Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Healing was a strange thing, something that had truly crept up on Emerald over the years.

The earth around her continued to turn, shifting and changing as another year passed. Little Homeworld continued to grow, with strong foundations designed to prevent another event like The Stampede from happening again.

Most days were good, times that allowed Emerald to live her life and enjoy the world around her, feeling at peace with herself. However, there were always moments when the doubts would creep in, and she would start thinking awful things again.

It helped on those days to have the others. She would rest in the temple with Pearl, talk with Garnet, or play games with Amethyst to forget what was troubling her. She started to hide these things from Steven more, not wanting him to carry more of her burdens for her.

Some bad days she would crumble apart in Pearl’s arms, and Some bad days she would prefer not to be touched even by her. Some days she would still find ways to laugh, some she would cry seemingly unprompted.

If nothing else, Emerald could tell that things were getting better, if slowly.

Nanefua said that her experiences had taken a toll on her, and that time and support were the best things to help.

Amethyst and Steven had found Jasper’s new home nearly a year ago, but left her alone. They said that the only reason they had even gone looking was so that she couldn’t surprise any of them again, although Emerald herself didn’t know how to feel. 

It was still hard to know that she was out there.

But, life kept moving. And even though the bad days were still present, each good day was better than the last.

Chapter Text

Little Homeworld construction wasn’t far from being done, somewhere around eighty-five percent by Bismuth standards. 

It had been strange to see the buildings rise from the foundations over the last year, but it soon became a welcome sight to see Little Homeworld from the beach as it grew.

Emerald had long grown used to the sounds of working gems, just another normal part of her day. Not long ago she’d joined up to help with the smaller tasks, something she could do without her lack of strength interfering.

She had to be careful not to run into anyone as she made her way through, walking around a pile of large metal beams tended to by a few quartzes.

She waved to Peridot when she saw her floating on her trash can lid, Peridot sparing a moment to wave back with a smile.

“Coming through!” 

Emerald stepped to the side when Lapis flew by, carrying something she couldn’t quite identify. After a moment Lapis seemed to remember something, hovering for a moment.

“ Oh ! Emerald!”

Emerald looked up, having to shield her eyes from the brighter sky. It wasn’t bad enough that she needed sunglasses today, but it certainly didn’t help to look right at it.

“Bismuth’s waiting for you!” Lapis called, and Emerald realized she’d gotten sidetracked in grabbing a few things from the house.

“ Oh stars! ” She said quickly, hearing Lapis laugh as she flew away.

“ Do you need a ride!? ” Peridot called suddenly.

Emerald nodded quickly, grabbing onto the handle of Peridot’s trash can lid when she flew over. Emerald held on as they lifted into the air, getting a better viewpoint of the bustling construction site.

. . .

As Peridot hovered over the right place Emerald let go, landing with ease. Bismuth jumped a bit, clearly not expecting her.

“ Thanks! ” Emerald waved goodbye to Peridot, before turning to her. “-Sorry I’m late!”

“It’s alright.” Bismuth said, chuckling to herself. 

“Are these them?” Emerald asked with awe, looking at the wooden shelves next to them.

“Yup.”

Emerald was gentle as she reached forward, running her hand along the smooth finish. The craftsmanship was nothing less than perfect, and it was clear they were made by someone who cared for everything they touched.

“What do you think?” Bismuth asked behind her, and Emerald smiled back at her.

“...They’re perfect .”

Bismuth smiled, setting her hands on her hips. “Bismite will be happy to hear that.”

“I’ll have to thank her.” Emerald smiled back, making a mental note to find Bismite later in the day and do just that. After all, these were the most important pieces, and they were nothing short of wonderful.

Reading was something Emerald had found comfort in since nearly as far back as her arrival on earth, and she had begun to want to spread that joy to others.

She’d spend more hours than she could count working with Pearl and Garnet to learn gem glyph, and growing into the dream of applying that knowledge and translating books to create a multilingual library in Little Homeworld.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Bismuth’s waiting, realizing she must’ve missed something. “Sorry, I missed that.” She said plainly, and Bismuth shrugged.

“Don’t worry about it. I said, I have to go work the crane. Do you need me to ask someone to help out?”

Emerald looked down at the shelves again, realizing what Bismuth was getting at. No doubt they were heavy , more so than Emerald herself could carry.

“Oh... Yeah .” Emerald rubbed her arm before nodding, a bit embarrassed. Bismuth shrugged it off as though it was no big deal, before turning.

“Carnelian! Would you mind giving her a hand?”

A gem the height of Garnet looked over when bismuth called. Her skin was a deep red, her outfit simplistic and her red gem over one eye. “Sure thing. ‘Scuse me.”

Emerald stepped out of the way, and the large gem cracked her knuckles before helping Bismuth lift the shelf into the building.

“Careful not to harm your fingers!” A gem called from behind her, and Emerald turned. A pale pink gem stood behind her, although it wasn’t the one she’d seen before. This gem’s hair was cropped short, a Pearl shining on her chest. 

Both she and Carnelian didn’t appear to have any corruption, leading Emerald to believe they were among those who had come to Earth after the authority was disbanded.

Emerald brushed a bit of dust off of the shoulder of Pearl’s jacket, adjusting it slightly. The two of them had decided to swap for the day, and Emerald had changed her shirt underneath to be long sleeve so it still covered her gem and the scars on her arms.

She adjusted her hair as well, braided back by Pearl that morning. The thought of the two of them talking while Pearl braided her hair, interrupted often by kisses, made her smile.

 “I’m always careful!” Carnelian called back, boisterous in a way that reminded Emerald of Amethyst.

. . .

Emerald started with securing the shelves to the wall, since Delmarva wasn’t exactly immune to the occasional earthquake. As she took up a drill Bismuth and Carnelian wished her their goodbyes, before heading off to do their own respective work on different buildings in Little Homeworld.

As she worked she set a small display on the floor, listening to Steven’s broadcast with the Diamonds. She found it hard to understand why he wanted to be around them at all , after every way they’d hurt him. Still, she tried to be supportive.

“ I know you might all be thinking of me as the new Pink Diamond…but you don’t have to put me on a throne. ” Steven spoke, and Emerald knew that staying on Homeworld was the last thing Steven wanted.

“- I already have a rightful place, and it’s on Earth. ”

Emerald smiled at that, understanding that no matter what the Diamonds could say to him Steven was half human, and if Earth was where he wanted to be, they would have to respect it.

“- It’s a beach house, where I live with my friends. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. ”

Emerald paused in her task, exhaling gently in relief. Before he left she had asked him not to mention her in front of the Diamonds, and even though he was confused, he agreed.

She had no plans to tell him the history behind her and Yellow Diamond, wanting to spare him more complex relationships with them when he already was unsure. It was only an added bonus that it would hopefully prevent unwarranted visits by those that knew of her existence.

