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One moment I was in a place, and now, well, I don't know what's happening to me... or to us.
I was seeing double. A blue gem was in front of me, and in front of the blue one, a red gem. We were both looking at each other. My vision was strange, like a shared vision; I could see both perspectives at the same time. It was weird and fascinating. I didn't know where I was, but this was definitely weird.
Out of nowhere, a tremendous pain hit my head, making both parts of me clutch my head as if they wanted to rip it off.
After a few agonizing seconds, both parts stared blankly into space, saying nothing.
...
...
"What... what the hell," both voices said.
"Holy shit, holy shit," I muttered as both parts of me spun around rapidly, unable to find a fixed point.
"Am I in this show? How the hell did this happen? Why don't I remember anything about my life but I do remember the show?" I thought, as the dizzying experience of everything that was happening left me breathless.
Suddenly, I froze, unsure what to think. I didn't even remember my gender, but one thing was clear: first, I was practically in Rebelde; second, I had already merged. How? I figured it out thanks to the memories that came back to me, fragmented, like images in a broken mirror.
I left the Sapphire part to one side of the cave—yes, I was in the cave—and looked at my hands, Ruby's hands.
I felt the sensation... and there was none. Just a body of light. If someone hit me, I would feel it, but the organic sensations had vanished. And I didn't like that. Or maybe I did... my knees didn't hurt anymore. Did my knees hurt? Shit, I didn't even know what was happening anymore.
I sat down and stared at the other figure that was me. It was like having my mind in two parts, but sharing a single body. It was strange, uncomfortable... and, somehow, fascinating.
"So what am I supposed to do in this place?" I said, without anyone answering.
I knew how to fight, I knew what the Rubies did, and I also had the vision of the future... that's it! I thought with a spark of hope as I switched to Sapphire's control and looked at the futures.
There were a lot of futures, like a river that split into many streams, all ending at a single point. It was strange, almost poetic, but somehow it gave me an idea.
I snapped out of the vision and looked around. The cave was silent, cold, and filled with shadows that moved in the light from distant crystals. For the first time since I arrived, I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts while feeling the weight of being, literally, in two places at once.
"Fuck it," I said. "I'm going to stick more or less to the original. I'm going to meet Rose Quartz... or well, Pink Diamond. It's the same thing in the end," I thought as I threw kicks in the air, each one leaving trails of flame that illuminated the cave for brief seconds.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
"...Why didn't Garnet ever use flames?" I thought with a completely incredulous expression, remembering the series. The image didn't fit, it didn't match what I knew. I shook my head, dismissing the thought before it distracted me too much.
"Let's see how this works," I murmured.
Sapphire's part and mine began to move almost instinctively, as if our bodies remembered something I was only just beginning to understand. It wasn't a fight or a simple movement; it was a slow, precise dance, full of intention. I felt the sensation of joining with someone again, a soft but constant pressure in my chest, so I didn't reject it. I let it happen.
Two forms of light appeared before me, bright, defined, swirling around each other until, without any resistance, they merged into one.
...
...
My vision returned with less of a headache, and I mentally thanked whoever was listening that this wouldn't happen again. As I sat up, I felt something different. I felt whole. Not perfect, but complete, as if all the pieces were finally in their right place.
Reference image.
"Fuck," I said, clutching my head, noticing the differences immediately.
First, and for obvious reasons, this was much more realistic. Nothing like the show. I had three eyes. Three. Something I'd definitely have to fix later. My suit was multicolored, too flashy even by Gem standards. I figured that was something else, a sign that I wasn't quite settled yet.
I walked to the cave's exit and looked outside. The rain was still pouring down, pounding the ground and rocks as if trying to erase any trace of what had happened inside. My future vision kicked in almost reflexively, showing me one clear certainty among all the possibilities.
I had to wait for it to stop.
I stood there, watching the rain, letting the steady sound soothe me as my mind slowly began to accept an impossible truth.
This wasn't a show.
This world was real.
And so was I.
I looked at my hands, observing the two red gems embedded in them. I felt my own presence more clearly now, and that made me think.
"What happened to the original Ruby and Sapphire?" I wondered. I mean, they were practically robots, gems created to fulfill functions, but still... I'd feel bad for simply stealing their lives like that.
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and focused on my gems, trying to sense if there were two presences inside me. It sounds strange, I know, but that's exactly what I was doing. I stayed like that for several minutes, in complete silence, searching for any sign, any echo that wasn't mine.
Nothing.
After almost thirty minutes, I gave up.
"Nope, I don't feel anything," I said to no one in particular.
I looked outside the cave. It was still raining, though not as heavily. Maybe more time had passed than I thought, but it didn't matter. Time was the only thing I had plenty of.
I looked at my hands again and, with an instinctive pull from my gems, I summoned my weapons.
A gauntlet appeared on one hand, and on the other, a steel fist covered in spikes.
"Fascinating..."
The gauntlet was clearly Ruby—simple, heavy, straightforward. The steel fist, with those unnecessarily intimidating spikes, was Sapphire. I had never summoned them before, but thanks to Ruby's experience, it felt almost second nature, as if my body already knew the procedure.
"And now... how do I combine them?" I thought, feeling three imaginary beads of sweat trickle down my forehead.
"Well, maybe I just need to bring them closer."
As soon as I did, I felt a strange attraction, as if these weapons had always been destined to unite. An intense light exploded between my hands, blinding me for a few seconds. When the light faded, I looked down.
I had two gauntlets.
"Better than one, awesome."
Both gloves had integrated spikes, and I could clearly feel how the functions of both weapons had been combined. It was heavy, but balanced. Dangerous, but comfortable.
