//------------------------------// // Renegade Pearl // Story: My Little Universe: Season 5 // by EquestrianKirin //------------------------------// "Come on, Flint, one shot at me! Or you scared?" "I told you over five hundred times Bismuth, We got to get this handled." With work still going on at the barn, Flint had gotten his head fully focused down on making this drill work. Flint was working on that, while Bismuth relaxed a bit away, and Peridot sitting all by her lonesome. With the items brought back a while ago, it sped up the drill making process. With the extra addition of injector power cells, they had an extra step handled right away upon Peridot's return. It still wasn't enough to get Flint on any better term with Peridot, but it still made the job of finding some resources easier. Bismuth though may had been a good helper in getting the drill working out, but with Jasper gone for the time being, and Garnet too busy more often than not, didn't had a muscle buddy to mess around with. Flint was a proper candidate, but Flint had his mind right on point with the project. "Just one try, you and me, right now!" "Bismuth, stop it. Look, if you want to go and test your strength, then see if you can find a Gem monster to beat up," Flint suggested, getting a metal plate welded in place on the drill. Bismuth wasn't exactly having any fun with Flint. She first knew Flint as just quiet, and unwilling to put himself into any trouble, but now he wasn't taking time to relax when it came to this project. Either he's not willing to do anything, or pushes too hard on one thing. Before Bismuth could go any further, she and Flint both heard Garnet coming over to them, holding a large circular ring for the drill end in one arm, and Pearl coming in alongside with some extra power tools. "Hey, Flint. We got it from here, you can stop if you want to," Garnet said, placing her drill piece down on the ground. "You sure? I'm fine, if that's what you're worried about," Flint insisted, finishing his piece on the drill. "You've been working very hard, and don't lie to me and say you're not exhausted from it all. Besides, Jade is starting to worry over you," Garnet responded. Flint just sighed. "Well, the main drill is complete pretty much. ... Alright, have at it," Flint decided, walking away from the drill to let Garnet and Pearl handle things. As he did, Bismuth saw her opportunity and got into position for her little game she wanted to do. With Flint no longer doing the drill, he was open this time ... "Just this once," Flint decided. Flint sat down across from Bismuth, who was looking a bit cocky and confident, and Flint brought his hand out. Yes: Arm wrestling. Bismuth and Flint got themselves ready, and Garnet saw what was going on. After putting the ring on, she smiled, and went over and placed her hands on their clenched fists. "Ready? ... Go." *slam!* After a quick two seconds, Bismuth slammed Flint's hand down hard, winning the challenge easily. Flint didn't seem to care that he lost though, yet the victory felt a little too easy ... "K, Bismuth, there you go," Flint said. "You even try, Flint?" Bismuth asked in a judging tone. "Never said I would," Flint simply said. Bismuth felt a little silly, and she knew Flint just let her win. At least Jasper would give it her all when she tried with her. Flint paused and looked back to her, getting an idea to pass the time and still aid the group out. "Here, I'm gonna look for Jasper and Lapis some more. See you guys tonight," Flint decided, walking away. Been a while since he went off to look for them either way, but Pearl turned over to him. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Flint, Garnet and I already looked around this morning." "Then I will look through the afternoon," Flint stated. With that, he went off without another word. Still troubling, but Garnet still figured he was helping the team out more than before, at least ... ~~~~~~ Time ticked on, and work on the drill kept going on from there. Honestly, it had been a rather fair afternoon, and when sunset had drawn near, Pearl took some down time to head back to the Temple. As for the situation going on, she hadn't seen Steven all too much, and Pearl wondered how he'd been holding up with these tasks. She had freaked out before, but Steven had Amethyst, and the Mane Six according to a few days ago, so Pearl didn't had much worried about. As she entered the Beach House, she found no one inside, but there was, in fact, something left on the table. It was put in a woven bag, and a note was right next to it, whatever it was. Pearl went over, and picked up the letter first. Here's another corrupted Gem we caught. Side note: bubble it the second you open it. "Bubble it