Yuusei: "Remember when last we were here? remember my promise to you? now… let's go out together and record this wonderful day"
Yusuke: "un! I'll always remember your promise, Yuu. Let's go make our dreams a reality!"
Fyr: "Ya ready for the trip, whelp? filled yer bag with the essentials?"
Yusuke: "Ehe of course! Oschonsong-san helped! I tell you, his organizational skills are amazing!"
Theneras: "You'll be safe under our watch, da'len."
Yuusei: "Ano ne, and uhm, we'll visit Yuuko! and then and then! several other places we sensed! memxciting, ne?!"
Akari: "Mhm? it's SO exciting my yuri chan. But you forgot to tell me the story behind your ring~ <3"
Gabriel: "Ah, such bliss. I require endless amounts of ink to chronicle this beautiful fleeting instant. Khubli, I have need of your magnificent rubies."
Khubli: "Ungma da ruoln ga! mirreept!"
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨♡୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Yuusei smiled happily, tempered by the beautiful view. Eorzean was challenging for her to pick up but even in her mother tongue she couldn't find the words to express how she felt.
Yuuko: "Hm, told ya! I had the same look when he took me here few moons ago~✧"
Khubli: "Mepmra tuu! MEPMRA TUU!"
Yusuke: "Whoa! This is amazing! Birds are really big over here!"
The Duchess: "Right? If you squint your eyes over that direction you'll be able to see their nest as well. They are cute buggers but don't get too close. They are VERY territorial."
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨♡୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Amalthea, Khubli and Goose are cheering loudly all night till sunrise.
Seraphine is eyeing Yusuke while thinking to herself "Hmm, I've seen his moves before. Reminds me of my boys back home.."
Yuusei and Yusuke are dancing their hearts out. Yuusei has no specific knowledge of graceful and elegant dance moves. But due to her connection with Yusuke, who has spent many years honing his acting and dancing skills, guided their every step and hand gesture.
Yusuke thought to Yuusei: Every step you take, every gaze you land on your audience, every twirl you take must be done with passion. Serve your body, seduce your feet into the next step, brush the air around you as it blankets your senses. But above all, love your audience as you love yourself.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨♡୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
During their walk around Solution 9, Jade decided to play with Yuusei.
Jade: "I am the god king of this pool! And you have disturbed my slumber, elusive little kitsune! Take that as your punishment! WATER CANON!"
Yuusei: "Kyaaa nooo staaahp! You'll get my clothes wet~!"
Yusuke: "W..whoa! careful!! I don't think it's allowed to splash water in this area!"
Xenotime: "Gently now, kids. It's already late and we do not want to disturb our neighbors, hm?"
All three replied in unison "O~kay~"
…Alas, nothing would stop Jade's excitement to have met Yuusei in person as they continued playing until early morning.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨♡୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
The lady offered apples to Yuusei, Yusuke and her travel companion.
She was shocked when all three just blankly stared at the apples as if they could not comprehend the structure of what they have been offered.
The lady sighed and thought to herself, "have I made another mistake with this batch? But the gentle folks back at the inn have eaten and enjoyed a large portion. They even went out of their way to ask for more… Hmm"
Khubli: "Apples are the only fruit those three can't process, Lady . It's not your fault, okay?"
The Lady: "Ah, thank you, Khubli. Would you like one?"
Yuusei: "Uhm… It's red and cute. Ah, thank you, lady! This ball has so much life in it! I'll make sure I take good care of it and water it everyday! W— wait did you understand Khubli?!"
Wandering Traveler: "Smooth texture, reflects light and a decent degree of hardness on this one… I proudly say that your specimens are improving, Grandmother."
Yusuke: "Specimens? is this thing alive? H— hello, I hope you don't mind me holding you. I promise I'll be gentle!"
The lady sighed again. "Mīn hēafod ēceð…"
“For some, autumn comes early, stays late through life where October follows September and November touches October and then instead of December and Christ's birth, there is no Bethlehem Star, no rejoicing, but September comes again and old October and so on down the years, with no winter, spring, or revivifying summer. For these beings, fall is the ever normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth? The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter, motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles—breaks. Such are the autumn people. Beware of them.”
--- Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
A rare earth phosphate mineral, the primary composition of xenotime is YPO4, though it does form a solid solution with the mineral chernovite-(Y) and may therefore include arsenic impurities. As with many other rare earth minerals, the yttrium is also often substituted with other rare earth elements, including dysprosium, erbium, terbium and ytterbium. Uranium can be found in xenotime as well, so caution should be taken with the mineral as radioactive crystals can be found, though it is typically mild.
Xenotime crystalizes with a tetragonal crystal structure and is typically brownish, yellow, or red in color. On the Mohs hardness scale it has a value of 4.5. Considered a minor accessory mineral, xenotime does not have any large scale applications, but has been processed for its yttrium content when mined in conjunction with other minerals. Ornamental applications also exist.
