lukky-okay3

[lukky-okay3]

For over a month now, I've been creating an alternate universe where Lapis and Peridot swap places. I called it SwaPxL (Swap+Peridot x Lapis)

In order for the universe to work properly, I changed some things in the plot. So, let's accept my some conventions:

—All gems, if they are completely healthy and have no defects, a priori consider themselves ideal in their sphere, appearance, etc. But if a gem is damaged for a long time, then they begin to naturally lose self-esteem. This will be important in the future.

—Our Peri is one of the first experimental Peridot colonies that emerge ahead of schedule, so it has the same crappy physical qualities as the Peridots of era 2, yes, it is low. The peridots themselves have been developing for a very long time, and at that moment, because of the war, resources were needed here and now.

I also added a short backstory to her, where she screwed up in front of her superiors, was considered a defect, and eventually fled on a ship, hoping to land on a more or less safe planet. As a result, due to problems with the ship, Peri was forced to land on Earth, and then you know what happened - the height of the war, poof, mirror, Steven... There are many small BUTs in the form of thoughtful details, which I will gradually tell you about)))

[lukky-okay3]

ㅤК. Сабина:

Lapis didn't know. Everything was changing so fast before her eyes that sometimes she didn't even know what to expect. Like a small shadow, she watched every single person in Beach City from time to time, even those with whom she had never interacted or even suspected of their existence (though she'd managed to dry up an entire ocean, which would have probably hurt a few hundred people, maybe more, outside of town). But most of all, she watched the people she cared about. Steven and Peridot. Neither of them had agreed to leave planet Earth with her, but maybe it was the right decision.

How could they not give in to that all-consuming fear? Why did they decide to fight against those they had no chance against? They would have died there, on Earth! And what would Lapis have done...

Well, at least Steven has some powers, he is the son of Rose Quartz herself. But Peridot is completely defenseless! What can this stupid girl give to real DIAMONDS? She can't even change her shape... If she were here now...

Perhaps she wouldn't be sad in her bathroom, curled up and quietly crying.

And Lapis wouldn't be looking at this sad picture. At first, she just tried to ignore Peridot, quickly passing by her location and switching to others. Lapis thought that the Green Stone would get a little bored and stop.

How wrong she was.

Days passed, weeks... But Peri didn't get any better. And even when she pulled on this exhausted image of a good-natured silly girl with a smile from ear to ear, she continued to be sad when she returned. Nothing made her happy and nothing could interest her.

It hurt Lapis to admit it, but for some time now she couldn't leave Peridot unattended, she even stopped watching the others, including Steven. Sometimes she was afraid that Peridot would do something to herself, because Lapis had never seen her like this. Of course, it was just paranoia and empty talk, but Lazuli even thought about going back a couple of times.

Because something in her chest tingled painfully every time she saw it. Something made her fear for Peridot's safety every time she was all alone, not counting Pumpkin by her side.

But she was afraid not so much of that, but of a dark feeling lurking in the deepest depths of her soul. So wrong, so terrible that it was freezing, but with each passing day, it grew stronger...

A feeling of satisfaction

Every time it overcame her, Lapis tried to change the location, go see what those crystal losers were doing (Steven didn't count!), do anything to distract herself from her inner demons. Of her unhealthy psyche.

***

Everything in this place seemed so empty, so cold and unpleasant. The walls of such a large, but so narrow barn pressed more and more on Lapis every day, it seemed as if her nerves were capable of making a distinct sound and slowly knocking on her brain.

Everything was different here, not at all like before. Without Peri and the pumpkin, it was as quiet here as in a mirror.

Oh, what an irony, she locked herself in this cage, right? For the first time, she let someone close to her, and then immediately pushed them away. She hurt them. But they were behind. And she was here.

Alone

Alone with her problems. Now she has nowhere to run from them, almost nothing to distract herself with, nothing to think about. They crawl into her head, slowly infecting all her thoughts, haunting her, and next to her on the wall hangs a useless secondary clock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

No one around, no animals, no leaves, no plants. No connection to watch the series, no desire to read the magazines and books that were read to holes again. No nice cool breeze. No joy. No sadness. No emotions.

Everything freezes in fear, Lazuli catches a non-existent breath, she is afraid of this, she is afraid of herself. She wants to see Peridot yearn for her, she wants to think that someone needs her. It's terrible, it's disgusting, it's vile.