after you open it?" Pearl repeated. There were all sorts of corrupted Gems, so this should be a proper warning for her to listen to. Pearl wondered what could actually be in the bag, and she readied to open it up. If she had to bubble it straight away, then she got her hands ready. She quickly got it open, and her hands got a grip on whatever was inside. A quick second later, and whatever item was in there was bubbled up, only then did Pearl see it. The object itself was not a Gemstone, but instead a Gem artifact. The object looked rather strange for a start, like some sort of mask. The mask looked big enough to fit a normal creature's face, shaped like a pair of falcon wings, the patterns and colors matching those of a monarch butterfly. A fair line of blue pearls lined the bottom rim of the mask that almost seemed to glow in front of her. It did had a charm to it, to say the least. Still, Pearl had the mask bubbled up and seemed safe enough now handled. "Alright ... that's that," Pearl said. She began to walk over into the next room, but just before she could past the Warp Pad ... It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance, mistress Pearl stopped herself, looking around, but not seeing any source of any voice anywhere. A strange, yet charming female voice that was ... here? The mask? "OH!" The voice was indeed coming from the mask! Might explain why they wanted it locked up right away. Not often do they get Gem objects that actually speak. Pearl quickly composed herself though, and continued going into the burning room. "So you can talk?" "It's a little gift. You're looking lovely today." Pearl wasn't sure how to respond to this. While it is a nice gesture, it still was coming from a odd mask. "Uh ... thank you." "You know, I am surprised. I can tell you are a very talented being, and yet you still put yourself down on such a low level." "Low level?" "Yes. I've known about Pearls: the butlers and serpents for home, right? Your friends were saying how excited you'd be when they'll show me to you. Might I assume you're in charge of them? A interesting position for a fine Pearl like you." "How did you know about how Pearls work?" "Look at me. I'm a mask lined with blue Pearl stones. In a way, I'm about the same as you are." Pearl can tell this talking mask knew a thing or two, but rather than give it more of her mind, and went straight into the burning room with the other bubbled gems. "No, no, I'm not playing this. You're just a mask, that's all it is," Pearl concluded, releasing the bubble to have it float among the other bubbles. "And you're just a Pearl, compared to Homeworld standards. Am I right?" Pearl stopped, and turned to face the mask. "I'm not stupid! You're just trying to manipulate me so I can let you out, but it's not going to happen," Pearl firmly cleared up. The mask giggled. "We are clever, aren't we. But I'm not just manipulating you to get out of here. Even if I got out, I'm not exactly useful by myself, you see. I have magic, but only used by someone else and not my own ... sound familiar?" Pearl recoiled. She knew this mask was just wanting out, though it was making some valid points when it comes to how it's treated, and how it mirrors a actual Pearl, like the pearls lining its rim. Still, Pearl kept herself away from the desires it wanted, and looked away. "You're just saying that for sympathy. You couldn't want anything. You're just a mask." "Lapis was just a mirror to you before, but not only did she helped your friend, but she's free now. Is there a difference between her and me?" "How'd you know about that?!" "I heard something about it," the mask responded. Pearl was very suspicious, but she got her mind straight rather quick. "Oh no no no no, I'm not being tricked. You're staying in there, and that's final," Pearl said, starting to walk out of the burning room. The mask wasn't going to give up so easily. "Oh, don't get upset. I'm willing to make a deal with you, if you're willing to listen," the mask offered. "A deal?" "Yes. Tell you what: you can at least try me out, just for today. I'll make it worth your while, but if you still don't like what I have for you, then you can poof me completely, and put me right back here. No harm in trying out something just for a day, is there?" Pearl took this offer into consideration. For a corrupted Gem, this one seemed VERY understandable and considerate of her ... "What kind of benefit can you give me anyway?" Pearl asked, arms crossed. "Quite a number of things. I am a Gem artifact, after all." "Like ..." "Oh, enhanced physics, some magical abilities, enhanced poise and charm, that sort of thing. Quite a benefit, wouldn't you agree?" Pearl knew the risk, but this mask seemed less and less