For more in depth information about xenotime, check out what mindat.org, webmineral.com, minerals.net, handbookofmineralogy.org, and mineralatlas.eu have to say about it.
Months back, an FMA mobile update came out and I saw some buzz about “We finally know where Xenotime is!!”, but we already did know! The mobile map has Xenotime in the south, but in FMA03 verse Xenotime is in the East.
The official 2003 map is much much different than all the maps that came after it, and almost all of the action for the entire 03 series happens in the central / eastern area.
I labelled some key locations in blue!
The Black Pearl Brigade chapter 15: Shining Diamond, part 1 (originally posted on July 18, 2022)
AN: At long last, the two-part series finale to The Black Pearl Brigade is here! Almost everything that I've been building up to over the past fourteen chapters will all come to this, so strap in everyone, this is going to be one crazy rollercoaster! Or at least, the best rollercoaster that I can make.
Synopsis: While the Diamonds are away, Cinnabar uses this as a chance to conquer Homeworld, and the Pearls must stop her.
Cast:
Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade, Black Pearl Guards
Avi Roque as Cinnabar
Awkwafina as Kyanite
Allison Janney as Pyrite
Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper
Zehra Fazal as Zoisite
Lena Hall as Bloodstone
Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime
Dee Bradley Baker as Concretes, George, Elaine, Cosma
Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate, Fire Agate
Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite, Violet Morganite
Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye
Charlyne Yi as Navy
Matthew Moy as Lars
Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite
Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite
Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins
Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire, Orange Sapphire
Christine Baranski as Hessonite
Olivia Olson as Citrine
Nicole Sullivan as Sylvia Spectre
Kathleen Barr as Púrén
Alex Newell as Mozanite
Uzo Aduba as Bismuth Guards
Miriam Hyman as Bismuth Guards
Shelby Rabara as Peridots
--
"Darkness, all I know is darkness." Xenotime morosely monologued to herself in a prison cell. "I have no one to trust anymore. They have all abandoned me due to my arrogance. And now, there is no one left to stand up for me anymore. All that is left is the soul-crushing reality of loneliness." However, her despair was cut off by her jailmate pounding on the wall between their cells.
"WILL YOU KEEP IT DOWN?!" Cat's Eye yelled. "Your whining is so annoying!"
"Like you're one to talk, Little Miss 'I Was Once One Of Homeworld's Biggest High-Rollers Only To Lose Everything Because I Was Outsmarted By a Pearl'!" Xenotime argued with Cat's Eye.
"Hey, keep it down in there, you two!" the Bismuth standing guard ordered the bickering prisoners.
In the time that passed since the Rutile Rebels' base on Revanche 666 was destroyed, the facility was quickly rebuilt to serve as a prison for any supporters that the Black Pearl Brigade had arrested on their missions. Xenotime happened to be one of its many prisoners, and her jail mates included a Violet Morganite, an Orange Sapphire, and a Fire Agate. But some of its most notable inmates were Holly Blue Agate, Morganite, Cat's Eye, and the Ruby commonly known as Navy. Serving as its faculty were numerous Black Pearls that were rehabilitated by the Diamonds, along with many Bismuths and Peridots that formerly belonged to Demantoid.
"You cannot keep us in here for long!" Holly Blue yelled from her confinement. "Black Rutile will attain victory over the Crystal Gems, and she will free us from the prison you put us in!"
"Yeah, right." A Peridot replied with a sneer. "So you can go back to being an irritating bootlicker."
"She's right, you know." Fire Agate waspishly agreed. "There's a reason why so many Gems hate you. You're not only just so abusive, even by our standards, but also completely incompetent at your job as well. I mean, the Crystal Gems could only get away with ruining your life because you didn't notice that the Pearl didn't bother covering her star!"
The other Gems began erupting in laughter at Holly's expense, at least until one of the Black Pearls calmed them down. "Quiet, all of you!" the Pearl commanded her prisoners.
"Yes, ma'am." The imprisoned Gems obediently replied just as alarms began going off, catching the Pearls' attention as they raced to investigate what was happening.
"What's going on?" Morganite asked.
"It's a riddle!" Navy exclaimed cheerfully.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up." Orange Sapphire declared. "It would take a miracle for something to go our way."
Contrary to Orange Sapphire's defeatist attitude, a miracle was indeed coming to rescue them. Fresh off abandoning Torius Vosania and pitting the crime lord against the Pearls so she could cover her tracks, Cinnabar had piloted a Vosania Syndicate ship to fly to Revanche 666. She was plotting a massive breakout to bolster her ranks and conquer Homeworld in the name of her superior and old teacher Black Rutile.
"Look at this. Our old base now a symbol of oppression." Dalmatian Jasper sighed disdainfully. "How did it come to this?"
