Chapter 9: The Meeting

Sweet, warm winds blew across the soft hill top. The smell of sea salt rolled in, covering the beach and its surroundings in its scent. The sun sat high in the sky, bathing the buildings and cliff in its warmth. A boy sat on top of the hill, looking down at his feet. He smiled as his hands began to feel warm.

Steven had been sitting at this familiar spot for a few hours at this point. Every time he even thought of leaving, his mind went back to her. That one Gem that made his heart pick up. The one Gem that made him feel like he could leap over the moon. The one that gave him that warm feeling in his Gem. Peridot.

Steven brought his knees up to his chest as his smile grew. His Gem was becoming hotter by the minute, and he couldn't care less. He gripped his cheeks to feel their heat. He was becoming more and more flustered. Steven let his hands fall back to the grass as he closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do: He was hopelessly fond of her.

Steven suddenly felt guilty. He barely had a chance to see Peridot since yesterday. And even when he could, it was interrupted by Amethyst. Maybe he should follow his dad's advice and—

Steven's train of thought was suddenly derailed by the sounds of sizzling. The smell of burning filled his nostrils. Steven opened his eyes and began looking around in confusion. Was something on fire?

As quickly as his question was asked, it was answered. Looking down at the ground beneath him, he found the grass under his hands to be smoldering.

"Ah!" Steven yelped, jumping up suddenly. He began stomping the two patches of smoking grass in panic, making sure they were out. As soon as he was sure that the fire was extinguished, Steven looked down at what he suspected to be the cause of the problem. He hadn't noticed till then, but his hands were insanely hot. More than they've ever been up until now.

"Wah?"

Steven had been noticing the strange occurrences of his hands and Gem becoming warm the past few days, but he had mostly ignored it. Now it was becoming a problem.

"I gotta talk to the Gems."

He began sprinting down the hill. In less time than he expected, Steven found himself barreling through his front door, past the surprised face of Cinnabar. She was hanging out on the porch after their second Gem-Speak lesson today. So, thankfully, Steven wouldn't have to worry about her right now.

As Steven came to a stop in the center of the house, he apprehensively felt his hands. They had cooled a bit, but they were still quite warm.

"Phew," he let out, taking a look outside, to see Cinnabar still on his porch. Assured that she wasn't coming in, Steven began pacing towards the temple door. "Okay, so, fire hands. That's a new one."

Steven paused. He considered just asking the Gems, but he felt that they'd just chalk it up to him being half human. He needed some results. Then, it came to him.

"Peridot's got that scanner thing!" He exclaimed. Sure, it couldn't figure out why he had gotten taller, but this was certainly different. Steven ran over to the bathroom door and knocked once before entering. What he found inside, however, surprised him.

"Ah!" Peridot screamed in surprise. Steven's sudden entrance had caught her off guard. She didn't have enough time to react. Draped over her body, quite clearly, was one of Steven's old star shirts; one from before he had gotten taller. Before Steven could say anything, Peridot tore the shirt from her chest. Her face erupted with a lime green blush.

"I don't steal your clothes when you're not looking!" She blurted out in defense.

The bizarre situation suddenly caught up to Steven, as everything that had just happened registered. He couldn't help but start giggling at the sight before him.

"Hehe, you don't need to explain, Peridot. I get it."

Peridot's arms fell to her side in defeat. She pursed her lips and looked away, her blush still there.

"Alright, what do you want?" She mumbled. Steven frowned before stepping forward.

"This really weird thing has been happening the past few days. It's like my hands and Gem get really warm and they start to feel weird," he explained. He lifted his hands to show her. "I've been ignoring it with everything that's been happening lately. But today, I burnt grass. I need your help here, Peridot."

Peridot perked up from her romp before stepping forward. She gripped onto Steven's outstretched hand and began running her fingers over his palm lines. She had a new glint in her eyes: one of curiosity, yet also concern.

"Many Gems have basic elemental powers. Rubies have fire, Lazulis have water. This might be some latent ability."

"Wait, so am I gonna start burning the whole room when I get angry or something?!" Steven began panicking. Peridot gripped his hand, calming him.

"Not if you relax," she explained. Peridot reached over to the bathroom counter, where her scanner sat. She brought it over to Steven's hand. "So, the question is, what kind of Quartz are you?"

"Uh, a Rose Quartz, I guess?" Steven tried answering. Peridot paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"...No. No, not that," she said to herself. She stuck the scanner into Steven's hand, nipping him.