troubling the more she talked to it. either that was an affect of the mask, or it was actually telling Pearl the truth. Pearl wondered more and more on what kind of powers this mask was indeed telling her. Eventually, Pearl jumped up, and grabbed the bubble, popping it, and letting the mask out. Still in her hands, the mask didn't move, or try to get away from her. "So. One day ..." "And if you don't like it, put me back," the mask finished. "Wait. The others are obviously going to ask about this," Pearl said, starting to walk out of the burning room. Lucky for her, no one was around in the Temple still, leaving her alone with the mask. "Needn't you worry about that. Put me on, and I'll take care of the rest," the mask promised. Pearl slipped off into the bathroom, and soon found herself in front of the bathroom mirror with the mask. It took Pearl a bit to consider things, but the mask seemed to not be messing around with her. Gently, and steadily, Pearl managed to place the mask over her eyes, and place it perfectly down on the bridge of her nose. Not only was it a perfect fit, but it almost felt like it wasn't there. As it promised, the Mask started to turn itself almost invisible to the naked eye, right in front of Pearl! After two short seconds, it looked as if she didn't have a mask on to begin with. "Wow." "See? Now you can roam as you will. Now, I do believe you have a drill to prepare?" ~~~~~~ Pretty soon, it was straight back to the drill for the other Gems. For Pearl, she wasn't seeing exactly how much change was going on. She didn't feel any different by any means as time progressed, and Pearl wondered if the mask actually did tell the truth or not. On the bright side, no one seemed to exactly notice anything wrong with her, or any mask on her face during the drill making. Bismuth and Garnet both were doing heavy lifting, as they were steadily moving the drill itself into a different position. Laying it on its side wasn't a good idea, so to keep it more stable, they needed to get the drill in a more upright position. "Steady, steady ... and there," Bismuth concluded, as they put the drill completely upright, the drill piece facing downward to the ground. This way they can properly work on the controls without it being upside down. They had to put it balancing on some metal beams in order to keep it suspended. When they were done, they both heard a notable clapping, coming from Peridot nearby. Neither side really acknowledged her, and the little green Gem stopped herself. "Ok, now we can work out the drill's functions from here," Garnet concluded. Pearl was hoisted up by Bismuth easily, and soon she was right up to what controls were put into the machine. Pearl looked it over carefully, standing up and looking around at the rim. The drill's mainframe was in tact, but the controls were needed. "Can one of you pass me some tools?" Pearl asked. A took box was brought right up to her, but before she could even remotely start, the mask started to come alive on her again. is that all you want from them? How about you try that charm of yours for some extra? Pearl wondered a little bit on that, but she didn't know exactly what it is she would want otherwise. During the drill construction, The others under her took a moment to relax, as Pearl began progress on the drill control pad. It was a quiet and steady progress, yet the mask was disappointed that Pearl wasn't willing to try her charm on anybody. Up on top of the drill, the Gem had a slightly better view of the landscape compared to the others, and as she took a moment to get her barring together, she looked out over past the barn and over to the land around them when ... *hisssss* That was one way to make an appearance. From Pearl's POV, she had a clearer view on what was outside the barn boundaries. Garnet, Peridot, and Bismuth heard the hissing too, but needed an extra second before they got to notice. Farther off from the barn, the Gems begin to see something moving nearby the barn, just close enough for discomfort. The animal looked fairly big, about as big as lion, though the body itself resembled a rhino, or hippo, and the head was sturdy and compact. While it had no mouth, it did had a large plate on its head that resembled a block of stone. The body was grayish in color like a rhino, though its body had a almost reflective quality to it over the usual rough skin. Strange to hear something like that hiss, and this bruiser began to move in closer to the others. "Oh no, not now. Bismuth, Pearl, keep that thing away from the drill!" Garnet ordered. "About time we got some action around here," Bismuth commented, her hand turning into a pick axe as Pearl summoned her spear. Pearl, wait a minute. This is the perfect