Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a month for Bismuth.

She'd left for the forge once everything calmed down, once the tears were done. A promise was made; no more Breaking Point in return for letting her go free. But that was her only promise. She stayed away from the Temple. Away from the two people she was closest to in the world, Pearl and Garnet. Away from Amethyst, who she had previously been looking forward to forming a deeper relationship with. Bismuth just grunted when Steven had suggested meeting the Lapis Lazuli and the Peridot. Before she'd been pumping her fist into the air at the mention of "new recruits".

The air in the forge was choking; a thick cloud that smelt of heat. Weapons were made, in piles a day. Heat, hammer, shape, sharpen, cool. Then they were melted back down again.

If Pearl came to visit, Bismuth would feel terrible. She wouldn't get angry. She'd pretend everything was alright. She'd try to be happy. And then Bismuth would snap at her, and she'd leave. Leave defeated. Feeling weak and useless. Pearl tried to hide them, but Bismuth would see the tears. And ignore them. If Pearl could care so much about someone who was gone , who had lied and kept so much hidden, then she didn't need her.

Garnet would be silent. Leaning against a wall like she knew everything. And she'd make the odd comment. It was...strange. Bismuth always hated seeing her.

Amethyst would get angry back. She'd fight and scream. And Bismuth would fight back, letting all the anger out on Amethyst. She hadn't even formed by the time Bismuth was first bubbled, but probably received the worst backlash. Then one day, she said that one word. She'd known since Pearl had told her; why Amethyst hadn't been corrupted. Bismuth didn't care about that and was even close to being envious. Amethyst had never seen the war. But so much had built up inside her, so many emotions she couldn't deal with had edged away at her. She called Amethyst a runt. 

Amethyst stopped visiting. Pearl was different; colder. Garnet reached complete silence and just looked at her contemplatively. Even Steven was different. But Steven still visited everyday. He'd chat about the missions he'd been on, his little friend Connie, and how life was getting on. He'd try, again and again to get her to explore the Earth. To discover what she'd really been fighting for without the cloud of battle and war hanging over her shoulder. She'd smile at him. After everything, she still liked Steven. He had that quality about him; once you knew him you couldn't hate him. Steven was too nice, about everything. The attempt at his life was just "water under the bridge" to him. He had to explain what that meant.

And one day, Steven stopped visiting. At first Bismuth hadn't been worried; he didn't visit every day after all. But then two days passed, then five. Bismuth was worried. She felt alone. And if something had happened to the Gems; no matter what she felt about them, she didn't want them gone. She found herself missing when they would said they would be there for her. Missing them. Amethyst being there, intense and rough and fun. Pearl's laugh and how she tried to hide how much everyone made her smile. Garnet being just...Garnet. And Steven. Bismuth left the forge. She made her way along the tracks she'd passed so many times in the past. To the warp pad. She didn't like being alone. And even if she tried to pretend she didn't, so it hurt less when the anger built up and she snapped, she cared about them. Garnet. Against the odds so she could exist. Pearl. She inspired Bismuth. A "common servant" like that, fighting like that. It helped someone who was made to build for people betrer than her feel good about what she could do. And Amethyst. She'd never seen a gem like that. So unlike everything Homeworld told said she has to be. Because she let no-one tell her what she was supposed to be. Steven. Just Steven. She missed them. Missed their visits.

Time to pay them a visit.

Chapter Text

There was a metallic whirring sound then Bismuth was there. Standing on the warp pad she looked around the Temple. It was night and clouds covered the planet's moon, so the Temple was dark. She turned around. A door behind her with the five pointed star. A purple crystal, red and blue, white. Pink. Bismuth couldn't get in there, and if there was a problem it would be unlikely that the gems would be holed up in their rooms. She tried calling out first.

"Steven? Garnet?" No reply. She walked forward and ducking around checked the...what had Steven called it? Oh, the kitchen. Nothing.

"Amethyst? You around here anywhere?" Again, nothing. Steven's bed. Empty. Dark. Bismuth ran her large hands through her dreadlocks worryingly. Something was off.

