In another day spent in this boundless expanse, I encountered countless shards swirling around me. With each moment, I drew them in, incorporating them into my ever-growing collection of gem shards.
'I miss the others'
I didn't choose solitude; I had others around me to engage with. However, I now find myself in a different situation than when I first came.
I awoke in the void—a realm we often referred to by that ominous name. Before me hovered three luminous spheres, each representing a different soul ensnared in this emptiness alongside me. Initially, doubt clouded my mind; I suspected it was some bizarre prank. However, as time passed, I formed a deep bond with each of them. It was just the four of us in that endless darkness, engaging in conversations that illuminated our surroundings and chased away the shadows of solitude.
Pink was a high school biology teacher with an infectious passion for her hobbies. She enjoyed crafting improvised explosives and experimenting with them in a nearby forest, along with immersing herself in a diverse array of books.
Purple was a fellow student, much like myself, and an avid anime enthusiast known for his passionate rants about various anime and manga. I thoroughly enjoyed our lively debates over epic showdowns and which anime character could possibly defeat Goku in a duel. Out of the four of us, Purple and I engaged in the most conversation, while Pink remained relatively quiet, as it was actually her wife who was the real anime fan.
Dressed in black or dark blue, he had an aura of mystery. Though he rarely spoke, I discovered he was a retired army soldier with a passion for watching football. Black seemed perfectly at ease, preferring to recline and absorb the conversation between Purple and me, only chiming in with Pink when he felt the urge.
And I was light blue, almost a silver color, from what the others described my sphere as. I had asked what this place was. They had several theories about what this place was. Pink thought that they were in a coma with us being split personalities of each other, and Purple thought that this was either Heaven or hell, or even the isekai waiting room for reincarnated souls. Black thought that he was dreaming of better times, and I also thought I was dreaming; that's why I never panicked while I was with them.
The notion that this was a kidnapping is utterly implausible. Pink, Purple, and Black were all in entirely different places long before they arrived here, fully engaged in their own activities. It's inconceivable that they would orchestrate a kidnapping only to ensnare themselves in the process. Furthermore, the sensation of floating I experienced, coupled with the fact that we seemed to linger for hours in this surreal void without any of them breaking character, only deepens the mystery and my assurance that this must be a dream.
Pink had apparently been conducting a class on crystals, while Purple was strolling with his dog to a nearby park. Meanwhile, Black entertained his grandchildren with stories during his stay at his oldest child's home. As for me, I had been lying in bed, rewatching the movie Planet 51, and I must have just fallen asleep or something.
When we realized that Black had vanished, I didn't panic like Pink and Purple. I was engaged in a conversation with Purple about how Gojo's infinity could be countered by magical attacks or energy, when Pink suddenly screamed.
(Flashback) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pink: Guys!! Where black?
Purple: What are you talking about, pink? He's right… Where is he?
Purple and pink started panicking, yelling for black as their spheres wobbled a bit from their panicking.
Pink: Black?!!
Purple: Come on, black, it's not time for a prank or joke, old man!!!
Lightblue: Guys!
Pink and Purple continued to yell into the void, yelling black's name as loudly as they could.
Lightblue: GUYS!!!!
Pink: What!?
Purple: Yeah ???, we are trying to find black.
Lightblue: Guys, he might just be playing a prank or napping. You know how it freaked us out the first time?
Somehow, Black managed to sleep—or perhaps take a nap—despite not appearing to have a physical form like the rest of us. I interpreted this as my mind taking a break or enhancing the dream's intrigue, so I decided to embrace it nor even question it.
The first time, I had almost spent what felt like hours calling out for Black, along with purple and pink, who seemed to have vanished, leaving us to wonder if he had died or simply disappeared. Just when we thought all was lost, he woke up and began shouting at us for disturbing his nap. Yet, there was something oddly different about Black's recent absence. A thought nagged at me—was this truly a dream? However, I kept this uncertainty to myself and carried on.
Pink was the next to disappear, just as she started to talk about her wife's favorite dish. One moment she was present, and the next, she had vanished completely, as though she had never been there at all. I tried to dismiss it as a temporary lapse in my mind, but doubt began to creep in. I replayed in my mind the various theories everyone had offered about why we were here.
Purple and I fell into a deep silence, wrapped in an intense stillness. We lingered in that timeless void, two souls depending entirely on each other, until the unavoidable occurred—one of us vanishing, leaving the other in isolation.
