As the two fusions stared at each other, one of them spoke, her voice cracking with hatred.
"Bastard," Jasper's fusion muttered. "Do you think you're important?"
Estela simply floated in the air, observing her with a calmness that seemed impossible in that chaos. She didn't respond. There was no need. In that silence, the world trembled more than with any insult.
Suddenly, enormous columns of water began to rise around Estela, forming an unbreakable circle.
Jasper quickly tensed.
"We can talk about this, Rose..." she said, her voice heavy with suppressed rage.
The columns crashed down in front of Jasper, and the ground opened beneath her feet, dragging her into a gigantic underwater cave. Estela descended after her, falling into pools that glowed with pink light. The size of the cavern was so absurd that Jasper's immense fusion didn't even reach half its height.
Estela walked slowly around her enemy. She watched intently as the corrupted stains spread rapidly, creeping across every fragment of her skin.
"I'll have to do this quickly," Estela thought. "I need Peridot intact."
Jasper spat on the ground. She glared at the destroyer of her Diamond with visceral resentment. She could feel the three trapped gems inside her body, desperately fighting to break free. A futile effort.
"Wasted effort," she snarled, rising as chunks of rock rained down from her massive frame.
Her gaze locked onto Estela. She saw her as Rose, even fused together. She believed she was doing the same thing, that Rose was in control and keeping Lapis silent, as a perfect being should. Was that perfection? Or was she just saying it to convince herself she wasn't the corrupted one between them?
Estela looked at her emotionlessly, but soon spoke in a firm voice.
"Jasper, I'll give you a chance."
Jasper blinked, confused, because she hadn't expected that.
"You unfuse, and you can stay outside of a bubble," Estela declared. "Or..." she raised a mound of water as sharp as a spear. "We'll do it the hard way."
Jasper was silent for a second before her laughter exploded like an avalanche.
"Ha."
"Haha."
"Hahaha."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
She laughed with contempt, with madness, with shattered pride.
"You think you have a right over me, Rose? Are you stupid?! No, worse than that."
A helmet formed on her head, and many stones began to float violently. Suddenly, she summoned a yellow shield and a sword, as if she wanted to mock the weapons Estela could use.
Estela became serious instantly.
"Think you can beat me, Rose Quartz?" Jasper roared. "There are four of us! No, it's me against you! Perfection!"
And without another word, she launched herself straight at Estela.
"I'll have to show off a bit," Estela thought, feeling the energy surge through her body. She didn't often get the chance to reveal herself as a fusion, and she wasn't going to waste it.
She flew straight toward Jasper, colliding with her. They began to exchange blows relentlessly. Lapis would never have thought of fighting so directly, but with Steven's strength and the momentum of the fusion, she could afford to act with confidence.
One.
Two.
Four.
Twenty.
One hundred.
Four hundred blows accumulated like a frenzied hammering against solid rock.
Estela reacted swiftly and, taking advantage of an opening, created a pink thorn and plunged it into Jasper's stomach. The fusion immediately spat saliva, but far from surrendering, he grabbed the sword of one of the Topazes trapped inside his body and tried to pierce her. Estela summoned Steven's shield and was forced back against a wall.
The entire cave began to tremble. Rocks, minerals, even chunks of raw iron dislodged from the earth, began to fly toward Estela.
"Damn..." she thought as she flew, dodging them at top speed.
"I'll kill you, Rose Quartz!" Jasper roared as he spiraled around, increasing the power of his attacks, rolling through the cave like a stone breaker. Jasper was ready to use absolutely everything he had.
"If he's going to give it his all, then it's time to give him a souvenir," Estela thought, recalling the first time Steven and Jasper faced off.
Jasper charged at her, enveloped in an aura of brute force. Estela smiled. It was an empty, almost mocking smile. Jasper noticed it too late.
"DOMAIN EXPANSION, BITCH!" Estela yelled, instantly summoning a massive bubble that trapped them both.
"Damn it—!" Jasper managed to say as her body was compressed. She tried to shrink, but with her uncontrolled size and the other gems trying to break free inside, she could barely maintain her balance. The bubble continued to shrink, pressing on her as if squeezing her arrogance along with her body.
Estela noticed that Jasper was reaching her limit. She didn't want to shatter gems. Not yet.
She decided to dispel the bubble.
They both fell, reverting to their original forms. Estela tasted metal and spat blood onto the ground. She touched her mouth, surprised.
"So this is what it feels like to be organic, huh…?" she muttered, shaking her head.
Before her, Jasper was even more unstable. The corrupted stains spread as if they wanted to devour her from within.
"I have no more time to lose," Estela thought. She summoned water around her and formed sharp, spear-like thorns.
Jasper noticed and tried to force herself back into position.
"ROSE QUARTZ!" she screamed angrily, as another barrage of rocks rained down on Estela.
"You're acting like a little girl seeking attention," Estela retorted harshly, climbing atop a rock with the same arrogant posture her Diamond once wore.
