Summary:
We finally fixed it ... only for disaster to happen!
"Hhhsss." Sugar made sure to triple check that the Centipeetles were contained enough to not cause them any trouble. There was NO trusting a crystal devil, no matter what her master or anyone else tried to say. They had destroyed the cabin, thus the doorway, twice already. If they had the power-or confidence-they'd shatter the bastich's right away without remorse. The only place she truly felt safe anywhere with these… thingsaround was inside of her boy's hair.
Someplace she'd rather be right now, except now she, along with all the other palisman, were being dragged along with Flapjack's little scavenger hunt. Something he only elaborated on as 'something to get them home for sure'. In a time where the planet itself was in danger of exploding, this was NOT the time to be vague!
"Bzz." Clover was right! Was this really the time to look for some object that none of the kids have found yet?
"Chirp." Look, it has to be here, so just keep looking until we find it.
"Snap." Except you haven't exactly elaborated on what 'it' is.
"Chir-irp." Because when we find it I want Hunter to get the cred-I mean, because it's more of a vague understanding in itself.
"Hsss." Look, we all have favoritism towards our masters, and we'd all rather see Luz buried in the ground, right?
"Mew." She has CORRUPTED my sweet Amity! They now find Crystal Devil's cute! Such travesty shall not go unpunished!
"Hss." Exactly, but there comes a point where you need to drop it! The freaking planet's about to blow up!"
The bird stared at Sugar, before sighing. "Chirp." This wasn't just a cabin that connected the realms. It was THE cabin that started it all.
"... Bzz." That explains nothing.
"Chirp." The cabin belonged to my original owner, Evelyn. This is where she lived with her family in the human realm.
Emmile blinked in confusion, waving their paws. Didn't they live in a cave due to constantly being hunted down?
"Chirp." Most witches did, but Clawthornes don't exactly make the safest lifestyle choices.
"....hssss." Fair enough. She gave her boy flack for toying around with Jasper instead of instantly poofing her.
"Chirp." She lived here, and she would often bring Caleb and Rose here too. "Chirp." Before Evelyn and Caleb left, the three of them were working on a way to open a portal to the demon realm that would last long term. "Chirp." So any notes they had should still be here! Rose made it to the demon realm with Philip, so there is a definite way there!
… Alright, that made sense, and would definitely improve everyone's mood.
"Meow." In that case, shouldn't Spice sniff it out? He knows their scent.
"Grrrrrrrrrr." In a minute, I'm tired.
"....CHIRP!" You've been asleep for sixteen hours already!
The feline glanced at the bird … before batting them away into the walls beak first, and turning away.
"Hhss." Like they were ever going to be of help. Come on, maybe if we search enough we can find something notable.
"Snap, Snap." They all turned to Maya, who was overlooking the ruined supplies. "Snap." Something's fishy about this.
"Mew?" What do you mean? That's all the destroyed junk the kid's can't use anymore.
"Snap." Check out this bag of oil, it's got a tear in it.
"Bzz." Yeah, because it got ruined in the rampage those beasts had.
"Snap." By acid, which shouldn't cause a rip in that manner. And if it was acid, it's wouldn't tear it, it would combust the oil and set the whole cabin on fire.
Emmile looked over the thing with confusion. Couldn't they have stomped on it with their pointy legs?
"Snap." True, but look at the damage near the doorway. Not the acid burns around it, but the door itself.
"Hssh?" She slithered up to it. Not much to note, mostly had the patch on the kids made, some slash marks on it, and a few holes. "Hssh?" The centipeettles could've scratched the door.
Flapjack finally freed themselves, now looking as confused as the rest of them. "Chirp?" Just the door and nothing but the door? What was it, covered in salt and palistrum liquids? "Chirp." They're raging beasts, they would have wrecked everything.
"Snap." Exactly. The destruction is too precise. If the centipeetles were going on a rampage, they would've torn everything apart. And they're definitely not smart enough to do the same damage twice in a row…the EXACT same damage twice.
"Bzzz." So if it wasn't the Centipeetles…then who did it?
"Snap." Don't know…but one thing for sure….someone is sabotaging our attempt to go home.
"Chirp." Belos the no good son of a bitch!
