Chapter Text
What does your TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE look like from outside, you wonder? Are you inside an opaque sphere, changing only to burst out of your cocoon? Or can everyone see your SEMI-NUDE SILHOUETTE, as it sprouts FOX EARS and a TAIL?
As it grows TALLER, and a bit BUSTIER?
As CLOTHES flash into being on top of it?
You hope they're cool clothes. If you had a THEME SONG, it would totally be playing right now.
The ears on top of your head twitch, as the world comes back into being around you. Then the corrupted Jasper knocks you out of the way with THE SIDE OF HER HEAD, and you're sent flying at that one tree AGAIN.
There's a loud CRACK, as you smack into it and fall off. Then the tree starts to creak and topple, and you realize that wasn't your spine that just snapped in two. Actually, you're more STARTLED than hurt. You're not even sore anymore from the last time this happened.
"[Y/N]!" Lapis calls out to you from above. "Are you okay?!"
You hop to your feet and brush yourself off, then pause as you look down at yourself. You're wearing some kind of two-piece SHRINE MAIDEN OUTFIT in white and red, pairing thick flowy skirt-like trousers with a halter top sort of like Lapis', along with wide detached sleeves. Your tail twitches at the edge of your vision, and you follow it from side to side, mesmerized.
"LOOK OUT!"
This time you jump straight up, and the corrupted Jasper runs by twenty feet below you. You give Lapis a startled look, as you come up to eye level with her, before coming down in a crouch and staring at the confused monster.
Your Star Jewel feels UNEXPECTEDLY HEAVY. Summon your weapon, the fox whispers in your head. You take hold of the Gem, and pull out a glowing white rod that resolves into a spear with a long, curved blade; a NAGINATA, if you recall correctly. A traditional weapon for women to wield.
You hold onto it one-handed, and give it an experimental twirl. It feels as much a part of you as your arms, legs, and CUTE FLUFFY TAIL. Light as a feather, and easy to move how you want it to.
You realize you're also a lot CALMER than you thought you'd be. Is that because you're 'fused' with the fox? You have to take a mental inventory, because it feels like there's hardly any difference. You just feel less DESPERATE and DETERMINED, and more RELAXED and CONFIDENT.
You smile as the monster turns back around, rears up on its hind legs and pounds its chest. You know what to do this time, and you aren't afraid to do it. You step in front of the fallen tree, your tail swishing lazily, then plant your spear on the ground and WHISTLE like you're calling a dog.
"A-are you in there, [Y/N]?" Lapis sounds scared.
You look up at your friend and nod reassuringly.
She points at the charging monster, as your ears swivel to track it. "Watch o-"
You DISAPPEAR in a PUFF OF LEAVES, as the Jasper crashes through where it looked like you were standing and tumbles end-over-end clutching the fallen tree. You reappear in your true location, just behind her, and swat her with the flat end of your spear, sending her and the tree flying to the opposite side of the Commons.
Fortunately, the jogger has long since BOOKED IT.
Bracing yourself in a runner's crouch and holding your spear to one side, you cross the distance in three striding leaps. The last jump sends you up in the air, only to come down spear-first and DRIVE YOUR NAGINATA into the JASPER'S FLESH.
It feels like popping a balloon. One moment there's a bit of resistance, the next there's a huge cloud of smoke and you're standing alone on the battlefield. After that you feel a bit shaky, and put one hand to your forehead to steady yourself.
Don't worry, the fox's voice whispers. I'll take care of it from here.
There is a flash of white again, and then you shrink a few inches (and cup sizes) as the fox jumps out of you. She noses the Gem that was embedded in the Jasper's chest, and a transparent red BUBBLE appears around it. The fox then reaches one paw up to pat the top of the bubble, and it VANISHES.
You hear Lapis touch down behind you and say something to you, but it sounds far away. She repeats herself as you sink to your knees, and again as you fall to the cold autumn grass. Her hand shakes your shoulder as you lose consciousness.
* * *
"BLAGH-whuh?!"
You spit EXTREMELY HOT COFFEE all over Lapis' face and the table. The other patrons and the barista all give you questioning looks, from their tables and behind the bar. Lapis is still holding the mug up in front of your face, and looks DEEPLY UNAMUSED.
"S-sorry!" You flail your arms reaching for the napkin dispenser, then knock it over before giving a handful to Lapis. She takes it all at once, and dries off her face before setting them down.
"What's going on? Where am I?" you ask, even though you recognize the place. It's not your FAVOURITE coffee shop, but it's the one that's closest to your house.
"You tell me." Lapis sets the mug down on the table. She's eyeing you warily, like she's afraid that you'll bite her or something. The FOX is nowhere in sight.
"No, I mean, I remember what happened ... " You put your hands to your forehead, and try to collect your thoughts. "But why are we-"
"Coffee wakes people up. Right?"
"Uh ... " You aren't sure what to say to that. It doesn't help that your lips and the tip of your tongue are numb from being burned. "Um, please don't take this the wrong way, Lapis, but ... what are you?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing." Her expression is just as deadpan as when she woke you up.
"I ... " Your voice trails off. You look down at yourself. You remember feeling and being different. Inside, and out. You've never experienced anything like it.
"I don't know," you finish, looking down at the table.
"Are you a Crystal Gem?" Lapis sounds IMPATIENT.
"A what?" you ask.
The fox in your Star Jewel speaks up, quietly enough that people across the aisle don't turn and notice her. "I have a message for the Crystal Gems. Are you a Crystal Gem, Lapis Lazuli?"
"No!" She screws up her face in disgust.
"Alright, then. If you find any, please let them know that I have a message for them from Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami." The gem-fox goes silent.
