Summary:
As the hand ship prepraes to leave Earth behind, Dipper and Mabel resolve to save Steven and the Gems, no matter what it might take.
There were only three things Mabel could feel when she slowly started to wake up. The first was pain, pounding through her head, lancing across her back, eating away at her ankle most of all. The second was her brother, half on top of her, half pinned underneath her, and every bit as out of it as she still felt. The third was the air, thick and heavy, as if a storm was still surging, stirred by raging winds and the distant rumble of something she couldn't quite place.
The rumble of an unearthly engine roaring to life.
That sound alone was enough to startle Mabel awake. She darted upright, ignoring the dizziness that struck her as her mind raced to fill in the gaps. It didn't take her long to remember what was happening when she glanced back to find it, still looming so close, yet so very far.
"The ship!" she scrambled to her feet, wincing against the sting of protest in her ankle when she put weight on it. Amazingly, the hand hadn't left yet, but if the whirl of its engines was any indication, it wouldn't be here for much longer. And neither would any of the captives that had been dragged onto it. Unless…
Unless someone found a way to save them first.
"Dipper!" Mabel wasted no time trying to rouse her brother. She noticed the sizable bruise forming on his wrist, one that matched the bruise on her ankle–right in the same spots Jasper had grabbed them both. Hopefully, Steven would be able to heal them both up later–if he wasn't dragged off to Homeworld first.
"Dipper, come on!" Mabel resorted to shaking him by the shoulders when he didn't stir right away. "That freaky hand ship is about to leave and Steven is on it! We gotta stop it somehow, or we'll never see him or the Gems or Lapis again!"
"Lapis…?" Dipper muttered as he slowly started opening his eyes.
"Yeah!" Mabel insisted. "And Steven and the Gems too! Peridot and that big mean cheese puff are about to take them into space, which means we have to-"
"Space?" Dipper blinked, finally gathering his bearings. He only fully woke up when he caught sight of the hand ship, slowly starting to drift away from the ground beneath it. "Oh my gosh, the ship!" he pushed himself up, his eyes wide with alarm. "Mabel, we have to stop-"
"I know!" Mabel grabbed him by the arm to pull him to his feet. "But how? We'll never reach it in time!"
"We…. uh… w-we should…" Dipper trailed off as he raced to come up with an idea. By now, the ship was already steadily hovering, rotating to face the stars it was all but set to return to. And if it did, then there was almost no chance it would ever come back. They'd never see Steven, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, or Lapis ever again. They'd all be left to some dark, unknown fate on a planet that almost definitely wanted them all dead.
They couldn't let that happen; there was no other option. They had to stop that ship, or at the very least catch up with it, no matter what it took. The only problem was, they had no idea how .
But fortunately, Lion did. He caught them both off guard as he ran over to them, all but scooping them both onto his back as he only continued racing forward from there. Dipper and Mabel barely had enough time to hold on as Lion roared a portal to life and plunged straight into it. They emerged on top of the temple cliff, just as the hand ship was rising up toward it. For one brief, terrifying moment, the ship was almost entirely on their level, almost close enough that they felt like they could touch it.
But all too quickly, it drifted out of their reach. And the further it began to slip away, so too was any chance they had at saving Steven and the Gems.
"It's about to leave!" Mabel shouted over the din of the engines. "Dipper, we have to do something!"
"I'm working on it!" Dipper tried nudging Lion in the side to get him going again. Instead, he stayed standing still on the very edge of the cliff, staring sharply up at the hand ship, but hardly making any move to stop it. "Ugh, come on , Lion!" Dipper snapped, frustrated. "Jump onto it or roar at it or do something to help us reach that thing! You can't just go back to being as stubborn as you usually are now !"
"Wait," Mabel grabbed him by the shoulder as a sudden idea struck her. "Maybe we don't need Lion for this after all. Not as long as we've got… the grappling hook!"
She grinned as she pulled it out of her sweater, only to find her brother sending her a doubtful look. "Mabel, how is that thing supposed to-"
"There's no time to explain," Mabel cut him off, nodding back to the ship. Sure enough, it was rising ever higher; in no time at all, it'd be gone. "You just need to trust me on this one. You do, don't you, Dipper?"
Dipper hesitated, but only for a moment. With the ship only seconds away from leaving Earth forever–with Steven and the Gems in tow–it wasn't as if they had too many other options right now. But even if they had, Dipper knew they wouldn't have needed them. Because when push came to shove, he knew he could rely on Mabel and whatever trick she had up her sleeve, no matter how outlandish it might be. Which was why he barely had to think twice as he took the hand his sister was offering him and said, "With my life."
"Great," Mabel said with a daring, almost manic grin. "Then let's do this crazy thing!"
Without skipping a beat, she took aim straight at the hand ship. Dipper had no idea how she spotted it–a barely-visible chink in the hand ship's otherwise smooth hull, probably caused by the Light Canons or one of Opal's arrows. Still, it was just enough of an opening–exactly what they needed to latch onto and slip inside. Mabel steadied her shaking hands, knowing she'd only have one shot at this, a shot none of them could afford to miss.
And by a miracle, or something else entirely, she didn't.
The hook struck its mark, its claws digging deep into the edges of the hole. On the other end of the line, Mabel tightened her hold as Dipper clung onto her–and not a moment too soon. Without warning, the ship shot upward, taking both of the twins right along with it. As it soared through the air, they were both left dangling after it by a thread, holding on for dear life as the roar of the engines drowned out their frightened screams. Somewhere in the chaos, Dipper made the mistake of glancing down just in time to see his hat fly off his head and into the now-distant sea of trees below. The very same fate they both might meet if they were anything other than insanely lucky.
With the winds whipping all around them, it was a struggle to move much at all, but somehow, Mabel forced her hand to work just enough to pry her finger off the grappling hook's trigger. Even against such incredible force, the hearty little tool did what it was supposed to. It coiled the twins back toward the hook–and the ship, mere seconds before it left the Earth's atmosphere. They found themselves tossed straight into the crack in the hull, and into the ship itself, without a second to spare.
The easy part was over; they were in. Which meant that the hardest part was about to begin.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah…"
A song was the first thing Steven heard when he woke up, his heart hammering in his chest and a gasp slipping out of his mouth. His left eye twitched when he tried opening it, his vision blurred a bit as he skimmed a hand against the blackened, bruised skin surrounding it. The rest of his head didn't feel much better, and he nursed a hand against it as he forced himself to sit up to find–
Dark green walls and a thin, shimmering sheet of yellow surrounding him. A cell, he quickly realized. A jail cell on board the hand ship, which Jasper no doubt tossed him into right after she knocked him out.
The recollection hit Steven like waves, each more worrying than the last. But as distressing as their first–and last–encounter with Jasper had been, it was what he couldn't remember, what he wasn't even awake for, that worried him even more. Especially when he finally realized–
He was in here all alone .
"Amethyst?! Pearl!?" He called out before he could think better of it. A sudden spark of fear struck him as he caught sight of countless other cells lining the hall beyond his, a kind of guilt-driven dread that drove him to wonder aloud, "D-Dipper? Mabel?"
He got no answer from any of them; he wasn't sure if he should be relieved about that or not. Certainly, Jasper and Peridot wouldn't have only captured him, would they? As much as he wished that was the case, he had a feeling the Gems weren't so lucky. Especially not–
"Garnet!" Steven gasped at the memory of two gemstones, landing only feet apart from each other. At the memory of Garnet being violently torn to pieces only a few feet in front of him. At the memory of the Crystal Gems losing their most important battle yet.
