"Come on, Jasper," Steven pleaded, "just try it!"
Jasper flicked an irritated glance at the halfling Gem. In his stubby hands he cradled a paper trinket, carefully folded into a four-cornered pyramid. She splayed out further on the short couch, and grunted, "Pass."
The boy whined. "But Jasper, it's fun! Don't you want to know your future?"
The big Gem lolled her head against the back cushion. "No." Steven sat beside her anyway, undeterred. "Here, let me show you how it works."
From her seat on the kitchen counter, Amethyst snickered. Jasper shot her a nasty look before Steven thrust the paper craft in front of her face. "Pick a color," he directed. Jasper saw four to choose from, one in each quadrant of the pyramid. With a roll of her eyes, she settled on red. "Okay," Steven affirmed. The pyramid opened at the behest of his tiny fingers as he spelled out "R…E…D." Satisfied with the configuration, he said, "Now pick a number!"
"S—wait," Jasper started. "Will you leave me alone after this?" "Sure!" he bubbled. "Six," she finished.
"S…I…X. Okay! Pick another number." "Four," she ground out. Steven lifted the numbered tab inside, revealing a hidden message, and gasped melodramatically. "Oh my gosh—somebody likes you!"
Jasper crossed her thick arms. "Is Somebody quiet?"
Steven giggled, hopping up from the couch. "Pearl! You're next!" He jogged to join the other Gems in the kitchen, clutching the paper fortune-teller to his chest.
Jasper closed her eyes—only for them to snap open a moment later at the familiar ping of the warp pad. Garnet appeared on the faceted platform, completing the Crystal Gem trio. "Garnet's back!" Steven announced with glee. The fusion strode into the common area. "Gems," she said, "on me. I have missions for you." Jasper remained seated as the others gathered around their leader. "We're ready," Pearl volunteered.
Garnet launched into her plans. "I've detected a corrupt gem creating seismic disturbances in the Waste. Also, when I was in the Temple earlier…" The others hung on her words as she continued: "I saw a crystal roach running around. Steven, Amethyst, Pearl, I want you to track down that roach before it gets too comfortable. Jasper, you're with me; we're going to find that corrupt gem and clear it out."
"Aw, Garnet," Amethyst groaned. "You're going out, and we're chasing a bug? C'mon! You know I'm fine with lava!" "Yes," Garnet allowed. "But we're dealing with a burrower. We'll need to move a lot of earth, fast. We need raw power." Amethyst huffed, but dropped the argument; she scuffed a floorboard with the toe of her boot. "Also," Garnet added, "we're running low on milk."
Pearl set one of her slim hands on Amethyst's shoulder. "Come on, Amethyst—we'll oust that awful hexapod, then go out for groceries. Doesn't that sound like a nice afternoon?" "And we can stop by the Big Donut on the way home!" Steven chimed in. The prospect cheered the purple runt a bit. She shrugged. "Arright, let's go squash that dumb roach."
"Stick together," Garnet cautioned. "The depths of the Temple can be dangerous. Look out for each other." Realizing the warning was for Steven's sake, Jasper chuffed. Garnet turned to her as the rest made for the Temple door. "We've got work to do," she said.
Jasper rose from the couch. On her feet, she towered over the tallest of the Crystal Gems—a fact which still brought a smirk to her lips. She cracked her neck. "This'd better be good."
Garnet was quick to retort, "You want to warm the sofa instead?"
If she had nostrils, Jasper might have snorted. Garnet nodded to the warp pad. "Let's go."
The second they materialized on the destination warp, they were met by a blast of scorching air. Smoke vented from cracks in the earth to curdle in noxious, dark clouds overhead. Lava oozed from the crust in red channels, wrinkled, and then blackened- the only light source in an otherwise hellish nightscape.
A sudden, loud crack punctuated the hiss of hot air. A rumble followed, accompanied by tremors that rocked the Gems where they stood. Jasper steadied herself with a wider stance, surveying the field warily. "Careful," Garnet warned, seconds before the next quake rolled in. She stepped from the warp pad once the earth settled. Jasper followed suit, trying the barren ground with a tentative foot. "We'll need to work fast," she advised. "The area's unstable, and that thing's only going to make it worse. What's the plan?" "It's your call," Garnet responded.