“- As much as I love dismantling the empire, and saving all your planets, I can’t wait to get home and spend some quality time with my family. ”

“ Cut the feed. ” A stern voice growled after Steven was done, and Emerald frowned. After a moment the broadcast cut abruptly, and just before it did Emerald caught a glimpse of White Diamond herself.

. . .

She continued working for a while after that, only looking up when she heard a knock on the doorframe.

“You’ve been busy .” Pearl commented as Emerald turned, a smile on her face. Emerald set her drill down on a shelf, going over to greet her with a kiss.

She couldn’t deny how beautiful Pearl looked in her sweater, soft unger her fingertips. When she pulled away Pearl set a gentle hand on her cheek, smiling as her thumb gently ran along it. “… We’re all going to take a break now that Steven’s home. ” 

Emerald set her hand over Pearl’s, leaning into her touch. After a moment she pulled Pearl’s hand away gently, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“I’ll come in a little bit.” She said, already looking forward to it. “I have a few things to get done here.”

Pearl nodded, squeezing her hand. “Alright… I’ll see you soon, then. We’ll be by the lighthouse . ”

She pulled her in gently, giving Emerald a quick peck on the cheek before pulling back. She squeezed her hand, before heading off.

Emerald smiled as she watched her go, eager to clean up and join them. She could already picture laying next to Pearl in the grass, Steven, Amethyst, and Garnet nearby in a perfect picture of calm and safety.

“… See you soon. ”

Chapter Text

Emerald hummed as she swept the dust away from where she’d been working, chuckling to herself as she was reminded of some of her favorite fairy tale movies.

She couldn’t resist humming a bit, imagining she was one of those lost princesses about to find her “ Prince ” (although she hated that it always seemed to be a human male to find them. She didn’t see the appeal.)

Her little moment was interrupted when she felt a small tremor run through the ground, and she quickly moved to the doorframe in case another Earthquake was about to take place.

It got worse after a moment, and she was reminded of the many earthquakes she had felt during the time of the cluster’s growth.

Then, something caught her eye.

The ground trembled beneath her feet, and looking up past the buildings, Emerald could see the largest injector she’d ever laid eyes upon.

Her eyes went wide, inhaling sharply as she took in the sheer size of the thing. It took her a moment to fully realize the gravity of where it had landed, resting on the hill by the lighthouse.

Only then did the broom clatter to the ground, forgotten.

. . .

Emerald was innately aware of her own breaths as she ran, shallow and scared. Little Homeworld itself was panicking, gems everywhere trying to figure out what was going on.

Everyone was crowding around the square, the noise and confusion too thick for her to get through to the warp pad without possibly having an attack first trying to shove through them. 

Although, she might already have one, if things got much worse. Stars knew she was already feeling more than a little suffocated.

She couldn’t see Lapis and Peridot anywhere, realizing she was trapped on the ground.

Having no other option she ran in the opposite direction, through the alleys and backways in hopes of finding a way around before anyone got hurt.

. . .

It took much longer than anything close to comfortable, and as she ran through the grass, Emerald knew that if she had a human heart it would beat much faster than normal.

Emerald felt her chest and throat tighten as she saw and felt Pearl’s jacket disappear suddenly into light around her, pushing herself to the limit as she ran as fast as she could.

As she crested the top of the hill, she saw them.

Steven was on his hands and knees, a gem she had never seen before towering over him with their back turned. The others were nowhere to be found, having seemingly disappeared completely.

“ Steven !?” She called, unsure of the situation.

“ Emerald !” He yelled back, and at that the gem turned.

“ Well well well. ”

The gem was bright shades of pink, what looked like black tears streaking down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and manic despite her smile, something that had Emerald instantly on guard.

“ Emerald , is it?” The gem said in the same eerie tone as before, her smile faltering into a slight sneer. “Another friend of Pink Diamond , perhaps ?”

“ No .” Emerald said firmly, summoning her glaive and holding it tight. “-I’m a friend of Steven .”

They became a flurry of staffs in a matter of moments, Emerald trying to match the gem’s speed to prevent the glowing blade from tearing through her form. 

For a split moment she imagined what this gem must’ve done to the others, a spike of fear running through her before she had to quickly refocus as they clashed once more.

The gem suddenly hooked the edge of her blade onto the staff of Emerald’s glaive, ripping it out of her hands. As soon as it left her hands she reacted, throwing a punch toward the gem’s face. The gem dodged, stretching her leg unnaturally to kick Emerald to the ground.

A few stones hidden in the grass scraped her arm, but Emerald was quick to push herself up despite the pain. When she looked up the gem was smiling maniacally above her, and Emerald’s grip on the grass tightened.

A sudden surge of energy went through her form, the part of her that would never let another gem stand over her like that again.

Not knowing what else to do she jumped straight at the gem, clearly catching her by surprise as she tackled her to the ground. The scythe flew out of the gem’s hands, the two of them rolling across the ground.

The gem threw her off into the air, and Emerald struggled to get back up with the pain that overwhelmed her form from the impact as her side slammed against the hard ground.

“A lot tougher than your friends , huh?” The gem asked with a manic chuckle as she pushed herself up.

It was only then a glint of light caught Emerald’s eye, and not far away in the grass she saw the four deformed gems laying hidden in the green.

. . .

“LEAVE HER ALONE !”

The gem turned quickly, catching the staff as Steven attempted to deform her with her scythe from behind. She scoffed, speaking in a tone nearing playfulness .

“ You won’t last much longer. ” She said with a smile, giggling. “Not after what I did to your gem ~!”

“STOP IT!” Steven cried, and in a blur of motion and a cloud of smoke, the gem was gone. 

Steven sunk to his knees, the exhaustion feeling to hit him all at once. He could feel a few bruises on his chest and back from when the gem had been kicking him around, confused as to why they hadn’t healed themselves already.

“Are you alright, Steven?” Emerald asked, holding out a hand from where she had managed to shakily stand back up. Steven took it, taking a few deep breaths before responding.

. . .

Steven looked as beat up as Emerald felt, his eyes a bit distant. He reached to pick up the heart shaped gem on the ground, studying its facets.

“...Are you cracked?” He asked suddenly, and Emerald jumped a little.

For half a moment she was caught off-guard, before realizing he meant her actual gem . She shook her head, but couldn’t resist resummoning her sweater despite her shirt already covering the cracks. “No.”

She looked down at the deformed gem in his hand, and the sheathed scythe on the ground. “...Where did she come from?”

“She just… landed her injector here.” Steven said, sounding tired as the two of them went to pick up the gems. “ …I think she’s mad at my mom. ”

He sighed, and Emerald set a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

They knew that at the very least , the situation had turned complicated .

