The inner temple was always quiet, but she supposed that was easily explained. There was no one here, for one thing, but it was also sealed away from everything, accessible only by a very select number of people who either came here together or, more often than not, not at all. This room was meant for those things meant to be forgotten, sealed for the safety of everyone on Earth, as much as for their own health and futures. These were the corrupted, the damaged and the lost, kept sleeping until cures, homes, and new life could be found for them.

Or was that just what they told themselves they were doing? A way to keep focused, keep motivating, while hiding all of their problems away in this chamber, floating high overhead. Decorations, really. Could they really say they were working on a way to fix all these corrupted and damaged gems? Or were they just focused on collecting them all, removing them from play, and keeping them where it was easiest and safest for the rest of the world? But what about the souls inside these small crystals, floating in their bubble prisons?

Sometimes, Pearl came to the bubble room for a quiet moment. True enough, she had her own room in the temple that was entirely hers, only unlockable by her gem and magic, but sometimes it felt too empty. Isolated. Here, at least she knew there were others, even if they were sealed away and had no idea where they were, or that she was there with them. They were dormant, sleeping, and only the crystal gems could wake them.

At least, that was what she thought.

One of the bubbles was hovering lower to the ground than the others, as if weighed down by something. It wanted to float, like all the others, but it was being forced down, almost to eye level with Pearl. Of course, that forced her gaze toward it, and she tilted her head to the side in wonder. It was a deceptively small gem, triangular in shape, with one long point that indicated the top, and a low, angled pyramid at the bottom. It had a flat back, like half of a diamond that was upside down. Pearl recognized it immediately, not needing to get closer to it but doing so anyway.

"Jasper."

She held her hands up to guide the bubble, letting it float between her palms, but not touching it or allowing it to pop. She could reinforce Amethyst's bubble, and return it up to the ceiling with the others. She knew that the gem asleep inside that bubble was a dangerous one, one of the most dangerous enemies they had encountered so far, full of hatred for them and the Earth itself, and a strong will to do nothing but destroy. It was not her fault, not really: she was a Jasper, a Quartz: she was created to fight. And she had been damn good at her job, with the added bonus of loving what she did. At least, that was how it always seemed, and she did nothing to correct that impression if it was wrong.

Pearl knew what it was to serve a purpose, to be built for one thing. She, however, had never taken any delight in what she was, and felt compelled to break out of the mold she was set in. The life of a Pearl was a meager one, after all: they were created to serve. To make life easier for everything around them, by doing all the menial and degrading tasks no one else wanted to do. They were butlers, cleaners, servants. They opened doors, completed brainless tasks, and served as entertainment when their masters were bored. They took the blame when things went wrong, and bore the punishment whether they deserved it or not. And they were always thankful for it, knowing their place, treated like dust and grime rather than the beautiful, powerful gems they could be.

With Rose Quartz beside her, Pearl had trained herself to do a hundred things she was not created for: things that should have been impossible. She fought, though she was inherently weak and uncoordinated. She danced and fused with passion and fire. She learned everything she could, about any topic that seemed important at the time. She became good with technology, with engineering and with teaching. She not only overcame what she was designed for, proving beyond a doubt how capable even the lowest regarded gem could be, but dedicated herself to sharing what she learned. Helping those that wanted to help themselves to be more. Like Steven, and Connie, and any of the other gems that wanted to listen to her. She trained their rebels, back in the gem war, under the banner of Rose and the promise of a better life.

Like the Jasper she now held in her magic, between her hands, she had a reputation. Most of it, she had never even heard, and could hardly imagine what they used to say about her on Homeworld. Garnet had once called her a 'terrifying renegade', which she had taken pride in. Was that the same feeling Jasper got, when the Crystal Gems saw her and panic filled their eyes as they recognized her? Everyone knew who she was, and how strong and vicious she could be.

Pearl could see the corruption swirling over the otherwise perfectly cut gem. Jasper had been as close to perfect as any gem could be, despite being formed on Earth, and in a rushed, second rate Kindergarten. She burst from the ground ready to serve her purpose, with no marks of malformation or any evidence of weakness or damage from her less than ideal creation conditions. She had risen over those odds, to be the soldier everyone wanted and needed at the time. She had done everything she was meant to do, crushed every foe she encountered, lived by every ideal and rule of the Homeworld.

"We're opposites," Pearl said thoughtfully, watching the blue and green blobs, smears of ugly pollution coiling over the smooth orange of the gem. They had no business being there, Pearl realized slowly, turning the bubble around so she could see every angle. The corruption flowed not just over the gem, but through it, devouring it both inside and out. "You were everything you were meant to be, and this was your punishment. And I… I'm fine, and I did everything wrong. It almost… doesn't seem fair."

Life on Earth had made Pearl a lot more aware and receptive to her emotions than a Homeworld gem might be. She was sensitive, sometimes overly so, if what Amethyst and Peridot said about her was to be listened to. She found herself feeling sorry for Jasper, despite the fact that the massive warrior had done nothing but try to destroy them from the word go.

That was just her job. Wasn't it?

"If we find a way, I want to give you a chance to see this world. To feel the things we feel. Maybe… find a piece of yourself you didn't know existed. That's what it was like, you know. Living for Rose Quartz. Fighting for her. Not… following orders, but doing things we felt were right. Doing things because we wanted to, we felt right doing. Being free to make those choices… I promise, we'll find a way to help you experience that. Some day."

