Summary: Time for a bit of an emotional vent
"See Marco." Amethyst smirked. "This place has plenty of spots for you to look for a new weapon."
"About half of them look three times my size." Marco complained. "How would I wield any of them?!"
"You just need to lift." Kelly used her hair to help lift up a giant ax. "Like this."
"Need I remind everyone that I'm the only one here that doesn't have any freakish super strength or magic hair." Marco rolled his eyes. "None of them are even sanitary, covered in moss and Strawberry juice." He backed away from one that was piercing a giant fruit.
"Well it's not like Gems had to worry about sanitation." Pearl spoke up as she inspected a spear "Other than for appearances of course."
"Our forms can adjust at will, so we can shrug off all forms of dirt and germs at any time." Sapphire said with her usual monotone as Ruby splattered her dress, getting red juice all over her. "We can get dirty and messy though, just like the narrow rivers of time."
"Sorry." The gem apologized.
"It's fine, I saw it coming. Along with this." She referred to Lion licking the strawberry off the fellow gem.
"Why are the fruits so big here anyway?" Steven asked atop his lion as Star helped herself to a few helpings. "Wasn't this a battlefield?"
"It was. Countless gem's were shattered here, many of which are probably still buried within the soil." Pearl said solemnly. "Rose did what she could to recover and repair as many as she could, and some of her essence fell into the earth and helped enrich it with nutrients."
"Oh, so like reverse kindergarten." Star nodded. "That must be why the air smells so clean and tasty."
"Yes, Rose truly found who she truly was living on Earth. It's why I'll always be grateful to this planet." Pearl's face got flush as her voice got flowery. "No matter what happens, life finds a way to flourish on earth just like she did."
"Hmm …" Steven muttered as Lion started sniffing the ground intently. "Oh, I think Lion found something." The creature began to navigate the field in an erratic pattern, sniffing the ground. "Come on boy, there's a nice big Lion Licker waiting for you if you dig it up."
That actually did seem to motivate the giant cat to dig even faster, using its jaw to pick up something long and pink. "Is that…It can't be!" Pearl rushed towards Lion, and played a quick game of tug of war to snatch it out of its mouth. "Give it!"
"Aww, come on Pearl." Star complained. "If he found it, it's his. Those are the rules of finders keepers, and losers get punched in the face." Something Amethyst could get behind.
"Your childish sense of right and wrong hardly apply to matters of this magnitude!" Pearl gave it one final pull and grabbed the pink stick out of Lion's mouth. "This isn't a chew toy, It's the scabbard for Rose's Sword!"
"So it goes to this? Nice." Kelly pulled out the pink blade from her own hair. "It does feel good to have a completed set."
"Completed …" The prim and proper gem growled. "If anything I should be taking the sword back to its rightful place!"
"You mean in Lion's head?" Steven asked. "I don't think he'll be able to use it like Kelly can."
"… What?" All the gems asked.
"Oh yeah, Lion has Kelly hair." Star shrugged.
"Wait, what!?" Kelly, Tad, and Marco all shouted out.
"Didn't I tell you guys?" Steven spoke casually. "I found a bunch of Rose's stuff in there, like a video tape to me, a flag, an island on a pink grassy field, an XXL t-shirt." The boy reached in and pulled out a Soda. "Now I store my own stuff."
"No….that can't be possible…unless.." Pearl tried to force her own hand into Lion's mane, only for the cat to growl at her. "Does Lion have something to do with Rose?"
"Duh. He belonged to Rose before he was given to Heckapoo." Star laid down lazily on Lion's back. "We've known that for months now."
"Well why didn't I know!?" She shouted. "There were so many things. Lion, the Moss, next you'll be telling me your mother knows where the Armory is!"
"She does. The entire Magical High Commission knows." Steven shrugged. "Heck, Rhombulous was the one Rose gave the mirror to."
"SHE GAVE THAT BUFFON SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS!?" Pearl shrieked, her hair getting almost wilder and messier than Amethyst's.
After a few seconds of a frantic Pearl, Amethyst turned back to Marco. "Find anything?"
"Maybe this pole." The boy held up a stone staff. "Kinda heavy though…".."
"It's all in the legs." She tried to be as helpful as possible as the squawking got louder. "Get the stance down and you'll be ready to kick some robo butt in no time."