"Pearl? You hiding or something?" Nope. Just great. She tried the door, knocking it with her fist gently at first, then calling out and pounding with both hands.

"Look, I can get it if you guys are mad at me, but the thing is, this is kinda creepin' me out now." Nothing. Hits were more frantic. What if they didn't want to see her anymore? Had she gone to far? She'd said some things, but did they actually believe her?

"Pearl! Please, look. I'm sorry!" Bang, again and again. She knew it wouldn't open; the metaphysical properties meant the door didn't lead to a specific place and couldn't open without someone who's gem was imprinted with it. Eventually she stopped. If anyone was there, they weren't coming back. There were two options now. Go out and look. In a human settlement, with humans who could be out at night. Or go back and wait. Sit in the forge. Make weapons for no one to use. And be alone.

She didn't want that. Even if she didnt want people to be there, wierd and nothing like they were before, she didn't want to be alone. Where she would have to think about what happened, because nothing would stop her. And she'd try to do things, because the thoughts hurt her. Made her angry. So she hurt back at whatever she could, because it hurt so much. She hurt people she still loved.

And now they weren't here.

Going back to the forge wasn't an option. She knew there was a...town was it? Yes, a town. Nearby, so she'd try there. Steven had mentioned his "father" lived there. A human. So if she couldn't find the gems there, she'd find him. 

She was cautious about setting out. She'd never traveled away from the Temple other than by warp pad since unbubbling. She didn't know what the humans would be like. Last time she'd seen they were cowering away in caves or being slaughtered. But if the wooden structure that Steven called home was standard human fair, then they couldn't be all that bad. So she started walking along the beach. Bismuth didn't want to leap into the air incase she landed on something important. Or someone. The stretch of sand to the right of the Temple was short and Bismuth passed it easily. Now she could see human structures in the distance. Simple enough, but from where she could see well thought out. Made of blocks of some kind of stone pasted together mostly. The roof was built slanted to withstand wind in most places, which would happen a lot because of how close they were to the ocean. She had to give these humans credit for doing what they could with what they had. The little pathway near the sea was dark, but tall poles that jutted out with electrical lighting allowed her to see. Smart.

Still, she hadn't seen any humans yet. It was night, and Bismuth knew humans mostly slept at night. She'd tried sleeping once or twice. It was calming.

It was eerie in the town to say the least. The whispering sound of the ocean was unnerving and the more she saw signs of humans and the less she them made her wonder how many there actually were. Bismuth looked, and listened for any signs of the gems, or any human. Anything.

There. She heard someone calling 

Wait, calling for help!

Damm!

Bismuth was fast then, sprinting. Her hand was a hammer, and she was running along a narrow path amongst some buildings. 

Was it one of the gems? No; she didn't recognise the voice. Wait, voices. Two? Three? No, two!

Bismuth turned a corner, and was out of the group of buildings. Which way? Left. Towards another building. 

There!

Two humans running. One ahead with the other far behind. Female? Whatever, it didn't matter. 

"Woah, woah! Hold up there. What's happening? Who's hurt?"

The first stopped.  "I don't know! There's like, this big orange green thing! It looks kinda like a person, but it jumped at the car." She snapped around, and ran back. "Jenny! We gotta hurry, I ain't lettin' some monster hurt my favourite twin!" She grabbed the humans hand and they ran on, Bismuth letting them go.

Bismuth walked slowly in the direction they had come from. Whatever it was, she hoped to surprise it. Down the wide path. Looking ahead. It was too dark to see far ahead.

There was a grating noise, like scratching. And a low growling sound; not like an animals. Like a song. A simple melody. Repeating.

Closer now. Ever so slightly closer. There was a dented metal...thing with wheels. And the noise comming from a small turn into a dead end. 

Around the corner.

And crouched against the wall, drawing claws against the ground, patched of green shrinking and spreading, roughly humming to itself, was something that took Bismuth time to figure out.

It was a corrupted gem.