" ... what?!" Lapis is clenching her hands into fists again. You're pretty sure that means she's more NERVOUS than she's letting on.
"Please tell me what's going on," you beg Lapis.
She begins to SHAKE, as her hands clench even harder. Then she stops, and lets out a sigh. "Fine.
"First, that thing is a Gem." She points at your STAR JEWEL. "It's a magical being with a body made of light." You guess she means the fox, by that.
"A-are you a Gem, Lapis?" You look up at her, startled.
She folds her arms and side-eyes the wall, sounding embarrassed to be asked this question. Whether for you or herself, you aren't sure. "Yes."
Your mind is going to all of the MAGICAL GIRL STORIES you watched. "Does it give you powers?" you ask her.
"I am the Gem. And I can, uh, move bodies of water. I guess." She blushes a little. "But I have that ability because it's my purpose. What's your purpose?" she asks your Star Jewel.
"To accompany a traveller to the east coast of North America, so that I may deliver a message to the Crystal Gems." Wait. Does she mean ANY traveller? Like, you were just picked because you were going that way, and not because you're PURE OF HEART?!
Your face falls. Lapis doesn't seem to notice. "No, no," she tells your Star Jewel. "I mean, why were you made? When you crawled your way out of the Kindergarten, what did you know that you just have to do?"
"I don't know. That question does not apply to me." You assume that she's answering questions in order again.
"DOES NOT APPLY MY-" Lapis barely restrains herself. She is leaning forward over the table, and it looks like she is about to throttle your Star Jewel. Which means, of course, that it looks like she's about to throttle YOU.
You hastily unhook the chain from your neck, and set the Gem down on the table. "M-maybe you two should settle this on your own ... "
Lapis seems to realize what she was doing, and sighs again as she sits back down. "I guess you really don't know what's going on," she says, looking up at you guiltily.
"I thought I had an idea, but now I'm not sure anymore." You look glumly down at your Star Jewel. Your dream of being a CHOSEN, PURE OF HEART MAGICAL GIRL, dashed to pieces in front of you!
"Uh." Lapis shifts in her seat uncomfortably. "Do you want to just start over with this, [Y/N]? Because this is our first IRL meeting, and I wanted to give you a better impression of me."
"Okay, but I feel kind of woozy and out of it ... "
Lapis picks up the COFFEE MUG and sets it back down in front of you.
"Oh. Right."
You add cream and sugar to taste, then sip at it gingerly over the next minute or so while Lapis fidgets. "Um ... " you begin.
"Yes?" She looks up at you, startled.
"Thank you so much for coming to rescue me, Lapis." You press your hands together in gratitude. "I didn't know you could do that, and I'm honoured you'd do so for me."
She blushes, and looks down at the table again. "No problem."
"I didn't know my Star Jewel could talk, and I promise I'll let you know if she asks to fuse with me again. Okay?"
Lapis folds her arms, in a way that looks like she's HUGGING HERSELF TO KEEP FROM SHAKING. "Okay."
"Can we still be friends?" you ask her, and hold your hand out.
Lapis looks up at you and your proffered hand, then nods without taking it, and smiles just a little. "Sure."
After a few more awkward minutes of APOLOGIZING and TRYING TO SMOOTH THINGS OVER, you and Lapis start debating whether your magical girl transformation was more MADOKA-STYLE or LUNA-STYLE, and whether or not either of you could beat SAILOR MARS in a fight. The two of you finally decide that the optimal outcome would be for NANOHA TAKAMACHI to fly in and kick everyone's butts, because when you're fighting Nanoha DEFEAT EQUALS FRIENDSHIP.
"I kinda know someone like that." Lapis grins. "He's so kind, it's impossible to get mad at him."
"Did he help you see yourself as a person, and get you to stop using your powers for evil?" There are STARS in your eyes as you imagine the fanfic.
"Um." Lapis blushes DARK BLUE, and looks away. "Kind of."
You remember she doesn't like to talk about her TROUBLED PAST. It occurs to you that that question may have been inappropriate.
* * *
Lapis doesn't seem to mind, though, and since she dropped your brother's cat off at the house already (you'd left the front door unlocked) you spend another couple of hours talking to her before it's time for her to leave. Apparently HER ROOMMATE will worry about her. You wonder if she's a Gem too. You get Lapis to promise that she'll come back soon, either way.
Dinner with the family's a little awkward, once they get back from their concert. But you reassure them that you're fine, your friend is fine, and everything is just fine. You leave out the part about BECOMING A MAGICAL GIRL, because you aren't sure how you feel about that right now. Fortunately, your brothers spend so much time teasing you about your "date" that no one asks you about that.
That night, as you take off your Star Jewel again and set it on your nightstand, the fox inside it appears at the foot of your bed and looks up at you expectantly. Thinking that she's your brother's cat, you pat the bed next to your legs. After a moment, she hops up there with you, and you fight the urge to jump out and scream.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she says.
"Th-that's good! I knew that," you say, unconvincingly. Holding the sheets up to your chin.
"I don't think I made a good first impression, either." She still sounds monotone, but somehow you pick up on her disappointment.
"Kind of ... "
"For what it's worth, I was not involved in the decision to gift me to you, and I do not know what criteria were used. But I have greatly appreciated our time together, [Y/N]. Please remember that I've watched you grow up, and have grown up together with you."
"Then why didn't you tell me you were there before now?" you ask, peeking out of the blankets a little.
"Because I was afraid I would scare you. I did not want to lose you. You are my family, and I love you, [Y/N]." And somehow, maybe because of your connection to the Star Jewel, you can tell that she means it.
"O-okay ... " You relax just a little, and wonder how it must have felt to go so long without telling you that.
"Lapis loves you too."
You blink. "What?"