"Ow!" He said in surprise. "You didn't tell me that was going to hurt."

"You wouldn't have agreed to get it done then," Peridot explained. She began flicking switches and pushing buttons on the device as she continued. "I'm worried about your health Steven, I'll do what I have to, to check on it."

Steven couldn't help but smile.

"Aww, thanks, Peridot," he replied. Peridot's blush grew as she continued calibrating the machine. She didn't respond to the comment.

"Now, Rose Quartzs aren't known to possess any kind of fire abilities. But strange things can happen whilst a Gem is made, and there is no telling what being human can do to the whole thing. You could just be overheating."

"What does that mean?"

"Usually it means you'd have to recede back into your Gem, and reform. But considering your biology… I wouldn't recommend it." Peridot placed the scanner on the counter again, letting it run. "Now, I want to see an example of the phenomenon."

"...What?"

"I want to see your hands get warm," Peridot explained, rolling her eyes. She held onto Steven's hands and lifted them up. Steven quickly pulled away.

"I- I don't know. I can't just make it happen, it just sort of does." He looked at his hands, noting their return to normal temperature. Peridot gripped onto them again.

"Well, what did you do last time when they got warm?"

Steven blushed.

"I, uh, usually get really emotional. I get flustered and—"

"Well, get flustered then," Peridot said with a smirk, leaning up to his face. She looked back down at his hands and began gripping them tightly. Steven gulped.

Okay, Steven, he thought. You can do this. She's right there. His mind went back to that guilt he felt earlier. About not getting enough time to see Peridot. He had an idea.

"Peridot."

"Hm?" Peridot looked up. As soon as she did, however, Steven leaned in. Before she could react, Steven planted a kiss on her visor, right on the spot where her Gem was. His hands erupted with heat and his Gem began crackling like a fresh fire. Peridot stammered in surprise. Steven's face erupted in his own bright pink blush.

"That good enough?"

Practically trembling, Peridot nodded. Her fingers stumbled over his hands. They ran over the palm lines, feeling for the differences in heat. Once she was satisfied with her results, Peridot released Steven's hand, turning to pick up the scanner from the counter. There was still a visible blush on her face.

As soon as Peridot's eyes fell on the small screen of the device, however, the blush on her cheeks disappeared. Her face tensed and scrunched.

"Ugh!" She groaned, gripping the device in annoyance. "Stupid, conspiring, inconvenient—"

"Woah, woah, woah, Peridot. What's wrong?" Steven questioned, concerned about Peridot's sudden change of demeanor. His hands were raised in a calming manner. Peridot whipped around and shoved the scanner in front of his eyes.

"Updating! Can you believe it? I didn't even know Homeworld could get a signal out here, let alone use that signal to update the software of my tools ." Peridot paused for a moment, in thought. "Those clods have a signal all the way out here, and they didn't use it to contact me! "

Steven's expression of concern gave way to a small smile as Peridot waved the device around herself in frustration. She was a bit of a mess, but she was his mess. Peridot eventually calmed herself down before placing the device back on the counter. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Unfortunately, because of that, I won't have any results for a few hours," Peridot confessed. She crossed her arms with an irritated look on her face.

"It's fine," Steven replied. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a grin. "I can wait."

Peridot loosened as a small, reluctant smile grew on her face. Her eyes shied away from Steven as she began to blush.

"So… any plans for today?" She said, trying to start a conversation. Steven's mind went back to the day before when his dad had shown up. He recollected a specific piece of advice his father had given him, a 'Mr. Universe Dating Tip' as he put it. Steven smiled as he took Peridot's hands.

"Peridot, let's go—" Steven paused, as Peridot's blushing face suddenly tightened up. Her flustered expression became annoyed. "—What's wrong?"

Peridot rolled her eyes before pointing over his shoulder, towards the open door. Steven turned and was suddenly hit by a strange sense of déjà vu. Leaning against the doorway was the familiar face of Amethyst. She was about to double over in laughter. She stepped off the frame and approached the two. Her face was nearly cracking.

" Oh Peridot, won't you pwease go out with me?" She teased, putting on a sappy voice. She stepped forward and locked her fingers. " Oh, of course, I will Steven."

"Cut it out, Amethyst," Steven pleaded. Amethyst released her fingers before letting her arms fall to her side. She rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine. But, when people say 'get a room' they usually mean you should close the door." Amethyst jiggled the knob of the door in example. "By the way, Garnet wants to talk to you."