time to show your enhanced strength. "You sure?" Pearl quietly asked through closed teeth. trust me, you'll like it. The monster started to sense the other Gem's presence, and it was enough to trigger an aggressive response. Bismuth was the first one to take her charge right at the creature, and the Gem beast did the same. Its small yet muscular legs launch it forward with surprising speed, meeting Bismuth head on. Bismuth and the beast had an equal power that met directly at the center. Two forces equally matched in the strong ram. Garnet kept herself standing strong near the drill just in case, Pearl leaping off of the drill to join in the fray. The Gem beast wheezed and hissed time and again, its feet digging hard into the Earth, as Bismuth tried to keep it from racing into the drill. "Oh yeah, come on! That all you got?" Bismuth said cockily. The beast's response was a rough one: it dipped its head lower, shoving its brick horn into Bismuth's legs, just enough to make her fall forward. Once the heavy Gem landed on it, all it had to do was swing its head upward to send Bismuth flying. The hit was minor, and Bismuth landed on her back with little injury, but the charging beast was rushing straight towards Garnet, Peridot, and the drill. For Pearl, it was now or never. The agile Gem raced right in the beast's way, confronting the creature head on. That's when the mask lend its aid. Pearl felt something strong suddenly overcome her, and the Gem beast lowered its head to slam her with its horn, but Pearl's response was a well aimed punch, square at the center of the animal's head ... *poof* Silence. The Gem beast was suddenly poofed right then and there, destroyed in one single Pearl punch! Even Pearl was amazed by what just happened. Bismuth and Peridot didn't know what to say at first, as Garnet picked up the Gemstone off the ground, bubbled it, and sent it off. "Holy smokes," Peridot simple said. "Whoa, DANG Pearl, where were you hiding that?!" Bismuth praised. "Uh ... yeah, thank you. I'll just be over here," Pearl said meekly, walking off to another part of the barn. Garnet was unsure on what happened entirely, as Pearl moved herself over to the other side of the barn. Only then did Pearl try to contemplate what just happened to her. She had plenty of strength, but never enough to obliterate a Gem that easily. The mask began to react again. see? Didn't I say I'd make it worth your while? "That back there. That was you?" Pearl gasped. that's right. Wasn't that fun to do? Pearl looked to her own hands, and seeing just the kind of power she now has within them. If she could poof a Gem with one punch, she could only wonder how much other powers she had stored in her thanks to the mask. After a bit, a smile started to form on her face. "Yes. That felt so ... exhilarating." Oh, I'm so glad you feel that way, Pearl. You have the power of a fusion now. THAT was a lovely fact Pearl wanted to hear. Still, maybe she could try and work with this some more. Such a strong, and powerful ability and it was at her control now. Even so, there was one thing that came across her mind ... "... Do you think you -" "Pearl, you alright?" Garnet suddenly asked, who just popped up by the barn wall after a bit to check on Pearl. The Gem relaxed a bit, and she decided to try another little trick that the mask said would be available: charm. "I'm alright. You don't need to worry about little ol me," Pearl cooed, her fingers running through her hair. Combined with the light, she almost seemed to sparkle. Garnet may be the embodiment of love, but even she was taken aback a bit. "Uh ... right. Well, come back, we're waiting for you," Garnet said, moving back to the others. I got an idea ... ~~~~~~ "Dang, another drag with nothing to show for it. Why do I even bother?" Flint sighed, as he walked out of the sea, soaked and unsuccessful. He lost track of time, and instead of returning sunset yesterday as he said he would, he ended up coming back during midday two days later than he should. Finding Lapis and Jasper was honestly becoming more and more degrading, and with many extra hooves and hands all but gone, locating the fused duo was hard to accomplish already. He got himself back on the beach, shaking the water out of his hair, before he began to head to the Beach City boardwalk. He wouldn't normally head this way, but since it was the nearest shoreline he found convenient enough he had to pass by the city before going to the Warp Pad at the temple. It was during his walk down the boardwalk when he began to see what the humans were up to at this point. Looking off just ahead, he began to see a few different people around the place, but it didn't look too correct. For one thing; pizza slices, ketchup