Jasper frowned. "It's subterranean. I'm thinking it'll want to stay there, where it's hard to reach. One of us needs to dig, and the other needs to be ready to grab it once we get it cornered." "You're the rockbreaker," Garnet shrugged. The big Gem shot a puff of derisive air from her lips. "Jaspers are more than that." The earth shuddered beneath them. "Alright," Garnet said coolly. "How about a demonstration?"
With a pulse of light, Jasper phased her helmet into place. "Try to keep up," she jeered, bounding after the source of the seismic upset. Once she'd approximated the location, she stopped and felt. For all her mass, the soles of her feet were sensitive to the smallest vibration- and this thing wasn't trying for subtle. Tracking such a reckless beast, she mused with some disappointment, was hardly proving a challenge at all. Jasper zeroed in where the vibrations were the strongest. She leapt, twisted her body, and shot back down to smash through the rocky crust.
But Jasper came up empty. Boring thirty feet into the earth, she hadn't found so much as a trace of the beast or its handiwork. Another rumble shook loose stones from the pit's walls. Jasper raised an arm to deflect the missiles; her helmet took the rest. Aggravated, she clambered out of her failed venture.
Garnet was waiting topside, her fists curled inside heavy gauntlets. "Anything?" Jasper shook the dirt from her shoulders. "Bad read," she huffed. "Next time, I've got it." The beast was on the move. By the faintness of the shiver beneath her feet, Jasper figured it must be using an existing tunnel. She listened, waited. Then, confident in her new position, she punched back through the earth.
This time, she'd crosscut the beast's track. The jagged path was almost tall enough for her to stand in. "Got something!" Jasper called up from the hole. She lowered herself to a half-crouch and stepped aside as Garnet joined her with a thud. "One of its runs," she surmised. "It's got the terrain advantage down here," Jasper stated, "and I don't want to get buried. We should lure it nearer the surface if we can." "We need to flush it out first," Garnet responded, mulling their options.
The microvibrations rose to a steady tremble around them. They backed each other, watching the lightless lengths of tunnel that stretched in either direction. "Which way?" she demanded. "My side," Jasper said. "This way, and below us." She thundered off, the lighter striking of Garnet's footfalls keeping pace beside her. Her feet filled in for where her eyes failed her in the gloom; each wave painted a picture. And when those waves doubled back, she skidded to a stop. Garnet stopped with her. "Here it comes," Jasper bit out over the growing clamor.
The Gems leaped back just in time to watch the earth below them tumble into a phosphorescent yellow maw. The floor gave way to long, sickled claws as the beast hauled itself upward. Its bulk filled the tunnel wall-to-wall. With a snap of its jaws, the stones through which it had burst crumbled into dust. Jasper searched for a weak spot; she didn't see one, not from the front. The beast let out a brassy screech, lowered its head, and pawed the ground.
"Jump!" Garnet shouted, milliseconds before it lunged. The Gems vaulted, having just enough space to miss its eager muzzle. Jasper's foot caught on its ridge as it bolted past, and she returned to earth flat on her back. By the time she got upright, the beast had disappeared down a new pit in the floor. Its light went with it, and again they slipped into pitch blackness. The tremors also receded, following their maker further into the earth.
Jasper grunted in displeasure. "Did you see its gem?" "I can't see a thing," Garnet responded. "Not conventionally. You've got the better eyes down here." Jasper thought for a moment before deciding: "It's quicker than I thought. Let's backtrack to where we came down, see if it follows."
The tremors followed at their heels as the Gems rushed for their point of entry. Just up ahead, Jasper could make out the rubble from where she'd smashed into the cavern; motes of rock dust caught the dimmest red light filtering in from the world above. The beast was gaining ground with each of their shaky strides. "Get up!" Jasper clipped, shoving Garnet in front of her with a huge hand. The fusion wasted no time bounding back up to the surface. Jasper tore up the pit wall after her, the sound of shattering stone booming just below her feet.
They emerged, on edge, waiting—only for the quake to recede again. In moments, the beast was only a distant rumble.