Chapter Text

The walk back to the house was quiet, Emerald holding Amethyst and Pearl as carefully as she could. Their gems were cold , something that felt distinctly wrong .

Steven had tried to bubble the gem that attacked them so she couldn’t do anymore harm, but found that his powers weren’t working anymore.

Emerald wished she could help, but had long since learned that things such as bubbles felt draining, as though she had to constantly put energy into it rather than just making one and sending it off the way others could.

. . .

Emerald made sure Steven was settled on the couch so he could call Greg before using some of the spare Diamond essence to heal the scrapes on her arm since Steven wasn’t able to. When she heard footsteps running up the stairs she came out of the bathroom, seeing Greg burst open the door.

“ Steven ! I came as fast as I could! Are you okay?” He asked quickly, before seeing the gems resting on the table. “ Holy sh- she really got everybody! ”

Emerald grabbed Steven an ice pack for his bruises, frowning as she looked at the gems.

“Is that her?” Greg asked, looking at the heart shaped gem as Emerald sat down next to Steven. She handed him the ice pack, nodding at his small thanks . Unable to help herself she reached forward and picked up Pearl’s gem, cradling it in her hands.

“ Yeah .” Steven mumbled, but Greg only had more questions.

“Who?”

“ No idea. ”

“ Why ?”

“ No idea! ” Steven said once more, sounding as exasperated as the rest of them. He leaned back into the couch, setting the ice pack against his chest.

“How?” Greg asked, and Steven pulled the scythe out of his pocket. “She hit us all with this. ” He activated it, showing his dad the glowing blade before setting it away.

Greg looked at Emerald confusedly and she sighed, looking down at the gems. “ …I didn’t get hit. ” 

“It did something extra weird to me, and now my powers aren't working right.” Steven added, sounding worried. “ Look .”

He moved the ice pack and pulled up the edge of his shirt so they could see his gem, its normal shine dimmed and faded. “-There’s something wrong with me, dad… I just have no idea what’s going on. ”

“Well son, now you know how I feel almost all the time.” Greg said, trying his best to smile and assure them it would be okay. “-But you know what else?”

He reached forward, patting Amethyst’s gem gently. “Any moment now the gems are going to do that thing where they glow, and float in the air, and reappear better than ever!”

As if on cue Emerald felt the gem in her hands begin to warm and glow, and when she opened them, Pearl’s gem began to lift into the air.

“See? Here she comes! Good ‘ol’ Pearl!” Greg said enthusiastically, and Emerald let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Pearl was coming back , and hopefully she’d be able to help them figure out the problem.

The smile melted off her face as instead of Pearl, around her gem formed a projection of a clamshell.

“ Pearl ?” She asked, having never seen something like that before. She'd seen gems in Little Homeworld reform after accidents before, but never had she seen something like this .

“ Please identify yourself .” The robotic voice said again, and Emerald stood up slowly.

“Pearl…It’s me, Emerald .” She said hesitantly, but Pearl still didn’t reform.

“ Greetings, it's me Emerald. Please state preferred customization options .” It droned, and Emerald looked to Greg and Steven.

“ What ?” She asked them, wondering if it was always like this when Pearl reformed. She thought she was missing something, as she’d been outside when Pearl had reformed last, but they looked just as confused.

“I don’t know?” Steven asked awkwardly, looking up at the clamshell.

“ Default setting selected. Please stand by .” The robotic voice droned, before the projection moved. Emerald moved as well, walking around the table and following it as it came to rest on the floor.

As they watched the clamshell grew and opened, Pearl reforming in the center. Emerald was instantly caught off guard, having seen this exact form before in her memories.

“Pearl!” Steven called, rushing over. “Thank goodness you’re back!”

“ …Pearl ?” He asked as Pearl looked around, watching as she smiled when her eyes met Emeralds. Emerald herself was frozen as Pearl came over to her, unnerved by the gem’s cheery smile after what had happened.

Pearl knelt in front of her, taking her hand in both of hers with that same eager smile. Her voice was soft as she sang, but Emerald’s chest filled with dread at her words.

“ How do you do? My It’s me Em-er-ald. Thank you for bringing me into. The world. ”

Then she looked up, her blank eyes feeling to stare into Emerald with an abnormal amount of devotion. 

“-I am at your e~ternal service, wel-come to your, new, Pearl .”

Chapter Text

“Is her gem cracked!?” Greg asked frantically behind her, and Steven came closer to get a better look.

Looking into Pearl’s eyes, however, Emerald knew that something was seriously wrong . Pearl’s eyes were full of admiration, but carried none of the confidence and free will she had come to love so dearly.

It was Pearl , that much was true, but it wasn’t her .

“It looks fine to me.” Steven said by way of answering Greg’s question, before they saw a light behind them. Ruby’s gem lifted into the air as well, and after a moment, her form solidified from light.

“Ruby!” Steven called, rushing over. “Are- Are you okay?”

“ Agh ! Who are you?” Ruby asked defensively, seemingly reading herself to fight if need be. “ You’re not my assignment.”

“What's going on!?” Emerald asked frantically. She flinched slightly when Pearl eagerly jumped in front of her, a bright smile plastered on her face.

“Allow me to illuminate!” The pale gem said, twirling lightly so she was next to the table. She gestured to Ruby, her singsong tone similar to one she would use when teaching. “ A Ruby guard, but just a, Single one. They tend to come in teams of three. or more. ”

She projected a visual of three Rubies, before Sapphire’s gem began to glow and she reformed as well.

“ A precious sapphire, she sees the future, that’s who the ruby’s for. ” Pearl added, winking to her.

“ My sapphire .” Ruby said, saluting her. “As my sworn duty and sole purpose, I will protect you with my life .”

“ I know you will .” Sapphire said gently, her tone one of resignation. “ That’s why I predict you won’t last more than a day. ”

Emerald tensed at that, sharing a look with Greg. “ Huh ?” Ruby asked, looking just as confused as they were.

“Come now.” Sapphire said, shooing ruby and Steven back from the table as Amethyst’s gem began to glow. Pearl set her hands on her hips, that same small smile on her face.

When Amethyst reformed there was a stark contrast, her hair short and messy and her outfit uniform and simplistic. “Amethyst!” Steven called, and she looked at him with a blank stare. “Hey, Amethyst?”

“Hey, Amethyst?” Amethyst echoed, mimicking the small wave Steven had given her a few moments prior.

“What, no- you’re Amethyst!” Steven protested, and Amethyst repeated that back as well.

“ You must be right! ” Pearl butt in, standing next to her. “This is an Amethyst!”

She looked a bit confused after that, studying Amethyst a bit closer. “ Except an Amethyst is big, and strong. ”

“ This one is not the best , example. ” She said, turning back to them. “ Something, is clearly wrong. ”

“I do say, something is clearly wrong.” She added, shrugging. “What are all these different gems doing here in this strange place?”

