Summary: Fruit and vegtables vs abuse
Seed Melon planted more of their future children. Thanks to the advancements of the great mind, Corn Stalk, they have discovered a method of reproduction, solving the problem of their limited resources
Sure, most might have accused a system of worker Melons and ruling Corn to be cast basset, but it was far from it. Melons just had more violent tendencies, thus needed to get out that twitchy need to move though physical labor. And the Corn got out their sadistic tendencies through experimentation, even offering their own when it felt necessary.
The outside world might call them savages and barbarians, but at heart, all of them wished for one thing above all else: redemption and inner peace. Everyday they all gathered around the monument of the Baby Melon, the one that died to pay for their sins. A good half of them would object to this timeless practice, believing instead to worship the false idol of the moon koala.
As for him, he was just an average Melon Joe, just counting down the seconds until he could go back home to his lovely Corn Wife and their beautiful Corn Melon hybrid children, Tomas.
The island rumbled, all becoming silent and still. Another rumble as those grew concerned. The sirens went off, something approached. The Melons and Corn went to their battle stations, civilians were being evacuated to safe caves and bunkers.
The voice boxes went off. "Attention all citizen, an unidentified submerged object is rapidly approaching the surface area on the west side." He was on the west side! "Please, find shelter, leave it to the fighters! For the peace we built can not be washed away with mere invaders!" That was something he could get behind.
The melons got in places, charging into the field with their highly advanced spear weapons of wood and stone. He was shaking in place, he wasn't ready for this situation! He was a hugger, not a fighter!
Soft Cobby fingers pressed against his head, as his darling wife rubbed him with those magic fingers.
She was right, he was born a melon, and that meant he was born to fight! He would make sure to fight for a safe world, one where his entire family could roam the island floor safely without worry!
They made it to the edge of the beach, looking around. The team leader pressed into the coms, asking for a time till arrival. They raised up five fingers after a whole, slowly counting down as the rumbling grew more intense.
The waters of the ocean rippled more and more. There was no telling what could pop out from the depths. Soon a small fin arrived, harpoon users prepared, then the fin got bigger … and bigger … as it was revealed to be attached to a hand, crawling from the depths. Soon another finned hand followed, clawing as well, dragging the … sweet Baby Melon what in the seven oceans was THAT!?
It was some sort of fucked up wolffish humanoid with teal skin. A yellow gem on its nose with four malice filled eyes. And the mouth … filled with fangs that spread far outside of it, in a vicious grin that desired death and mayhem. It crawled forth with growls as more webbed arms took part in lifting its massive size out from the ocean.
"So much prey …. This is gonna be a riot!"
This horrific sight of a hell spawn was the last thing the melon saw before the world faded to black. The sound of a million souls crying out from the earth's core shouting into the ether as he slipped into the void.
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"Accursed pointless cranium protectors, why must you irk me so!?" Peridot threw down the archaic form of defense. "Does none of them have a hole that can fix my mutation!?"
"Well you have a pretty big head even without the deer horns growing out of you." Star laughed at her misfortune.
"I swear, this planet has driven me so delusional not only did I betray my own people, I can't keep my stupid form stable!"
"Hey, don't be ashamed of how you look, you look fine, with or without horns." Marco lent a comforting hand to her shoulder. "Although I'm getting worried about this. You sure you can't shapeshift?"
"Definitely sure. I would have concentrated on making this vanish if I could …" They paused. "Maybe I do need a poofing."
"I thought you'd never ask." Kelly smirked as she brought out THE sword at her. "Hold still for a second."
"Ah, what are you, insane?!" Peridot shouted, running behind Marco as protection. "I said poof, not shatter!"
"Hey, keep it down, Steven's trying to sleep." Star shushed them as said hybrid was 'resting' on a pile of organic material known as 'hay'.
"So hybrid gems carry the weaknesses of organic …" Peridot muttered into a tape recorder.
"Anyone would be exhausted after spending so much time as Quana." Kelly defended, rubbing the sleeping boy's head. "Little guy tuckered himself out."
"Yes, but gems don't need sleep." Peridot deadpanned. "What even happens with the mind in the process?"
"Terrible things …" They all turned to Pearl, staring at the distance with a dazed look in her eye. "Your mind does … terrible terrible things to you when you sleep."
"Don't be like that Pearl, so what if your dream showed off to all of us as a hologram?" Star laughed again. "How did it feel, flying across the galaxy on a pizza with Mr. Universe.
"It was horrible, horrible!" The gem shouted, Steven screaming as he awoke. "Oh Steven, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Malachite is attacking the food kingdom!"
"… Context?" Peridot asked.
"A couple months back when my powers weren't on the fritz, I made a bunch of clones of myself made from watermelon while Star made copies of herself made out of corn combined with gem shards, and after Baby Melon sacrificed himself, they joined together to create their own kingdom on a deserted Island."
