Pearl knew all too well that the war was nothing but one massive tragedy. So many gems had been broken. The conflict had torn even the closest of friendships apart. There was also the constant looming dread reminding Pearl that, no matter if she won or lost, she would never have the chance to return to the empire she loved so dearly.
That being said, there were still little glimmers of happiness to be found during the wartime preparations. She hadn't realized how much she enjoyed being a teacher until she was given the chance to try it. Her studies and pilot training had given her a rather extensive knowledge of fighting techniques and battle tactics, and distributing that knowledge to the troops made her surprisingly pleased with herself. Seeing her students' faces light up with understanding, watching them demonstrate that, yes, they remembered her teachings, there was nothing quite like it. Thanks to her tutelage, some of her students might be able to survive the next major battle. She could make a difference in a way that truly mattered.
The human troops were also enjoyable to teach, strangely enough. True, they were generally difficult to work with – injured to easily, exhausted too quickly, and distracted by the smallest of things – but they picked up certain skills surprisingly quickly. Her human swordfighting students had developed an astounding level of technique over the past few weeks, and their competitive nature drove them to practice outside of her teaching sessions. It was a shame that their race was inferior to the gems in nearly every other way. Rose had such high hopes for them.
This next training session wouldn't include any humans, however. It was the dead of night, and Pearl knew how badly sleep deprivation crippled organic creatures. Tonight, she would cover some gem-specific topics, perhaps a few advanced energy manipulation techniques. She should probably go over shapeshifting again, but that had never been her strong suit. Maybe she could ask Rose for some assistance with that lesson.
She arrived at the open, trampled field that was the training ground. It was surrounded by the tall, leafy trees that grew so prominently in the area. This had all been one huge forest until the gems had come through and set up a permanent camp base. A wooden stage had been hastily constructed towards one end of the large field, and Pearl recalled the many times she'd stood upon that stage for various demonstrations and lectures.
Like any teacher worth their salt, she arrived early for the training session. A few of the more devoted students were early as well, and they milled about the edges of the field. They talked in low, excited voices about things her hearing couldn't quite catch. Hopefully, they were discussing their recent lessons. More likely, they were gossiping about how it had been a little too long since the last major battle. Pearl knew that the recent respite had left everyone antsy and suspicious, but it at least gave her time to properly train the new troops.
As she approached the stage, she saw someone who only rarely turned up for her lessons. Standing firmly on the wooden planks, looking out over the mostly-empty field, was the tall and imposing Garnet. If the rumors were true, she was the singular most powerful combatant in the entire army. There was very little she still needed to be taught, and considering her numerous duties, her usual absence from these lessons was perfectly understandable.
Garnet held a confident position on the platform, arms crossed. She wasn't here to learn, but to teach.
As Pearl approached the steps to the stage, she called out to her fellow general. "Garnet! Here to help out, I presume?"
Garnet's attention shifted to her. Every move she made was deliberate. Pearl supposed that was one of the things that made her such a skilled fighter. "Yes," Garnet replied. "Rose sent me here."
"Good, good." It would be nice to have some extra help. The lesson plans already started to come together in her head. "Some gems are much better at shapeshifting than others, so I was hoping you could help some of the ones who are struggling. I'm not a very good shapeshifter myself, unfortunately, so I will take the-"
"No," Garnet interrupted, blunt and to-the-point as always. "I'll be teaching today. Alone."
Pearl made a face. She knew Rose was behind this, but it still left a sour taste in her mouth. "I'm sure I can still be of some help. Two teachers are always better than one."
"I'll be covering fusion," Garnet explained. "Which you have absolutely no experience in."
A bitter mixture of shock and disgust replaced Pearl's previous sense of distaste. Rose was a wise and talented leader, but honestly, what had she been thinking? "Fusion? I hardly believe this topic is appropriate for combat training."
Garnet's visible expression was unreadable, though Pearl imagined the general narrowing her eyes behind her visor. "Fusion combines the attributes of gems," she said stiffly. "They become bigger, stronger. Their talents combine and cooperate. They become a much better warrior than either gem alone."
"But a fusion would never last long enough to make any major difference in battle," Pearl argued. "And I doubt that these recruits have any real experience in its application. Honestly, our time would be much better spent on more practical matters."
To this, Garnet's initial response was silence. Pearl could feel the pressure building up between them. Finally, Garnet reached up with a leather-clad hand and adjusted he visor. "You have a lot to learn." She returned her attention to the training field. "Join the rest of the students."
