Arabella Quartz stared into the mirror longingly. How she wished her life could go back to how it was just a few days ago, before she ever found that crystal! The scar on her face was a reminder of all that had happened, a scar that would never vanish, no matter how much she willed it to! She- No, wait, the scar was vanishing... That was odd... That wasn't supposed to happen until the end of the book... Wait, book? She wasn't in a book, this was her real life! She was Arabella Quartz! Right? Or maybe her name was Annalise- A soft **Pulse** ran through her body from the pin on her shirt. The voice of THE DIRECTOR filled her head. *Don't use your morphing powers unless I tell you to, Arabella.* Arabella Quartz obediently nodded, and another gentle **Pulse** of energy flowed through her. What was she doing again? Oh, right! She stared into the mirror longingly...

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The gemstone caverns sparkled so beautifully, filling Arabella with awe and wonder. They shimmered so beautifully, a Prismatic display of every color of the rainbow and more... She could hardly believe she was here! Just yesterday she had been living her regular, boring life, but today she was in a mystical cave like nothing she ever could have dreamed of! She had always wanted to see the gemstone caverns in person like this! Wait, no, that didn't make sense... She only just learned about them now... How could she have always wished to see them? She stopped walking, confused. Hadn't she already been here? Hadn't they already filmed several scenes h-**Pulse** Huh? Oh, that crystal looked so beautiful! Like it was... Like it was staring into her... A beautiful, shimmering opalescent eye... She felt herself growing sleepy... Falling into a trance... Letting the crystal tell her about her destiny... oh right, it was this scene... Annabella always loved... loved the pretty crystal... Her lovely mentor...

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Arabella blushed as Simon looked at her. He was so handsome! She'd always had a crush on him... But never brave enough to ask him out... Oh, he was coming over to her! "You're... Arabella, right?" Arabella nodded, blushing deeper. He knew her name! She couldn't think of what to say, she needed to find something to talk about! Uh, something like... "Hey, w-what's that?" She pointed at the [] over his shoulder. He looked at the [] confused. "I don't see anything..." Arabella was confused too. It was like she was noticing something she wasn't supposed to notice... It was weird... It looked like a little robot holding a camer-**Pulse** *You do not see the crew members, Arabella. The crew members do not exist.* Arabella nodded. "The crew members do not exist..." She blinked. Wasn't she talking to Simon? Oh, right, no, she just saw him in the distance and wished she had the courage to talk to him! She blushed as he looked at her...

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Arabella looked at the massive gemstudded door before her and her companions, the only thing between them and the Sapphire of Sadness. "There are millions of combinations, how will we ever find the correct one?" Bemoaned Onyx. Suddenly, the voice of the Crystal Guardian sounded in their heads. "*You will not find the answers you seek down here. You must return to the surface plane and-*" Arabella pressed the Red, Brown, Blue, Purple, and Orange gems. The door was suddenly awash in a flood of swirling light, and it vanished, revealing the Sapphire of Sadness before them. Her companions looked at her in shock. "How did you know the code, Arabella?" Arabella blinked. "I just memorized it... As a kid... I think..." The others looked at her, confused. "You've seen this code before?" Arabella blinked slowly. "Yeah... After we get the Topaz of Tumult... Wait... But we haven't gotten the Topaz yet either... But then how did I know the code...? I-" A **Pulse** went through all of their bodies. *Arabella does not know the code yet. Arabella should not know anything she does not know.* They all repeated the instructions in a soft monotone, before blinking. What were they doing? Right, looking up at the massive gemstudded door... If only they knew the code...

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Arabella stood over the remains of the final gembeast, gemblades covering her arms. "Your plans are finished, Forrester! You should dim this world no longer!" Forrester sneered up at her. "You think you've won? Hardly! My plans have only just begun! And you shall be powerless to stop me!" Forrester teleported away in a flash of darkness, and Arabella collapsed in exhaustion. Her friends all ran up to her. "Arabella, you're a hero!" "You saved the city!" "We're all okay!" Arabella smiled wearily. She saved the city from the Gembeast... wait... No, she didn't... It was a robot, wasn't it...? She didn't save the city from that one... Arabella saved the city... Annalise didn't yet... But... Annalise had always wanted to be Arabella... So cool... So brave... So Powerful... So... Why not just be Arabella for now...? Succumb to the nice **Pulses**... And be Arabella, just for a bit... Arabella looked up at her friends and smiled wearily. "I... I did... I saved the city..."