My latest commission from Maniacpaint. This man is my new Oprah.
 
“Fusion Bleed: A phenomenon in which a particularly strong-willed Fusion will transfer part or all of its consciousness and appearance into one of the Gems which originally made it up, most notably in Gems with a weaker sense of self-identity. What components of this consciousness take precedence depend upon the nature of the Fusion; if the Fusion has unresolved conflicts with its fusees, for instance, the more negative aspects of the Fusion, such as vanity or jealousy, will manifest themselves. If the Fusion Bleed is suppressed for too long, the consciousness will grow more exaggerated and take on its own sapience; in extreme duress or stressful situations this personality will take control of the Gem in question, sometimes manifesting parts of its physical appearance as well.
 
“Pearl…please…stop this…”
 
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
 
Rarity could feel her heart slowly, agonizingly break as Pearl squeezed down on her neck, smelling her hair as her breath became ragged. Cold fingers that had once been so delicate with her slipped down underneath her skirt as she was pinned against the boutique wall.
 
Rarity could not say for sure what had happened. This was it. This was the night where she and Pearl would consummate their love. “A knight’s honor to her lady,” Pearl had stammered out in that flustered, adorable way of hers when Rarity got her all hot and bothered. It was supposed to be beautiful and romantic and wonderful. Rarity had even designed a special dress just for the occasion, based on the styles of the Bean Rua burlesque house where they had first met.
 
But this…this was wrong. It was all wrong.
 
It had started with the fire ruby. Pearl had never appreciated her use of earth-based gems in her dresses to begin with, even if Rarity had explained their nature as inanimate objects a million times. But she had learned to deal with it…until she had mentioned who had given it to her.
 
Rarity began crying, but not because to Pearl’s now-cruel hands. ‘I’m such a fool,’ she sobbed to herself. Pearl had told her everything, about Rose, about her old life, how she had lost the girl she first loved to a man, and then lost her altogether to death. She had been so thoughtless, wearing Spike’s fire ruby, not thinking about what that would mean to her.
 
They had started fighting, Pearl screaming and Rarity pleading, until Pearl had collapsed in agony. Her moans of pain turned into demented giggles, which turned into angry screaming with hints of an unknown accent as her body began to shift and change, arms bursting out from her torso as her clothes warped into a dark grey tuxedo. If Rarity hadn’t been so scared she might have called it dashing.
 
“You belong to me, ‘darling’,” Pearl whispered in her dual-toned voice into her ear as she squeezed tighter.
 
Rarity sobbed, slumping into the painful embrace as Pearl bit down on her neck. She prayed that Pearl would vent what she needed to vent and turn back to her old neurotic, brave, sensitive self.
 
She just wanted her knight in white to come back to her.
 
Pearl was almost silent as tears rolled down her cheeks, but deep in her mind she was screaming. She was going to lose another loved one. She had lost Rose, and now she was going to lose Rarity to this…mutation, this thing she had become. All of Sardonyx’s pent up vanity, Pearl’s pent up jealousy…it had created a monster.
 
All she had wanted to do was protect her. Keep her safe. She would die for Rarity, give up her everything for her…and now here she was, about to perform the unforgivable over a stupid gem she had worn to make herself beautiful for Pearl. After everything she did for her…took her into her home, made her food and clothes, fought alongside her against the throngs of Narnia…made her feel beautiful again…
 
This was supposed to be a fairy tale ending. And now Pearl knew, in her heart of hearts, that she would lose the girl who had given so much…and asked for nothing in return.
 
Both of them whispered, reaching out across this new, terrible darkness that separated them.
 
“I love you.”
 
“