Chapter Text
While it was a simple night on the deep forests of the northern hemisphere, it was anything but ordinary. In fact, for Jasper, every night in the strange and miserable planet was never ordinary. Jasper had been tested to her limit, but not even her incredible strength was enough to get her to adapt to her new world. Defeat after defeat, rejection after rejection. No amount of effort was enough. She could not win. So in her desperation and rising despair, she resorted to the tactic she least wanted; rounding up the monsters she could find, knowing full well what they used to be. Much to Jasper’s horror, these monsters used to be gems just like her. It sickened her how the planet ruined them, how it stripped them away of everything they had; and Jasper was next. Or so she feared. Jasper never expected to be trapped on earth, never expected to be imprisoned to a fusion, and certainly never expected to be on the run doing the absolute lowliest things to have some sense of control again. Fear was something Jasper was not familiar with. But it was always there, urging her to act irrationally. Urging her to run, to get out, to get revenge. Revenge. That was the only fuel that kept her going.
After Jasper successfully captured her first two gem beasts in the mountains a few days before, she had not wasted any more time. If she wanted to have a chance of total victory, she had to take every chance she got; even if it meant sacrificing her own pride. For her ultimate goal, she would do anything.
This time, she hunted in the dense forests; where the yellowing leaves of fall clashed with the tall green of the pine trees. If Jasper had been any different, she would have taken a moment to admire the marvelous beauty of the changing seasons, how they complimented her appearance; but this wasn't a Jasper who wanted to see the beauty in things. This Jasper was fighting endlessly. Fighting and fighting, on and on, because it was the only thing she could do. As day turned to night, Jasper had not much success in finding a monster to subdue. She decided to move on to another area. As she moved, another moved with her.
Jasper had always prided herself in knowing how to pick up even the faintest traces of her opponents; from the lightest breath or the sounds of footsteps. This was different, however. Jasper did not realize she had been followed until a shadow towered over her from behind.
Taken by surprise, Jasper faced the source of the shadow head on. The creature in front of her was tall and lean, with a striking white coloring. Standing on all fours, it was staring down at her with menacing blue eyes, the faintest white of a pupil making direct eye contact with Jasper without wavering. Jasper stood frozen in place, and immediately knew what kind of creature this was. It was heavily furred with stripes of blue that glowed with vigor, making the contrast between the colors stand out. Her front limbs were feral, and dangerously enormous; the giant paws were clawed and glowing the same as the blue of the fur. With long pointed ears and a silver mane that stood on end, the creature resembled a notorious animal native to the area. The defining factor of the creature was on it’s forehead, the unmistakable mass of a gem directly on its forehead, shaped like a full moon on top and narrowing to a point at the bottom; it too also glowed. Its long tail swished silently back and forth, as if anticipating.
Another corrupted gem. Another gem monster. One that Jasper did not hear coming; in fact, looking at it even now, it did not make a sound. Not the sound of breathing, not the sounds of the usual gem monsters. Nothing. This one was completely silent. That’s when she noticed, that the monster’s face was missing a mouth.
Jasper snapped back to reality, immediately taking the chance to make the first attack. First she clocked the beast in the chest, sending it flying several feet. However, instead of slamming into the ground, the gem monster used her claws to grip herself back into balance. This time, the monster was the one to lunge at Jasper. Every hair on it's mane bristled and stood in spikes, making her intentions quite clear. Jasper grinned devilishly, itching for the thrill of a good fight. This one won't back down easily, she thought. It makes the victory all the better.
Jasper lunged as well, bracing her shoulders for impact. When gem and beast collided, it sent a boom echoing across the forest, startling several hordes of birds into flying away. Jasper could feel the softness of its fur in her skin, and the ripples of its muscles, despite its body being so lean, as it wrestled on. Jasper and the gem monster tumbled, aggressively attempting to pin down the other. Most gem monsters did not truly fight Jasper back, mostly due to her ability to overpower them. This one, however, was adamant about not being taken down. It did not show any fear, nor the slightest signs of fleeing.
The beast wildly clawed at her opponent any chance she could, managing to tear at the fabric of her suit. Jasper, however, managed to avoid fatal blows without much trouble. At one point in their scuffle, Jasper grabbed hold of the beast’s tail, and much like her fight in the mountains, threw it deeper into the forest. It made impact with several trees, the force enough to completely knock them down. Jasper knew she had this one now. Amongst the sound of collapsing trees, Jasper followed the trail of destruction she had created to deal the final blow and collect her prize. However, once there there was no body to be found. There was an indent on the forest floor where she should have fallen.
Jasper cursed, and punched down another tree that was nearby in utter frustration. The cowardly beast must have fled, she thought. The fact that the fight had put it off at least brought her some consolation. She was soon to find that she would be horribly mistaken.
Deeming her first hunt of the night unsuccessful, Jasper simply moved on. She was positive that there were more monsters for her army out there. She didn't need to bother herself with weakness. If she was to reach her ultimate goal, a few losses were minor at best. With that resolve she travelled onward. It wasn't very long until a small meadow where the sky was completely visible. Jasper took a moment to look to the heavens above. She was easily able to identify the star system where Homeworld was; it was a knowledge every gem learned about since first emerging. With every passing sunrise, Jasper felt further from that world than ever before. Deep down, she knew that returning there was very unlikely; she had become a liability to her commander, and has more than failed her original mission. Upon her return, everything would be taken from her; her rank, her dignity…even her very life. Jasper may hate the earth, but there was something that not even a diamond could take away; her will. She had unfinished business, a mission that was not assigned by any leader.
