Chapter 6, Part 4 Finale
A monstrous scree roared from below, shaking the entire arena.
The sounds of giant wings flapping came from all over the place as the gem monster rose from below. Its eye seemed bizarre and in complete fury, but it seemed like it could locate the pearls just fine as it swooped down, aiming at Pearl, wide eyed and stiffer than a statue.
“Pearl!” Coral was too far to help her, she had to think fast, she can’t throw her lance at the monster, it's moving too fast and she might end up hurting Pearl; She can’t try to run and push her away, there’s not enough time!
Coral sprinted towards the two, using her lance as a pole, and struck it to the ground with its force to catapult herself towards the monster, drop kicked in its midsection, interrupting the attack, and smacked against a giant pillar, falling victim of a massive pile of debris and rubble. However, it didn’t poof.
She huffed and smiled at her little accomplishment, but her smile melted when she saw Pearl still stuck in motion. She grabbed her shoulders and furiously shook the core out of the pearl while demanding info, ANY info that can help them in their current situation!
“Pearl! Snap out of it! What do we do? How do we beat it?!” Coral screamed and screamed, but it doesn’t look like she’s snapping out of it anytime soon as she mutters loudly under her breath, “We couldn’t identify what gem it was, and now it’s so huge there’s no telling, IT DIDN’T HAVE WINGS! IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAVE WINGS! GAHHHHH!”
The pink gem needed to take matters into her own hands, by being physical.
SMACK!
A pinkish mark, the size of a palm appeared on the side of Pearl’s cheek. The gem shook her head, waking up from a nightmare, but the current reality is far worse than the nightmares.
“I…I’m awake, thank you, I really needed that.” Pearl thanked and took a quick look at their current issue. “It’s trapped, that means we still have time before it can tunnel, or…fly.”
Coral echoed, “Tunnel? Is that the gem monster you and Garnet fought yesterday?” which led Pearl to realize she hasn’t really explained much.
“Ok, to make things quick, the monster Garnet and I fought was part of the monster we see before our eyes. That thing. The difference between yesterday and now is that it has gigantic bat wings, and it's three times bigger than it was previously. So, I would say the two same type gems fused with another type of a gem monster, which is why it went from two worm-like creatures, to a giant, deadly, hairy worm with bat wings. Individually, the worm spits acid, and it had these horns on its head. If you get even slightly scratched by them, it’ll be worse than the deadly acid! But now? There’s no telling what it can do!”
The look on Coral’s face says “ohboy…”, and Pearl did not like that look on her.
The pink gem spoke, “H-How do we stop it? And why is it so angry?”
For some reason, Pearl looked, guilty, as if the attack was her doing. “I…may have chipped its horn as an ambush, I didn’t know it would get so enraged. Garnet and I barely took it down before it tunneled away!”
The monster was struggling, trying to break free from the wreckage. It tries to flap its wings, but the body couldn’t break free. It tried to tunnel, but it looks like it has no idea how to tunnel with giant bat wings behind its back. But its struggle was leading it to a solution, and it figured out a way to tuck its wings and tunnel down the ruins.
Pearl grabbed the pink gem and they ran towards the warp pad. “Keep an eye out! It could show up anywhere!”
Beneath them, the surface cracked and rumbled as the monster coursed through the solid ground, surpassed them in speed as it sprung up while they were merely halfway to the doorway. The monster screeched and roared, the debris from its tunneling flew into the sky, and landed right on top of the two pearls, nearly crushing them. The beast widened its maw, dripping poisonous green acid, exposing its sharp fangs as well as the back of its poisonous spikes. The two pearls, still stuck under the wreckage, can only hope for a painless death.
As the monster approached, Pearl said something that really took Coral by surprise. “Coral, I’m sorry I dragged you into all this! You don’t deserve this, and if I get shattered from the monster, I want you to keep Rose happy, even if I won’t be there to see her being happy!"
Suddenly, a giant pink shield frisbeed into the monster and smacked it far to the edge of the arena! The two pearls looked back where the shield was thrown, and at the doorway...was Rose Quartz herself, panting from all the running and the usage of energy in throwing the weapon strong enough to make that distance.
“Coral! Pearl! You’re alright!” Rose exclaimed as tears of relief rolled down her cheeks. She crouched and was getting ready to leap towards them. Unfortunately, the blow from Rose’s shield wasn’t enough to knock down the fusion monster, as dark spikes swooped towards the fluffy pink gem and pinned her dress to the wall, deeming her immovable.