I stared at my hands with fascination for a few more seconds before shaking my head.
"It doesn't matter."
I got up, put out the campfire with some ice, and sighed.
"Seriously... why couldn't they ever do this in the show?"
I left the cave. The rain had completely stopped, leaving the air damp and cool. I started walking, following the path my future vision indicated, though I couldn't help but be distracted by my surroundings.
"What a huge tree..."
In front of me was an enormous mango tree, laden with fruit. My priorities shifted instantly.
I jumped to grab one, and well... it wasn't my best decision.
I jumped too high and flew past, soaring straight over the tree.
"Damn," I said as I tried to get back to where the mango had been.
"Mango," I muttered, tears streaming down my face, as I plummeted into a lake.
The water completely enveloped me. Under the surface, I calmly observed my surroundings. I didn't need to breathe, so at least that worked in my favor. I saw some fish. They were a bit too big for my liking, but I figured it was just the season, so I let it go.
I got out of the water soaking wet and shook myself off, dripping everywhere.
I stood there for a few seconds, drenched, without a handle, and with questionable dignity.
I sighed.
"This world is going to be a problem."
I walked where the future vision had directed me, and well, what I found wasn't the best I could have hoped for.
"Fusion..." I thought as I saw Pearl trying to fuse with Rose.
Out of nowhere, Rose said something that made them both start glowing.
...
...
"Should I join in or not?" I wondered. I didn't know if it would be awkward, strange, or dangerous.
But before I could decide, the fusion between Pearl and Rose didn't complete. They both fell to the ground like complete klutzes.
"This isn't right," Perla said, trembling slightly.
Rose just stared at her, stars shining in her eyes, as if everything were both fascinating and beautiful.
I tried to approach, but when I snapped a twig, the crack was enough to make them both notice me.
...
...
The three of us stared at each other like lifelong sworn enemies.
"Hi," I said, raising my hand with an awkward, uncomfortable gesture.
Perla, who had been embarrassed before, now looked at me with absolute seriousness.
"What are you doing here?" she said, quickly summoning her weapon.
"Relax," I said, pretending not to notice. "I didn't see anything, I swear, on Diego Maradona."
"Who?" Perla asked, confused. She calmed down a little when she saw Rose put her hand on her shoulder.
"Wow," Rose said, fascinated, with that smile of hers that seemed to light up everything.
"What's up?" I said, trying to sound casual, as I conjured a pair of glasses out of thin air.
"Where did she get those?" Pearl asked, unable to hide her surprise.
"Hey," I continued, with a bit more flair now. "Since we're all rebels here, are we teaming up or what? I really don't want to get torn apart."
Rose's expression changed for a second, but then that thousand-volt smile appeared, leaving me momentarily paralyzed.
"Perfect," she said, taking my hands.
"What's it like being a fusion? Is it great? Horrible? Do you feel... an experience?" she asked, blinking slowly from behind my glasses.
"I feel... how to put it... whole," I replied, raising an eyebrow. "I actually like being like this, and I'm not lying. Who the hell wouldn't want to see things from two perspectives at the same time?"
Rose returned my smile, a smile that, if I had muscles, I'm sure would have snapped from the force.
"Perfect," she said, squeezing my hand tightly.
"Come on, let's go. I'll show you around," she said, taking Pearl in her other hand.
We looked at each other. One of us with a confident smile, the other with distrust, and I knew what was coming was going to be... interesting.
Several minutes passed as Rose practically carried me around. Seriously, how did no one figure out she was Pink Diamond? She literally did things no one else could, and yet everyone looked the other way.
Out of nowhere, we arrived at a place that turned out to be a cave. But not just any cave, a so-called modern one. A good thing, actually.
In front of us stretched a beach that looked truly beautiful. The sea shimmered calmly, the wind was gentle, and the whole place had a strange, almost unreal peace.
"What a beautiful place," I said, taking in the surroundings with genuine surprise.
"Isn't it?" Rose said just before grabbing me like a sack of potatoes and carrying me to a specific spot without warning.
"What do you think of this?" she said enthusiastically, showing me a wooden chair.
...
...
"It's a chair," I replied, standing up to look at it with a raised eyebrow.
"Yesss, it's made of wood. Amazing, isn't it? I never thought I'd see something like this, and it looks much more comfortable than the ones in the Empire," she said with genuine excitement.
I blinked slowly as I processed the information.
"Can I try it?" I asked, my eyebrow still raised.
"Go ahead," Rose said, as Pearl stood behind her, watching intently.
I sat down calmly and, after a few seconds, confirmed the inevitable.
...
...
"Yes... it's more comfortable," I admitted seriously, examining the chair as if it were a mystical object.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Rose said. "I saw it with some humans somewhere nearby to the north."
"Over there?" I asked, pointing.
"Uh... oh, yeah," she replied as we both gazed at the sea.
Suddenly, Pearl took Rose's hand and made quick gestures. Rose understood immediately.
"Well, we have to go," she said. "Stay here and keep an eye on things, please. It's a secret between us and... well, you know."
I raised my hand.
"I completely understand. You two go ahead, I'll stay here."
"Huh?" Rose said, clearly confused by my quick agreement.
"Future vision," I explained, pointing to my gem.
"Cool," Rose replied, remembering that one of my components was a Sapphire.
"Well, see you later. Um... what's your name?" she asked, now a little embarrassed.
"Garnet," I said calmly.
"Oh, okay... Garnet. See you," she said as she walked away with Pearl.
"Did you hear that, Pearl? Her name is Garnet," was the last thing I heard before their voices faded into the distance.
...
"Now," I said to no one in particular as I stared out at the sea.
"What the hell do I do?"
End of Chapter 1.