"Well, you won't have to worry any longer, my friends!" Pyrite declared as she handed each of Cinnabar's colleagues a laser gun to use. "With some help from Bloodstone and Cinnabar, I give you all what I call Rejuvenation Blasters. They're essentially an upgraded form of Black Rutile's override command, which means one zap of these can reduce a Gem to what they originally were made to do with no trace of who they became."
"Whoa, cool!" Kyanite exclaimed and began pointing her Rejuvenation Blaster around before Cinnabar put a stop to her reverie.
"Don't point that thing and accidentally hit one of us!" Cinnabar yelled angrily. "Pyrite just said these blasters will reset a Gem to their original settings!"
"I'm sorry Cinnabar!" Kyanite shrank down in fear of criticism from her boss. "Please don't hurt me!"
"No, no, I won't." Cinnabar said nonchalantly. "With these blasters, we can strengthen our army once again and release all of our allies from this prison. Since the Pearls are probably too occupied with stopping Torius Vosania right now, that will give us the chance to take everyone by surprise. Zoisite!"
"Landing as we speak, my Cinnabar." Zoisite announced as she sat at the pilot's seat and began bringing the Vosania ship closer to the prison. "This should be fun."
--
"Attention intruders, come out with your hands up!" a Black Pearl commanded the ship's occupants as she and five other Pearls surrounded the vessel in the prison's docking bay. "If you do not comply, we will have to resort to drastic measures!"
"You see, that's the thing." Dalmatian Jasper stated as she disembarked from the ship with Rejuvenation Blaster in hand. "I only have one hand." Using that very hand, DJ then fired at the leading Black Pearl, sending a shock to her system as she writhed in pain before collapsing to the floor. Seconds later, the other Black Pearls were greeted with the revolting sight of their leader rising up with no sense of emotion or identity, and she had only one thing to say.
"All hail Black Rutile." The Pearl droned ominously. Fearing what Cinnabar could do to the rest of them, the remaining guards decided to flee to try and keep the intruders at bay.
"Code red, everyone, it's Cinnabar!" another Black Pearl exclaimed before she was zapped with a Rejuvenation Blaster, reducing her to yet another thrall of Black Rutile's will. "All hail Black Rutile."
The other four Pearls immediately made a break for it, not caring that Cinnabar and her colleagues were in hot pursuit and following them to the main prison area. But by the time they finally reached their destination, the real carnage began. Pearls were being shot down left and right while Gems were released from their cells, starting a massive prison riot. Despite their efforts, the Bismuths and Peridots were overpowered by Cinnabar's superior numbers as she did a few quick errands during the chaos.
"Cinnabar, is that you?!" Xenotime gasped as Cinnabar hacked into the timekeeper's cell to free her from her imprisonment. "What is the meaning of this?! What's all the rioting for?!"
"I was simply buying myself time while breaking all of you out." Cinnabar explained herself. "And yes, that means you too, Xenotime. I have plans for you now involving a certain little planet."
"You mean I'm going back to Homeworld?" Xenotime asked her commander. "I can assure you; I have long since abandoned any thirst for power; you can count on me!"
"Oh no, you're not the only one." Cinnabar corrected Xenotime as she handed her a Rejuvenation Blaster before releasing Holly Blue, Fire Agate, Morganite, Violet Morganite, Cat's Eye, Orange Sapphire, and Navy from their cells as well. She then quickly handed them their own Rejuvenation Blasters to use against the prison staff. "Use these to reprogram whatever Gems employed at this dirt pile you can find. Once you are done, meet me back at the docking bay."
"I am most grateful for your timely arrival, Cinnabar." Morganite bowed to her fellow Gem rebel with her hands clasped. "I am forever in your debt."
"Please, you're making me blush." Cinnabar giggled jokingly before turning serious again. "Now then, get to work!"
At that command, the freed rebels began descending the prison into chaos. Almost an hour passed before every Pearl was subjected to the override command and forced to serve the Rutile Rebels once more. As for the Bismuths and Peridots, they were forced on their knees as Cinnabar looked down upon them with a wicked smirk, ready to execute whichever one of them spoke out against her.
"Why?!" a Peridot gasped in disbelief that Cinnabar was still active. "Why?!" Cinnabar did not answer, instead summoning her sword from her gem and using it to stab the Peridot in hers, shattering her.
"How utterly pathetic that we were able to overwhelm you all this easily." Cinnabar declared, her voice echoing throughout the prison. "Now then, we are standing here right now with 20,000 hardcore rebels wrongfully imprisoned here throughout the Brigade's existence. There may be thousands more of these Gems back on Homeworld, but I believe we are better equipped for a fight than they'll ever be."
"How so, my Cinnabar?" Holly Blue asked.
"We have recently pitted the crime lord Torius Vosania against our traitorous Pearl friends," Bloodstone revealed, eliciting gasps from the freed Gems at the thought of their acting leader siding with someone like Torius. "And once he is defeated, we can swoop in and quickly take control of his forces that he brought to Homeworld, thus giving us the military might to take Homeworld by force."