packets, and French fries were scattered all over the boardwalk. He saw a number of humans, which look a bit down on what's going on. One of them even was on the ground, holding a pizza in hand, and another inside a T-shirt shop was cowering away by hiding behind one of the shirts. Flint was obviously confused on the situation, but the temple was across the way, so he just had to go through. The only ones seemingly getting a proper benefit are the seagulls, who pecked and picked up the fries and pizza crusts that were scattered everywhere. Amongst the crowds, one kid stood shamefully in a full body pizza suit - Peedee. He really didn't feel happy when standing on the boardwalk as a pizza, and while Flint didn't know too much about these people, they do in fact live by the sea. THAT'S when something crossed his mind, and he decided to go for broke. "Hey, kid?" "Hello. Welcome to Beach City fries," he said, though he did not sound too enthused by it. Flint looked over the kid up and down, and seeing the fries on their sign ... "I may not be familiar with food as much as the next human ... but, I think you got yours confused," Flint pointed out. His main source of food knowledge was from Amethyst, the purple Gem constantly bringing food home one way or another, and he didn't recall her calling a triangle food with pepperoni and cheese on it as a "fries". "We sell Pizza now ... unfortunately ..." Peedee simply said, feeling sad and guilty. "Right ... well, anyway, did you by chance see -" "Hey, a new customer!" Mr. Fryman suddenly said, catching Flint off guard along with Peedee. Since he had to pass by anyway, Flint went over to the stand, as Mr. Fryman began to get a new order. "Since you're new here, I'd like to lend you our newest edition for a Beach City welcome: Deep fried Pizza," Mr. Fryman said, as he pulled out a pizza slice, covered completely in fried up skin ... "... I'm not a fan of food. But, can I ask you something?" Flint asked, pushing the pizza option away. Mr. Fryman felt a little insulted, as business was a top priority at this point in time. Before he could even bother to though, another person ended up interrupting him. "Aww, I can't connect to fish Stew Pizza's wifi," Ronaldo groaned, who was sitting in the back. "We don't want time for your interneting - you're on deliveries now," Mr. Fryman ordered, removing the laptop, and replacing it with a Pizza order. "I don't even have a car!" "You have those wheelie shoes don't ya?" Ronaldo just sighed, and as he got up, he made a simple kick with his feet to bring out a set of wheels on his shoes, before rolling off. Flint realized he was not getting anywhere here, as they won't even give him the time of day. Mr. Fryman went back to Flint, presenting the pizza again, but Flint ignored it this time. "ANYWAY, did you happen to -" "HA! Your pizza is not selling, is it Fryman?!" another voice mocked. Flint and Fryman turned to see Kofi standing boldly outside, looking very satisfied with seeing the loss of customer. "What about your fries?" Mr. Fryman snapped back. Flint couldn't even get a word in edge wise, Kofi and Fryman suddenly in a arguing fit, as Kofi presented his own product to flint. "How about you try our newest, better product: French-fried Pizza!" He announced ... which looked exactly the same, except more "fry-like". "That doesn't even look like a fry. Embarrassed much?" Mr. Fryman mocked, only getting Kofi more ticked off at him. With Flint stuck in the middle just for showing up, he was losing patience fast. Pretty soon, Kofi and Mr. Fryman were just arguing and yelling at eachother to no end, annoying Flint even more ... *BAM!* *CRUSH* Flint swung his fist right down in between Kofi and Fryman, not only crushing their food products, but Fryman's counter! Everyone in earshot, and in sight looked on in absolute shock and were completely speechless. Fryman and Kofi both were stunned, eyes locked on Flint without a single word said. Both their food products were crushed into nothing but paste, and the counter was cracked open like a broken glass. Flint wasn't going to waste his time letting these two bozos finish their squabbling. "NOW that I have your attention," Flint began, his tone firm yet frustrated, "I would like to ask you two if you've seen either one of my friends. Happen to see anyone with large scruffy hair, orange skin, enough muscle to crush a car like a tin can?" Both of them shook their head. "Well, then how about a girl with blue skin, in a princess dress, and water wings that pop out her back?" Again, they shook their head. All Flint could do was groan. "Well, thanks anyway," Flint groaned, shaking off the debris of the crushed food on his hand. Without another word, Flint began