But it's so true...

She shouldn't, she shouldn't think about it, she shouldn't see it!

But the stone of loneliness will finally fall from her soul.

Even if it's not for long, the moment of pleasant sensation will be so enticing, so tempting.

Sighing and gritting her teeth, feeling like a prisoner of her own mind, her own traumas and her own thoughts, Lapis grabbed the sphere with both hands, as if intending to slide down a steep slide.

The settings were automatically set to Peridot's bathtub. Lazuli's gaze focused, trying to find it, but to her surprise, the gem was not there. Strange, usually at this time Peri is always there, lying and unable to sleep. But where is she??

In some fear, Lapis began to look around the entire house, until she went beyond its boundaries and finally saw her.

Sitting, looking up - straight at the stars. Her head was resting on someone's shoulder. It was a short but strong, plump warrior, her long white hair fluttering in the wind like deformed but so beautiful feathers. Amethyst.

-Forget about her already, Peri. If she left you just for herself, then she is not worthy of you. - Yawning, she purred, frowning. Taking her friend by the shoulders and gently pushing her away, the purple stone looked seriously into her eyes. - There are many things in the world that are much better than her.

-Yeah... - Peridot agreed in a dull and uncertain voice, which made something twitch inside Lazuli. - But... We spent so much time together...

-I understand you. - Amethyst answered calmly, pursing her lips, it seemed she was about to say something she was afraid or did not want to say. - Rose and I had a lot of fun together, too. She gave me a home, a family, taught me cool things on Earth and left. Forever.

- But how... Could you come to terms with it? - The green stone looked away, as if ashamed of the question, her voice trembling slightly.

Amethyst seemed to hold her breath for a moment. Pressing her lips together, she looked at Peri with an unblinking gaze and suddenly, raising her hands, she grabbed them, pressing them tightly to herself.

- Through the agony...

Peridot closed her eyes, tears streaming from her eyelashes, and she tried to press herself closer to her friend's body. Amethyst ran her hands down her back understandingly.

- Before, I looked at Steven as Rose, as the one who replaced my mother. But over time, I got used to accepting him as he is, and stopped missing her so much. Now I almost don't feel sadness, and then only when I remember. I was able to overcome myself. And all because there were those nearby who were ready to help me, even if it was very painful. There were loved ones nearby. - The friends pulled away from each other, looking into each other's eyes. - I'll be there. Always.

-Amethyst... - Peridot pressed her lips together and wiped away her tears, smiling briefly, heavily, but so sincerely. It was the first real smile in a long time. - Thank you, Amethyst...

- Oh, don't thank me. - The purple stone rolled her eyes, as if her face hadn't lit up for a moment. And at the same time, she waved her hand casually, as if it was something ordinary. - Look, maybe you should move into my room? Like, you can't sleep in this small bathroom alone. And my room is a real field!

- You mean a real dump? - Having said this, Peridot laughed quietly.

- Well, one doesn't interfere with the other. - Amethyst answered proudly, raising her head and smiling widely.

Lapis pulled away, and the illusion instantly dissipated. It was all so... Unusual.

She wanted to sink into the ground, if only the unknown suppressed feelings would just disappear from her head. What is this? It is unclear, but they are definitely not good.

Lapis should be happy that Peridot for the first time in a long time feels good and does not think about her, she should be happy, happy...

Glug!

Something behind her made an incredible sound. Lapis turned around with some fear, but at the same time with a small warm hope inside her.

She gasped. In front of her stood a perfectly made copy of Peridot, only this one was made entirely of water. Maybe her gem created it?

Lapis felt like she was going crazy when she walked up to the water Peridot and sat down next to her, looking into her lifeless eyes.

-You know...

***

Time passed. Peridot actually moved into Amethyst's room and actually settled in quite well. It turned out that in this cluttered place, more like a dump if you look for it, there are many good things. So they found a mattress, which they washed with difficulty and treated for parasites, and a couple of pillows, which they did the same with.

However, there were problems. Amethyst could not come to terms with the fact that in her perfect mess there was now a place that was terribly clean. This often led to arguments and conflicts, long, very nervous and energy-consuming.

Peridot was not particularly against trash, but she needed her own personal space where she could relax. She could not do otherwise, and the Purple Stone could not understand her for a long time.