"Very astute observation, Bloodstone." Cinnabar nodded. "And that reminds me, I have Gems still on the inside who should be informing me of what's going on right about now." After pulling out a black, octahedral communicator and giving it a few turns, the communicator levitated in the air before displaying the fall of Torius Vosania, live from Homeworld for all the Gems to see. "Just as I predicted."
"Yeah, Homeworld, here we come!" Kyanite cheered and convinced the others to start rejoicing as well, for their home planet would soon be theirs to conquer. As the former prisoners celebrated, Holly Blue looked at Cinnabar and smiled. Not an evil smile, but a genuine one.
"Why Cinnabar," Holly Blue declared proudly. "I think Black Rutile would be so proud of you."
"Her applause is all I need." Cinnabar responded. "Now come, to our brightest day!"
--
With 20,000 formerly imprisoned Gems on her side, plus dozens of reprogrammed Black Pearls and her five lieutenants, Cinnabar took swift control of the Vosania Syndicate as soon as she returned to Homeworld and began reigning terror over her former home planet. Everything she had been planning for had all come to this. And all it took was taking by surprise the Pearls that had been a thorn in her side for too long.
As the restored Rutile Rebels, now aided by the forces of the Vosania Syndicate, began laying waste to a Homeworld fresh off the fall of Torius Vosania and without the Diamonds to protect them, Holly Blue took a moment to gaze upon the carnage below her as she watched the invasion from the Vosania Syndicate's mothership. "Ah, giving inferior lifeforms their just desserts is so sweet, isn't that right Cinnabar?"
"Yes, Era 3 left them completely powerless to fight back against us." Cinnabar responded with a smirk. "Their armies are no more, and now the Diamonds have abandoned them in favor of Earth. Once we enslave this planet, we can contact Black Rutile and have her take her rightful place as the ruler of all Gems."
"But Cinnabar, what of the Black Pearl Brigade?" Navy asked, bringing up a screen of the Pearls trying their best to stop the chaos.
"I believe it's about time we bring them over to our side." Cinnabar proudly stated before preparing a Rejuvenation Blaster and turning to Xenotime. "Xenotime, I have a job for you."
"Let me guess, eliminate the Pearls and bring them to you?" Xenotime asked, turning to Cinnabar in a disturbingly inhuman fashion with a smile to match. "I will do as I'm told."
"You sure you're not just lying through your teeth and plotting revenge for having your takeover plot on Blacropolis foiled?" Cat's Eye wondered with a purr.
"Why yes, I am still irate about that," Xenotime declared. "but I'm a changed Gem now. No more megalomaniacal schemes, I am all over that."
"You keep telling yourself that." Morganite frowned sardonically while Xenotime left to get revenge on the Pearls for exposing her back at the party.
--
Down on Homeworld's surface, the Pearls, Hessonite, Citrine, the Light Prisms, Sylvia Spectre, and Mozanite worked side by side to contain the Cinnabar threat, fighting forcibly reprogrammed Black Pearls, ex-con Gems, and Tenno soldiers reactivated by Bloodstone while trying to think of a plan to stop Cinnabar.
"So, we're just eight Gems, three Light Prisms, and a space heroine against the apprentice of a terrorist and her new army she stole from another terrorist." Tails said while shooting down Tenno. "Anyone got any bright ideas?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Citrine responded. "I mean, here we are with nothing but our wit and our will to save all of Gemkind! Do you think that will be enough?!"
"Maybe it can, but we could use a little more!" Hessonite replied courageously. "Someone buy me time, I have a call to make!"
"On it!" Sylvia exclaimed as she phased out of view and began taking out Tenno and Gems while leading Hessonite somewhere safe for her to call up help. "Over here!"
"Your help is greatly appreciated." Hessonite thanked Sylvia as she went into hiding and opened her communicator. "Hello, Lars? I think now I need your help. Cinnabar's back."
Just then, Mozanite noticed a shadow with an alarm clock-like head hiding in the shadows as she crawled towards the group. "Uh, Prisms, you're seeing this too, right?"
George, Elaine and Cosma tried yelling for Hessonite to turn around, but unfortunately, it was too late as Xenotime suddenly froze time.
--
"Captain's log, date May 4, 2018." Lars narrated to himself as the Sun Incinerator cruised through the final frontier where no man had gone before. "It's been a routine few weeks ever since our last encounter with any Rutile Rebels. With how quiet everything has been lately, sometimes I wonder if maybe it's time I head back to Earth for a visit at some point."
"Lars is going to monologue to himself again about current events." Padparadscha Sapphire observed while at her station.
"You've been doing that quite a lot lately, captain." Fluorite added while emerging from below deck. "You said it keeps you busy while reminding you of those Earth shows, right?"