Purple and I recently reconnected after some time apart, though I can't recall every detail of our conversation, as my memories have become somewhat muddled. I remember moments of us shouting at one another, each blaming the other for the disappearance of Pink and Black. I also cherish the times we embraced our creativity through cosplay and role-playing, immersing ourselves in anime worlds, flawlessly reenacting entire shows, and communicating in our own invented languages.
I distinctly recall a moment of clarity when I was discussing with Purple which Fate character would make the best romantic partner and why. I was elaborating on why I thought Sakura was the best when suddenly I found myself in an entirely different realm, far removed from the void.
I found myself suspended within a surreal gaming load screen, surrounded by enormous cubes drifting in the void, while a colossal spiral portal loomed in the distance.
Light blue: Where am I? Is this where pink and black went?
My voice reverberated through the air, despite the sensation of being in an expansive space, and it also echoed back to me. I wasn't quite sure what this place was, but it had felt like a welcome departure from the endless void.
Although I do wish the best and sincerely hope Purple is doing well, wherever they are now.
(back in the void)
Purple: 2)#)%!#)(%()#)(%)%*)(*^)#(*^)#(*^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I stood there, immersed in anticipation, with no sense of the passing time—just the emptiness of the void surrounding me. After what felt like an eternity, finally, someone materialized before me.
She resembled an extraterrestrial or an energy entity, akin to an Anodite from Ben 10 or even a Beyonder. Her body was adorned with striking gold markings. As for her attire, it was a mystery to me, but then she began to speak. Her voice was an intriguing blend, as if two individuals were communicating simultaneously—one tone was cheerful and gentle, while the other was sharp and uncompromising.
"Greetings, dear soul! You have been selected to embark on an incredible journey of reincarnation!"
The air was filled with the joyous sounds of the party, punctuated by bursts of sparkles and confetti that swirled around her as she waved her hands with enthusiasm. At the time, I was very confused, but after the vibrant pink faded, that's when I realized this wasn't a dream. I suppose purple was right, and I owe him a million bucks if I ever get it or see him again.
"You may be questioning whether you are chosen or unique, but the truth is, you're not. I simply enjoy doing this to individuals like you. Now, let's explore and uncover a world for you…" She briefly fades from view while engaging in an unseen action. With a flourish, she gestures with her hands, as confetti from earlier continues to swirl around her in mid-air. After a series of dramatic hand movements, she stops, just as the spiraling portal behind her begins to accelerate.
"I've successfully discovered a wonderful world for you and created your body. Hope you have a fulfilling life, little soul." She waved at me as I moved around her, at the time getting the impression that she was smiling.
"Hold on, where am I headed? And what advantages did you grant me?" a bit panicked as I tried stopping myself from moving, but failed as I continued moving and seemingly speeding up.
"Oh right, you're heading into Steven Universe equipped with the power to permanently fuse with gems, enhancing and elevating your abilities. You're a predator species for them now, or going to be," saying it as if it was just a casual thing to say.
Steven Universe? That's a total breeze compared to the other places I could have ended up, but wait, she mentioned I could permanently fuse with Gems? How am I going to do that if I'm going to be reborn as a human? Or even deal with the personality changing issue?
"Hold on! Am I-"
The being just continued to wave as she cut me off, "Goodbye!
As I was pulled into the spiral portal, she merely waved, failing to respond to my question before she faded from view, leaving me to disappear once more into the depths of the unknown.
I found myself in yet another void, but this time, tiny stars twinkled in the distance, their gentle light illuminating the darkness. As I inspected my form, I noticed distinct physical attributes: my body resembled a blank canvas, a vivid shade of blue, softly shimmering.
Mmmmm, so is this place actually where gems are made? No, Peridot mentioned that the gem's minds just seem to pop into existence as they are then finished forming. This has me wondering, could it be that I'm like a human baby developing in the womb, forming and growing? But if I'm really inside someone, then why can I still see what looks to be stars shining brightly around me?'
I spent some time floating or standing around until I finally decided to give yelling a shot.
"Hello! Is anyone here?"
My voice reverberated through the emptiness until, suddenly, I was engulfed in a blinding flash of light.
"Form?" the voice was loud but questioning, although it was quickly joined by more voices, very quickly until there were hundreds of distinct voices screaming at me as I attempted to shield my ears from the cacophony, but to no avail. The clamor intensified as even more voices merged into the tumult.
"SHUT UP," yelling to try getting the voices to stop, but the cacophony of voices was just drowning everything out. I took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful roar, determined to make my voice heard amidst the chaos.