"Mew?" If it was Belos, wouldn't he just hide here until all the kids were alone and kill them? Heck, wouldn't he just absorb us when he had the chance? He needs to stabilize his form.
"HHsss." Something about this whole situation was off …
Rumble
The walls of the cabin began to shake and crack as the earth rumbled, a piece of plywood from the ceiling fell and hit Spice in the head. "Grrr." What the hell?
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Pearl finished coding the last bit of programming to the navigation system. "And … done." She sighed in relief. "One drill to the Cluster completed!" The gem announced.
"Wait…we actually did it….we made it?" Augustus scratched his head. "I know we were on a timetable, but I kind of…thought we wouldn't make it on time."
"I was actually able to accomplish quite a bit of progress when I haven't been put under a microscope of scrutiny." Pearl grumbled.
"Well … I guess this is it, we finally did something right." Amity nodded.
"Finally?" Lucifer asked. "Did everyone forget I caught-?"
Hunter slapped the boy upside the head. "Did you forget we've been building this next to the barn full of Rubies?"
"Wow, the drill is done!" They all turned to a Ruby designated as 'Leggy'. "Now we can stop the invaders from stopping the Cluster!" Frankly it disturbed Pearl that the children let so many homeworlder's roam the barn freely, but they wouldn't listen to her suggestion of just letting them poof them into bubbles, even if they weren't the brightest gems in the metaphorical drawer.
"Maybe we can use it to find Jasper even faster! She could be in trouble, stuck somewhere in the planet's surface, trying desperately to leave from the Cluster's progress." The one the children designated as Eyeball stared solemnly, with a longing expression that the other's said she would have on her own face whenever she thought of Rose.
"… Yeah … why don't we plan out some places to look for her?" Hunter asked, leading the tiny gems away. "I'm sure there's plenty of continents we can search. Like….Canada."
"But that's part of the same conti-" Pearl tried to correct, only for Willow to wack her in the head. "Ow!"
"They're clueless about this planet. Hunter's cluelessness will only confuse them more, and that's a good thing." Willow stated.
"An endless cycle of obliviousness." Lapis chuckled.
"So you're sure it'll work?" Boscha asked. "Because if this fails I'm blaming you." Once again, rude.
"Yes and no." Pearl bluntly admitted. "It'll get us to the Cluster for sure. But as for shattering the fused gem …." She pondered the massive size of the base silicone. "I doubt anything short of a nuclear warhead could truly damage it."
"Then we're going to have to rely on magic for that." Luz looked to her friends. "Anyone got any massively destructive spells on hand?" Every witch turned to Lucifer. "Right, dumb question. You're the one with planet bursting strength."
"You think I can pull it out with that little time?" He asked. "You know that my strength fluctuates, otherwise I'd pull that out everytime we go up against Belos."
"Sometimes you have to use Pearl's method of planning ahead and preparation." Garnet spoke up. "Other times … you need to follow Amethyst's lead and wing it."
"Heck yeah, lets just go in and bash the thing!" The brash gem jumped in the air. "Make it easier for yourself and use one of your fusions. They're like you but amped up, right?"
"I guess you have a point …" He muttered. "As much as I hate to admit it, we're probably gonna need Salem for-"
Rumble
The ground began to shake violently, causing everyone to fall to the ground, multiple thuds of equipment heard from the barn clattering to the ground. "Weee, the ground is shaking! There's so many games we can make out of that!" Spinel cheered, mindlessly unaware of the dire circumstance they were about to engage in.
"Stage two." Willow muttered in horror. "Twenty four hour earthquakes."
"We don't have time to dilly dally anymore. Pearl, you're one hundred percent certain that the drill is fully functional and ready to deploy?" Garnet spoke to her sternly.
"Yes. Everyone, into the drill now!" Pearl shouted as everyone began to enter….and proceed to bump into each other, prevent anyone from getting inside.
"You couldn't have made the drill any bigger!?" Boscha yelled.
"We were on a time table! I couldn't have made it any bigger without risking the functionality of it." She exclaimed.
"Can't you guys shrink down?" The imposter asked as they shrunk down into a mouse. "Amethyst does it all the time."