"You bet it does." Lars responded. "Still would be nice to get a little action again. Maybe we just need something to get us on the right path." Suddenly, the Incinerator's computer systems began beeping as a message from far off popped up, urging the recipients to open it. "Oh, speak of the devil! Does anyone want to open it?"
"I'll do it!" Rhodonite exclaimed and began playing the message. From what the Off-Colors and their human captain could gather, Hessonite was shown in the middle of a great battle on a familiar planet. "Look, it's Hessonite!"
"Hello, Lars? I think now I need your help. Cinnabar's back." Hessonite stated. "Cinnabar has taken over the Vosania Syndicate and launched a full-scale attack on Homeworld while the Diamonds are away! She also seems to have released all the Rutile Rebels captured by the Brigade from prison! Please, the Pearls and I need your help!" Just then, Xenotime popped out of nowhere, freezing time around Hessonite and knocking her out cold while causing the message to cut off.
"Vosania Syndicate, as in Torius Vosania?!" Lars shouted as the message ended. "Aw, man, I would've loved to go up against him!"
"Regardless, they still need our help!" the left Rutile said before turning to her twin.
"Right, all engines, full power!" the right Rutile added and began setting the ship up to blast off.
"We are heading to Homeworld to help Hessonite and the Pearls!" Padparadscha cheered before the Sun Incinerator began flying towards Homeworld.
--
The Sun Incinerator finally reached Homeworld in record time, allowing Lars and the Off-Colors to get up close and personal with the destruction Cinnabar brought to the planet and the Gems. Ships and troopers belonging to the Vosania Syndicate began getting things under control when they arrived, forcing Gems into organized lines as they were ordered to give up the freedom Era 3 had given them all. None of them were thrilled to be forced to obey Cinnabar's commands, and neither were the Off-Colors as they watched with shock and confusion over what had happened.
"Wow, did we miss a lot." Lars declared in horror as he saw the Rutile Rebels' sigil planted everywhere they looked. "Come on guys, let's find somewhere safe to land so we can group up with the others."
"I don't think that'll be possible." Rhodonite answered shakily, pressing a button that showed her captain that every likely place for the Sun Incinerator to land had currently been occupied. "From what I can see here, any Gem that tries to land anywhere on Homeworld will be dealt with, if you get what I mean."
"Rhodonite is going to suggest an alternative to landing." Padparadscha declared.
"Exactly my point!" Rhodonite exclaimed. "I think we should try shooting down any ships that try to cross our path."
"Good idea Rhodonite." Fluorite agreed with her fellow fusion's plan. "You've certainly come a long way, dear."
"Thank you." Rhodonite blushed shyly before turning to Lars. "Okay, Lars, you ready?"
"Always ready." Lars replied as he turned on the ship's loudspeakers to make his declaration. "Hey, Rutile Rebels!" he called out to the insurgent Gems. "Guess who's back on Homeworld with a vengeance! That's right; it's the man, the myth, the legend, Lars of the Stars!" He took a moment to pause before revealing the Sun Incinerator's weapons. "NOW EAT THIS, SUCKERS!"
The Sun Incinerator then opened fire on every enemy ship trying to attack them. Many ships fell to the Off-Colors' ferocious onslaught as Lars let out a maniacal laugh in triumph. "Video games have taught me so well!"
"Lars is going for an all-out attack!" Padparadscha exclaimed.
"This oughta show 'em!" the Rutiles added as they kept firing the ship's armaments. Suddenly, however, time began to freeze around the Off-Colors as Xenotime entered the spaceship, having snuck in without anyone noticing.
"Oh, Lars, didn't expect to see you here." Xenotime cackled as the timekeeper stroked Lars's frozen face. "Cinnabar would definitely want to see you and your off-color friends as well, especially after what I did to the Pearls." She then smugly tossed Lars off his captain's chair and took her seat in it before returning time to its normal flow, allowing the undead human to discover her presence.
"Xenotime?!" Lars screamed as he got up from where Xenotime threw him. "How did you get here?!"
"Stopping time. What else?" Xenotime snidely responded. "Ooh, this is a very nice chair you got here. You stole it from Emerald, right?"
"Captain Lars, we've been boarded!" Padparadscha yelped. "By Xeno-"Xenotime then shut the Sapphire up by zooming towards her and stabbing Paddy with her gear-shaped wrist blades, poofing her.
"She was only ever good for stating the obvious and thinking people will laugh." Xenotime rolled her eyes under her helmet before turning to the other Off-Colors, who were now enraged by how she took out their friend. "Anyone else care to join her?"
"You monster!" Fluorite roared as she dropped her grandmotherly persona in favor of charging at Xenotime like a raging beast. Xenotime thought quickly and froze once again with a snap of her fingers before lunging at Fluorite with her arm-blades at the ready, poofing the six-Gem fusion without a second thought and letting out a mighty "WRRRRYYYY!" Xenotime then took out Rhodonite and the Rutile twins, poofing them with just as little effort because she had that little faith in their possible fighting abilities.