"And Malachite is Jasper and Lapis fused." Amethyst added in, cracking her whip.
"That sounds absolutely horrifying … count me out." Peridot was making the drill to live, not to walk into unnecessary danger.
"If Malachite is attacking, then that must mean Lapis's hold on her has faded. We have to strike now before they reach human civilization and cause mass mayhem." Garnet spoke with her gauntlets out.
"I'm going after her." Steven spoke. "I made a promise to help Lapis, I'm not backing down now-agh!" Steven clutched his head in pain as it glowed pink, getting knocked to the ground as the ground shook.
"Steven!" Star called out as Kelly helped the boy up. "What just happened!?"
"So many voices…calling out in pain…they all…they all just want to find what's missing…" Steven said, looking like they were about to initiate the hurling process.
"Find what's missing… many voices …" Peridot's eyes widened. "Are you hearing the Cluster!?" This wasn't right, they should still have a few days! Wait, HOW was he hearing the Cluster!?
"If it is, it came at the worst possible time!" Marco cried out. "If the cluster is active, we can't afford to put off stopping it anymore!" The ground shook more and more violently. "We need to split up and take both threats down at the same time."
"Yeah!! Guess I get to go gem busting to the center of the earth!" Star cocked her wand. "Ah, no offense to the rest of you." She pointed to all non organic beings.
"Wait! I don't..I..!" Steven clutched his head in pain, beginning to perspire heavily. "I-I…I think you should go to mask Island…I want to confront the cluster myself!"
"Steven, you're a moron!" Peridot shouted. "It can't comprehend complex wants and desires, its mind is too frayed for that!"
"I've been able to connect with gems that had broken minds before, I know I can do this!" He snapped back. "I was told the corrupted gems were just mindless animals, but there's something in all of them that makes them decent people!"
"Okay, one, don't call my brother a moron, twerp." Star said before turning to Steven. "And two, Steven, this is probably more complicated than someone like Buff Frog, Lapis, heck, even Peridot." Star said.
"Yeah, I mean, a giant mangled mind that probably doesn't even comprehend that coming to life will kill us all seems like … a bit much to talk down." Marco minced their words.
"Guys, I know that I sound crazy, but you've all called me crazy before, and I was right both times." Everyone in the group aside from Peridot looked sheepishly. "And I'm the one that keeps hearing the millions of voices constantly crying out for help, I want to help ease that if I can!"
"Well what about Lapis?" Kelly asked. "The gems alone aren't gonna be able to take her down."
"That's why you and Star can go with them." Steven explained. "You can take Lion, you have the gem poofing sword, and you got a magical princess along with the ancient alien gem fighters, I know you guys can take her." Steven turned to Star. "I trust that you can save Lapis…now please… trust me to take care of the Cluster."
Star looked back and forth between Steven, the drill, and the gems, before groaning. "Blacksmith Steel War Ax!" She shot a piece of metal, forming it into an ax, grabbing it and tossing the wand to her brother. "I'll go with this, just keep the wand as an emergency resort!"
"We're really going through with this!?" Peridot yelled out to the idiots. "You clods just go along just like that!?"
"He makes a convincing argument." Amethyst shrugged. "Now come on people, we have a megalomaniac with an ocean to take down!"
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"You sure it was a good idea to leave your wand with the others?" Kelly asked Star as they hacked their way through the forest. "You're a good brawler and all… but magic really is more of your thing."
"He wasn't going to back down, and I didn't want him dead in case this failed." She said, "That's why I left the scissors with Marco. Now come on Lion, to battle!"
The animal looked at a dragonfly floating by, chasing after it. "… Remind me why we expect stuff from him?"
"Because he's a dimension hopping carnivore that can give Heckapoo a run for her money." A very valid point. "So… you and Tad never got back together…"
"Yeah, when he jumped into my hair on Steven's birthday, it felt like a bird dumped its load on my head… the warmth wasn't there anymore." She was quiet for a bit. "Kinda miss carrying all that weight though. Anything you wanna store inside? Steven already uses Lion for most of his stuff."
"I've been needing to clean out my secrets closet, so that'll do." Star giggled. "Steven and you have been really handsy with each other lately."
"It feels nice to hold onto someone." She said. "He's a lot more cuddly than Lad ever was." So squishy too, like a warm fleshy pillow…it was a lot more comfortable than it sounded. "I think I actually want to date hi-"
They heard a roar. "What do you know, the Crystal Gems! I've been waiting to tear you apart, all of us have!!" Followed by a massive BOOM in the distance.
"And that … sounds like Malachite finally got her shit together." Kelly spoke with a bit of sweat.
"Why is it that most of our biggest problems all tie back to fusion somehow?" Star groaned. "No offense."