to walk off away towards the Temple. The only sound was Ronaldo taking a picture of the damage. Take material as it comes. ....... "Still nothing Flint?" Asked Garnet upon his return to the barn. "Nothing. No one at Beach City was any help either," Flint replied, although he only tried Fryman and Kofi. Process still continued on the drill, but at this point, Pearl was mainly using the improvements of the mask to pull it off rather than fully relying on the others. A bit odd for Flint to see. "Aren't you working on the drill?" Flint questioned. "I'm doing alright, Flint, don't worry about it," Pearl insisted, looking down to him. Flint saw the progress, but when he saw Pearl's eyes, something just seemed ... different with her. He couldn't figure out what that exactly was, but something just felt off when he saw Pearl in the face ... *hissssss!* "Again?" Garnet said, worryingly. "What do you mean again?" questioned Flint. Flint didn't need too much time to really figure it out, as a strangely familiar creature began to appear close by, confronting them head on once again. This was no stranger, but the Gem's latest Gem beast, the one that came by the barn already and was defeated by Pearl! Flint looked startled and, worried over the drill, summoned his pistols to deal with the creature ... only to have Pearl leap off the drill, and beat it for him. Yes, it was THAT fast. Just like that, it was in a stone again, down at Pearl's feet. "... O.K. ..." Flint simply said, as the cocky Pearl picked up the Gemstone in her hand. "Thank you, Pearl," Garnet said. Pearl smiled, but she didn't give it to her straight away. "Uh, Garnet, why don't I return it to the Temple this time? It won't be too bad, would it?" Pearl offered, the Gem working her charm again. Garnet troubled to collect herself, and just nodded her head, as Pearl went on her way. "I ... I don't even know where to start here," Flint commented. Looking at who was there, he decided to ask the only Gem who'd easily cooperate with him - Peridot. Being in custody meant being in easy access to any information. "Peridot, what was that all about?" "You mean how Pearl beat that Gem beast for the seventh time?" "SEVENTH time?! You guys never bubbled the thing?!" Flint yelled, not believing his own ears. Peridot quickly corrected herself. "No, no, no, no, no, we did! Er, well, Garnet did, but it keeps getting out somehow. Garnet says it keeps passing her future vision too," Peridot explained. Flint still was skeptical about the whole thing, as he turned to watch Pearl walk off to the nearest Warp Pad. "Oh, has it now? ..." ~~~~~~ Oh, this is enjoyable, no? the mask said, Pearl having to agree as she went over into the burning room with the poofed Gemstone bubbled up. "I feel so. So empowered," Pearl had to admit. Having such power was really starting to get to Pearl's head, and she was no longer getting any sort of regret in putting on the mask in the first place. She gently released the bubble up to the rest of the bubbles up in the room. However, she didn't walk out right away, and instead looked over the gemstones for a little bit. She, and by extent the mask too, checked over each and every single stone for about a minute, until Pearl reached up and brought down another sort of Gemstone, holding it into her hands. "... Can I please try it this time? Please? ..." Pearl asked the mask. I don't see why you would need to, dear. You have so much power already, right? You don't need them. Pearl ended up wrapping herself in her arms. The mask new what she was talking about, and Pearl REALLY wanted to do this. ... Oh, if you so insist. Better pick out a tough little pebble though to pull that off, "I know EXACTLY who to pick," Pearl said, as she went up a little bit, grabbing one particular Gem, which was pink and green. Pearl was really confident with this little trinket, and the mask didn't exactly protest with the choice, so Pearl took the gemstone out of its bubble, and walked right on out with this gemstone hidden away ... Then again, when Pearl left the Beach house ala Warp Pad, it wasn't just the gemstone hidden away here. Soon after she left, Flint removed his camouflage cloak. He looked ready to explode, his teeth grinding together, and fists clenched ... "YOU ... YOU. TRAITOROUS. CREATURE." ....... "Pearl, there you are," Bismuth said, seeing Pearl casually walk to them from the direction of the Warp Pad. Pearl was feeling ready to fight some lonesome beast, and she knew one will come around very soon. For the time being, some work on the drill will be just fine. