new. Lapis blinked in surprise, and although the other two gems fighting lost their focus for a second, they soon resumed as if nothing had happened.
Two gems had merged to form a new gem. Lapis stared at me, wide-eyed, clearly surprised by the form the fusion had taken before her.
I looked at my arms, now gray, noticing that I only had two. I was a little taller than me and had white hair, similar to mine, only longer, reaching my shoulders. My body showed the results of training, strong and toned, though a little chubby, without losing my essence. My eyes were black with freckles, and when I looked at Lapis, I gave her a peace sign, prompting her to snap a flurry of photos.
First things first, I said, looking at my new hands. Let's see, a name? What name should I give myself... I know. Smoky, I thought, remembering the time I fused with Rose. Well, why change it?
I'm too lazy to change my name. I look at my body again with curiosity; I'm not too thin, not too fat, just some strange but comfortable in-between.
I summon Steven's shield to check for any differences and am instantly surprised. It looks thicker, more solid, as if it's undergone an unexpected upgrade. I don't feel any extra weight, which is also strange, so I throw it at one of the columns to test its impact.
The impact reverberates throughout the arena like thunder, and those who were paying attention see the shield embedded to an absurd depth. I'm energized by this detail and pull the notebook out of Steven's jacket. I quickly jot down all the differences I notice, and when I'm finished, I put the book back in my jacket, then take off the jacket and throw it at Lapis, who was recording the fight between Pearl and Garnet.
Lapis barely has time to react before the jacket lands squarely on her face, and her expression of confusion is so pure it almost makes me laugh.
I ask her to hold it for me while I stretch, and she replies with a simple "okay," completely used to my quirks, though she still pulls out everything Steven keeps in there as if she wants to discover how deep that infinite pocket really is. She soon finishes reading the notebook while I remain lost in my thoughts.
I decide to do one more test and jump as high as I can. I reach much higher than Amethyst alone or even Steven, something I expected but am still thrilled to experience firsthand. Every detail is noted, though I admit I'm a bit less adept at taking notes this way than when I'm fused as Rainbow Quartz. Oh well.
I look at my two newly formed weapons. I've already tested the shield, but the whip looks longer, more flexible, and much more practical. Every time I fuse with someone, the weapons always receive a substantial upgrade, and I wonder if this is due to the blending of personalities or simply the chaos within us. I jot it down without giving it much thought.
Then I fuse both weapons. From the union emerges a huge yo-yo, completely unlike anything I've ever had. Its stretching range seems almost infinite—obviously it isn't—but it gives the impression that I can throw it any distance and it will keep extending as if physics wouldn't fight me. I prepare to throw it toward the pillars to test its power...
And lo and behold, besides being incredibly flexible and practical, the yo-yo had so much potential that if I hadn't experimented before with Steven's part and his weak telekinesis, I would have thought I was controlling it with my mind. But no, it was simply well-made, perfect for what I needed.
Amethyst's part was overwhelmingly dominant in the fusion. That opened up a ton of tricks, spins, and crazy moves that Lapis recorded for a while, though he eventually got bored and went back to fighting noobmaster67 with that competitive fury that was already his trademark.
Smoky flipped through her notebook while jotting down and evaluating more details. She was trying to get some inside information from Steven's side, but he wouldn't let go. Everyone has secrets, and the fusion respected that too... though she still started looking through the book, and read a passage that stopped her completely.
"Amethyst is someone I admire, even though she sometimes goes too far with her jokes. Well, she's practically my sister. I like spending time with her. She was always the first to support me. Even knowing it would take time, she dedicated her time."
Smoky stared at those words for a few seconds, her heart pounding strangely. She turned a few more pages and found another note.
"Today Amethyst beat me up, but it's normal now. I feel like thanks to her I'll be able to become stronger." Really, really.
The fusion smiled with a mixture of pride and tenderness, and a tear fell from her left eye directly onto the page. She quickly regained her composure, though that brief moment remained etched in her memory.
She finished writing in the notebook and began training again, though not as efficiently as before. She glanced at Pearl and Garnet, who were resting while Lapis showed them—with a touch of embarrassment but also excitement—all the photos she had taken of them. Pearl looked genuinely happy, and so did Garnet.
Smoky took a deep breath and decided to call them over.
Hey, girls.
The three of them turned around, question marks hanging over their heads. Pearl raised an eyebrow, and Garnet looked at her as if she already knew exactly what was going to happen.
Smoky clasped her hands behind her back, puffed out her chest, and spoke with all the pride she could muster.
Well, one of you would have the honor of training with me. I really don't see how efficient it would be to do it alone.
Pearl raised her hand instantly. Garnet had already told her that Smoky would need someone, so they'd been resting just in time. As she stood up, Pearl gave her a playful, almost challenging smile.
"Let's see if you're stronger than Rainbow Quartz."
Smoky just responded with a smug grin, ready to show exactly what she was made of.
"We both stood face to face."
"Let's see what you've got," Pearl said as she summoned her weapon. I smiled and quickly pulled out my yo-yo, though I hadn't fully deployed it yet. We stared at each other, ready, until Garnet's voice broke our concentration.
"Begin," she said in that calm but firm tone.
We both ran toward each other. Pearl tried to attack me directly with her spear, moving with that perfect grace of hers. I wasn't as flexible as her, but I had another advantage. I ducked so low that my back practically hit the ground, and when Pearl saw the opening, she lunged forward... but she hadn't expected what happened.
I felt my body bounce off the ground as if it were made of rubber, and I used the momentum to summon my shield just in time. Her spear collided with my shield, and because of the position and the force, I came out on top. Pearl was sent flying several meters before recovering in mid-air.
"Not bad," she said, shifting her posture to a more serious one.