The breeze was soft, and the night was quiet. At least she has that. That was, until Jasper realized it was TOO quiet. The wildlife had gone stopped their song, the whispers of the night had vanished. Jasper was immediately drawn to a battle stance, urgently observing her surroundings. As a warrior, she had a good danger instinct, and this case was no exception. But when there was no attack, Jasper had a moment of doubt. Had Earth dulled her senses? Was she just being paranoid? Should she really be cautious of what she could not see? And for the second time that night, she saw a shadow looming over here, this time much taller than before.
The sabotage was immediate. Jasper did not have time to dodge as an enormous clawed hand sent her flying. It was the gem monster from before, only this time it was standing on her hind legs; and it was incredibly fast. As soon as Jasper got to her feet the monster was there again, flashing it's glowing blue claws in rapid swipes. Jasper was successful in landing several blows to the monster, but the most powerful of blows were always shielded by the monster’s paws. It was incredible that they could take such force with little damage, and despite the lean figure it was holding ground.
Letting herself get carried away, Jasper charged head on, summoning her helmet as she slammed onto the monster. The monster reeled back with the blow, distracted enough for Jasper to slip behind her for a sneak attack. But the beast was too clever, and knew that her enemy was behind. With brute force, the beast used its large tail as a whole other limb, slamming Jasper straight on the abdomen, sending her soaring and crashing
It was on all fours again. Under her was Jasper, pinned down on the forest floor. Her hind legs had rendered Jasper’s unmovable. One clawed paw was resting on the warrior’s chest, adding pressure the more Jasper struggled, the other holding back the left arm. Jasper was beginning to feel the strain of her body, and the sting of the claws that were ever so slowly digging into her body with increasing force. With her one free arm, Jasper furiously punched the monster’s arm over and over; but despite the monster’s flinching and the motions of its tired breathing, the monster would not let go. It dangerously close to making her withdraw into her gem. Jasper struggled and squirmed under the beast’s grasp, but it was all to no avail. It was as if the gem monster had turned to stone, so still and quiet she was, staring down at Jasper with a stunning gaze of blue. At some point Jasper stopped struggling, using whatever strength she could for her form to remain whole. She was gasping and wheezing for breath as her chest was being further constricted. The heavy pressure on her body, the thoughts of her failures swirling, her breathing slowing down, the storm of white and blue blurring in her vision...
It was then that ever so slowly, the heaviness was being lifted. Jasper’s struggles ceased, and the monster removed her weight from her opponent, taking a step back as she did.
However, Jasper didn't try to get back on her feet; she was graciously taking in the air, and the lightness of her body after her most recent encounter. Took in the scent of the leaf covered forest, fresh after the rain. Silent as ever, the monster, who was back to all fours, turned and started to walk away.
It was at this point that Jasper gave herself the opportunity to get to her feet, and that's when the ideas started to spin. She was letting the monster go, as it had clearly emerged victorious, but should she really let that happen? If anything, she felt first-hand the sheer strength and stamina of this gem monster. Letting such an asset go would be a waste in her mind. But also, she gave herself time to rationalize; this wasn't like her other mutts, whom submitted to Jasper’s will after a simple beating. This one did not submit, and would have to be coaxed into submission without brute force. It wasn't her area of expertise, so she’d have to be careful; by sparing Jasper and knowing how to stop before going in for the kill, the gem monster proved to have a higher intelligence than the other monsters she had captured. As much as Jasper lived for battle, she would prefer not to clash with those claws a second time.
Jasper finally spoke for the first time that night.
“Wait!” she shouted, making the monster stop in her tracks.
“You’re strong. I can see that. I seek an army, you see. You and I, we’re the same” said Jasper, lying through her teeth.
“This planet took away our lives, our pride. Look at you now! In that form, cursed to roam the earth for the rest of your days”
The beast turned around to look at Jasper, it's gaze widened and more intense than before. She clawed at the ground.
“So, you CAN understand me. Doesn’t this prove it, then? That you deserve better than all of….this?”
Jasper walked toward the creature in confident strides. The monster didn't try to flee or attack, but it was shuffling its claws in anticipation. Jasper balled her fists in response, and soon she was standing with the beast face to face.
On all fours, the beast stood a head taller than Jasper. The warrior, for the first time in centuries, had to look up at a being she considered inferior. The beast was intently looking at Jasper, her gaze striking and harsh, making Jasper feel vulnerable. Proud as she was, she was not about to cause another unnecessary skirmish. She had better plans in store for this one.
Jasper reached out in an attempt to make contact with the monster, in the least threatening way possible. But the beast stepped back before she could be touched, her eyes narrowing in apprehension and clawing the ground in warning. Jasper didn't insist, however, as this beast was sure to attack again.
“So are you with me or aren't you?” Jasper asked the beast, hoping this would convince it to join forces. It wasn't in her nature to bargain this way, most times she would beat down her opponents to submission. But submission would not come easy for this case.
Jasper figured that instead of making the beast nervous, she should make it calmer. So Jasper relaxed her posture and her muscles, making herself appear peaceful to the beast. She did not attempt to reach out and touch again, and instead kept her hands on her sides. She relaxed her fingers and let herself take a deep breath, and neutralized her expression to one to show no emotion.
So the beast watched. Watched as how the gem in front of her lowered her guard. At one point, Jasper decided to look into the beast’s eyes; and for a fleeting moment, Jasper felt vulnerable and small. In all her years, she had never seen such a harsh and piercing gaze, one that has seen and suffered much; it had a powerful will, reminding Jasper of someone she knew.
Jasper was starting to feel on edge, but she did not need to. For the monster simply walked past her as if she were simply walking away. When Jasper turned to face the creature, she saw that she had her body turned forward, and her head tilted sideways, as if she were waiting.
Jasper smiled at her small triumph, and followed.