As she moved Amethyst continued to copy, saying nothing.

“Pearl, don’t you recognize them?” Steven asked, worry leaking into his tone. “Don’t you recognize me ?”

Pearl hummed lightly, studying Steven for a moment. “Hmm… well, I certainly recognize my it’s me Emerald!” She said happily, gesturing to Emerald with a smile even though it was more than clear she didn’t. “As for you… hmm…”

Before Pearl could say anything else the heart shaped gem began to glow, and Emerald stepped in front of Greg just in case as Steven readied himself. “Get back!” He called, the three of them tensing as they watched the light grow.

As she was reforming the gem giggled, before stretching forward and pulling herself into Steven. “ Yippee !”

“Steven!” Emerald called as the dust cleared, before seeing that she wasn’t harming him.

“I’m so excited to meet you!” The gem said, her form lighter and softer as she smiled. Her buns had turned into hearts, overall looking less threatening .

“Y-you’re not mad?” Steven asked, and the gem stood up.

“ Mad ? Why would I be mad at my best friend !?” She said excitedly, and Pearl jumped back in as Greg helped Steven up.

“This will be fun! Aren't you a lucky one!” She smiled at Spinel, before looking back at Steven as Spinel did a small dance. “Her cut is perfect and she’s pink, as well! She’ll bring you endless entertainment, your new best friend, Spinel!”

. . .

“ You !” Steven called angrily, pointing to her. “ What have you done to us!? ” He ran forward and began to shake Spinel, but she only giggled sweetly. She tapped his nose, smiling.

“ Boop ! Now it’s your turn!” She said, before shaking him wildly. She asked Steven if he wanted to ask the other’s to play, and he frowned.

“You don’t remember ?” He asked seriously, and Spinel had an innocent smile on her face.

“ Remember what? ”

Chapter Text

Emerald didn’t know what to do, finding herself aimlessly wandering. Pearl walked just behind her, another thing that felt distinctly wrong .

Pearl had never walked anywhere but beside her before.

Steven had gone to see if Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot could help them with whatever was going on, but to do that he needed Greg to keep an eye on Amethyst while Ruby, Sapphire, and Spinel went with him.

Which left Emerald to watch over Pearl .

Pearl , who probably wouldn’t leave her side regardless , and was stuck thinking she belonged to Emerald of all gems.

Wonderful .

. . .

Somehow they ended up at her favorite tree outside Little Homeworld, sitting in the grass. Pearl wouldn’t sit until Emerald told her it was okay, just another thing she hated.

“… Do you remember when we first met? ” Emerald asked after a while, the first thing to pierce the painful quiet. She remembered that even back then the others had been so nice, offering her a place to stay after everything that had happened.

“No, my It’s me Emerald.” Pearl said, blinking briefly.

“ Please. It’s just Emerald. ” Emerald murmured, not liking the connotation of the words. She hated the way Pearl said it, as though she was a mere object and Emerald herself was the center of the universe.

“Yes, my Emerald.”

Emerald sighed, knowing this was most likely the best she was going to get. She fiddled with the edge of her braid nervously, remembering that it was Pearl’s hands that made it.

“Do you remember… braiding my hair this morning?” She asked, and Pearl frowned.

“No, my Emerald.”

“…Is there anything you need from me, my Emerald?” Pearl asked after a few more moments of silence, and Emerald frowned. She sighed, leaning her chin in her hand and her elbow against her knee.

“I would ask for a hug, but-“

Emerald nearly jumped when Pearl wrapped her arms around her, sudden and without warning. Emerald felt constricted where Pearl held her, tight and unwavering as it felt less like a hug , and more like a trap .

“ Not right now- “ she said quickly, but Pearl didn’t seem to be listening. It was another thing that felt distinctly wrong , as most of the time Pearl could tell when she was uncomfortable in a situation.

“ Please let go. ” She said quickly, and only then did Pearl listen. Pearl looked at her stressed face for a moment after pulling back, before looking away.

There was a moment of quiet before she spoke, the innocent tone gone and replaced with a solemn one. “ …If you are dissatisfied with me, I can be replaced. ”

Emerald felt a tightness in her chest at Pearl’s words, knowing Pearl was just as lost as her in the situation.

“ Pearl .” She said gently, and when Pearl looked back at her Emerald carefully reached forward.

She set her hands gently on Pearl’s cheeks, feeling the skin warm under her fingers. She looked Pearl in the eye, searching for any sign of the gem she loved so dearly.

Pearl looked thoroughly confused at the situation, flushing teal where Emerald touched her without moving away.

“…I don’t want anyone but you.” Emerald added, before pulling her closer and pressing their lips together gently. Pearl made a startled noise, but didn’t pull away.

It may have been Pearl but it wasn’t her , something that made the kiss feel as though Emerald’s chest was caving in on itself. When she slowly pulled back Pearl’s cheeks were a bright turquoise, but her eyes still carried the same unknowing look. Her voice was stuttering, and full of surprise.

“My- My Emerald…!?”

Emerald suddenly recoiled, quickly letting go of Pearl as her eyes went wide. She covered her mouth quickly out of shock, feeling horrified with herself as the callousness of her actions sunk in.

“ I’m sorry. ” She said quickly into her hand, feeling guilt sink into her chest.

Pearl was bound to her by her programming, something out of her control. It was wrong to go around doing things like this, because Pearl didn’t have a choice. Not really .

After a few more moments she let out a long breath, slowly lowering her hand once more. She couldn’t look Pearl in the eye after what she’d just done, looking at the grass as she spoke.

“You have to remember.” She said, wishing the words alone were enough to bring Pearl back. “You fought so hard , I-“

Then it clicked.

Emerald looked back at Pearl for a few silent moments, an idea forming. After that she stood up, taking Pearl’s hand when she stood up as well.

“ My Emerald..? ” Pearl asked behind her as they began to move, and for once since that morning,  Emerald smiled.

“I have an idea.”

Chapter Text

“ Pearl knew her!” Steven said excitedly, realizing that if they got Pearl back, then everything would be fixed.

Garnet stood in the same place, still looking at herself with wonder and admiration as they talked.

“Well, where’s Pearl?” Bismuth asked, crossing her arms. Amethyst, Peridot, and Lapis looked at him expectantly, and he realized he hadn’t told them what else had happened.

. . .

“I… don’t know.” Steven said truthfully, not knowing where they would’ve gone if he hadn’t seen them in Little Homeworld.

“Well, if she’s rejuvenated like them… Who is she attached to?” Bismuth asked, the thought itself making her feel ill. She didn’t know what she would do upon seeing Pearl act the way Homeworld wanted her to, let alone treating her like an owner .

“About that…” Steven started, trailing off as he scratched the back of his neck.