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"No good … the nerve of … I can't believe…" Tad watched from his spot on Kelly's head as Pearl had a massive breakdown. "She can't keep it a secret, she doesn't have secrets … none that I don't … why did …"
"Rose was a woman of many secrets, you know that more than anyone, Pearl." Sapphire calmly said as she served everyone glasses of juice on a tray from the newly installed refrigerator in the cave. "She kept many of her tactics hidden, even from me."
"But not from me! I was her most trusted confidant!" Pearl freaked out. "I was there from the beginning! Even with everything awful that happened on Mewni!"
"Oh, so you're keeping secrets from us?" Amethyst asked.
"I mean would it really be surprising?" Star asked. "Secrets among secrets with mom and these people." The girl looked more tired than anything. "Heck, my brother and I have been living with a huge secret since we were in diapers. It's like everyone has to have their finger in the secret pie."
"I don't have a secret." Marco shrugged.
"It's because you're terrible at it sweetie." Star patted the red hooded teens back. "Your life's an open book, just like your diary."
"How did you-"
"Jana posted it online." Kelly answered without hesitation. "So could I get my scabbard now or…"
That might have been the wrong thing to say, considering the glare the gem was giving. "… Your … scabbard?" She asked with hidden hate.
"Yeah. It was Rose's, then Steven's, now it's mine." Kelly said what should've been obvious to anyone.
"...No." Pearl growled back. "Rose's sword is too delicate and important to be left in the hands of a violent brute that's only dulled its gleam with every use."
Kelly gave a chuckle. "Oh, and let me guess, you want to use it for yourself? Because you have the 'perfect technique' or something for it?"
"No, because unlike you, I have respect for something so important, while you don't even have enough respect for yourself to ditch the dead weight living within your scalp." Oh, she wanted to play it like that, HUH?!
"Oh, and when has Kelly actually 'lost' something?" Tad asked the gem. "Doesn't seem like a responsible choice there." He patted his girlfriend's head. "How can any of us trust you with a little knife when none of you can't even keep track of the one kid your 'oh so precious' leader left in your hands?"
"…" That might have been a bit too strong, considering the pillars of fire and ice that came from father in the cave. "That tears it." Pearl spoke. "You are going to hand the sword to me, now!"
"No, It's my sword, and I can choose to do what I want with it!" Kelly proved her point by shoving it back in her hair. "Good luck trying to find it. I'll give you about three weeks before you give up."
"Or I can just cut off your hair and look through the pile." Pearl summoned her spear, ready to do just that when a pink bubble surrounded them.
"Could you two knock it off!" Steven shouted, before blinking. "Hey I got the color right again."
"Steven, you've barely learned just how significant Rose really was, you shouldn't allow your mother's property to be so poorly handled!" Pearl shouted at the boy.
"I can comprehend that both of you want something and that fighting is just going to be pointless." The boy argued back.
"Or maybe it's the solution!" Star shouted. "One on one, Mano e Mano, winner take all!"
"Oh please, like this common Woolet thug is actually capable of handling a butter knife."
"…" He knew he was angry, but he knew Kelly was even worse off. "And what's thatsupposed to mean?"
"Well if I'm being honest." Pearl spoke. "Steven is half gem, Marco is rational and resortive, and Star has magic and ingenuity. You?" The gem smirked. "Slight muscle that Amethyst and Ruby could do half assed."
"Hey, don't drag us into this mess!" Ruby called out. "It's hard enough to be neutral as it is."
"Like I actually need to use more than half strength to beat your skinny hide six ways to sunday." Kelly glared. "Or are you too busy kissing Rose Quartz's now non-existent butt to even care about the planet you've sworn to protect?"
"I have no idea what you're trying to imply.."
"I'm saying that without Steven's mom, you'd be nothing. That's all you do, 'oh Rose is so wonderful, oh rose sang like this, oh I know everything she did down the the second'! You're just some hyper fan girl that has no life outside of endless obsession!"
"I can do plenty on my own!" She shouted. "Let's follow through on Star's suggestion if you're so confident!"
"Oh I am, and I'm going to show you what us 'common Woolet thugs' are capable of!" Heck yeah, Woolet for the win!!
"… Ge … thanks Star." Quartz spoke sarcastically.
