Summary:
Combining against our enemies that combine forces.
Chapter Text
Higgs watched as the children came back, smiling. "Welcome back Princess Star, Prince Quartz, Squire Diaz and…. random woolet."
"Dang it, now I'm the one without a fancy title." The bushy haired one complained.
"Oh like you need one." The Prince held the Woolet's hand and kissed it. "You can still kick butt without a fancy name. I got like, five or six of them now." Oh great, that was his girlfriend. So much for that fantasy.
"I'm sad you left so quickly I could not speak." She told Diaz. "I wished to give you a list of merchants to purchase high quality gear from. You must have been stuck with lousy traders for a rusty sword."
"Nah, I made my own list right before we came, then Star set it on fire and said we were good with the stuff we had." The human shrugged casually. "And this 'rusty sword' has been bathed in the blood of hundreds of demons, so it still has quite a bit of life still left in her with all the curses on it."
"And if all else fails, he could always borrow one of mine." The woolet shook her hair, and let dozens of swords, each one of different sizes, shapes, and quality fall to the ground. "Except this one." She lifted up the legendary pink sword that she would betray a kingdom to get her hands on. "This is mine alone."
"Ah … I see." Higgs was very far behind on a lot of things, apparently. "And what about armor?"
"Armor just slows you down." Diaz shrugged. "And it's terrible fashion." She should slay him for the disrespect alone.
"Which is why I've been practicing magic for this sort of thing." The prince concentrated his arms as his face marks glowed, and his arms were wrapped in rainbow light. "I can use Star's rainbow spell to cover my own body."
"Wait, you can do that!?" The princess shouted. "I can do that!? Let's go test it out! I wanna punch some walls into submission! Demolition time!!"
"I see…they're having fun." Higgs tried to hold back the bitter tone, totally NOT because she was upset the prince had a girlfriend. "Well, you should at least gather some dragon repellent or a starter horse…"
"We got a magic pink lion that hops dimensions." The woolet pointed to said beast chewing on some of the merchandise.
"Also dragons are pretty chill. You just gotta move in and tickle their chins, they're yours for life …" Diaz stared at the sky. "Forever yours … Nacho …"
"If you're so well prepared…" as if. These guys would die in a week. "Why did you come during the knight blow out sale?"
"Oh, we just came here for fun stuff." The princess waved off with various pool toys and other miscellaneous items. "Plus we just got called for a gem mission, me and Marco are getting winter gear for where we're heading."
They came for fun … "Pardon me, I must be off." She had dummies to vent her anger on. "Of all the gul, do they know how difficult training is!? I learned how to polish armor in my sleep!"
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"There's something I don't get." Marco commented as they climbed the snowy alps. "Why would a corrupted gem, who seem to have a commonality about wanting to be warm, want to live in a snowy place like this?" He asked.
"Different gems from each section of the homeworld hierarchy are developed differently." Pearl answered. "Injectors as you have seen from the kindergarten are filled with the essence of all four diamonds, which combine to make life from the material they leech off of."
"Depending on they're function and court, each gem has varying amounts of each diamond's essence in them." Garnet continued. "Those made to serve Blue Diamond more often than not prefer colder environments."
"Wait, if gems are made from Diamonds … then who made them?" Star asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No one knows, not even the Diamonds." Pearl answered. "At that point they got into religion, thinking that the moon itself made them. That's why we had that moon goddess statue … where the entire temple sank?"
"One of the very first gem missions. Good times." Star smiled in nostalgia.
Marco looked around, trying to see through the trees. "Did those hikers give a description?"
"Big and blue spikey canines." Garnet answered. "Likely a corrupted Quartz type."
"Oh, that's the kind of Gem Amethyst is, right?" Marco asked. "Yeah, she turned into a giant dog too." He looked around the area. "So weird to think that all of these creatures were once like you guys. Seeing you guys corrupted kind of puts it all into perspective."
"Yes … friends and comrades lost to their ways … so we bubble them so they don't hurt others or themselves." Pearl spoke. "And hopefully, somehow, they can find peace."
"... Hey I just realized something." Star spoke with wide eyes. "Did the Cluster get corrupted?"
"I don't think so, we put it in a bubble." Marco recalled. "Then again, the shards just produced limbs, so who knows whether or not it would've even done anything."