"Where are they?!" He forced himself to his feet as he ran to the far edge of his cell. The strange yellow wall softly buzzed with energy–electricity, if Steven could guess. The only other sound he could hear beyond that was steady, almost frantic pounding against a wall somewhere in the distance. Just another mystery to solve on top of so many others.
Steven hesitated as he reached his hand out to the electrified wall. To his surprise, he was only met with a sudden, painless jolt when he skimmed his fingers against it. Even more surprising yet, when he tried touching it again, his hand clipped clean through it, as if it were nothing more than a wall of water. "Ew…" Steven couldn't help but grin when he noticed the golden current running across his hand, illuminating his veins. That current only spread as he pushed his hand even further into the strange force field, sending even more waves of warm, peculiar energy pulsing through his body. "Cool!"
His next idea was a bit risky, but Steven figured it was worth a try. Anything was better than sitting around inside a cell, unable to do anything other than anxiously await his fate, after all. And so, he pushed the rest of his body through the barrier, shuddering against the strange current until, just as quickly as it had started, it was gone.
"Oh!" Steven glanced back at the unphased wall of energy–and the now-empty cell–behind him. "I'm out! Now," he wasted no time focusing on the hallway ahead of him as he began to rush through it. "Where is everybody? Gotta find them, gotta find them, gotta find-"
In his haste, he'd nearly missed her. Still, Steven stopped short when he spotted another occupied cell. The only problem was, the Gem inside of that cell… wasn't one he recognized.
She was surprisingly small, barely about his size, if he could guess. She sat hunched against the wall, her red arms hiding her face from view to the point that all he could really see of her was her short, squarish, burgundy hair. Steven couldn't help but frown, worried, when he heard her let out a low, distressed groan. If she was a prisoner here too, captured by the likes of Jasper and Peridot, then that meant she couldn't be as bad as they were… right?
"Uh, hello?" he took a small step closer to her cell. "Are… are you ok?"
The Gem bolted upright, her eyes wide with alarm. Only now could Steven see her simple outfit and the scarlet gemstone resting in the center of her left palm. "Ugh!" Rage suddenly overtook her features as she slammed a heavy fist into the wall next to her. "Great! This is just perfect!"
Steven glanced around, unsure of what she meant. "Uh… do you need any help?"
"No!" the Gem snapped. "I-I mean—I–You shouldn't—Augh! Don't look at me! Just–just go away!" With that, she curled in on herself, turning away from Steven. Unsure of what else to do, he turned to move on, until she suddenly stopped him short. "Hey, wait!" She sat upright as soon as the realization struck her. "You're out! How did you get past the field?"
"Oh, I just kind of…" Steven reached his hand toward the wall of energy between them, much to the red Gem's chagrin.
"Wait! No, no, no–you-" She cut herself off, shocked, as she watched Steven's hand go straight through it. "It's… ok?" Confused, she attempted to do the same, only to harshly yank her hand back when the field gave her painful zap. "Aught! What's going on…?"
"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah…"
"Someone's singing…" Steven frowned at the sound of the distant voice, the same one he'd first woken up to. The red Gem, on the other hand, turned frantic the second she heard that haunting tune.
"Sapphire…" she whispered. She turned to Steven, distraught as she pleaded with him. "Let me out of here! Please! Sapphire needs me!"
"Sapphire? Is she your friend?" Steven asked. "I'm looking for my friends too-"
"She's all alone!" the red Gem implored, truly desperate. "I have to find her!"
"Don't worry," Steven assured, smiling. "We'll find our friends-" Without skipping a beat, he stepped into the barrier, using his body to create a gap wide enough for the red Gem to slip through. "A-and we'll do it t-together!" He shuddered, still grinning, even against the energy tingling just beneath his skin. An odd sensation to be sure, but it was more than worth it to save a newfound friend.
The red Gem quickly made her escape, sliding under his arms and out of the cell. She didn't stop there, bolting down the hall to the point that Steven had to sprint to catch up with her. By the time he caught up with her, he was struggling to catch his breath, but he still did when the Gem held a hand up to silence him.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah…"
"Looks like the coast is clear," she noted as her brow knitted into a scowl. "Come on!"
"Wait!" Steven stopped her short.
The Gem barely stifled an impatient groan. "What now ?"
Despite this, Steven still wore a friendly smile as he extended a hand out for her to shake. "My name's Steven. What's yours?"
The Gem's stern expression finally softened as she stared at Steven's hand. She didn't take it as she almost meekly answered, "Ruby."
Steven's smile brightened a bit, even as he put his hand down. "It's nice to meet you, Ruby."
Ruby simply, gruffly nodded as she hurried on ahead. Steven followed after her, still perplexed by her to the point that he couldn't help but pose plenty of questions, even as Sapphire's song continued ringing through the ship's winding halls. "So, were you and Sapphire caught by Jasper and Peridot too? What did you do to-"
"Quiet!" Ruby cut him off as she clutched the sides of her head. "Ugh! I can't see!"
"Ah-ah-ah-ah, ahhhh-ah-ah-ah…"
Ruby swiftly looked up, quickly realizing the song alone was all she had to go off of. If only it didn't seem to be echoing from everywhere all at once. "This way!" she chose a path nonetheless. Steven trailed along, keeping an eye out for Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl–and even Dipper and Mabel, along the way. What he found were plenty of empty prison cells instead.
"How many more Gems are trapped here?" Steven wondered with a frown. He wasn't all too surprised to find that Ruby was apparently every bit as clueless on that front as he was.
"Don't know, don't care," she succinctly replied. She slid to a sudden stop, however, the second the green halls around them fell abruptly, startlingly silent. "She stopped singing," Ruby muttered, shaken. "Sapphire!"
Though she pressed on, Steven found himself stopping as they passed by a wide window–the first he'd seen on the ship so far. On the other side of that window was space , an inky expanse flooded with glittering stars. He was relieved to recognize Earth, looming large beneath the ship as it hovered just above its atmosphere. So close and yet so painfully far.
He had to get back to it. All of them did. Going anywhere else, especially to the distant, dangerous Homeworld, was unthinkable. Which was why Steven didn't even let such troubling thoughts distract him. Instead, he continued on his way, determined to get himself and his friends–humans and Gems alike–all back to where he knew they belonged.
Back to the world they all truly called home.
After such a harrowing break-in, Dipper and Mabel decided to give themselves a much-needed moment to catch their breath. They wisely put some distance between themselves and the hole they'd snuck in through, especially when it became a vacuum the second the ship slipped past the stratosphere. As soon as they were sure the coast was clear, they took to a nearby nook, leaning against the wall and each other as it slowly started to dawn on them exactly what they'd done… and where they were.
"Oh my gosh," Dipper said as soon as he got enough air back to speak. He stared down at the green metal floor beneath them, the floor of the hand ship as it shot straight out of the Earth's atmosphere and into space. "We really just did that."
"Heck yeah we did!" Mabel, on the other hand, was ecstatic. The adrenaline of it all still clung to her as she hopped to her feet, dragging her frozen brother up along with her. "And it was awesome !"
"I can't believe we just did that," Dipper stiffly reiterated. His voice hitched with panic as he swiftly unraveled, as the insanity of it struck him all at once. "I can't believe we just did that! What were we thinking ?! We could have died –we still might die if Peridot or Jasper catches us! W-what are we even doing here?! How are we supposed to save Steven or the Gems or even ourselves now that we're-"
"Whoa, slow-slow, bro-bro," Mabel grabbed him by the shoulders before he could spiral too far. It wasn't lost on her, just how wide his eyes were or just how much he was trembling. Only now did she realize she was trembling too. "L-let's try to reel it back in, ok?" she encouraged, both to him, and to herself. "For starters, we're totally not dead, and we've already made it this far! There's no turning back now–mostly 'cause we can't , but also 'cause we gotta rescue everyone! We're the only ones who can!"
