Dnalhsa Park
"Everyone, I hereby call this meeting of Sector Leaders to order!" Ynohtna announced to the operatives gathered around the park fountain, which the bucktoothed boy was standing on. The participants included Arorua, Ydolem, and Asia. "Because of Egroeg and AlyakAm's recent treachery, Cousin Nerehc has decreed that Sector -IC needs a new leader. And we have all decided that Numbuh -6:00m.a., Ikuyim Latsyrc, is most appropriate for the job!" There was little applause as Ikuyim came to stand by Ynohtna.
"Thank you, Ynohtna!" Ikuyim proclaimed happily. "I promise to do my absolute best to help my sector recover. Honestly, even Yrret is having a hard time being good again, but Egroeg and Alyak, too?? It really tears at my heartstrings!"
"Why are we having this meeting outside?!" Nirak of Sector -JP whined, flailing her arms. "My shoes are getting all dirty, and there's so many bugs!"
"I think a gathering of friends in fresh air livens our spirits and boosts our creativity!" Ynohtna cheered.
"The air might be more breathable than it used to," Asia replied, "but it's still smelly enough to derive us from focus." She sprayed some freshener.
"Maybe, but we're steadily getting there. Look at this fountain, for instance!" The Nega-Sector W leader turned to look in the water. "It's so clean now, we can see our reflections! And look how shiny it is. …" The fountain began to glow. "Eh?"
"WAAAAH!" Five figures came flying out of the fountain, plopping on the ground before the leaders. Ikuyim approached and studied the group of 7-year-olds.
"Huh? Ynohtna, it's your Positive!" Ikuyim pointed at the barefoot boy who looked like him.
"YOOOO!" Another person flew out of the fountain and landed on his face in the grass. His lower half was propped up before falling down, then he jumped to his feet. "Yo, yo!" Killer Bee, the ninja rapstar, rapped. "I was travelin' on a stormy island when I saw these kids, they beat the snot out of some god with this, supah-dupah thundered-up angel, then the Goddess o' Light sent us to this world with a opposite angle, fools, ya fools!"
"Owww… where are we…" Anthony moaned as they helped their selves up.
"'Tis the Negaverse, fair enough." Fybi observed. "The air is noxious."
"You said it, Cous." Asia remarked.
"Anthony!" Ynohtna jumped down to hug him from behind. "Nice to see you again! I missed you so."
"I didn't miss you, Shoe Boy." Anthony broke away from him. "The only reason we're here is 'cause Palutena sent us."
"We were under attack by one of the World Leaders from our world." Aranea explained. "Palutena thought we would be safe in Ynohtna's care."
"Awwwwe." The Negative boy cooed. "That's so sweet of Palutena."
"Yeah, but we don't like it." Anthony stated. "On the bright side, it feels nice to be on solid ground again." He brushed his foot along the pavement.
"Hey, are you an earthbender?" Ikuyim asked.
"Yeah, so what?"
"That's funny! I'm an earthbender, too!" She pointed at her bare feet.
"Oh. Well, you're already cooler than your Positive."
"Anthony, maybe Ikuyim can teach you some new things." Sally smiled intuitively. "You were in the middle of training before we had to help Fybi."
"Shyeah, but Tom was a lavabender." Anthony folded his arms in a haughty fashion. "I bet Ikuyim doesn't do anything close to that."
"Well, my sister is a lavabender," Ikuyim laughed, "but I doubt she would be a good teacher. But Anthony, have you ever heard of Nature Crystals?"
"No?"
"They're supernatural crystals that grow from the Heart of the World and have unique properties. They're very fluent with a planet's very life force. I first learned of my earthbending when I trained to sense these crystals!"
"Okay, so you can sense magic crystals. But I wanna learn earthbending to fight, how does that help me?"
"Fools, ya fools!" Killer Bee rapped. "If nature and elements were used to battle, every bender would be an offender! Then their brothers go tattle, and that's immature, but we wanna be mature, that's why it rhymes with nature, ya dig?"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Ikuyim laughed with a sunny expression. "I think what this man means is, you'll only get stronger by bonding with your element! Don't just focus on the parts that would help you battle better, you have to know why your element is so wonderful to begin with!"
"I already know all that nature crud." Anthony stated. "Chiri taught it to me, how the earth is a living organism that 'cares for its children like a mother' or somethin'. I'm already pretty good at Seismic Sense."
"This much is true, Anthony, but there's a lot more you need to learn." a woman's voice said.
"Well, I wanna get ta learning the important stuff before I… Wait, whut?" The boy looked around in confusion.
"Look!" Ynohtna pointed at the fountain. A bright projection of Goddess Palutena rose from the water as the Negatives gazed in awe.
"Goddess Palutena…" Asia stared.
"I had time to whip up this self-aware hologram to tell you a few things." Palutena said. "Anthony, you are aware that you are a member of the Granite Family, who are said to be the leaders of the Four Earthbender Families. But did you know that, on many occasions throughout history, the Granites have always been taught by the other families?"
"Um… no. Wait, so did my mom learn from the other families?"
"Well, she never had the chance to. But don't be fooled just because she made Logia. If you really want to become stronger, you will have to train under the other families. Your mom and your sister taught you what the Granites should know, and Tom of the Sovites was kind enough to be your teacher… You'll be happy to know that the other families have kids who are still learning their abilities as well. I think they're the ones you should train with." She gave a smile.
"So, shouldn't my sister train with them, too?" Anthony cocked a brow.
"Oh, let your sister mature a little more. She's still so young and developing."
"My butt."
"Anthony, Ikuyim here is the daughter of the Latsyrc Family. They are part of the Negaverse's own Noble Earthbenders, for their ability to bend crystals and gems. They may not be infamous in their own history, but you can be the very first Granite to learn from them."
