#black rutile

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 5: Be Prepared (originally posted on September 25, 2023)

AN: We only have one chapter to go before the big halfway point, and I got quite a few things planned for it. We'll be getting the long-awaited rematch between Steven and Black Rutile, the beginning of the end of the Rutile Rebels, the true nature of Prince Nosiop's plans for the universe, and many more. Tensions will run high as the story reaches the second half, and the endgame will be the most epic that Alternate Future has seen yet. Now without further ado, let's get things started.

Synopsis: Black Rutile and her subordinates find themselves caught in a scheme by the insidious heir to Serpentes's throne to conquer the universe, and Black Rutile is all too eager to get in on the plan for the sake of revenge.

Cast:

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Army, Leggy

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Gina Torres as Andesine

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

Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

Kristen Schaal as Howlite

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Keith David as Pyth

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundrr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Zach Callison as Steven

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Matthew Moy as Lars

Julissa Aguirre as Lady Imagineer

John Mulaney as Flipso

--

Prince Nosiop Jormagundr wasn't always the way he was today. When he was a young snake, Nosiop was a prince with big dreams for the future of his race. However, not everyone was willing to listen to him because he was so young, but he didn't let that deter him. One year, during the 419,982nd annual Contest of Champions, Nosiop tried once again to plead his case to his father.

"Conquering the Ood? Surely you jest, my boy!" King Cobralan objected to what his son had just said as the two slithered through the castle halls. "You know we'd be no match for their psychic abilities! It would be utterly stupid!"

"But please, Father, our lives could be so much easier with a hivemind serving us!" Nosiop stated, but his father still wouldn't listen. "In fact, tons of races and planets would be of great use to our people, like the Shamoians, the Mooninites, and the Watchdogs. Maybe we could even abduct ourselves a few Gems!"

"Enough, my son." Cobralan urged his future successor. "I can see you have big ideas, but unfortunately, they don't align with our culture. Now, I'm going to speak with the Universal Lords for a bit. You go off and have fun at the Contest with your mother and your baby sister." He then began to slither away. "I'll see you again soon."

Although Cobralan left the conversation with a smile, Nosiop wasn't as happy as his father. "He just doesn't get it!" Nosiop grumbled angrily. "We could be perfect conquerors, just the two of us ruling the universe as father and son!"

"It truly is a shame that your father wouldn't give you the time of day," Pyth said as he appeared behind Nosiop. "My father was like that too when I was your age. Unlike yours, however, he didn't live long enough to see things my way."

"Are you suggesting I kill my father?" Nosiop asked curiously, causing Pyth to laugh at the idea.

"No, my boy, I'm way past killing parents!" Pyth chuckled loudly. "What do you think I am, Uncle Claudius?!" After another round of laughter, Pyth decided to get serious as he put a hand on the young prince's shoulder. "Come with me, child. There are many things I wish to teach you."

Nosiop obediently followed the royal family's grand vizier down the hallways and into a hidden room within the castle walls. As loyal as he was to his father, the prince of the Slytherophidians often believed that Pyth was more of a dad to him because of how much they agreed with each other on certain topics, chief among them being what should the future holds for their race.

--

"Let's hear it for the Andesine Armada, the new and improved rebellion against the Crystal Gems!" Andesine cried as her new subordinates chanted her name to celebrate her and Cinnabar's victory against Rigby Starglow and Captain Gearfeet. "Today is a most momentous occasion in our time together. With Black Rutile no longer fit to lead our cabal of insurgents against the tyranny of the Crystal Gems, I have proven myself more than worthy of replacing her and instating myself as a gentle guiding hand in our grand mission." The Armada all cheered in excitement. "Under my leadership, not only shall we finally put the Crystal Gems out of their misery, but Black Rutile will soon be next!" Her new subordinates cheered again. "And furthermore, with the Diamonds temporarily out of commission, this shall be an ample opportunity for us to race back to Homeworld when no one's looking and seize power for ourselves!"

"But what if Black Rutile hears us?" Holly Blue asked nervously while looking left and right.

"Stuff and nonsense, we're behind closed doors here." Aquamarine snidely declared. "There's no way she can find us." Just then, the doors to the Andesine Armada's quarters opened behind Aquamarine, and in came Black Rutile with Nosiop and Pyth, much to the other Gems' shock as they tried silently begging her to shut up. "Of course, that is if she hasn't been brainwashed by Steven right about now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?" Black Rutile abruptly interrupted Aquamarine's bravado, sending chills down her spine as she turned to face her former master. "So, this is what you've all been doing, huh?"

"Uh, my Rutile, this isn't what it looks like!" Cinnabar awkwardly apologized to her old mentor. "Andesine and I were just playing a little game of follow the leader!"

"A likely story." Black Rutile replied while pulling out her bowie knife. "Tell me more about this Andesine Armada you've all been bragging about."

"Should you tell her, or should I?" Tanzanite asked Amazonite.

"No, I value my life too much to even talk to her right now," Amazonite replied fearfully, casting an illusion to hide herself from Black Rutile.

"Now, everyone, let's just calm down here and talk things out." Amber tried to ease the tension, but Black Rutile quickly shoved her out of the way to confront Cinnabar and Andesine.

"I'm going to assume this was all your idea, Andesine." Black Rutile said to her old friend. "After all, your name is literally in the team name!"

"No, it wasn't, it was Kyanite's idea!" Andesine tried to shift the blame onto someone else.

"Hey, I've only been here a few minutes!" Kyanite cried. "What's going on?!"

"Please forgive us, Black Rutile, but we simply believe you can no longer lead us into battle." Cinnabar firmly stated. "Your exile to Earth has turned you soft and pathetic, and you are perfectly aware of it yet never once bothered to fix it!"

"I did!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "I tried allying with a Steven from another universe where I'm the good guy, I struck a bargain with an extra-dimensional jester, and I even used the Internet to turn humanity against the Crystal Gems!"

"But that's the thing, dearie," Pyrite stated while filing her nails. "You failed at every single one of those." She added while poking Black Rutile in the chest with her nail filer. "For all your planning and thinking you're one step ahead of everybody, you fail to realize that you're just as flawed as the rest of us."

"Is that so?" Black Rutile said before turning the knife into her massive sword. "How's this for flawed?!" With a mighty swing, Cinnabar and Andesine were sliced in two and poofed, to the horror of the other Gems around them.

"Boss, no!" Bloodstone yelled in horror as she raced to scoop up Cinnabar's inactive gem while Howlite did the same to her superior's.

"Now then, anyone else care to join them?" Black Rutile smirked while menacingly pointing her sword at the surviving resistance members. Although they were more willing to speak up to their fallen superior, this ragtag band of Gems had every right to keep their mouths shut until one of them spoke up.

"All hail Black Rutile!" Eyeball chanted vigorously. "All hail Black Rutile! Come on, guys!"

"All hail Black Rutile! All hail Black Rutile!" the other members of the newly rechristened Rutile Rebels joined Eyeball in cheering for their new leader.

"Now that's more like it!" Black Rutile laughed evilly while sneering at Cinnabar and Andesine's followers mourning the loss of their leaders. "Now that I've reinstated myself as your fearless leader, allow me to introduce a new acquaintance I've made in my time here." She motioned for Nosiop to step forward. "This is Prince Nosiop of the Jormagundr royal family, and much like me, he also desires a new era for his people."

"Yes indeed, I now present to you a grand idea for the Slytherophidian race," Nosiop stated. "With all of you at my side, we can overthrow my good-for-nothing father and instill myself as not just the new ruler of his empire but as the most powerful Universal Lord there is."

"Are you crazy?!" Holly Blue yelled. "You'd be a fool to challenge a Universal Lord, especially if it's your father, Nosiop!"

"My father is yesterday's message, a clapped-out and distracted regime." Nosiop began singing to the Gem rebels. "Whose failings undoubtedly presage the need for a different dream. Yes, serpentine times are a-changing, meaning you must do so too. My vision is clear and wide-ranging and even encompasses you."

"So, prepare for the coup of the century. Prepare for the murkiest scam." Black Rutile also began singing, and far more intensely than Nosiop, as if she was using the song to air out her insecurities. "Meticulous planning and tenacity spanning centuries of denial is simply why I'll be empress! Undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the visionary I am! Yes, my gem and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!"

"Yeah, be prepared, we'll be prepared!" Zoisite exclaimed. "Uh, for what?"

"For the death of my father and the beginning of a new era for Serpentes!" Nosiop loudly announced.

"What do we do, make him sick?" Dalmatian Jasper asked before Pyth coiled his tail around her neck.

"No, you fool, we're going to kill him." Pyth proclaimed.

"And Steven, too." Black Rutile added sinisterly before DJ was dropped to the ground.

"Splendid idea!" Xenotime cheered. "Who needs either of them?!"

"Idiots, there will still be someone to rule!" Nosiop yelled. "Together, Black Rutile and I shall conquer the universe together using the power of the Lapidarist, who has the power to reset all Gems to their basic functions!"

"Wait, really?" Emerald asked nervously, not having a clue as to what Nosiop was talking about.

"Yes, you would all be rejuvenated on a massive scale, so to speak." Nosiop grinned with a hiss. "With her powers, I shall have myself an unstoppable army to overthrow my family and conquer all that I see! Now, who's with me?!"

Despite the dire circumstances this would place not just them but all Gemkind in by wiping everything that made them the Gems they are today, the Rutile Rebels had no choice but to agree out of fear for their lives. However, some were still nervous about how Black Rutile would play a part in this, especially after how she heartlessly poofed two of her most loyal subordinates. "All hail Black Rutile and King Nosiop! All hail Black Rutile and King Nosiop!"

"So, prepare for a glorious future!" Black Rutile announced as the Rutile Rebels chanted, 'Be prepared!'. "Be prepared for a universal golden age!"

"And like any other who'd murder their father!" Eyeball laughed before Aquamarine pulled her fusion partner aside.

"If we don't spread rumors, she'll feed us and groom us!" Aquamarine stated.

"When we've got friends in high places, we hold all the aces!" the Rutile Rebels and a few snake guards chanted harmoniously.

"So don't try and rattle my scales." Nosiop snidely added.

"Oh, imagine if anyone dared!" the chorus cried out. "BE PREPARED!"

"So prepare for the coup of the century!" Nosiop and Black Rutile sang together. "Be prepared for the murkiest scam!"

"Meticulous planning, tenacity planning!" Nosiop proclaimed.

"Centuries of denial is simply why we'll!" Black Rutile added.

"Rule supreme undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the visionaries we are!" the villainous duo declared. "Yes, our gems, fangs, and ambitions are bared; be prepared!"