Despite his nerves, Dipper knew he couldn't really argue with any of that. "You're right," he said with a steadying sigh. "Steven and the others are counting on us. But if we're going to do this, then we need to be careful . The last thing we need is to get caught and tossed out into the cold depths of space, which–oh my gosh– " An all new wave of stress struck him as another startling realization soaked in. "That's where we are right now–this is crazy and stupid and we're totally gonna die- "
"Ah, ah, ah," Mabel wagged a finger at him. "No dying, at least not yet anyway–I mean, we will die eventually , everyone does someday, but-"
"Not helping, Mabel!"
"Right, sorry. We should get going," she grabbed him by the arm to drag him along after her. "We've got some Gems to jailbreak!"
A lone glance out into the hallway told them both that was a job that would be much easier said than done. Long, narrow corridors stretched out in either direction, with no signs of anyone–friend or foe–in sight. Still, they chose a direction, hoping that it would somehow lead them to who they were looking for–and as far away from who they were trying to avoid as possible.
"So, what do you think these guys wanna do with Steven and the Gems anyway?" Mabel asked as they pressed on ahead.
"Well, you heard what Jasper said," Dipper said, frowning. "She wants to haul Steven off to Homeworld and show him to 'Yellow Diamond', whoever that is."
"You think she's bad news?"
"Seeing as how pretty much anything connected to Homeworld is bad news, I'd say so."
"Well, it's a good thing we're here to save the day," Mabel concluded, forcing a confident smile onto her face. "I wonder if–after we save them and everything–the Gems will be so impressed that they'll officially name us honorary Crystal Gems! If they do, then I'm totally changing my name to Mabelite, oh, or maybe Mabelstone, or- "
"Stop talking," Dipper cut her off as he suddenly stopped short.
"Uh, rude!"
"No, I'm serious. Do you hear that?"
It took Mabel a moment to catch it, but once she did, it was undeniable: the sound of a soft, almost eerie melody gently ringing through the halls.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhh, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhh…"
"Oo, pretty," Mabel smiled. "Who do you think that could be? One of the Gems? They do love to sing, after all."
"It doesn't really sound like any of them," Dipper shook his head. "And I doubt it's Jasper or Peridot either; call me crazy, but they don't really peg me as the type to burst into song."
"What about Lapis?"
That was enough to make Dipper pause as he listened to the strange tune again. As much as he didn't like to admit it, that wasn't the voice he'd gotten so used to hearing over the past several days. A voice–and a Gem–he sincerely hoped he'd get to see and hear again soon. "It's not her either."
"Well, why don't we follow it to see who it really is?" Mabel suggested. "It might be someone who could help us find Steven and the others!"
"Yeah, or it could be another Homeworld Gem who wouldn't waste any time getting rid of us," Dipper dryly pointed out.
"I guess there's only one way to find out," Mabel shrugged as she trudged on ahead. Dipper had no choice to follow her and her plan, even if it wasn't much of one. Still, if nothing else, it was a clear direction to go one, one that led them ever deeper into the ship. It didn't take long for them to get close to the source of the song, to the point that they were practically right on top of it as it echoed, loud and clear, through the air. Unfortunately, they quickly found that someone had already beaten them to it.
"Hide!" Dipper warned in a harsh whisper the second he heard footsteps thundering down the adjacent hall. He pulled both himself and Mabel just out of sight, right before Peridot and Jasper could pass them by. Miraculously, they didn't see them, if only because they were already caught up in an argument of their own.
"But we can't leave yet!" Peridot protested as she trailed after Jasper. "The whole point of coming here was to check on the Cluster!"
For her part, Jasper ignored her in favor of one of the surrounding cells. She slammed her fist into the wall beside it, abruptly silencing the song altogether. "Stop singing!" she ordered before she harshly turned to Peridot next. "Rose Quartz takes priority, above everything else!"
"B-but… but I also picked up on some strange energy spike, originating somewhere close to where we landed!" Peridot countered, adamant. "It was more powerful than anything our sensors have ever found on Earth before! We need to go find it, to investigate it and see if it can be an asset to our Diamo-"
"I don't care!" Jasper growled, more than fiercely enough to get Peridot to shy back. "I'm in charge of this mission, remember? Not you. Now, get back to the bridge and set a course for Homeworld!"
With that, Jasper stormed off, leaving Peridot to largely do the same as she grumbled sullenly to herself. "'Go to Earth,' they said. 'It'll be easy ,' they said…"
Only after they were sure the pair was well out of earshot, Dipper and Mabel shared a sigh of relief. "Yikes!" Mabel glanced out of their hiding spot first. "That was way too close."
"Tell me about it," Dipper agreed, still leaning against the wall. "I didn't like the sound of that 'energy spike' Peridot mentioned. What do you think it could be-"
"Who cares?!" Mabel interrupted. A wide smile filled her face as she looked further down the hall to find a surprising, exciting sight. "Look!"
Dipper quickly found what she was pointing at, trapped within the only occupied cell among many others. A Gem–one neither of them had ever seen before–stood behind a field of electric energy. She was surprisingly elegant, with long hair covering much of her face and a ball gown cascading around her petite form. Her gemstone sat upon her right palm, every bit as blue as the rest of her was as she folded her hands and raised her voice in the same hauntingly beautiful song they'd been hearing since they boarded the ship.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhh, ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhh…"
"Who is that?" Dipper asked, not daring to slip out of hiding just yet.
Mabel, meanwhile, was nowhere near as concerned as she enthusiastically exclaimed, "I don't know, but she's so pretty! We should go over and say hi!"
"What? No, we shouldn't!" Dipper pulled her back just in time. "Mabel, we can't just run up to some strange Gem we don't know and expect her to be friendly."
"Says the same guy who spent the past week becoming besties with some 'strange Gem' he barely knew," Mabel bluntly pointed out.
"Lapis is totally different!" Dipper argued. "What if that Gem isn't like her, or Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl? What if she's on Peridot and Jasper's side?"
"Yeah, it sure sounded like she was on their side when Jasper was screaming at her just a minute ago. Besides, why would she even be locked up like that if she was one of them?"
"Fine, I'll give you that. But she's not who we're looking for. We have to find Steven, Lapis, and the Gems as soon as possible. We don't have time for any random side quests."
"Aw, but she's just one Gem, Dipper!" Mabel pleaded. "It'll only take a second to get her out of there. And she might even know where the others are!"
"I doubt it," Dipper scoffed, unmoved."We're not saving her, Mabel. That's final."
"Uh, yeah we are."
"No, we're not ."
"Yes, we are !"
"No, we're-"
"You both know I can hear you, right?"
The twins froze, startled. Hesitantly, they peeked out of their hiding spot to find the Gem staring straight at them. There was no hiding anymore, something that Mabel was more than ready to revel in as she hurried over to greet her.
"Hi! I love your song! And your dress! And your hair! Are you some kind of Gem princess?"
"No," the Gem replied as both of the twins approached her cell. She looked between them, shaking her head as she let out an almost disappointed sigh. "You two aren't supposed to be here… And to be honest, I'd hoped that you wouldn't come, but… I suppose it was inevitable."
"Um, what do you mean?" Dipper asked, eyeing her warily.
"It's… complicated," the Gem frowned. "But don't worry. Everything will become clear soon, Dipper."
"Wha–H-how did you know my name?" Dipper flinched, surprised.
