NatePat One-Shots

Have To, Want To, Need To

He couldn't remember what he was doing or who he was, but that didn't excuse the overwhelming fear that rattled his entire being. But was he even alive? Did he have a name? His body was lighter than he expected and he felt himself slowly drifting in and out of of consciousness, his brain and spirit feeling like two halves of a whole. But who was he? Did he exist? Two pairs of brown eyes fluttered open and squinted, a darkness about him, tiny sparkles of different colors blinking in the distance. The gem that resided in their exposed wrist flared purple almost angrily, like a beacon in a sea of impurity. But this was obviously unfamiliar to him, wasn't it? This warmth, this loneliness, but he wasn't alone. He could feel his heart beating and someone holding his hand, as if his soul was linked to someone else's, as if his whole being had been merged with someone else's. But their presence was warm and welcoming, a faint tickle running up his back, and a giggle threatening to escape him. But a whisper filled his ear, then there was more, whispering urgently at different intervals in hushed voices. The same thing, over and over, only slightly different each time.

"Have to...!"

"Want to...!"

"Need to...!"

Memories cloud the mind and four eyes widen, blinking away the haze and gasping for air. He had been with Sean when they drilled through the Earth's crust, down into the magma core, and finally to the Cluster. The headache, the anxiety, the pain in his wrist, but he had been someone else entirely at that point. Now, he felt a sense of completeness that he couldn't shake but what was his name? Two different names came to mind that were unbelievably familiar to him, Nate and Matt. Two people who were different but so similar at the same time, a fondness stronger than friendship, a gem more powerful than the Diamonds.

"Have to...!"

"Want to...!"

"Need to...!"

No matter how much he wanted to jump for joy, this combination had questions. So, with growing hesitation, he spoke out to the many voices. His own words layered with two different pitches, acting as a split personality finally becoming whole.

"Want to what?" He asked, glancing at the colorful gem shards.

"FORM! FORM! WANT FORM! WANT FORM!"

He let out a yelp of pain as his ears were assaulted by the many voices, covering them to try and lessen the ache that they brought and shield his eyes from the brightness that came with them. Once the voices had calmed back to their original whispers, it seemed as if they waited to be asked another question.

"... Form? Oh," a lone shard passed by him, "but why not do something else?"

"FOOOOORM!! FORMFORMFORM!"

The obvious pain and suffering in their voices made his heart twitch, his gut flipping in devastation, the Diamonds would pay for what they've done. The anger and confusion started to build and he lost himself for a few seconds, reaching deep within his mind and finally seeing the forms of Nate and Matt.

"The Diamonds did this...! I'll..."

"Nate, it's okay... it'll be all right..."

"How do you know?! What could you know?!"

"Please, think about this!"

"THINK ABOUT WHAT, MATT?! I SWEAR, I'LL SHATTER THE DIAMONDS!"

"NATE, STOP IT!"

With tears in his four eyes, he tried to block out his own hatred for the Diamonds and tried to remember the happy times. When Matt comforted Nate after the incident with Malachite, how Nate saved Matt from drown whilst fight Lapis Lazuli, or how Nate finally opened up about his feelings and told Matt how he felt. His name suddenly came to mind and it brought a smile to his face, along with an idea.

"Need form... to be... whole..."

"If you want," Mate suggested, "you could stay here and just talk to each other!"

"Form... don't need form...?"

"All you have to do is talk to each other!" Mate smiled, turning to listen to every voice he could.

The chattering of voices could be heard as gems joined other gems, talking and getting closer to one another. Little sparkles of light appeared as their tones became lighter, happier, as if the pain had suddenly gone away.

"See? You don't need to form!" Mate was smiling widely.

"Want to stay... want to stay...!"

Everything went quiet and Mate thought that the voices had finally quieted down, softly talking to each other privately, or maybe they ran out of energy. But like a bolt of lightning, the same brightness and loud noises invaded his ears and caused his heart to jump in his chest.

"CAN'T STOP! GOING TO FORM! CAN'T STOP!"

Mate went into a blind panic, torn between the cries of help and coming up with another solution. If he bubbled them then they would have to form, they wouldn't have to destroy the Earth, but could he really bubble the whole Cluster in one? So far, the most he'd bubbled was five gem shards and he was already growing tired, their cries for help driving him to keep trying but as soon as he'd bubbles two more the connection was severed, the Cluster growing farther away from where he floated aimlessly. It was like waking from a dream, except he hadn't fallen asleep and the drill had collapsed on its side with Sean shaking him.
Or... both of them.

"Nate! Matt! Wake up!" Sean called, desperately shaking their shoulders.

"It doesn't want to form!" Matt blurted out first.

"We have to bubble it!" Nate said after.

"Bubble that? There's no way!" Sean but his fingernails.

Nate looked at Matt and suddenly remembered the heated argument, the one that appeared in Mate's head as his own anger combined with Matt's confusion. He wanted to apologize badly, but bubbling the Cluster and saving Earth had to come first, or else he wouldn't be saying anything to anyone.

"Let's fuse, we can do this!" Nate smiled, offering his hand.

"All right!" Matt took his hand.

Their minds and bodies combined and they placed all four arms onto the floor of the drill, concentrating and trying to listen to any form of movement. Like a wisp of air, small bubbles started to form around the gem shards and Sean marveled at it. They were bubbling each other! He didn't know the broken shards even had wills of their own!

"We've got this, we've got each other!" Mate closed his eyes in concentration.

A large, purple bubble started forming in the center of the Cluster just as they bubbled each other. It gradually grew in size until the drill raised slightly, the painful headache gone, the pain in his wrist gone, but the memories of their painful voices remained clear. Nate and Matt separated as Sean navigated the drill to bring them back to the surface, climbing upwards like a spider and promising sunlight for years to come. Once the drill was on the surface and tipped onto its side, all three tumbled out and celebrated their victory with a hug. With multiple shouts of 'we did it' and 'that was great' Sean could finally relax, knowing that the Cluster wouldn't wipe out his new family and new friends. But Nate noticed that Matt wasn't celebrating as much, only half-smiling as Sean triumphantly marched around with a large smirk on his face. There was a distant look in his eye, stuck in the haze of his own mind, questions buzzing around a thick layer of sadness.

"Hey," Nate approached him, "what's the matter?"

"Did you mean it?" Matt asked. "Would you really... shatter the Diamonds?"

Nate felt guilt well up in his chest and he hugged Matt close, surprising the other. Without hesitation, Nate replied and tears filled both their eyes.

"If it comes to that point, I might have to." He whispered.