"We could…but I'm not exactly…comfortable with using shapeshifting…"
"Lady, IT'S THE END OF THE FUCKING WORLD" Luz began shaking her back and forth violently. "NO ONE GIVES A SHIT ABOUT HOW COMFORTABLE YOU ARE!"
"I care….I care to make you clods as uncomfortable as possible!" A familiar, nasally voice shouted, as they all turned to the sky, seeing Peridot flying, with some new limb enhancers. "Yes, your feeble minds do not deceive you. I, the great and might Peridot have returned, and I've come seeking to wreak vengeance up you all!"
"Great, as if we needed this right now!" Gus shouted in rage.
"Everyone, get ready!" Lapis shouted, moving two balls of water into orbs.
"Not to sound arrogant, but….it's just Peridot." Amity spoke. "She's not exactly a force to be reckoned with like Moldavite or even Jasper was."
In response, the green gem lifted stuck out her limb enhancer, covering the drill in some kind of pulsing green energy … and pulled away from the rest of them, before Peridot fired off multiple lasers, along with a lightning bolt, fireball, and an icicle.
"Would you like to rephrase that?" Pearl asked as she pulled out her spear, ducking out of the way.
"You subhumans may have thought you held an advantage over me in the past before, but now I've even the playing field, and flip the script!" Peridot cackled as she blasted the ground…and it moved and molded into pillars of spike aimed right at them. "Behold! The power of transmutation energy is now within my grasp!"
They got shot at, as each spike seemed to follow them around. "Peridot…has magic now!?"Amity exclaimed as she used her abomination muck to get herself out of the way.
"If she has magic, then so do I!" Luz slammed a glyph onto the ground … with no reaction. "Oh come on universe! You can screw me over on cop out like this!"
"Nice try, I'm the only one with the energy for this!" She screamed, blasting them all.
"I'm back, what did I miss-AAAH" Hunter screamed as he warped out of the way. "What the titan!?"
"Peridot's back, and she somehow has magic!" Lucifer shouted as he created a massive shield to cover the raining spikes coming onto them. "This feels WAY too strong for a novice like her to have!"
"This feels familiar…." Hunter looked to the gem, looking at the pulsing green energy coming out of the limb enhancers. "...This isn't just magic….it's artificial magic!" … How could magic be artificial?!
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Luz blinked at that. "What the … she pulled a BELOS!?"
"I have no idea what a 'Belos' is, but yes, I have learned how to harness your transmutative powers!" The green gem screamed, launching several shots of electricity at them. "And all it took was a couple hundred test subjects!"
"Test subject…Hunter, you know about this stuff, what's she going on about!?" Willow shouted as she had to fend up some wild vines from strangling her.
"Well … Artificial Magic is made …" The boy looked away as a spike of earth brushed by his head. "From magnesium, a bit of titan vein… and draining energy from things until they turn to dust."
"Like the bonds between molecules?" Pearl asked, launching herself over a fireball.
"If you mean the smallest parts that exist in all living things, then yes." Hunter nodded, rolling under a fireball.
"Oh you little bitch. " Lucci growled, glowing pink as he ran right through the projectiles, pulling out Sugar from … somewhere, and created a buzzsaw at the end of the staff, acting like a giant pizza cutter as he swung at Peridot, clashing it against her limb enhancers. "Just because you have magic doesn't mean you're able to use it right!"
"I know. There's far too much about this energy I don't know, and I intend to figure it out!" Peridot's body emitted a shockwave that blasted Lucci away. "And that starts by incapacitating you all, commandeering the rocket you stole from me, and taking you back to homeworld for further study!"
"Too late Peridot!" Gus shouted, creating multiple illusions of everyone there. "We turned it into a drill and there's less than twenty four hours to make it space worthy!"
"Feeble plebeians, my transmutational energy is more than enough to get me as far as Earth's moon!" Peridot shouted, shooting down rapid fireballs through each illusions. "I'll just grab as many supplies as I can before this planet is doomed and watch the cluster emerge as I rebuild it!"
"Not if we stop you, P Brain!" Amethyst used a whip to pull on Peridot's leg, tripping her as Lapis unleashed a wave of water down onto the green gem.