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"Seriously, how can mom say Magic doesn't exist on this planet when we have stuff like this!" Pearl heard Star shout as they all wrapped to the Sky Arena. "Floating pieces of rock everywhere, that just screams magic!"
"They're abandoned pieces of gem tech Homeworld couldn't be bothered with taking back. Every once in a while, we're able to use it for our own purposes." Ruby explained to the group. "We mainly use the Sky Arena for training purposes nowadays to stop ourselves from getting too rusty."
"And it's a perfect place for an arena!" Amethyst shouted, pulling out foam fingers. "Go team crazy!" Of course the gem would root against her.
"Kelly, you really don't have to do this." Steven got in front of the girl, who in the time before now changed into a black training outfit. "We can just get off of Earth and stay off until Pearl calms down."
"No way, rock boy, that pale pebble messed with Woolet pride!" Tad jumped off Kelly's hair and joined Amethyst on the bleachers. "You can't let someone like that get away with talking smack, or else you're just proving them right."
"The rules are simple." Pearl pulled out her spear. "First to concede or lose consciousness will give the object to the winner."
"Got it. No holding back on anything." The green haired Woolet took out the sword she mocked just by touching it, and waved it around casually. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be in so much pain, you'll be begging me to poof you."
"And when I'm through with you, maybe I'll only cut your hair to moderately manageable size, not that you take care of that wild mane to begin with." Peal scoffed, making her spear as she took her stance, poised and perfect. "I'll let you take the first move, whenever you feel like you can do something."
Kelly rushed at her with a roar, which Pearl dodged with ease, returning with a swing that sent the girl skidding with an attack that combined her own force and the brute's momentum. "Not as dainty as you look, are you?" The woolet growled.
"Don't you remember, 'strong in the real way', I have a millennia of experience over someone like you." Pearl spoke casually, going in for an aggressive thrust as the girl was forced to block, being pushed against a pillar as Pearl continued to attack relentlessly.
"Oh yes, but I've been learning how to fight practically since I was in diapers." The girl sunk herself into her own hair before jumping, sending out dozens of hidden blades within it. "I'm used to taking hits from people far stronger than me."
Pearl twirled her spear, deflecting the spears as she took steps back, gaining distance while the ammo was used up in case it was just a distraction for Kelly to rush through and gain an upper hand with. "That's pretty much my entire life story, taking every hit, every swing, every attack, even when I was almost shattered." Sure enough, the girl was rushing her, so Pearl aimed her spear right at the ground and shot a laser to knock her off balance. "If you can't have that kind of devotion with every swing you strike, then you might as well give up fighting all together."
"Since…when the hell do you shoot lasers!? I can think of a dozen or so times that would've been useful!"
"I'm not Star, I don't automatically assume I can win if I can shoot pretty lights."
"Hey! … Well you're not wrong." Said princess admitted.
The Woolet growled, treating Rose's blade like trash and striking up a dust cloud from the ground, attempting to use it as cover. Pearl kept her eyes forward, position poised for a counter. The moment she saw a flicker, she struck hard and fast, hitting the girl's hands with the tip of her spear head on.
"Ack!" Kelly winced, finally letting go of Rose's beloved blade to let her arm rest. "Fine, this will be more satisfying doing it the old fashion way." The girl went in for a right hook.
"That is so beneath me." Pearl rolled her eyes. "If you can't bother using your blade, then the fight is already won." Letting her gem glow, she concentrated for a minute before summing her holo-Pearl. "Holo Pearl: Threat level three. Engage." That was a level higher than Kelly was, but something needed to curb that ego of hers.
"Level three threat detected." The hologram aimed her blade at the Woolet.
"You're not even going to fight me yourself!?" She screamed in rage, running and kicking the hologram … which did nothing. "Wha-" The girl was knocked back by the strike of the Holo Pearl's blade.
"I told you, the only thing you had going for you was Rose's Blade, which was designed to cut through a gem's body while leaving their stone unscratched … your punches are too weak, and your violence is unneeded." Pearl said coldly as the Holo Pearl continued an aggressive onslaught.
"Kelly!" The hairball and the rest of her companions yelled out.
"Pearl, you need to stand down." Sapphire shouted her monotone. "You're not going to like where this path leads."