This was nothing short of a flat-out insult. How dare her fellow general disrespect her in this manner? As powerful as Garnet was, Pearl would not stand idle at this flagrant disregard for her authority.
As she opened her mouth to speak, however, a new idea pierced her thoughts. What if Garnet really had found a way to make fusion useful in a battle situation? It would almost certainly change things. Stable fusions could be quite strong, and she knew for a fact that the Homeworld forces had never utilized this kind of tactic before.
Pearl settled herself into a more neutral, respectful posture. "If you think that fusion has something to offer, I would be happy to learn from you."
Garnet nodded. "Good. Find a partner. We're starting soon."
She tried not to keep count, but it happened anyways. Number of different partners: seven. Number successful fusions: none. She took every measure to project a calm outward look of acceptance, but she couldn't deny the frustration that built up inside of her with each passing failure.
The situation would have been far less disappointing if it weren't for the fact that so many other gems seemed to be mastering the technique. Every few minutes, a new fusion would come together somewhere on the training field. They would tower over the rest of the group, inciting a collection of cheers, before falling apart a few seconds later. At each of these sights, Pearl would give a huff and redouble her efforts. It never seemed to help.
This latest partner, a mild-mannered little thing called Calcite, put the final touches on Pearl's misgivings. "That's weird," Calcite said as they completed yet another unsuccessful run of their dance. "The last few partners were so easy. I suppose we just don't have any chemistry?"
Pearl tried not to glare at her. "I suppose not." Maybe Garnet saw some tactical promise in fusion, but Pearl couldn't deny her growing sense of doubt. She knew the dances. She knew the theory. But, if someone like her couldn't manage to fuse even once, perhaps it wasn't as promising a technique as Garnet had led her to believe.
She was pulled from her thoughts by Garnet's piercing, booming voice from the stage. "Alright, everyone, come together!"
Calcite gave a quick, respectful nod, then went to join the crowd. Pearl resisted the urge to sigh with relief. This pointless exercise in humiliation was almost over. She simply needed to persevere through this last segment of the lesson, and then she could have a very long discussion with Rose about all of this.
She stayed near the back of the crowd as Garnet called out some final remarks. "Good work, everyone," she announced. "The average Homeworld soldier has never fused. To everyone who succeeded, congratulations. You did something they never could."
An excited cheer erupted from the crowd. Pearl ducked her head a little and tried not to look conspicuous.
Garnet swept her gaze across her mass of students. "Raise your hand if you haven't done it yet."
Pearl tensed. Before she raised her hand, she first hesitated a look at the rest of the crowd. Seconds ticked by. Her hopes slowly fell out from under her. Not a single gem in this entire group raised their hand.
She looked up at Garnet only to find the general staring directly at her. Pearl glanced away, refusing to meet the eyes she couldn't see. She didn't find the courage to raise her hand. Garnet returned her attention to the rest of the crowd, and Pearl's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Fantastic work," Garnet continued. "Starting a fusion isn't the problem, then. It's keeping the fusion long enough to matter." She reached up a hand and adjusted her visor. "None of you kept together longer than a minute. That's not good enough. Not for a battle."
The crowd was silent. Pearl couldn't help but smile a little bit. Maybe she wasn't the only one having problems.
Garnet paused for a moment, apparently calculating her next move. "Pearl," she called out. "Come up here."
It felt like part of her had cracked. Her fellow general was calling her up for a demonstration. Garnet wanted the two of them to show the students what a stable, long-lasting fusion looked like. Pearl couldn't do that, she couldn't even start a fusion, why didn't she raise her hand when she had the chance, she-
No. Calm. There was no reason to panic. Garnet was teaching this lesson, so she was ostensibly the one with the most fusion experience and skill out of anyone here. If Pearl would fuse with anyone, it would be her.
Cool and collected, she approached the stage. A couple hundred eyes watched her as she ascended the steps and took her place opposite of Garnet. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Even if something did go wrong, then she only had half the blame. She could make this work.
Garnet spoke to the crowd again. "As you all noticed, fusions start with intent. If your goals are not synchronized, the fusion won't happen."
Pearl listened intently, taking quick mental notes. Focus on intent. Synchronize their goals. Understood.
"Maintaining a fusion is different," Garnet continued. "Goals can change, but the bond must remain strong. It is more difficult. It is also more rewarding. Watch carefully."