Jasper rolled her shoulders. She turned to Garnet, gnarling, "What are the odds of getting this thing aboveground?" "Not good," Garnet said after a moment's deliberation. "You said it yourself: it's got the terrain advantage below."
"So," Jasper huffed, "we need a different approach."
"If it won't follow us, we follow it," Garnet proposed.
The Quartz pondered a moment. "Think we can pin it?"
"I think it'd dig itself out of a collapse a lot easier than we could."
Jasper punted a loose stone, sending it scudding into a rill of lava. "What's our best course, then?"
"We'll have to figure that once we catch up to it," Garnet responded. "Let's track down its gem placement first, and go from there." Jasper grunted her assent. She led the way, dropping back down into darkness.
It started straightforward enough: navigate runs, follow vibrations. Even with the impediment of solid stone, though, the monster evaded its hunters. Jasper guessed for intersections of tunnel that would route them closer to their quarry. She anticipated correctly often, but not often enough to gain distance. The beast would only draw close when it was ready to strike. Now that the Gems had delved deep below the surface, it found its chance.
The earth shook beneath them, then beside them, then above. Jasper cracked the wall with her helmet; another hard hit, and a whole section of the cavern wall fragmented and gave way. She seized Garnet by the arm and thrust her into the newly-formed recess—just deep enough for her to press in after. The beast plunged upon where they had stood moments before, bringing the cave roof with it. The ensuing thundercrack jarred her inside her helmet. Having missed its mark, the monster bored back through for a new angle.
Jasper sprinted down the slanted path, aware of Garnet at her heels. The speed of her movements took the edge from her senses; she missed vibrations, missed their cues—and missed the furrow in the floor that sent her toppling. Garnet tripped after her, over her, and the two Gems fell flat and hard. A loud curse ripped from Jasper's mouth.
She felt a thump through the ground as Garnet sprang back to her feet. "You want to try that again?" the fusion taunted. She grabbed at Jasper's arm to help her up, but the big Gem swiped her hands away. "The hell off me," she snapped. She rose from the floor, finding grit in her mouth when she clenched her teeth. Jasper spat out the dirt that she could. Her blunder had left her livid, and her chance to vent was escaping. She wasted no more time. "Let's go!" she bellowed.
They sank into the same cycle: chase, fall back, chase, fall back. When it came to endurance, Jasper was nearly inexhaustible—but her patience had its limits. The tunnel had its limits, too, if the cracking around them gave any indication.
"This is going nowhere—" Jasper barked. The ground heaved, pelting the two with stones from the roof— "and I'm short on new ideas. What've you got?"
"You tell me," Garnet answered. Jasper only just felt the gauntlets at the sides of her helmet before it was yanked from her head without warning. One of those gauntleted hands fisted in the fabric of her uniform, where a diamond emblem used to be. Garnet tugged the big Gem downward. Just as an objection began to rise from her throat, Jasper felt a pair of soft lips press into her brow.
Stars burst behind her eyes. Projected scenarios came rushing to the fore of her mind, vivid as if she'd already lived them. Half a hundred paths diverged before her, possibilities all contingent on the steps she had yet to take.
Jasper watched herself sliding down the lightless burrow, chasing after a sickly yellow light. With a lash of its fat tail, the beast reduced its run to rubble around her; she saw herself pinned until the refulgent jaws came back to claim her.
Another trajectory bloomed behind her eyes, and then another: the beast running them in circles, evading for days; a well-timed claw forcing regression into her gem; a dozen disparate cave-ins; and, perhaps most distasteful of all, a potentiality where Garnet dealt the beast the crowning blow.
Finally, she spied a solitary path leading to a favorable outcome. A tricky arrangement...
A brisk tap from Garnet's gauntlet across her cheek pulled her back into the present. "Easy," she broke in. "You might get lost up there." "What did you just do to me?" Jasper demanded, equal parts disturbed and mystified. "I shared a bit of my power," Garnet replied. "You must have seen a few good ideas. Let's talk strategy."
Jasper felt a hard object pressing at her chest; Garnet was returning her helmet. Below them, the earth began to churn. Jasper swept her unruly hair back with one hand, hefting her headpiece into place with the other. "Here's the plan..." she started.