"She probably heard me say it when we were arguing, dummy," Mabel elbowed him in the gut. Her smile brightened as she turned back to the blue Gem. "But if you wanna hear mine again, it's Mabel! What's yours?"
The Gem finally managed a tiny smile as she pulled off a truly graceful curtsey. "I'm Sapphire."
"Oh my gosh! How'd you know I was hoping you'd do a super fancy curtsey?" Mabel practically squealed with delight.
"It was a… lucky guess."
"Yeah, well, it was, uh, nice meeting you," Dipper cut in as he began shoving Mabe away from the cell. "But we really should get going. We have people to find, places to be, you know how it is. So, we'll just, see you around and-"
"Wait!" Sapphire called after them. "I need you to let me out of here, please. I have to find another Gem who's trapped on this ship. Her name is Ruby."
"Oo, two new Gems in one day!" Mabel headed back over to the cell, intrigued. "Well, three, actually, if you count Jasper, but she's kind of a jerk, so we won't. So, this Ruby–she's a friend of yours?"
Sapphire simply sighed as she stared down at her palm–not the one that bore her gemstone, but her other one, completely bare. "She's… a bit more than that. Much more…"
"Well then, we'd better get you outta there so we can help you find her!" Mabel enthusiastically offered.
While Dipper already wasn't keen on helping, he was even less so when he watched his sister reach a hand toward the glowing energy field keeping Sapphire trapped. "Mabel, wait! Don't touch-"
"Whoa!" Mabel gasped as her hand passed straight through the barrier, as if it wasn't even there at all. Sapphire took a step back, just as surprised, though she made no effort to touch the field for herself. "This is so cool!" Mabel grinned as she slid her hand in and out of it. "Have I somehow gained the power to walk through walls!?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Mabel, but no," Dipper pushed his own hand through the barrier just as easily as she had. "This… doesn't seem like it's a super effective prison cell if you can just walk right through it."
"Oh!" Sapphire exclaimed in newfound realization. " That explains it. This energy field destabilizes the physical form of Gems , but it can't detect humans at all."
"Awesome!" Mabel cheered. "Humans–1, Homeworld Gems–0! Now, how do we bust you out of here?"
"There should be a panel on the wall that disables it," Sapphire explained, nodding over to it.
"Hold it," Dipper grabbed Mabel's arm as she began to reach for it. He shot Sapphire another distrustful glance, one that she met squarely, almost stoically even. "We're not letting you out that easily. Not until you explain who you really are and why you're locked up here in the first place."
"I'm afraid there's no time for that," Sapphire shook her head. "Dipper, I know that you don't believe you have any reason to trust me. But I can promise you that you won't regret helping me, especially if you want to save Steven and the others."
"H-how did you–" Dipper ultimately cut himself off with an annoyed groan. "Let me guess: it'll 'become clear soon', won't it?"
Sapphire simply nodded. And while that alone wouldn't have convinced Dipper, the doleful, pleading look on his sister's face unfortunately did. "Fine," he grumbled as he let her wrist go. "Let's just get this over with."
"Yay!" Mabel blithely tapped the panel. In an instant, the energy field disappeared and Sapphire stepped out, offering them both a grateful smile.
"Thank you both," she said as she turned her attention to the hallway ahead.
"You're welcome!" Mabel returned, beaming.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Dipper dismissively waved them on. "Can we get going now? Every minute we waste standing around here talking is another lightyear we get away from Earth, which–yeah, if I think about that any longer than I already have, it might just drive me crazy–"
"Crazi er ," Mabel teased.
"You're right," Sapphire agreed with Dipper. "There's not much time to waste. This way, hurry!"
With that, she took off down the hall, her dress billowing behind her. Mabel eagerly followed her lead, and Dipper found he had no choice but to do the same. After all, any ally, even one as mysterious as Sapphire, was a welcome sight like now. Still, only time would tell if their decision to help her would be a wise one or not once they made it out of here.
Only time would tell if they'd even make it out of here at all.
Ruby wasn't much of a conversationalist. Steven quickly found that out when all of his questions were only met with terse nods or the briefest of answers. She was much more focused on her search for the elusive Sapphire; even without any signs of her in sight, she refused to rest until she was finally found. Steven could relate–as tired as he already was, he knew he couldn't breathe easy until he knew his friends were all safe and sound.
After what felt like hours of searching, they finally found another occupied cell. Ruby stopped first, letting out a hopeful gasp–until she realized the Gem they'd stumbled upon wasn't the one she was looking for.
"Oh, it's just you…" she grumbled, disappointed. Steven, however, was the exact opposite when he saw her.
"Lapis!" he smiled as he hurried up to her cell.
"S-Steven?" Lapis glanced back at him. She sat alone, her arms loosely wrapped around herself and her face filled with dismay. Dismay that didn't lift in the slightest even as Steven raised a hand to help her.
"Lapis, I can get you out-"
"Stop!" She warned, fearfully backing away from the barrier between them.
"No, it's ok. I can-"
"No!" Lapis sternly insisted. "I don't want your help! Things are bad enough as it is. I've already caused too much trouble. The only bright side in all this is that Dipper and Mabel are still safe back on Earth-"
"Wait, really?" Steven asked, overwhelmed with relief. Because if they were there, at least he could ease a little of his worries. At least he wouldn't have to fear for their lives on top of his own.
Lapis nodded, sighing. "They are, but, you, Steven… I-I-" She choked up, suddenly unable to meet his gaze out of guilt. "I can't do anything to help you now–no one can. Once we get to Homeworld, they're going to decide what to do with us-"
"Augh!" Ruby suddenly shouted, frustrated. "I don't have time for this!"
"Ruby, wait!" Steven called after her as she ran off. Before he could follow her, however, Lapis stopped him short.
"Steven, whatever you're doing, just stop," she pleaded with him. "If we do everything they say, then they might go easy on us."
"But… but they're mean!" Steven protested. "They hurt my friends! They hurt my face! They've got you here in prison!"
"That's why we can't fight them."
"That's why we have to fight them!"
"I already tried that, Steven!" Lapis bitterly argued. "I tried fighting back. I tried escaping them! I tried to prevent all of this from happening! And look at where it's gotten me. I'm right back to where I started: trapped , just like I've always been. Just like I'll always be…"
Steven could only watch as Lapis turned away from him, pulling her knees to her chest. He wasn't getting anywhere with her, clearly, but he wasn't going to give up on her that easily. Not as long as she was still one of his friends and not as long as she still needed his help. "I'll come back for you, Lapis," he assured as he turned to catch up with Ruby. Still, he glanced back at her to offer her one final, hopeful smile as he said, "I promise."
Lapis only wished that was a promise she could believe. Still, as she sat alone there in her dark cell, she strangely found some small sense of solace. She couldn't save herself now–she couldn't escape the final fate that awaited her on Homeworld, not this time around. But at the very least, she'd made sure that was a fate Dipper wouldn't share with her. At least she'd done all she could to shield him, to save him, to make sure he'd see a future, even if it wasn't one she'd be a part of. And as long as he was safe, then Lapis couldn't care less what Homeworld might do to her. Let them imprison her, crack her, even shatter her if they wanted to.
If that's what it took to protect what mattered most, then she'd suffer as much as she had to. All for him. Only for him.
Sapphire was surprisingly fast . The twins had to nearly run to keep up with her as she weaved her way through the halls, almost as if she somehow knew where she was going. As suspicious as that made Dipper, Mabel was content to keep a conversation going. She posed plenty of curious questions to their intriguing new companion–even if she didn't give her much of a chance to answer any of them.