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Pearl said, her fingers running through her hair (which became a habit for her after a while). The Gem went right over to the drill, jumping right to the top to start work on the controls. Pearl though was still looking forward to her extra fight, more than most. "PEARL!" And look who caught up. The yell caught practically everyone by surprise, Peridot jumping where she was, and Garnet and Bismuth turning fast. Flint stood there, extremely angry, with weapons drawn out and at the ready. Flint knew what he saw, and he knew who was to blame for causing so much trouble. Both pistols were aimed directly at Pearl, which made Pearl a little troubled at the most. "WHOA, WHOA, what're you doing?!" Peridot gasped, more freaked out than she should be. Flint though stayed firm. "Flint, put that away! What's the problem?" Pearl asked. "You know well what the problem is, now get down here," Flint demanded. "Flint, stop it. This is Pearl you're talking to," Garnet instructed, yet Flint did not waver in the slightest. His mind was locked on target, and he wasn't going to change now. And even with that warning in mind, Pearl hopped down to Flint's level. "I know who I'm talking to, Garnet!" "Flint, please calm down. Why are you making such a fuss?" Pearl asked, only for Flint to aim his Gem pistols directly at her face! "Oh, don't you stand there and play innocent on ME, Pearl!" "Play innocent? Flint, she's with us!" Bismuth said. "Oh, is she?" "Excuse me?!" Pearl said, appalled at the idea. "WATCH IT, YOU," Flint warned. Suddenly, Bismuth grabbed Flint, and pulled him away. "Why don't you watch it, Flint. One strike at her, and you'll regret it," Bismuth warned back. "You'll be making a big mistake," Pearl added. "I'll make a mistake?! Which one of us has been releasing corrupted Gems onto the barn?! Answer me THAT with a straight face," Flint revealed. That was when everyone stopped, Pearl especially. Was he there when he saw that?! Pearl was completely worried now, even with the mask's power on her. "Wha?! That would be ridiculous! Yes, theoretically, it's not a stretch, but -" *AROOOOOOOOOOO* Well, it happened. They all turned around, and something started to lift itself off the ground, just forming up from where Pearl had hid it away. This Gem beast wasn't the rhino Gem the last few times, but instead this Gem was completely spherical in shape, spikes all over its boy, with a pink underbelly and a green back. Her face showed a angry expression, cheeks poofed out at if it inhaled in air, with prominent lips. The size of it exceeded the rhino pretty good, making it as big as a Ruby spaceship - bigger even! Pearl's original plan was now a complete bust, and they had this giant thing to deal with now. Pearl could just feel the anger the others had against her ... "Gems. Move," Garnet ordered. The first attack was quick, and brutal, as the pufferfish inhaled strong, and blew a powerful wind blast straight at them. Bismuth got right in the way, using all her strength just to stay still against the blast of wind. When there was a break in the wind, Garnet jumped right up and straight at it, punching it right between the eyes. It stunned the Gem beast, but it didn't take it out - not even close. Despite the situation, Pearl began to come in. One strong hit from Pearl and her enhanced power would easily finish it off, if she could land one. The difference between the rhino Gem, and the pufferfish Gem, was that THIS Gem had a projectile. Seeing Pearl flying in, the pufferfish aimed high, and blasted Pearl with her wind breath. Even with all the power to surpass everybody, Pearl's lighter body quickly succumbed to the wind, and she blasted straight back, landing her through the wall of the barn, dangerously close to the drill! The hit, and wind was strong enough to rip off Pearl's hidden mask, and it was blown off out of sight. Pearl saw that, and felt it all taken from her ... And things are about to get worse for the group. The pufferfish found itself being gripped by Flint and Bismuth, but as a response, it quickly spun itself both horizontally and vertically, swinging them off. Flint landed hard on the drill, but as he did, he ended up whacking a switch on the drill, causing it to start! With nothing to stabilize it, the drill began to rush around like crazy, like an out of control top! "Flint!" Peridot shrieked, trying to save him. The leash was hard to handle, holding her back, but seeing Flint in such a predicament was something she won't stand. She strained, yanked, and pulled hard, until her leash finally snapped in two. Desperate, she lunged forward fast, and tackled Flint away, just before the drill could tear him apart. This was especially chaotic. A dangerous Gem beast, AND an outta control drill running amok on the barn. All Pearl did was stand there and watch in both horror and disbelief. "Garnet, give