• Published 11th Aug 2015
  • 981 Views, 38 Comments

Brittle Deformation - BlueSkyHeadLeft010



A new threat has come out of hiding, one more powerful than the changelings or Sombra. And this one Crystal won't be able to fight alone.

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The Sum and the Equation

Author's Note:

Long week... :U
Here's the latest chapter y'all :pinkiesmile:

What in Celestia's name?!?

Quickly, I moved my other hand into my vision and looked down at my feet and then my chest.
Gone was the Pearl inspired style and sash I'd been wearing. Instead, I had sneakers, a t-shirt, and a sleeveless jacket. All varying shades of grey.
Taking a closer look, my arms appeared to be sporting freckles on them, and as I moved a hand across my face I no longer felt a pointy nose, but a smooth normal one.

To top it off, the weirdest part of my new look was the small heart shaped piece of stone embedded in my chest. It had to be a gem.


"Who are you?! Another monster?" Twilight bared her teeth as she set her sights on me, allowing herself to get distracted and release Pearl.
"Twilight it's me! Crystal!" I called out, hurt showing across my face as I feared the worse.
"Prove it! What's the one thing the Crystal knows that no one else does about me?" She barked, her horn glowing in warning as I realized she was preparing to cast a spell my direction.
My mind panicked as I tried desperately to think of something I knew that she had told me and no one else... "Um... You like to pretend your Starswirl in the bathtub and one time I caught you enacting his battle against the siren's when I went to go restock the shelves." I recalled hastily, my mind working overtime as I began pulling up various memories to prove I really was Crystal.

Twilight paused for a brief minute, her mane and fur returning to purple as she seemed to be considering my words before her horn glowed once more.
"Please Twilight... I just want to sit down and not fight... I don't want to..." I couldn't even finish my pleas as I felt my heart betrayed deeply by one my dearest friends and fresh tears streaked down my face... She didn't believe me.

I fell to my knees, my heart utterly crushed in two as my vision blurred between my tear streaked face and I let out a brief sob. After everything we've been through she didn't even recognize me... It was the worst feeling of betrayal.

Something brushed against my waist rather gently, as I briefly snapped out of my despair long enough to find myself being encased in a familiar purple aura.
"Need a hug?" Twilight asked as she surrounded me in her aura and pulled me into a hug.
I gasped, "Y-yeah... It's been a long day..." I tittered, my heart leaping for joy as I realized that Twilight did actually believe me!
"Sorry for letting my emotions get the best of me." Twilight sighed, a small sob escaping her own throat as we just held each other in a tight grip for awhile. "It's okay." I cooed as we both sat still, "I'd be upset too if I thought you were dead." I chuckled as Twilight laughed a little as well. I was about to dose off content when Twilight decided to burrow her face in my hair and sigh rather loud...

Wait a minute...
Long hair? As in, I don't have pixie hair anymore?!
Praise the stars~! I hated not being able to style my hair for so long.

"Wait." Twilight suddenly lifted her head up confused, "If you're Crystal, then who's she?" She asked, her head now facing Pearl who apparently had been watching the entire scene play out and looked utterly confused.
"This is Pearl." I explained, standing up. "She was trapped inside the gem while I was controlling it." I put a hand on Pearl's arm, indicating to Twilight she was a friend. Pearl seemed to read my mind as well, as her form visibly relaxed and she unsummoned the spear she had been holding.

"Trapped inside?" Twilight tilted her head confused before activating her aura and running a quick scan on the both of us. "So you were the strange aura I was detecting!" She exclaimed surprised.
Pearl nodded, "Yes I suppose that's one way to put it, but actually it was more like a forced fusion between the two of us." She frowned, looking pained at the memory.

I nodded, "Well ya, I guess that's sorta what happened too." I explained, while still admiring my new form intrigued, "But to be honest I have no clue why that even happened..." I frowned, my head still spinning from the fact that I was FREAKING GREY NOW.