"Let's not think about that nightmare future we've avoided." Garnet shivered. "Be on guard, I sense that we may be facing more than just the average corrupted gem." She pointed to foot prints that were followed along massive par prints."
"Hmm … they're average sized." Star observed. "Too small for Jasper."
"Think that an obsessed cryptic finder wanted a pic?" Marco's mind went to Ronaldo.
"That could be the case, but I doubt someone would go through this snow and cold for a blurry picture." Pearl would be surprised. "Stay on your toes, I can hear something closing in."
"Got it." Marco had a sword in one hand and a gauntlet in another. One of the best parts about being in another dimension for sixteen years was learning how to be ambidextrous.
They could see the corrupted gem, running at them, they all stayed, ready to counter … until it ran right past them, whimpering in panic. "Wait, is it running from some-"
THUNK
A giant tree pierce the corrupted gem, as it screamed before poofing, the stone falling to the ground. "HAH! Man that was so much easier than fighting Rose's team! I barely had to do anything." A scarily familiar voice cried out as a buff figure made itself known. "Such a sad state, being reduced to pathetic animals."
"Mi … Mi … Mina … Loveberry." Pearl whispered.
"Hmm?" The psychotic warrior turned to face them with confusion, before smiling as she debuffed. "Hello there, pathetic Rose companions, and tainted princess!" She waved as if they were old time friends, even if her tone of voice had restrained violence laced in it. "Man, I gotta tell yah, a couple months lost in the void really does wonders for your health! I never realized how much my pure righteous ANGER really burned until I was devoid of all sensations!"
"Right, cause if Ludo could escape, why not." Star muttered, switching to a friendly and passive tone. "So Mina … what brings you … here?"
"Oh, I'm collecting these!" She held up the corrupted gem's stone. "I got six at the moment, me and my new buddy are raising an army together so we can exterminate both monsters, you guys, and most importantly, shatter Rose Quartz." They said with utter hate.
"Buddy, who the hell would be crazy enough to partner with you?!" Marco exclaimed
"My new best friend in the whole world, one who gets me … her name is Jasper." Oh fuck all kinds of no.
"Really?!" Star shouted. "Out of all the people you two could've met in the entire multiverse, you happen to run into each other!?"
"I know, I was just hiding out in this weird cave system when she came crashing in. We scuffled until we realized we both wanted Rose dead and suffering for hurting us." She gave a sigh of content. "For the first time I genuinely met a good Gem. I almost forgot that those could even exist."
"You heard the lady. She's clearly delusional and beyond our help." Garnet summarized what they were all thinking and summoned her gauntlets. "We'll be taking those gemstones off of your hand now."
"Sure I can spare …" She stared at the stone. "However long it takes for this gal to pop back up." She put the gem into her helmet, cracking her neck … then rushed forward before Marco could begin to process it, her first meeting Garnet's as a massive shockwave rocked the forest, the fusion being knocked back and through a tree. "So let's see what you guys can offer."
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"You sure we're waiting for a gem to show up?" Amethyst heard Steven ask as she, him, and Kelly were laying down on the beach. "I feel like we're just sunbathing by this point."
"Of course we are. You guys need to learn to snap into action no matter how relaxed your bodies are at the moment." She explained. "Take Peridot for example, she's a bundle of unstable nerves."
"WHY WAS I BROUGHT ON A MISSION!? I could get poofed at any moment, or cracked!"
"Cause Marco left earth and you're lonely?" Kelly guessed.
"...Fair point." The green nerd sighed. "Of course the one organic that I care about the most on this planet leaves, leaving me with semi-tolerable beings as compensation."
"You're more than welcome to visit Mewni whenever you want, you know." Steven offered.
"Last time I visited Earth's lost Moon, it was in shambles with monsters running around."
"That was just the corruption talking, it's peaceful now." Kelly waved off.
"Also Lapis lives there." Peridot shivered. "I've reached out my limb to extend kindness, and she wanted to harm my emotional and mental state in return with the flying abomination. I'd rather avoid needless pain if I can." The short girl sighed. "Besides, I'm conducting important organic life growth research on the farm, which requires too much of my attention to go anywhere else."
"It takes a few weeks for vegetables to grow, you know." Steven pointed out.
"Hmm, slower than gems … but it'll be worth it once I get to see them commit to the task of building machines and fighting enemies like the proud creator I'll be." Peridot sighed with content.