"As long as she loses, I don't care." Pearl slowly approached her distracted opponent, who was doing her best to use her hair as a shield, strands being cut every few seconds. "Besides, she knows to surrender, and she can do so any time."
"I don't know…how to give up." Kelly growled, grabbing the holo Pearl's arm and attempted to force it back. "I make it a point to never do that in anything I do!"
"Then I'll make sure to shut her down when you lose consciousness."
"Parry you swine!" The hologram began to pierce small holes into the girl's skin.
"Is…Is that all you got…you oversized walking marble?" Kelly's attention was completely on the Holo-Pearl, she didn't even register that Pearl was right behind her.
"You're no swordsmen, you're hardly a fighter at all." Pearl readied the blunt end of her spear and prepared to strike the back of the girl's head. "You don't deserve to stand by her...." She raised up her spear…
"KELLY!" Before she could register Steven's presence fully, he embraced the girl from the side, with a bright glow over taking their bodies.
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Kurtz … existed. There was a warm feeling in their entire body, a feeling of acceptance and attachment … It was incredible! Kurtz laughed, their hair moving widely. "I'm here..I exist…and living is amazing!" With a chuckle, Kurtz used her hair to squeeze the hologram, destroying it as the fusion noticed their hair now had sharp and hard segments on it, similar to Centi had.
"What the..Steven!?" Pearl squawked in surprise. "I..don't interfere! This is a one on one match!"
"Too late, I'm around, deal with it!" Kurtz smirked, using their hair to hit the gem in the stomach, sending them flying. "Besides, you agreed to not holding back. I'm everything Kelly has to offer! I'm also everything Steven has to offer too!"
"Heck yah, Kurtz is back!" Their sister shouted from the stands.
"Oh come on!" Spoke the hairball Kurtz had very mixed feelings on.
"Quick, grab the sword!" Marco shouted.
Kurtz looked down at the pink blade, smirking. "Nah, why doesn't Pearl try to wield it? I need to teach her what she's doing is pointless before I rip the wings off that butterfly." They needed to be taken down a peg, and be taught how far in skill they were.
"This won't be any easier for you, just so we're clear!" Pearl grabbed the sword in one hand and a spear in another. "I've beaten fusions before, I can do it again!" She rushed forward with a two weapon strike.
"Oh, but you haven't beaten me before." Kurtz blocked the sword strike with their hair. "An organic with the power of two, closer than you or Rose ever could have been I bet." She smirked, landing a pincer attack with the two strands of hair.
"You can't even begin to comprehend the complexity of our relationship!" Pearl blocked the attack with her weapons.
"Oh let me guess." Kurtz countered, landing a series of dense hair attacks. "You did whatever she said because she was an amazing and kind person, while you were a useless rock that realized she can't do anything without someone to help her."
"Guys." They could hear Marco ask. "Is anyone else getting red flags?"
"Um, just a little." Star looked uneasy. Was there something wrong? No, we're perfect. We just need to show her. She acts so haughty, let's see her break a bit.
"I told Pearl she wouldn't like this path." Sapphire drones on.
"Shut up!" Pearl shouted, actually using the pink sword to try and strike them in the face. "Everything I did, I did it for her, because she set me free!"
"So you choose to use that freedom to endlessly suck up to her even when there's nothing left to suck!?" Kurtz laughed even more as they twisted their hair around the spear and threw it to the side. "No wonder you want to keep Star on a leesh, you've been wearing one for the last five thousand years!" Kurtz then sent a punch directly to Pearl's face, actually making the gem stumble back.
"I am … free … to choose …" Pearl spoke, stuttering in either anger or exhaustion.
"Free to be pathetic." Kurtz punched the gem once more, moving faster than she could block. "Free to be weak." Another punch. "Free to be obnoxious." Yet another punch. "Free to fail at everything in your life."
"I..am…not a failure…" Pearl tried to get up, but it only took a mild push to send them back down.
"Oh really, cause it looks like you are." They used both strands of hair to smack Pearl into the ground. "Admit it, admit you're not even worth keeping out of a bubble!" Wait, that's too far.
"I..have…to do it..for her.."
"Why don't you do something for me and shut up already!?" They grabbed the sword and lifted it above them.
"Wait, that's too much." Steven stopped their arms. "We're going too far."