Pearl stepped back, spreading her hands to release the bubble from her magic. She had given a little more power to the bubble Amethyst had put around Jasper, to keep the gem safe and to help it float back up with the others. It responded, lifting up slowly away from her, gently moving up toward the others. She watched it go for a moment, sighing wistfully, then turned to leave. She was starting to miss the others, and felt some time with Steven was in order. He would probably say something silly and make her smile, and all these bad feelings would be gone.

That was what they fought for, at the end of the day. Love.

Pearl's progress was stopped when she heard a low, rumbling growl echo through the otherwise silent chamber. She turned, looking back up. The corrupted gem was vibrating, the sound emanating from it with increasing pitch. Pearl had to cover her ears, grimacing as the sound filled the entire chamber, shaking so violently that it brought Pearl to her knees. The bubble burst violently, not popping but exploding with a pulse of pure energy that tore through the room, throwing Pearl backwards. A thick blue smoke filled the room, acrid and dense enough to block the senses.

Unable to hear or see, Pearl pressed her hands to the floor. She slowly got to her knees again, but stopped as she felt one giant thud under her palms, followed by another. There was a long pause, then another heavy shudder through the ground as something landed from above. And another. Three? No, four. Pearl could not keep track, but the smoke was clearing and she scrambled up to her feet. The thudding stopped. Her sight returned to her, and her ringing ears cleared. Everything was still and silent, but as the smoke faded and she could look around the room, she saw what she knew would be waiting.

A monster, a corrupted beast, stood only a few feet away from her. It snarled and watched her, though she could not see its eyes under its thick, wild hair. She felt them, though, boring into her, burning with hatred and unfiltered rage. It snarled at her, digging its massive claws into the ground. Behind it, smaller in size but similar in appearance, were three other corrupted gems. All Quartz, in another life, but the smaller ones were bent and submissive to the larger one before them.

"Jasper!"

She was covered in blue and green spikes, with a massive mouth that was nothing but fangs. She stood on four feet, forgetting her human-like form in favor of this more beastly one, her gemstone still resting in place of a nose in what should have been her face. Everything was twisted, made grotesque and monstrous from the corruption, and she snarled at Pearl with so much pure rage that it made the dainty warrior shudder. Pearl reached to her own gem, nestled in her forehead, and pulled her weapon free. It burst forward with a bright light, glowing beautifully as it took form into her trusty spear. She held it in both hands, trying to hide the way her arms were shaking by bracing it defensively.

The corrupted gem watched her, that feeling of burning anger heavy on Pearl, then charged forward. The other three corrupted beasts followed suit, snarling and roaring as they moved. Pearl dove to one side, two beasts barreling by, but Jasper altered her path as if anticipating Pearl's escape. She snapped her massive jaws down on Pearl's leg, catching her mid leap and snapping her head to the side, throwing Pearl like she was nothing. Pearl slammed into a far wall, crying out in pain and falling to the ground. One of the other corrupted beasts was there waiting, biting her arm and wrenching it behind her back as if to pin her. It stood over her, keeping its weight on her back and forcing her down on her knees, bent forward because of its hold on her arm.

She was still holding her spear in her other hand, and she reacted on instinct alone. She stabbed the spear over her shoulder, behind her, catching the beast that held her in the neck and feeling the spear find purchase in its form. She changed her grip on the spear, turning her hand so she could pull the spear down like a lever with as much force as she could muster. The blade sliced through the beast's neck, causing it to burst into a cloud of smoke. Its corrupted gem fell to the ground, and Pearl fell forward now that she was suddenly released, but there was no pause in the battle for her.

Jasper was there, as Pearl get her damaged arm under her and tried to push herself back up, biting on to Pearl's shoulder and hauling her off the ground again. She let out an angry cry as she was thrown once again across the room, rolling violently over the floor until something soft stopped her. Dizzy, pained and damaged, Pearl was barely holding on to her physical form as she looked back to see what she'd bumped into. Her heart leapt into her throat as she found Steven's terrified, worried little face staring at her.

Behind him, Garnet and Amethyst stood with their weapons ready, staring with dropped jaws and wide, of the ones visible, eyes. Two corrupted beasts and Jasper herself remained in the room, ready for a battle. Garnet must have seen what was happening, as she always did, getting there in time to help protect Pearl and the temple itself from the escaped corrupted Gems.

"Steven, get Pearl out of here. Use the door, and do not come back. Do you understand me?" Garnet said calmly, though the order was dire: she did not want Steven or Pearl here for the fight, with one injured and the other… well. The other was all of their son, and they all shared the same strong desire to keep him safe. Even though he had proven time and again how strong he was, and how much like their former leader he could be. Ultimately, he was still a child, their child, and Garnet saw what could happen if he came back to face Jasper before he was ready.

She would never allow that to happen.

"I can help, Garnet!" He protested, though he was already doing his best to gather Pearl into his arms, despite his relatively small size. Pearl found herself unable to offer much help, her arm and leg feeling heavy and disconnected from her control at the moment. She leaned against him, shaking her head. She wanted to stay and help, as well, but neither of them would overcome Garnet's will.

"No. Leave. Now."

"Yeah, Steven, we've got this!" Amethyst grinned at him, trying to look reassuring. "We'll just rebubble them and meet you for dinner in a bit. No prob!" She looked up at Garnet, who did not shift her gaze from the corrupted gems, who were stalking closer and readying for an attack. Jasper seemed to be leading them with growls and directions that none of the Crystal Gems could understand. Steven, tears in his eyes, nodded as bravely as he could and picked Pearl up.

He would get her out of there, make sure she was safe, but he had every intention of coming back for the others.