The Gems split up to cover more ground. Jasper jogged along run after dark run. The beast kept a formidable pace—but the vibrations Jasper trailed were growing stronger, nearer. Soon, her sensitive eyes could resolve a feeble glow in the tunnel ahead. The noise of claws and jaws shrilling on stone rose to a tumult.
Jasper surged forward, undaunted by the volley of rocks the beast kicked up in its wake. One took her on the shoulder, in the ribs, in the jaw. She just put her head down and lengthened her strides. The low light from the beast's mouth was more than enough for her predator eyes, aiding her enough to dodge most of the incoming projectiles.
Her powerful legs pistoned her forward, closing the distance. With a final bound, she leapt, arms outstretched. Her seeking hands met their mark, fingers scraping at the beast's hide for purchase. She grappled for a hold around its thick-set tail.
The monster loosed another metallic screech. Jasper pressed in with her knees, holding on as it whipped its tail to shake the new threat. It careened ahead blindly in panic. The thrashing appendage slammed her against the cave wall, forced useless air from her lungs. Around them, the cave grew hotter, stifling. If her vision was correct, Jasper knew what came next.
As the beast tore onward, the ceiling gave. Magma cascaded into the track, as golden and searing as the planet's sun. It gushed over them, sizzling on Jasper's flesh, but not burning. With no breath to hiss, she ground her teeth at the onslaught of molten rock. In milliseconds, the flow overtook them both. The tumult of crashing stone sank in a surreal hush as melt filled the space around her head.
This distraction was enough to slow the beast. Jasper dug her fingers in, inching herself forward until she had a proper grasp on the monster's body. It writhed under her, seeking escape from the pooling magma and its unwanted passenger. Jasper felt the monster change directions, burrowing up at an angle. She sensed its goal meters above them—a cavity where the vibrations echoed dully—another run. From her place atop the beast, her spine drove against every jagged angle on the tunnel roof. It was enough to make her wince; the beast, however, barreled on without a scratch. Jasper held on, hoping to the stars that her timing was right.
The magma drained away, and soon they emerged in the dark cavern above. Jasper freed a hand to swipe the cooling slag from her visor—a mistake. The frenzied monster bucked beneath her, and her grip faltered. She scrabbled against its uneven hide. As she was falling, Jasper caught just a glimpse of a yellow gem wedged at the base of its long skull. There it was. For a moment, she grinned—until a hind leg cracked her in the mouth.
Jasper lurched to her feet as the beast rounded on her. It bared its bright, gaping maw on a shriek, and charged. It was then that Jasper noticed an intersecting tunnel between them. Garnet launched from the crossing, blindsiding the monster with an armored fist, stopping it in its tracks. The beast reeled against the cave wall, snarling, showering them in debris. It turned on Garnet and snapped its jaws. She caught the beast's muzzle as it lunged, forcing it shut. She barely held on as it flailed—but this was just the opening Jasper needed.
Jasper shot forward, and leapt. The heel of her boot caught the beast between its eyes—a foothold she used to spring herself back on top. Straddling its massive neck, Jasper balled her hand into a fist, and struck the beast right on its gem. The beast gave a strangled howl. It shook free from Garnet, gnashing its fangs, trying to dislodge Jasper as well with a desperate strength. Jasper struck again, and it staggered. She put all her impressive weight behind the next hit—and with a satisfying crack, the beast disintegrated in a cloud of acrid smoke.
She landed on the balls of her feet, the monster's gem clattering to the ground beside her. Garnet stooped to gather the gemstone, and bubbled it. The orb illuminated the dark cavern in a dusty pink light.
Jasper's face opened on a feral grin. She took a breath, and a deep laugh rumbled from her chest. "I can't remember the last time any of these were a challenge!"
Garnet only said, "You want to punch us a way out?" Jasper was too ready to oblige.
Back aboveground, they made their way for the warp. Jasper phased her helmet away, shaking her hair free. As they walked, she recounted the fusion with the details of her victorious conquest. "Nice work, by the way," she complimented as an aside. "We ground the unlucky brute into dust!"