“Rose!!” Both pearls cried, still stuck under the piles of debris, unable to help their leader.
The monster slithered and reached up to the fallen, unconscious gem. Opening its massive maw, getting ready to strike once more!
“No!” Both Pearl and Coral screamed! Coral couldn’t bear to see something like this happened, so she turned to the last thing she would do. She grabbed Pearl’s hand and insisted on an idea for them to save their leader!
“We need to go and save her!” Coral looked into the panicking eyes of her and firmly said, “Pearl! We gotta fight fire with fire! It’s our only hope!”
Pearl showcased a complex set of emotions, but at the end, she knew what needed to be done. “Alright, let’s do it.” The two pearls joined hands, having a common goal, they felt in sync almost immediately. Both pearls engulfed in a white light, as their figures shifted and merged into one, it grew out from the debris, and the giant pearl with orange pigtails took their stance.
In her primal form of a pink leotard and white silk at the waist where to tutu should be, it was Pastel Pearl, ready for anything.
Just before the monster could get closer to the fallen pink gem, Pastel jabbed a spear at the neck of the monster, perfectly gaining its attention as it turned around and roared in incredible pain. The beast arched its back, showing its fully grown spikes, and launched them full speed towards the fusion!
As the spikes gained altitude, Pastel summoned another spear, extended it and did rapid twirls as a shield against the raining spikes, effectively defending from the attack.
The monster screed and tunnelled underneath, preparing for another surprise attack. This time however, Pastel summoned a lance and aimed it, and stabbed it through the ground, directly jabbing the monster back. Forced to rise up from tunnelling, it spread its giant bat wings and flew up the air, higher than the furthest cloud, rendering it unobservable from Pastel’s perspective.
The pearl fusion returned the two weapons from hand and retrieved an orb from each gem. The two orbs were met and shaped into a shorter version of a staff. It’s a pink ribbon wand wrapped in a bow, gifted from a certain powerful gem. Some said a ribbon wand won’t do any good in a battlefield, but today, she’ll prove them wrong!
The giant pearl leaped to the darkening sky, finishing what needs to be done.
The two fusions floated face to face, while the monster was still in awe of its opponent’s speed and flight, Pastel wasted no time and attacked it with her wand. She unleashed the bow tie and flung the ribbon with all her might.
The monster was vicious, its flying component dominated the wings compartment and shifted in its space, dodging the ribbon left and right. It was confused and perplexed on how a ribbon could hurt, but it's not taking any chances.
Pastel and the corrupted gem fusion were gaining high in altitude, and on the fourth dodge, the two figures reached the end of the darken clouds. As the afternoon sun shone bright, the ribbon’s texture gained a glimmer effect, showcasing more than just the colour pink and white, shining so bright, it became the most glistering, dazzling piece of silk the monster has ever seen!
As the monster was bedazzled by the weapon’s beauty, the ribbon took its aim and wrapped around the bat wings, rendering it unable to fly.
The beast struggled and attempting to not plunge into its death, Pastel took this as an advantage. While carefully avoiding its spikes and horn, she went straight into its face, confronted, and apologized.
“Pearl says she’s sorry for the pain and agony she caused you, she didn’t realize how a chipped horn can lead you to such catastrophe, being fused with another corrupted gem. Please forgive her, she wasn’t trying to hurt you, she was trying to put you out of your corrupted misery.” Pastel sincerely apologized as she summoned a lance, gripping its point at the monster neck..
“And I’m so sorry...for this.”
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Back at the arena, the rubbles and ruins were still in place as Pastel slowly descended from the sky, landing gracefully to the centre of the arena. In her hands were the two gems of the fusion monster, with both hands, pinkish-white bubbles formed separately around the two gems. And with one tap each, they went to a safer, better place.
Pastel stood her ground, but finally relaxed and said, “Finally, it’s all ove-”
At the doorway to the warp pad, came a familiar sound.
It was the sound of their leader in pain! Still flat on her side, the unconscious Rose was struggling in her wake, but it doesn’t sound good.
“Ohno, ROse!” Pastel realized there was a chance she might be poisoned, or worse…
She rushed to her side, reached for Pearl’s gem and retrieved a small bottle of healing tears from the fountain. She carefully dripped the essence onto the scratched surfaces, and immediately, the wounds began to heal up, leaving small but unnoticeable scars on her figure.
The fusion gentle shook the leader, “Rose, are you alright?”