"Yes, our gems, fangs, and ambitions are bared!" Aquamarine, Eyeball, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye, who have all loyally followed their leader despite everything that's happened, sang together.

"Be prepared!" the newly-formed union of the Rutile Rebels and Nosiop's followers announced, sealing their alliance with a shared evil laugh.

"Pleasure to be working alongside you, partner." Black Rutile said as she and Nosiop shook hands.

"The pleasure's all mine, partner." Nosiop hissed while covertly crossing two scaly fingers behind his back, which implied he desires to stab Black Rutile in the back when she least expected it.

--

"And that's the whole story of how we got here," Ronaldo said to Peedee elsewhere in the Ouraborium. "Though I'm pretty sure I didn't need to tell you all that since you did hitch a ride with us."

"You are definitely right on that one," Peedee answered.

"So why did you do it?" Steven asked. "What would Mr. Fryman say?"

"He said I should keep an eye on him no matter what," Peedee replied firmly. "And if that means hitching a ride with you guys on a spaceship heading for an alien planet in another galaxy, then I'll do it, no problemo. Plus, it would be nice to participate in one of your big adventures, Steven."

"It's nice to have you join in, too, Peedee," Steven said to his old friend with a hand on his shoulder. "But be warned, this planet is insanely deadly. You might be forced to fight for your life in a gladiatorial death match where you might die if you aren't careful!"

"Luckily, you got your big brother to protect you!" Ronaldo exclaimed excitedly while raising his sword.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Peedee dryly remarked, recalling Ronaldo's cowardice in his fight against the Decimator.

"Yeah, ditto." The three boys heard the voice of none other than Lars say as he walked up behind them. "Hey Steven, long time no see. Sorry we had to meet again like this."

"Lars, did they capture you too?!" Steven exclaimed at the undead human before him. "Oh no, where are the Off-Colors? Are they in trouble?!"

"Don't worry, they're fine," Lars assured Steven. "They're just stuck in a cell somewhere since none of them can fight per se. They only want me since I can't really die." Before Lars can continue, he suddenly noticed Ronaldo and Peedee standing behind Steven. "Wait, Ronaldo?! How and when did you and Peedee get here?!"

"We followed Steven here!" Ronaldo answered, smiling. "I was vindicated upon learning that the snake people, I mean, Slytherophidians, were real all along, like many of my theories, and I came along to gather as much info as I could about their people so I could spread them to the humans!"

"And I came along to keep Ronaldo from accidentally killing himself," Peedee added. "So, how's your space adventures been going?"

"That's actually a funny story. The Off-Colors and I were journeying to Wasprus when we got abducted." Lars revealed to the two humans. "Once their guards noticed that I'm basically invincible after experimenting on me, they said they wanted to keep me here forever so I'll keep fighting for as long as the universe lives."

An intercom crackled to life as if the Slytherophidians heard Lars' explanation. "For our next fight, we shall be pitting the one and only Lars of the Stars against the flying dreamer Lady Imagineer!" the voice of Queen Constricta announced. "Now, Lars, be sure you're as ready as you'll ever be because Ms. Imagineer is a very tough opponent."

"Well, speak of the devil." Lars muttered in surprise as the guards moved him to the arena. "Wish me luck, guys! I'm going to need it!"

"Good luck, Lars!" Steven hollered as Lars got further away from him and the Fryman brothers.

--

"Nosiop, are you there?" Naja called for her older brother while slinking through the castle halls. "Where are you? Father is getting worried and wants to see you." Unfortunately, her big brother did not answer. "Come on, Nosey, where are you?"

"Looking for someone, my dear?" Aquamarine asked as she fluttered down and landed on the floor next to Naja. "I once felt lost, too, but then I realized I had someone right by my side this whole time."

"You're one of those Rutile Rebels, aren't you?" Naja asked Aquamarine. "What do you want with me?"

"Oh, how very astute, your grace," Aquamarine replied with a mocking curtsy. "Now then, you were looking for someone, right?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Nosiop," Naja stated. "Have you seen him?"

"I am right here, dearest Naja." Nosiop hissed as he, Pyth, and Black Rutile emerged from the shadows. "Oh, I am so sorry that my sweet baby sister was so scared her big brother wasn't there to keep her safe. Then again, you were always pretty scared but always tried hiding it by acting like the showman you want to be."

"He does raise a good point there, princess." Black Rutile snidely added before cupping Naja's face in her hand. "You ever feel like your old man and the queen have been holding you back from reaching your full potential, Naja?"

"Nosiop, what are you doing fraternizing with Black Rutile?!" Naja asked hurriedly. "You know she's an intergalactic criminal imprisoned for multiple counts of attempted genocide! Stay away from her!"

"Oh please, you threaten to destroy one planet multiple times, and everyone treats you like the bad guy." Black Rutile rolled her eyes in disgust. "Anyways, your brother isn't fraternizing with me. I'M fraternizing with HIM. As it turns out, the two of us have something in common, and we became close quite instantly."

"Perhaps you'd like to join us on our little crusade." Nosiop offered while taking his sister's hand. "Together, the two of us can rule the universe side by side as brother and sister with an unstoppable Gem army at our command, and no one will have to judge you for what you really are!"

"What are you saying?" Naja asked, growing more concerned for her big brother's mental status by the second.

"I'm saying that Mother and Father are holding us back!" Nosiop yelled in his sister's face, momentarily flicking his forked tongue at her. "I have legitimately good ideas for our people, but no one ever takes me seriously! But Black Rutile, on the other hand, truly understands my suffering, for she has encountered the same problems as I!"

"Indeed, I was made an outcast because I disagreed with the current status quo of my race." Black Rutile added, trying to look as innocent as possible with a pout and big, pleading eyes toward Naja. "I was even betrayed by my friends who started thinking little of me, but I changed that quickly."

"I know where this is going, and I refuse to take part in it!" Naja exclaimed as she tried to escape the oncoming swarm of Rutile Rebels. "Father will hear about this!"

"Well, excuse me, Princess, but I think not." Black Rutile hissed angrily. "Rubies, seize her!"

"Yes, my Rutile!" the Rubies obediently chorused as they jumped up and tackled Naja to the ground. "Princess has been secured!"

"Excellent, little Rubies." Pyth purred eagerly. "Now, please show the dear princess to her room until further notice." He gave orders with a sadistic smile. "Wouldn't want her getting in the way by telling everybody."

"You won't get away with this!" Naja yelled angrily as the Rubies dragged her away. "Steven will find out!" As Nosiop watched the Rubies carry off his sister, he turned away in shame at having to betray his sister like this. But alas, their worldviews had no choice but to clash as he still had far grander designs in mind, and she didn't play a role in them. With a heavy sigh, the visionary prince looked to his new Gem ally and his royal vizier, who looked back at him with sinister smiles.

--

Meanwhile, in the Ouraborium, Lars had been pitted against the flying dreamer Lady Imagineer in combat, but despite his moderate skill in combat, the donut boy turned undead space hero was outmatched in every way possible.

"Stay still, for Pete's sake!" Lars groaned as he tried catching up with Lady Imagineer's airborne acrobatics. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean I can't beat you!"

"But that's what makes your race so fun, Lars!" Imagineer laughed sweetly. "You have so much potential; you just need to learn not to waste it!"

"Yeah, that's my sister up there!" the reality-warping trickster Flipso cheered for Lady Imagineer while conjuring up a smartphone to record the fight with. "You're doing amazing, sweetie!" Suddenly, Solaris Noctua turned his gaze to find Flipso in the audience below where he and the other Universal Lords were seated. Flipso immediately hid himself by disguising himself as a Slytherophidian. "Gotta keep up appearances."

"Quit flying around so much!" Lars yelled as he tried using his portal powers to scream his way to Lady Imagineer, but she was far too quick on her feet for him to keep up.

"Gonna have to catch me first!" Imagineer giggled before conjuring up an illusion of Sadie that made Lars blush, distracting him long enough for the space pirate to realize he was now falling to the ground. "I can also conjure up illusions based on what I find in your mind."

"YOU SUUUUUUUUCK!" Lars screamed before he landed on the ground with a loud thud, prompting the audience to chant.

"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!" the Slytherophidians cheered as Lady Imagineer floated down to where Lars landed and helped him up.

"Ugh, my back." Lars groaned in pain as he shuffled away. "This is probably the second most humiliating moment in my life, right after Steven possessing my body."

"Oh, come on, Lars, at least you had fun, right?" Lady Imagineer asked with a cute smile.

"Yeah, maybe it was a little fun." Lars laughed dryly before continuing his walk of shame.

--

"Oh, my back." Lars groaned in pain as he struggled back to the quarters the Jormagundr royal family gifted him upon his arrival on Serpentes and slumped on the closest velveteen couch to sleep his troubles away. "Oh, sweet Velveteen Rabbit. Take me away on your Edwardian adventures."

"Anything the matter, Lars?" Emerald asked while walking in and stroking Lars's aching back.

"Just lost to Lady Imagineer," Lars said while turning his head to face Emerald. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to comfort an 'old friend' of mine in these trying times," Emerald replied. "Seeing you so humiliated like that, while it was cathartic to see you feel how you always made me feel back in the day, it just pained me to see a worthy opponent go down like that."

"What are you saying?" Lars asked, not expecting a good answer at all.

"I'm saying is that Steven has ruined your life for long enough!" Emerald exclaimed. "First, he repeatedly robs you of your dignity, then he takes you away from your home planet where you were forced to die for him, and now you're fighting for your life on another alien planet! And you're expected to become his friend after all that?!"

"You're wrong!" Lars yelled as he bolted up, briefly yelping in pain. "Yeah, Steven and I got off on the wrong foot, but he still willingly gave up everything for the wellbeing of others, even me, and I returned the favor! Now, I'm living the dream as a badass space hero like in the old TV shows with a bizarro found family of Off-Colors!"

"That's what I hated about you, Lars, outside of the fact you stole my favorite ship and got away with it," Emerald stated while pulling out her spiked club from her gem, now pulsating with electricity as she pointed it at Lars. "You're way too human!" She swung her club at Lars, who deflected it with a kick.

"No, I'm just human enough!" Lars smirked before punching Emerald's face and knocking her down. "What's with the change in attitude? Last time I saw you, you were willing to face punishment for your crimes."

"Things have changed. Though I wanted to atone, eventually, I grew tired of Black Rutile's wailing and believed my failures were because of her." Emerald revealed. "Ditto for Demantoid, Pyrope, and Morganite as well."