Steven hesitated for a moment, turning back to Peridot. The green gem put her hands on his shoulder.

"Go, we'll talk later," She told him. Steven paused, before nodding in agreement. With one last smile, the two parted; Steven left the room with Amethyst. Peridot shut the door behind them.

Cinnabar was still standing outside, so Steven and Amethyst went straight for the temple door. Steven couldn't find a reason to speak up; he wasn't happy with Amethyst's teasing. Amethyst, however, noticed his aloof demeanor and nudged him.

"Hey, don't get too hung up on what I said," she said. Steven didn't respond as they entered through the gate. "I was just being me, ya know?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how this works," Steven replied, quickly leaving the door. Amethyst sped up to keep pace. The two stayed silent as they found the stairs in the room, leading to Pearl's. But as they ascended the steps, Amethyst began to speak up again.

"You two are really cute together, ya know?" Amethyst looked up at Steven. "I mean, I would've never thought it'd be you two. But I gotta admit. It works."

Steven looked up and began to blush. He rubbed his neck awkwardly and gave a weak smile.

"Thanks." Steven straightened up as they walked up the tall flight of stairs. His classic cheery expression returned. "So do you know what Garnet wants to talk about?"

Amethyst shrugged.

"Don't got a clue. She seemed pretty serious about it."

Was this about Cinnabar? Steven thought. Things had slowed down recently, and their attention was sort of all over the place. Plus, they had completely dropped working on the drill. Would Garnet ask him to wrap up the project? End it prematurely? Steven resisted the urge to gulp dramatically.

The two finally arrived at Pearl's room. The now familiar water platforms clapped and clicked as they stepped onto its surface. Standing opposite to them was Pearl and Garnet, turned away and speaking in a hushed whisper. The sound of Steven and Amethyst's arrival, however, caught their attention. The two leading Gems turned to face them. Pearl had a wide but concerned smile on her face.

"Hello Steven," she greeted. The tips of her fingers were touching.

"Hey Pearl, hey Garnet," Steven replied with a wave. Garnet didn't react. Her stoic face remained cold and unmoving. Steven was unnerved. "So, uh, what's up?"

Pearl was first to respond.

"Garnet and I were talking, and we've—" Pearl was cut off as Garnet put her arm up. The lead Gem pointed behind her and Pearl pursed her lips before stepping back. Steven thought that was weird. Why was Garnet acting like this? Garnet stepped forward, catching his focus.

"Steven, your mission has been ongoing for five days now. It's time for something long coming. Something that was standard back during the rebellion," Garnet began. Steven's mind raced in speculation. What could she possibly have in mind? What did she mean by something from the rebellion?

"A report," she said with a sly smile.

Steven was nearly floored. A report? That's it? What was with all the build up? Garnet readjusted her pose, becoming more relaxed. She signaled Amethyst over to her side, leaving Steven to face the three Gems. Garnet waved her hand to Pearl, who stepped forward and began to finish her explanation.

"A live report, specifically," She began. "You'll have to update us on everything that has happened so far, give us your plans moving forward, and justify why you're doing it. And then you'll answer any concerns we may have."

Pearl quickly locked her fingers together as she finished. She seemed excited, yet was trying to hide it. She brought her hands up to her chest. Steven pursed his lips as he faced Garnet.

"So… that's it? What's the big deal?" He asked. Garnet and Pearl glanced at each other before nodding. Amethyst rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Garnet stepped forward and began before she could.

"Steven, when your mother was still around, back during the rebellion, she would often have us go through these same sessions. Time and time again our own ideas were put up to her scrutiny. It was more than just a report, it was training our ability to be independent of her plans." Garnet finished the explanation with a smile.

"Rose would have us give reports, now it's your turn to give us one," Pearl added in. Garnet nodded before stepping back. Steven was forced to stare at all three of the Gems at once. Pearl seemed like she was about to burst with excitement. Amethyst had her arms crossed and her head turned away. And Garnet simply looked across at him, those stoic eyes staring at him through her visor. Steven smiled.

"Alright!" He cheered. "I promise I'll do good for you guys!"

"Ah, ah, ah, Steven," Garnet interrupted. "Not so fast, tiger. Rose would give us days to prepare for this, we're giving you ten minutes."

"Seriously?" Amethyst called, sticking her head up. "Bit much, don't cha think?"

"Steven is a very capable Gem, Amethyst," Pearl replied. Amethyst turned to answer back before Garnet spoke up again.

"You have ten minutes to think your answers over, Steven."