That detail made Jasper's eyes widen, paralyzed by a memory she never wanted to see again.
"It's my turn," Estela declared. "And you won't get away with it."
Jasper's eyes widened in uncontrolled fury. Without even taking a breath, she hurled even more rocks in a frenzied barrage, as if the earth itself had decided to kill the intruder.
"Not even the most perfect gem can stand against us," Estela murmured, with a terrifying calm.
She raised her hand.
"I am the queen of eternal water, and you... you will suffer."
The sea answered her voice. A gigantic serpent emerged from the dark pool, formed of dense water, reinforced with pink spines that screamed Steven's presence on every edge. It was a creature that combined the best of him with the most terrifying aspects of Lapis.
"I am the power," Estela roared. The serpent rose behind her, ready to strike.
She looked Jasper straight in the eyes. The fusion trembled, his pupils dilating even further, unable to look away.
"You hear my name and can't think of anything else?" Estela smiled contemptuously. "Fine. Here's your Rose Quartz, bitch."
Her voice echoed through the flooded cave.
"Don't be scared. I am the law of this planet. And you, Jasper, have broken every damn rule since you set foot on this land."
A dangerous smile crossed her face.
"I am the living form, you know? The power of a gem... carrying blood."
The entire cave trembled. The serpent lunged like a liquid lightning bolt.
With a thud, it struck Jasper, dragging her brutally. She tried to shield herself with the yellow shield, but only managed to cushion part of the blow before being slammed against the rocks. She spat saliva, growling as the spines pierced her with fine cuts that slowly tore away at her physical form. And with each spine, she lost more control over the fusion.
With a simple gesture, Estela commanded the serpent to leave the cave. Her prey was mercilessly dragged to the surface.
Estela followed them, floating calmly. In her hands, an arrow of compressed water formed, reinforced with hundreds of pink barbs. It was a weapon made to pierce.
She sighed wearily.
"After this, I'm going to sleep a lot."
She let go of her hand.
The arrow shot out.
Jasper, still being dragged along, struck the snake's head with force, shattering it into a thousand droplets that fell like heavy rain. She laughed hysterically.
"HAHAHA! Rose Quartz, your pet couldn't beat me!"
The laughter froze in her throat as she felt something cold pierce her chest.
She looked down very slowly.
A water spear with pink spikes had pierced her torso.
She looked up at Estela, who was simply staring at her with a hard, silent expression.
"I... I couldn't..." Jasper murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Avenge you... my Diamond."
Her body contorted. Another voice echoed, one that wasn't hers.
"Thank you... Rose Quartz."
It was sincere.
A burst of light blinded the scene. Four gems were flung in different directions.
Estela gently lifted the water, stopping each bubble before it fell into the sea. She held them like fallen petals.
She sighed at the sight of Jasper's gem.
Without another word, she encased the four of them in separate bubbles. The silence of the sea was her only response.
She looked at her hand and noticed the pink glow slowly fading. She didn't say another word, simply sending the four bubbles toward the house and flying in that direction.
The cool breeze hit her face as she flew forward, enveloped in a beam of light, and in the sky she could see Lapis flying with Steven on her back, completely exhausted. Her water wings released tiny droplets that fell like light rain, moving with the wind.
"You held on pretty well, actually," Lapis commented with a sigh of relief, as if she could finally breathe easy.
Steven didn't even respond at first. He could only exhale, the pain emanating from his very thoughts. A few seconds passed before he could say anything.
"Even my thoughts hurt," he murmured, clinging to Lapis with all his might to keep from falling.
"It's okay, I've got you," she replied, noticing his weight becoming less and less, making sure he didn't slip even an inch.
The sky was tinged with shades of orange and pink, and for a moment neither of them said a word. Lapis glanced at the way Steven glowed faintly, that strange pink that hadn't quite faded yet.
"Hey, and that pink style... what is it?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
Steven was silent for a moment, as if his brain was taking longer than usual to process words.
"No freaking idea," he replied wearily, lacking the energy to come up with an epic explanation.
Lapis let out a snort before bursting into laughter, dispelling an atmosphere that just moments before had been thick with tension.
"You still look good like that," she commented, looking straight ahead, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Steven just stared at her with a mixture of embarrassment and resignation. He felt like he didn't even have the energy to argue.
I look so effeminate in pink, I thought honestly, but I'll take the compliment, because after all, I survived.
"What's a compliment?" Lapis asked, confused, tilting her head slightly.
...
"I need to teach you a lot of things," I added, an imaginary bead of sweat trickling down my forehead.
"You think so?" she replied, dripping with sarcasm, as if testing the concept.
Pfff...
I let out another sigh as I gazed out at the sea. The waves moved heavily, just like my muscles, and the light reflecting off the water showed me something I couldn't ignore. The entire battle had taken me almost five hours.
...
"How did it take me so long?" I thought, completely bewildered, watching as the sky signaled the end of the afternoon, as if the entire universe were reminding me how slow I was to almost die.