Upon seeing the nervous look on Steven’s face Bismuth’s own turned more serious, the pieces clicking together in her mind as to the other gem she hadn’t seen yet.

“Tell me it wasn’t Emerald.” She said firmly, and Steven only looked more serious. Lapis and Peridot shared a look as well, clearly nervous.

“It… was Emerald. ” He said after a moment, and Bismuth sighed deeply. 

Everything she knew about the gem told her that Emerald wasn’t taking this well, and upon thinking that, Bismuth realized that that was probably the reason she hadn’t even seen her since this morning.

“Is she out, too?” She asked, her eyes tired. Steven sighed, holding his arm.

“No, but we don’t know where they went.”

Bismuth sighed once more, nodding to herself a few times. 

“ ...I think I know. ”

. . .

Turns out, finding Emerald and Pearl wasn’t as easy as she believed. She expected them to be in one of Emerald's safe places away from everyone else, but found each one empty.

Steven set up his plan while she looked, Greg and Amethyst continuing to keep an eye on Garnet. Bismuth started warping to other places she knew, trying to figure out where Emerald would’ve gone with Pearl.

She was expecting the sky arena to be just as empty as everywhere else, confused when she warped in and heard the clashing of metal. Her first thought was that there were some gems who’d been out here training and had no idea what was going on back home, but found that wasn’t the case.

When she crested the top of the staircase she saw Emerald and Pearl, the former of which holding her hands over Pearl’s as they held a sword against a holo-pearl. Neither had noticed her arrival, and she could see from a distance that Pearl looked confused and quite possibly distressed at the situation.

Their backs were to her, but Bismuth could see how exasperated Emerald looked, as though she had been trying this for hours. 

Knowing her, she probably had.

. . .

Emerald was mentally exhausted by the time they took a break, sitting down on the steps of the arena. She couldn’t help but remember when she had run away from Rhodonite so long ago, and Pearl had come for her.

She had thought that maybe fighting for both Emerald and for herself would bring Pearl’s memories back - especially when the war lasted so long -, but so far, nothing.

Pearl stood a few feet away from where she sat, holding her sword limply as though she wasn’t used to it. It became just another thing to add to the severity of the situation, when Emerald knew Pearl had spent thousands of years fighting.

“ My Emerald, I don't understand- ” She started, but Emerald cut her off quietly.

“- I know. ”

Emerald set her head in her hands, trying to ignore the tight feeling in her chest. Tears stung her eyes, mourning a gem that stood only a few feet away.

She had to believe that they would find a way to get Pearl back; to get everyone back.

But right now, even the idea itself felt hopeless.

She didn’t look up, shutting the rest of the universe out until she heard another voice.

. . .

“ Hey .” Emerald looked up, seeing Bismuth standing next to her, her hand hovering over her shoulder. When she saw the tears in Emerald’s eyes she sat down next to her, and Emerald accepted the hug gratefully.

“ I don’t know what to do. ” Emerald murmured, the words quiet so only Bismuth could hear. “It… it hurts , so much , to see her act this way. But I can’t make her go. ”

Bismuth forced herself to glance up at Pearl; at that blank face and those empty eyes looking at Emerald with a devotion that stunk of programming rather than genuine love . “ …I know. ”

“ Are you alright, My Emerald? ” Pearl asked, setting the sword in her gem, and Bismuth could feel Emerald tense at the term of endearment.

“I’ve got her.” She said, knowing that even if all Pearl knew right now was to help, it was far from the help Emerald needed.

Pearl nodded, stepping back. Bismuth lowered her voice once more, speaking close to Emerald’s ear. “ …I came to find you because Steven has a plan to get Pearl back. ”

Emerald nearly jumped out of her arms, looking at her with wide eyes. “Why didn’t you say that first !?”

Chapter Text

“So… that’s the plan.” Steven said, letting out a quick breath.

Emerald neglected to tell him she’d tried fighting and ‘rebelling’ with Pearl for the past few hours without success, but she wasn’t going to be the one to shut down an idea when it came to trying to get Pearl back .

“Dude.” Amethyst said suddenly, raising a brow. Emerald had been gratefully surprised when they came home to learn that Steven had managed to get her back at the very least, even if the others were still gone.

“Yeah?” Steven asked, looking exasperated as he paused in his frantic pacing. He looked as exhausted as Emerald felt, clearly distracted by his own mind and the stress of the situation.

Amethyst glanced up at Emerald for a moment, before looking back to him. “You do know why Emerald doesn’t usually come to concerts with us, right ?”

Emerald frowned, as she hadn’t planned on reminding Steven how triggering loud music could be for her when this was their only idea.

Steven suddenly seemed to realize, facepalming. “Of course .” He grumbled to himself, feeling frustrated that he’d forgotten something so important, but Emerald didn’t let him get farther than that.

“-I’m going .” She said firmly, despite the worried looks from the others. She glanced away, toward where Pearl stood to the side behind her.

When she looked back she crossed her arms, only more determined. “It’s for Pearl. I’ll be fine. ”

“ If you’re sure. ” Greg said, and she nodded firmly.

. . .

The venue was packed with both gems and Humans thanks to all the refugees, and Emerald tried not to feel suffocated by it. She had to keep reminding herself that this was for Pearl , and that she could always take some quiet time for herself as soon as this was solved.

“This next song is for Steven Universe! ” The Lead singer called, her voice loud enough through the speakers to make Emerald wince.

“This has got to bring Pearl’s memories back. It’s all about quitting a crummy service job!” Steven said, looking more hopeful than Emerald could muster.

She took a few forced breaths, trying to mentally prepare herself even when she already wanted to go home.

. . .

The music was excruciatingly loud , Amethyst hitting the drums like thunder as each strum of the guitars reverberated through Emerald’s form. The people around her were cheering and shouting, and she hunched down so as to try not to bump into anyone. It was so much , every one of her senses having no peace.

She could feel herself starting to shake, a bead of sweat trailing down her forehead. Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced her feet to stay planted where they were, holding her hands firmly over her ears.

She met eyes with Pearl before quickly looking away again, knowing that Pearl couldn’t help her right now. She opted instead to shut her eyes tight, though that only made the noise worse.

Suddenly she was being pulled through the crowd, and when she looked up, Pearl had wrapped her arm around her own, and was leading her away from everyone. She didn’t stop until they were outside, the air cooling as the noise became quiet behind them.

One Emerald registered fully what had happened she blinked, wiping the tears out of her eyes with the heel of her hand and carefully pulling her arm away from where Pearl still held it gently.

“ Pearl- what-? ”

“You wished to leave, my Emerald.” Pearl said simply, and Emerald felt far worse than before, seeing that she was observant as ever, and obeyed even when she didn’t say anything.