When Xenotime snapped her fingers once again to restore the flow of time, Lars was left as the sole survivor of her massacre of his crew, the one thing that kept him sane while he was first marooned on Homeworld and began making his mark as Lars of the Stars. Now they're all gone, and it was all thanks to this sociopathic megalomaniac standing with her arms akimbo and a cocky grin on her face.
Lars couldn't take it anymore, so he let out the only insult for Xenotime he could come up with as he let his young adult anger overtake him. "YOU BITCH!" Charging straight at the timekeeper without a thought on his mind, Lars used his musti-yuddha skills to gain the upper hand against Xenotime. Still, her thousands of years of experience, combined with her unnatural body movements, allowed the controller of time to be an even match for the pink boy.
"Let's see you get off on taking away my friends after I do this!" Lars screamed like an animal as he punched Xenotime straight in her visor, smacking her so hard that her hair started ringing like alarm clock bells. Xenotime had no time to deal with Lars any longer, so she knocked him out in one fell swoop.
"We had some intruders that I felt like dealing with." Xenotime declared while speaking to Holly Blue through the Sun Incinerator's communications system. "I shall bring them in posthaste."
"Exemplary work, Xenotime." Holly complimented her fellow insurgent. "You know, maybe you have changed after all."
"I'm only doing as I feel like doing." Xenotime replied before ending the call and beginning to pilot the Sun Incinerator towards the Syndicate mothership.
--
As Homeworld continued descending into organized chaos, Cinnabar gazed upon her masterwork with a pleased grin on her face. She could imagine only how elated Black Rutile would be of her old student as the Rutile took her rightful place as supreme ruler of all Gemkind after destroying the Crystal Gems once and for all.
As Cinnabar began picturing the praises that would no doubt be showered upon her, she felt like giving one last grandiloquent speech for the road. "My friends, it has often been said that I like war." She declared to the troops standing with her on the mothership. "Friends, I like war. NO! Friends. I. LOVE. WAR. I love genocide; I love destruction, I love causing confusion and delay, I love chaos, I just love every act of war that can occur on this or any other planet."
Cinnabar continued her speech, thriving in how much she worshipped the subject matter Black Rutile had carefully taught her for thousands of years. "My heart leaps with joy whenever there are enemies that try their best to resist, only to have their hopes completely dashed by our superior numbers and firepower. And the sight of traitors being strung up like the cowardly wretches they are is just as much an irresistible pleasure." Then her sadistic smile faded, as if mourning the loss of someone she cared for so deeply. "But unfortunately, it seems now that I am forbidden from doing what I love doing, what I was meant to do. But thanks to all of you, my love for war has been reignited."
The Gems began chanting while pulling their weapons from their gems, bellowing in reverence of Cinnabar, Black Rutile, and the Rutile Rebels' just cause. "My friends, all I ask for is war." Cinnabar continued. "A war so grand that it shall make the cosmos quiver! We may be but a large battalion, but we will remind all Gems what they were meant to be! We will remind them what it means to be warriors, to take what's ours with no remorse for who we take it from! My friends, all I ask is to bring them all hell."
Just then, Fire Agate arrived from Cinnabar's left and began delivering her some good news. "My Cinnabar, we have just received word that Xenotime has successfully captured the Black Pearl Brigade." She revealed to Cinnabar's delight. "We've also just learned that the Off-Colors have arrived on Homeworld as well, only for all of them to be poofed while Lars was knocked unconscious, and their ship claimed by Xenotime."
"Ah, that is music to my ears." Cinnabar declared happily before she began to walk away from her troops. "The rest of you, keep spreading Black Rutile's good word. I shall attend to some old friends of mine."
--
The past few minutes were all a blur for the Pearls. One moment, they were busy fighting rebel Gems and Tenno alongside Hessonite's team, Sylvia and the Prisms; the next, they found themselves taken prisoner by their old foe Xenotime. They barely even realized that the timekeeper had returned to get her revenge on them because she took them all by surprise after freezing time to capture all five of them plus their allies. With no knowledge of what could be in store for them, the Pearls were shoved inside the same interrogation room where their adventures first began.
"Did anyone know what just happened?" Cap gasped in shock.
"I haven't the foggiest what had occurred either." Braids replied, just as alarmed at their current circumstances. "Did anyone catch Xenotime either?"
"I barely got a glimpse of her." Tails answered. "It's almost as if Cinnabar released every Gem we've ever defeated."
"Then how come we're only seeing one of them?" IQ asked. "Seems like kind of a waste of time if you're only going to put one Gem to use."
"Still, I can't believe we lost that easily." Pony declared. "And who knows? Maybe it'll be the last time we'll lose altogether, depending on what Cinnabar does to us."
"We did indeed have some good times together." Braids remarked nostalgically. "Remember when we visited Sergione-29? That was a fun planet to hang out on, prejudice aside."