Luz rushed in with the sword while she was recovering, trying to land a swing. Luckily, for once the enemy was small enough they could actually CUT through the limb enhancers if she landed a blow. "Oh, I am not going down that easily! Elemental manipulation is child's play for a being such as I am now!" Peridot shouted from the water, and easily heated it up into steaming, flying higher up. "Think about the technological advantages this could bring to Homeworld! We wouldn't have to waste resources when we can create them ourselves! Entire planets can become endlessly usable for colonization and production, like living batteries! And we'll finally have a use for organic life instead of just pests!"
The entire ground erupted, from up top a treetop stood Willow glaring with the same level of force Orchid gave off. "Die, you pathetic parasite."Before raining tree after tree on her, even as Peridot blasted through them endlessly.
"This is our chance! Ram her with everything you got!" Boscha yelled to everyone as she threw explosive potions at the green gem while she was defending herself.
Amity threw in abominations along with Lapis's water, Amethyst whipped from a distance, Pearl blasted from her spear. "She's moving to the left, pin her accordingly!" And Garnet navigated them with future vision.
She stood next to Lucci and Hunter, watching the moment. "So, Golden Boy." The former spoke up. "How long does it take for that kinda magic to run out?"
"Depends on how much life force she took in. With titan vein in the boiling isles, we could've made the staff's energy last for decades. But since we're in the human realm, her power supply is definitely more finite. But if she used hundreds to compensate…she could have enough power to last most of the day."
"Which means we need to stop her at the source." Luz continued. "We already have her pinned down, Lucci, preparing a full power rush from the front to draw her attention. Hunter, get me behind the green bean to hit her energy supply."
"On it!" Hunter nodded, summoning Flapjack…again from somewhere.
"Yo, P brain!" Lucci shouted to the tree covered Gem, covering himself in pink as he formed a lance with Sugar. "Hope you like bubbles, because you're about to be in one for a LONG time!" He shouted, rushing at her with fast speed and power as the ground broke under his step.
"No, No, no, no!" Peridot has to split her attention, having to use one limb enhancer to cut through the trees and the other to keep Lucci at bay. "No, no, no, no!" Which left her wide open. Hunter instantly moved with Luz, warping behind the gem to where a green pack resided. Luz grinned as she stabbed straight forward, intending on both cutting off her power and poofing the gem in one go. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! I WILL NOT GO DOWN LIKE THIS, YOU FEEBLE CLOOOOOODS!" She stopped her feet on the ground.
RUUUUUUMMMMMMBLLLLLLLEEEEEE
A crater was instantly formed….summoning LAVAfrom the ground , instantly burning away all the trees Willow was throwing, thus giving Peridot the freedom to escape.
"Can't you just eat it!?" Amity asked Vee.
"I can try!" She began sucking on the air as Peridot began forming limbs from the molten rock…and started choking. "Oh, oh..oh, that…that tastes… so wrong…." The reptilian girl began to fall over. "So unnatural…..so….artificial…..can't….feed…on….it…" She began to vomit what looked like the aurora borealis.
"Don't you DARE hurt her!" Garnet rushed in and slammed a fist against Peridot's barrier, ignoring the lava as she sent forth powerful blow after blow.
"Clods, the fact you chose to protect ANY of the life on this planet when it's all doomed to perish just proves how insignificant you all really are!" Peridot made a WAVE of Lava, building it high as it was sent forward at them. "You're all nothing but ash, feeble, good for nothing AAAAAASSSSSSSSSHHHH!"
"Everyone take cover!" Luz shouted as the wave got closer. Okay, she needed to think of a plan, think of some-"OOOF!" WHY!? WHY DID SHE JUST TRIP!?"
" LUZ!" She heard the cries of her friends as the Lava came closer to her. Damn it, she had once chance to make this work, and she blew it! And now she was going to die in the most pathetic way possible, tripping while being chased by lava!
"Not this time dang it!" Luz was enveloped by a hand, a bubble, and a familiar glow of warmth.
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Glyphon blinked, cracking their neck as they watched the lava wash off the bubble. "Wow, been a while since I've come out. Feels good."
"Glyphon!" Amity shouted with a smile.