"As much as I would love to sit down and figure that out, I have more pressing issues at hand." Pearl interrupted my thoughts as she made her way towards the library door.
"Wait, you can't just leave!" Twilight demanded, "There's so many tests I need to run, as well as send Celestia your immigration papers~!" Twilight called as Pearl just shut the door behind her and the room went silent.

"Um, Twilight.." I spoke, "How long has it been since I vanished?" I asked, worried.
"Only a day really... I was about ready to send your remains-..." She paused, leaving the sentence unfinished as she shook her head and smiled fondly. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she ran over and glomped me in a tight hug again.
"I'm so glad you're back." She sighed merrily as I too wiped a tear from my face and returned the hug.
"Me too Twilight... Me too..." I cried.

Suddenly the door slammed open.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY EQUESTRIANS?!"
------------

After Pearl's initial freakout, we managed to calm her down enough to explain where she was without her waving her arms about in a frantic pattern and questioning everyone's strange colorful appearance.
While Twilight explained about Equestria, I explained about gems. Pearl took this as an opportunity to explain about humans as well, which seemed to confuse Twilight...
"But why would an entire species with no mana govern the planet instead of your species of very powerful mana users?" She asked confused as I just groaned and Pearl started re-explaining about gem matriarchy and how only a few of them were actually there to help the universe instead of colonizing it.

"Basically it's a big mess and they were hurting planets when they built Kindergartens and their rulers enslaved the other species." I dumbed it down, as Pearl shot me a look as if insulted.
Twilight finished writing down what I said and nodded as she put down the quill. "But that doesn't explain how you know so much Crystal." She looked over to me, "If you were a human, a species that has no collective mana, beforehand, then how did you know how to control mana?"

I actually hadn't thought about that.... I blinked dumbly as I scratched my head searching for an answer... "Well, I'm not sure..." I admitted, "I mean like, I explained how I came from another world where Pearl's race is just a sort of 'show' that's rather popular; but as far as controlling mana I'm stumped..." I explained.

"Hmmm..." Twilight narrowed her eyes at me as I flinched. I knew that look, whatever she was thinking wasn't good.
"Can you still summon a flame like I taught you?" She asked.
" I can try," I admitted, having no idea since Pearl and I had separated our auras completely now. Would I even be capable of doing any kind magic?
Still, I somehow managed to channel an amount of mana to my finger tips and snap them. There was a brief spark, followed by the sputtering of a flame and nothing else.
I was crestfallen. The last time I had a flame as big as my palm.

Twilight seemed to take note of my downtrodden face and nudged my arm sympathetically. "Well you did manage to create a spark, which is something!" She attempted to cheer me up, "That means *gasp*! You have your own mana pool!" She jumped up and down excitedly.
I chuckled lightly, "Yeah. I guess you're right. It isn't that bad if I at least have some mana." I admitted, trying not to continue being so sad.

"Don't worry! We'll get your pool built back up to what it was in no time! I'll prepare some flashcards and-"
"Actually it might help if she had someone to help explain about gem anatomy." Pearl interrupted as me and Twilight both looked over to her surprised.

"You want to help me learn how to do magic?" I said in shock.
Pearl nodded, "As much as I need to find my way home and help Steven and the rest of the Crystal Gems with the gem monsters roaming about, from what you explained it sounds like someone needs to stay behind and help quarantine the rogue gems that made it to this dimension." She smiled, as she came over and put a hand on my shoulder supportive this time.
"You said so yourself that you wanted to help others. It's only fair that I equip you for the task." She said.

I smiled, "Thank you so much! I am so honored!" I bowed politely as she turned a light blue.
"W-well it's not a problem! I couldn't leave a fellow gem in the dark now could I?" She teased as I just laughed and Twilight sported a huge grin.
"This is going to be amazing!" She cheered, her aura already reaching out to grab more quills and paper.

That's when the library shook.
-----------

"Twiiiiiiiilliiiiiiiiggggghhhhhtttttt!!!!" Spike cried as he came running straight at us the moment we left the treehouse in shock.
To be honest, I had assumed we were having an earthquake so I had bolted out of the treehouse, soon followed by Pearl and Twilight though I don't know if they did so because of mob mentality or if they were legitimately scared.