"Guess old habits die hard, I suppose," Lars muttered before Emerald tried taking him by surprise with another swing of her club, but Lars dodged in the nick of time and sent her flying towards the wall with a combo of fists and feet. As Emerald lay injured against the wall, Demantoid, Pyrope, and Morganite raced to see what was happening.

"Emerald, what happened here?!" Morganite asked while helping the renowned pilot to her feet.

"Seems like I got a little shortsighted again." Emerald laughed weakly. "At least I tried to get one over on him."

"This won't be the last you'll see of us, Lars of the Stars," Demantoid said to Lars. "When next we meet, you will face the full might of the Rutile Rebels."

"And I'll be onto you like a Langdon Cobb movie." Lars replied firmly.

"Do any of you have a clue as to what he said?" Pyrope asked while the three Gems carried Emerald away, to which Demantoid and Morganite responded with hushed confusion.

--

In the Crystal Gems' room in the arena, Steven was sitting worriedly on the couch with Peedee as Ronaldo paced around the sofa, thinking about Lars's loss and how it would affect them. "Well, there goes Lars." Ronaldo declared bluntly. "Either of you got any bright ideas?"

"I'm not sure what to do now," Peedee replied. "I mean, what chance do we have now that the Diamonds have been poofed and Lars is out of commission? In fact, where are the Crystal Gems?"

"Off being forced to fight more innocent aliens," Steven added. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Black Rutile is doing."

"Attention all combatants, our next fight is a very special one!" Constricta's voice announced through the arena's PA system. "For quite possibly the biggest show yet in the Contest of Champions, we give you Steven Universe versus Black Rutile!"

"What?!" the three boys yelled while Black Rutile stormed into the room with an evil laugh.

"I see you just heard my big surprise for you, Steven!" Black Rutile announced joyfully. "As arranged by my dear friend Prince Nosiop, we shall have our long-awaited rematch, and I'll finally get the chance to destroy you once and for all!"

"No one destroys a boy like you, my Rutile," Aquamarine said while perched on Black Rutile's shoulder. "See you soon, Steven." The two Gems laughed as Black Rutile turned around and left, leaving Steven horrified at what he had just heard.

"This is not good; this is not good at all," Steven muttered nervously. "Everyone here already hates me because I don't want to kill people, so they'll no doubt be rooting for Black Rutile to destroy me! What do I do?!"

"Hey, don't fret, Steven, just believe in yourself," Ronaldo suggested. "Believe in the Ronaldo who believes in you."

"He's right," Peedee added. "Some people can't believe in themselves until someone believes in them first. Remember that no matter what, everyone back at Beach City has your back."

"Thanks, guys," Steven said with his eyes closed. "But I guess I have no other choice." He opened his eyes, revealing that one of them now had a diamond-shaped pupil.

--

And so, we finally reach the halfway point of Snake Eyes with the long-awaited rematch between Steven and Black Rutile, allowing them to finally settle the score after their numerous fights in Alternate Future. And this time, Black Rutile won't just decide to give up on Steven and let him wallow in shame, she's going in for the kill and has a lot of issues left over she'll use their upcoming fight for. How will things turn out? Find out next week.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven universe snake eyes #steven quartz universe #black rutile #prince nosiop jormagundr #aquamarine #eyeball ruby #holly blue agate #cat's eye #andesine #cinnabar #lars barriga #ronaldo fryman #peedee fryman

[rajiyagemjeweles]

Natural Rutile Quartz Gemstone Cabochon, Design Top Grade Rutile Quartz Cabochon Gemstone Making Jewelry, Pandent, Ring, Gift For Her

Gemstone

Product Description

Product Name = Natural Rutile Quartz Cabochon.

Shape = Large Pear, Small Pear, Large Oval, Small Oval

--------------------------

Size

A - 27x20x10 MM

B - 30x21x11 MM

C - 27x20x9 MM

D - 25X15X10 MM

Weight

A - 37.00 Cts

B - 46.00 Cts

C - 36.00 Cts

D - 30.00 Cts

--------------------------

Transparency = Transparent

Condition = Excellent

With certificate 30 $ Extra.

Remarks: Beautiful Cabochon. Beautiful Colors. No Spots Clean.

No Cracks or damages. Gift Material.

Free Standard Shipping : Yes (Free Standard shipping )

Free Express Shipping : Yes (Free Express Shipping on 200 $ and above)

Wholesale availability : Yes

***Photoshop on Images : No

***Color correction on images : No

***Photo editing : No

***Guaranteed to be better than photos of Gemstones**

Comment mine

Dm me more details for price.

#Rutile Quartz #Rutile Cabochon #Black RutileQuartz #black rutile #gemstone #natural #artists on tumblr #natural gemstone #etsyshop #succession #myetsybestseller #rajiyagemjeweles #halloween #my etsy #rutile quartz cabochon #Rutile QuartzCabochon #white Rutile QuartzCabochon #white rutile #natural rutile stone #rutile quartz #rutile #rutile stone #rutile gemstone #quartz crystals #Rutile gems #Rutile gemstone #gemstone for jewelry #making for stone

[robinsceramics]

Jaguar cub in dark clay

[image descriptions: four photographs of a ceramic jaguar cub. The jaguar is looking up and crouching as if the cub was surprised in the middle of walking; its front left and back right paws are extended forward, and its shoulders are hunched. Its tail is curled around one leg to its hip. The glaze is slightly mottled on the jaguar's back, but clear enough to reveal its warm-brown body and black markings imitating a jaguar's rosettes and stripes.]

#the clay itself is a deep brown #the jaguar is glazed with very light very transparent rutile glaze #over black underglaze for the markings #ceramics #ceramic art #ceramic sculpture #animal sculpture #jaguar #described #sold #edit: sold #edit: I fixed the description! ty for pointing it out argentlief

[robinylart]

A minute of silence for Rutile.

Such a sweet soul

#houseki no kuni #land of lustrous #hnk #houseki no kuni fanart #rutile #land of lustrous fanart #fanart #digital art #digital drawing #black and white

[your-fav-rocks]

Gl!ranboo?

Ranboo - Generation Loss

i associate ranboo with black opal, mahogany obsidian, and silver rutilated quartz!

requested by: anon posted by: mod malachite

black opal: such a pretty stone. solid black with flashes of red that appear and shift in the light. reminds me of the overall red and black theming of genloss, and especially ranboo, as well as the lights on their mask. black opal will also often have blues and greens in it. rgbtrio moment

mahogany obsidian: once again, red and black. also a very pretty stone. mahogany obsidian helps with mental healing and creativity by clearing mental blocks and, well, being mind controlled by an evil media corporation could certainly be called a mental block. also, one of obsidian's best known uses is being carved into weapons and tools, similar to how showfall shaped him into their protagonist.

silver rutilated quartz: i wanted to work in more of the silver from the mask and various metal contraptions ranboo encounters throughout tse, and this seems like a perfect fit. the needle-like rutile inclusions can definitely feel a little creepy and strange looking.

#ranboo #genloss #generation loss #gl ranboo #black opal #mahogany obsidian #rutilated quartz

[scrollingfan]

Something you can't lose

#AKA Tanzanite's legs don't work and they wish they didn't have them in the first place #but they can't because they're old and have memories #and they can't just attach something new like Phos can due to their inclusions #Houseki no Kuni #HNK #Land of the Lustrous #LOTL #HNK OC #Fanart #Art #OC Art #this may have a sibling piece in the future with Black Rutile but idk

[rutilation]

*emerges from my sarcophagus*

Once again, I seem to have thoughts about the rock manga

About two and a half years ago, after reading chapter 84, I published my last essay on HnK, and felt a bit fatigued.  About a week later, I saw on my dashboard that chapter 85 had been released.  Knowing that Phos’s grisly mass-murder would greet me if I clicked the post, I closed the app and thought to myself: ‘I want to have a nice Christmas; I’ll look at this later.’  Christmas was indeed nice, there was much wine, ravioli, and spumoni to be had.  I had brought over some Buccellato di Lucca, and for all the effort I had made to memorize the proper name, the appellation ‘Lucca bread’ was the one that stuck amongst my aunts, who were quite fond of it. I spent the rest of the evening making my usual clumsy attempts at socializing, and when I got tired of that, played with my aunt’s cats.  All in all, it was a good day, and I felt quite refreshed by the end of it.  

But, though I didn’t realize it yet, something in my brain had short-circuited.  From then on, whenever I tried to so much as look at anything HnK related, I’d find myself consumed by feelings of panic and dread.  It occurred me that I had perhaps burned out on my favorite trauma-simulator.  Well, that was okay: I’d take a break, let the accumulated gunk flush itself out of my brain, and then hop right back in.

And then the plague happened (no more extended family gatherings or opportunities to make Lucca bread.)  And then HnK went on hiatus.  And then I finally graduated college.  And then my dog died.  And then I developed asthma.  All throughout, I thought about HnK nearly every day.  But whenever I asked myself if I was ready to start reading it again, my brain would always reply ‘nope. still cleaning out the mercury buildup.’

To this day, I don’t understand why this manga and this manga alone has ignited such particular mania in me.  Why can’t I just be normal about it?  There are certainly other works that I love more than HnK, but seemingly nothing aside from it has the power to turn me into one of Pavlov’s drooling dogs. Maybe Phos just hits different. That’s the best explanation I can come up with right now.

Anyway, this past May I saw that the hiatus was finally ending, and by that point, I was feeling quite impatient with my brain.  At last, when I saw the magazine cover, my curiosity finally outweighed my anxiety, and with bleary eyes, I stumbled back onto my favorite suffer-train.

All of that is to say that my brain still has some of that gunk in it, so consider this less of a rigorous analysis and more a dump of two years’ worth of feelings that have been left unsaid. My hope is that, even if I can’t be normal about this story, I can at least convey this messiness in a coherent manner.

Having caught up, I find that I’m just as fascinated by the story as I’ve always been, but I no longer have the same dogged faith in it that I once did.  And my issues with it boil down to how the role of the supporting cast has changed.  (Phos, on the other hand, remains the character of all time even to this day.)

I would describe the first two-thirds of HnK as an intimate character drama set against the backdrop of an uncaring and alienating world.  Both elements were paramount to its unique flavor, but when the most interesting path a character could take contradicted the oppressive atmosphere, it was the tone that yielded to the needs of characterization.

Over time, however, the story’s priorities have shifted, and while many of the individual steps were gradual, the difference between where we started and where we’ve ended up is stark. As it stands, I think my description has been turned on its head.  The story is now about the uncaring and alienating atmosphere, and the characters exist in service of it.