“That doesn’t matter !” She managed to say, tears threatening to fall again. “This is about you !”

“My only wish is to serve you , My Emerald.”

Emerald paused for a moment at that, her words slowly sinking in. She forced herself to take a deep breath, brushing the tears away quietly before taking Pearl’s hand.

“-Come on.”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t their spot by the lighthouse but it was close enough, the two of them looking out across the ocean from brooding hill. Emerald didn’t let go of Pearl’s hand as she looked at her, only holding it close.

“ All I want is for us to get through this. ” She said truthfully, unable to resist another glance at the injector and the dead grass all around it. “ -I just want us to see tomorrow. ”

She looked down at their intertwined hands, remembering Pearl’s smile above her framed by the stars. “ And I know you don’t remember… but you made a promise not to sacrifice yourself for my sake. ”

“- And I made a promise to stay. ” She added, before touching their hands to her chest and looking back into Pearl’s eyes. “ So let’s do this together. ”

. . .

Emerald pulled Pearl in closer, until they were just a few mere inches away. She kept their fingers laced together, moving her free hand to gently touch Pearl’s hip.

Pearl flushed at the closeness, filled with confusion as to what was happening. Somehow magnetically her hand went to Emerald's shoulder, although her breaths were shallow.

Something about the situation screamed wrong… but felt so right in a way that was overwhelming.

New and familiar, yet old and confusing.

Then she looked up, seeing a soft kindness in Emerald’s eyes that only made her flush more.

“ Wh- what are-? ” She started nervously, suddenly and truly wanting to understand, before Emerald cut her off gently.

“ Shhh… Don’t worry about it. ”

. . .

Emerald began to pull Pearl in a gentle and slow dance, the two of them turning and shifting beneath the brighter sky.

The two of them were silent for a long minute or two, before Emerald gently spoke again. “ ...I used to think I wouldn’t last long .”

“- Down in the kindergartens, It’s well known that shattering will come for you eventually. ” She murmured, unable to resist glancing away. She twirled Pearl gently, who’s wide eyes were now intently focused on her.

“ It’s dark, I know. ” She added, remembering the cold and empty stone she’d once thought was all she would ever know. “ When I first came here I still thought like that. I was waiting for all of you to realize what I was; to abandon or hurt me because I was different. ”

Then she smiled softly, looking back into Pearl’s eyes with nothing but pure love. “But you never did. You’ve always been there for me.

She held Pearl’s hand just a bit tighter, feeling a lone tear slip down her cheek. “… I want to be there for you this time. ”

. . .

Seemingly out of nowhere Emerald pulled her in, allowing Pearl to lean back in a dip that was nothing less than graceful.

“ What is it you want? ” Emerald asked her softly, looking into her eyes as Pearl's own went wide.

Suddenly something inside her mind clicked into place, and Pearl realized that while there were a multitude of answers to that question, the simplest one was right in front of her.

Her breaths were shallow and her cheeks were flushed as she moved her hands, gently setting them on Emerald’s cheeks. She felt that same fluttering feeling in her chest she had earlier on, but for once she wanted to feel it more instead of running away.

Emerald made a small noise of surprise as Pearl pulled their lips together, before melting into it. Unable to hold her for too long Emerald slowly eased her out of the dip, careful not to break contact.

Chasing the feeling exploding in her chest Pearl pulled her even closer, even though it didn’t feel like enough.

She was far too unfocused to notice the light behind her eyelids, giving into the feeling of someone new without quite realizing it.

. . .

Suddenly, Pearl ceased to exist. 

It was frightening, as Emerald had ceased to exist as well.

The new gem stumbled, barely staying standing as she was confused and disoriented. Who was she? Granite ? Why were they gone? Fusion ? She had memories, but they were spotty and one-sided. Nothing about it made sense.

It was internally conflicting and hard to stay together, yet a shred of overlapping emotions kept her intact. She wasn’t entirely sure which ones in all the mess, but somehow she continued on.

She was supposed to serve Emerald as long she she existed-

But neither of them existed at the moment. It was just her .

Suddenly, something within her whispered that there was no one to serve but herself .

She looked at her hand, turning it over to study the lines within her palm.

Her mind calmed, a sense of peace washing over her as she wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed gently.

She was alone, but not.

In a way, it was… freeing .

. . .

When the two of them unfused, Emerald opened her eyes to see Pearl’s form still bathed in light, lifted into the air as her form cycled through past regenerations.

She drifted to the ground slowly, before all at once reforming. Emerald felt frozen, unsure if it had worked or if this was a failure as well.

Pearl blinked a few times, seemingly registering her surroundings. Then she looked up, the two of them meeting eyes.

All at once, Emerald noticed that the look in Pearl’s eyes screamed Pearl , not Homeworld. She felt tears sting her own eyes, her hands shaking as she pulled them into her chest reflexively.

“… Emerald ?” Pearl asked gently, reaching for her, and Emerald knew for sure that it was her .

“ Pearl !”

Emerald rushed forward, wrapping Pearl in the tightest hug she could muster. Her hands gripped the back of Pearl’s jacket, tears stinging her eyes as Pearl hugged her in turn.

The light growing around them this time was old and familiar by now, a sense of home rather than confusion. They both wanted to hold on to one another, the sense overlapping enough for them to fold together into one.

And Granite opened her eyes once more.

Chapter Text

Steven sighed, slumping down to sit in the grass outside the warehouse.

He was so tired . He felt like he was going to fold in on himself; wanting to just collapse into the grass and take a long nap.

He just wanted everything to go back to normal. Pearl and Emerald had left, Garnet’s memories were still gone, and now he was stuck sulking.

Amethyst could sense he wanted some space, keeping her distance. Spinel stayed close, as excitable as ever as she hovered around.

Even Lion had left, off to try to find Connie.

Steven wished she was there too, although he wasn’t sure how she could fix problems so massive.

He laid back in the grass, tuning out Spinel asking him about what pictures he saw in the clouds as he tried not to feel so tired .

. . .

Steven nearly jumped when a glowing portal opened in front of him, before quickly laying back as Lion leaped over him.

“Steven!” Connie called, and he stood up quickly as she jumped off Lion’s back. “-Where’s the danger!?”

“Connie!?”

Connie turned, and upon seeing him, smiled brightly. “Steven! You’re alright!”

“I came as fast as I could!” She said, still holding her sword at the ready.

“ Hi there! ” Spine said, jumping forward, and Connie had to quickly pull back before the spritely gem accidentally impaled herself.

Connie looked from Spinel to Steven for a few moments, before Steven sighed. “Uh… Connie, meet my new best friend… Spinel . ” He grumbled, and at Connie’s confusion, he sighed again. “. ..Here. I’ll explain. ”

. . .