"Spike are you okay?!" Twilight hugged the little drake as he clung fearfully to her foreleg.
There was smoke everywhere, followed by a loud sizzling sound as I noticed something was amiss.

There was a loud roar, followed by a scream and soon ponies began to scatter as I saw a few of them flee in between the smoke.
"What the heck?" I said confused, as Pearl was already summoning her spear and leaping on the rooftops.
"Hey Pearl! Where are you going?" I called right as she jumped, and Twilight and I exchanged a nervous glance when I realised she wasn't coming back.

After convincing Spike to climb on Twilight's back, we raced off in the direction that Pearl leapt while Spike continued to cry.
"It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!" He wailed, as I focused on the direction I thought Pearl might be in. There was still too much smoke to tell.
"Spike, what's your fault?" Twilight asked confused as the drake buried his face into her mane, shivering...

"I took the shiny gem out of the mana containment box to see if it was edible!" He said as we ran further into town square. He whimpered, "It looked so shiny and delicious! And then I thought it might look nice outside in the sunlight and then Scootaloo thought it was a tennis ball and grabbed it, and I went to go chase after her and-"

I skidded to a stop as something long and black shot out from the smoke and nearly hit us.
"Duck!" I yelled, as I jumped on top of Twilight and used my weight to push us down out of the way of the object.
The black thing took down a stray lampost, but luckily missed the building a few feet away from it.
I sighed relieved right before another roar interrupted my thoughts.

"Ahhh! two more!" Spike called out, as this time two long black lines shot forwards like a spring and I jumped. Twilight dodged with a swift teleport and readied her mana to strike.
Direct hit.

The roaring figure howled in pain as it lashed out with its pinchers and I ducked while Twilight rolled out of the way.
I recognized those pinchers... Though last time it was in a place that was considerably darker...
"It's the centipeedle!" I shouted as I began running around the looming beast trying to look for Pearl.

The sound of what could only be described as a laser gun going off echoed from my left as I saw something blue flash against the gem's hide and fizzle.
I winced, feeling the pain despite it not actually hitting me and I saw that Pearl was leaping from roof to roof trying to get a good aim at the gem in its eye.
I rushed over towards the roof she was currently occupying. "Anything I can do to help?" I called, as we both leapt out of the way right before the gem monster snapped at us using their jaws.

"Distract it." Pearl said as she aimed again with her spear and nicked the side of it.
Okay.... I gave her a deadpan look.
"You don't no how to summon a weapon yet but you'll be okay as long as you keep your wits about you." She dodged another incoming acid attack. "Just keep it still long enough for me to hit the weak spot!" And with that, she was off.

"Oh boy..." I sighed as I turned to face the beast and gulped. It wasn't like I had much choice at this point. I was the hero, right?
"H-hey!" I choked out a taunt at the gem, before I found my courage once more.
The beast turned to look at me, it's eye still looking for Pearl in the distance...
I couldn't let it do that. Not if Pearl wanted to get a hit in.

"Look at me! I'm the one you want!" I yelled as loud as my synthetic lungs would allow me to. "I'm gonna kick your teeth in so hard your head will be spinning for centuries!" I began to spew random threats I could think of from tv shows. The beast neared closer.

I swallowed down the breath I was holding. Where was Pearl?
"Ya that's right! Come on! Fight me big guy!" I taunted as the centipeedle curled up and prepared to-

*poof*!
A spear struck it right through the head, causing it to release its form immediately.
My knees gave out for the second time today.

Pearl landed beside me, picking up the gem with her hands. "See that wasn't so bad." She smiled as I just looked at her crazy.
"I just stared death in the face and laughed." I deadpanned as Pearl chuckled.
"More than likely you would regenerate a few moments after. Nothing to worry about." She said like it was nothing.

Something snapped inside of me. Regenerate? She wanted me to... Be cannon fodder?

