It was so rare that Garnet allowed this to happen. She had a very strong bladder, and no matter the length of the mission, she tried to plan her bathroom breaks around it, so she'd only have to go once she was at home.
But, this mission took much longer than expected. It should've been a few hours on an island at most, but the corrupted gem they were looking for had run off, and the island was so big that it was useless to chase it. It would be better to wait until it came back.
Luckily, Steven had stayed home per Garnet's request, because the last time he had come, Pearl had poofed while trying to defend him.
And, now, they were trekking around, looking for an open area to just sit and wait for awhile. Garnet's bladder sloshed uncomfortably with each step, though there was nothing outwardly showing her desperation so far. Pearl had introduced her to this new tea recently, and she'd really loved it, and definitely drank much more than what she was used to. Usually, she was much more careful.
Soon, they found an area to wait in. Almost as soon as they did, Amethyst loudly announced that she had to take a piss, and walked off into the woods a bit.
"Honestly, could she be any more lewd?" Pearl sat down on a fallen tree, leaving plenty of room for Garnet to sit beside her.
Garnet lowered herself down, thankful for the small amount of relief it gave her bladder. "At least she's direct.."
"I suppose." Pearl answered. "You know, I wish you'd mentioned this mission beforehand. We had that tea earlier, and I really hate when I have to go on missions like this.."
Yes, Garnet could relate. Too well, at this specific moment. "You'll be fine." She stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. Usually, she could stay calm until she was nearly bursting, but if anyone noticed, it was definitely Pearl. Probably because she had taken the lead in potty-training Steven or something. Pearl usually would just ask her if something was wrong if she started walking stiffly, and then would take Garnet's wrists and inspect her hands to make sure her gems weren't damaged. Once it was confirmed that Garnet was fine, Pearl would just continue to eye her until they got home. Surely she had caught on, because once they were home, Garnet would head for the bathroom. Garnet usually didn't worry, because she could usually see well enough into the future that she knew she'd make it home.
But this time, she didn't. If they stayed, they would find the corrupted gem, but how Garnet's bladder would fare wasn't a part of that thought. They could also leave now, and then she would make it, but she saw the corrupted gem becoming more and more dangerous, so that wasn't an option. It was frustrating, and the more she tried to see it, the worse situations she seemed to predict.
"Well, not forever.." Pearl chuckled nervously, shifting a bit in her spot. Oh, right, they were conversing. Sort of. Pearl had to go too. That made sense, though Garnet had drunk much more of the tea than her. It wasn't exactly pleasant to wait, though, so she'd understand if Pearl went soon.
What if they encountered the mutant gem while Garnet's bladder was that full? Sure, she could stand and walk around now, but if the mutant attacked, she might not be able to move quickly enough, or she might- No, not an option.That's not going to happen.
Amethyst returned. She wanted to play tic-tac-toe in the dirt. Pearl refused, saying they should stay alert, but Garnet agreed, hoping to get her mind off her bladder. So, she carefully stood, walking over to where Amethyst was sitting and lowering herself down again. Her movements were stiff and she wondered if Pearl saw.
She'd never played tic-tac-toe before, and the rules were very simple. She beat Amethyst for several rounds.
"Hey, wait, this isn't fair!" Amethyst announced. "You can see the future! That's why you keep winning.."
"No, it's just a simple game." Garnet assured. "Where did you learn this, anyway?"
"Steven." Of course.
Garnet heard a noise and turned her head. It was Pearl. She'd stood up, obviously trying to move without either of them noticing, but now they were both watching.
Pearl blushed. "I'll...um...I'll be right back." She said quickly.
Amethyst snorted. "You always get so embarrassed when you have to piss. Calm down."
"Amethyst..." Pearl narrowed her eyes.
"Quit teasing her." Garnet said calmly. Pearl walked off.
"I just don't get why she's all embarrassed about it. We all have to do it, so what's the big deal?" She asked. "And I know it's not just me, because you don't get embarrassed about it."
Garnet just nodded in agreement, hoping that would suffice.
But, it didn't. "Wait, I don't think I've ever actually seen you piss on a mission, Garnet."
Now what? "Haven't you?" She adjusted her sunglasses.
"No, never, now that I think of it. Or you just snuck off while I wasn't looking." For some reason, Amethyst was really trying to remember this. Garnet could guarantee she wouldn't, because she was right. Garnet had always waited until she got home, and though she'd had close calls, she'd always made it.
Garnet just shrugged. Talking about it didn't help.
"Huh. Well, I saw you drink half a pot of tea this morning, so I guess I'll have to pay more attention this time." Ugh, so both of them knew.
Now what?
I have to-
No.
"Alright, if it's really that interesting to you." Garnet answered.
Amethyst blushed faintly. "Have you ever played Hangman?"
Hangman was more engaging than tic-tac-toe, but it was still easy for Garnet. Pearl eventually returned, refusing to participate in the game still.