"So, how did you get your hair to look so perfect? Do you have any other pretty ball gowns like that one that you'd be willing to lend out for a while? I know you said you aren't a Gem princess, but do Gem princesses actually exist? And if so, do you know any? Do you think-"
"Ok, seriously, Mabel, cut it out already," Dipper interrupted, annoyed. "We're trying not to get caught, remember? If you keep this up, then Peridot or Jasper will hear you for sure!"
"Aw, but I can't help it!" Mabel protested, pouting. "It's not every day that we get to meet a new Gem, especially one who's nice and friendly and doesn't wanna kill us for a change!"
"…Well, I can't really argue with you there…"
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mabel," Sapphire finally spoke up, even though her sights were still set on the path ahead. "And I want you to know that you'll have all of the answers you're looking for soon."
"All of them?" Dipper asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Alright, well, most of them will be answered soon."
"How soon?" Mabel asked, impatient.
"Very soon," Sapphire glanced back at the pair. "In fact-"
"Sapphire!"
She stopped dead in her tracks as a sharp gasp slipped out. The twins exchanged a glance as this sudden call echoed through the halls around them. Based on Sapphire's reaction alone, it didn't take much for either of them to guess who it might be coming from.
"In fact, you're about to find out right now," Sapphire quickly took both of the twins by the arm. "Come on!"
Before either of them could so much as say a word, Sapphire took off again, dragging them along after her. This time, however, she ran much more rapidly, to the point that all three of them were gliding through the narrow corridors. When Sapphire finally came to stop at the entrance to an open atrium, the twins collapsed on either side of her, shaken by such a sudden, speedy trip.
"W-what was that?" Dipper shook his head to chase the lingering dizziness away.
"Totally awesome, that's what!" Mabel exclaimed, grinning. "Can we do that again, Sapphire?"
Sapphire didn't answer; instead, her focus was locked on the entrance far on the other side of the chamber. Or rather, on the red Gem who was about to step into it.
"There you are!" Steven heaved a sigh of relief as he finally reached Ruby. "Y-you were running so fast, I almost thought I wasn't gonna-"
Ruby cut him off with a loud gasp the second she spotted the blue Gem, standing still so far from her, but in plain sight at last. "Sapphire!"
"Ruby!" Sapphire returned just as happily. Without wasting another second, the two Gems raced for each other, finally allowing the kids to see each other from across the room.
"Steven!" the twins called in relieved unison. Steven, on the other hand, stood stiff, shocked at the sight of them. Their names hung unsaid in his mouth even as he rushed forward to meet them in the middle. They slammed into each other in a messy hug, torn between laughter and near-tears on Dipper and Mabel's part. And stunned, almost terrified silence on Steven's.
"We're so glad you're ok!" Dipper's smile only faded slightly when he noticed the dark bruise hanging heavy over Steven's eye. "Well, mostly ok."
Somehow, Steven finally found his voice again as he softly, shakenly asked, "W-what are you doing here?"
"We were worried about you!" Mabel earnestly exclaimed. "That's why we snuck onto the ship–using my quick thinking and my grappling hook–to save you and the Gems! Oh, and Dipper helped a little, I guess."
"Mabel…" Dipper shot her an aggravated glance.
Steven normally would have laughed, but he couldn't even manage as much of a smile. Especially not when he noticed the scratches and bruises both of them had sustained in such a risky mission. Honestly, they were both so lucky that they hadn't gotten so much worse in doing this, in trying to save him .
They were both so lucky that they hadn't gotten themselves killed because of him.
"Y-you both did all of that…" he began, his brow knitted in worry. "For me?"
"Of course, we did," Dipper warmly assured as he rested a hand on his shoulder. "We couldn't just let them take you all the way back to Homeworld. We promised we were in this together, no matter what happened."
"And nothing, not even an unplanned trip into outer space and a super high stakes jailbreak, is ever gonna change that!" Mabel boldly finished.
Both of the twins shared a bright, confident smile, one that even still, Steven found he couldn't join in on. Not after all of the danger they'd had to face for him, all of the danger they were still so deeply in just by being here. Going back to face the hand ship with him had been one thing, but this? This was on a different, much more deadly level entirely. A level he'd never wanted either of them to be on, but here they were, standing right in front of him anyway.
And Steven knew he only had himself to blame for that.
And yet, all of the things he wanted to say to them, all of his gratitude and grief alike were ultimately left unsaid, as overwhelmed as he was. Instead, he only barely turned his attention to where the twins were looking as Dipper wondered aloud, "So, uh… what's going on with… that?"
From the moment they'd reunited, Ruby and Sapphire clung onto each other, desperately and devoutly, as if they'd both found the lost piece of themselves they'd been looking for. That embrace didn't break as their faces drew in close enough for them to whisper sweet nothings to each other.
"I hated being split up," Ruby whined as she ran a hand through Sapphire's hair. "It's like torture…"
"Ruby…" Sapphire chuckled fondly. "We were only apart for a few hours."
"Every second I'm away from you feels like years to me…" Ruby sighed as Sapphire's fingers gently skimmed the side of her face.
This proved to be peculiar enough to break Steven out of his troubled thoughts. He exchanged a confused glance with Dipper as he asked, "Um… what's going on?"
"Oooooh, my gosh," Mabel let out a soft gasp of realization. "How do you guys not get it? Ruby and Sapphire are more than just friends–they're a couple ! And a super adorable one too!"
"Huh?" The boys blanked, equally baffled. Still, there was plenty of evidence that was the case as the pair only nuzzled even closer, even going as far as sharing the chastest of kisses on the cheeks. It was a strange sight to see in the middle of a sinister war ship, of all places, but still, a warm and welcome one nonetheless.
Ruby and Sapphire stayed close as they finally parted, if only because they were so afraid they might be separated again if either of them drifted too far away. Ruby caressed Sapphire's cheek, her brow knitted with concern as she looked her partner over. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, no, I'm ok," she assured as she rested her hand on top of Ruby's. "Did they hurt you ?"
"Who cares?!" Ruby laughed, tears filling her eyes.
" I do!" Sapphire leaned forward to kiss those tears away. Those peppered kisses soon shifted when Ruby pressed her lips against Sapphire's as she swept her off her feet. The pair only kept on laughing as Ruby spun Sapphire around in a joyful dance, one that shined even brighter as their gemstones began to glow in perfect harmony. The kids could only watch, dazzled, as the light of an emerging fusion enveloped them both, as two voices turned into one that they recognized every bit as much as the Gem they came together to form:
Garnet.
She was still laughing, delighted as she basked in the glow of her return. She looked different now, with more vibrant shades of magenta, blue, and violet filling her form. Her smile was as wide as any of the kids had ever seen it as they watched her land, far too shocked to speak, at least at first. In the meantime, Garnet was more than happy to instead.
"Steven! Dipper! Mabel!" she beamed, all three of her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thank you!"
Steven was the first to collect himself, stars in his eyes as he stared at her with surprise, relief, and everything in between. "Garnet! You're a fusion?!"
Garnet let out a small, awkward chuckle as she nodded. "Aw, sorry! We didn't want you meeting us here like this."
"No way!" Dipper exclaimed, beside himself with amazement. "How did we never figure out that you were a fusion this whole time?! Everything about you makes so much more sense now, like your three eyes, your two gems, why you're so strong, and-"
"And the way you give such great fusion advice!" Mabel interrupted, delighted. "You'd know more about it than anyone, for sure. You're a fusion-pro fusion!"
" And ," Dipper cut back in. "This explains how Sapphire already knew who we were! Oh, uh… Sorry for not really trusting her–or, uh, you? Whichever one of those applies here?"
"It's alright, Dipper," Garnet said, smirking. "You had your reasons for wanting to be careful. Still, I told you that you wouldn't regret helping Sapphire."