Only when Peri decided to use her common sense instead of emotions during another argument, she was able to say the following:

- Your comfort zone is a complete mess, and I don't mind. But my comfort zone is at least a little cleanliness, and I can't sleep normally, have fun and feel cozy without it! I need at least a small corner here, where it will be clean and where I can do my own thing, you know?

Since then, everything has gradually calmed down on its own. The Gems managed to find a compromise and found a small place where Peri spent a lot of time. Amethyst called this place a corner.

During her stay there, this place changed. So much so that it seemed like this place was not part of Amethyst's room.

The first thing that caught your eye was that there were no things lying around on the floor of the improvised "room", everything tried to be clean and smooth. There was only a large soft rug on the floor, on which Amethyst liked to rest, refusing the offer to lie down on the mattress.

You can immediately notice that the walls of the room are the same piles of junk, just entered into some kind of symbiosis with each other and practically merged into one whole. In all the places where there were no such things, Peri hung tulle or other fabrics, just for beauty. Since she did this, the boundaries of her room became marked.

In Peridot's Corner there was a small wooden chest of drawers, on which the necessary things were stored, and inside - Everything Else. One day, Amethyst brought her a mirror, and she happily wiped it, hung it on the chest of drawers. It looked beautiful and harmonious, if, of course, you forget about the overall picture.

There was also a work chair and a table, made, frankly, of absolutely no one knows what, at which Peri worked.

And by the way, about this. Every day, Peridot left the room to talk to her friends and rummage through the trash. There she found a lot of unnecessary, long-forgotten things, which, having been disassembled, could be assembled into something new.

And there were problems here too. A couple of times it happened that Gremlin melted and disassembled some thing, which, although buried in an unknown place and forgotten for many, many years, turned out to be very important to Amethyst. And again quarrels, the white-haired one did not give Peridot almost a single thing from her room.

In the end, after a long time, they still outlined the boundaries and agreed that Peridot would ask about this or that thing. Amethyst stopped clinging to every piece of junk and began to sacrifice much more to her.

Over time, everything began to improve.

But not for Lazurite. Every day she watched as the relationship between these two grew stronger. How did she feel about this? It's complicated. It's even hard to understand how. She herself does not know what she should feel.

However, the cracks in the barn said it all. So small, so involuntary, coming straight from dark thoughts, reflected in the teardrop-shaped stone on her neat blue back.

Sometimes Lazuli looked at certain objects in the house and imagined what it would be like if Peridot were there. It would be so loud, so alive, so good...

Lapis imagined what it would be like if Peridot stood on that strange pile of toilets and accidentally knocked over one, causing everything to collapse like a house of cards. And how hard it would have been for her to get the wheel, but she would have rolled down right away, standing on this strange rolling object.

Lapis pressed her lips together, covering her face with her hand. How useless, how pathetic. None of this was real, and it was her fault. Lapis couldn't even imagine that without her, this flower would only blossom stronger. Maybe they really were better apart? At least Peri certainly was...

In complete, lonely despair, she grabbed the hand of the water Peridot with a trembling palm, seeking someone's warmth. "Fake" - a painful thought flashed through her head, looking into those lifeless white eyes. A tear trickled down her cheek, dripping onto the floor.

Drip-drip

***

Peridot felt awkward calling her friend by her full name, especially when she had to shout it across the room. Well, try tearing your throat out a couple of times a day, shouting that long "AMETHYST!" She needed a replacement, something more efficient and convenient, but Peri still wasn't sure.

However, this happened completely by accident. At the time, she was working on a "universal, totally cool machine, believe me, nothing will explode." In addition to the fact that shortening the name was problematic, our Gremlin was not 100% sure that there would definitely not be an explosion. At least not yet.

So when something began to resemble a huge explosion, Peri, not recognizing herself, jumped up and ran, shouting:

-AMI, Run!!

Amethyst was in shock and didn't even immediately realize that she was actually talking to her, and came to her senses when they had already left the room. Peri was holding her hand in a panic. It was quiet around.

-Maybe nothing happened?...

BOOM!

The friends jumped up from such a loud sound and moved a couple of meters away, just in case.

-I used to think that chaos always reigned in Amethyst's room. But now I understand that chaos came there only with you, Peridot. - Pearl suddenly came up, apparently no less scared, but still irritated. - What did you do this time?

-I tried to combine the washing machine, microwave and oven! I almost succeeded! - Peri answered cheerfully, although doubtfully.