Garnet kept her eyes trained on their prize. "This one used to be a Jasper, like you." They stopped walking as she held the bubble aloft for the other Gem to examine. Jasper's gloating soured in her mouth. The big Gem frowned accusatorily. "Is that why you brought me along—to show me my place?" she gruffed. "Did you see that with your visions?"
"That's not how my power works," Garnet explained. "I brought you because you were a good fit for this task… But, I did have an ulterior motive. I wanted to show you the importance of what we do." The fusion held the bubble closer, reiterating, "These're all Gems like you, each one with their own worth. And some day, we might be able to help them, make them whole." With a tap of her fingers, Garnet sent the bubble back to the Temple.
"This is what you fought for?" Jasper wondered. "Rose Quartz really believed that?"
Garnet hummed. "Mm. Everyone deserves the chance to live life on their own terms. To create their own experiences however—" She gestured to herself—"and as whoever—they want."
It surprised Jasper when she found herself blurting, "I take back what I said then—about you. I was…"
She caught herself almost saying "wrong"—and cut the sentiment short. It was bad enough that she'd had to spit up a "sorry" for Steven months back. Garnet wouldn't let her near the Temple until she took a knee and offered the boy a begrudging apology.
Jasper wasn't without manners, though; she rephrased. "There's a lot I didn't know about you. You really are something incredible."
Garnet smirked and said, "I know."
Jasper tried to read the triplicate eyes behind her visor. Inquisitive, she asked, "Did you see this outcome, too?"
"It was a possibility," Garnet admitted. "There's more."
"Like what? What will happen next?"
She adjusted her shades. "There aren't any guarantees for the future, Jasper. Your future is shaped by the actions you take." She raised two fingers to Jasper's forehead, making contact on the spot she had kissed earlier. Jasper's eyes riveted on the crimson gem hovering millimeters from her own.
"You consider your possibilities," Garnet continued, pressing the spot—"and then you pick the one you think is best." She gave Jasper's head a shove; caught off-guard, the big Gem staggered back a step.
Garnet turned for the warp pad before she could recover. "Let's go." Jasper frowned. A temper began to bloom inside her chest, but befuddlement held her tongue and kept it there. She followed after the fusion.
Jasper's skin prickled. She blamed the heat.
In the days that followed, she found herself fixating. It'd taken months for her to discover Garnet's ability; what other powers remained undisclosed? A week of speculation passed by.
The house was sunny, warm, and empty—save herself and Steven, who was upstairs reading. Floorboards groaned under her bulk as Jasper paced. She'd spent the whole afternoon deliberating. Here was a chance to vent her curiosity, but she detested the means, this indirectness. The mission with Garnet was eating at her; the desire to know more had burrowed in, and she couldn't chase it out. Not without some assistance. A hobby might do her some good, she thought sorely.
She approached the loft area, having only to stand to view the elevated living space. Steven was stretched out on the rug, a glossy publication—comic, she remembered—open before him. She watched his feet kick idly in the air a moment before getting his attention. "Steven." The boy lifted his eyes from the bright-colored pages. "Jasper!" he greeted with some surprise. "Did you need something?"
There was still time to forfeit. Heaving a sigh, she decided to press onward. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a moment?"
He sprang to his feet. "Yes!" Jasper rolled her eyes, and then the boy was rushing at her. He jumped from the loft, expecting her to catch him- and for all her vexation, she did. "Easy," she cautioned, entirely too late. He giggled as she set him down. Jasper sat on the couch, and he joined her on the adjacent cushion.
Steven folded his little hands over his knee. "So," he drawled in his best attempt at nonchalance. "What did you wish to conversate about?" "I think it's just 'converse,'" she smirked. Now, it was her turn to try casual. "I want to ask you about Garnet." With the way his eyes lit up, she might as well have asked what comic he was reading; clearly, this was a subject of interest for the halfling.
"Isn't she cool?" he beamed. "How was your mission? You guys haven't told me anything!"
"We came back in one piece," Jasper shrugged, buffing the nails of one hand against her shirt.
"I want the details," he whined. "What did you fight?"
"Cavedigger—big, ugly thing. Tried its best to eat us."
The recounting earned a starstruck 'whoa' from the Quartz child. "I bet you and Garnet made a great team!"