This alteration to the alchemy of the story is one I struggle to grapple with.  It hasn’t ruined it for me, per se.  The ideas that HnK is tackling are still fascinating, and as I said before, Phos themselves is just as endearing and heartbreaking as they’ve always been.  I still trust the story to forward interesting concepts, and that it has something to say.  And clearly even the mass character assassination of the supporting cast is in service of the story’s themes about the pitfalls of both action and inaction, the need to be needed, and how society crushes underfoot those at its margins.

Y’know…

Something something Buddhist Deva realm, something something The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas, something something We Live in a Society…

But where does Peridot and Sphene trying to empathize with and give actionable advice to Phos and Cairngorm over dealing with grief and death fit into this?  Or Antarc’s belief in acting with courage and testing one’s limits?  Or the many silent panels dedicated to Kongou’s agony over his children’s suffering?  Why did the gems on the moon feel no alarm and raise no objection when Phos told them they intended to kill everyone on earth? Why is Ghost’s reaction to learning that Lapis can’t be resurrected so blasé?  Why does Kongou need to be treacherous when his well-established pattern of learned helplessness would have probably lead him down this path regardless?  Even accounting for their arrested development and culture of complacency, why aren’t half the gems on the moon rioting over this situation—over the incalculable pain and trauma the Lunarians have wrought upon them?  It should amount to more than just… Bort being kind of bummed while sitting alone in their jellyfish room.

And to be totally clear, I’m not just salty because I love Phos so much that I can’t stand to see them scorned by other characters.  I like that people get tired of Phos’s shit, I like that their lives don’t revolve around them, I like that the story is brave enough to dig into emotions and experiences that aren’t satisfying and life-affirming, I like that Phos’s journey of “self-improvement” is deeply fraught and about as far from a power fantasy as one can get, and I love that Phos doesn’t have a goddamn harem.

But with the story having become so disinterested and dismissive of the inner lives of everyone who isn’t Phos, it ends up feeling like they’re the center of the universe regardless.  And when we do spend time with the other characters, the narrative is practically screaming at us:  “Look at how shallow and hypocritical they are!  Aren’t you so disappointed in them?”  And I don’t need that.  I don’t need everyone else to be shallow for Phos to be profound, and Phos’s clumsy compassion captivates me even without everyone else being callous and apathetic.  To the contrary, I think this story is at its most heartbreaking in the moments when I can empathize with everyone, and completely understand where they’re coming from.  To be invested in these characters’ quest for happiness all while being saddled with the grim knowledge that happiness for one means misery for another is truly gut wrenching.  But when the narrative seemingly wants its readership to dole out their sympathy in a zero-sum fashion, the vibes get a bit… rancid.  As it is now, HnK has this bitter aftertaste of resentment and misanthropy that I do not care for in the least.  And I really, truly hope this sour note in the story mellows out following the long break.

Circa 2018, I would have said that while Phos is unquestionably the star of the show, HnK has a strong supporting cast, with emotional and thought-provoking character arcs for its the major characters, and subtle glimmers that hint at a deeper profundity for its minor characters.  Nowadays though, I really can’t—not at all.  If you’re not Phos, then your characterization has been sacrificed at the altar of bad vibes.

Now that I’ve articulated my gripes, I’m going to set them aside for a moment to talk about my hopes for the ending of this story, now that one seems to be in sight.  Despite my best efforts over the years, I have been unable to crawl into Ichikawa’s brain and divine her thought process.  As such, think of this not so much as a prediction, but as, perhaps, fanfic.  To me at least, both Phos praying everyone out of existence and Phos refusing to do so and dooming everyone to eternal unlife feel unsatisfying.  

Who would have thought, when the profound Buddhist influence on the story first became apparent in those early chapters, that Phos becoming a bodhisattva with the power to save everyone’s souls would end up feeling like the most depraved and unfair path their life could take?  There are a couple of reasons for this.  For one thing, Phos’s life only became unbearable because of the machinations of someone who is endeavoring to make everyone else hate life as much as he does, (and the son of a bitch all but cackles as he relays this.)  In my heart, what I want for Phos isn’t just for them to cut their losses and be put out of their misery—I want them to be happy.  But hey, I’m just a silly mortal who, categorically, can’t be tortured in time prison, so what do I know?  But, even putting my heartache for Phos aside, no one in this story, in my estimation at least, has earned nirvana.  Most of the cast is allergic to introspection, or learning from their mistakes, or broadening their perspectives, and even the few who’ve matured past the preteen level aren’t particularly inclined to work on themselves.  They are, to reuse my words from an earlier essay, about as enlightened as a cornflake, and they don’t deserve to reap salvation for themselves off of such ghoulish misery.  Do not pass ‘Go.’  Do not collect $200.

At the same time, Phos abandoning everyone to their fate out of spite leans too much into that misanthropy I was crabbing about earlier in this essay.  While it would be so very satisfying to see the look on Aechmea’s face when he realizes that all his 5D-chess maneuvers have backfired in the eleventh hour, I just… can’t derive any satisfaction from the thought of the gems getting their just desserts, because the path they traveled to get to this point was so littered with contrivances and shortcuts.  All it would do is remind me of how vivid the cast once was, the story’s repudiation of their selfish inaction ringing hollow compared to my memory of those earlier, more nuanced characterizations.  

With those out of the way, the option that most appeals to my sensibilities at this point is what I’m calling the Wolf’s Rain ending.  Spoilers for a twenty year old anime, I guess.  In that story, the characters inhabit a dying world, and are searching for a legendary Paradise with a capital P.  At the end, after the entire cast has been picked off one by one, the main characters succeed in birthing Paradise out of the corpse of their dead world, but this paradise is seeded with the malcontent of the main villain, (his freaky eyeball falls onto a white flower and turns it purple.  It’s really evocative; go watch Wolf’s Rain) and thus the world is reborn not as an eternal paradise, but as our world, warts and all.  The last episode ends with the reincarnation of the main character poised to start his search for Paradise all over again as Stray plays over the credits.  Did I mention that Yoko Kanno scored this anime? Watch it now.

Now that I’m done hard selling early digipaint anime, what I really want out of this is for Phos to decide that their idea of happiness does not accord with Aechmea’s and Kongou’s, that they want a shot at a fulfilling life, and that they’re not going to leave this world before learning and understanding all they can of it, and certainly not before experiencing genuine love unmarred by the need to be needed. And if none of that is possible in an empty world populated by hungry ghosts, then it will have to come out of a living, breathing world full of mortals.  Thus, they use the power they’ve gained from Kongou not to annihilate the remnants of humanity, but to kick-start the cycle of life again, and in so doing, they reincarnate all the Lunarians as mortals.  At last, biodiversity returns to the earth, and everyone’s been reborn as snail people to boot.  Aechmea will probably crab about it and claim that Phos has doomed them all.  “Why would you want to keep samsara going, you mint-flavored idiot?”  Yadda yadda… and I won’t give a damn.  Cue Stray over the end credits as Phos’s journey begins anew.  It’s a punishment.  It’s a gift.  And most importantly, it gives me serotonin!

This manga still captivates and inspires me to write like nothing else before it, Phos still has my heart in vice grip, and Ichikawa’s aesthetic idiosyncrasies still delight me in their uniqueness—I feel like if I could borrow even a fraction of her brain cells for one day my artistic sensibilities would gain like thirty levels. But, with all that in mind…

This is no longer the same story I fell in love with back in 2017, it’s a different beast now, and while I still can’t quite put my finger on why HnK grabbed me so hard in the first place, I think I’ve gained some insight into why I burned out on it so hard: the more I tried to reconcile these two different stories that happen to share the same continuity, the more upset I made myself.  If I want to keep engaging with this work, I need to mentally separate the stuff from before and after the Moon Super Hell Arc.  

In addition to that, I probably won’t pick up where I left off and do an essay every month.  Rather, I’ll simply write when the urge strikes me, whether that means thousands of words or one paragraph.  But regardless of the change in format, I do intend to see this through to the end with no further nervous breakdowns.

With that all out of the way, here are some additional observations and speculations:

·        The hottest topic in fandom at the moment seems to be “who’s going to choose to help Phos?” Or at least, “Who’s going to acknowledge that this situation is even somewhat unjust?”  People seem to regard Cinnabar and Euclase as the most likely candidates, as they’re the two who are the most obviously perturbed by Phos’s situation.  But, if you put a gun to my head and told me to name the gem that I think is most likely to go to bat for Phos, then I’d say I find Padparadscha’s quiet yet pointed disengagement from this garden of earthly delights to be more portentous.  After all, measure twice and cut once is their guiding philosophy.  Having said that, by this point we’ve cycled through a half-dozen characters who “actually” cared about Phos, and I’m kind of over it.  If Ichikawa wants me to go back to being on tenterhooks waiting to see what choices the other characters make in regards to Phos, then the ball is now firmly in her court.

·        I’ve also seen people wondering why Aechmea is so keen on turning all the remnants of humanity into Lunarians even though he believes their state of existence to be an abject curse.  My two cents is that it’s a matter of manufacturing consent.  Gems don’t want to die as badly as Lunarians, and the Admirabilis wish for death even less so.  By coercing all those pesky mortals and mortal-adjacent rocks into becoming miserable space ghosts, everyone will, given a long enough time frame, share his goals and be completely onboard with both his means and his ends.  No need to even be sneaky anymore!  And won’t that be a load off his back.

·        I feel like I finally get Euclase.  One of my bugbears with them was that their newfound concern struck me as insincere because all the strife they claimed to be worried about had been unsubtly festering for many, many years by the time they got around to putting a band-aid on them. But I think the past dozen chapters have clarified their perspective.  They are not just a purveyor of koolaid, but a drinker as well, I now understand.  They believed that things like Cinnabar’s isolation, Kongou’s secrecy, Yellow’s slow deterioration, the Diamonds’ increasingly bitter relationship, going back on their word to Phos and helping to bury them, and so on and so forth, were all things that would sort themselves out with the passage of time.  In their view, since time heals all wounds, and taking action introduces unpredictability and the possibility of making things worse, then the correct solution to any conflict is to wait until it fizzles out on its own.  What they didn’t understand is that non-action isn’t a neutral option that allows one to opt out of the maddening uncertainty of life.  It is a choice with consequences, and it can make a situation worse just as surely as one of Phos’s madcap whims.  And indeed, they ended up paying the price for their misguided assumptions.  While Euclase follows the same ideology as the rest of the gems, they’re the only one—aside from maybe Padparadscha—who engages with it through the eyes of an adult, rather than those of a child who’s simply drifting down the path of least-resistance.  Unlike the rest of the supporting cast, I can confidently say that Euclase has only become more interesting and nuanced with time.  Hopefully that continues to be the case.  