"Yeah, that gave me some really good character growth there." Pony responded. "Or what about getting invited to a Brain Brawl? I had a lot of fun there too!"
"Yeah, why can't we go back to the old days of having adventures and fighting evil together?" IQ replied, now shedding tears of nostalgia. "Because right now, I'd give anything to get those times back."
"Me too." Tails sighed in defeat as she started crying as well. "Guess this really is it. No matter what happens, I hope we can still be a family regardless."
"Ditto." Cap concurred with her sniper. "Makes me wonder how Púrén and Sculder are doing." As the Pearls began sharing a tearful goodbye, the door to the interrogation room opened, and in stepped Cinnabar with a pair of Concretes by her side, cutting their touching scene short as Cap glowered at her Rutile Rebel counterpart. "You!"
"I have to admit, Pearls, your sense of family is one of the things I find most admirable about you five." Cinnabar stated snidely. "Well, that and your refusal to know when you should give up. However, neither will be useful against me anymore, for I hold all the cards now."
"It does not matter how many cards you hold; good will triumph in the end!" Braids yelled at Cinnabar before she tried to punch one of her accompanying Concretes, only to be met with a bruised hand. "Ouch! Curse you!"
"Where is everyone else?" IQ asked Cinnabar.
"As you may know, I sent down Xenotime to deal with any remaining threats to my power," Cinnabar proclaimed. "which means that not only are your Off-Color friends my prisoners, but also Hessonite & Citrine, that Coalition brat, the Light Prisms and that Mozanite you dragged along as well. We have also sought to claim your ship and your android companion for ourselves."
"Whatever you monsters do with Púrén and Sculder, I swear I'll make you pay!" IQ screamed angrily.
"What do you plan for us now?" Cap asked, just as furious at their archnemesis.
"You know, over these past few months, I think I've had an epiphany." Cinnabar declared. "With all that's been happening lately, you've all certainly grown in both skill and personality, which is why I wish to make you an offer." Before the Pearls could answer, she immediately cut them all off. "I think we should let bygones be bygones and maybe start working together, I could even make you commanders of my new army!" She then extended her hand. "What do you say, Pearls?"
Unfortunately, none of the Pearls took the offer. Instead, Braids took Cinnabar's hand, curled it into a fist, and used it to punch her in the face repeatedly. "Oh my, why are you hitting yourself?! Do you have that little faith in your own abilities?!"
"Oh ha ha, the old why are you hitting yourself ploy, very funny." Cinnabar sneered, stopping herself mid-punch before flipping Braids to the floor. "I only want us to be friends here. Is it really that hard?"
"Of course it's that hard when you're plotting to conquer us all!" Pony stated. "Admit it, you're just a diet Black Rutile. Fitting as you were her apprentice."
"I am far beyond what my master is!" Cinnabar yelled back. "I am my own Gem these days, and none of you can ever change that!"
"Touched a nerve there, haven't we?" IQ snickered evilly while pretending to adjust a pair of imaginary glasses. "It seems you're rather touchy about living up to Black Rutile's expectations, aren't you?"
"You're lying!" Cinnabar snapped in embarrassment. "And I'm going to make sure you never lie again, friends." She then turned to her Concrete companions. "Bring the Brigade to the stand. It's high time I finally execute them for their crimes."
--
"Oh, my head." Lars moaned as he slowly regained consciousness. Though his vision was blurry, he could barely make out the shapes of Hessonite and Citrine, along with Sylvia Spectre cradling his throbbing head in her hands. "Did I die and go to beautiful alien woman heaven? Oh wait, I can't die."
"No, we're prisoners now." Sylvia declared as Lars finally came to, and he realized what had just happened.
"Oh no, where am I?!" Lars yelled worriedly. "Where are the Off-Colors, the Prisms! Mozanite!"
"Hey, calm down human. They're all fine." Kyanite declared as she stepped into the interrogation room to confront her four guests. "We're just going to shatter the Gems and reset the Prisms back to their original setting later, that's all."
"You monsters!" Citrine yelled as she pinned Kyanite against the wall. "If you want to hurt any of our friends, you're gonna have to get through me first!" Unfortunately for Citrine, her threats proved utterly empty as Kyanite freed herself from the vigilante quartz's trap and thoroughly trounced her in the most one-sided fight she had ever fought.
"Let's make one thing clear, Citrine." Kyanite growled with a foot pinning Citrine to the ground as a way of threatening her other prisoners, the opposite of the pleasant sycophant she always presented herself as. "I'm not in here with you, you're in here with me! Let me clue you all in, you are all in danger, and that danger is me! A Gem opens the door and gets poofed, you think that of me? No, I am the one who knocks!"
"Oh my, so forceful." Hessonite began trembling in fear of Kyanite's more brutal demeanor. "This is a side of you I never saw before."