"Hmm… Doesn't sound bad." Anthony figured. "So do I have to learn from the other Nega-Families?"
"Not unless you wanna perform dark arts." Palutena said sheepishly. "Ikuyim should serve as a good teacher for now. But when you return to the Posiverse, search for Shelly Johnson, the daughter of the Quartzite Family. Her specialty is sandbending."
"But what about the fourth family?" Sally asked.
"The Hornfels daughter still hasn't awakened herself, yet. But when she does, I'll tell you." The goddess winked. "I'm about to fade off, so I wish you the best of luck. Be strong, Anthony, Fybi, and Harvey. Your future struggles are not far." And she was gone.
"…So the Hornfels is a girl. Fantastic." Anthony rolled his eyes.
"Why did she mention you, Harvey?" Aranea asked. "I know Fybi's a Light, and Anthony's the leader, but why you?"
"I dunno." Harvey swung his yo-yo. "Maybe she thinks I'm sweet!"
"Whatever." Anthony faced Ikuyim. "Okay, Crystal Girl, teach me how to crystalbend."
"Haha, I'm not a super-smart teacher, either!" Ikuyim blushed, scratching her head. "In fact, I really don't know any good training grounds for my style. Maybe we'll just do some warm-up exercises over there."
"Better than nothing." Anthony said as they adjourned a few yards away. "I just wanna shake off the skysickness."
Medusa watched them from afar, under the shade of a tree. "Thankfully, I happen to know the perfect training ground." She smirked.
Latsyrc Household
"Friends, I'm happy to welcome you to my home!" Ikuyim danced into her room and allowed Positive Sector W inside. Ikuyim had several plants, shelves aligned with pretty gems of various colors and shapes, and a sleeping mat on the floor.
Fybi sniffed the pleasant air of the room. "'Tis the most fragrant scent in this malodorous world. Thine choice in décor is praiseworthy."
"It isn't bad, I guess." Anthony said, enjoying the natural air. "So like, what's up with those people at the volcano, again?"
"Oh, that's just my sister and her friend, Yllehs." The group went over by the window to view the volcanic field beyond Ikuyim's back yard. "Ikus gets a lot of temper tantrums and turns everything into lava, so we need Yllehs to fight her and cool her down.
Lavabender Ikus Latsyrc and icebender Yllehs Nosnhoj were in another climactic battle. Yllehs surfed on an Ice Road, creating a wide curve around her opponent while Ikus sent streams of lava to break parts of the ice. Yllehs suddenly lunged at Ikus, hands lit with ice as she attempted to slam them against her, but Ikus raised a lava wall, which Yllehs turned to stone when her ice hands touched. Yllehs was knocked back when Ikus kicked a piece of the wall at her, then the lavabender surfed forth on a lava wave. Yllehs skied away, raising a trail of tall icicles, but Ikus surfed between each one and melted them in her pursuit.
"Wow, and I thought Michelle was annoying." Anthony remarked. "How do you get any sleep?"
"Knowing that tomorrow is another adventure!" Ikuyim happily danced over to her shelf of purple gems. "I loved to collect treasure as a hobby, but when I discovered my earthbending, I began to practice with them." She waved her hands and made an oval gem and triangle gem float. "I had a natural talent for it. You try!" She passed the oval gem to Anthony.
The boy set the gem on the ground and held his hand above it. He channeled his power and struggled to lift it. …The gem shook and lifted slightly, but it plopped back down when Anthony's grip broke. "Sigh, it's really heavy."
"Didn't that Minish say no earthbender ever lifted a diamond?" Aranea asked.
"That's not a diamond, it's an amethyst, silly!" Ikuyim laughed. "But you're right, diamonds are impossible to bend. They're like, super strong!"
"More than you know." A woman's voice said from the doorway.
Ikuyim gasped, recognizing her immediately. Medusa walked in and said, "Thannypoo, knock the extras out."
The green snake on her shoulder flashed his eyes at each of the Sector W members. They passed out on the floor, with Fybi dropping like a bird from the air. Ikuyim clenched her teeth in anger. "Whaddid you DO to them?!"
"Easy, I only put them to sleep!" Thanatos yelled defensively. "Not the everlasting sleep."
"I'm sorry to interrupt your lesson, but the Darknesses won't find themselves." Medusa said. "I'll need you for this one, Ikuyim."
"Need her for what?" Anthony asked groggily. The three looked in surprise as the boy was pushing himself up from the floor.
"He withstood my Sleep Stare?" Thanatos asked. "How is that possible?"
"When you train as long as I have… heh… you decide when to sleep." The boy smirked.
"Hmmm…" Medusa scratched her chin. "Impressive feat of will, but… you're not really relevant to my plan."
"Ikky-yim, who is this lady?"
"She's Medusa. And-; hn-hn, that's not my name, silly!" Ikuyim switched from a serious glare to a sunny smile.
"Wait… Medusa?" Anthony cocked a brow. "Palutena's sister?"
"HISSSS!" Medusa bared her fangs, scaring the boy. "Don't you mention her name in my presence!"
"She told us you were searching for the Darknesses. So, are ya?"
"I am." Medusa still glared. "That's what I was about to ask Ikuyim to do. You're going to awaken one of the most important Darknesses."
Ikuyim glanced at Anthony. "I want him to come with me." She stated firmly.
"What? Why?"
"So that I can give him some on-the-field training. I don't think you would've asked me unless this had something to do with my power. Now, who is this Darkness?"
"How very clever." Medusa smiled lightly. "All right. Your little beaver can come with you and die before one of the mightiest women the universe has ever known. She is a real beauty of a Gem… A conqueress by the name of Yellow Diamond."