·        I also think it’s hilarious that Ichikawa herself personally reads my essays, saw me write that I think Euclase is shady but that I have faith in the other gems to act on their better instincts, and decided to do the exact opposite of that.  Iconique.  I do unironically love this story’s ability to make a clown out of me.  Honk honk.

·        With regard to what Aechmea and Kongou are implying when they say there’s a way to help Phos, I’m in the camp that they’ll try to resurrect their lost pieces as a Lunarian.  It would mollify any lingering guilt the others have over Phos’s fate by assuring them that the Phos they threw under the bus isn’t the “real” one, and it would give the fandom what they want—a return to the sweet, innocent Phos they fell in love with—in the worst, most twisted context possible, and how could Ichikawa resist that?  I don’t know how they could possibly get a hold of Phos’s legs and arms, but it wouldn’t be the first time the plot has bent itself into an unwieldy shape to make things easier for Aechmea.  Gripes aside, if Ichikawa were to do something interesting with this hypothetical return of Baby!Phos, and use said plotline as more than just an opportunity to further twist the knife in, then I’m all for it.  

·        (What if Baby!Phos and Punished!Phos meet up at the end of the story, have a heart-to-heart, and by their powers combined, make my Wolf’s Rain ending real?  That would be so sick.)

·        I’ve written all I can about Cairngorm.  The rest is up to you Ichikawa.  They’re about three-fifths of a really interesting character, but if their arc progresses no further, and this is all there is, their story will wind up feeling pretty half-baked.

·        I’ve been going back through my past writings, and I’ve noticed that a bunch of hyperlinks have either broken or no longer link to the proper page.  I’ll get around to fixing that.

#houseki no kuni #land of the lustrous #I love that the only character who *does* get a harem has Soul Dementia #and thus no capacity to revel in their good fortune #It’s a moment of black comedy on par with Cinnabar’s night patrol rendered useless by union policy #almost as funny as Rutile becoming a therapist #this manga is a riot when it wants to be

[aluminumoxideaddict]

Shameless self-insertion.

#October is also for opals so of course I had to draw my black opal gemself #and her/my waifus cheering her up #padparadscha #rutile #land of the lustrous #houseki no kuni #fangem #self-insert #black opal #syringes don't even exist in HnK #but I think they're hot so the hot doctor's gotta have 'em

[toestalucia]

was gonna write. got hit by the awful cramps i rarely get. gods intervention.......

#stardust speaking ! #my atlas thread..... #my rutile ask..... #i wanna talk more about gran but im just twiddling my thumbs until next storyupdate #may for sure hopium #orchid and black knight was in the comics #surely its a sign #thinning about alliahs wind fate eps again too cuz like. i think they capsulate how i view gran sm..........aughhhh come to me.. #idk i just think gran (incoherent mumbles) #i wanna see mika....imagine having THE best gbf character locked behing 100+ chs #ive said thay exavt thing before n i do not accept criticism #mika is THE granblu chara of all time

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 12: End of an Era (originally published on November 13, 2023)

AN: It's been almost three years, but at long last, we finally made it. The end of the Steven Universe: Alternate Future universe. What started as a shot at altering Future to include content cut from the original series, expanding on certain plotlines left hanging by show's end, and altering things to my own tastes grew into its own shared universe with so many characters I nearly lose track of on a regular basis and lore that I've practically built with my own two hands. To you, the lovers and dreamers who have been here the entire time from Steven, to the Black Pearls, to Black Rutile's trial, Little Homeworld, the Crystal Regime, and beyond, I thank you all for reading my take on Steven's universe and for all your support. By the time I finally post this, I think I might take a little break because is currently falling apart and they're so blissfully unaware of it. But don't take this as me abandoning you all, because I got tons more stories from the past and soon to come in the future for you all to read in the meantime. But I've done enough talking, it's time to close the book on this saga once and for all.

Synopsis: The final battle for the fate of all reality begins as Squamata possesses Nosiop to defeat the Crystal Gems and destroy the universe. As everyone fights for their lives to defend Serpentes and the cosmos at large, Steven learns one last important lesson.

--

"Enlightened warriors of clashing kinships come from afar to banish the Eclipse. Only when united in heart and mind can they stop the worlds from being aligned." The Lapidarist's prophecy was the only thing racing through the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds' heads as they stared at the fusion of Steven and Black Rutile standing tall and proud before them. The fusion was a tall, androgynous figure with curly hair and pink skin dressed in a traditional superhero costume while wearing Steven's shield and Black Rutile's sword, who gazed at their hands with an eager grin on their face.

"Awesome!" The fusion gasped in amazement at their new form before facing the others. "Hey, check it out, guys. We fused! Bet you didn't see that coming, huh?!"

"Uh, Steven." Connie said as she stepped up to the fusion.

"Black Rutile." White Topaz added.

"Is that still you in there?" they both asked.

"Of course, it's still me, Steven! Er, Black Rutile." The fusion declared, getting himself confused in the process. "Hm, what should I call myself?"

"Hey, can you make it quick?! You guys got a snake monster to fight!" Amethyst exclaimed before the fusion got an idea.

"I think I got it! You can call me Rutilated Quartz!" Rutilated Quartz introduced himself. "Isn't that awesome?!" He then turned to face Squamata, slowly leaving Serpentes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, this looks like a job for Rutilated Quartz." Before they could fly off into the air like the superhero they were dressed as, someone called out for him.

"Wait, Rutilated Quartz!" Ronaldo said as he raced up to the fusion and took a knee in respect. "A great warrior needs a great weapon, and that is why I bequeath to thee my Shining Finger Sword from Mobile Home Warrior Gatha." He then handed the blade to Rutilated Quartz, who took it and examined it for a moment while it glowed with a holy radiance, no doubt the Lapidarist's final gift to her children. "Give him a few stabs for me with that, okay?"

"I promise, Ronaldo." Rutilated Quartz smiled before returning and lifting into the air to face Squamata. As everyone on Serpentes's surface got further and further away from them, the combined thoughts of Steven and Black Rutile began emerging in their head.

"So, Black Rutile, are you ready for your first battle to save the universe?" Steven asked his new fusion partner.

"I have to admit, this is a little strange." Black Rutile replied. "But I'm willing to try anything once."

When Rutilated Quartz reached Squamata, the snake of darkness possessing Prince Nosiop was already preparing to devour the planet of Serpentes below him when he spotted Rutilated Quartz flying towards him. "Ah, the ultimate fusion, we meet at last." Squamata sneered at his opponent. "I must admit, you certainly kept me waiting. I thought Gem would be the warrior to slay me, but I guess the prophecy was wrong. Besides, look what you need to do to mimic even a fraction of my power."

"Well, I'm nothing like Gem, I am a warrior of awesome power who fights for love and for justice!" Rutilated Quartz introduced themselves while striking a pose. "I am Rutilated Quartz! And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

"Heheheh, you're positively adorable." Squamata snickered evilly while baring his vessel's fangs. "I'm going to feed you your own heart." Squamata charged at Rutilated Quartz with a sinister laugh, who just smirked in response before racing into the final battle.

--

As the final battle between Rutilated Quartz and Squamata commenced, everyone remaining on Serpentes gathered around where the Lapidarist died from Squamata's poison just moments ago to mourn the death of the creator of all Gemkind.

"We are gathered here today to pay final respects to our honored dead." King Cobralan declared with a eulogy. "And yet it should be noted, amid our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of a new beginning, the sunrise of a new era for not just the Slytherophidian people, but the universe at large."

"Just when we were getting to know the deceased, her life was heartlessly taken by an unstoppable monster bent on destroying everything we loved and then some." Yellow Diamond added while fighting back tears. "A wise man once said that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. But while she did die in shame, she also perished knowing that she would be redeemed, and we will not debate her profound wisdom during this last battle. Of all the creatures we have met in our years of existence, she was among the most human."

"Oh, how adorable that you're mourning the death of someone you barely knew." Pyth snickered as he and Squamata's remaining heralds stood side by side with an army of shadow demons ready to kill their enemies. "Though, at the very least, you'll get to know the Lapidarist better once we destroy you all."

"We won't let you get away with this." Garnet stated fiercely while readying her gauntlets. "As long as there are those willing to fight, you will never claim victory."

"Yeah, step off!" Amethyst added before snatching up one of the demons with her whip and making it disappear by jumping on its head. "I just turned one of your monsters into a Goomba! How do you like that?!"

"Oh, you think you're being cute?" Velhallen Beo snarled.

"Given time, you'd find us quite adorable," Pearl smirked in reply. "Now then, I believe someone wants to speak with you all." Cobralan then slithered past the Crystal Gems to confront Pyth and his cult.

"Pyth, I thought you were better than this." Cobralan snarled at his former advisor. "I have known you since I was a boy. You have loyally served my family for decades, and this is how you treat us?! Controlling my son like a puppet and using him as a vessel for that abomination!" He then pointed at the sky where the Squamata-possessed Nosiop was fighting Rutilated Quartz. "I'll have your head for this!"

"Not if I have yours first." Pyth confidently retorted while drawing his sword.

"It's treason then," Cobralan responded before taking out his sword and clashing with his former advisor. Pyth had been like family to Cobralan ever since he was a young prince set to take over the throne, but hearing that Pyth had been plotting behind his back for years was a betrayal unlike any other. Yet he couldn't bear to think about how betrayed he felt; his wife and children's safety was first on the Slytherophidian king's mind, and it was set on defending his family and his species.

"Oh, don't be too down on yourself, my liege!" Pyth laughed arrogantly. "It will all be over soon! You're all going to die anyway, and who knows? Maybe father and son can finally be reunited in Heaven-" Pyth was quickly interrupted when Cobralan took advantage of his boasting by stabbing the advisor square in his heart. "So that's how it is, huh?" Pyth then collapsed to the ground, followed by Cobralan retrieving his sword from the advisor's freshly killed body before glaring at the remainder of Squamata's heralds.

"You don't seem to understand." Cobralan declared fiercely to Beo, Mr. Manco, and Torius Vosania. "My world isn't yours to conquer." He then pointed his blood-soaked sword at the three villains. "ATTACK!" At his command, the Crystal Gems, the Diamonds, the Contest of Champions competitors, and everyone else who volunteered to save Serpentes all charged into one last battle for the fate of the universe. An entire universe, once and for all.

--

High above Serpentes's atmosphere, Rutilated Quartz fought bravely against Squamata, using new powers they weren't sure Steven or Black Rutile had before. They were faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to soar like leaping tall buildings in a single bound, and were phenomenally talented with the swords they dual-wielded in conjunction with Steven's shield.