"Yeah," Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm totally not regretting it now that we know the truth."
"And the truth is so amazing!" Steven added, beaming. "So, um… did we make a good first impression? On Ruby and Sapphire, I mean?"
"Oh, Steven," Garnet's smile softened as she knelt to his level and rested a gentle hand on his head. "We already love you. All three of you." She didn't hesitate to pull Steven, Dipper, and Mabel all into a fond embrace, one that they were more than happy to return. Still, it didn't last long as a fearsome, outraged shout soon sounded through the surrounding halls.
"Where is she?!"
"It's Jasper," Garnet rose to stand. Her tone turned stern and serious as she turned back to the kids. "You need to find the others and get to the control bridge."
"But we don't know where they are," Steven shook his head. Garnet quickly fixed that by leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on his forehead. Steven gasped as he caught the briefest glimpse of Pearl and Amethyst, forlornly trapped in two cells right next to each other somewhere deeper in the ship. "Whoa! I just saw where they were! How'd you do that?"
"Future vision," Garnet offered him a wry wink.
"Wait, what are you gonna do, Garnet?" Mabel wondered.
"Someone has to take care of Jasper," Garnet cracked her knuckles for the fight ahead. "And I want to show her exactly what happens to anyone who tries splitting us up."
"After what she did to you back on Earth?" Dipper asked, worried. "Are you sure you'll be able to beat her on your own?"
"It's ok," Garnet assured with a resolved, ready grin. "I'm never alone."
The kids couldn't help but share her smile when they heard this. With both of her halves whole once again, there was no doubt. Garnet was more than able to overcome any challenge that stood in her way.
So they left her to do exactly that. Just in time too, for mere seconds after they ran off, Jasper rushed into the atrium to find that Garnet was more than ready for her.
"Oh great…" she growled, disgusted at the mere sight of the fusion standing before her. "You're both out? And you're fused again? Why? Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak Gems stronger. Quit embarrassing yourselves! I've seen what you really are."
Garnet simply chuckled, knowing the kind of truth that a Gem like Jasper could never understand. "No, you haven't."
With that, she did just about the last thing Jasper could have ever expected out of her. She began to sing.
"This is Garnet, back together-"
"And I'm never going down at the hands of the likes of you because I'm so much better."
"And every part of me is saying 'Go get her'."
By now, the two Gems had slowly started circling each other, each waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Even still, Garnet kept going, even as Jasper pulled out her destabilizer, ready to tear her apart all over again.
Only this time, Garnet wasn't about to let her.
"The two of us ain't gonna follow your rules-"
"Come at me without any of your fancy tools-"
"Let's go, just me and you."
Garnet smirked as she summoned her visor back over her eyes just as Jasper rushed forward to meet her challenge. Just as the battle finally began.
"Let's go just one-on-two."
Garnet moved swiftly, easily dodging the first punch Jasper sent her way as she sang, with both of her halves in nothing less than perfect harmony.
"Go ahead and try and hit me if you're able-"
"Can't you see that my relationship is stable."
She easily flipped out of the way of the destabilizer each time Jasper lunged it at her. While her foe's moves were fueled by rage and hatred, Garnet's were fueled by something else entirely. Something that she knew would come out on top every single time.
"I can see you hate the way we intermingle-"
"But I think you're just mad 'cause you're single!"
When Jasper swung for her again, Garnet swept low enough to kick the destabilizer clean out of her hand. Without skipping a beat, she snapped the awful tool clean in half, ensuring it could never split her up again.
"And you're not gonna stop what we made together-"
"We are gonna stay like this forever."
"If you break us apart, we'll just come back newer-"
"And we'll always be twice the Gem that you are."
Now that the playing field was finally even, Garnet summoned her gauntlets to finally start this fight in earnest. Jasper followed suit as she called upon her helmet, wasting no time in charging straight at her. Even so, Garnet was more than ready for her. Both of her halves were as they proudly proclaimed exactly what they were–and who Garnet truly was.
"I am made o-o-o-o-of lo-o-o-o-ove, oh-oh-oh-oh-ohhh–"
Even though their cells were right next to each other, Pearl and Amethyst sat in solemn silence, resigned to their no-doubt dark fate. That is, at least until rescue arrived from an unexpected source. The pair was already surprised enough to see Steven, out and free, but they were floored to find that Dipper and Mabel were with him. Still, there was no time to fret over them, or even thank them. Right now, they had to focus on getting back to Earth, in any way they could.
"Lo-o-o-o-ove–"
So, they heeded Garnet's advice and made a beeline for the bridge. Of course, Peridot was already there, steering the ship back to Homeworld. She gasped, startled, as the unwelcome intruders arrived, and even if she was outnumbered, unfortunately, she wasn't outgunned. She grabbed the nearest destabilizer, determined to stop this sudden revolt in its tracks–
Only for Steven to swiftly stop her first. He met the destabilizer with open hands, barely even flinching as its current coursed through him when he pried it out of Peridot's hold. Dipper and Mabel were right behind him to trip her up when she stumbled back, leaving her open for Amethyst and Pearl to swoop in and subdue her.
"Lo-o-o-o-ove–"
"Don't touch that!" Peridot snapped as Amethyst coiled her whip around her, planting her firmly to the floor. Pearl rushed past her to the control panel, more than ready to seize control of the ship right out from under her. "You clods don't know what you're doing!"
"Oh, we know exactly what we're doing," Mabel smirked down at her. "We're beating you! Boom!"
"And what do you know?" Dipper added just as smugly. "Looks like we didn't even need four arms and a magical journal to do it this time either, huh, Steven?"
"R-right," Steven returned with a halfhearted smile. "I… I guess we didn't…"
"Gah! You'll all pay for this, you filthy traitors!" Peridot threatened, seething.
"Yeah, yeah, keep on yelling about your 'revenge' or whatever," Amethyst rolled her eyes, unbothered "You got this, Pearl!"
"Okay, ship. Turn us around!" Pearl plunged her hands into the panel, shuddering as lines of unreadable code filled her eyes. Even so, she easily managed to tap into the ship's navigation system, all while the kids kept an eye on one of the surrounding monitors. From there, they were able to watch a live feed of the atrium, where the brutal battle between Garnet and Jasper raged on.
"Lo-o-o-o-ove."
Sure enough, Jasper had to be one of the most formidable foes Garnet had ever faced. But what she had in strength, she lacked in speed and skill, which Garnet had in spades. She easily outmaneuvered most of Jasper's blows, while even landing a few of her own. She had a good momentum going, at least until Jasper caught her by the wrist. She threw Garnet down hard into the ground, but she only let herself stay down for the briefest of moments.
She regained her footing just in time too, to deflect Jasper as she charged at her again. Garnet struck her in the stomach, sending her flying up into the glass dome above them. Unphased, Jasper curled into an electrified ball of sheer energy, racing straight down at Garnet at an impossible speed. While she fended off the brunt of this attack with her gauntlets, it wasn't enough to keep them both from crashing straight through the floor as it broke beneath them. They fell, still fighting all the while, through several layers of the ship until they finally landed at the heart of the vessel–the engine room. Their chaotic descent had left Garnet a little worse for wear, beaten, but unbroken as she stood strong and started singing again as the smoke cleared.
"This is who we are, this is who I am–"
"And if you think you can stop me, then you need to think again–"
"Because I am a feeling and I will never end–"
"And I won't let you hurt my planet, and I won't let you hurt my friends!"
