NA: Alright, second part incoming! Let's see what will happen to the gems now.

Chapter 3: Rising Tides, Falling Rain - Part Two

Back at home after the battle, the team had taken a while to check on their wounds. Then, they had a talk about how they did that afternoon with the crab, all of them sat on the couch. The comments on Ronaldo appeared rather quickly.

- Pearl: ... And then Ronaldo comes to blame to us for everything. Even when we are the only ones in charge of the gem shards and corrupted gems on the loose out there, this asshole thinks he is in position to question our efforts and to try to get us out of here for putting everyone in this so called 'danger', from which we are actually protecting them in first-...

The gem's complaints were interrupted by some snickering from Amethyst.

- Pearl: Amethyst, could I know what is so funny?

- Amethyst: (Holding her laughs) You... you just... (finally, she can't hold it anymore) HAAA HA HA HA HA! You cal-... HA HA!... You called him an... an asshole, Pearl! (points towards her) YOU called him an ASSHOLE! (falls from the couch, laughing hysterically while rolling on the floor) I just can't believe this shi-... HAAA HA HA HA HAAAAA!...

- Pearl: (Her cheeks were in a deep shade of blue) Did I... d-did I just said... that?

- Garnet: You did. We all heard it.

- Pearl: (Nervous) I-it can't be... I-I never say those things... (gets up, angry) Amethyst! Just see what you do! Not only you have taught curse words to Steven, but also your bad habits are now spreading to the rest of us!

Things were about to get real bad, but then someone knocked at the door... or more likely slammed on it.

- Steven: Eh? That's weird. We didn't expect visits at this time, did we?

- Garnet: (Heavily sighs) I gotta see who it is. I only hope it isn't the mailman, Ruby sort of dislikes him since the thing with the letters.

The fusion went towards the door, to see a boy wearing a beach shirt, shorts and dark sandals, with his hair resembling the appearance of curly fries.

- Garnet: (Opens the door) Yes?

- Ronaldo: (Gets in his knees, at the verge of tears) PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE BEACH CITY! WE NEED YOU HERE! I NEED YOU HERE FOR THIS PLACE TO BE... WEIRD! PLEASE, STAY! STAY AND KEEP MAKING BEACH CITY WE-HE-HE-HE-HE-IRD...!

Garnet stayed unmovable and stoic, watching the small human crying on her feet. Inside her, however, the situation was different:

- Garnet [Ruby]: [... This guy's gotta be kidding!]

- Garnet [Sapphire]: [Aww, poor little thing! Steven said he dedicated his life to the abnormal happenings during our missions in Beach City for his blog.]

- Garnet [Ruby]: [We don't even have any idea what that is supposed to be!]

- Garnet [Sapphire]: [That's true, but I still feel bad for him. She should do something. I see it, this is important for him.]

- Garnet [Ruby]: [Then what do we do?]

- Garnet [Sapphire]: [Hmm... let's give him what he wants, let's say yes. Pearl disliked our idea of moving to Ocean Town, anyway.]

- Garnet [Ruby]: [Dammit! I really wanted a pool.]

- Garnet [Sapphire]: [We would need more money for that. Greg doesn't earn enough in the car wash.]

- Garnet [Ruby]: [Yeah, good point. Go ahead.]

Both halves of Garnet came to an agreement which was expressed in a pair of words:

- Garnet: Alright then.

Then the fusion gave the conversation for ended and closed the door. She sat again on the couch, where the argue seemed to have calmed down.

- Amethyst: Who as it? The pizza deliverer?

- Garnet: It was Ronaldo.

- Amethyst: That jerk again? What did he want?

- Garnet: Apparently he changed his mind. We're going to stay here for a while longer (crosses her legs and adjusts her shades).

- Amethyst: (Derogative) Oh really? Prfft!

- Pearl: I got the feeling this human is going to become a real headache... (she suddenly places a hand on her forehead) literally. Ouch!

- Steven: Pearl? What's the matter?

- Pearl: N-nothing, Steven, it was just a twinge. I'm okay now.