"Woo, this is so awesome!" Rutilated Quartz cried excitedly, firing lasers from his eyes before grabbing a meteor with his bare hands and smashing it into Squamata's face. "Aw yeah, this is happening!"

"This is not a game, fusion!" Squamata roared. "Can't you see how fruitless your mission is?! No matter how many minds you may change with your compassion and pacifism, all creatures, whether organic or otherwise, are doomed by this discordant system to fight and kill each other for all eternity!"

"Sheesh, dude, no need to be such a Debbie downer!" Rutilated Quartz frowned at Squamata's nihilism while drawing his sword. "Yeah, everybody fights with each other; it's the circle of life, and it moves us all and all that. Heck, I'm something of a fighter myself, even though I would much rather try to ask first and punch people later." He emphasized each point by blocking Squamata's attacks with their blade. "Everyone, even those who proudly call themselves irredeemable monsters, can be capable of change. They gotta find the strength within to atone for what they've done."

"Such paltry sentiments from one who is about to die!" Squamata roared before lunging at his fated opponent.

"I've lived my life by those sentiments. They're well worth dying for." Rutilated Quartz declared before charging towards Squamata.

--

Deep within Rutilated Quartz's psyche was the fusion realm that Steven and Black Rutile were situated in while they were fused. The realm itself heavily resembled Rose's room with the pink clouds surrounding the fusion's components, but there were also hints of black hiding in the sky. In addition to the newly formed duo of former enemies, they were also joined by Steven's other half, Inner Steven, who was doing most of the fighting while Steven and Black Rutile stood back-to-back in debate with each other.

"Everyone can be capable of change, pshaw!" Black Rutile snarked. "After all he did to me, Nosiop is better off dying with Squamata once we finally slay him!"

"But Black Rutile, you know that Nosiop is just as much of a victim as he is a perpetrator!" Steven exclaimed. "He wanted his father to notice him, but that let Pyth control him and turn him into that thing! He needs to learn a healthier way of getting his ideas across!"

"Just because I was convinced that my way of thinking was unhealthy doesn't mean he'll be the same!" Black Rutile argued back. "You have to accept that you can't save everybody!"

"Can the two of you agree on something already?" Inner Steven asked while trying to keep Squamata at bay. "I can't keep piloting this body for long. One of you has to take my place."

"We're in the middle of something here." Black Rutile said to Inner Steven. "Go back to doing your job!"

"Steven, can't you think of a good argument so we can blow this thing and go home?" Inner Steven compelled his more moral half.

"Perhaps we can help." The voice of Rose Quartz added as she, Pink Diamond, Smoky Quartz, Sunstone, Rainbow Quartz 2.0, and Obsidian appeared in the fusion realm. "Hello again, Steven. Oh, and Negative Steven, too. What a surprise."

"I prefer to be called Inner Steven now; we've made amends since then," Inner Steven said. "What are all of you doing here?"

"So, we meet again at last, Pink Diamond." Black Rutile greeted Pink Diamond. "I hope you realize I am not here to fight this time. As hard as it is to believe, I have changed my ways in the centuries since we last met."

"Oh, I'm not necessarily the Pink Diamond you know, Black Rutile." Pink explained to the Rutile. "I am a manifestation of Steven's thoughts, which represents the Gem side of him."

"And I represent his human side," Rose added.

"Well, what about the fusions here?" Black Rutile asked. "What do they embody?"

"As the fusion of Steven and Amethyst, I naturally represent his childlike wonder and sense of fun!" Smoky Quartz introduced herself to Black Rutile.

"I'm the fusion of Steven and Garnet, who embodies Steven's cool attitude in the face of danger!" Sunstone added before turning to speak to no one in particular. "Which reminds me, when you're faced with a situation that seems impossible, you always gotta persevere!"

"Don't mind her. That's just what she does." Rainbow 2.0 said. "Anyways, I am Rainbow 2.0, the fusion of Steven and Pearl who personifies his more feminine side." After flipping his hair with a girlish chuckle, Rainbow then pointed their parasol up towards Obsidian. "And that's Obsidian, the fusion of all core four Crystal Gems and the personification of Steven's desire to protect the ones he loves," Obsidian said nothing, only looking down at Black Rutile with disdain. "Don't mind them. They're the strong, silent type."

"Okay, if you're all parts of my mind, then what do you think we should do?" Steven asked the embodiments of his mind while summoning a control panel for them to operate. "I want to find a way to reach out to Nosiop, but Black Rutile here says he's beyond redemption."

"This is a tough situation, to be sure," Rose declared as Rutilated Quartz continued fighting Squamata. "Yes, Nosiop was a megalomaniac, but Pyth also took advantage of him from a young age and turned him into what he is today."

"Yeah, he just needs some good influences in his life!" Sunstone agreed with Rose.

"Maybe if he had someone to relate to, then we might stand a chance." Smoky theorized. "Anyone wish to volunteer?" Everybody then looked at Black Rutile.

"Okay, as much as I don't want to agree, I sympathize with how Nosiop's world came crashing down on him," Black Rutile declared. "The prince's decisions weren't entirely his to make, and he needs to learn to think for himself rather than let others make decisions for him." At that moment, she turned to Steven. "Steven, I need you to use whatever power you have to send me into Squamata's mind so I can find Nosiop."

"Don't need to ask me twice." Steven said while rolling up his sleeves and taking Black Rutile by the hand. "Okay, now hold on tight!"

"Good luck out there, love," Rainbow 2.0 said sweetly. Steven pressed his index and middle fingers to his forehead, using his astral projection powers to transfer Black Rutile from his mind to Squamata's.

--

Once Black Rutile was warped inside Squamata's mind, she discovered that death, destruction, and the end of all things were the only things on the dark snake's mind. As a result, she was forced to run from one natural disaster to another in her search for Nosiop. "Is this the mindscape of a cosmic being?" she muttered to herself. "Not something I ever thought I would be running through."

"Help. Someone, help me." Nosiop weakly cried out, causing Black Rutile to turn her head to find the prince of Serpentes crucified atop a hill below an oversized silhouette of the Lapidarist in the distance. "Please, I'm sorry for everything."

"Nosiop, calm down there, kiddo." Black Rutile said. "It's me, Black Rutile. You know, the one you betrayed and nearly sacrificed to Squamata? That Gem? Remember?"

"I wish I could, but I barely can," Nosiop replied feebly. "Ever since I was turned into Squamata's vessel, he has slowly been erasing my original self to take over my body easier. It's only a matter of time before I'm no longer myself." He then started screaming in pain from electric shock, indicating to Black Rutile that he was losing more of his personality. "Father, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't bother fighting back! Your father has abandoned you!" Squamata taunted Nosiop, his smug tone echoing in his mind. "You truly have no hope of ever earning his forgiveness after how you've treated him recently!"

"You have no power over this boy, snake!" Black Rutile immediately rushed to Nosiop's defense, much to the prince's surprise. "He is simply a victim of toxic influence in his formative years and now wishes to change himself for the better. I can relate to that. I will not let another soul be a victim of such madness as I have!"

"Madness? No." Squamata replied. "THIS IS SQUAMATA!" The snake god laughed maniacally as Nosiop was electrocuted once again. This time, he made sure to make the torturous deprivation of himself even more painful while Black Rutile tried to free the prince. "Don't bother saving him, you worthless rock. The deed was already done before you even got here."

"I can still try!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "Listen to me, Nosiop. Your father may not be good at showing it, but he still loves you no matter what! Just think of that love and try to break out!"

Nosiop stopped screaming for a moment as he lingered on Black Rutile's words and then thought back to the last thing his father had said to him before Squamata possessed him. "A human told me that I wasn't the best parent towards you. He knows from experience, for he is a father much like me, a father who also debated with himself on whether he was a good parent to his son." Cobralan's voice rang in Nosiop's head. "But at the end of the day, he accepted that no matter how much he treasured his child, he still needed to grow and change as a man himself."

And so, through his own sheer willpower, Nosiop resisted the electrocution as he wrestled his way out of the cross he was made prisoner of, screaming in further agony as he successfully broke out and collapsed in Black Rutile's arms. "It will take more than your head games to stop me, Squamata!" Nosiop cursed the evil snake. "You may have taken my mind and my body, but there is one thing I will always keep! My love for my people!"

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Black Rutile asked while helping Nosiop up. "After all, you can't have others carry you around forever. You should plant your own roots. I once carried myself on the roots of others, but I guess I was wrong. We are stronger together." She took a deep breath before gazing out into the infinite horizons of Squamata's mind. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to give Steven a lift. Try not to do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?"

When Black Rutile stuck out her hand, she expected to shake hands with Nosiop as a sign of their newly forged trust. Instead, she received a hug from the prince, happy that he could become a genuine friend to Black Rutile without manipulating her for his twisted plans. Black Rutile smiled while gently stroking Nosiop's back before tapping her forehead, cuing Steven to bring her back to Rutilated Quartz's mind.

--

"Everyone, give me cover!" Cobralan yelled as he raced with Constricta and Naja to their castle while the Crystal Gems helped fight off Squamata's minions, while the Coalition of Galaxies arrived to assist in the battle. "My people are in disarray; they need a leader to guide them!"

"Way ahead of you, your grace!" Peridot said before she lifted Torius and Manco by their cybernetics and smashed them against each other. "Haha, yes!"

"Come on, guys. We haven't got much time left before they overwhelm us!" Connie said as she slashed at shadow creatures swarming the castle. "Peedee, it has been a privilege going on this adventure with you."

"You too, Connie." Peedee replied before firing at another shadow demon with a laser rifle given to him by Captain Boa. "Hey, Boa, you mind if I take this home with me when we save the universe?"

"Okay, but you must promise me never to actually fire it. That rifle should only be for show." Boa advised Peedee before blushing. "Plus, I am quite attached to my weapons, just so you know."

"Less talking, more blocking!" Bismuth shouted while keeping Velhallen Beo at bay. "Naja, get your old man to the Ouraborium!"

"Right, Bismuth!" Naja nodded to Bismuth before turning to her parents. "Mother, father, follow me!"

"Right behind you, dear Naja!" Constricta said as the princess led her parents to the abandoned arena. The shadow creatures began getting closer, but suddenly, Aescul jumped in at the last moment to hold the line. "Aescul!"

