Rose had always found fusion fascinating.
She was never meant to do it herself; her superiors saying that it wasn't necessary for her to, and she'll never be able to find herself a suitable partner or the right opportunity. But she was still curious about how it felt.
She witnessed it before on the battlefields plenty of times; mostly it was Rubies who needed an extra advantage (which, apparently was always). Seeing Gems summon light from their core and reverting back into their pure form—insubstantial light—and then phase into another Gem and sharing a new form together, one that was far more powerful than before.
Quartzes like Rose were told that fusion was a tactic only reserved for those who need it—and that they were of the few that didn't. After all, they were already gigantic and powerful enough on their own; as if they needed to improve upon their skill.
Some Quartzes Rose knew thought of fusion as an act of cowardice, stating that only the weak would try to call upon another to strengthen themselves. True warriors didn't need anybody.
But no matter what she heard, Rose still believed that fusion must be privilege, even if no one else agreed with her.
Garnet opened her eyes.
Witnessing her birth in front of several other Homeworld Gems unlocked endless possibilities; Rose had previously believed it was impossible for Gems of different types to fuse but she was looking at the counter-evidence right now!
She then realized that the only reason that Homeworld never thought it was possible before was because they never tried to. They always stuck to the stifling traditions of the past and never seem to move forward in any way.
Naturally, Homeworld shunned this work of art, this new innovator, like she was garbage, a plight on their perfect society. The two Gems who made up this beautiful creature were now outcasts and lived on their own in the wilderness, all because of one noble act they were told was mutiny.
But Rose felt pity for those who were tossed aside and gave them chances. She immediately welcomed this newcomer into the Crystal Gems, where she can be free to be herself.
This new Gem was then christened "Garnet," saying it was the name of the new gemstones embedded in her palms.
Rose was fascinated by it. Garnet's gems were no longer red and blue, but a new purplish-red color. She truly was something entirely new, a creature with her own name. She never seen a pure "Garnet" before and wondered why. Why couldn't the Kindergartners manufacture such a Gem?
For now, fusion seemed to be the only method to create a "Garnet."
Pearl was also curious about it. She was surprised when Garnet summoned a weapon herself: a pair of gauntlets that was a larger, more powerful versions of Ruby's. She was even more shocked when she realized Garnet inherited Sapphire's future vision. To her, Garnet was her own little science experiment.
Like Rose, Pearl had never experienced fusion before either. But for an entirely different reason: she wasn't considered too high to fuse, instead she was considered too low. Pearls were made to look pretty and serve their masters; it wouldn't be very pretty if they created new beings together, would it? And Pearls weren't supposed to associate themselves with other Gems of their kind, seeing that their masters are their sole purpose, so they would never get the chance anyways. No one would ever deface their property in such a manner. What kind of master would need their Pearl to fight anyways?
But now Pearl was looking at her chance right in the eyes.
It didn't take very long before Crystal Gems began experimenting themselves. They thought of it as another jab at their society's old ways, as another act of rebellion and anarchy that they were known for.
But Rose wanted to take it seriously.
Random fusions were made, ones that were chaotic and defused faster than those of Homeworld's armies, nothing like Garnet. They either fell apart before their gemstones got the chance to merge or stayed together too long and were impossible to separate. They didn't know what was wrong. Garnet seemed so perfect and stable; what was wrong with them?
The answer was love.
Intimate feelings were needed. Without it, fusions had as much personality as a knife. Two opposing Gems weren't stable together inside of a new being and it could severely hurt their fusion's psyche. Fusion should not be forced. Instead it has to be handled with care. Pick someone carefully instead of the first one you see. It's an experience meant to be treasured, not thrown together violently for an adrenaline rush. The fusion's power comes from the bond between their components, rather than the sum of their parts.
And when Rose learned the secret, she couldn't imagine her first fusion with anyone other than Pearl, who's been by her through the best and worst times.
When she suggested it to her, Pearl immediately blushed and stared at the ground. The way Garnet described it, it seemed so intimate.
"You sure we would be good together?" Pearl asked.
"I know so," Rose said in response, which elicited a smile from the white Gem.
It took a lot of practice, both being inexperienced, but the dance routine was simple enough to master. Reverting back into their pure form was a bit trickier. But Rose was determined to see the experience for herself. And Pearl was determined to please her.
Rose was right: the two of them were good together. They had created a fusion far more elegant and beautiful than Garnet and managed to stick together longer than the other Crystal Gem fusions. Long pale blond hair hung down their back and now Rose was seeing the world through two pairs of eyes instead of one.
At first, it was shaky. Thoughts collided together, words were scrambled, and motor skills were less than pleasing. But then her personality blended together, and created someone who was neither Rose nor Pearl; but someone with a name, an identity, a vision.
A name registered inside her head: Rainbow Quartz.
It fit perfectly.