me a boost," Bismuth said, turning her hand into a pickaxe. Garnet nodded and got into position. The pufferfish readied another blow, and Garnet threw Bismuth high in the air just before another air blast launched at her. In a warrior scream, Bismuth made the final blow, and her pickaxe dug deep into the Gem beast's back. Like a knife to a balloon, the Pufferfish popped, and all that remained was the Gemstone. However, it was an attack done too late. The final air blast from the Gem monster had struck the moving drill, not only deactivating it, but destroying it! The drill was found through the barn's side, and the impact gave a lot of damage on it: the drill bit bent, the controls blown completely off, and stray metal being flung off during the accidental activation. In short, they had a major setback. Garnet, Bismuth, Flint, and Peridot all looked at the drill quietly. Pearl slowly took a few steps to try and collect some of the scrap metal when ... "PEARL." Pearl froze, and turned around only to see not Flint, but Garnet, standing right in front of her, angry as ever. "Uh, G-Garnet, I uh -" Garnet raised her hand to silence Pearl, as Garnet herself was trying to comprehend what had actually happened herself, her anger building ... "... For the last two days, the same Gem had been supposedly escaping its own bubble, only after you told us you found a Gem object, and kept it in the burning room. And now, when YOU decided to go back and put away that same Gem yourself, what did we happen to find? ... Not only ANOTHER Gem beast released, that I KNOW didn't get out on it's own, but also the drill that ended up destroyed! THAT drill's wrecked, and we were all put in danger BECAUSE OF YOU!" Garnet's bellow took everyone by surprise, and Pearl felt more horrible than she had ever been. Why did she have to listen to that mask in the first place? "Wait! I-I'm sure she didn't mean to have the drill destroyed," Peridot suddenly said. However, it was hardly any help, and one glare from Garnet silenced her as well. "It doesn't matter what she meant to do! We're trying to save the Earth, and Pearl's been distracting us with ... NOTHING!" "B-But, Garnet -" "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Garnet yelled, that alone, making the humbled Pearl step back. While Bismuth and Peridot watched on, rather mixed on the situation, but Flint knew exactly what to do now. He began moving in, but Garnet saw him first. "Don't even try to defend her, Flint -" Then he did it. Lifting his pistol, he pulled the trigger, and Pearl toppled back. What she saw next shocked her to her core ... her cracked Gem! The crack did not shatter it, but the crack was a prominent one, and one that Pearl was simply horrified with. Peridot jumped on seeing it, and while Garnet would normally protest, her anger at the situation kept her quiet, as Flint marched right up to the humbled, and now weakened Pearl. "Listen. Closely. ... From now on, you are going to tow the line. You'll keep yourself where you can be seen. All hours of the day, and night. You'll speak only when spoken to. and you'll obey our orders. Right?" Each sentence Flint got out was said crystal clear, nice and slow so not a single word was missed. Pearl was frozen in fear at her superior's harsh nature, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. It was her fault this happened, and now she was paying the price for her own selfishness ... "... R-Right ..." "Good. ... Come on, let's start repairs," Flint finished, withdrawing his weapons, and starting to gather back the metal. Pearl was about to do the same, but Garnet grabbed her. "You stand over there," Garnet instructed, pointing over by the barn door. Pearl only nodded, and walked over there as instructed. She stood there, hands together, and gaze down, as the others got to work. Peridot, outta the current group, felt the most sorrowful for Pearl, even if what she did was more deliberate than what Peridot was being punished for. For Pearl, she had lost the trust in her friends, she sabotaged the mission ... And now she was living her Gem species status, all over again ... ....... "Heeheehee. Quite an interesting turn of events, is it not? A simple mask and a few kind words are enough to send her off the deep end." "Yes. About as easy as those humans. And we didn't even had to show our faces this time. I'd hate to reveal our presence right now - too inconvenient." "True, true. Still, that Amethyst and Steven had been most elusive as of late. It'll only be a matter of time before those troublemakers realize something's astray." "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's dispose of that mask before someone amongst the Crystal Gem group wise up." "Agreed."