Island south of Indian Ocean
Medusa brought Ikuyim and Anthony to the Posiverse, where she then warped the two to the designated island via Dark Portal. "I still wanna know what's going on!" Anthony demanded.
"Just hold your horses." Ikuyim told him. "Medusa promised to help us find the Thirteen Darknesses. Hopefully, she's taking us to a clue."
Medusa led them to the underground chamber where Stewie's time machine lay. "I set the coordinates to take you to a planetoid called Crystallia. Exactly 6,557 years ago. There, you should find the one called Yellow Diamond."
"And she's one of the Darknesses?" Anthony cocked a brow.
"Yes, and a very special one at that." Medusa smirked. "She comes from the First Dimension. The very place that, when the Twenty Keys are united, will be open, and the New World can be constructed. You two must serve as her guides, and be on your best behavior. Return with the Return Pad when you're finished. And remember, you are not to tell her of your mission."
"You don't tell me what to do!" Anthony shouted.
"I can turn you to stone right now!" Medusa shot her face into his, her reptilian eyes narrowed. "Now get in the machine!"
With a gulp, Anthony stepped into the machine with Ikuyim, the door shutting behind them. They pressed the activate, and the blinding blue light zapped them across the timeline. "But I thought Anthony wasn't included in Yellow Diamond's original story." Thanatos said. "Only Ikuyim matched the description. Won't this affect things?"
"We'll watch from here and see what happens. Perhaps there was a mistake…"
First Dimension; White Diamond's Throne
"White Diamond…" Yellow Diamond marched into the massive, white, glittering chamber.
"Yes, Yellow Diamond?" the towering, beautiful empress asked softly.
"I wanted to apologize for my earlier insubordinance." Yellow bowed her head. "I was only… concerned for our wellbeing."
"It is understandable. All is forgiven…"
"I've just been… so angry." Yellow hugged herself lightly, speaking with congested anger. "Our Ether falling into their hands… They're abusing our people! They act as though we're merely objects, even though WE'RE the ones who wish to SAVE this crumbling dimension!"
"Yellow Diamond… please be calm."
"My Diamond, please fuse with me!" She looked up at her empress with pleading eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"I need… solace." The smaller diamond closed her eyes. "We haven't fused in so long… I would like to feel your warm embrace again. I just want a reminder… we will always have each other…"
"Topaz…" White Diamond slowly reached down.
"My Diamond…"
White Diamond gently picked her up. The empress remembered the last time they fused. Although she didn't express it, she enjoyed it very much. Her subordinate was so tiny… so adorable… yet, her love and passion for her empire was vast… and White Diamond loved her fierce and strict aura.
White Diamond held Topaz to her chest, stood up from her throne, and twirled. Yellow Diamond shone and sunk into her empress's chest. White Diamond glowed, and their body transformed into a beautiful entity comprised of both their souls.
Yellow Diamond… this is wonderful. I had forgotten… how it felt to be with you.
It is wonderful, My Diamond. And I will always keep you with me. I'm sorry… to have to…
Topaz… what are you doing?
I will not let the trolls reap our land any longer. I want to destroy them, but I can only do so with your power. I knew you would not agree to this… so I must…
Topaz… Stop!
My Diamond… forgive me…
Crystallia
Amethysts, jaspers, and pearls lay scattered around the landscape. The planet's surface composed of crystals and gems of diverse colors, and their beauty was complimented by the stars of space. A single pearl of yellow tint shone as it rose into the air. It formed a body of a yellow, slender humanoid, whose yellow hair was up in a point, she wore a one-piece, had long leggings, and yellow slippers, and the pearl was on her chest.
"AAAAAH!" she yelped. "Whuh-?" Pearl looked around frantically. The hundreds of colorless gems filled her with dread. "YEEK! Oh my. Oh dear!" She zipped around frenetically. "M-My Diamond! Where are you? My Diamond?" She went far away. "YELLOW DIAMOND!" She zipped up to the camera.
But then she heard a faint shimmering sound. She turned and saw the yellow diamond float into the air, shining as her body formed. Her hair that looked like Pac-Man from the side, sharp yellow eyes, long neck, huge shoulder blades, and dark high-heel boots… Yellow Diamond had reformed. "My Diamond!" Pearl happily skittered over to the woman who was slouched on her knees.
"Augh… Pearl…" Yellow Diamond stretched to full height. "What… happened…"
"Those dirty trolls attacked us with their machine! All of a sudden, I was poofed, and all of the other Gems-…" Pearl paused and looked at her empress with shock.
"What? Pearl, what is the matter?!" Diamond asked sternly.
Pearl skimmed her up and down, standing stiff and her eyes wide. "M-My Diamond… you're so… small."
Diamond's eyes widened. She looked down and only then realized that Pearl was a few inches shorter than her. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"
"I-I-It- It must've been the after-effects of the machine. Heheh, traveling dimensions certainly absorbs a lot of energy from a Gem, hahahahahaha."
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!"
Her thundering voice scared Pearl into slouching like a crab and scuttling backwards. "You're still taller than me! M-My Diamond, I'm certain this doesn't change how powerful you are."
"Sigh, it doesn't even matter! Did we really end up in the dimension the trolls were constructing?" Yellow Diamond looked around.
"Apparently…" Pearl looked left-and-right quickly.
"Ugh… We need to find a way back home. Without all the Diamonds, the Ether will be impossible to control. Pearl, start collecting all these gems and store them in your pearl."
"Yes, My Diamond." Pearl started picking up each and every fallen gem, stuffing them inside her chest gem, which glowed and let them into a subspace. "Sigh, the idea of all these Gems confined in my chest… it's like a breeding ground. Hu-hu-hu-hu."