-Oh, so that's why we stole a washing machine from that store yesterday... - Ami scratched her head and immediately realized what she had done, literally blurting out such an act to the most boring gem in their team.

-You... DID WHAT?!

There was an awkward silence, after which the house shook with loud laughter. Peri and Ami were carefree and always screwed up, both in front of each other and in front of others. Perhaps that's why they are so close in spirit.

So this short "Ami" stuck, well, you must admit, it sounds much better, just right for shouting! Yes, there is no epic story associated with this nickname, but our life is not always something unrealistically cool. Sometimes it's just funny everyday life and that's okay.

But with each passing day, Amethyst became more and more thoughtful and even seemed gloomy. Peridot didn't notice it right away, but soon it became clear to everyone, and then to her.

Steven tried to talk to the white-haired girl, but she refused to tell the truth, citing that it was personal or avoiding the topic altogether. Gremlin saw that something was wrong with her and decided to talk to her in their common language with Amethyst.

Kindergarten.

Somehow it happened that every time one of them felt bad, they dragged each other to this place. It was always so ambiguous. They came here angry, offended and sad. But they left here cheerful and happy. This place helped dozens of gems come into the world, this birth, this is good. But it is also a curse, because in order to grow, quartz had to suck all the strength and benefit from the then fertile land, leaving behind only a dead, unenviable view of absolutely barren soil.

And now they are here, in this gray, scary, but so familiar place. Here is Amethyst's little burrow, she sits down next to it and looks at the distant sky. Everything was so quiet and lifeless that it seemed as if time had stopped, just for the two of them. And that means this is the most beautiful and appropriate moment. Peridot sighs.

-We are alone, there is no one here. No one at all. - she said quietly, repeating her friend's actions. - I see both sugar and bitterness in this place. But I would be much worse off if you were not here. So... - She was suddenly interrupted by a rather irritated look from the white-haired girl.

-But you would be much happier if it was not me, but her, right?

-Amethyst, what are you talking about...

-Do you think I don't see?! - Amethyst flared up, burying her hands in the ground. - I don't see that you still miss her?... If she comes, you'll go to her, right? - She said the last words with noticeable sadness, turning away and covering her eyes with her hands. The tears she had been holding back all this time began to drip onto the ground.

Peridot was in shock, to say the least. It was hard for her to respond to this. It was hard for her to force herself to accept the new reality. To accept herself. Herself, who had changed.

-No, Ami! - she suddenly screamed, causing her friend to turn around in surprise. There was anger in her voice, but most likely at herself. - I've been lying to you all this time, no, not to you. Lying to myself about how I feel! I don't want to do this anymore! - Peri moderated her ardor a little with a long sigh. - I've never felt so good with anyone except you, Amethyst! Not even with her! But all this time I felt guilty before her for this, I don’t know why and for what purpose, who will understand these emotions! I thought it was wrong! But now I realized that it is even more wrong to try to suppress my feelings! Ami, there is no one more important to me than you!

-You... - Peridot’s slightly hoarse voice slightly frightened her. Did she say something wrong? - Did you just call me the closest of the gems? Me? - Tears streamed from the white-haired girl’s eyes and she took her by the shoulders, pressed her to herself, hugged her.

-Perhaps this is called... L...

-Love.

***

Lazurite shook her head in the first stage of denial. She tried to drive away obsessive thoughts, tried to switch to another place, but chaos was happening in her head, and her hands were shaking.

-And if Lazurite comes back, I'll still stay with you, Ami!

Peri said from behind, not even suspecting that they were actually being overheard. Lazurite, not controlling her powers, washed away the vision of the sphere with a huge wave. Emotions raged, everything was so ambiguous, so confusing and frightening.

She wanted more than anything a warm shoulder next to her. Someone who would calm her down, say nice words to her, just be there. But she was alone.

In an incomprehensible rage, she turned the wave into something inexplicable and unstable and covered the fake Peridot with it, finally destroying her. The waves raged around, splashing loudly. They were angry. Or... Desperate?

Lapis sat on the floor, looking at her hands. Everything was blurry before her eyes from tears, they dripped onto the already wet floor, dissolving without a trace.

She feels so bad when Peridot feels so good. She should be happy for her, after all, Peri is getting better, she is finally happy again.

