Inside an old abandoned lava mine, which was still burning due to the burning lava, we found a main hall, full of gem symbology from the last century in ruins. At the back of the room, attached to the main wall and surrounded by several rivers and lava erosions, there was a large pedestal which years ago served as a stage for ceremonies inside the room. Right there, strong short electrical shocks were heard.
Peeps was being heavily tortured with energy shocks, delivered by Spinel-IA's handheld destabilizer. These electric shocks were short to prevent Peeps from puffing quickly, in a way to torture her.
Peeps fell over and over again to the ground from the energy discharges. Peeps was almost exhausted from trying to escape and enduring the pain of the shocks, enduring more and more not to succumb to them and puff her physical form. She already looked tired, hurt and exhausted by this.
— Spinel-IA...Please stop. I can't anymore... —
Peeps said lying on the ground, trying to get up without success and exhausted.
— You should have thought about the consequences that would bring me away from my dear Spinel. You totally deserve this —
Spinel-IA full of pain and rage, approached her to give an electric shock to Peeps already on the ground. Peeps writhed again in pain, but she tried to get up again without success, looking at Spinel-IA
— Spinel-IA I-... understand that I... never thought that resuming my relationship with Spinel would affect you like this... —
Spinel-IA was enraged by the attitude that she believed to be "indifferent" from Peeps towards the affection she has for Spinel, so he rushed towards her and with her left hand grabbed her clothes, approached Peeps firmly, face to face. Peeps let herself be pulled, exhausted by the pain.
— Don't tell me lies! You merged with her! You could see her thoughts! She knows how I feel about her! You never considered that?! —
Peeps took the wrist from the hand of Spinel-IA who was firmly holding it up and took a breath.
— S-Spinel is careful with her thoughts... even if she fuses with someone else, she blocks part of her thoughts and memories... maybe she didn't let me see that about you —
Spinel-IA became even more enraged, more than anything for learning that from her beloved Spinel, a fact that she did not know, and her enemy was revealing it to her. Due to spontaneous anger at Peeps' comment, Spinel-IA with the destabilizer in her right hand, delivered another short electric shock to Peeps' abdomen, causing her to moan in pain unable to escape from it.
Spinel-IA gave an angry groan, looking down at the ground, annoyed by what she heard, but without letting go of Peeps, she looked back at her and brought her face to face again.
— You're saying that's why I didn't see you in her memories when I fused with her... is that true? —
Peeps let out some tears of pain — M-maybe... —
Spinel-IA was further enraged knowing that even Spinel didn't trust her. So, she let out a snarl of rage and delivered another shock to Peeps in her abdomen, right on her gem. This blast was a bit longer, causing her energy to nearly destabilize Peeps completely, making her scream in pain, but, before puffing, Spinel-IA released her and paused the destabilizer. Peeps fell to the ground on his arm, smoking from the energy accumulated in her body.
Spinel-IA backed away from Peeps with somewhat erratic movements, pacing angrily, thinking about everything Peeps had revealed about Spinel. Spinel-IA was grumbling angrily, breathing almost hyperventilating with anger.
— Not.... No- I don't accept it... she couldn't...? Diamonds! *angry groan* Spinel hid your existence from me! She...! No, it's both your fault! —
She turned to see Peeps a few meters from her, who was still on the ground, and with what little strength she had left, she turned to see Spinel-IA. Spinel-IA walked towards Peeps pointing at her with the destabilizer
— If it hadn't been for you 2, I wouldn't be heartbroken! I want to make them suffer!... but!... I still love Spinel... —
Already in front of Peeps, this she asked scared
— W-what will you do to her? —
— Nothing to her, as long as she doesn't meddle, on the other hand, to you... —
Spinel-IA grabbed her clothes again with her left hand, lifting her off the ground and bringing her closer to her face.
This made me change my mind. Puffing you is not enough for me anymore... —
She began to press Peeps' gem against the tips of her destabilizer, creating pain in Peeps, making her tear up and moan in pain.
— I think now I want to break your gem! —Spinel-IA said
She looked like she was about to crack Peeps' gem, when, in the distance, at the entrance of the hall that leads to the exit corridor, Spinel's voice was heard.
— Spinel-IA! —
Spinel-IA and Peeps turned unexpectedly at the voice, causing Spinel-IA to stop pressing Peeps' gem.