"Dudes, don't tell her the truth, I want to see her yelling at corn when it happens." Amethyst whispered to Steven and his girlfriend. "So, finally back on earth? How's it feel?"
"Not that different actually." The boy smiled. "The sunny sky, the sandy beach, the crashing waves." He observed. "And the complete and utter serenity you get from being here …"
"REEEHHH!"
"Why do I say these things that I do?" Steven sighed as he got his shield out.
"Don't sweat it, Sweetie. Life's more fun when you do." Kelly kissed his cheek as she got out the sword.
They saw a serpent-like monster come out. "Okay guys, here's the plan." Amethyst smirked. "No plan at all, attack when it co-" It slithered right past them. "... The heck!?"
"I may not be able to read corrupted minds anymore, but I know the look of a scared animal when I see it." Steven said. "There's something, or someone they're afraid of running into."
"Okay, who do we know that's crazy and or strong enough to actually chase after one of these things?" Peridot questioned.
A familiar yellow ball crashed into the snake monster, poofing it. The gemstone grabbed by … Jasper. "Another down …" She noticed them. "Do you have to be everywhere I happen to be at?"
"Hey, it's not like I try to! I have a life outside of fighting!" Steven yelled as he got his shield out. "Since when do you poof corrupted gems? Last I heard, they don't exactly go along with what Homeworld wants."
"Thanks to you, I can never serve my homeworld again without shame! Thanks to you, I've lost the greatest experience of my life!" Jasper growled, getting the helmet ready. "Now the only thing I have left to live for is revenge, which I'll have once I've built my own army!"
"You're building an army of those!?" Peridot shouted. "They were gems, crazed maniacs but they were still gems!"
"Says the one who was perfectly fine with the cluster."
"I've had time to reflect on my choices, that was then, this is now!" Jasper sent a growl at the green nerd, who dove into Kelly's hair. "Protect me while I come up with a back up plan."
"Geez, thanks Peridot, you're so helpful." Kelly rolled her eyes. "Well we're obviously not just going to let you walk out of here with that gem. It's three against one, and we're stronger than we were last time!"
"You don't have the fusion and you don't have the Mewman. All there's left is a runt, a dulled form of Rose Quartz, and an organic who's only attribute is the sword she carries." Jasper stomped the ground and sent a small shockwave into the air.
"I'll show you a runt, you overgrown cheeseball!" Amethyst took out her whips and wrapped it around Jasper. "Stay back guys, I totally got th-aggggggh!" Jasper pulled on her weapon and sent her flying into her fist. If she had skin, it would've definitely bruised.
"To think that we're supposed to be the same. It almost makes me want to shatter myself." Jasper scoffed as she kicked her across the beach, rolling around and constantly striking again and again without break. "You're supposed to be a Quartz soldier, yet you can't do a single thing right."
"I can kick your ass-" Amethyst felt pain as she was knee stuck in the gut.
"You can't kick a pebble." The cheese puff spoke, blacking the sword as they punched Kelly away. "All I see before me is a worthless off color who doesn't understand just how outclassed they really are."
"She's smart enough to not give up to a crazy jerk like you!" Steven focused his hands and sent a wave of bubbles into the air. "So glad I can do this again, Bubble swarm!" Each one was sent towards Jasper as they exploded on contact.
The only result was Jasper being moved by an inch and a smudge on her arms. "Huh, I actually felt something that time. Maybe you can actually put up a fight that doesn't end in two seconds. Unlike your lackey here." Jasper kicked her against the sand again. "Are you so desperate for soldiers you let a useless runt run to the frontline as fodder?"
"SHUT UP!" Amethyst turned to a ball, spinning straight at Jasper … being punched away like it was nothing.
"Let me show you how it's really done." Jasper began spinning fast, enough to generate wind itself, before hitting Amethyst hard … and then it was over … the weakling of the Crystal Gems was poofed.
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"And that's one down." She held up the stone of Pearl. "Such strange creatures. You're so strong, but if I squeeze this little beauty hard enough it'll kill you for sure."
"LET HER GO!" The surprise attack from the Garnet knocked her back a tad, but other than that barely phased her.
"Oh, the war machine is here! Let me tell yah, Jasper has a whole lot to say about you!" Mina smirked as she struck Garnet across the face. "How you've both sickend and inspired her!" So crazy, she got so much insight on that fusion thing.
"Would you drop that hypocritical nonsense!" The human swung a sword … which broke on contact.