Garnet's bladder pulsed and throbbed, and soon she couldn't help but shift a bit. No position was more comfortable than any other. Her bladder was full and it couldn't be changed.
They've both gone. Why can't I?
Because.
Garnet didn't think the phrase she'd picked was particularly difficult, but Amethyst was puzzled, lying on her stomach with her chin resting in her hands. She was stumped, and taking forever to guess. Garnet pressed her legs together and let out a quiet sigh.
"You gotta piss?" Why, of all times, did Amethyst need to be so observant?
"Do you give up?" Garnet countered.
"No, but I've only got two guesses left, so I'm taking my time. Go on."
Now what? She couldn't exactly say no without it being weird. If she tried, Pearl was sitting a few feet away and she'd insist that Garnet go. "Alright." She slowly stood. Gravity had never been so unforgiving, but, other than pressing her legs together, she didn't show her need. She stood in place for a few seconds, before walking out of the clearing. As she walked, she could hear Amethyst asking for Pearl's help in guessing. Garnet knew Pearl would get it if she tried. Rose Quartz was the answer, but Amethyst hadn't guessed Q or Z yet, since they were fairly uncommon in the English language. That was why Garnet had picked it.
She walked in a straight line until she couldn't hear them anymore. She was breaking her own rule about staying within hearing distance of the others, but she didn't have a choice. She glanced around.
"Look, Sapphire, we're alone-"
"I said no."
"Well, what else are we gonna do?"
Now alone, Garnet was pacing, squeezing her legs together.
"I can't go here. You know that."
"Well, maybe not alone, but since we're fused-"
"No, Ruby."
"Quit arguing. We don't have another option, do we?"
Silence.
"Do we?"
"I don't know."
"I don't think we do. Ugh, Sapph, please..."
"Stop asking."
"Stop arguing! You know we don't have another choice!"
Garnet could feel herself separating. She had to go so bad, so focusing was difficult enough, but when they were arguing- that made it impossible.
"Ruby, wait, stop-"
Too late. They were sitting next to each other. When Ruby realized what happened, she quietly cursed herself, but her immediate next thought was: Did unfusing somehow fix the problem? Was that really all it took the entire time?
One look at Sapphire told her that no, that wasn't how it worked. And Ruby felt awful.
Sapphire hadn't moved from where she'd ended up when they split apart, but she had never been so tense in her life. As soon as she could feel the immense pressure in her bladder, her hand grabbed at her crotch through the thick layers of her dress, and she crossed her legs tightly. She'd never had to go so badly before. It hurt.
"Sapphire..." Ruby scrambled over, but was hesitant to touch the blue gem, not sure if that would somehow make it worse. "It all went to you...Oh, I didn't mean for this to happen. Ugh, um...let's fuse again.." She offered, scrambling up and offering Sapphire a hand.
"I can't move." Sapphire tried to twist her legs tighter. "Ruby.." There was pain in her voice. She was usually so calm.
She couldn't move, so they couldn't fuse. So, Sapphire was stuck with this, and Ruby knew how difficult it was for her to relax in situations like this. She was just...shy about it. Ruby figured it was some product of being high-class or something. She knelt back down, resting a hand on Sapphire's back. "Sapph, relax..."
"I can't." Sapphire answered. Tears welled up in her eye.
"Yeah, you can." Ruby replied. "Remember when we were alone in the forest all those years ago? You did it then. It was hard for you but you did it, so you can do it now."
Sapphire just whimpered in response. A spurt escaped her, soaking into her dress.
Ruby continued to rub her back gently, trying to somehow convince her muscles to just relax. Sapphire was so tense.
And, regardless of what Sapphire's mind was saying, she wasn't going to hold it forever. She couldn't. Her bladder wasn't big enough to hold all the liquid they'd been holding together. With every spasm, another spurt escaped her, and a noise of pain accompanied it as she tensed her muscles to stop. And then, suddenly, she wasn't stopping. Her muscles tensed and the stream slowed to a trickle, but it didn't stop. And then, it started up strong again, and Sapphire's muscles simply couldn't stop it. Tears running down her cheeks from the effort, she finally relaxed, moving her hand away as she soaked her dress and the ground beneath her. She slumped sideways against Ruby and tried to focus on the red gem who was holding her and whispering how it was okay.
Then, the stream ended. Ruby kissed the tears from her cheeks. "I hate seeing you like that...I was so worried..." She said softly.
"Sorry." Sapphire answered, still embarrassed. "Are you...wet?" She looked down at the puddle quickly.
"It doesn't matter." Ruby answered. "Hey, wanna know a secret?"
"Sure."
"I never really liked Pearl's tea anyway.."
Sapphire smiled and chuckled faintly. "Let's get back. They'll come looking..."
"Of course." Ruby stood up, offering Sapphire a hand. She pulled the blue gem up and twirled her around until they fused.
Garnet looked down at the large puddle. That was the only evidence that remained, and she intended to keep it that way. It was easy enough to keep secrets when the only one that knew was yourself.