Spinel had arrived at the living room, and behind her was Whitearl, intimidated by the scene. Spinel was exalted to see that Spinel-IA was on top of the main pedestal, with a lit destabilizer in one of her hands and in the other, held very firmly by Peeps. She was terrified when she saw that Peeps was badly hurt. Peeps tried to yell at her as hard as she could, but her voice was already too weak.
— Spinel... help... —
Spinel and Whitearl expressed in unison — Peeps! — Whitearl terrified and Spinel impressed
— Spinel! You shouldn't have come. You weren't invited —
Spinel-IA yelled, standing up and relaxing a bit, with a somewhat hilarious but annoyed tone of voice, and still not letting go of Peeps.
— Look what she did to Peeps! We have to call the diamonds! —
Whitearl jumped out immediately pulling her communicator out of her gem, but she was quickly stopped by Spinel, who turned quickly and lowered Whitearl's hand with the communicator in it.
— No! She could puff Peeps! —
Spinel-IA added
— Listen to Spinel! I could puff your dear Peeps any time if I want — she said, bringing the destabilizer closer to Peeps' hurt face.
Spinel was terrified, but she steeled herself and tried to take a few steps forward, hoping she wouldn't take a false one. She left Whitearl rigid behind her. As she took the steps forward, Spinel spoke concerned but assertive to Spinel-IA.
— Spinel-IA, let's be rational and put that destabilizer down. Let go of Peeps, your problem is with me, not her! —
Spinel-IA relaxed once more and replied still in a hilarious tone.
— It won't be possible Spinel, since my problem isn't just with her, it's with both of you, and with everyone who gets in the way of my revenge —
— Revenge? You saw my past, well you know that the path of revenge is not the right one. This will not satisfy you later! —
— I don't care what you've experienced in your past, besides, you decided to choose Peeps over me, over me! I who gave myself to you, I gave you my love and my affection! —
Spinel-IA said changing her tone from hilarious to a more annoying one and breaking down a bit at the end. Spinel began to take light steps forward, trying to get closer and closer, but also trying not to upset Spinel-IA any more. Spinel-IA noticed this and re-aimed her destabilizer at Peeps' face.
— Spinel-IA, an old friend taught me that it is better to solve problems by talking than by fighting or hurting... Please realize that what you are doing is wrong, there is always another way! —
Spinel said scared and trying to convince her. Spinel-IA was a bit intimidated, she put the tips of the destabilizer on Peeps' chin, as she moved closer to the edge of the pedestal. Spinel-IA began to break more and more
— T-talk won't do you any good Spinel! You broke my heart! It's only fair that I break yours! I'll break Peeps' gem so you can feel what I felt when you left me —
Spinel-IA turned to look at Peeps and switched to aiming the destabilizer at Peeps' gem, terrifying it and Spinel as well.
— NO WAIT! Have you already forgotten everything we learned about friendship in our therapy gang? —
Spinel-IA stopped glaring at Peeps and turned to Spinel uncertainly, but still aiming the destabilizer at Peeps' gem and holding it firmly. Spinel continued to approach slowly and continued to reason.
— As my spinel gang, you all taught me so many things, and not only me, we all taught each other what friendship and love are... I know it was wrong to have given you wings when you opened your heart to me, it was wrong to have hidden your existence of Peeps- Diamonds! this is all my fault! but... There is no reason for this to be the solution... I know that this is not part of the love teachings of our gang —
Spinel-IA looked at her sad and uncertain. Spinel stopped a few meters near the pedestal.
— Or are you going to ignore everything we learned in the gang? Will you ignore what the others taught you? —
Spinel-IA looked down with moist eyes. She turned to see Peeps, who was looking at her exhausted, already without strength and intimidated, waiting for freedom. Peeps frowned and looked down. She straightened up, still not letting go of Peeps, and pushed her right hand away with the destabilizer, shutting it off and storing it in her gem.
— I hate to say it, but you're kind of right... —
Spinel was moved, she believed that he had made Spinel-IA reason, even Whitearl meters behind her had breathed a sigh of relief, loosening her rigidity a bit. But, then, Spinel-IA took something else out of her gem.