But why... Why does her heart hurt so much, as if it was pierced by a cold blade? Why are hundreds of arrows piercing her soul? Why is she crying?

Why does she feel so much pain?

[lukky-okay3]

"And finally, everything will be fine soon!" Peridot nodded nervously, fighting the urge to look away from Lapis's suddenly shining eyes, which sparkled like stars. - "We will spend time in the barn again, exploring Cupid's camp and growing new plant species. Oh, just imagine... Just me, you, and the pumpkin." - Lapis leaned back against the wall and stared at the ceiling, as if trying to find the sky in it. - "Everything will be the same as before, only better..."

Peridot bit her lip, shifting from one foot to the other, her gaze still obediently sliding across the floor... She sighed heavily, looking uncertainly at the stone opposite.

"...What if I don't want everything to be the same at all?".

It was as if something had cracked inside Lapis. Her trembling eyes reflected everything from mild sadness to quiet horror, from dreary sorrow to immense despair. Her lips were trembling, and she was clearly trying to gather the strength to respond.

"I... I..." Lazuli's gaze darted from side to side, her fingers began to tighten slightly from tension. - "I wasn't thinking..." - A few more moments of impulsive energy, and she seemed to disappear: melted, withered, died. Now her eyes seemed so lifeless and sluggish. "Just tell me why..."

"Lapis..." - Peridot couldn't focus on the water stone, so she looked at her hands. The crunch! A little finger warm-up won't hurt. This is going to be a serious conversation. - "Everything will never be the same again."

Lapis slowly sat down, leaning back against the wall, cupping her temples with her palms, making slow massaging movements. What was she thinking? What naivety. Lazuli knew that everything would not be the same as before, it was expected, she was ready. But... So that everything changes completely and radically? She didn't expect this from someone like Peridot...

"Listen..." Peridot sat down behind her, still not daring to look up. - "I sacrificed a lot to make you feel comfortable. So that I can see your smile. And... so that you can consider me your friend." - Peridot uttered the last words in such a sad, disappointed tone that something inside Lapis involuntarily trembled. - "I sacrificed everything I loved for all of this. Everything that I loved. And the only time I dared to tell you what was on my mind..." - Peridot's voice seemed to be full of tears. - "You left right away, taking everything I loved with you." - She covered her eyes with her hands for a moment, but then pulled back and looked him straight in the eye. - "I don't want everything to be the same as before, even if you think it's better now!" - Peridot slammed her palm against the wall, which actually didn't cause anything, not even a loud sound. However, to the water stone, it seemed like a thunderclap.

After all, she was standing in front of her now, tearful, unhappy, but at the same time very disappointed in herself and in Lazuli. And all these tears, all these sufferings that she endured, happened because of Lapis. It was entirely her fault.

The green stone stood up, dusted himself off, and, pretending to be annoyed, headed for the door to the street with his head held high. Lapis Lazuli stretched out her hand, silently opening her mouth, but she couldn't find the words. She shouldn't have done that. Maybe she has no excuses this time.

However, it's worth noting that Peridot can name a Yellow Diamond clod a thousand times, but oh, her stars! She looks so much like her. All of her followers are like her in one way or another, whether they want to or not. Chrysolite did not want to show her tears, so she defiantly proudly walked away, while emotions pierced through her.

Finally, Lapis came out of her pose and, stretching out like a rose, looked in the direction where she had gone... A friend? Or maybe not anymore? No, in any case, it's only in her power to make a difference now, and she won't miss it.

Slowly, step by step, Lapis reached the door and disappeared behind it, quietly slamming it after holding it.

In fact, it didn't take long to find the green stone, as she literally sat down on the steps of the porch, silently and frowningly looking, it seemed, somewhere into space. She was obviously thinking about something.

Lapis hesitated uncertainly. Is it worth doing this now? Or will it only make it worse? Maybe Peridot needs peace now?.. So damn, no, it's now or never!

Lapis walked up the steps with very small and quiet steps and gracefully sat down next to her. She felt like she didn't have enough space, and it was all because of her nerves.

"Peridot..." - Lazuli's voice sounded soft and gentle, as if she was afraid of scaring away, and yet the green stone involuntarily hung on her every word. - "I've made a lot of mistakes related to our relationship, and I understand how you feel right now. I'm sorry about what happened, Peri... I know that just apologizing won't be enough, so I can..."