"Fly, you fools!" Aescul yelled as he sacrificed himself to protect the remaining royals while the shadows overwhelmed him, leaving his fate undecided as the family reached the Ouraborium.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain, my friend." Cobralan prayed for Aescul before clearing his throat and making an announcement. "PEOPLE OF SERPENTES, HEAR YE, FOR YOUR KING HAS RETURNED!" he announced. "I know everything looks scary right now, what with the mighty Squamata that we once worshipped wreaking havoc on the universe, and only a Gem fusion can stop him, but the events of today have told me that I've been neglecting the needs of my fellow snakes for far too long. I was more interested in keeping everyone entertained, and it caused me to drift away from my beloved children, one of whom is forced to become a vessel for that heinous snake god while his thralls seek to destroy the universe. So I ask you, my fellow snake people, do you hear me?! Do you hear the people sing?!"

A couple of scrambling Slytherophidians stopped to hear Cobralan's speech. They listened to how his desire to entertain had blinded him and distanced him from his family before compelling them to fight back and reclaim their world. And then one of them started singing.

"Do you hear the snake people sing, singing the song of the universe?" one of the elderly hecklers began singing. "It is the music of a planet that refuses to succumb to the curse!"

"When the rattle of your tail echoes a tyrant's last wails, there is a new life that will begin when tomorrow hails!" the other heckler joined his companion.

"Will you join in our crusade to defend all that lives and breathes?" the other Slytherophidians sang in harmony. "This may be our last chance, so find a sword to unsheathe! We'll fight together for a chance for all of us to be free!"

The heralds gaped in shock as the Slytherophidians armed themselves with whatever they could find and began overwhelming the shadow creatures with their makeshift weapons while their singing continued. "Do you hear the snake people sing, singing the song of the universe? It is the music of a planet that refuses to succumb to the curse! When the rattle of your tail echoes a tyrant's last wails, there is a new life that will begin when tomorrow hails!"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Velhallen Beo shrieked in terror as the Slytherophidians were prepared to give their lives for the sake of all life in the universe and beyond. "Isn't this what Nosiop wanted, for the Slytherophidians to be united as conquerors?!"

"Well, one thing's for certain." Mr. Manco stated. "We're as good as conquered!"

"Then we'll fight until the last man!" Torius yelled, firing his weapons from his cybernetics at the incoming army while Cobralan watched his people dedicate their hearts to their king from afar.

"See, Nosiop? You weren't wrong after all," Cobralan said, gazing at the sky. "Steven, Black Rutile. The rest is up to you."

--

Above Serpentes, the battle between Rutilated Quartz and Squamata peaked as the two fighters went at each other like predator and prey. Thanks to Black Rutile's help in freeing Nosiop from Squamata's possession, Squamata's physical body was weakening. But even still, the dark snake remained resilient. "You may have broken my control over my slave, but I will not stop until I have destroyed you, fusion!"

"That's what you think, Squamata!" Rutilated Quartz said with a fearless, playful smile that quickly turned to shock when Squamata launched himself at them and bit down hard on the fusion's arm, infecting him with the same venom that killed the Lapidarist. Luckily, Steven's healing factor kept the infection at bay, but it only delayed a possible death.

--

"I cannae do it, Captain!" Smoky Quartz yelled in a Scottish accent from within Rutilated Quartz's mind. "I'm giving her all she's got, but she can't take anymore!"

"This is bad. We need to think of something quick!" Rainbow 2.0 agreed in fear. "Steven, any ideas?!"

"You mean me?" Steven and Inner Steven pointed at themselves and then at each other.

"Either of you will do!" Sunstone exclaimed.

"Wait, I think I got an idea!" Steven declared. "I'm going to need everyone with me for this one!"

"We'll always have your back, Steven." Rose replied. "Let's do this."

--

"I call upon everyone across the entire universe!" Rutilated Quartz yelled while pointing his sword to the sky. "Please, GIVE ME YOUR ENERGY!" After generating a small pink energy sphere at the tip of Ronaldo's blade, Rutilated Quartz began gathering energy from all life forms across the universe. Not just from Serpentes, Earth, and Homeworld, but every corner of the cosmos as well. They got energy collected from Dangan-40 to Boba-80, Acidia, Zembilla, Bopbe, Aozul-2, Lancerik-40, Chazelle, Teslein, Sergione-29, Blacropolis, Invisibo-9, Kyukanza, Dathofar, Hifotia, the Bogon Galaxy, the Twilight Zone, Quarron, the Aeron Galaxy, the Sky Canopy Domain, the Pegasus Galaxy, the Seraphia Galaxy, the Upside Down, Hellknight's Lot, the Makyo Star System, Melmac, Spira, Cepheus-18, Aldebaran, Thra, Zeenu, Shuggazoom, Petropia, Cavenousya, Demorgon-419, Gustafring, Utrokrang-847, Tweenis 12, the Ood, the Shamoians, the Mooninites, the Watchdogs, Copper-9, Tritek, and many, many more planets and species from all over willing to donate to Rutilated Quartz's giant sphere. When they felt like he collected enough energy, RQ absorbed it into their sword, causing the blade to glow a brilliant pink.

"Do you see it, Squamata?" Rutilated Quartz asked while the blade of Ronaldo's anime sword glowed like a star in his grasp. "This sword, THIS SWORD IS BURNING LIKE A STAR! IT GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!" With a mighty swing, Rutilated Quartz struck the gigantic god of snakes with the fury of a gladiator. "ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!"

"NO, I WILL NOT LOSE!" Squamata roared, preparing one last attack to destroy Rutilated Quartz. The mighty fusion was undeterred, preparing the killing blow.

"TAKE THIS!" Rutilated Quartz screamed as the sword stabbed a hole in space and began tearing open a rip. "MY LOVE, MY HOPE, MY ANGER, AND ALL OF MY SORROW!" After ripping open a hole in the universe, the god of snakes felt himself being torn out of Nosiop's body and sucked into the tear. "There, now you can have all the planets you want to devour. But you will never harm this universe for as long as it lives."

"PETULANT FOOL, THIS WILL ONLY DELAY THE INEVITABLE!" Squamata roared as he struggled to escape his confinement. "So long as darkness and hatred haunt this plane of existence, I will return one day and finish what I have started! Who do you think you are?!"

"Who am I, you may ask?" Rutilated Quartz replied with a dramatic monologue. "Am I a Crystal Gem, a Rutile Rebel, or a Diamond? No, I am all of them. I am the fusion of Steven Universe and Black Rutile, the enlightened warriors of clashing kinships. Now they are united in heart and mind, and they shall stop the worlds from becoming aligned." At the final word, Rutilated Quartz, empowered by the energy of his friends, family, and the populace of the entire universe, stabbed the snake of darkness clean in his blackened heart before removing their blade and letting Squamata fall into the rift.

"STEEEEE-VEEEEEN UNIVEEEEEEERSE!" Squamata screamed as he was fully absorbed by the rift and imprisoned for all eternity in a barren universe with no hope of escaping. To ensure Squamata would never find a way out, Rutilated Quartz took one final swing of their sword to close the rift, ending the god of snakes' menace once and for all.

Rutilated Quartz took a breath and smiled triumphantly as they gazed out into the vast space. "I did it." They declared. "Now for a little reunion." Spotting Nosiop's unconscious body, Rutilated Quartz grabbed it using one of Steven's bubbles before returning to Serpentes, where the Crystal Gems eagerly awaited their friends' safe return.

--

"Steven!" Lapis cried out in delight as the Crystal Gems won the war against the heralds and brought them all to justice. Sylvia Spectre and Chief Max Impact led Beo, Manco, and Torius away in chains as the two turned to watch the masses cheer for Steven and Black Rutile.

"STEVEN, STEVEN, STEVEN, STEVEN, STEVEN!" the Slytherophidians chanted happily as Rutilated Quartz took one last bow before un-fusing, leaving only Steven and Black Rutile, who now carried Nosiop in her arms.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, but I believe this is yours." Black Rutile said, handing Nosiop back to Cobralan before receiving the tightest of victory hugs from White Topaz while Steven was congratulated by his friends and family on a job well done.

"How does it feel to save the universe from an all-powerful god of destruction?" Amethyst asked as Steven was surrounded by the Crystal Gems.

"Exhilarating." Steven said. "I really thought I was going to die there from that venom. Thankfully, it disappeared when I cut Squamata out of Nosiop and sent him packing!"

"However, Squamata did say that as long as darkness and hatred existed in this universe, he will find a way back." Black Rutile replied.

"And we'll be ready for him." Greg declared proudly. "Every single one of us."

As relief and excitement washed over the humongous crowds of various species from across the universe, Aescul limped back to the royal family, horribly injured but miraculously still alive. "What did I miss?" he gasped with a smile. "Looks like the prince is finally back."

"Father, I'm so sorry for-" Nosiop tried apologizing for his actions before Cobralan shushed him.

"There is no need to apologize, my child. You've done enough." Cobralan said softly before hugging his son. "I don't care what you've done or how much agency you've had. I'm just happy that we're all together again."

--

As night began to fall on Earth, the people of Beach City waited patiently for Steven and the Crystal Gems' return so that they could finally get Steven's 18th birthday party started. Suddenly, Onion felt a breeze and gazed upwards at the massive spaceship flying towards the Crystal Temple before waving his hands to signal everybody else. When the ship landed, and the townies gathered to see who was going to disembark, a massive door opened and out came Steven and friends, returned to Earth at long last. It wasn't just them coming to Beach City either; all of their extraterrestrial friends they met at the Contest of Champions had also invited themselves to Steven's birthday, happy to be introduced to his human friends.

"Hey everyone, we're back!" Steven smiled and waved to the people of Beach City, who all cheered uproariously in response. "Hope you don't mind that we brought some uninvited guests."

"Dad!" Ronaldo and Peedee yelled as they raced towards Mr. Fryman and finally reunited with him.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but after spending so much time on Serpentes, I kind of missed Earth." Black Rutile chuckled happily before turning to Steven. "Say, are you still accepting applications for Little Homeschool? I think I'd like to finally join to make up for what I've done."

"Of course, welcome to Earth!" Steven chuckled happily and hugged Black Rutile when he noticed Cobralan standing behind him. "Oh, hey, your majesty. Got something to say?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Cobralan said and cleared his throat. Before he could make another speech, Bialyoom and Meinerr decided to introduce the king first.

"Greetings-people-of-Earth, I-am-Bialyoom-Milamin-and-this-is-my-partner-Meinerr, speaking-to-you-all-on-behalf-of-the-mighty-King-Cobralan-Jormagundr-of-the-Serpentes-Empire!" Bialyoom said at rapid-fire speeds before gesturing to Cobralan.

"That is right. He is but one of the venerated Universal Lords ruling over, well, the universe, and you have the privilege of meeting him in person!" Meinerr proclaimed. "Now then, your highness, anything you'd like to say?"

"Yes, I do, madame," Cobralan said before clearing his throat again. "People of Earth, do not be alarmed. Though our appearances may seem alarming, we come in peace. As of today, I declare the Contest of Champions over after 420,000 years."