Garnet turned towards her. Pearl's anxiety quietly climbed. This was it.
"You don't freeform well," the opposing general said bluntly. "We'll chart out the exact steps."
Pearl nodded in agreement. This all sounded simple enough.
She spent the next few minutes working through a dance sequence with Garnet, adding small amounts of input and trying to adjust to working with someone who was so much taller than her. They both had very distinctive dance styles, but they fit together better than some of the partners Pearl had dealt with that night. When they were both confident that they could reproduce the dance without help, Garnet hummed in approval. "Let's go at it, then."
Pearl took her side of the stage and began her portion of the dance. She swung her body through smooth, graceful turns, extending her limbs at sharp angles and points. Every move was controlled perfectly and executed with ease. She took a curious glance at Garnet, whose dance style was significantly looser and more energized. Still, the general had fallen perfectly in time with her. So far, so good.
They came together in the middle. Pearl brought all of her focus into remembering and perfecting her steps, hoping that Garnet would do that same. She needed to get this right. Garnet's form seemed good enough, confident enough. This had to be the one time it finally worked.
Garnet hefted Pearl above her head, and Pearl struck a graceful leaping pose. It was the end of their dance. Pearl braced herself for the transformation and felt out for the sensation of another presence around her.
She stayed suspended in the air for two, three, four seconds. Heavy, expectant silence settled over the training field. Nothing.
Garnet gently lowered her to the floor. Pearl could feel herself blushing furiously. It hadn't worked. She'd known this would happen. She should have done something different, but she honestly had no idea what she could be doing wrong at this point. She was a general, one of the oldest gems here. What could possibly be her problem?
Garnet put a hand to her chin, giving another thoughtful hum. "It's not the dancing," she stated. "It's the goal."
Something inside of Pearl twisted. "Oh, it's the goal, is it?" She gave a flustered laugh. "My goal is to perform this fusion correctly. What's your goal? To also perform this fusion correctly? Oh, what a surprise!"
Garnet crossed her arms. "That goal isn't good enough. Fusion itself should never be the goal. If it is, the fusion will never last."
Pearl's wild look of bewilderment faltered, but she kept pressing on. "If fusion for its own sake isn't good enough, then what goal could possibly be? To avoid this pointless humiliation? To be stronger than everyone else here?"
Garnet stiffened. Her face twisted into a grimace. It was one of the few displays of emotion Pearl had seen from the general. Garnet was supposed to be rigid, unmovable. Not angry. Not passionate.
"My goal," she began, her voice significantly louder than before. "Is to protect the ones I care about. And I would sacrifice anything," she pounded a leather-clad fist against her palm. "To make it happen. Even my individuality."
Pearl couldn't form any words of reply.
Garnet kept her intimidating posture. "Fusion is not about control. It's about sacrifice. It's about swallowing your pride and becoming something more than yourself."
Pearl finally managed to force a sound out of her throat. "I…" She shook her head. "You have no idea how much I've sacrificed for this war."
Garnet crossed her arms once more. "Then show me. Let's try again."
Once again, Pearl took her starting position on the stage. As hard as she tried, she couldn't force her thoughts to calm or coalesce. A million tiny worries swam about in her mind. She wasn't going to be able to do this. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.
"Focus," Garnet ordered. "Watch me."
She tried, she really did. She forced herself to comply with Garnet's exact tempo. She made every effort to be less aggressive or proud in her movements. As they finished the final steps of their dance, Pearl tried to give up her control and let the dance take her where it may. Yet, as she struck her pose during the final lift, she knew that she was still a failure.
Garnet silently put her down. Pearl looked at her partner for any sort of remark or input, but the general said nothing. She just stood there, body perfectly motionless and expression perfectly blank.
Finally, Garnet spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm not a good teacher."
Pearl voiced the only word that came into her mind. "What?"
Garnet sighed. She reached up to adjust her visor, seemed to think better of it, and let her arm drop to her side. "Don't blame yourself if I get too wrapped up in my own feelings," she said. "Fusion is something that needs to be explored better. It's not the same for everyone, and it's impossible to explain to someone who doesn't care."
Pearl narrowed her eyes in interest. Fusion was rarely discussed on the Homeworld, and everyone viewed it as a simple and superficial concept. It was something no respectable gem would be caught dead doing, a personal indulgence more than anything else. However, Garnet clearly saw something deeper to it. It was intriguing, but in a way, it was also very sad.