"No." - Peridot looked at Lapis firmly, her moist eyes filled with grim determination. - "No, Lapis, I don't need anything. Nothing but time." - The voice seemed even slightly cold. She looked up, surveying the area of the distant sky dotted with small lights-stars. - "You know, when you left and I started to forget about you a little bit, I felt it for the first time... Freedom. That I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not, and that I can be myself. It's a great feeling... I'm not leaving him anymore, Lapis, do you understand?"

"I understand.". - Lapis Lazuli sighed softly, realizing what she was agreeing to. - "And I'm willing to put up with it for you."

She glanced at Peri, who seemed to look a little happier than she had a few minutes ago, and smiled. The first stage of their relationship has been completed, why not be happy?

Lapis Lazuli called out to her, as if asking if the stone was still there.

"Huh?" asked Peridot, without taking her eyes off the stars.

"Will you ever miss the old days?"

"Always." She replied without hesitation. - "But you can't bring that back. Let the past stay in the past, it belongs there."

"...So be it..."

[lukky-okay3]

Well, I've come here to share my thoughts on the canon relationship between V and Lizzie! :>

I want to say right away that I love their pairing, but specifically in the fanon and in the canon I don't even see them as full-fledged friends and here's why—

How did they become friends? Lizzie invited V to be the prom queen, which ended up being a trap, but in the end, Lizzie decided to help V.

A righteous question is asked - why? We see that Lizzie is doubtful about whether she is doing the right thing. But how true can it be to say that she was really thinking about morality? She is not a fool and knows that the same V has killed and will continue to kill ten times more drones than Doll, which means there is no question of any morality.

My version is that Lizzie wasn't sure if she was on the right side. That is, which side will be stronger, and therefore more profitable? We have En on the V side, which means that there are already two disassemblers against Doll and the chances may be outweighed.

Thus, Lizzie found a loophole and sucked up to V in time, because the presence of a dismantler, or maybe even two automatically, is a high step that gives Lizzie some power and many privileges.

As for Lizzie helping V in episode 6-7-8 - Lizzie helped Doll kill drones without any sympathy for the same Uzi.

Based on all of the above, I cannot perceive V and Lizzie as full-fledged friends. Yes, Lizzie will continue to hang out with V, but if suddenly there is someone many times stronger and cooler than the dismantlers, who will be open to communication and finding friends - Lizzie at the most important moment will certainly leave V for him, just as she did Lizzy with Doll - in just a couple of seconds, and then completely forget about V's existence.

I doubt it will happen, but I guess it could happen, so I don't believe in the true friendship of these two. Here it is>

It is worth noting that these are all just my theories, you should not take my opinion as the only correct one, but you should not scold if it does not coincide with yours. Meow

[lukky-okay3]

Hello! I want to do a breakdown, Jay! The only problem is that I don't know English and it is very disturbing. I want to share my theories and thoughts with the English audience as well, but it's hard.

That's why I want to find someone who can help me with English voiceovers for free. I would be very happy if he also adapted some phrases to make them sound clearer to you English speakers.

If you have experience in voice acting, you are 14 years old or more and you want to help me - I will be very happy! I have experience on YouTube, since I have a channel with almost 2K subscribers, the only thing is that it is Russian-speaking.

The script is read for about 20 minutes. If you want to help me, then please write in private messages!

[lukky-okay3]

I love it

[lukky-okay3]

Translated fanfiction from Russian into English

J couldn't do this. She couldn't live while she remembered those terrible events. The blood, the explosions... Tessa. She couldn't protect Tessa, even though it was her direct responsibility to serve her. She couldn't do anything. Was she really that useless. Stupid. Completely unnecessary.

Her bloody body lay on the floor. She wasn't breathing. Tessa wouldn't talk to her again. Ever.

There was chaos all around - broken dishes, overturned furniture, mountains of corpses and blood. It seemed as if J would never forget these screams. The dying, desperate cries of those who would never rise from the earth.

J's hands were shaking. She stood there, unable to take a step. The silence around her was dead, matching the bloody picture before her eyes.

She seemed to be having a fit. What could possibly go wrong? Everything seemed to be as usual. Cruel parents, Tessa's bright smile, and three drones walking somewhere off to the side, two of which were frozen now, showing no signs of life. But they were definitely alive.

Everything was swimming before eyes, and an error message appeared on the screen. It seemed very similar to the aftermath of an emotional breakdown. Wait...