Yellow Diamond heard a buzzing sound and turned. A blue light flashed into existence and dropped two characters on the ground: a girl with white hair, a dark-gray shirt, and orange skirt, and a boy with buckteeth and large feet.
As Ikuyim and Anthony helped their selves off the solid, shiny ground, the pair of high-heel boots approached them. They stared up at the imposing yellow woman with the diamond on her chest. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"Uh… I'm Ikuyim Latsyrc, and this boy is Anthony." The Negative girl answered.
"Who are you?" Anthony asked rudely.
"You'll show your respect, Antling!" Pearl stated, skittering up from behind her empress. "You lay before Co-Empress of the Gem Empire, Yellow Diamond!"
Ikuyim stared at her with admiration. "You're Yellow Diamond!" She stood up, smiling brightly. "You're so beautiful! And that gem is so pretty!"
"She looks like a bottle of pee." Anthony stated, getting up.
Yellow Diamond bent down, grabbed him by the ankle, and picked him up upside-down. "H-H-Hey-!" The empress grabbed two of his toes and shook them, turning the hanging boy and studying every angle.
"Wait… you're an organic being." Diamond said. "Like the trolls or the angels."
"What, you mean the Nimbi?"
"What exactly is your purpose here? Do you hail from our home dimension?"
"We're just explorers!" Ikuyim shouted assuredly. "We came here to explore this crystalline planetoid! I am also trying to teach that boy earthbending."
"Earthbending?"
"The ability to control stones and soil, of course!" Ikuyim smiled. "My specialty is crystal and gembending!" She stomped the gem ground and forced a chunk into the air, flying it around before setting it back. With a spin and jump, Ikuyim forced red crystals out of the ground around her.
"SHE can control GEMS?!" Pearl fearfully clutched her master's arms. "My Diamond, she can't be trusted!"
"Hold on…" Still holding Anthony, Yellow Diamond bent down and felt the ground. "I…I'm not feeling any Ether in this ground. But then…" She looked at Ikuyim, "How do you use such power?"
"I connect with the chi in the ground using my feet!" Ikuyim pointed at her bare feet.
"Chi? Is that the same as Ether?"
"I've never heard of Ether, so I'm sorry, I don't know."
Diamond stood up fully and said, "But if you have control over this land, you could be of use to us. You will escort me to the source of this chi you speak of so that we can harness its power!"
"Hah hah, you must be misunderstanding! Chi is-"
"YES, we'll escort you, please lemme down!" Anthony yelled with blood rushing to his head.
"I promise we'll help you the best we can!" Ikuyim bowed.
"Very well. You are hereby my temporary escort." Diamond acknowledged. "And as for you…" She looked at Anthony. "You can be Pearl's pet." She dropped the boy in Pearl's arms.
The slender servant's eyes stared with the seven-year-old's brown eyes as she held him like a pet. "Uhh… You someone's mom?" he asked.
"SILENCE!" Pearl dropped him and pinned a foot on the boy. "You are my pet, Fleshy! Sit before Master!"
"I'm not doing this-"
Yellow Diamond drew an electric sword from her chest, flashing it threateningly. Anthony sat before Pearl like an obedient, frightened doggy. Pearl smirked with pride and malice. "Ha ha, hokay, but I still reserve some time to teach him bending." Ikuyim laughed. "Let's begin exploring!" (Play the "Underground" Theme from Yoshi's Island!)
Stage B-16: Crystallia
Mission: Find the Pyrameglyph.
Ikuyim led them along a path out of the field. The path was enclosed between some steep mounds and snaked around some large, dark-green emerald crystals. There were green Bald Clefts hiding behind the emeralds, rock monsters camouflaged with the environment. They charged at Ikuyim when she walked by, but Anthony was quick to stomp them. The path ahead was blocked by huge bright emeralds. "Anthony, try to move this aside." Ikuyim instructed.
"HUUUUUUU!" Anthony poured all his strength into pushing the unbendable crystals.
"I'm guessing this one is defective." Yellow Diamond said.
"No wonder it's so small! N-No offense, My Diamond." Pearl stuttered.
"Anthony, gembending is about seeing the inner beauty of the earth." Ikuyim told him. "When you look at that emerald, does it make you think of anything you're fond of?"
Anthony took a breath and placed a hand on the crystal, staring at it. In its beauty, he saw Fybi. Her emerald eyes matched the crystal. Fybi smiled at him, and Anthony smiled back. He used a gentler touch in moving the rock aside. His hand pushed through and cracked it. Ikuyim decided to break the rest of them. "Good on your first lesson!"
"So instead of knowing how to function since birth, he must be taught verbally." Diamond observed.
"He really is a pet." Pearl said.
They came to a vast canyon with a deep, spiky crystal bottom. The group stepped onto a flat-topped, blue gem pillar leaning against the cliff. Ikuyim felt the entire pillar through Seismic Sense, seeing its loose base. She willed the pillar into tilting across the chasm, doing so gently so her passengers could stay balanced. Orange space jellyfish (Jelliens) were floating around the air where the platform tilted, so Pearl drew a two-sided electric spear, swinging it at the jellies in a graceful fashion. When they were close to a green gem pillar, they jumped over to it, then Ikuyim used her bending to shift it toward a pinkish-red pillar. Pearl cut away more Jelliens, but when they landed on the pink pillar, it wouldn't tilt in either direction. However, Ikuyim used her bending to make it sink into the ground, then gave a thrust up, making the gem shoot up and spring them across the chasm. They landed bumpily on a convenient soil ground.
The four entered a cave that was very dark, except for the sparkling light-red crystals. It made the explorers appear as red figures in the darkness. The earthbenders could see around the cave with Seismic Sense, but Ikuyim confirmed there were Eyeballus Rocks lurking about, eyeball creatures made of rock. Ikuyim lifted a ruby crystal to light the way, and when its glow shone on the Eyeballuses, the creatures shirked. However, other ones were spitting small rocks at them from the darkness, and when any of them came for Yellow Diamond, Pearl sliced them away.