All too quickly, Jasper was upon her again, angrier than ever. Garnet beat back most of her swings, though one nasty left hook plowed her into the ground. Still, Garnet smiled as she forced herself back up, ready to take as much as Jasper could dish out for as long as she had to. Because as long as they were together, she'd never stop fighting. And as long as they were together, then she knew she'd never lose.
"Go ahead and try and hit me if you're able–"
"Can't you see that my relationship is stable?"
"I know you think I'm not something you're afraid of–"
"'Cause you think that you've seen what I'm made of."
Garnet launched a kick straight at Jasper's head. She only barely dodged that, but she wasn't quick enough to miss Garnet's fists. They slammed into both sides of her helmet, shattering her visor and sending her stumbling back. An enraged roar cut through Garnet's song as Jasper madly spun at her all over again, determined to finally take the frustrating fusion down.
"But I am even more than the two of them–"
"Everything they care about is what I am–"
"I am their fury, I am their patience–"
Relying on her future vision, Garnet saw the path Jasper was about to take. She caught her squarely by the helmet, meeting her furious surprise with a confident smirk.
"I am a conversation."
And with that, Garnet launched Jasper over her head, straight into the very core of the ship.
"I am made o-o-o-o-of lo-o-o-o-ove, oh-o-o-o-oh."
The second Jasper slammed into it, the engine exploded, sending shockwaves across the entire ship. Jasper and Garnet were both thrown back by it, abruptly bringing their bitter battle to an end. And it was more than clear which one of them had come out on top, despite the odds stacked against her. Garnet grinned as she hurried away from the failing engine, leaving Jasper behind so she could rejoin her team.
"L-o-o-o-o-ove-"
"And it's stronger than you."
Back on the bridge, Amethyst, Pearl, and the kids could barely keep their footing as the ship rattled violently around them. Amidst this chaos, Peridot managed to wriggle out from under Amethyst's foot. Even if she was still wrapped up by the whip, she frantically squirmed across the floor until she found an unseen button, all but slamming her head into it. The Gems and the kids could only watch as a strange green orb formed around her–an escape pod, one that quickly launched itself out of the ship altogether as it flung back to Earth.
The very same place the now-flagging ship was rapidly hurtling toward.
"L-o-o-o-o-ove, o-o-o-o-of l-o-o-o-ove-"
"And it's stronger than you."
When the bridge door slid open behind them, they were half-expecting and half-fearing Jasper would come barging in to make matters even worse. Nothing could compare to the relief they felt when they saw Garnet standing there instead.
"Garnet!" Pearl and Amethyst shouted first, relieved to see her back in one piece.
"This ship is going down!" she urgently announced what they were all afraid of.
"But what about Lapis?" Steven asked, worried.
"There's no time!" Garnet insisted. And while Steven and Mabel knew they had no choice but to accept that, Dipper couldn't .
"What? No!" He wasted no time trying to push Garnet so he could search for Lapis. "We can't just leave her behind! We have to-"
"There's no time," Garnet sternly repeated, barring the door. "I'm sorry, Dipper, but it's too dangerous."
Dipper was more than ready to argue, but he didn't get the chance. Without warning, the ship violently jolted as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere, catching fire as it only continued to fall from there.
"L-o-o-o-o-ove, o-o-o-o-of l-o-o-o-ove–"
"And it's stronger than you."
Even from her cell, Lapis could feel the ship shuddering all around her. She had no way of knowing what was really happening, but she could tell it wasn't good. Not that it even mattered anyway. There was nothing she could do to stop it, to escape, to save herself. Nothing she could do other than sit and wait out whatever was about to unfold.
The hand ship plowed through the clouds above Gravity Falls, though there was scarcely a soul around left to see it. It ultimately came crashing down against the base of the cliff near the lake, already smoldering far before it even hit the ground.
"O-o-o-o-of l-o-o-o-ove, l-o-o-o-ove."
And then, only seconds after its disastrous descent, the entire ship exploded.
The blast rattled the entire town, showering the lake shore with broken metal and blazing green fire. Between the wreckage, Lion weaved his way through the steaming shrapnel and scorched sand. It didn't take him long to pick up on what he was looking for–the only other living things left on the shore after such a tremendous crash. He let out a powerful roar upon a pile of debris, blowing it back to reveal a shimmering pink bubble and six figures huddled close within it.
The minute they were free, Steven finally let his bubble fall with a tired sigh. "Nice one," Garnet grinned down at him for his quick thinking. Thinking that had saved them all in the nick of time.
Steven returned her smile, though it soon turned into an excited gasp. "Oh my gosh! Garnet, I still can't believe you're a fusion all the time!"
"You guys met Ruby and Sapphire?" Amethyst asked, surprised.
"Heck yeah, we did!" Mabel exclaimed. "And they were adorable !"
"Thank you," Garnet smirked as she adjusted her shades.
"Oh no!" Pearl frowned. "We were going to introduce you! Garnet, your plan!"
Garnet simply shrugged. "We were waiting for your birthday, Steven."
"We can still do it!" Steven reassured. "I'll just pretend I didn't know! We can all act surprised!"
The Gems couldn't help but share a warm laugh at this, one that the kids quickly joined in on. It was more than welcome too, after what they'd just been through. But when it ended, Garnet sobered up as she rested a firm hand on each of the twins' shoulders. "Dipper, Mabel, what you two did was very dangerous."
"I'll say it was!" Pearl cut in. "Sneaking onto a highly advanced Homeworld ship mid-flight using a grappling hook of all things?! You could have been killed!"
"Yeah, you guys are totally nuts!" Amethyst added, just as stunned. "What if Jasper or Peridot had found you? They would have beaten you into squishy human pulps!"
Dipper didn't hesitate to rush to his and Mabel's defense. "But–we just wanted to-"
" But ," Garnet interrupted with a small, grateful smile. "I was also going to say that it was very brave too. You risked your lives to help all of us, even though you didn't have to. And for that, we all owe you both our deepest thanks."
Though they hesitated, Amethyst and Pearl ultimately nodded their agreement as they joined in on thanking the pair. Steven, however, said nothing. Instead, he forced his sights away from the twins, wanting to say so much to them, but not having the courage to get even a single word out. All of his mounting emotions were ultimately forced to the wayside once again, however, because as they all soon found out–
This disaster wasn't over yet.
A hand suddenly shot up from a pile of rubble only a few feet away. The Gems and the kids watched, startled stiff, as Jasper shoved her way out of the wreckage, damaged and disheveled as she fell to her knees with a pained groan. And yet, even as defeated as she was, she still wore a hateful scowl, one that she didn't hesitate to fix on Garnet first.
"Don't think you've won…" she growled viciously. "You only beat me 'cause you're a fusion! If I had someone to fuse with, I'd-"
She stopped short as more of the debris shifted nearby. Yet another Gem emerged, shoving a sheet of metal off of herself before she collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Lapis!" Dipper called for her, relieved to see she'd survived. That relief would be short-lived though, especially after what happened next.
"D-Dipper?" Lapis glanced up at him, but only briefly. She caught Jasper approaching out of the corner of her eye, and didn't hesitate to try and slip away. She only managed to get as far as summoning her wings and hopping off the ground before Jasper seized her by the ankle and dragged her back down.
"Come here, brat!" Jasper snarled, all but trapping Lapis in her unyielding grip. "Aw, don't fly off so soon!"
"Hey! Let her go!" Steven's cry was ignored. Instead, Jasper pulled Lapis even closer, only sneering as the other Gem tried pulling away from her in fear. Fear that only grew when Lapis heard exactly what Jasper wanted out of her.
"Lapis, listen! Fuse with me!"
"W-what?" Lapis stiffened, confused.