"You know what? No." I pointed an accusing finger Pearl's way. This was enough to stop the gem in her tracks as she quickly bubbled the centipeedle in her mana and turned her gaze on me.
I didn't blink.
"Is there a problem?" Pearl raised an eyebrow as if she was about to scold me.
I felt burned inside. No, the scolding would be on her.

"Yes." I spat, despite my face burning up, as everything in my mind seemed to be screaming at me 'don't do it! Back up! Mayday! Mayday! You're about to put your foot in your mouth!' but my emotions overrode common sense at this point.
"You can't just put innocent lives at stake! Including mine!" I hissed, as by now Twilight and Spike had caught up to us in the smoke and were saying something I didn't hear.

Pearl seemed taken back by my show of anger, but remained quiet.
"If we're going to work as a team you have to treat me as an equal! And that includes telling me your plans and not sending me out as cannon fodder." I scowled continuing, "Just because we both helped each other out when we were stuck in the gem fighting for control, doesn't entitle you to a free pass on dictating my actions!" I was practically shouting by now. Many other ponies had begun to form a crowd around us as Pearl continued to say nothing in her defense, only stammering in shock at my outburst.

I could feel my resolve eating away with every passing second, fear and regret beginning to dominate my thoughts as I held on stubbornly to that pent-up hurt and anger. "We work as a team or not at all." I said, "I don't... I won't be treated like a pawn." I hiccuped a bit, as I found Spike hugging my leg in sympathy as Twilight made her presence known as well as Pearl seemed to unfreeze from her spot.

"I-... I suppose that wasn't the wisest choice I made." Pearl sputtered as her face flushed blue and she looked, embarrassed?
"Garnet usually handles the tactics with her premonition powers, but I assumed that I would be adequate enough to lead." Her shoulders sagged, and for the first time I saw how tired she looked. "What I mean to say is that I'm sorry for making you feel inadequate to me." She fiddled with her hands, nervous. "I-I understand if you don't want me as a mentor. I'm probably not a good choice in comparison to your unicorn friend Twilight." She appeared crestfallen now.

"Pearl-.." I was about to stop her self-depreciating speech, but she held up a hand.
"I need to think..." And with that she leapt up on one of the roofs and then took a dive down into the next alleyway, leaving the rest of us in the wake of the destruction the centipeedle had caused.

"I should go apologize to her.." I said, before Twilight placed a tender hoof on my shoulder and Spike hugged me harder.
"Let her breathe for a bit." Twilight pleaded. "She needs to think about what her friendship to you really means." She explained.
"She'll likely return before nightfall, and if she doesn't we'll go looking for her." She noted as I felt slightly better but still down.

"Come on, let's go clean up." She nudged me along as Spike opted to climb on my shoulder and piggyback, "We've got some friends who've missed you." She smiled, as for once despite myself, I let out a small grin.

It would be nice to catch up on things...

Comments ( 14 )

Tag this shit with Crossover so people who don't want to see it can avoid it.

I am saddened by this development, yet intrigued.

7928524 Huh, didn't realize this sequel was missing the crossover tag the prequel had.

7928524
'Whispers'
"Back in my day we didn't have all these fancy labels for things...
Nay, I say! We stood out in the snow and handed people our work with pride, knowing that if someone even spared three seconds to look at it before it went in the trash it was good. That was the only label we needed." :moustache:

Great as usual
...wonder what your unique powers are.
...and at least your gem is in a symetrical place...

7936119 Hence why Crystal didn't trust Discord in the first place :twilightsmile:

Wonder what her weapons gonna end up being...

Well done. It's always a pleasure to see others who are willing to call out The Gems for their immoral actions.

Is the story dead?
Please don't say it's dead.

10282139
Hi, sorry to reply so late.
This story is functionally dead, though I may come back and rewrite it in the future. (I just haven't felt inspired to do it yet)
Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you like it even though it's 3 years old now :twilightsheepish:

Espero el siguiente capĂ­tulo con ansias

Why do I always fail to notice there is a sequel to fics reeeeeee took me so long to realise

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