"None taken. I've had to live three years without it, and I've enjoyed the time with Steven without Stelly." There was no need to rush back to it right away, unless Jana kept getting involved, in which case she might need to take drastic measures.
They arrived, seeing a VERY giant woman fight the nightmare fusion hand to hand. "You've spent far too much time together, you're losing yourselves!" The gem that was probably on their side spoke.
"Oh I'm fine, I'm fantastic! I'm gonna do what I want with power and freedom!"The more fishlike looking fusion created a punch out of water. "Let everyone else suffer in inferiority!"
"Don't tell me Stelly's anything like that, please?" She turned to Star.
"They don't talk about people suffering, I can give you that…" Well that was depressing.
The fusion started to breathe fire, which Malachite returned by hitting the fusion with a massive helmet, sending them sprawling backward. "So do we have a name for this fusion and why don't we see more of it?" Kelly asked as the Gem formed Sardonyx's hammer, swinging it straight at Malachite.
"Alexandrite, and it's the hardest fusion form to maintain, it's just kind of a hodge podge of everyone's brain without any real personality."
Alexandrite pulled out Garnet's gloves, using them to land a fury of blows that was blocked by an ice wall. "Aww, you're cute. You think that you're enough to stop me! That you get to enjoy your life!!" They created a series of ice blades, launching them at the Crystal Gem.
"Guess that's our cue to hope into the fray." Kelly shuffled around her hair, pulling out a mostly melted ice cream treat Steven told her to hold on to for emergencies. "Lion, this licker is yours if you charge in right now!"
Lion roared, charging forward and portaled to the head of the Abomination … only to be slapped out of the air hard enough to leave a crater in the ground next to them. "Lion!" Star ran over to the downed animal. "Speak to me buddy."
"Grrrrrr…" That was probably cat for 'i immediately regret my decisions.'
"Okay, now what?" Kelly looked to the beach, where the corn and melon people were doing their best to hold themselves together.
"Well … we're obviously outmatched here in terms of raw power, so our best bet is to get numbers." Star looked at a corn medic. "My people need me, you be a field commander."
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"I really gotta hand it to you, Crystal Gems! You truly showed me how wrong I am!" Malachite laughed as she gave the useless pebbles a taste of their own medicine by punching them with ice gauntlets. "Fusion has unlocked a whole new world of power! I get the appeal now! Now I never have to be anyone's prisoner again!"
"Do you ever shut up!?" They shouted, forming a bow as they tried to gain distance. It was a futile but nice attempt.
"Not when I have so much to say!" They laughed, letting the water compress further and further into small orbiting spheres, before they launched themselves like cannon powered bullets. "How's this for long range mastery!?"
"If the point is to bore me to death with monologues, then it's working!" The Crystal Gems used their gauntlets as a way to shield themselves from the attack.
"Getting bored? Fine then, you kids wanna see a super move? I learned it from Quartz's tv!" They jumped into the air, their helmet forming as they spun vertically. Water shifted around them, forming into a cannon that spun them horizontally like a drill as well, doubling the spin power.
"This is gonna hurt." They fusion formed gauntlets and used them as a shield … as if it would be enough. Malachite laughed as they launched into them hard enough to send the gem crashing into the mountain.
"Oh yeah, looks like I'm going to need a new punching bag soon!" Malachite pinned the fusion down with ice chains. "After I'm done with you, I'll rip apart the nearest human populace before heading to the next miserable planet! I'll make sure the entire galaxy knows there's no beating me!"
"Except us!" Malachite turned to … the … food army, with artillery cannons locked and loaded, along with axes and catapults and spears. "My fellow fighters, fight for peace, for the legacy of Baby Melon!" The bushy looking organic that was somewhat familiar shouted with an all too recognizable sword in their hands.
"You have her sword!" Not that weapon, they wouldn't poof. They wouldn't go away! "No, I won't stop! I won't I won't I won't!" Malachite drew from the ocean, as much as she could, farther and farther until she was sure the island would drown.
"And fire!" Globs of green and yellow entered her visor as the chunks of the earth's ecosystem were flung right into her face, poking them in the eyes with their spears.
"You little pebbles!" They were more annoying than they were painful, but it still stung like a mother-hover! "You're nothing!" Malachite smashed as many as she could into paste. Explosions of goopy red and yellow were splattered everywhere.
"Yeah, well I'm the piece of nothing that's getting in your way!" The bushy organic was on top of her head, waving that accursed blade over her face. "Send in the binders!" Multiple little arrows shot and missed her completely, ropes tied between them hitting Malachite as she was sent to the ground. "Attack spear men, don't let up!"
"I won't be beaten by an army of freaking fruit salad!" Malachite opened her wings and flew above the Island, and concentrated as hard as she could to surround it in a vortex of rapid spinning water.
"Then I doubt you'll like getting your butt whooped by a tiny little Butterfly even more!" A voice shouted up at them..a blonde figure… the Mewman.