Waking up went pretty smoothly. Hahaha, what a dream of course. Just disgusting and bad. Now she will wake up and find herself next to Tessa and... Others, the rest she would call just some losers.

But... Something was wrong. Opening her eyes, J looked around in confusion - there was no smell of the familiar mansion around her. What kind of place was this?

Her thoughts were distracted by movements nearby. N and V were standing nearby. But they were... Not the same as before, it seemed.

A moment later, a deafening sound cut through the air. Two drones took off and flew. Wait... Flew? J noticed that they had acquired rather large, beautiful wings from somewhere.

Kill them all

Sounded in her head. Ugh, how could she think such a thing? But... Were these really her thoughts? J stood still, suddenly looking back.

There stood, swaying, a very familiar silhouette. Native.... Stop. Could it be...

Jay rushed towards the silhouette. If it was Tessa, if this wasn't a dream or at least half the truth, then Jay would be happier than ever.

Slowing down with difficulty, the dismantler looked into the owner's eyes with warm hope, when suddenly she was stunned.

Those weren't her eyes. Instead of eyes, there were two black holes shining and something like pupils in them. The whole appearance was shabby. It didn't look like Tessa... But okay, no big deal! J would accept her anyway.

-Tessa! I'm sorry I couldn't do anything! I'm so sorry, so very much! How are you?

But all further dialogue was interrupted by just three words that began to corrode throughout the entire core.

-Tessa isn't here. - It's... Why is the voice so mechanical? Why does it sound so much like...

-Cyn?

No... No-no-no-no! It's not true! This can never be like this, under no circumstances, this is all just some kind of nonsense. It's impossible to believe in this, it's just an illusion, damn it, can anything explain this?!

-It's true. - Was she responding to J's thoughts? Or to an answer?

Submit, flashed through J's mind. It was Cyn's voice. She was now firmly convinced of it.

- Do you think I'm such an idiot as to trust you? - J asked angrily and sharply. The body of her mistress was being abused, very badly, and they didn't even deign to bury it. - Why the hell did you put her... Body on yourself?!

- No, I think you're smart enough, - Cyn inclined her head innocently, like Tessa once did, - to understand your situation. Tessa is dead, and your friends are killing off the rest of humanity. You have no way out, and no way in. You're here forever. So submit.

J crossed her arms over her chest. Listening to a robot maniac who killed your friend - what a joke! It's just not funny somehow.

- No. And those two were never my friends. - The dismantler was absolutely firm in her decision when Cyn's eye twitched for the first time.

But really, what is keeping J here? N's memories were erased, V is only here for N. But J won't be superfluous. No, seriously, she really could be useful for many plans. But she still can't leave. There's nothing to be afraid of.

-And about Tessa's body... Don't worry, I'll take care of it. She and I will be together forever!

The last words were drawn out with a kind of mockery, although J didn't envy the fact. She was disgusted by the way Tessa's body was being used. She was disgusted by the one who was using Tessa's body.

J just turned around. Yes, she knew that playing games with a monster like Cyn was not the best idea, but critical thinking was replaced by emotions she had never seen before: despair, horror, and a feeling of Absolute hopelessness. She would just leave. Maybe she would die, maybe she would regret it very much. Who cares! She didn't care enough to think about it now! And she didn't want to think about the future.

J took a few steps and froze in place. She staggered, clutching her head - hundreds, maybe thousands of voices were whispering and screaming inside her. Where from? What is this? The wrong questions, a little more and she will go crazy!

Suddenly, through the groans of pain and fragments of useless muttering, a small but powerful realization managed to break through.

Cyn.

She looked straight at her, with a fixed gaze. A smile shone on her face, wide and unnatural. Yes, all of Xing was unnatural. Not only did she not resemble a human being in her behavior, but she didn't even resemble a drone. Well, that was disgusting acting, nothing to say.

But the voices grew louder and each of them began to utter one single word.

Submit

Submit-submit-submit! - Children's, adults', old people's, robotic, human, still living or dying, voices screamed on their last breath. They screamed sometimes in disarray, sometimes in unison, sometimes drawn-out, sometimes lightning fast.

J fell to her knees in a delirium, eyes closed, head shaking. She couldn't even hear her own thoughts.

A desperate cry escaped her throat as J tore off the ground, spread her wings and flew upward. A golden cross appeared on the screen.