“So… everyone’s memories are gone?” Connie asked, and Steven sighed. He looked down at the grass, debating internally on whether it was already wilting from the bio poison or if he was just imagining it.

“Well, not everyone . We got Amethyst back…” He said, too tired to try to sound optimistic. “-Garnet re-fused, but she still doesn’t remember.”

He sighed again, glancing back toward the warehouse and the distant voices of the people within. “-The one idea we had to get Pearl back just didn’t work , and now she and Emerald are who knows where again…”

He leaned back to lay in the grass with a small thump , looking up at the darkening sky. A sinking feeling pushed its way into his chest, and Steven found himself filled with dread.

“ …What if we can’t fix it? ” He asked quietly, feeling the beginnings of tears stinging his eyes as he tried to process that he might never have the rest of his family back the way it was before. “ I'm just… useless without my powers. ”

“Hey, cheer up-!” Spinel started, jumping up to him with a big smile, before Connie stood up and moved between them.

“ Steven… ” She started, her voice caring yet firm.

“ Heh heh… I’m here to make him happy… ” Spinel grumbled under her breath, frowning at her. To her the human was intruding , coming between her and her friend in more ways than one.

“You’re not useless.” Connie said, sitting down as Steven sat up. She took his hands in hers, squeezing tightly as she spoke without a doubt. “You’re strong , and brave , even without your powers.”

She smiled, and Steven could tell it was genuine. “-After all, look at how far you’ve gotten already! Amethyst is back, and I’m sure we’ll get the others back too.”

Despite everything he was feeling Steven found himself smiling right back at her, a spark of hope returning.

“C'mere you.” Connie said, before pulling him into a tight hug by the shoulders. Steven relaxed in her arms, allowing himself a small moment to breathe.

“ Thanks, Connie. ” He said into her shoulder, hugging back. Connie held him a bit tighter in response, and when Steven noticed the light around them, he welcomed it.

. . .

“ Steven !” 

Stevonnie jumped to their feet when they saw the fusion running up to them, looking frantic.

“ Granite !?”

“ Stevonnie !?” Granite called right back, stopping suddenly and looking just as surprised. The two stood there for a moment, processing, before Stevonnie heard a weak voice behind them.

“ …Steven ?” When they turned, Stevonnie could see Spinel’s wide eyes. She seemed to be reaching out, not even knowing what she was looking for.

Spinel took a step back, then another, and Stevonnie could see the tears in her eyes. Then she seemed to give up, turning and running away in the direction of the house.

The fear and disorientation split Stevonnie at the seams, Steven nearly falling on the ground. He looked drained , as though something as simple as fusion had taken it out of him.

“ Spinel !” He called, but she was long gone.

“ Steven !” Both Connie and Granite called as Steven stumbled, but he threw a hand back.

“Stay here!” He called, before looking back at them. 

“-I have to go after her!”

Chapter Text

“If he finds her, he’ll come back here, right?” Amethyst asked, looking up from where she sat on the couch. Connie sat next to her, watching as well.

Granite didn’t like that they were looking to her for answers, when even she usually turned to Garnet in these situations. She paced back and forth, both parts of herself too anxious to let go right now.

“Guys-!” Steven called, suddenly jumping to the middle part of the stairs. They looked up, Granite noticing that he still looked exhausted . “-Guess who’s back!?”

“Come on down!” He called, looking toward the top of the stairs. A mumbling voice answered him, quiet enough that they couldn’t make out the words.

“ We just have to talk to them. ” Steven insisted, before slow footsteps came down the stairs.

“Ta daaa!” He called, and the rest of them took in Spinel’s new appearance. Or rather, her old one.

“WHAT!?” Granite and Amethyst called in unison, the two of them summoning their weapons. Connie automatically held hers at the ready, just in case.

“Oh, Spinel! Did you change your hair?” Garnet asked, walking forward with a cheery spring in her step.

“Woah woah woah!” Steven said quickly, stepping between them and Spinel. “Spinel got her memories back, but she’s not going to hurt us!”

“-Everything’s chill !”

Suddenly they heard a door opening behind them, whipping around with weapons still at the ready. Greg jumped, lifting his hands in surrender. “ Alright, alright, I’ll wash my hands! ”

Steven let out a forced breath as he left, the rest of them turning back towards him. “ Everything is chill .” He said to himself, before looking at Spinel. “…Spinel, can I ask you a favor?”

“Are you kidding? Anything .” Spinel said with a grateful smile, and Granite and Amethyst exchanged an uneasy look.

. . .

“That looks bad.” Bismuth said, looking towards Peridot’s tablet.

“That is bad!” Peridot cut in, sounding panicked. “We’re hitting critical mass!”

“Then I guess we’re just in time!” Steven called, the rest of them walking up behind him.

“Steven! What’s the status on Spinel!?” Peridot asked, and Steven gestured toward her with a hand,

“She’s back, and she’s here to help.”

Spinel peeked out from behind him, letting go of Steven’s hand to move forward. She made her hand into a horn shape, before blowing it loudly.

As she did the injector retreated, pulling out of the ground to hover above them. Steven sighed, glad that all their problems were over. 

“Thanks, Spinel.” He said, holding out a hand for a handshake.

Spinel took it gratefully, her other hand scratching behind her neck self-consciously. “Aw, gee . What’re friends for.”

Steven looked up at the injector for a moment, before turning back to the rest of them. “ Okay .” He said firmly. “We’ve almost cleaned up this mess. Now , all we need are Garnet’s memories and my powers, and we can all get back to living happily ever after.”

Steven launched into talking to himself about ideas, Connie joining in as the two of them tried to figure out what Garnet’s missing piece was.

Granite watched them for a moment, before looking back up. When she did, she caught the slight change in Spinel’s facial features.

“…What about me ?” Spinel asked suddenly, and Steven turned back around.

“Huh.” He asked, and Spinel frowned.

“Is that all you needed me for?” She asked, looking more sad than anything. “-to turn off my injector?”

“No! Well, sort of, but-“ Steven started, but Spinel cut him off.

“But what now?” She said quickly, sounding distressed . “I- I did what you wanted, that’s it?”

“Well, yeah.” Steven said simply, shrugging lightly. “We can just forget this whole thing ever happened.”

Granite wanted to jump in and say something to Steven about being careful with his words, but before she could Spinel spoke again.

“How are you going to forget with me around?” She asked seriously. “ I’m the source of all your problems.”

Her tone changed a bit, as though there was an insurmountable sadness behind her words that she was only now letting slip though. “Don’t pretend you want me here.” She said, before turning more forceful and angry . “What’s your plan for me , huh? You gonna put me somewhere ?” 

She sounded borderline scared at the mere thought of being ‘put somewhere’ and Granite realized that there was more to her words than surface level. 