— But that reason makes the situation worse... *Spinel gets confused* Because despite everything we learned about love and friendship as a group, it makes it even worse that they betrayed me —
Spinel-IA raises her right hand towards the edge of the pedestal, revealing that the 3 gems of her friends were held in her palm; Spinel-E, Spinel-J and Spinel-EE. Spinel was terrified by what she saw, even Whitearl brought her hands to her mouth in astonishment.
And with a deep, muffled and gloomy voice Spinel-IA said — They got in my way, and as I said, I will not tolerate anyone who does —
Spinel-IA dropped the 3 gems letting them fall from the pedestal to the ground. Spinel quickly reacted scared and stretched out her arms, pounced and fell to the ground, managing to catch them with her hands meters from her just in time. Whitearl ran towards Spinel crouching down next to her. Spinel looked terrified at Spinel-IA, slowly retracted her arms and was helped up by Whitearl, immediately afterwards she hugged the gems of her 3 friends on her chest. Terrified Spinel screamed
— What did you do!? —
— I already told you, they got in my way! It was the most effective thing I could do without seriously injuring them, after all, they will regenerate soon! —
— But you hurt them! You are hurting everyone on this whim! You will hardly have everyone's forgiveness! —
Spinel-IA was enraged and quickly with her right hand she took out the destabilizer from her gem again, igniting it suddenly pointing at Spinel
— DON'T FORGET WHOSE FAULT IS! —
She said aggressively and between her teeth, leaving Spinel silent still with her 3 gems in her hands, looking at her with an exorbitant and terrified look.
— I was wrong... I never thought you were worse than me, but you did it, you managed to be... —
Spinel-IA again aimed the destabilizer at the Peeps gem as she said in a mocking tone
— Ha! Don't try to affect me with your disappointment, besides, overcome the expert? As I remember, I never threatened to exterminate an entire planet —
Spinel made a disgusted expression at Spinel-IA's challenging comment. She got upset and turned to see Whitearl, handing the gems into her hands while she said with a serene voice
— Whitearl, take care of them with your life, I'll have to take care of this now —
Whitearl looked at her insecure and scared, but she nodded her head while she delicately took her 3 gems into her hands. Spinel turned around safely and with an annoyed and firm expression.
— Spinel-IA, stop playing games and release Peeps or I'll have to go get her — Spinel said in a very serious and crude tone
— Try it, I doubt you'll be able to reach her in time — Spinel-IA replied, taking Peeps firmly, and pressing her gem with the destabilizer
Spinel got a little altered — Don't underestimate me. You know what I'm capable of, and I don't want to hurt you —
Spinel-IA turned to look at her for a moment, offended by what she said, lowering her destabilizer a bit. She smiled incredulously
— Hurt me? Remember that you already did it... And you will pay for it! —
She spontaneously hurled the destabilizer at Peeps's cracked eye, giving her a strong electric shock, causing Peeps to scream in pain at the energy that rapidly destabilized her physical form. The energy in milliseconds caused the cracks in Peeps's eye to start growing, spreading across her face. Finally, in just seconds, the energy surge puffed Peeps into Spinel-IA's hands, dropping her gem to the ground, and drawing an insane smile on Spinel-IA's face as she watched victoriously as Peeps' gem taking in of the ground.
Spinel immediately changed her expression to an enraged one. Whitearl jumped in terror, and as if in slowmotion and in an instinctive movement, she began to run quickly towards the pedestal, stretched out her legs and gave a huge leap towards Spinel-IA, pointing both legs towards her in the air to hit her with her feet strongly. in the chest, making her fly to the other end, accidentally releasing the destabilizer and colliding strongly with the wall of the pedestal, and falling to her floor.
Spinel fell kneeling on the pedestal next to the destabilizer, got up and with one foot, stepped on it and broke it, then threw it behind her, falling several meters from the pedestal. She looked with penetrating eyes and extremely furious at Spinel-IA who next to the wall, began to laugh, and got up sore from the blow.
— Hehehe, wow! Spinel finally lets out that dark and aggressive side of her, I love it! —
— Give me Peeps' gem —
— Too bad she's letting that side of her out only for her girlfriend, that makes me sick! —
Spinel-IA then raised her hand where Peeps' gem was and tried to smash it against the floor, but before doing so, she received a strong punch from Spinel who had stretched out her arm, causing Spinel-IA to groan in pain, step back and drop the Peeps gem on the floor. With the other hand, Spinel hold Peeps' gem, and retracted it to take it firmly, but then, she was hit in the stomach by Spinel-IA, causing her to lose her breath, drop the gem from her and falling between them.