A frown tugged at the corners of Jasper's mouth, but she fought to keep her features neutral. "She is a very... capable fighter," she hedged. "It would have been tricky to corner the beast on my own.
"I coulda done it, though," she added with bravado. To emphasize, she tightened her biceps into a neat swell. The boy giggled; his admiring hands didn't make it even halfway around her arm. Jasper grinned despite herself.
"So tell me more," he begged.
Seeing the eagerness in Steven's eyes, a little warmth spread in her chest. "Alright, alright," she chuckled. Jasper launched into her telling. "Soon as we warp in, the ground starts shaking. The thing's tearing through the rock below us. So I listen close, get a real good read on the thing, and BAM"—she slammed her fist into her open palm for emphasis, startling the boy—"crash right down into one of the thing's caves. And there it is, waiting for us. Got a big bright mouth as wide as I am tall, crunching through stone like it's nothing. Just barely missed getting swallowed up."
"Oh man," Steven whispered in awe. "Then," she continued, "we get it on the run. I'm tracking it down, and it's pitch black, bunch of criss-crossing tunnels. Finally catch up to the thing, grab it round the tail, and hang on. Took me on one bumpy ride—through lava, no less. Ran it right into a trap, and the two of us took it down. I jumped on its back and poofed it, one clean hit."
"You guys are awesome!" he praised. "I wish I could've seen it!"
"We were. But it took some planning, and even more coordination. We had to know where we were going, and where the beast was gonna go. That's where Garnet's got me beat. When we were down there, she gave me this... this—" "Future vision!" Steven interjected.
Jasper raised her eyebrows. "Yes," she said with a start. "You know about it? How does it work?"
"Well," the boy explained, "Garnet says it's a way for her to see possible outcomes for situations." He worked his hands while he talked, trying to solidify the concepts. "She can't see the future, just options. It's like a map, and she knows which way is best."
"How does she know which is best?" Jasper questioned. Steven shrugged, making an unsure noise in his throat. "Do you know what else she can do?" she pressed.
"Almost anything, I bet!" he smiled. "She's strong, and a really good swimmer, and—"
Just then, Steven's phone started to blare a tinny melody. He murmured a quiet " 'scuse me" before tapping the device. "Connie!" he exclaimed. "Yeah! … Yep! I'll be right out!" He gave Jasper a bright smile. "I'm going out to play, but we can talk later, if you want?" Jasper smirked, and waved him off the couch. "Go have fun." "Bye, Jasper! It was nice talking to you!" he shouted on his way out the door. Then she was alone.
The couch creaked as Jasper sat back. She let out a long, slow sigh. So, Garnet had future vision. A grin spread across her face as a realization dawned on her. In her mind, she replayed the unsavory events that led to her extended stay on Earth. Her fight with the fusion, her first real brawl in a millennium. She recalled it often—puzzled over it, even, and here was the missing piece: future vision. The ability alone wasn't enough to win a fight; no, it wouldn't save a weak Gem. But it was advantageous. Enough of an edge for Garnet to stop her in her tracks.
A wry little laugh bubbled in her throat. This missing something had vexed her ever since that fight—even after her defection, even as she tallied up rematch after rematch with the fusion in the months that followed… After she was freed from her own fusion.
Jasper glanced out the window. Just a few long strides away, the ocean lapped lazily at the shore. The briny air drifting through the screen left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She'd learned the lesson hard: a fusion was more than the sum of their parts. They were their own entity, their own force to be reckoned with. Jasper had yet to see Garnet willingly unfused, but she knew that the power and strength she possessed were uniquely her own.
If she was being honest with herself, Garnet intrigued her.
That's why she'd spent the last few solar days with her mind on the fusion. Aside from the odd monster, Jasper languished on such a petty planet. She got bored. But Garnet—Garnet was interesting.
The feeling might be mutual, she suspected.
Afternoon dissolved into evening, and the sinking sun bathed the house in gold.
Jasper pulled herself from the couch. A Quartz could be patient as a stone—until they decided to act upon an idea. Their reputation as first-rate soldiers arose from their drive to finish what they started. Jasper was starting.
She made for the Temple entrance with deliberate steps. The door parted before she could raise her fist to rap at the stone. Jasper swung back a half-step, her spine tensing.