I didn't respond with words. I simply fused the whip and shield into the yo-yo and hurled it forcefully at her. Since she was already prepared, she easily dodged it... but when the yo-yo bounced off the wall and back, I heard her curse under her breath as she started running across the arena.
I concentrated intensely to follow her every move, guiding the yo-yo as if it had a life of its own. Perla kept dodging, jumping, and performing acrobatics, but finally, she found a blind spot behind me. The clever girl threw her spear straight at my face. Pure reflex summoned the shield, and the yo-yo vanished in a flash.
"Now's the time," she thought. I saw her coming with such speed that I didn't have time to react. The blow hit me squarely, and I went flying until I crashed into a pillar. I heard her voice behind me.
"Looks like I won."
But she didn't see my smile.
A second later, my body bounced off as if nothing had happened, and I shot straight toward her back. Pearl barely had time to turn around, her eyes wide, before I raised my shield. The impact sent her flying, and Garnet had to catch her before she hit the ground harder.
"Pearl's out of the fight," Garnet said calmly, as Pearl watched roses float around her head.
I started celebrating with a ridiculously funny victory dance, until I felt something cold fall on me. I looked up.
Great. Rain in the middle of the Celestial Arena.
"Damn it," I said as my wet hair fell across my face.
"That's it for today," Garnet said in that wise voice, looking up at the sky as if she were gathering aura, though I knew she was just checking if the rain was going to come down hard. Lapis also looked up at the sky and, without saying a word, walked toward the portal.
I followed her, still fused, and Garnet carried Pearl like a sack of potatoes while she mumbled incoherently about pink babies. The four of us arrived at the house. I was still fused because I wanted to see how long I could last, even though I already knew that as soon as Steven's bedtime arrived, goodbye fusion.
"I'll walk a bit, it's not raining here yet," I said as I stepped outside.
No one stopped me. Garnet already knew I needed this time, and it was best to leave me alone. Lapis, meanwhile, was yelling in voice messages at some kids who were hating on Steven's account, where he posted exercise recommendations.
"Insolent humans," she said while checking one of the posts, "this is the best way to work your triceps. If you've never worked out in your lives, that's not Steven's fault."
Garnet watched her with a bead of sweat and decided to go into her room before the downpour focused on her. She literally threw Pearl inside and closed the door.
I walked along the beach, noticing how quickly the hours had passed as I tried fusion food out of curiosity. It felt different, strange, but entertaining.
I sat on the sand, watching the horizon. The sunset painted everything with that soft orange color that made the beach look almost magical. I didn't say anything at first. It was calm, too calm for what I was feeling inside. In the end, I ended up talking to myself.
Amethyst, are you okay?
There was a silence inside me. It took me a few seconds to answer myself.
I am.
Amethyst.
What's wrong?
I know you're not okay. What's bothering you? You know you can tell me anything you need to.
The silence returned, heavier than before. For a moment, I thought about leaving, but I didn't.
It's because of the daycare and what happened there, isn't it?
I felt every muscle in my body tense. I nodded silently.
I understand. And you know it, I told you before.
I looked at the sand with guilt. That guilt that nothing could take away.
If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess.
It's not your fault, Amethyst. You just brought forward something that was going to happen anyway. Homeworld already had plans. And to be honest, the name Pepe made me laugh too.
A giggle escaped me involuntarily, accompanied by tears.
Oh, come on, admit it.
Finally, the light began to envelop us, and the fusion gently dissolved. Amethyst and I sat side by side, gazing at the sea, which now looked even more beautiful with the sky tinged with pink and orange.
It wasn't your fault, and it never will be. You always have me. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. I want you to remember that. I love you. You're like a sister to me. And if you want to vent your frustration by fighting, I'm here. In the end, I'm practically a tank.
Amethyst couldn't hold back any longer and hugged me tightly. She cried while smiling at the same time.
I simply hugged her back, letting everything unfold naturally as the sound of the sea enveloped us.
They both returned to the house. Amethyst went straight to her room; according to her, she'd already had more than enough emotional baggage for one day. I sat next to Lapis, who was still arguing with her phone while it charged. I watched her silently for a few seconds, but ended up shaking my head. Then I got up to take a leisurely shower, and once I was clean, I took out some books on human anatomy and physical energy.
Both subjects intrigued me; I've always enjoyed studying, even if I don't talk about it much. I'm writing it down here so I don't forget, because I know I'll probably forget to mention it later. The night passed like this, while Steven pondered his next steps and what he could do, unaware that something was approaching from afar.
Elsewhere on the planet, a solitary gem traveled in her ship, cursing under her breath. She'd been sent to this ridiculous planet to face a rebel who was supposed to be dead. She'd tried to avenge her Diamond, and after all, what had she accomplished? Nothing. An awkward pause filled the cockpit as the word she hated formed in her mind.
I lost.
The very thought made her stomach churn. How could she possibly defeat them? She couldn't do it alone. They had Rose, who, though she'd outmatched her thanks to the environment, was still a threat. And then there was that disgusting fusion. She stopped dead in her tracks when the thought struck her.
Fusion.
She said it with disgust, but also with a spark of strategy. She needed to find Peridot; it was the only way out. She walked faster, convinced that this was the right decision.
Meanwhile, far away, in a desolate landscape surrounded only by mountains, Peridot was trying to communicate with anything that might respond. For obvious reasons, nothing was working. She cursed her own tools and examined her fingertips, searching for a solution, until she found a useful piece of information.
Communication Center. Maybe that will help.
Panic gripped her for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. If she found Jasper, even better. Together they could escape this useless planet before it exploded. With that thought in mind, Peridot set off on her trek as if she were searching for the One Piece... I mean, the Communication Center.
End of Chapter 38.