They both ran and tried to take the gem. Spinel got to her first, dropping to her knees to the floor, catching her gem with both hands, but Spinel-IA quickly came in front of her and kicked her on the cheek. Spinel fell moaning in pain, but with the gem in her hands. Spinel-IA lunged at her furiously, and tried to reach out with her hands to her, but Spinel entangled one of her legs in Spinel-IA stopping her, to which she reached up and raised her arms.
Both fought and got tangled between pulling, hitting and moans of pain. Whitearl was below her paralyzed and terrified by what she saw. She knelt down on the ground and put the 3 gems in it, then pulled the communicator from her gem again in a shaky but quick manner, and before turning it on, Spinel yelled at her in the distance, making her stand out and shrug.
— DON'T CALL THE DIAMONDS —
Spinel yelled, as she lay with her head on the edge of the pedestal, her right hand holding Peeps' gem, and with her another arm and both legs entangled in Spinel-IA's body and arms, struggling to push her away.
— But, but, my Spinel... — Whitearl exclaimed quickly and through her teeth. She snapped her head to the side of her, thinking what to do, hugging the communicator.
— Just stay there and take care of the gem-! *drowning* —
Spinel was hit and choked by Spinel-IA's right hand as she broke free of Spinel's arms. Spinel began to suffocate and immediately untangled her other arm and legs from Spinel-IA's body, letting Spinel-IA retract her stretched body from her, and run towards Spinel. Spinel-IA choked Spinel with more force, and Spinel tried with her last breath to remove Spinel-IA's hand with her left hand, but it came to rest on top of Spinel, who put her legs on Spinel-IA's chest. AI trying to push her away. Spinel-IA with her left hand tried to reach for Peeps' gem in Spinel's right hand, but Spinel stretched it past the edge of the pedestal, further angering Spinel-IA.
Spinel once again entangled her legs in Spinel-IA's body, squeezing her abdomen, beginning to suffocate her. Spinel-IA released Spinel's neck, and with her left hand, she hit Spinel-IA who, receiving the punch with pain, returned a headbutt at Spinel, causing both of them to fall entangled from the edge to the ground below.
Spinel fell on top of Spinel-IA, retracted and straightened up in pain on her knees, she began to quickly crawl towards hers her right arm stretched out from her with the gem further in front of her. Spinel-IA caught her breath and pounced on Spinel again from her back, making her fall to the floor again tired and giving a groan of pain, to which Spinel retracted her right arm. Spinel-IA knelt on top of her tired and sore alike, she turned Spinel face to face and started hitting her.
Between agitated gasps of pain from both of them, Spinel-IA punched Spinel hard. Spinel-IA was already tired and badly hurt from her hits, so she was slow to deliver the next punch while she caught her breath. Spinel only received the punches with pain, protecting Peeps's gem tightly between her 2 hands, entangled in several folds of both of her arms, very close to her chest. Spinel-IA gave another punch while she was breathing heavily, she looked tired at Spinel, who only looked back in front of her and endured the pain.
— Hey... Don't resist... you just lengthen your pain—
Spinel-IA was abruptly hit by a powerful headbutt returned by Spinel. Spinel-IA lost her breath with it, and fell back, Spinel quickly pounced now on top of her, untangled her arms, moved her right hand away where she kept Peeps' gem, and with her left hand, began to choke again Spinel-IA who still couldn't catch her breath. Spinel was beaten up, badly injured, and kept a furious expression glaring at Spinel-IA, who was struggling for air as she was choked.
Spinel-IA no longer had strength in her limbs, and she could only raise her left arm to grab Spinel's wrist as a sign of wishing for mercy. Spinel glared at the breathless face of Spinel-IA, who, with pain and some difficulty, opened her eyes, reddened by her pressure on her head, and looked at Spinel in terror.
Spinel saw that look. She realized. What she was doing was wrong. She released Spinel-IA, to which she caught her breath and began to cough.
Still on top of Spinel-IA, Spinel stepped away from her a bit from her looking at her with a terrified expression and having caught her breath, Spinel-IA looked at her helplessly and sadly with wet eyes. Spinel returned a rueful look with her eyes just as moist.