Ikuyim stopped at a dark, bottomless chasm, her steps causing a few pebbles to crumble and plummet. There was a big, ruby door of some sort across the chasm and on a cliff. The chasm was also on their right, but there was a path leading to the door on the wall across the pit. "If only we could get over there." Ikuyim said. "This ground is pretty loose, so I can't make my own bridge from here."
"I might be able to reach there by going up this wall." Pearl indicated the opposite wall they were close to.
"Could you take Anthony with you? Then he could make a bridge from up there."
"Just hurry up, Pearl." Yellow Diamond stated impatiently.
"Yes, My Diamond. Now, hold still, my pet." Pearl lifted Anthony in her right arm and twirled her spear in her left. She spun it fast as a helicopter, sticking it in the wall as she sawed up it. She then sawed across the ceiling, body hanging over the chasm, the Eyeballus still shooting at them, until they could set their feet on the path above the parallel wall. They walked around to the ruby door, and Anthony stomped the cliff to stretch a stone bridge down to Ikuyim and Diamond.
After the two regrouped with them, Ikuyim led Anthony to the ruby door. "When I think of rubies, I think of anger." Ikuyim told him with her positive smile. "'Course, I can't think of anything that makes me angry! What about you, Anthony?"
Anthony put his hand on the ruby. The only red thing he could think of was Michelle's hair. And boy, did his sister make him angry. Laughing at him so cockily, because she was so much better at earthbending. Anthony did to this ruby what he could never legally do to his sister: he punched it and shattered it to pieces. "Forget punching-bag dolls, therapists should get THESE in their office!"
The door led outside, where rows of Crystal Clefts charged at them. Anthony couldn't stomp on the spiked Clefts, so Ikuyim stomped crystals up from the blue ground to knock them away. They followed a snaky path within a narrow trench before it led them to a chasm with lava. A long, blue crystal hung over the lava from the right wall. Anthony punched the wall and made the crystal fall into the lava. It floated as the current turned it to face the other side. Ikuyim jumped down first, ran across the buoyant crystal, and jumped to grab a thin crystal dangling from the cliff.
Since Anthony wasn't nimble like she was, Pearl picked him up, ran across the crystal, and wrapped her legs around the hanging crystal to climb it. Yellow Diamond simply made a high jump onto the left wall, went across, and dropped down to the others. The group proceeded on the path, and they stopped at a dead end, but the wall stretched over another chasm of lava. "This way, Pearl." Yellow Diamond simply leapt high above the wall and walked across. Pearl followed her with her buzzsaw spear.
"That's okay. We can just do like this!" Ikuyim slammed the wall, sticking some green crystals out of the wall over the chasm.
"Why can't you just spring us up there?"
"Because this is more fun, silly!"
The crystals threatened to fall under their weight, so they had to quickly and carefully jump down to the next one. The crystals sloped down like stairs, but when they landed on the lowest crystal, Ikuyim used her bending to make it shake up and down, building enough momentum to fling them onto the next high crystal. No other crystals were available, so Ikuyim smacked the wall to make some more. The next one was too far away, so Ikuyim wiggled their current crystal left and right until they could launch forward. The following crystal required the same mechanics, but since it was at a lower level, Ikuyim softened the shake so they could make it. The next one was further and higher, so Ikuyim wiggled this one diagonally to fling in that direction.
Ikuyim smacked the wall again and emerged more crystals that formed a "W". The kids ran down the first slope, up the next, each of the crystals immediately fell out the wall after stepping, down the third slope, up the fourth, then they made it to where Pearl and Diamond waited. The group approached a sapphire door this time. "Whenever I look at sapphires, I always find myself cooling down." Ikuyim said.
"Well, most Sapphires possess cyrokinetic abilities." Pearl informed. "Though very rare ones possess telekines-"
Anthony punched the door open. "I just pretend its Vweeb and I'm stompin' him. Man, gembending is easy."
"Heheh… Lucky for you, these are easy gems to move."
The door led to an enclosed area with a left road and right road. The right had an impassable river of lava, while the left road was above a short cliff. Ikuyim propelled herself and Anthony up there. They followed a jagged, narrow path that sloped upward, knocking out some Crystal Clefts on the way. They saw a large, round boulder with little crystals sticking out, perched on a tall cliff. "That can get us across!" Anthony said hopefully, climbing the last bit of steps before the cliff.
"Anthony, don't-" Ikuyim tried to say.
The boy punched the wall, making the boulder loosen from its perch and threaten to crush them. "Yuh-oh." The earthbenders hurried back down the path as the spiked stone chased them. They leaped off the ledge they started from and watched the boulder roll into the lava river. The kids shrugged at each other, figuring this could work—they realized that Pearl and Yellow Diamond were missing. "We're over here!" Pearl called from across the river.
"You're taking much too long. Hurry up!" Diamond shouted.
"Heeeeeere, Anty Anty!" Pearl patted her knees, calling Anthony like a dog.
"I'm getting tired of that lady." Anthony said as he and Ikuyim got on the boulder and used it to roll across the lava, withstanding the pain on their scorching feet. They were quick to jump off on the opposite side and cool their feet down. The narrow trench path led them out into an open crystal canyon, with the humans walking several paces ahead of the Gems. (End song.)
Ikuyim saw a piece of amethyst on the ground and made it bounce to her hand with a stomp. "Try to crush this, Anthony."
She gave the gem to Anthony, who began squeezing it in attempt to shatter. "Ow… How's this one work?"
