Pearl

Training

Pearl and Garnet glared at each other all the way into Bismuth's base, which was easily the biggest out of the handful of Crystal Gem bases. It was on the same mountain as the forge, and housed a private warp pad. Gems were training, finding new abilities and trying to summon their weapons outside in front of the base, where Bismuth's large blue body stood supervising.

"Very good!," Bismuth shouted over the yells and grunts of the Gems as they pounded upon each other. A group of six fused Rubies were fighting against a group of five fused Onyxs, slamming their large red fist into the black Gem's head.

Garnet looked around with awe. Pearl remained sulky. Rose gazed over her soldiers warmly, and in return the bowed back.

"Rose!," shouted Bismuth as they approached. "Good to see you? Hey, who's that?" Garnet had peeked her head around Rose's bulky body, and then ducked back behind when Bismuth looked at her.

"This," Rose said, moving aside and revealing the cowering Fusion, "Is Garnet. She is Fusion Gem and wants to join our cause." Bismuth squinted at Garnet, who was still trying to make herself as small as possible. Pearl snickered. 

"Garnet, huh?," said Bismuth finally. "Interesting. I've never seen or heard of Garnets before."

"That's because she's a Fusion of a Ruby and a Sapphire," said Rose calmly. "They made a completely new Gem." Bismuth looked contemplative, then nodded finally.

"Well alright then!," she said. "Let's see what you can do!"

"Oh, Bismuth, I don't know if she should-" Rose tried to say, but before she could complete her sentence, Bismuth turned her fists into anvils and slammed one into Garnet's shoulder.

Garnet went flying back and crashed onto the ground. Bismuth grinned and shot towards her, readying her fists like battering rams. Garnet shook dust from her multicolored fro, stood up, wiped some dirt off her shoulder, and summoned her crimson gauntlets. Bismuth's eyes widened milliseconds before Garnet punched the Builder's face with the force of a bullet train.

CRUNCH! Bismuth slammed into the mountain with sonic boom and was pinned there. Garnet smiled and charged at Bismuth, throwing a flurry of never ending punches into the Builder's stomach. Bismuth roared with pain, the screwed up her eyes and turned her left arm into a scythe. Pulling her arm back, she swung the scythe into Garnet's neck, the blade flashing. Garnet cried out and stumbled. Taking her chance, Bismuth grabbed Garnet and flung her up into the air. Bismuth bent her knees and leaped like a comet through the clouds to meet the Fusion. For a few seconds, nothing. Then, Garnet and Bismuth came hurling to Earth like two large, discolored boulders, grabbing each other a groping at air. Barely ten feet from the ground, Bismuth flipped Garnet under her and they crashed into the dirt.

There was a poofing noise, and Bismuth stood up, panting, holding Ruby's red and Sapphire's blue gem. Her body was scratched all over, and she had bruises all over her face.

"Well," Bismuth panted with exhaustion, "Well, I guess she's tough in a way-" Ruby and Sapphire's gems started glowing. Bodies formed around them, rising into the air, then they seemingly grabbed hands and Fused. Pearl tried not to look impressed at the fact that they had fused even when they hadn't reformed completely. Garnet's feet slammed onto the ground, looking different. She had brown boots and puffy black pants,and blue tank top lined with maroon red. She wore finger less gloves on her hands. Smirking, she summoned her gauntlets in a flash and punched her fist between Bismuth's wide eyes. Bismuth poofed, her Gem clattering to the ground. Garnet's gauntlets disappeared, and she turned to Rose.

"I win." Rose giggled. The Gems surrounding started to clap, then applause. Garnet looked at Pearl, who glared back filthily.

She thinks she's so tough, thought Pearl angrily, But she's not. If only I could show her how it's done-

Pearl narrowed her eyes and pulled her spear from her white Gem. The crowd went quiet. Garnet had her to Pearl, and was confused as to why the Gems went quiet. Switching her grip on her spear, Pearl stabbed Garnet in the back.

But the spear didn't go through. Garnet was launched forward a few yards. She turned angrily in time to get a twirling spear in the face. Keeping her head cool, Pearl darted forward gave three quick stabs to Garnet's stomach, followed by a slash to the chin and ending with her lodging the spear in Garnet's ribs.

Garnet roared and pulled the spear out, flinging it to the ground. Pearl's eyes widened with fear. Garnet pulled her arm back. In a fraction of a second, Pearl jumped up and flipped, landing on Garnet's outstretched arm. Before the Fusion could react, Pearl summoned another spear and stabbed it through Garnet's shoulder, then jumped off it kicked Garnet in the eye on her forehead.

Garnet cried out and clutched her eye, stumbling back.

"Is that the best you can do, Garnet?," Pearl scoffed. A moment later, Pearl wished she hadn't said that. Her face contorting in anger, Garnet grabbed Pearl's head and crushed it between her hands.

Pearl's oval gem fell to the ground softly. Garnet snatched it up. Then she noticed the spear in her chest. Understanding dawned upon Garnet's face before she poofed in a puff of smoke. The spears going with her. Rose sighed.

"What is Bismuth teaching these Gems?"