Suddenly and before being able to say anything to him, Spinel gave a dry cry of pain. She looked down from her and saw that Spinel-IA had shoved the broken destabilizer into her abdomen with her hands, which she had taken with her left hand when she was choked by Spinel. The destabilizer rods went through Spinel's body, just surrounding her gem. At such an unexpected impact of the hit, Spinel dropped Peeps' gem, letting it fall to the ground, next to both of them. Spinel pulled out the tears and turned to look shocked and in pain at the face of Spinel-IA who also let out the very sad tears.
— I just wanted to be with you — Spinel-IA said crying with an extremely brittle and almost inaudible voice.
— For- Forgive me... —
Spinel replied sore and out of breath. Then Spinel-IA had a heavy hit to her gem from Spinel's right hand, which quickly puffed her.
Kneeling in pain, and even with the stabilizer stuck in her abdomen, Spinel took both gems in her hands; With her right hand that of Peeps, and with her left that of Spinel-IA, and she raised both hands in front of her face, looking at both gems with tears in her eyes. Spinel couldn't take it anymore, she fell back onto the ground, lying on her back, causing the destabilizer to slide out of her body a bit.
— My spinel! —
Whitearl, with the 3 gems in her hands, ran towards Spinel and knelt next to her. She was concerned with everything that had happened.
— Whitearl... take care of them, take care of all of them... I did the best I could... —
Said Spinel exhausted and in pain, still with tears in her eyes, looking at Whitearl extremely worried next to her, holding the Spinel-IA and Peeps gems on her chest, side by side with her own gem.
— My Spinel, I will notify the diamonds... they will understand —
— Don't Whitarl... I—
— Shhh... I'm telling you as a friend, it will be the best —
Whitearl said in a serene but somewhat brittle way in her voice, while she took Spinel's shoulder. Spinel smiled at her and with her last breath she answered her
— Heh, it's okay. I trust you —
Then her body couldn't take it anymore and she puffed, leaving Whitearl alone, looking worried at all the gems that had puffed.
Whitearl had to go with the diamonds and notify them of what had happened. The diamonds decided to wait for Spinel to regenerate so they could talk to her and make a decision about the other gems and Spinel. Days passed, some of the gems quickly regenerated. The one who was taking the time to return was Spinel, thinking about everything that had happened, she should return extremely refreshed.
Weeks later, Spinel regenerated and returned wearing a new outfit, which gave a clear homage to the deceased Pink Diamond, with some details of her outit fused with Spinel's old outfit. Spinel had to face the diamonds and their decision.
— This was a setback, a big one Spinel —
White Diamond said firm and judging. The 3 diamonds were in the great main hall, and in front of their thrones, Spinel with a downcast and submissive look.
— I know and it won't happen again. I acted only thinking of myself and I didn't stop to think about what my actions would cause — She said.
— Well, you had a lot of time to think about what you did. We too. We have decided your fate and that of the other gems — White added and continued firm.
— During your absence, Whitearl informed me about every detail of what happened and prior to that. Although one of your spinel escorts was part of the problem, there will be no punishment for the other 3. They will be granted the job or retirement they choose for their completed community work, and as for the reddish spinel; Spinel-IA, will undergo a period of therapy on Little Homeworld.
As for the return of Volley *clears throat* I mean, Peeps, she made a request to return to work as Pink Diamond's companion pearl, in this case, Great Spinel's. We grant the request. We know that working alone is not fun, it's about time you had your pearl companion.
And as for you Spinel —
Spinel looked up expecting a determined punishment for the diamonds.
— We have decided that there is no punishment *Spinel looks at her impressed* Although you have made mistakes, we have all learned that making mistakes is part of our daily personal growth. There will be no punishment like it used to be done in the past. We just hope this bug made you learn and make you a better gem in the future —
Spinel gave them a grateful but emotionless smile. She just felt at peace.
— Thank you. I appreciate it very much, and yes, these weeks I have been thinking a lot about what happened, and although I will have more setbacks in the future, I hope to continue to improve and grow even more as a gem leader over time —
The diamonds looked at her proudly.
— Could I give you a hug? —
Spinel said somewhatembarrassed, opening her arms a little. The diamonds smiled at her and shehappily rose from her throne to kneel down to hug her. After all, and beyondbeing the monarchs of the gems, they are also a family.