Rose turned and laid on her back, head against the wall. She sluggishly opened her eyes, and greeted, “Nice to see you too Pastel.”
Pastel sighed, obviously relieved, but she’s also not ready to leave yet.
“Rose, while I still have you,” Pastel kneed as the pink gem sat upright, “I need to ask something of you.”
“Is it about the forgetting that I can summon more than one shield? I think I’ve already paid for that crime.” Rose chuckled, while Pastel gave no more than a giggle.
“Nono, it’s not that. It’s about…them. I have a question, and…they’re not exactly here right now. Can…can you tell me, something that they would both want to know?”
Rose was rather surprised by the question, but she provided an answer regardless.
“Well, there is something I have been keeping in, it was so suppressed that I had to be reminded. Before Pearl came in, I had this prophecy from a sapphire that, if nothing changes, someone I deeply cared for would suffer eternal pain, and I never wanted that.”
Pastel stayed silent, doing the part of listening until further notice...
“I guess, it's right after the idea of losing Coral. After I was told that she would be taken away if I don’t handle…certain issues, I had to…grow up and take matters into my own hands. Make decisions that don't usually feel right.”
“And well, I understand that my recent behaviour has been rather...selfish to some, and technically, that monster attack IS my fault for not dealing with it yesterday. I should’ve told Pearl what I was doing instead of leaving her and Garnet in the dark. I get how it can be worrisome, and…I’ll try to change for the better. You know, be more aware of my actions.”
Upon hearing that, the pearl gem on Pastel’s forehead glowed, but Rose proceeded regardless.
“And, while I was…meditating in my room, I realized for a fact...that I’m not…the greatest gem, in the moral perspective that is. I’m really sorry that changing Coral’s old name hurt her feelings and left her out of the events Pearl and i made, but from now on, we’ll do things together.”
The pearl gem on Pastel’s navy glowed as well.
Rose noticed the two glow, and gestured to Pastel to sit with her.
Rose taunted, “Is there…anything you would like to say to me? You know, before you go?”
Pastel got out her ribbon wand, fidgeting with the handle, slightly conflicted, but gave in. “Let me put it in the words they’re willing to face, just this once.”
Pastel spoke, “New pearl never knew the old pink, the pink she met was someone that was trying her best, trying to be a better diamond. To gain the praise and betterment of the other diamonds, and just, doing her best in every way.”
“Old pearl saw you as the same old diamond, never expecting someone would change, even until now. She never knew changing a person got so…drastic, like how she herself changed without her even noticing.”
“Though, neither of them had the whole picture, that is. But now that I’m here, there doesn’t have to be one sided stories anymore, now I get to understand everything, and that they finally get to know…each other.”
The glow from the two gems spread out, indulging Pastel in a wondrous sense of-
“Thank you, Rose.”
Acceptance.
Shiiiinnggg
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Pastel Pearl unfused, she returned to the two pearls we know and love.
Pearl.
And Coral.
After a while, Pearl placed her hand on Coral’s shoulder. She had the most apologetic look Coral has ever seen in her gem life.
“Coral, I’m sorry things got out of hand between us, is it possible that we...forget this ever happened?” Pearl asked, sounding more like a suggestion than a plea.
The pink gem held Pearl’s hand and said, “Well, I am having trouble remembering things lately. Hows about, we remember this, together?”
Pearl gave an acknowledging smile, agreed.
End of chapter 6
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(A/N: I just did one last read of this chapter and, i don't know about you guys, but it had me teared up even though i was the one writing and finished writing it weeks ago. Also i think this is the longest chapter written in a post.
We got to the part of Coral’s relationship with Pearl, how it all happened, and how it will likely proceed. I modified what Mega Pearl said at the episode “Volleyball”, but instead of talking to Steven, she was directly talking to Rose herself.
Lastly, I just wanna say thank you for reading, it's been more than a year writing for this blog, writing what i love, and to a pretty cool community. Most of you guys have showcased your gratitude by liking or even reblogging my work, and whether you followed me for a long time or have just decided to follow after reading, i want you guys to know you guys were the reason i was able to push myself in writing, you guys were the motivation i had to keep the plot going, you guys were the motivation i have to keep the blog running.
Even though most of you guys came just because of Tripixle’s artwork, im really hoping these stories fit well in your system, or at least filled the voids of “End of stevenuniverse” or “Hiatuses on Amphibia/The Owl House”, i know mines been filled, and more stories to come!
And last, but not least, Thank you for reading and have a great day! Byee!)
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