"How long did they keep you trapped here on this miserable hunk of rock?" Jasper sneered over at the Crystal Gems. "These Gems, they're traitors to their Homeworld. And those humans aren't much better. They kept you prisoner. They used you! This is your chance to take revenge!"
Only now did Jasper let Lapis fall to the ground at her feet. For her part, she didn't bother looking at any of the Crystal Gems, but rather, at the kids. While Steven and Mabel met her gaze with terrified silence, Dipper stared at her with something else entirely. With the same sort of desperation that had been in his eyes the other night, when he'd begged her to stay, to fight, to stand by his side.
If only she still could.
"Come on." She heard Jasper purr, her voice both leering gentle and dripping with malice all at once. "Just say yes ."
"Lapis, don't do it!" Steven shouted as Amethyst barely managed to hold him back.
"Y-yeah! It's not worth it!" Mabel added from her spot tucked behind Garnet's leg.
Lapis barely heard either of them. Instead, she kept her sights solely set on Dipper. He said nothing, his eyes wide as they met hers, as he softly, soundlessly shook his head. She could already tell he didn't want her to do this, that he wanted her to stay safe and free and with him. She wanted that too, more than she could bear for all of the countless decades she'd spent trapped and alone. She'd had no choice when it came to the mirror, but she had a choice now.
And she already knew what that choice had to be.
Jasper was ruthless, there was no question about that. She was the kind of Gem who didn't show mercy or restraint, who would gladly shatter or kill anyone who stood in her way. Her hatred for humans had come across loud and clear; she wouldn't hold back on any of the kids just because they were young and small and defenseless. It would take almost nothing for her to snuff all of their lives out in an instant, for her to snuff Dipper's life out without a second thought–
But Lapis wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't. She'd do whatever she had to. All for him. Only for him.
And so, she took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and offered her hand, her power, her very life up for his. It should have been that simple. But the second Dipper saw Lapis hold her hand out to Jasper, something inside of him broke .
"W-wait!" he cried as he finally found his voice again. "Wait, no!" Pearl and Mabel both tried to stop him, but they were too late to keep him from rushing forward to do something, anything to keep this from happening. "Lapis, stop! You don't have to do this! You can't just-"
He was swiftly silenced the second the back of Jasper's hand slammed straight into his stomach. "Stay out of this!" she hissed alongside the attack. It was a brutal blow, one that sent Dipper flying back into one of the many chunks of metal littering the shore.
Lapis jolted as she watched him land with a pained cry, scarcely able to pick himself up off the ground at all. In an instant, Mabel was at his side to help him sit up, but even still, he wrapped his arms around his chest. Lapis noticed it all too well–the small trickle of blood dripping from his mouth as he winced against some sort of unseen agony. And the more she saw, the more upset, the more furious she became–
And the more she knew, she had to do this. There was no other way.
"Stupid, useless humans. They just don't know when to quit," Jasper grumbled before she turned her attention back to Lapis. "Now… where were we?"
"L-Lapis," Dipper weakly choked as he held a trembling hand out to her. " Please… "
The heavy look on Lapis' face finally softened when she met his nearly tearful gaze once more. There was so much she wanted to say to him, and not a single second for any of it. So instead, she simply mouthed the only final message she could bear to give him, knowing it wouldn't be anything close to enough:
"I'm sorry…"
By now, even Steven and Mabel knew they couldn't stop this, but Dipper still wanted to, more than anything else. Even though he knew his own injured body wouldn't let him, even though he knew whatever he might try or say wouldn't work. He still wanted to get up, to run to Lapis, to even just scream at her that she shouldn't do this, that she couldn't do this, that he needed her –
But in the end, all he could do was sit there, frozen on the shore, as Lapis gave Jasper her hand and their vile dance began.
It lasted only seconds, long enough for Jasper to spin Lapis before dipping her low. With that alone, their gemstones began to glow, illuminating the wicked grin on Jasper's face as she got exactly what she wanted: more than enough power to destroy all of her foes in one fell swoop.
The glow of fusion engulfed them both, rising high above the shore as limbs began to pour out of it, as eyes started to form. The Gems and the kids could only watch in growing terror as an entirely new fusion emerged, far more monstrous than any of them had ever seen before.
She was a titan of a creature, towering above both the wreckage and everyone below her. She stood on a set of four sturdy legs, with sickly green skin only made all the more striking by the fires surrounding her. A wild mane of white hair framed her face, four manic eyes and lips curled into a cruel smirk as she gained her bearings and let out her first laugh in a voice that wasn't her own. Instead, it was the voices of the Gems she was made of, just as mangled and mashed together as everything else about her seemed to be.
"Yes!" she cheered as she raised her hand high. With it, the lake itself did her bidding; a massive swath of water swelled into the air, more than ready to crush the Gems and the kids cowering before her. "Just try and stop me now! You're no match for Malachite !"
Malachite's triumphant cackling only continued to ring out over the shore, leaving her foes at a loss about what to do to stop her, to save themselves. But as they'd soon find out, they wouldn't have to–
Because Malachite stopped herself instead.
"Huh?!" She started, surprised, when her watery attack suddenly shifted. It latched onto both of her wrists, taking on the form of tight, unyielding chains . "W-what?!" Even more chains followed, this time to bind her legs and torso. The others stood still, only able to watch as those chains began to drag Malachite back toward the lake behind her.
"What are you doing?!" she roared, struggling against her own hold. Her shocked anger suddenly swerved into something more raw, more resolved as she yelled, "I'm done being everyone's prisoner. Now you're my prisoner! And I'm never letting you go!"
Malachite's screams, anguished and outraged, rattled the group below. She thrashed against the chains, desperate as they pulled her ever closer to the lake, to her prison . She even went as far as trying to split herself apart, only for her other half to keep her firmly locked into their fusion. After all, this was what she'd wanted; why not let her have it–and everything that came along with it?
"Lapis!" Steven tried calling to her, but his voice was all but drowned out in the chaos. Meanwhile, Mabel kept a tight grip on Dipper's shoulders, but she could feel him shuddering under her hold. He couldn't stomach the sight of any of this, and yet… he couldn't look away.
He couldn't bear to miss the last glimpse of Lapis he might ever get to see.
By now, Malachite had finally pulled herself out into the middle of the lake. She was barely struggling to stay above the surface as she let out one final scream, furious and firm all at once.
"Let's stay on this miserable planet together !"
And, with one last tug on her chains, she was gone. Dragged into the darkness of the lake, lost to the murky depths below.
Silence filled the shore, hanging heavy over the group standing upon it. Slowly, the lake's waters grew still, the waves lapping less heavily onto the shore. As if nothing had even happened at all. Only the wreckage of the hand ship remained, still aglow as it burned all around them. When the silence was finally broken, Garnet was the first to do it as she bluntly said what they were all thinking.
"Yikes. They are really bad for each other…"
Pearl clung loosely onto Garnet's arm as Amethyst kept staring at the lake, her jaw dropped in shock. Without thinking, Mabel leaned in to hug her brother tight, but Dipper didn't return her embrace. Instead, he stayed still, unable to lift his sights from the spot Malachite had sunken through. Unable to do anything at all but let the first of his held-back tears finally fall.
Steven jumped, startled, when he heard his phone cheerfully ringing from his pocket. His hands were still shaking as he reached for it, answering it with a small, wavering, "Uh, hello?"
"Steven?!" Connie's voice was frantic on the other line. "I got your message. Are you guys ok?! What's going on?"
Steven didn't answer. How could he, after everything they'd seen, everything they'd been through? How could he when the entire world had been turned totally upside down?
How could he, when it felt like nothing would ever be the same?
"...Steven?"