Steven gulped before nodding. While he was confident just moments ago, the pressure was now getting to him. It took Pearl or Garnet days to get ready? He had to be extra sure he was prepared. Steven looked up at the three Gems before him, his frantic heart getting to him.

"Uh, you guys don't mind if I look away while I think this over?"

"Do whatever you need, Steven," Garnet answered. Steven nodded once again before turning in one motion. A silent moment passed. "Good luck."

Steven let out a deep breath before giving a thumbs up. Now, to remember everything that happened the past few days…


Garnet had allowed Steven's ten-minute prep session to bleed into about fifteen. And thankfully, he needed it. More confident than he had been when he turned away, Steven refaced the three Gems in the room. Hopefully, he had everything he needed. He wanted to impress them. Garnet's booming voice then filled the room.

"Steven Quartz Universe!" She called, startling everyone. Steven was unnerved; he didn't like it when she used his full name. "Today you will give a report on the Cinnabar project, as we call it! Do you understand!"

"Yes?" He yelped, standing straight. Garnet crossed her arms, a small smile leaking through.

"Begin."

Steven gulped, recollecting his scattered thoughts.

"It's been, uh, five days since we've— I've, found Cinnabar in her ship. Six counting today. And since then I've given her a tour of Beach City, uh… collected info about Cinnabar, from Peridot, went on a mission with Cinnabar to find some weird ship in the jungle, and, um, learned how to read Gem from her?" Steven pursed his lips. He had skipped a few details from the last few days, especially about his escapades with Peridot. Before he could continue, Garnet put her hand up.

"I didn't know you were talking to Peridot about Cinnabar."

"Yeah, we talked about Cinnabar. And nothing else." Steven resisted the growing blush on his face, led on by Amethyst who was giggling silently. Garnet put her hand down. Steven let out a sigh of relief before continuing. It was time for the next part.

"Because the idea of all of this, is to have Cinnabar become a Crystal Gem, eventually, my plan is to keep going on missions with her, and learning how to read Gem, until… something happens." Steven came to the sudden realization that his idea of a plan was sort of… aimless. Do this, until this happens. Simple, but perhaps not what Garnet was looking for. Unable to come up with more to say, Steven stood silent, signaling that he was finished.

Garnet turned to Pearl, who had her lips pursed in an awkward manner. They nodded in unison before turning in tandem, leaving Amethyst and Steven to face each other. But as quickly as there were two, there was one. Garnet leaned over and pulled Amethyst over to the rough huddle the three were having. Steven was left to watch as the Gems spoke in a hushed whisper. He'd occasionally get a small snippet from Amethyst, but beyond that, he was left in silence.

After what felt like a month, but was really about five minutes, the three Gems exited their private conversation. They returned to their spots in front of Steven, prompting him to stand straight again. After a few silent moments, Garnet began.

"Alright, Steven. On a two to one vote, we agree that what you've done so far has been satisfactory."

Two to one? Who voted against, Steven wondered. Amethyst definitely would've voted for; she's been the most supportive of the whole Cinnabar plan. So it was either Pearl or Garnet. Before he could continue on that thought, however, Garnet began speaking.

"However, Steven, we all have issues we'd like addressed." As Garnet said this, Amethyst crossed her arms again and Pearl allowed her fingers to release and fall to her side. Garnet placed her hands on her hips, completing the ensemble. Pearl stepped forward.

"Steven, I'm concerned with how long this project is taking. We were focused on the Cluster before this, but now that's come to a complete stop. If it's as urgent as Peridot made it out to be, then we can't waste time we need for building the drill." Pearl laid her hand on her chest as she finished. Silence filled the room.

That isn't too hard, Steven thought. They'll just need to move Peridot and the drill back to the barn so that—

"And also, Steven, I have an issue with how much exposure you're having to Cinnabar. It's not that I dislike you getting to know more about Gem culture, I just don't think she's the best to learn it from," Pearl began again, cutting Steven's thought midway.

Uh, okay, Steven thought. That'd be a bit harder, as he sorta needed to be near Cinnabar, for the whole befriending plan to work. It wasn't like he didn't trust the Gems, but they weren't as open to her as he was. Even Amethy—

"Yo, Steven," Amethyst called out, derailing his train of thought again. "I've got my own problems."

"Sure, what's the issue?" Steven replied. He was concerned by the lack of time he had to answer Pearl's questions. Should he have told Amethyst to wait?