Arriving home, no one would notice anyone. Lapis would mention it before Steven could even say anything. "They're not here," he'd say simply.
I'd just nod wearily and mutter that when they got back, I should let them know I was going to watch sheep in my bed. I walked with some difficulty, feeling my own saliva do its work. Lapis would see me collapse into a deep sleep, falling straight onto the bed like a rag doll. She'd shake her head at the sight of such a mess.
She'd look around the rooms with obvious confusion. She'd wonder if she should talk to them; maybe the Gems had already returned. She'd see Steven again, completely stiff as a deer on the highway.
Finally, she'd sigh, giving up. "What does it matter?" she'd think as she walked to the door and knocked.
After a few seconds, the door would finally open. Amethyst would greet her with a casual "Hey, girl," while tossing a tire onto one of the piles of trash that decorated her room. Lapis would instinctively look away and, for her own sanity, decide not to ask questions about the mess.
She would greet her somewhat hesitantly, asking if the four of them could talk. Her gaze would inevitably return to Steven, who was now snoring as a faint smoke escaped from his skin.
Amethyst's expression would change instantly. She would rush to him, worried. Upon reaching him, she would notice Steven's bruises, watching them heal at a remarkable speed. The smoke was new, but not too alarming. Rose used to do strange things... though she would remind herself that this wasn't Rose.
She would quickly grab some tissues and begin placing them on Steven. Lapis, still in the doorway and completely confused, would ask what she was doing.
Amethyst would glance at her. She would explain that this was something Pearl did quite often when Steven was sick or hurt, though he hardly noticed it anymore since he stopped getting sick. Lapis would nod slowly, processing the information.
She would say that getting sick was a human thing. Amethyst reassured her, saying yes, it wasn't contagious for Gems... or at least that's what she thought.
Lapis sighed and finally approached to help in any way she could.
After several minutes of silence, I finally heard Amethyst break it. "What happened?" she asked, looking at Lapis.
Lapis just sighed wearily. "She ran into Jasper," she replied.
Amethyst exploded with a huge "WHAT?!" but immediately covered her mouth when she saw I was still asleep. I just snored louder, as if I knew I had to ruin the dramatic moment.
"How?" she said afterward in a tight whisper that basically meant, "Explain, damn it!"
Lapis sighed again and began to explain everything.
An epic explanation later...
Amethyst didn't say a word during the entire explanation. She just stared with a completely confused expression when Lapis mentioned my pink form and how I had spoken. Even so, it was clear she calmed down when she saw Lapis had been with me the whole time.
"So you're already at the temple?" she finally asked after hearing how they'd put the four gems away.
"Yes," Lapis replied, sinking down onto the sofa. "I'll explain what I can to the girls. I think I caught every detail. We're also going to confirm if the four gems went to the temple," Amethyst said with that "what the hell happened during the hours we were gone?" look on her face.
Lapis just answered with a "yes" while letting out another long sigh.
"Hey," she said after a few seconds.
"Yes," Amethyst replied, confused, as if asking if there was something else missing. "Not at all," Lapis said quickly.
She was quiet for a moment before adding, "Well... in the fusion..." and she started fidgeting with her fingers, nervously.
I saw Amethyst look at her with immediate understanding. "The power, right?" she said, with the tone of someone who already knew what was going on.
"Yes," Lapis answered, looking away shyly. "It's normal," Amethyst said. "But don't try to force it. Fusion is delicate, especially when it involves Steven." She said this while watching me sleep with an expression of absurd concentration for someone who was snoring.
Steven isn't a fan of forcing fusions, although he's open to them if necessary. I think the person he's fused with the most is Connie, but she's away on a trip right now.
Lapis nodded, a little frustrated. "You think he'll ask me to fuse with him?" she finally asked.
Amethyst burst out laughing. "After everything that happened today, and that's what you're worried about?"
She patted her on the back, making Lapis jump at the sudden contact.
Just follow your instincts. Tell the truth. Being honest is best, especially with Steven. The worst he can say is no. Just like Pearl, who rejected her a bunch of times.
Amethyst laughed again, remembering that.
Lapis just ended up smiling.
Thanks, she finally said.
Don't mention it, Amethyst replied. Then she looked toward my room and added with complete seriousness, be ready for a crazy Pearl who's going to come and babysit Steven.
I just nodded, three beads of sweat trickling down the back of my neck as I watched Amethyst walk away. She waved goodbye with a calm gesture and went into the rooms as if nothing had happened.
I was left alone in the living room, taking deep breaths, and I looked at Steven. He was fast asleep on the sofa, but his expression froze me in my tracks. His face was tense, as if he were concentrating on something enormous, and he also seemed angry. I couldn't understand how he could look so serious even in a dream.
I felt the scene grow more intense as I watched. It was as if my own perspective was slowly moving closer to his head, trying to figure out what was happening inside his mind.
Why was Steven angry in his sleep?
Why could he look so determined even in his dreams?
The clue was right there, obvious and dark.
Black fingernails.
End of Chapter 49.