"They're just a stronger variety. Most normal earthbenders have a hard time with it. Some people believe that gems grow from the Heart of the World, too, the same as Nature Crystals. Their pure properties reflect the beauty of the Heart. And because the Heart is the embodiment of Mother Earth's heart, it's very strong and unbendable."
The amethyst cracked in Anthony's hand. "Hn… Not to me!" He smirked. "…Ow!" He dropped the gem and shook his hand from the pain for how hard he squeezed.
"How much longer until we reach the source of 'chi'?" Yellow Diamond asked.
"Oh yeah…" Anthony remembered that was the reason they were escorting them. "Where are we supposed to lead them?" he whispered to Ikuyim.
"Uh, I dunno… I'm gonna run ahead!" Ikuyim skipped forward eagerly.
"I need a rest." Anthony sat down to rub his aching soles.
"Organic wastes of space." Yellow Diamond scoffed. "Pearl, do a scan of the area. These fleshies probably wouldn't know Ether if they were sniffing it."
Pearl skipped her way up a nearby crystal mount, perching her feet perfectly on its tip. Her pearl lit up and scanned the vast crystalline landscape. "Sigh, I'm not detecting one trace of Ether."
"This can't be possible." Yellow Diamond picked up the cracked amethyst Anthony dropped. "How can there be so many lifeless gems in one setting?"
"What is Ether, anyway?" Anthony asked.
Pearl slid down and responded, "Well, Pet, Ether is the energy that dwells in the Gem Homeworld. It is a powerful force that can give life to anything and manipulate reality. For a long time, races from other planets have been stealing our Ether to achieve their own ends." She made a scowl. "As if our dimension wasn't distorted enough."
"The four Diamonds of our world had the power to stabilize the Ether." Yellow Diamond said. "But without me or White Diamond there, it will run rampant. The Gem Empire's ultimate goal was to save our universe from its chaos… but thanks to those trolls, all of them will be doomed!" Her fist trembled.
"My Diamond, please calm down!" Pearl said with her hands held up. "I promise we will find a way back home."
"Guuuuuuuys!" Ikuyim's voice echoed from the distance.
The three walked a few feet down the path and saw the girl waving her arms from the top of a hill over a trench. Many shiny blue, giant crystals stood up from the hill's surface. "I found this weird pyramid! There's some writing on it!"
Pearl held Anthony and leapt across the gap, as did Diamond, setting foot on the hill. They approached the gray stone pyramid with an eye on its tip, and Anthony felt the writing was familiar. "Hey, this looks like that Gibberish Cube we found at Birka. Fybi was able to read it."
Ikuyim went up and rubbed the pyramid. "I don't really recognize this type of stone. It's like… otherworldly."
"Well, we are on another world."
The ground trembled, startling the four to attention. Ikuyim bent down and touched the ground. "Uh-oh. I thought I felt something weird about this hill. It's not a regular hill… it's alive!"
"Alive?!" Anthony shouted.
"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAA!" The hill turned sideways and caused the four to fall to the ground below. From here, they watched as the colossus stomped away on stubby feet. The beast that was 20 stories high ran several miles away and turned, showing its ugly, big-chinned mug. "GREEEEEEHHHH!"
"It's a Cleft!" Ikuyim exclaimed. "I've never seen one that big before!"
"It's like one of our Gem Monsters!" Pearl exclaimed. "Except… I'm still not detecting any Ether from it."
"It must be mad at us for climbing on it. We should go-"
"Wait!" Anthony yelled. "We have to get up to that pyramid again!"
"That pyramid is of no interest to me!" Yellow Diamond stated.
"Yes it is!" the boy argued with her. "Don't ask me how I know, but I think you're able to read what's on it."
"That text was unfamiliar. I would not-"
"JUST trust me!"
"Steel your teeth, Pet!" Pearl smacked him. "Show your respect to Her Highness-"
"WATCH OUT!" Ikuyim slid the two away with earthbending when the Cleft sent a storm of sharp crystals at them. Yellow Diamond turned her body into solid diamond, the crystals unable to shatter her while they broke their selves. Ikuyim hurried beside Anthony as they both got in fighting poses. "Anthony, if you're right about what you say, then we need to take this monster down. This'll be your first true test as a gembender."
"It's not the only time I fought an oversized rock. This'll be a walk in the park!" (Play Blizzeta's Theme from Zelda: Twilight Princess!)
Boss fight: King Cleft
The colossus unleashed an earsplitting roar and charged at the two earthbenders, but Ikuyim stomped the ground and sank herself and Anthony into a hole. The planetoid trembled ferociously under the beast's contact with the cliff, and Ikuyim hurriedly burrowed a tunnel underneath the Cleft. They resurfaced behind the mountain as Ikuyim hurled some large gem shards at the crystals on the Cleft's rear. Roaring with anger and slight pain, the Cleft stomped its feet as it about-faced. The mountain performed a tremendous leap, its big-chinned mouth hanging open as he faced directly down, wishing to devour the morsels. Anthony and Ikuyim bolted forward, out of the monster's range, and the earthbenders flew into the air when his body crashed against the ground.
His big stubby feet wiggled as he seemed to be stuck in this position. There was a bright reddish-pink, circular crystal patch in the center of his underside. "Gross." Anthony said. "Why do all these rock monsters have to have a weak spot on their-"
"Anthony, if I shoot you up there, can you break through it?" Ikuyim asked. Yellow Diamond and Pearl came up to them from behind.
"Why can't we make Pearl do it?"
"I wasn't bred for this type of task!!" Pearl flinched in disgust. "It's on you, Pet!"
