A/N: All Amethyst's perspective. Enjoy!

I don't really understand time. I know that a long time has passed, but I don't understand how to count it. So I count how many times I see a white powder cover the ground, or when it all melts into water. I try to count, but I don't even understand numbers. I try to remember, I make marks on the rocks around my hole for each time, but then I'll forget, and start again ages later.

I start really counting time when I see them. The warp pad- the name finally comes to me, when I see it- activates for the first time that I've ever seen. It scares me, because I don't understand it. I rush back into my hole, peeking out around the edge to watch as two gems slide down the side of the elevated platform. As they get closer, I can hear what they're saying.

"-don't understand why we need to come back here," the smaller one says, shivering. "It feels haunted."

"I don't like it any more than you, Pearl," the taller one says. Her hair is funny, I think. It's a big cube-shaped afro. "But I know we're going to find something here. I just don't know what yet."

"Find what? Garnet, There's nothing here. It's just as desolate as it's always been," Pearl says. "Where are we even supposed to start?"

"Hmm…" She glances around at her surroundings, and I shrink back as far as I can into my hole. Her eyes are covered by a silver visor, so I can't tell where she's looking. "You start looking over that way, and I'll head over here." She points away from me, and I relax for a moment before I realize that means she's coming here. I'm counting the time by the jittery tapping of my hand on the stone, shaking in fear. One-two-three. Ten. thirty. Sixty.

Garnet starts looking in each of the holes along the walls, and I can hear her footsteps slowly getting closer. I press myself as far back as I can, praying she won't notice me. 90, 120, 150. I finally understand the meaning of time.

Garnet's feet appear in front of my hole. I go completely still, silent. She bends down, and her giant afro almost completely blocks off the hole.

"It's okay," she whispers. "I won't tell them you're here, if you don't want."

It takes a moment to process that, but when I do I shake my head vigorously. "Nonono," I whisper, surprising myself. I've never spoken out loud before. "No tell. Don't tell. Don't hurt me."

She smiles, and I can somehow see a look of understanding come across her face. "Don't worry. It's okay."

She backs away, and I'm left alone again. I listen, frozen, as Pearl returns and they share a brief conversation. I hear the warp activate, and I'm alone.

Never before has time mattered so much to me. I count the seconds, the minutes, the hours. Days pass, then weeks, then months. Every day I watch and listen for the warp, just in case, and every day my curiosity grows.

Who were those gems? Why was Garnet so kind? What were they doing here? I have so many questions, but no answers. I keep waiting, and soon I'm watching the warp all day, every day. Somehow, a part of me wants them to come back, even though they scare me. The air turns cold and the snow begins to fall before I finally see the warp activate again.

When they finally arrive, I panic. I'm scared, I can't believe I was waiting for them. I hide in my hole and watch. There's three of them now- the two from before, and a third gem, much taller than either of them. I listen and wait.

"Here? Are you absolutely sure, Garnet?" Pearl says. They haven't really changed.

"Yes, here," Garnet replies. "Rose, let me go first. She'll be scared of you two."

"Of course," the biggest one replies. Rose… rose quartz? Yes, that makes sense.

"I still don't see why you waited so long to tell us," Pearl says. "We could've taken her the first time around."

"She's scared, Pearl," Garnet replies. "She's probably listening right now."

Only now do I realise the 'she' they're talking about is me. I'm scared, definitely, but I don't freeze. I crouch, waiting, in my hole, ready to run.

"Where exactly did you find her?" I hear Rose ask as they slowly approach.

"Right over… here." Garnet's head suddenly fills the entrance again, and I realise I've lost my opportunity to escape.

"You said no tell," I say, backing farther into my hole.

"I'm sorry," she says, and it sounds sincere. "I couldn't just leave you here."

"I'm fine on my own."

"I'm sure you think that, but there's lots of danger out there. I see the future, you know."

That definitely intrigues me. "See the future?"

"Yes. And I know that you can't stay here." She extends a hand. "You can come back and visit, any time."

I'm still not convinced. "Where we go?"

"Back home. Not far from here, I promise. I won't force you to go, but please understand we're trying to help."

I look at her hand, the gem in her palm. Slowly, I reach out and take it.

I allow Garnet to drag me from my hole, into the view of the other gems. I know they're taking in every detail of my tiny form, noticing everything from my hair to my gem. I shrink behind Garnet's leg for protection.

"It's alright," Rose says, bending down. "We're not gonna hurt you."

"Who are you?" I finally ask the question that's been brewing in my mind for months.

"We are the Crystal Gems," she says proudly, "Defenders of Earth."

"She's so small," I hear Pearl whisper. I glare at her.

"Yeah, I'm small. You got a problem with that?"

Garnet laughs. "Well, you've certainly got some attitude.

"What's your name?" Rose asks me, with sincerity I've never heard or felt.

My name. What's my name? It's one of those things you know instinctively, as a Gem. Yet it takes me a moment to drag the word out from the depths of my memory.

"Amethyst."