"When do I get to do anything? All I've done in like a week is a whole lot of nothing," she began. "Pearl's been butting heads with Cinnabar since day one,"

"Hey!" Pearl squawked.

"And Garnet—"

"Amethyst," Garnet simply said, cutting her off from finishing the thought. "I'll talk to Steven about that."

Steven couldn't even think of an answer that time. Things were speeding up and he was beginning to panic. His heart rate was picking up and his hands were beginning to feel hot. Now it was Garnet's turn to give her issues. At least he could look forward to her usually calm demeanor.

"Steven, I— We," Garnet stumbled as she began. Steven's attempt at a neutral face gave away as Garnet tightened her fists. Her stoic expression crumbled to reveal weakness. Whether intentional or not, her visor disappeared, revealing her panicked eyes. Steven sharply inhaled.

"Ruby and Sapphire, we— I, I can't bare being separate for so long on missions." Garnet placed her right hand on her chest. "When I— we left the mission in the jungle, we weren't gone for so long because we needed to talk. It was because we couldn't stand unfusing so soon. We— I couldn't go on a mission yesterday because we needed to recover from being apart for so long."

Garnet stumbled slightly. Steven's heart jumped into his throat. It was beating like the pistons of an engine now. He felt like he was on the verge of tears. Pearl and Amethyst could only look on in concerned silence.

"Steven, please. From now on, don't split me— us. Don't split us apart."

Steven was floored. He didn't know what to say. Of course he couldn't ask Garnet to unfuse again. Not with how she felt about the whole thing. He could go without seeing Ruby and Sapphire for a million years if it meant—

"If you're taking Garnet out of the missions, let me go instead," Amethyst cut in. Steven was stunned. He couldn't believe how indifferent she was being to Garnet. His hands were burning at the thought of it. He didn't even have a chance to compose his response before another voice interjected.

"Maybe it'd be better if we wrapped the project up altogether, to let Garnet get a break," Pearl suggested. Though with her tone it was more like an announcement. Steven turned to answer her, though now it felt like his hands were about to come ablaze.

"No way! I still haven't had a chance to do anything," Amethyst shot back. Steven was about to berate Amethyst for how she was acting, but the piercing heat in his Gem shook him. He could cook eggs on it if he wanted.

He needed time to answer them.

"Stop thinking about just yourself, Amethyst!"

He needed to clear his mind, to cool his body.

"How about I start thinking about myself? For once!"

Steven needed them to—

"STOP!"

Pearl's room became silent as all nine eyes looked over to the staircase. All that remained was the sloshing of the waterfalls and Steven's pained breath. Standing adamantly on the edge of the platform was a familiar figure.

"Peridot?" Steven managed to pant out. Peridot approached the group. She stared down at the Gems with anger and concern. Pearl took a step forward as Peridot pulled one of Steven's arms and began supporting him on her shoulder.

"How did you get in here?" Pearl demanded to know. Peridot ignored her as she looked over Steven.

"Amethyst left the door open," she deadpanned. She paused before looking over at the three. Garnet wiped her face as she gained a semblance of calm. Amethyst remained silent. "Do the three of you clods even have a single iota of observational ability between you?"

"W-what?" Pearl stumbled. Peridot sighed.

"It's Steven, you incompetent pebbles. Look at what your report is doing to him. His temperature is comparable to a Homeworld ship reactor at the moment." Peridot pulled Steven up and presented his skin to them. It was almost red in tint.

"P-Peridot, it's fine…" Steven let out. Peridot ignored this and held him closer.

"You want solutions? I'll give you solutions ."

Peridot jabbed her finger at Pearl.

"You said it yourself, Cinnabar is a one Gem army. Who cares what the Cluster does if she destroys this pathetic excuse of a species." Peridot turned to Amethyst, who only gave her a look. "And you."

Steven was beginning to recover now as he supported his own weight. He left Peridot's arm over him, however.

"Why do you care so much about being a part of these plans? Do you really need some kind of validation out of having something to do? Steven is the only one that is really needed for this to work, so whether you go on an extra mission or not is totally pointless."

"Peridot…" Steven managed to croak out. She was going too far, hitting too close. She was helping him, sure. But he wasn't sure if this was the kind of help he wanted. Peridot took her arm from Steven's side and took a step towards Garnet. She paused as her eyes met with Garnet's. Whatever weakness there was before was gone. Peridot gulped.