"You should have stayed off planet while you had the chance!" Malachite laughed. "Now you'll die with the rest of them!"
" Lapis, if you're anywhere in that crazy head, then my brother is waiting to see you again!" The Mewman closed her eyes as a pink glow surrounded her body, and her face marks glowing white.
"He can't be near me, I don't trust myse- I told you we'd leave Rose alone, now let's just take this island out and have fun!"
"Believe me, the last people who are going to have fun here is you, Mala-crazy!" The pink resided…and it showed off one of the most complexing figures either side of the fusion had ever seen.
The Mewman had large looking wings that had a couple of holes in them, half their body was purple while the other half had two more limbs on the side than normal, and one of their eyes resembled a glowing neon heart.
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Star was out of options. No wand, the army wasn't doing much, and Malachite was outmatched. Her only option was dipping down, but she knew it was gonna be hard … Glossaryck would have just said it was simple somehow.
He would have told her to grab the good chunks of the soup, at the very bottom …. If they were at the bottom then she would have to go further, wouldn't she? Dip down even deeper than normal. Into that well of power that the magic bond with Steven gave her access to.
She felt it, almost like a damn breaking open…but it felt like so much at once that she almost felt like exploding, so she had to quickly close it back up. The result was this…half raggedy bug form she would be trying very hard to forget about for years to come.
"Like I'm going to be scared of some broken bug!" The fusion laughed. "I'll tear you apart- no, she's his sister! Rose will be left alone, we said nothing about the Mewman - It was implied!!" The fusion gave off a scream of agony and … pleasure …
"You know what the two of you need right now… some therapy!" Star flapped her wings… and almost shot herself fifty feet above her enemy with a single flap. Sloppy, but the form was still strong. "Fortunately, I do very well with physical! Mega Rainbow Fist Punch!" She aimed her arms towards the fusion, and was sent back as a fiery trail of rainbows was blasted right into Malachite's chest, who actually winced at the attack.
"I knew you had a Quartz's spirit … Come on, show us what you've got!" The fusion made a helmet, using water wings to propel themselves like a rocket.
"Move move move!" Star tried flapping out of the way. Her stupid wings instead began spinning her rapidly like a tornado, until she resembled a purple twister that clashed with the incoming fusion, sending them both back far from each other.
"Alright, clearly the wings aren't for show. So let's cut some more holes in them!" Malachite sent ice spears into the air, shifting the clouds until it started to hail death.
"Lapis is a lot more dangerous than we give her credit for." Star muttered, trying to shield herself like Steven would, only for each barrier to shoot off with every creation.
"She's a terraformer that's broken apart whole continents of planets! Give her enough time, and she could rip apart a planet in a matter of days!" The mad gem laughed. "Combined with a physical powerhouse that never surrenders like Jasper, and I become almighty!"
"Yet you can't pull off green stripes to save your life. Jellybean hallucination mist!" She waved her hands awkwardly and blasted her with everything she had…only for nothing to happen.
"Gems don't need to breathe." They deadpanned, creating a massive water hand and slamming it into Star's face. You'd think their trips to the moon and the Kindergarten would help her remember that. "You're impressive for an organic, but the simple fact of life is that I'm made to be better than you…!"
A giant and familiar flail wrapped around Malachite, as all turned to see Alexandrite … looking worse and stranger than she did before. Hoves located on the lowest set of arms, the top face looking long and constantly spewing flames. "We're not through talking!"
Star watched as they yanked the evil gem to them, landing with a blow that Star was certain she could HEAR something crack. Alexandrite proceeds to toss her up into the air with a swing of her hammer, where she was made the perfect target.
"I think it's time for you to spend some time apart." 'Star released her arms back, and blasted the fusion with everything she had. " TURBO NUCLEAR BUTTERFLY BLAST!!!"
They raised a wall of ice, taking the attack with their helmet. "We … will never be …" Opal's arrow landed in their neck. "… apart?"
" Trust us..some alone time can do wonders." Alexandrite smirked as she glowed and split up, right as Malachite disappeared in an explosion of light, leaving an unconscious Lapis and Jasper falling downward.
"I got ya!" Star flew, catching the blue gem. "Don't worry Lapis, it's all-" Her wings vanished as she was hit with a wave of exhaustion. "… alright?" The descent came fast, the ground was coming in hot..
"And I got you."'Garnet, looking more scaley than usual, stuck her arms out and caught them both. "Good work, Kelly, Star. You two have handled yourselves pretty well. I know Steven will be impressed and proud."
"Yay …" Star yawned, smiling at the blurry people. "We good for now, no problems?" She was pretty sure someone was still trying to kill them or something …
The ground shook violently as it cracked to pieces, an orange blur slipping into the cracks of the earth… this was probably fine… right… she was too tired to think about it now.