"Great … just what we needed." Boscha sarcastically rolled her eyes with a soft smirk. Wow, that's a change to how they felt about us before.Even the hardest of souls can soften up over time I guess…also I didn't know your bubbles were Lava proof. Shooting star tested that durability, still doesn't stop my hands from being signed.
"Alright, lets get this over with." Glyphon chuckled, stretching out their wings and flying around Peridot's molten limbs, ending with a kick right to the little gremlins face. Man that felt good! Like kicking a more arrogant Kikimora.
"Gah!" The gem groaned as she readjusted. "Lets see …" Peridot muttered. "Considering my luck with fusions …" The limb enhancers on her legs turned into jets as she grabbed the drill telekinetically, flying off into the air. "Later clods!"
"Is … is she just leaving like that?" Gus asked.
"She does know we can all fly right?" Hunter questioned.
"Guess cowardice stumps intelligence." Glyphon chucked, speeding forward and meeting Peridot in the air. "You're not going to get away that easily, rock head!"
"Gah! Just let me leave this planet! Can't you do something as worthwhile as that!?"
"Not as long as the Cluster's going to emerge!" They shouted, forming a shield and slamming into them.
"Don't you understand how futile that is!?" She shouted, blasting them with lightning that they just tanked. "Even if you could stop the Cluster, the Diamonds will come here personally to destroy the planet themselves!"
"Don't care!" They created a bubble. "What matter right now is stopping you, stopping the cluster, and finally getting on with our lives!" They threw the bubble…which ignited in blue fire, and wrapped around the green gem, burning her as Glyphon tackled her once again.
How did we do that? I thought that was a regular hard bubble. Wait…with your magic like this..I have access to glyphs! Lucci! You're your own source of magic! Wait, can Glyphon open the portal door!? Figure it out later!
They formed multiple glyph bubbles, launching them at Peridot in an attempt to destroy that pack of hers, or at least one limb. "You know, for a novice with magic, you might be slightly notable." One bubble they ran into blasted her with soundwaves. "But you're going up again half a someone who spend months dedicating herself to learning everything about magic!" Another bubble covered the green gem with goo. "And another half who's grown his whole life LOVING everything about it!"
"Shut up!" The gem said, blasting them some more with weak attempts. "I just want to-"
"Too bad!" Amity hit them from behind, followed by Willow throwing several thorns, and Lapis with a spear of water that started piercing the back of them.
"No, don't do this! I could help you! I can make sure the drill is full functional-"
"It already is, and we're all set to go and shatter it ourselves… without you!" Glyphon took out Sugar and Luz's sword, combining them into one again as they made one giant glyph combo in the sky made from flames.
"But my power, you can use-"
"Magic is not your power!Magic is a gift….a gift wasted on the likes of you!"Rising through the glyph, they were covered in the pulsing energy and directed magic right into them.
KAPOOOOOOOOWWWWWW
There was a massive explosion as their fused magic hit the bastich with everything they had, the gem's limb enhancers…going into dust. "NO…NO….MY POWER!"
Satisfied?Oh heck yeah! This is the best I've felt in a long time! I missed this. So did I sis, so did I. And for once I'm going to defuse without suffering a headache."
=======================================================================
Lucci landed on the ground next to the drill, watching as the green gem hit the ground. "You … you …" They growled, slowly getting up.
"It's over!" Pearl shouted, catching up with them. "No escape route, n-"
"Can we bubble them before monologuing already! Last time we didn't we dealt with Moldavite!" Lapis shouted in an exasperated tone, shooting a spear of water.
Peridot avoided the blow. "No, listen, I can help, I can-"
"DOWN!" Garnet rushed forward and shoved Hunter to the ground … as a pile of goo rushed where his head once was, moving past it and into Peridot.
"Ahhh! Filthy earth scum! What did you just throw at me!?" Peridot began fighting it off her, only for it to spread more and more.l
Lucci could only watch in horror as the gray muck began to condense more and more, shaping … as the bastardtook on that solid form again. "Aah, just like the Rainbow Devil … I feel like my old self again."
"So it really is you…Philip Wittabane." Pearl growled.
"Hmm?" The man turned to the gem. "Ah right, the servant of Rose … her lapdog ."