"...Garnet," She let out. It suddenly occurred to Peridot that this was the first time she had ever referred to Garnet by her name. Perhaps Steven had a greater effect on her than she thought. Peridot readjusted herself before continuing. "I'm… unsure of what to tell you. With everything you and Steven have told me about fusion, I would've thought this would be a non-issue . The two of you in there have gotten to know each other so well, that a few hours apart shouldn't hurt."

A short silence followed. Peridot gulped again. Either this was going to work, or she would soon become shards on the ground and in Garnet's gauntlets. Garnet shifted, prompting Peridot to continue.

"You always talk about how much you love being you!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in defense. Garnet paused. "W-Well, how about you help that, huh? Spend some more time unfused, and Steven can promise you an eternity to be… you. If Steven's plan works, then you never have to worry about doing this again."

The room fell back into stunned silence. Peridot's entrance till now had barely reached three minutes. Yet it felt a lot longer. Steven's temperature had gone down to just above average, led on by the short time Peridot had held him. His breathing was regular, and his mind had cleared. All he was left to now was thought.

Peridot had basically saved him. Her sudden entrance and firecracker answers basically saved his report as well. That, or doomed it. Sure, he wouldn't have worded them as harshly, but better than to not have worded them at all. He would apologize to everyone later.

As quickly as stunned silences come, they leave. As the sloshing water was soon not the only thing breaking the quiet. Now, the calm deep chuckle of one surprising individual echoed the large room. Garnet rubbed her eyes beneath her visor, before giving a small, if weak, smile. Pearl and Amethyst looked up at her in surprise.

"Alright, Steven… and Peridot. You pass. Your report has been accepted."

"Really!?" Steven let out in surprise and ecstasy. Garnet nodded, prompting him to jump Peridot and hug her.

"What?" Pearl stuttered. "But Garnet, the pl—"

"We'll discuss this a bit later, Pearl. I've made my decision." She simply said. Pearl, unable to respond, could only look at Peridot and Steven. The two had, at some point, found themselves holding hands. As Garnet walked past her field of vision, she followed.

"Garnet!"

Amethyst simply looked on at the two and rolled her eyes. Of course Garnet would allow a team up. It was Garnet , of all people.

Still, Amethyst wasn't satisfied with the answer Peridot gave her. She felt like she deserved more to do with this crazy plan. Amethyst huffed. Not like she could complain though. She began to follow Pearl and Garnet as they descended the stairs. Before she took the first step, however, Amethyst paused to look back at the two talking. There were stars in Steven's eyes and a light blush on Peridot's face.

Amethyst had to admit, they were more than just cute. They worked well together. She continued her way down the stairs.

"That was amazing, Peridot!" Steven cheered. "I have no idea what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."

"It's nothing, really," Peridot said, passing it off. "Though considering your temperature, you'd possibly suffer a heat stroke."

Steven laughed before tightly hugging Peridot. She resisted for a moment before giving into the sign of affection. Steven's thoughts went back to his father's advice from the day before. After a few moments, he let go.

"Peridot, I really want to thank you for helping me," he began. Peridot began blushing even more.

"I told you, it's fine. You don't need to do anything."

"No, really I mean it." Steven steeled himself. "Let's… Let's go out."

Peridot was taken aback.

"Like…"

Steven nodded.

"On a date."

"...What's a date?"


The three Gems descended the stairs in a mixture of ramblings and bitter annoyance. Amethyst tried her best to remain silent, but her voice would break into the conversation occasionally.

"Garnet, what was the point of all of that if you're just going to let Peridot help him?" Pearl questioned, trying to step in front of the lead Gem. Garnet walked past her.

"The point of the exercise was to see Steven use the resources he has to solve a problem. Peridot is as much of an asset to him as anything else." Garnet simply stated. Pearl remained silent as Amethyst passed her.

"I can't believe you had to pull that shtick about defusing," Amethyst complained. She crossed her arms. "You've hung around as Ruby and Sapphire long enough before. And now I think I'm gonna have nightmares about your face for weeks."

"Well I can't believe you of all people voted down on Steven's plan," Pearl commented.

"Hey! Let's just say I have exclusive info on what Steven's actually been doing the last few days." Amethyst shot back.

Garnet paused on the steps, prompting the other Gems to stop. A short silence followed.

"Ruby and Sapphire… They do take issue with not being me for so long. But for Steven, they're willing to stick through it," Garnet exposited. "The act, which I thank you for going along with, was only a test of Steven's ability to put aside his emotions to make a decision."

Garnet turned so that half of her face faced the two behind her.

"And in that aspect. He failed."

End of Chapter 9