Garnet stepped out from the Temple's interior, and the door sealed itself behind her. The angled sunlight lit her skin like embers. If Jasper's presence at the door surprised her, she gave no indication—only greeted her with a simple "'Evening."
Jasper regained composure, squaring her jaw. "Garnet," she nodded. "Do you have a moment?"
The fusion placed a hand on one of her ample hips. "I've got many moments. What do you want?"
She'd had plenty of time to mull their interactions—and she was done thinking. Done waiting. She gathered those thoughts, packed them away, pressed forward. "Well," she divulged, "I wanted to discuss a vision I had for the future." Jasper closed the space between them.
Garnet didn't move a muscle at the sudden proximity; the larger Gem could only guess if she'd batted an eye behind that reflective visor. But it wasn't time for guessing. Future vision was an edge, but Jasper had a head for tactics. She'd considered the risk—and she would take it. She could hold her own against whatever the fusion might have for her.
Jasper wrapped a huge hand around Garnet's slender waist, pulling her close. She hooked a large finger under her chin. The other had yet to react; she didn't shy away from the touch, so Jasper continued. Bowing her head, she touched her lips to Garnet's.
No reaction. A stone settled in her stomach, and she began to withdraw—until Garnet snared her by the jaw, pulling her back down to deepen the kiss. She slid her other hand into Jasper's hair, knotting her fingers at the base of her skull. Jasper broke away, coming up before she had the chance to become lost.
"Did you see this happening?" she uttered, husky as she rediscovered her vocal cords.
"Yes," Garnet allowed. "But some things, you ought to see for yourself."
Jasper caught her by the wrist, thumbing the gem in the center of her palm. "It doesn't hurt to have a little guidance." The fusion stiffened slightly at the contact, and Jasper took note. "You came to me on your own, Jasper," she responded. "Why don't you show me what else you had in mind?"
It didn't surprise her when Garnet's other hand crept up to brush against her cheek. Jasper leaned into the touch, offering more skin, more pressure. The moony hum that Garnet issued in response made her bold. Bold enough to turn her head and press her lips to the smooth stone. It chilled her skin and tingled like static, but Garnet was the one who shivered. Jasper's hot breath left a fog on its cold, glassy surface. The other gemstone burned in her hand like a live coal. Garnet was playing casual—indifferent, to a degree—but her body couldn't lie.
Jasper thrust herself forward, and the fusion willingly backed up, pulling Jasper along as she did so. The Quartz's huge body pressed her to the Temple door. Once more, she sought out Garnet's lips; her tongue darted over them, eager to know her taste. Her hand loosed the fusion's wrist in favor of joining the other at her middle. Garnet's fingers swept back the hair from Jasper's forehead, then tangled again in her mane, tugging close to her scalp. A growl bubbled up from Jasper's throat—but she stifled the sound. Her red-striped cheeks darkened a shade.
Stars, how long had it been since she'd last done this? Half a century, maybe. She might have been a little out of practice. Her trepidation never got a chance to take root, though—Garnet's mouth, opened against Jasper's throat, demanded her attention.
Jasper leaned down, gripping one of Garnet's strong calves and hoisting it to her hip. Her other hand lighted across Garnet's collar—a fingerbreadth away from circling her throat. Jasper was testing her boundaries, and pleasantly surprised; then again, trust must come easy if one's visions foretold no threat. She pressed herself closer, driving a knee between Garnet's legs, and recaptured her lips with ardor.
Garnet gave her hair another firm tug before releasing her. "Not here," she murmured. "Come with me." Jasper drew back as the other Gem turned to the door. The door flashed open at her bidding, and she reentered the Temple. Jasper followed, trailing a few paces behind.
With the exception of a brief tour through the Burning Room, Jasper had never set foot within the Temple. A different interior received her now: crystal clusters in striking shades of red and pink jutted from the stone walls, bathing their dark surfaces in a maroon light. The crystals' mild glow made the room soft, sultry. Jasper's eyes, however, never wandered far from her focus.
She knew she'd been caught when the fusion stopped to throw a glance over her shoulder. "Fancy the view?" she teased, canting a hip for good measure.