Chapter Text

Bismuth shifted her hand back to normal and stood silently, looking at the gem.

She had orange skin, with lighter shades and darker stripes. Bismuth carefully came forward slightly while being carefull not to scare her.

She was doubled over, close to the wall. Rocking slightly,  claws tearing the concrete. Body convulsing, twitching like she was in pain. And that rough humming. The simple melody. Over and over. Blue-green patches covered her right arm and most of her chest. Her hand was clawed, digging rough grooves into the concrete. The other arm was wrapped around her body; her knees were up to her chest. White hair was covering her face. 

Bismuth began slowly making her way forward. Take it slow, she thought. Even if this gem can understand you she's not gonna be happy.

Growl. Shake. Scratch. One step closer. Growl.

Bang! Smacking the ground with her fist.

Bismuth jumped. The gem's head snapped up. They met eyes.

Through the wild hair, Bismuth could see her face. Green-blue patches across her face. Spikes jutting out from one eye, miniscule ones surrounding the other. Her face seemed to shift in front of Bismuth's very eyes, twisting between recognisable features and animalistic. One yellow eye, swerving wildly around in fear. The gem jumped up and scuttled backwards, until her back was against the wall. Bismuth held up her hand trying to reassure her, but as the gem flinched away from her she lowered them again. It was horrifically...disturbing. And Bismuth didn't like the look of those fangs, or what they could do.

"Woah, woah. Carefull. Not gonna hurt you." She tried to take a step forward. The gem shuddered; she remainder where she was. "Shh...calm down. Just me and you. No one's gonna hurt you." Bismuth kept her eyes on the gem. She was panicking, pressing herself against the wall. Bismuth tried again, holding out her palms. "No weapons. I'm not gonna hurt'cha." After a moment of remaining still, she had a thought.

"What was that lil' tune you were humming? Something like..." She thought for a moment then hummed gently, the first few notes. The other gem joined in. "That calm you down? You like that song? Just focus on that." Bismuth slowly took some step forward. Seeing how the gem didn't react as violently she began coming forward. All the while humming with the gem; harmonising with a voice gradually becoming less scratchy and animalistic. Less of her body was covered in patches when Bismuth came close to her. She knelt down by the gem's side. Slowly, she reached her hands forward and gently parted her long, tangled hair. 

In the centre of her face was the corruption's gem. It was an orange, inverted kite shape. The spikes were gone from one half of her face,much smaller on the other side.

"Trust me now?"

The gem nodded.

"Thanks. My name's Bismuth. You gotta name? You gotta voice, even?" Bismuth saw how they gem seemed less frightened, how her eyes were calmer. They were pretty eyes. Wait, what.

"Jjjaarrpgyh...j.j.aaghh!" The gem struggled with her mouth, though the fangs were gone. Her voice was noticeably more legible, but words seemed out of reach. Irritated, the gem clicked her tounge and strained in an attempt to speak.

"Hey, hey. Don't worry 'bout it. How's about I talk for the both of us, eh?" The gem nodded with an approving grunt.

"Ok then..." Bismuth looked over the gem's body. She looked mostly back to normal-shape by now. Well-built. Broad shoulders. Bismuth looked away before she started blushing. "From the looks 'o things, you're a quartz. Am I right or am I right?" The gem made a happy noise and nodded vigorously. 

"Alright then, quartz-queen. What kinda quartz are you..."

"Jaappphhh...rrrr!"

"Japer? Jap...er. You are a...Jasper!"

"Yeeegh! Yeeh!"

"Any kind or...Just Jasper?"

'Yeee...yes! Jas-per. I'mmm...Jas-per. I'm Jasper."

"Nice meetin' you there, Jasper."

Chapter Text

BUT DON'T WORRY I WILL WRITE THE SAME PLOT IN A DIFFERENT STYLE.

I have no way to express how sorry I am for giving up on this. But writer's block got to me aannnddd...I thought of a better way to write this. But please never count on me for regular updates because I will disappoint you greatly. Again I am so heckin sorry. Until my next work; I say farewell.

Salamander, out.