"So let me ask you." She started, turning to the boy who rapidly paled. "If the four way fusion didn't work, what made you think a sword was gonna do something?"
"Kitty cupcake landmine! Attack!" Mina felt her back get covered with something sticky before she felt multiple detonations go off, slightly itching her. "You've only gotten crazier since the last time, Mina! Jasper doesn't care about organic life, she'll dump you the moment she's done using you!"
"I'm perfectly aware." She smiled, winding her arm back. "I plan on doing the same to her when the evils of Rose and monster kind are gone." She punched Garnet once more. "It's a mutual thing, but I like to think we connect as warriors. Isn't that right, doctor?" She asked her crow.
"Kaaaaw!" See, perfectly reasonable!
"Like talking to a brick wall! Emerald glitter Lightning strike!" The princess waved her wand and sent down bolts of glittering lighting right on top of her. It was almost like a nice hot shower.
"Oh, ho, ho, ho! You got spirit, princess! If your brain wasn't so poisoned by nonsense, you could've been as mighty as Solaria!" Such a shame the line had to end like this.
"Garnet, tell me you see a future where we come out on top!" The human shouted.
"I'll … get back to you." They sent some ice at her, covering the body all cool like. But since they were already in a frozen environment it actually DID feel a little cold.
"Without Rose, fusion really is all that there is to you crystal chumps, isn't it?" The Warrior laughed as she pressed her foot down on the gem when she shook off the growing ice. "Just a deluded pile of rocks lying about being strong. Just like Rose, so that's fitting."
"At least she's not a deranged, lost psycho that has no idea what she's doing half the time!" The human boy shouted. "Solaria must have been the worst Queen of all time if you're supposed to be her best soldier!"
"..." She let go of Garnet, stomping to the human as she ignored the magic spells, lifting him by his collar. "You can either take that back and live … or die by your words like a man."
"Why would I take back what's obviously true?" He gasped his last breath as she reeled her fist back.
"Raspberry ribbon lasso!" The princess fired off another spell and aimed hot right at the human, who reeled back at the princess, whose face was glowing. "Marco, don't you dar-" The princess was cut off as the human crashed into her, a blur of white taking both beings place as a single figure shaped from the two of them.
The being that resulted from them now matched their buff states height, with four hands instead of the usual two, half of which were covered in rainbow colored gauntlets. Their hair was a spikey mess that flowed both down and upward somehow. The wand was now gone, having embedded itself in the center of its chest, where it was a star standing right next to a crescent moon.
"... Oh my corn god we fused!" They shouted. "I have so many concerns right now-no time, Mina needs to be stopped."
"I don't know how you did that, but this is obviously the work of Rose tainting you! I got to work fast and put you out of your misery!" Mina cried out and flew directly right at them like a torpedo.
"Rainbow punch!" They shouted, literally hitting her with a fist of rainbows. "Rainbow punch! Rainbow punch! Sparkle kick! Warnicorn uppercut!"
"Agh!" She somehow felt the hooves of multiple hooves punching upward at her with that last bunch. "How the heck!? Your magic wasn't this strong before!" How'd fusing with a powerless human make her stronger!?
"Because I'm combining magic with the power of but kickin karate! Cupcake roundhouse!" She had the tasty delicacy hit her square in the jaw.
"Cheap technique won't be enough to stop me!" Mina grabbed two off the arms and began to whirl them all around, knocking them through several trees.
"Technique isn't the only thing I have, it's imagination!" The being's torso was rotating round and round until its middle arms became a blazing blur of color. "Flaminging Rainbow helicopter gatling!" Each strike was like a rapid fire of cannonballs striking into her stomach.
"That won't put me down!" She shouted, returning the punches as the forest shook. "It doesn't matter what you pull out, I'll never give up on my glorious purpose to give Mewni peace!"
"Lady, you're stuck living in the past!" Each strike was being matched blow for blow. "Soloria is dead! No one in Mewni carries the level of hate for monsters like you do! And when Star Butterfly becomes Queen, she's going to achieve peace making sure no one ever, EVER becomes as stupid as you!"
"I'm the only one on Mewni left with common sense!" She shouted, throwing a punch. "... Well besides the Commission, they're lovely people."