There was a short silence, which was broken when Garnet announced something.

- Garnet: Gems, we've got a problem.

- Amethyst: What's going on now?

- Garnet: It seems the healing spit that Steven has used on us won't be enough for we to fully recover from our wounds.

- Pearl: (Confused) What?

- Steven: (Visibly worried) What do you mean?

- Garnet: Our gemstones have suffered heavy damage. This damage is internal, it will take a while to manifest itself, and the only way to recover from it is retreating back to them. We'll have to solve this the classic way.

Garnet was right at certain point. There was a faint scar in her cheek where it had been perforated before, Amethyst's gemstone was reflecting light in an abnormal way and the scratch on Pearl's one seemed to be reappearing somehow.

- Steven: What about my spit? Or my mother's fountain?

- Garnet: I'm afraid your powers work too quickly to be able to treat such a deep and complicated kind of damage in gemstones. Perhaps that's the reason neither you or your mother have been able to restore corrupted gems using your healing fluids so far.

- Pearl: Really?

- Garnet: Trust me (adjusts her shades again), the possible outcomes of this are anything but pleasant.

It became pretty obvious she was making use of her future vision ability, unique in her. Nobody needed more hints.

- Amethyst: Okay so, we're pretty bad but... what do we do with Steven?

- Pearl: That's true, Steven can't be left all alone yet. He's just a kid.

- Garnet: Steven is 12 years old already. Several books say he's entering to a new stage in his life, and he has demonstrated to be someone responsible; so we can give him a chance.

- Steven: (Exited, with star-like shines on her pupils) Will it be like a mission?

- Garnet: (Places a hand on his shoulder, speaking in a motherly voice) That's right, Steven, and it's going to be a really special and delicate one.

Steven understood what his protector meant and tried to put the most serious face he could, although he just managed to look even more adorable. Amethyst let go a snort, holding her laugh.

- Garnet: We'll be absent for some days, so we need you to take care of our gemstones while we are regenerating.

- Amethyst: It's not a bad idea. I mean, he's the only one who didn't go under heavy damage, right?

- Garnet: Yes, that's right. Now we'll go get some provisions for you to have something to eat during the days in which you cannot stay with your father. Do you you think you'll be able to handle it?

- Steven: Of course! (Offers a military salute) You can trust Serious Steven!

- Garnet: (Pats his hair, messing it up) He he, of course we can. I'm pretty sure you'll do it fine.

And so, the gems went to Beach City for supplies and everything Steven could need. Dealing with Pearl's sudden attacks of 'what if...?' proved to be complicated, but they still managed to leave the supermarket with a check they could pay and enough articles.

The night had fallen when the four were back at the beach house. Inside, they organized everything that was available. Pearl took advantage of the time and gave Steven some last instructions and then she bade him farewell. The others did the same too, all of them joining in a group hug right afterwards.

Moments later, a series of lights left from what once were the Crystal Gems only a pearl, an amethyst, a ruby and a sapphire, lying on the floor. Each gemstone could fit in the palm of a hand.

Steven pulled out some pillows he had prepared for the gems: a white pillow for Pearl, a blue pillow for Amethyst and a red pillow with golden fringes for Ruby and Sapphire. The last one was for two gems not due to a lack of more pillows, but because the kid knew the level of intimacy and closeness they had, and he preferred to keep them together during their healing process.

Finally, the quartz child put the pillows on a shelf in his bedroom, with the moonlight being casted on them and projecting a slight shine on the roof from them. The only thing that could be heard outside was the waves breaking on the bay due to the rising tides, and the drops of water from the intense rain having place in that moment, crashing on the window. Steven put on his pajamas and went to bed for spending his first night without the gems at home.

- Steven: Good night, Pearl. G'night, Amethyst. G'night, Garnet.

This was going to be a long week.

NA: If you're wondering, I can tell you that either Pearl, Amethyst or Garnet will have a very important role in this fanfic from now onwards. Steven is going to take this on his hands.

And let's give a warm welcome to Ayase Reincarnated, our 8th follower!

Thanks for reading.