"Now or never, Anthony!" Ikuyim stomped and sent Anthony flying at the weak spot with a rock-jab. The boy charged his fist and punched through the gem patch with great timing. Inside the Cleft's turned-over inside, the boy clutched a wall and started punching it, creating dents and cracks with his bending. He smashed every fragile crystal he could on the inside, and the interior suddenly rolled as Anthony felt himself land on the right-side-up floor. Overwhelmed by the beast's thundering roar, the King Cleft spat him out of its mouth.
The colossus ran miles away, running in circles around the distant plain as crystal missiles flew at its opponents. Ikuyim quickly knocked away the crystals coming at them, but the Cleft was too far away to attempt to chase on foot. "Do you guys have any idea to catch him?" Ikuyim asked.
"Pearl, help them." Yellow Diamond ordered. "I just want to get this over with."
"Yes, My Diamond." Pearl drew out her two-sided energy spear, ripping the polearm in half as both sides contracted to just the spears. She flipped gracefully and stuck them on the bottom of her shoes. Pearl picked Anthony up and began to skate across the gem ground with great haste using the energy blades on her feet. She swiftly dodged the crystals and was quickly closing in on the beast. King Cleft roared, charged at his pursuers, but then flipped to sit and slide on his bottom. Pearl rapidly spun around and moved towards the left, evading the monster by inches.
Anthony was dizzy and sickened by the spin. Pearl didn't understand his moans, but told him to cease as she skated toward the now-standing monster and got beside its foot. She reformed her spear, twirled it like a baton, and used it to saw up the foot and across the Cleft's underside. She threw Anthony up into the hole, where he resumed stomping and destroying the weak crystals. He was blown out by the beast's great bellow, hitting the ground haphazardly as Ikuyim and Yellow Diamond made it to where he was.
Ikuyim grabbed Anthony's arm and ran around the King Cleft. The beast narrowed his agro eyes on Yellow Diamond, and desired nothing more than to crush her into gravel. Yellow Diamond tried to summon the power taken from White Diamond, tried to conjure floating diamonds to shield her from the creature's foot. However, her full powers had yet to recover in this miniaturized form. "MY DIAMOND!" Pearl jumped in the way, spinning her spear so fast, it projected an energy barrier to keep the Cleft's foot aloft. "Please get away! I won't let this monster crush you!"
"Nothing can crush a Diamond! And with the strength of two Diamonds, are you really questioning my-"
"I, said, MOVE!!" Pearl jabbed her foot so fast, she kicked her empress away, but her pose faltered and resulted in her being smashed by the Cleft.
"UUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOHHHH!" The Cleft howled with anger over these hard-to-kill enemies. Ikuyim and Anthony ran underneath as the former sprung up a pillar to lift them into the opening. "You know, it would be really funny if this guy's chin fell off from all his yelling!" Ikuyim said with a smirk.
"I'm ready when you are!" Anthony returned the look.
Both earthbenders hurried to the beast's mouth, standing their ground against his deafening roar. Anthony and Ikuyim locked hands. "Let's channel both of our chi into one amazing stomp!" Ikuyim yelled.
"On three!"
"ONE." Ikuyim channeled her power to her right foot, and Anthony his left. "TWO." They raised their feet, which felt heavy and longed to be taken by the gravity. "THREE!" With a powerful, concurrent stomp, the King Cleft's chin snapped off the monster's body. The monster let out a weak, defeated roar, wobbling around before collapsing and sliding on the ground. (End song.)
The kids jumped out of the open mouth and high-fived. They hurried around the monster's fallen body and saw Yellow Diamond standing by a crater. They rushed over to her side. The Diamond's expression was one of horror and anger. Pearl was lain in the crater, her limbs bent and smashed, and the pearl on her chest cracked. …The cracks were growing.
"Pearl… Why…" Yellow Diamond tried to restrain her anger. "I told you it couldn't have crushed me… Why didn't you LISTEN?!"
Pearl's body fizzed like static. She had a big smile as she spoke weakly. "Because you know… as much about this world as I do. And that's… not very much." Fizzed. "My Diamond… we were so lost and confused… all of the other Gems have lost their power. I wouldn't have lasted… if it wasn't for you… My Diamond…"
"I did not order you to sacrifice!" Diamond shouted. "I still needed you… to carry the Gems and find a way back to Homeworld! Without Peridot here, you were the only capable one I had!"
"Heh heh… A capable Pearl… not many of us get to hear that." Her gem cracked more, and her body fizzed harder. "It was truly an honor… to serve you, Yellow Diamond. I know a Gem as flawless as you… will find a way back home… and save our universe." Another fizz. "Good-bye… My Diamond." The gem shattered, and Pearl's body disappeared.
When Yellow Diamond was going for a walk outside her palace, something caught her eye: a Pearl was stylishly swinging a two-sided spear behind a large, jagged gem. Curious, the empress approached her. "What are you doing?"
"YAH!" Pearl flinched, facing the empress with one leg bent and up in the air, while the other foot was on its tippy-toes. "My Diamond! I-I was just…"
"Playing with your spear."
"Hee hee…" Pearl grinned nervously. "I heard that… the soldiers were preparing for another battle. I thought, if I were able to fight… I could dwindle the enemy's progress?"
Yellow Diamond raised a brow. "If that's what you thought… then I'll put you on the front lines."
Even though the Pearl was so skinny and flimsy next to the Quartzes, she was fast and made quick work of the angels. After that battle was done, she came to bow before her Diamond. "That was impressive… Hmm… very well: from this point, you will be my personal Pearl. That means I expect more from you than the other Pearls. You must move faster, be more obedient, and be overall better than the other Pearls. Am I clear?"
"Yes-My-Diamond!" She saluted quickly.
Almost instantly, every gem that Pearl had stored into her Infi-Storage materialized around the field. It was a disheveled mess of lesser pearls, jaspers, and amethysts. "…Well, that sucks." Anthony remarked.