"The more you talk, the more I hate you." The freak grumbled as they jumped backwards from the attacks. "Alright, I'm finishing this!" The fusion lit up it in a bright shade of pink as tattered butterfly wings grew out of its back, their hair standing upright and tall as all their hands joined together. " TURBO CRYSTAL BUTTERFLY BOMB PUNCH!" What looked like a pink bulb containing a crystalized butterfly was shot directly at her head.
"What? Is that all you…" She began to mock as she held it in her hands.
"Wait for it." Beep…Beep. "Exploding bubbles were Steven's speciality, I picked up on it." BEEP
KABOOOOOOOOSSSSSH
Mina suddenly felt a massive surge of magic cover her entire body as she actually felt herself being sent back into the air. It didn't feel like normal magic either…it felt like it was mixed with something supercharging it…with a power she's only felt one other time from one other individual.
"Damn you … ROSE!" Jasper was gonna get a kick out the princess for being tainted so terribly.
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Jasper looked at the Amethyst in their hands. "Not corrupted … but one less enemy all the same." A couple of poofings would sync in complacency.
"Oh like we're going to let you get away with that of all things!" Rose shouted indignantly as she summoned her shield and threw it at her head, which Jasper easily knocked down with her helmet. "She takes being hard headed far too literally."
"Steven, we can't take her on our own." The bushy one said, gripping the blade tightly. "We need Stelly."
"Are you sure about that? It's been years by this point." What were they on about?
"Do you think we could take her own without that kind of power?"
"It doesn't matter how many allies you call in, you'll be crushed either way!" Jasper gripped the Amethyst in her hands.
"I guess we have no choice. Melady, would you like to share this dance with me?" The dulled down Rose Quartz offered her hand to the bushy haired girl in a pathetic looking pose.
"Why sir Steven, I'll be delighted." The two joined hands and twirled around, a bright and familiar light engulfing them both. No…no no NO!
"You're … fusing!?" Angered beyond belief, she rushed at them, the ground shaking under her boots, only to be knocked off course by a pink feline. "Get off of me you mangy feline!"
"He may be mangey, but he's the best darn cat a guy and gal could ask for…when he's not being so moody at least." The being became one, standing tall with multi colored curly hair that reached the ground.
"You, you're so desperate for strength that you'd fuse with a human!?"
"Okay, first of all, not a human, like you could ever find a human that can pull off having luscious locks like mine." The fusion smirked with a cheeky looking expression, twirling around that accused sword casually. "Secondly, weren't you the one begin and cryin for little ol Lapis to put you back under your high heels?"
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" She charged in head first into the abomination, but of all things, their HAIR was able to block the brunt of the attack.
"Oh, I think I do, take from someone that's had to fight tooth and nail to exist again after such a long time." The fusion smirked as they did a backflip over her, trying their hair around Jasper's wrist. "I mean, it was your first time ever doing it, wasn't it? You just loved the comfort, the warmth, the lingering idea that all your problems will go away if you just stick together through thick and thin?"
"Be quiet and fight!" She went in, their heads clashing once more.
"But in the end, all that's left is you, the sad and pathetic part … the weak and pathetic part that is useless without her."
"Try again, she's the one useless without me!" She rolled up into a ball and charged up as much energy as possible, leaping forward on top of them.
"Oh really, who's the one out of either of you that can tear apart the planet?" The hair of the fusion formed giant ards and managed to grab them in mid air, even as they kept spinning. "You're not attacking out of revenge, you're attacking because the only feeling you know is pain, and you hope that somehow, by being the pathetic pebble YOU are, she'll come running back!" They threw her across the area with a large thud. "Problem is, there's nothing for her to come back to! YOU'RE NOTHING!"
"I … am … a Jasper." She growled. "And I will end you one day." She tossed the Amethyst gem back to the fusion, walking away.
"Going to cry off in a cave alone?" They sarcastically asked.
"No … I'm going to meet the one person that hates you as much as I do." She stared at the fusion with hatred. "And when we strike … shattering you will be something we both revel in."
"What? Who'd team up with…hates just as much….MINA!?" The fusion's eyes widened as they split apart, both beings looking in shock and fear. Good, they knew just how doomed they were.
"Just know you didn't beat me today! I didn't poof, so I didn't lose to you!" She refused to be beaten by another fusion. She would retreat strategically and strike again when she had her army built.
"Wait, you're not denying it!?" Rose shouted. "You … oh corn on the cob what's wrong with this universe!?" Jasper heard them shout as she went into the ocean.