Garnet shook her head. "You need a clearer goal. One that matters to you." she decided. "Tell me something you would die for."
Pearl's thoughts went all over the place. There were so many things in existence that she would lay down her life for. She decided to go with her first response. "Rose."
Garnet's posture shifted slightly. "Good. That works. It's fitting." She began to walk back to her starting position. "Imagine that this is a turning point in the war. If we don't fuse, Rose will die."
The words were harsh, but they at least gave Pearl some meaningful context. "And protecting her is a suitable goal for this purpose?"
Garnet reached her spot and turned to face her. "It's good enough."
Pearl tried to get herself to settle. She closed her eyes and envisioned herself on her next battlefield. Heat and noise surrounded her. The cries of fallen gems periodically sounded out from among the ranks. She imagined the exact scenario – Blue Diamond's divisions had cleaved through their right flank. The leadership was exposed. Hundreds of Kindergarten gems swarmed up the hillside, too many for Pearl and Garnet to handle apart.
"Begin," Garnet cued.
Pearl couldn't risk opening her eyes without spoiling the illusion. So, she kept them closed, confident that she could perform the steps blindly after this many repetitions. She filled her dance with desperation. One wrong move, one wrong intention, and their fusion would fail. They would be overpowered. Rose would perish, and the rebellion would die along with her.
Pearl could not let that happen. Her gem burned with her willpower. She would not let things end like this.
She came together with Garnet. The second she felt her partner's hand on her shoulder, her fantasy fell away. She gasped and opened her eyes, but she could only look forward unseeingly. Something new flooded her vision, an endless and intricate map of pathways and possibilities.
Before her stood a huge divide. On one side, Rose's army was a lethal fighting force. Between waves of human soldiers and the amazing might of fusions, the Homeworld army could be forced back. The human assassins would have ample opportunity to fulfill their duty, and they would slay much of the Homeworld leadership. Rose would triumph. It would come at a heavy price, but the Earth would be safe.
On the other side of the split, Rose's army was still a strong fighting force, but fusion was no longer part of the equation. The Homeworld forces stood a much better chance of immediately gaining the upper hand in the coming battles. The human assassins would have no good opportunities. In this future, loss was the most probable outcome. Rose would be tried and convicted for her crimes against the Homeworld. The Kindergarten would spread across the whole of Earth's surface, consuming it entirely.
Rose's life really did depend on the results of this fusion.
She lost track of where she was in their dance, but it hardly seemed to matter. Garnet led her carefully through steps they had never previously agreed upon. Pearl somehow didn't falter. It all made so much sense, and the steps fit together so well. Garnet's determination and stability kept them afloat. Pearl's focus and attention to detail kept them in line.
There was still uncertainty here, of course. Both of… All three of them had their doubts and fears. Pearl in particular could feel her anxiety begin to climb again, but a cool, subtle presence smoothed out these worries. A warmer force propped her up and fed her the self-confidence she so desperately craved. Together, they could accomplish anything they set their mind to. They could show these gems what fusion really meant. They could teach these soldiers how to win the war.
Something crunched beneath her feet. All three of her eyes opened. A crowd of gaping students stood impossibly far below her. She glanced down at her massive feet, blankly taking in the sight of the stage that had collapsed underneath her new weight. She then looked toward the horizon, noting that her head crested among the shadowed treetops.
She smiled. She'd done it.
The fierce competitive streak inside of her lit up like a lightning bolt, but a rational force stamped it out. The point here was not to show off, it was to maintain her fusion as long as possible and to teach her students how to do the same. That was the plan. Pearl was a good instructor, and Garnet understood the topic. Together, she could be the teacher these students needed.
A million trails of light shot out in front of her, the various possibilities for the future. Her visions would never extend as far as Garnet's map alone, but Pearl's keen focus brought some interesting effects. Some of the hazy uncertainties sharpened into hard truths. Probabilities were no longer probabilities, but facts. At the current state of things, she could keep her fusion going for another hour and four minutes exactly.
"Alright, everyone," she said, feeling the words in her new, combined mouth. Her voice was surprisingly quiet for a being so large, but she supposed that it was only as loud as it needed to be. "Does anyone have any questions?"
The group of students continued to gape. An involuntary chuckle rose in her throat. She wasn't anything to be gaped over. Except she was. Being a fusion was complicated like that. Accepting these kinds of different opinions was one of the many things that needed to happen for a fusion to last. She understood that now.