"Honestly that's probably the most accurate description you could give her." Boscha nodded
"Hey!" The pale one shouted indignantly, before shaking her head. "What do you hope to accomplish here? You lost the last time you faced us head on."
"Well I would have preferred to destroy my creation before Clawthorne could heal them … but suddenly I'm filled with quite the wellspring of information as it were." The man smirked. "I do believe that-" They were instantly covered in a watery bubble.
"Don't just stand there, pin him down!" Lapis screamed.
"Whatever your plan is, it's not going to work!" Lucci immediately complied, sending spike after spike into the man's body as it slipped out. "You want the world to hate us, fine, but that's still not going stop us from doing what we want!"
"I know…..much as I might despise it, this world corruption runs deep…deep into its core….not to mention the plague that exists beyond the stars…" Belos said as gauntlets and lasers began passing through its body. "It may be too late to save humanity…so the best option for now might be a quick and merciful end to it all."
"What …" Luz's eyes almost popped out of her skull. "NO YOU DON'T YOU BASTARD!" She rushed forward to plant a blow, only to get stabbed in the leg.
"LUZ!" They screamed.
"Okay, failed against Peridot, but not you!" Vee shouted, inhaling in Belos's direction.
"Drain me if you want, it won't matter, I know what to do!" Belos slipped into he goopy form even as magic was drained out of him, climbing into the drill and turning it on.
"Damn it, absorbing Peridot gave him technological knowhow!" Gus shouted. "We have to destroy the drill!"
"Already on it!" Amethyst grabbed the drill with her whip, holding it in place. "Lapis, Amity, get him out of there! Lucci, help me pull!"
"I'll help!" Willow added a few vines to the mix as Lucci gave a brief saliva slap to Luz, before grabbing onto the whip and tugging. "Dammit it Belos, you insane maniac, this is what we mean by you being a genocidal maniac!"
"If being a manic means stopping humanity from falling further into its state of rot and decay, then I'll gladly take that role!" The drill began spinning.
"Belos, you can't can't be serious!" Luz stabbed the drill's side with her sword as Garnet began beating it. "You wanted to save humanity!"
"If humanity turns out more people like you…then it's already beyond saving." The drill tore through the whips, tore through the vines, and descended into the ground.
"After him!" Lucci shouted, getting on Sugar and flying into the hole.
"With what?! You can't just hop into a hole deep into the earth's crust!" Pearl exclaimed.
"We can if we reach him before he hits the Cluster!" Amity argued. "If he can absorb gems, then what would happen if he absorbs dozens of shards meant to destroy the planet instantly!"
There was a pause. "We can't let him get the chance, we have to cut him off before it's too late!" Boscha said, hopping onto Maya.
"If you go down there, you're going to lose oxygen quickly, along with heatstroke, dehydration, the rising manga, the purpose of the drill was so we could travel protected!" Pearl shouted again.
"Well, what are we supposed to do then!? Stick out thumbs up our asses and wait for Belos to absorb a planet crusher and raze the planet from the inside out!?" Willow shouted.
"Heatstroke…..magma….I was within walking distance of a shooting star. I could survive the trip unprotected." Lucci spoke
"So can I." Garnet spoke, looking down the hole. "Cover yourself in a durable bubble, I'll push us through."
"No…..If you get close and Belos is desperate enough, he'll absorb you too." Hunter said. "If he didn't know about the Cluster, he might've tried with the rest of you as well.
"So all the gems are out." All of them were liable to getting absorbed….except…."There's only one thing we can do." Lucci grabbed Spinel's hand. "Spinel…we need to fuse and follow Belos to the center of the earth."
"Wait, why Spinel specifically?" Gus asked. "We don't even know what powers you'll get."
"She's a stretchy,bouncy gem and I'm a shapeshifter." He explained. "If I'm right about this, we'll get a fusion that runs completely on toon force. One powerful enough to follow Belos without getting hurt too much."
"Wait, so you're not letting Garnet go because he could absorb her, but Spinel is okay?" Amethyst asked.
"He poofed her once but didn't absorb her. He would rather die than have his little remaining sanity broken." Luz clarified.
"Plus this all sounds like a super fun game with super high stakes!" She shouted. "I'm in! Lets do it Lucci!" Okay, this was it … do or die fuse time.