Yellow Diamond picked up the broken remains of her Pearl. She crushed the shards in her hands, still angry. "Disobedient… And I thought she was the perfect Pearl. She followed me everywhere… she did everything I told her without question… I know it's not uncommon for a Pearl to fail… but WHY do I feel so aggravated?!"
"Because she meant a lot to you." Anthony said. "You loved her… for always being loyal to you."
"Hmph… What would a mere rodent know?" She glared at him.
Anthony remembered himself as a tiny, riding on Fybi, the person he trusted the most. "A rodent that knows a lot…" he replied, seeing no point in explaining to her.
"Now's our chance to get back up to that stone." Ikuyim pointed. "If Anthony's right, you can read it, Yellow Diamond."
The angered empress decided to comply, allowing Ikuyim to lift them to the top of the King Cleft via a rising pillar. Yellow Diamond approached the pyramid with foreign writing. It was true… Yellow Diamond was able to read it now.
One who seeks perfection and order will find their selves crumbling. Submit to the chaos, and understand there is nothing you can do.
A dark aura appeared around the pyramid. It flew into Yellow Diamond's self-named gem. She winced a little, but as it absorbed completely inside, she felt odd.
Yellow Diamond awakened as a DARKNESS. Only 10 more to go.
"…" Yellow Diamond stared at her hands. "Was this… the source of your 'chi'?"
"N-No, no!" Ikuyim stuttered. "I didn't get a chance to explain! Chi is a force that exists everywhere and inside all beings. But the gods give people called benders the power to control certain parts, like earth. L-Like, for instance…"
"I don't think now is the time for a lecture." Anthony noted.
"Sigh… well, now I need a new servant." Diamond said. "Are you two going to help pick up these gems or not?"
The kids looked at the hundreds of gems scattered down below. They exchanged quick glances. "Return-Pad!" Anthony yelped. Ikuyim put the device down as they stood on it and warped back to the present.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Diamond yelled hopelessly. "GET BACK HERE! HEEEEEEEY…"
Yellow Diamond was stranded on Crystallia for two Earth years. She was all alone on this planetoid with no way to harness power for her gems. The longer she waited, the more she knew that Homeworld must be crumbling. She despaired in not being there, to retain order. And yet, the message on that pyramid still haunts her…
After ages of waiting, she heard a sound above her. Yellow Diamond looked up and saw a tremendous ship of dark-magenta color and unknown origin. It was accompanied by a fleet of Irkens, who sought to make a settlement on this rock. The Tallest Dirk saw the tall, yellow woman from afar… that was one long neck.
With the Irkens' aid, Yellow Diamond finally found a great source of Ether called Planet Avalar. However, the natives of this universe seem to call it "magic." Regardless, Yellow Diamond was able to revive her Gem soldiers, and in exchange, they would serve the Irken Empire, a race that sought rule and order across the universe. To this day, she didn't understand why that white-haired girl and her pet rodent appeared on that lonely rock…
Present time
"Oh, now I remember." Medusa spoke after watching the monitor. "When Yellow Diamond told us her story, she mentioned a white-haired girl that controlled the lifeless gems… and her pet rodent! Hmm, so much for firsthand sources."
Anthony and Ikuyim materialized out of the time machine. "So, when she read that pyramid… she awakened herself?" Ikuyim asked.
"The same thing happened to Fybi after she read from a Gibberish Cube." Anthony replied. "But I still don't get what those things do."
"The Poneglyphs awaken the True Light within the chosen ones." Medusa responded. "While the Pyrameglyphs awaken the True Darkness. Then when all twenty have come together, the final battle between me and Palutena will commence."
"So the Lights are going to fight the Darknesses, too?"
"Yes… Too bad we have the advantage." Medusa smirked. "Anyway, congratulations to you brats. I'll take you back to Ikuyim's house." The goddess opened a dark portal, leading the children inside.
"Medusa, no one said anything about 'True Light' or 'Darkness.'" Thanatos whispered. "You're just making that up!"
"Be quiet! I still need to act like I know what I'm doing, if just a little bit!"
Latsyrc Household
After Medusa dropped them in front of Ikuyim's house, the two went back upstairs to her bedroom. "Anthony, Ikuyim!" Sally exclaimed. "Where have you two been?!"
"Judging by their description of a purple woman with a snake, I assume it was Medusa?" Ynohtna inquired.
"Ugh, you? What're you doing here?" Anthony asked rudely.
"My sister and I were in the bathroom when somebody fell through the mirror!" Ynohtna blushed. "Wanna guess who?"
"ANTHONY, THERE you are!" Michelle McKenzie stomped around Harvey and Aranea. "I've been worried sick about you, and so has Mom! But Dad's just bein' lazy like usual. You better tell me where you went!"
"Michelle, how the HECK did you get in the Negaverse?"
"I climbed on the sink to catch a bug, but then the mirror turned all gooey, and I fell in."
"Then we had a little mishap," Ynohtna followed, "where she thought I was her brother, and Ellehcim was her long-lost twin."
"It's nice to meet you, Michelle!" Ikuyim waved. "My name is Ikuyim. I've been teaching Anthony gembending!"
"Gembending?"
"Yeah, it's a really tough form of earthbending." Anthony poked his sister's nose. "Too tough for you, even. Since gems are more pure and clean than regular rocks, it'll take ya forever to-"
Michelle casually made two amethysts from Ikuyim's shelf float around the air using her fingers. "Tee hee hee! It's easy!"
Anthony's mouth drooped open, and he looked less than intelligent. "Uuuuuh…"
"Wow, if you can do that," Aranea said, "maybe you can bend those diamonds-"
"FORGETIT! Let'sgohome!" Anthony grabbed Michelle and dragged her out of the house, not wishing to discover if she can bend the unbendable gem.