"QUIET!!!!! Everybody SHUUT THE FUCKK UP!"
The cacophony surprisingly ceased abruptly as the light around me dimmed significantly, allowing me to open my eyes, although I had to blink a bit to adjust. I had noticed that the stars in the distance still shimmered, albeit faintly, revealing a multitude of shapes and colors. I observed several stars drawing near; curiously, they didn't swell in size but appeared to shrink, with the closest one resembling a tiny tennis ball of light.
"What's happening?" I murmur, trying to think about what's going on. I can't be a baby or anything; this was just obvious.
So let's assume that I'm a gem just based on that god or something, thanks to the abblites they apparently gave me, and I find myself surrounded by numerous voices resonating within a vast empty location.
Sure, I could be back in the void, with just more souls, but this void felt different; it wasn't as empty, and I actually have a body here and not reduced to some orb or blob. Thinking about what could be going on for a while, it feels like an hour of me just tossing out theories to myself.
The cluster. I mean, it's a long shot, but it could be it? The cluster resides deep within the Earth's core, composed of countless gem shards, countless gem shards that could speak in that mental realm Steven went into.
So if this was the mental realm, it would make sense why I got yelled at when I spoke out loud. But if I'm right, then how will I get out of this? The cluster is deep in the Earth's crust, and even then, why would I appear inside of the mental scape first?
Hold on! Since I can permanently fuse with gems, I could combine with gem shards until I gain enough strength to break free to the Earth's surface or something. However, there was a significant flaw in my plan that I thought about: how would I know that this won't just make it worse?
Fusion depicted in the show reveals that they become a completely new entity formed from the personalities and memories of each individual involved. This means I could either lose my identity within the fragmented mind of the gem shard or face the risk of being eliminated, as this fusion wouldn't truly be me if the power were truly permanent.
While deep in thought, I noticed a gem shard drifting by me. When I looked up, I was amazed to find myself surrounded by an array of gem shards, each unique in color, size, and shape. As I reached out to brush aside a vibrant red one, to try brushing it aside, I felt a tingling sensation in my hand just before it vanished completely.
Did I just absorb it? I examined my body, patting myself down but everything seemed normal; there were no noticeable changes. Eventually, the tingling sensation faded, and a red light began to glow on my hand.
I experienced a moment of panic, convinced that I had merged with the shard; however, nothing occurred. There was no other voice, my body remained unchanged, and the shards encircling me continued to pulse in their distinct colors.
feeling alright, but I was curious about why touching the shard caused me to absorb it. reaching out to touch a blue shard, and to my surprise, it vanished, followed by a familiar tingling sensation spreading through my hand.
A blue light joined the red one on my hand, but absorbing it felt distinctly different. As I turned to look around, I noticed a sphere roughly the size of an adult human floating behind me.
The sphere before me shimmered not like the myriad gem shards drifting around, but rather radiated a captivating silver hue, pulsing with a soothing blue light. As I approached, I felt the enchanting energy of several gem shards enveloping me, drawing me closer. I extended my hand toward the sphere, and it was as if I was touching my own skin. As I glided my hand across its surface, a tingling sensation coursed through me, reminiscent of another's gentle touch gliding along my back.
I pondered what this might mean before it slowly became clear to me. This isn't merely a gem; it's my gem, or maybe a representation of it? However, considering that I should exist within the mental realm of the cluster, the body I control may be a mental projection of my true self, and this sphere represents my gem, my physical form, which was inside the cluster somewhere.
The vibrant lights gradually faded from my mental state and settled into my gem, where they swirled in hues of orange, dark blue, red, and green. That peculiar sensation returned, now more intense than ever before.
Visions flooded my mind: I was a quartz soldier battling in an arena, surrounded by vibrant rubies, peridots emerging from my exit point, and lush emeralds coming to life. Though the memories were hazy, I could sense their distinctiveness and recognize the gems I had absorbed. I felt an innate understanding that I had assimilated the remaining consciousness and data of the shards, securely storing them within my gem, much like a computer archiving files.
I had gathered 2 jaspers, 1 emerald, 2 peridots, 1 sapphire, and 10 ruby shards. Watching the shards dance around in my gem filled me with an unexpected warmth. Overwhelmed by the sensation, I leaped up and settled back against my own body, as if someone was gently resting on top of me. As I relaxed, a wave of drowsiness washed over me, and for the first time in ages, I slipped into a deep sleep, cradled by my own form and surrounded by the shimmering shards.