One student finally raised her hand. It was Calcite, the gem who'd had such an easy time fusing but such a difficult time keeping it steady. Before Calcite could voice her question, the fusion consulted her amazing, analytical map of future possibilities. She knew every word that would leave the student's mouth before a single sound was made.
"Why, yes, you can summon your weapon while fused," she answered preemptively. While one pair of her arms summoned her usual gauntlets, the other pair reached up to draw her spear from her forehead gem. "There are a few interesting effects, however. Here, let me show you."
Pearl didn't want to defuse. All this knowledge of the future was too incredible, too intoxicating, too much to give up. Oh, with the tactics she could plan like this, she could win the entire war by herself if given the chance.
However, Ruby and Sapphire's complaints soon began to jar her out of their usual synchronization. The bond between that pair was sacred, untouchable. They didn't want Pearl interfering with it any longer than was absolutely necessary. As soon as the lesson was over, Pearl heaved a reluctant sigh and gave up her hold on her fusion. The two of them fell apart onto the broken remnants of the stage.
Pearl sat up, groaning. It felt like her head was now far too large for her mind, too silent and too empty. The tantalizing sight of future possibilities no longer danced in front of her. It was a disappointing loss, but she supposed it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. It was all a little confusing in hindsight. She could barely remember what it had been like.
Garnet pushed herself up off the trampled boards and habitually fixed her visor. Only now did Pearl realize the true purpose of the eyewear. In addition to shielding Garnet's eyes, it also warded off questions that could spoil the secret of her true nature.
Pearl stood up and noticed that the last few students were trickling out the training grounds and back to camp. They were no longer within easy earshot. She glanced over to Garnet, seeing the general with new eyes. "So, you're a fusion yourself?"
Garnet pulled her leather gloves, yet another protective measure for her secrets, more securely over her hands. "Yes."
Pearl immediately hung her head in shame. "I… I'm sorry for my previous lack of tact. I didn't know."
"And now you do." Garnet leapt off the trampled stage and landed on the grassy field beside it. "Don't forget it."
Pearl didn't think that was even remotely possible. However, there was still something about Garnet that left her extremely curious. "Why don't you tell anyone?" she asked.
The general paused. "It doesn't matter."
"But it does," Pearl said back. "What happens if you need to separate? Or if one of you falls in battle? This is important information. We need to plan around it."
Garnet didn't move a muscle. Pearl could imagine her silently testing out several future paths in her head before deciding on the best response. "For the same reason you don't tell anyone you used to be a Homeworld fighter pilot."
Pearl recoiled on instinct. How did Garnet know? They'd…right. She could assume that they knew all of each other's secrets by now. "Because no one would trust a general who'd once fought for the enemy," she replied simply.
Garnet gave a quick nod. "There are already enough things that separate us from our allies," she explained. "We will never be normal, but we can still pretend to be." She began to march away from the stage. "For their sake."
As Garnet started the walk back to camp, Pearl hovered on the edge of a decision. She could imagine what the future must look like from here – another divide, two strongly diverging paths. The consequences of this split weren't as severe as the result of a war, but Pearl nevertheless felt the gravity of the decision.
She found the courage to go with the right choice. "Garnet?" she called out.
The general stopped. She turned to face Pearl. "Yes?"
Pearl hesitated, but she forced herself to follow through with her choice. "I know you have many duties, but I would appreciate it if you could stop by during my morning lesson with the humans tomorrow. They will be going through some stealth exercises."
The taller gem stood a moment. "I'm not good with stealth."
"I know," Pearl agreed. "But two teachers are always better than one. I could also use the company. Being a general doesn't exactly leave much time for socializing."
Garnet gave an accepting shrug. "Alright. Sure."
As the general turned and walked way, Pearl could have sworn that there was a gentle smile on her face. Pearl couldn't help but smile in return. The two of them still had a lot to teach each other, and she was only now starting to realize how enjoyable of an experience that could be.
Welcome to my first foray into the land of Steven Universe fanfiction. This entire fic was written, edited, and posted within the span of three days. When the plot bunny strikes, it strikes quickly and without mercy.
That being said, I'm very pleased with how this fic turned out. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts. I have a few longer, more intricate Steven Universe fanfics in the works, so keep your eyes peeled for those.
Genius bonus: calcite and pearls both have the same chemical composition: calcium carbonate. It just goes to show that deep similarities alone aren't enough to start or maintain a successful fusion.