"Yeah, why are you only now breaking this out?" Lars asked. "This seems completely out of nowhere!"
"You may think I just pulled it out of my butt, and you're kinda right." Kyanite replied nonchalantly. "I just never had the right opportunity to act this way."
"So, what will happen to us?" Sylvia asked Cinnabar's bodyguard.
"Once we're done with the Pearls, we have plans for the rest of you." Kyanite explained. "You shall be imprisoned in the tower, where you shall await your punishments. Hessonite, Citrine, and Mozanite will be shattered along with the Off-Colors for their treasonous crimes against Black Rutile's new Homeworld order. The Prisms shall be reverted to their original functions as tools of war." While Hessonite gritted her teeth in anger and Citrine looked down ashamedly, Kyanite then looked at Lars and Sylvia. "And as for you two, we shall send Sylvia back to the Coalition as a declaration of war. But for Lars, well, Bloodstone would love to learn the secrets of your immortality."
"Oh no, I'm gonna get dissected." Lars predicted shakily. "Please, I don't care what you do to me, just leave all my friends on Earth out of this!"
"Sorry, pinkie boy, but I'm afraid Earth will be our next stop once Homeworld is ours to control." Kyanite laughed smugly just as a Concrete stepped through the door, catching her attention. "Hold on, gotta take this." She then turned around to walk over to the Concrete, who began speaking in groans that she could somehow understand. "Yeah? I see. Uh-huh. Okay? Got it." Her conversation ended, and the bodyguard returned to her captives as the Concrete walked away. "Good news you guys, you're getting front row seats to the Brigade's execution!"
"No!" Lars, Hessonite, and Citrine cried out in horror at the news.
"You won't get away with this!" Sylvia added furiously.
"You know, they always say we won't get away with this, even though we've already done it." Kyanite pondered. "Why do people keep saying that?"
--
A few hours later, Cinnabar and her cohorts had the Pearls lined up for all their fellow Gems to see. Lars, Team Hessonite, and Sylvia were also there, now forced to watch from the sidelines as their friends were set to be wiped off all discernible personality traits. "Gems of the Rutile Rebels, lend me your ears!" Cinnabar announced loudly. "At long last, our finest hour has finally come! With the Diamonds away from Homeworld and Torius Vosania imprisoned for his crimes, we now have all we need to restore the Gem race to our former glory!" The assembled insurgents began cheering in response. "Now we have no one left to oppose us! And to anyone that still won't obey, I suggest you pack your things and leave, or fight us all and die!"
"You know, being a rebel isn't bad after all." Cat's Eye meowed. "I didn't care for Black Rutile's goals at first, but after the Crystal Gems ruined my life and I was turned from high-roller to criminal, I think maybe she does have the right idea."
"Glad you could finally join us, Cat." Holly Blue grinned at the aristocrat turned failed lawyer.
"I bet the boss will be pleased as punch with what we've done with the place." Morganite commented while standing next to Navy. "Now I can finally regain all the attention the Crystal Gems have stolen from me and put my talents to good use again."
"I agree!" Navy cheered. "Eyeball will be so happy with how I helped."
"Enough talk, all of you!" Cinnabar ordered while arming herself with a Rejuvenation Blaster that she presented to the audience. "I present to you all the latest in disciplinary technology, the Rejuvenation Blaster, developed as a collaborative effort between myself and two of my servants, Pyrite and Bloodstone." Pyrite began blushing, and Bloodstone beamed with pride as their efforts were applauded. "Using an override command that our lord Black Rutile bestowed upon me as the base, this weapon can zap any Gem it targets and reduce them to their most basic functions." Cinnabar continued. "The real kicker, there's no way to reverse the changes this time. Observe."
Cinnabar knew exactly which Pearl to shoot first, that one being Cap. With a single pull of the Rejuvenation Blaster's trigger, the leader of the Brigade became the first to lose all trace of her original identity and be reduced to nothing but a mindless soldier. "All hail Black Rutile."
The rest quickly followed. Pony, Braids, IQ, and Tails were then zapped next and met the same fate, droning the exact words as they got up. "All hail Black Rutile."
"ALL HAIL BLACK RUTILE!" the Rutile Rebels began chanting as their conquest of Homeworld seemed absolute. "ALL HAIL BLACK RUTILE! ALL HAIL BLACK RUTILE!"
"Victory tastes so savory." Cinnabar said as she reveled in the adulation. "Who could possibly stop me now?!"
--
"Hello, Pearls? Can you hear me?" Púrén begged as the Servant was now Rutile Rebels property, alongside Sculder and the Sun Incinerator. "Pearls? Pearls?! PEARLS!"
--
Well, that was certainly a harrowing note to leave off on! Who could possibly save the Pearls now? Is there really no way of returning them to who they once were? Is there really no stopping Cinnabar? All these questions and more will be answered when The Black Pearl Brigade returns for the ultimate final chapter!