“You’re going to leave me somewhere? You’re going to leave me alone ? ” She said, and right before Granite had a chance to jump in and pull Steven away from her, Spinel pushed him back.

Both Granite and Amethyst quickly jumped away from the sheathed rejuvenator as it fell onto the grass, but Garnet only tilted her head.

“Oh, what’s this?” She asked, picking it up.

“Garnet! Don’t touch that!” Steven said quickly, hurriedly snatching the rejuvenator just as Garnet pressed the button.

As steven held it the blade rushed out, the glowing light reflecting on his face.

“… Why do you have that? ” Spinel asked slowly, and Steven was quick to respond.

“I- I was just carrying it! I didn’t have anywhere else to put it!”

Granite caught the way the look in Spinel’s eyes changed, from sad to angry and scared .

“ Steven -“ She started, and he looked toward her for a moment, before Spinel cut in.

“We can just forget this ever happened…” She said, a hint of the same menichalal laugh from before peeking through. “-You mean I can just forget this ever happened!”

She laughed, dark and painful. “Wow… WHAT A PLAN! I turn off the injector, and the moment my back is turned-“

She gestured strongly toward the injector, the beginning of a manic smile on her face. “ Bam! Presto, chango ! PROBLEM SOLVED! ”

“Well, think again! You’re not getting rid of me that easily!” She said, her hand twisting into that same horn-like shape. She pointed toward them with her free hand, before blowing it as hard as she could.

The injector’s drill came out once more, this time pointed right at them.

“ RUN FOR IT! ” Amethyst shouted, and Granite dove to the side as the drill crashed into the ground. Rubble spewed everywhere, the ground splitting into miniature cliffs and jagged caverns

Granite was thrown back, finding herself alone when she managed to push herself up. She heard shouting, too far away to hear the words properly.

“STEVEN!” She called, looking around before deciding she had no other choice but to climb the stone wall in front of her.

As she climbed some part of her whispered of doing just this a thousand times, though she shook off the thought to come back to another time.

. . .

Just as Granite crested the top of the cliff she saw Amethyst had done the same, the two of them looking out over the cavern.

Spinel was at a distance, looking angry and hurt .

And in the center, Garnet stood against her with Steven behind her.

“GARNET!” Both she and Amethyst called in unison, and Granite slid down part of the rubble to join in a hug. Garnet set her hand on Amethyst’s back and around Granite’s waist, giving them a hug for a few moments before pushing through as she grabbed Spinel’s outstretched arms.

. . .

Spinel growled, paying no mind to the glowing marks she’d gained from the fight. She turned her legs spring-like in the span of a few seconds, jumping up to the top of the injector.

They heard a sound like a horn blowing, before the ground rumbled.

All at once waves of poison sprayed out of the cracks in the ground, racing toward black city.

“We have to stop Spinel!” Steven said, the rest of them looking toward him. He seemed to realize something, before looking back up at them. “-Wait! You guys have your powers, you’ve gotta go save everybody!”

“I’ll deal with Spinel.” He said firmly, and Amethyst was the first to respond.

“She’ll crush you, dude!”

“You can’t fight her on your own!” Granite added, knowing that even with Steven’s powers, Spinel was clearly a formidable foe.

“But I can still talk to her!” Steven countered, before gesturing to the town beh8nd them. “Please, hurry!”

Granite felt a solid hand on her shoulder, and she looked back towards the source. “ Right .” Garnet said firmly, squeezing her shoulder before letting go. “-Move out!”

Both Connie and Granite ran towards Lion, the two of them needing transportation. Connie gripped Lion’s mane with one hand, while Granite balanced herself behind her.

The wind rushed around them as Lion ran, and Granite was oddly aware of the press of the air against Pearl’s gem. “ That way! ” She called, pointing toward the beach.

Connie looked back at her, but Granite knew there was no time to explain. “ Trust me!”

Cinnie nodded firmly, before Lion changed course. Just as they got closer Granite heard a roar of some other kind, turning to see a mass of light growing in the corner of her vision.

As the light solidified both she and Connie watched with wide eyes, staring at the fusion that remained. She towered over beach city, somehow both striking and intimidating all at once.

“ Woah .” Connie said under her breath, and Granite couldn’t help but agree. 

She’d never met that particular fusion, but it was easy enough to guess based on looks alone.

“ So that’s sugilite. ” Granite said under her breath, before both she and Connie had to focus back on the task at hand.

The grass underneath them shifted to become sand, as as they traveled along the beach, Granite took a deep breath. She held onto lion’s back with her legs alone, lifting her arms in the air.

Cinnie watched in awe as the sands around them began to shift, individual grains becoming waves that trailed around them. All at once Granite opened her eyes, and Connie knew that it was time.

“Lion!” She called, and with a roar, a portal opened in front of them.

. . .

They emerged in town, Granite almost immediately using her sand to scoop up the few people in her line of sight. As soon as she pulled them close she let go of some of the sand, extending her free hand.

She pulled them into Pearl’s gem, knowing that it was the easiest way to get as many as possible to safety.

As they gathered more people Granite lost more of her sand, unable to keep up the energy needed when Pearl’s inner surface was trying to corral the humans into one spot.

A few humans ended up joining them on Lion, Nanefua being one of them. Granite managed to spare a quick smile when the elder smiled at her, before turning back to work.

“There!” Nanefua suddenly called, and they could see where Onion was waving his hands on a broken piece of street in front of them.

Lion jumped across, before picking Onion up by the back of his shirt.

The ground rumbled once more, before shifting as a car was thrown right at them. Connie reacted quickly, jumping off of Lion’s back to cut through the car with her sword.

Lion went past her again, and when Connie got on they went through another portal.

. . .

Lion skidded out of the portal in Little Homeworld, more human refugees around them. Sugilite had unfused, both Garnet and Amethyst there to greet them.

A gem came over with a blanket, wrapping it around Nanefua as she helped the elder off Lion and over to the other refugees.

Granite got off Lion as well, before suddenly stumbling with exhaustion.

“Granite!” Connie called as she leaned against a building, a bead of sweat trailing down her forehead.

“I- I’m alright, Connie-” She stammered, breathing heavily as it was hard to stay fused.

“ Make room! ” Connie called, gesturing for the gems and humans to step back and do just that. When there was enough room Granite touched a weary hand to Pearl’s gem, various points of light emerging from it.

No less than fifteen disoriented people came back all at once, and Granite continued to lean heavily against the building frame.

“Granite-“ Connie started, but Granite cut over her.

“- Is there still people? ” She asked, her breaths shallow.

“No- I- I think this is everyone.” Connie said quickly, and the moment as she heard that, Granite unfused.

Both Pearl and Emerald looked tired, Emerald supporting Pearl from where she looked thoroughly exhausted .

Garnet came forward, helping the two of them stand while they caught their breath.

“ Good work. ”