She waited as Jasper rejoined her, pulled her flush. The muscles in Jasper's middle clenched as Garnet ground her backside against her. Free to roam, her hands moved to study Garnet's form, finding her soft in all the places she was not. Jasper kissed along Garnet's jaw and downward. She lavished on her neck with a thick, torrid tongue before biting down.
"Jasper," Garnet sighed. The sound of her name dripping from those lips electrified her spine; raced through her frame; coiled around her, coaxing a low rumble from her chest. The fusion dragged her hands up Jasper's sturdy thighs; her gems—one hot and the other cool—seeped their sensations through her clothing. Jasper breathed at her ear, heavy and slow, continuing to explore. Her big hands climbed Garnet's back, curled around her ribs, and cupped both breasts.
Garnet rounded on her. For a moment, Jasper wondered if she'd made a misstep. Then Garnet was kissing her, grasping at her broad back, her lips and fingers raising heat from her skin—with great skill. But she wouldn't submit to the other's ministrations so easily.
Jasper skimmed a large knuckle up the side of her face, pressing her fingers into Garnet's dense curls. She dipped her head to capture the fusion's mouth. Garnet took her lower lip between her teeth, sucking the flesh rosy. Jasper silenced a groan at the jolt in her core. She knew restraint. And she was intent on making Garnet unravel long before herself. Imagining the sounds she'd coax from her delivered another jolt. Her empty hand wrapped the fusion's waist, pulling her closer possessively. Garnet ran her slender fingers along Jasper's jaw; the other hand rested at the nape of her neck. She deepened the kiss before letting go.
Garnet snaked her hands under the straps of Jasper's uniform. In one smooth motion, the fabric took leave of her wide shoulders. She stripped her halfway, the skintight material bunched just above the swell of her hips. Garnet pressed her soft hands to the newly exposed skin, tracing the stripe that flanked Jasper's belly.
Jasper shut her eyes against the sensation of a gemmed palm at the arch of her ribs. Its cool facets slid against her fevered skin, holding the air in her lungs hostage. The deep red gem traveled slowly, so slowly, up the bones' curve. For a moment, it lingered on the tip of her breastbone, then sank down the dips and rises of her muscled abdomen. When Garnet's fingers reached the start of a path of white hair, Jasper's bated breath came out in a shuddering sigh.
As those teasing fingertips inched lower, Garnet's other hand edged up to grasp one of Jasper's bare breasts. The energy from the gem pulsed over her, electric, enticing—she craved more. Jasper thrust herself into the touch. Her tender-tipped flesh meeting the hot gemstone made them both gasp.
She bit the end of her tongue, stilling the noise in her throat. She could keep it together. If Garnet's gems were even half as responsive as her own, she must be feeling the same force, the same thrills, the same fire that surged through her body. The thought didn't settle her down at all.
Jasper opened her eyes, and the heat in her hooded gaze shone back at her in Garnet's visor. Why play aloof? Why pretend, when her veneer had already slipped? Her need was painted plainly in the flush of her cheeks and neck.
Garnet's hand waited, snug between Jasper's close-fitting suit and her body. Jasper swallowed hard. Her own hands, large enough to cover the perfect curves of the other's ass, took both cheeks firmly and pulled Garnet against her. Jasper nuzzled her gem into her dark hair, savoring her warmth and her scent. Then she uttered the first word she had said since entering the room: "Please."
With a hum, Garnet obliged. Her mouth closed on the end of Jasper's free breast; its twin basked beneath a gifted hand and its gem. Her other hand descended the tuft of hair above Jasper's sex, fingers finally meeting their mark, and found her wet and welcoming.
Jasper let out a husky moan—the first of many.
By the time they'd finished, the blush of sunset had faded. The sky outside darkened like a bruise. They sat together on the front deck, watching the first stars flicker into view and sharing an easy silence. Earth was a relentlessly noisy planet—but Garnet, at least, knew how to appreciate quiet. Jasper had something on her mind, though, and nudged her companion.
"What are the odds that we'll do that again?"
"You tell me," the fusion replied. She leaned in to kiss her forehead, imparting a vision—one that left her grinning and hot in the face.
Jasper had bright prospects.