"Nice!" Amethyst yelled, prompting Pearl to smack her upside the head for such a dirty joke. "Hey, he was asking for it!"

"Anyways, from here on out, I wish for you all to take me to your leaders so that Earth may open itself up to being inhabited by other alien species!" Cobralan continued. "Including many whose homes were lost to the colonization of the Diamonds! In fact, here come some of them now!" Just then, another ship dropped down, and out came the former inhabitants of Invisibo-9, bringing a tear to Sylvia's eye as her people finally had somewhere to call home. "Just as a fair warning, some of them may get a little quirky, so best to keep a close eye on them."

"Enough talk! Let's get this birthday started!" Garnet yelled as Connie brought out a Cookie Cat-shaped birthday cake for Steven.

"Make a wish, Steven!" Connie suggested as Steven blew out his eighteen candles. "What did you wish for?"

"I think I already made my wish," Steven said happily before he started to sing. "Here we are in the future. Here we are in the future once again. Here to cherish each moment I'm spending with friends." He then kissed Connie romantically. "I know, we'll change. It may be strange, but here we are, and the future never ends."

"And here we are!" the Crystal Gems added in chorus.

"If I could have just stopped, I would never have gotten to see." Black Rutile added, now happily singing along as well. "This future for us, this future for them, this future for me!"

"Here we are in the future!" White Topaz joined in on the song as everyone around them started swaying lighters, flashlights, and other light sources.

"Here we are in the future!" Aquamarine and Eyeball added happily.

"And even as we take a final bow, because of this, I'll always think of how." King Cobralan, Nosiop, and the Diamonds proclaimed. "There may be other battles to be won; my life, unlike the story, isn't done."

"So, happily, we'll face whatever comes our way." The Rutile Rebels, the Little Homeworld Gems, the Contest of Champions competitors, and the Rutile Rebels joined the chorus. "And after, we might do it all again!"

"Here we are in the future," Aescul added, his eyes filled with tears of joy, as his people no longer needed to hide from humanity.

"Here we are the future!" Spinel added happily before giving Volleyball a comically huge kiss, causing the Pearl to blush before kissing Spinel in return.

"And maybe we will change. And, yes, it might be strange, but here we are in the future with our friends." Steven, Black Rutile, and Cobralan sang together before Steven pulled out his phone to take a selfie of the three of them with his birthday cake.

"And so, happily ever after never ends." Steven and Black Rutile sang one last time before taking the picture, signifying their newfound friendship and a new era for the Gems and the entire universe. In the background of the picture behind Cobralan, one could see an outline of the Lapidarist in the distance, as if she was watching over them all even after her death. Here they all were in the future, together as friends at last in a world where they would never have to fight again.

THE END

--

STEVEN UNIVERSE: ALTERNATE FUTURE

BASED OFF THE HIT CARTOON NETWORK ANIMATED SERIES BY REBECCA SUGAR

STARRING:

Zach Callison as Steven

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Famethyst, Blue Lace Agate, Ocean Jasper, Crazy Lace Agate, Chert

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, Volleyball, Black Pearl Brigade, Mega Black Pearl

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Grace Rolek as Connie

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli, Phoenix Lapis Lazuli

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Cherry Quartz, Rose Trio, Angel Aura Quartz, Zebra Jasper, Skinny Jasper, Carnelian, Biggs Jasper, Flint, Dalmatian Jasper

Dee Bradley Barker as Lion

Charlyne Yi as Ruby, Eyeball, Navy, Doc, Army, Leggy

Erica Luttrell as Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

WITH:

Matthew Moy as Lars

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope, Envyrno

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid, Eyeball Demantoid

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald, Chest Emerald

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Gina Torres as Andesine

Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

Kristen Schaal as Howlite

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Olivia Olson as Citrine, Citrine Twins

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite

Ian Jones Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian, Bixbite

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Auli'i Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Kimiko Glenn as Blue Chalcedony

Tara Platt as Cubic Zirconias

Tara Strong as Grossular Diopside

Phillipa Soo as Chrysocolla

Anika Noni Rose as Watermelon Tourmaline (fusion), Watermelon Tourmaline

Aimee Carrero as Moonstone

Martha Higerada as Topaz

Gal Gadot as Desert Glass

Willa Holland as Albite

Maddie Ziegler as Serpentine

Courtenay Taylor as Beryl

Emily King as Kunzite

Alex Newell as Monazite

Cavetown as Diaspore

Sarah Jessica Parker as Dumortierite

Alex Newell as Monazite

Aimee Mann as Opal

Nicki Minaj as Sugilite

Alexia Khadime as Sardonyx

Billie Eilish as Turquoise

Esme Bianco as Malachite

Catherine Tate as Lepidolite

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

May Calamawy as Chrome Chalcedony

Maggie Robertson as Painite

Ted Leo as Steg

AJ Michalka as Stevonnie

Frank Welker as Tungsten

David Kaye as Steel

Corey Burton as Chromium

Peter Cullen as Titanium

Bumper Robinson as Gold

Scott McNeil as Iron

Jeffrey Combs as Mercury

Hailee Steinfeld as Zinc

FEATURING:

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Keith David as Pyth

John Moschitta Jr. as Bialyoom Milamin

Stephanie Escajeda as Meinerr

Nicole Sullivan as Sylvia Spectre

JP Karliak as S-L1M3

Dominic Armato as Captain Gearfeet

Wally Wingert as Rigby Starglow

Britt Baron as Michelle Angelon

Julissa Aguirre as Lady Imagineer

Rob Paulsen as Monty the Moarchean

Terrence C. Carson as The Decimator

Steven Blum as Deputy Edward, Earthos

Beau Billingslea as Sheriff Spiegel

Christopher Lloyd as Batsputin Vosania

Anna Akana as Dionna of the Sands

Peter Stormare as Reximillian

Elizabeth Maxwell as Vigrid

James Earl Jones as Wobbla the Butt

Barrett Wilbert Weed as Ezlipsia

Anthony Stewart Head as Solaris Noctua

Jim Ross as Jiross

Michael Buffer as Michauffer

Dave Goelz and Peter Linz as Hecklers

Tim Curry as Velhallen Beo

Crispin Freeman as Mr. Manco

Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania

Joel Grey as King Serpentes I

John Mulaney as Flipso

Ray Porter as Squamata

Samantha Newark as Rebeugar the Lapidarist

Elton John as Stars

Weird Al Yankovic as Stevaldo

And Jack Black as Rutilated Quartz

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Jack8090

TheCurryAstute/Devil Dragon Stand User

Brydav-Massbear

My friends, family and teachers

The Lapidot Café Discord server

And readers like you

Thank you

"Something weird might may be something familiar viewed from a different angle. And that's not scary, right?"

-Rebecca Sugar

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."

-Walt Disney

"That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."

-Stan Lee

--

No joke once again, I was crying while writing this ending. This story has meant so much to me for the past three years, and it brought me together with other people who were just as devoted to Steven's universe as I was. To that, I give you all my biggest thanks I can give. It's funny, isn't it? Steven Universe ended before I went to college, I started writing Alternate Future in my freshman year, and now I'm finally ending it while in senior year while graduate school is on the horizon. This story has really been a part of my adult life for so long, it's going to be hard to let go of this silly alternate universe version of a children's show on Cartoon Network, even when I finally focus on other stories for once, including a certain other Steven story I've left hanging for almost three years. I'll be out for the rest of November so don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I'm really going to miss you all.

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[shroofjulia]

Black Rutile Ring - A Perfect Blend Of Beauty

Black Rutile is also popular as black rutilated quartz, a type of quartz gemstone containing needle-like insertions of black or dark brown rutile. It is a unique gemstone famous for its fascinating appearance and metaphysical properties. Black Rutile is formed when rutile needles become trapped within quartz during the gemstone's formation process. These insertions create beautiful patterns that vary in intensity, density, and distribution. Black Rutile has a Mohs hardness rating of 7, making them comparatively durable and suitable for various types of Black Rutile Jewelry. It is believed that black rutile possesses many strong energies and provides several benefits to the wearer. Visit As : Black Rutile Ring - A Perfect Blend Of Beauty

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[zwenaellecrystal]

Setting Intentions for the Year with Crystals

The Importance of Setting Intentions and How Crystals Can Amplify This Process With the arrival of the New Year, setting intentions becomes a sacred process that defines our path forward. Crystals serve as tangible anchors for these intentions, their inherent energies magnifying our commitment to our goals. They become our allies in the manifestation process, helping to hold the vision of our…

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#amethyst #black gold super seven #citrine #crystal guide #crystal intention #gold rutile quartz #green jade #green phantom #kunzite #rainbow tourmaline #rose quartz #Zwenaelle Crystal #Zwenaelle Crystal Blog #zwenaelle crystals

[simranseo011]

Everything About Black Rutile gemstone

Few gemstones in existence have the mysterious allure of Black Rutile. This alluring stone is steeped in symbolism, possesses amazing healing properties, and has a history that is as fascinating as its aesthetic appeal. Black Rutile Stone that is communicates through its intricate patterns thanks to its mesmerising inclusions that resemble fine threads. Its alluring appearance also referred to as “Venus’s Hair Stone,” is indisputable and is comparable to looking up at a starry sky with cosmic threads. The mineral rutile, which creates needle-like inclusions within the gemstone, is responsible for this unusual appearance. These inclusions dance within the stone’s interior, casting an otherworldly allure that tempts curiosity.

#Astrological Affiliations #Black Rutile gemstone #Diving Deeper #Embracing the Versatility #Harnessing the Potent Powers. #Healing Properties #Historical Significance #Holistic Benefits #Mystique of Black Rutile

[scrollingfan]

I can't stop drawing these gem OCs

#They don't have anything really fleshed out they're just little dude #Houseki No Kuni #HNK #Land of the Lustrous #LOTL #OC #Fanart #I would say Black Rutile doesn't shine because of the way their hair is but honestly it's just because I forgot

[itsbulkgemstones]

#black rutile quartz #wholesale black rutile quartz

[ameliawotson]

Buy Natural Stone Black Rutile Ring Collection | Rananjay Exports

Black rutile Ring is a differently beautiful gemstone. This gemstone has a transparent appearance with beautiful black inclusions. When embedded in the sterling silver setting to create unique wholesale Black Rutile Ring collections, this gemstone makes gorgeous jewelry. The wholesale black rutile bracelets are great for wearing on casual occasions. This is the kind of jewelry that looks amazing with every attire. At Rananjay Exports, we make sure that our clients get the most authentic jewelry.

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