"It's exactly how far we need to go to get her to back off!" Kelly tried to push them down.
"I'm not going to poof her, we let Lapis go and I'm not going to do that!" Steven said as they began to diffuse.
"NO!" Kurtz dropped the sword next to Pearl, holding their hair around their body. They had to stay together, to live. "We don't need to diffuse, especially when she's still planning to attack us."
"She's down, you've already won! You have nothing to prove to her!"
"She's mocked everything that I am and made me feel pathetic, I'm not letting her get away with that!"
Let … Me … GO!
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Steven breathed as they finally diffused, hugging himself as Star rushed over. "Steven, bro, you okay?" She asked him. He didn't know how to feel, the warmth was gone, but so was the anger … and the glue …
"Kelly, baby, what the hell happened back there?" Tad rushed over to his girlfriend, rubbing her face. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just.." Kelly sent him a look of guilt and confusion. "I just..went to a dark place for a minute."
"I … concede." Pearl dropped the Scabbard, running away from them. They went too far, it was his-their fault, they needed to make it right.
"Pearl, wait!" He got out of his sister's clutches, running to the gem.
"Leave me alone." Pearl said with barely any energy, rushing to the warp before disappearing into the stream.
"Dude, that was the messiest fusion I've seen in a while." Amethyst observed from stands.
"We won't do it again, promise, I've gotta make things right!" Steven shouted back, running to the warp. "Take me to Pearl, take me to Pearl." The warped glowed, activating instantly.
"Steven, wait!" Kelly tried to yell at him, but it was too late. Probably wouldn't be the best time for those two to be within arm distance at the moment anyways.
The warp didn't take long to take him to where it all begin, where they found that stupid sword piece that started this mess to begin with. "Pearl, where are you!? I want to talk, just the two of us!"
"Just leave me alone!" The gem shouted from a distance, which he began running to.
"That's the worst thing anybody could be doing, especially after everything that happened!" Steven charged at the pale figure. "Is this about me, or is this about my mom!?"
"Don't bring her up! You don't even know who she was!"
"I really don't!" The boy shouted. "Everyone has different opinions and the only evidence of her I had was a video tape, so I'd like to know more sooner or later! But I know she would want to help you here and now!" He jumped over a giant weapon. "Just come back so we can talk this through!"
The pale gem stopped in her tracks, and fell to her knees, tears falling down her face like a rushing stream. "Even when you've spent so little time with us, on earth, even with the little you know, whenever I hear you speak, I hear her voice."
This was getting … really personal. He stood a few steps behind her, standing still as she spoke. "... Did you know I'm not the only Pearl out there?" She asked. "It's like there are more than one type of monster … Pearls are a servant race, ment to take orders and hold things for their masters … but Rose wasn't like others. She told me I should do what I wanted, gave me plenty of options, even said I should abandon her for Homeworld when she was about to start the war."
Steven stayed quiet, absorbing what the woman was telling him. "How could I not devote my life to someone like that? Someone who was so set on seeing me happy, I'd do just about anything for her." Pearl gripped the grass on the ground. "I did everything for her…even watched her disappear from my life."
"Pearl … do you hate me?"
Pearl was silent for a while. "I don't hate you." She answered quietly. "I'm annoyed by your naivety, and the kindness you show enemies can be a tad grating, but the latter was what made Rose special." She clarified. "I just hate it had to be you or her."
"I'm sorry." He hugged her from behind. "I'm sorry I'm not her." He cried along with her. "I grew up wanting to be the Rose Guard, to be like my hero. But the more I learn..the more I think I can never be."
"No one can be." Pearl spoke up. "We shouldn't be pressuring you to be like her but … I just miss her so much." The gem sobbed. "You're all that's left of her, Kelly has the sword, the moss and armory belong to the Commission, the bubbles are too dangerous to be around. I don't have anything left of hers."
"I don't really have anything left of her that matters…except you and the others." Steven hugged her tighter. "You're the only family I have on her side." He let himself cry harder. "I have Star, the Butterfly's, the Johansions, and I still…it still never felt like it was enough...I still wanted more…does that make me selfish?"
"Yes … but I'm selfish too ." Pearl smirked. "So I guess we're missing her together."
"Together…that sounds great." This felt great…this wasn't him hugging a stranger, a teacher, or a friend. He was hugging family.