Sapphire had to admit, she had very little experience when it came to interacting with others. So much of her time was spent alone in her private reflection chambers, envisioning the future with the only sound to ever interrupt her was the light trickling of the fountains surrounding her. And even when her presence was requested at gatherings, Sapphire was simply a naturally introverted Gem. Many other Gems were either too awestruck by her rarity and status that they never dared skirt fifteen feet within her radius or were too discomforted by her less-than-expressive voice or enigmatic words that forming a conversation would predictably be very one-sided.

Nonetheless, Sapphire hardly knew what it meant to have friends. Worse, she didn't know what it was like to comfort someone who was in pain.

But things were different now. She was in a place where no Gem, of any type of form, would be afraid to approach her: no boundaries, no class system, and no restrictions.

Of course, Sapphire had to get used to it at first. It was alarming when Bismuth approached you and strike up a conversation about types of swords when all the Bismuths you knew prior silently worshipped you from afar. But luckily, Sapphire never understood the bigotry other Gems of her ranking spoke of; no matter what kind of Gem you spoke to, they all had the same capabilities when looking at it from the view of a seer. She had gotten used to it just fine.

But the real challenge trying to comfort a Crystal Gem who hardly considered herself a Crystal Gem . . . but Sapphire was determined to try.


"Who's there?" Amethyst cried out as her eyes darted around her surroundings. She was cloaked in the shadows of the strange foliage of the Earth's wilderness, which bleakly reminded her of the time she spent with Pearl in Earth's forests.

"I'm not Rose, you know," a gentle voice responded, not fazed by Amethyst's hysterical voice.

Amethyst blanched for a second before retreating further into her hiding spot underneath a thick willow tree, finding delicate bark pressing against her back as she inched backwards. "H-how did you know I didn't want to see Rose?" she stuttered, hating the nervousness in her voice.

"It was a predictable response," the voice flatly replied, a slightly smug undertone apparent.

Amethyst gritted her teeth. She didn't have time for this. Whoever this Gem was, she didn't like her, judging by her monotonous but arrogant voice and how she predicted what Amethyst was going to say. She knew that was incredibly shallow to think about but the one thing she wanted from the world was the chance to be alone and for some reason, the world refused to give her that.

"What other words I'll say can you predict?" the purple Gem coldly mocked.

"I can predict that you wish desperately to be alone but deep down, that's certainly not what you truly desire," the voice replied without a moment to hesitate, taking Amethyst's words like some kind of challenge. "I can predict that you also wish for someone to speak to you about Pink Diamond, someone who isn't biased by the Crystal Gems' decree of war, nor anyone who never met her. I also know that what you want the most is Pearl to be back in your arms but you refuse to admit it and push her away at any possible chance in the future."

Amethyst's jaw simply dropped and it took a few moments to simply shake off the surprise and speak again. "What are you, a mind reader?"

"No," the voice replied tersely and suddenly, a pair of gloved hands pushed through the curtain of green leaves that shielded Amethyst from the rest of the world and pried them apart, revealing a blue-skinned face that was half-covered by a layer of frost-colored tresses. "I'm a Sapphire."

She was a dainty Gem, about the same size as Amethyst but was clearly made to be that way unlike the defective Quartz.

Amethyst quickly recognized her.

"It's you!" she shrieked, so surprised that her head slammed against the delicate tree trunk behind her, giving her a sharp ache in the back of her head and a slight dent in the tree. She winced but hissed through her clenched teeth to finish her sentence. "You were the Sapphire from the Arena! You saw Pearl and I first fuse!"

"Don't be alarmed," Sapphire spoke in a chillingly calm voice that made Amethyst's hair stand on end rather than soothing her. "I mean no harm. In fact, I have recently defected from Blue Diamond's control and have sought out an audience with the Crystal Gems."

"W-why would you do that?" Amethyst cried, finding the courage to unfurl her legs away from her chest, determined to not humiliate herself in front of a prestigious Sapphire. But then again, she might've already failed to impress her with her dwarf-like size. "You're a Sapphire—and a perfect one at that, too! They give you everything you could possibly want back on Homeworld and best of all, no one ever has the authority to tease or doubt you. Why did you have to do all of that? And what are you doing here trying to talk to me? I set your entire predicted timeline off the right course and it's because of me the war is still ensuing. Just tell me why . . . why would someone like you care about someone like me?"

Sapphire's expression softened—or least what Amethyst could discern from what parts of her face weren't cloaked by hair—and she gently replied, "Because of what I saw from Opal. That's what the fusion was called, right?"

Amethyst nodded in awe. Just what did Sapphire want from seeing something as abominable as Opal? Shouldn't she hate her because she proved her power could be doubtful at times?

"When I first saw Opal, it was the first time in my life that I saw something that sparked my curiosity," the blue seer explained. "You could understand that being a Gem with all the foreknowledge of everything accountable can be a rather monotonous life to lead. Nothing surprises you anymore, nothing fascinates you anymore; there's almost no point in doing anything when you can see the exact outcome. But Opal was different. And she certainly wasn't different in a terrible way like all of Homeworld thinks—no, she was different in a beautiful way. I couldn't understand why Blue Diamond thought of you as such a blemish. To me, what you created with Pearl was the most spectacular thing I ever saw. I would do anything to see her again."

"Well, you came too late then," Amethyst deadpanned with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "I don't Pearl and I can ever face each other again."

"I know that," Sapphire responded. "Rose has informed of your situation."

Amethyst's fists clenched together and her teeth gritted and right when she was almost certain she liked Sapphire's company. "Don't ever say her name in front of me again. I just can't deal with being on the same side as a murderer."

"But didn't that murderer help form the one faction that accepted your relationship with Pearl, which is something that would've been absolutely forbidden anywhere else?" Sapphire interjected harshly. "How do you know that Pink Diamond would've tolerated Opal, or you being intimate with Pearl in general? She could've taken Blue Diamond's side for all you know. She kept you from getting shattered when you first emerged but she could've let you get shattered if she knew what you did with Pearl. After all, you admit that you never knew her personally, right?"

Amethyst froze, caught in Sapphire's perfect trap. She really didn't know, did she? Her teeth dug into her bottom lip in shame. How could a complete stranger like Sapphire figure out all of her emotional issues simply by taking a peek into the future?

"What do you treasure more, Amethyst?" the blue Gem asked bluntly with no mercy. "Your loyalty to a Gem you hardly knew or the one Gem who loved and will love you unconditionally, with whom you created something unbelievable and extraordinary?"

Silence overtook them before Amethyst answered.

"I . . . I love Pearl . . . who loves me . . . which is something I didn't know was possible before," Amethyst whispered, with tears streaming down her cheeks. "And I miss being Opal . . . she was strong and beautiful and everything I can't ever be right now as myself . . . and Rose . . . I don't know if I really can forgive her instantly . . . after what she did . . . but I want to make Pearl happy . . . and I want to be happy myself . . . I really can't handle being alone far too well, no matter how many times I deny it . . ."

Amethyst's lips curled up into a genuine smile and she broke out in laughter, interjected by the occasional sniffle and sob that came from the still-falling tears that cascaded over her face.

"Okay . . . you're right, Sapphire," Amethyst sobbed. "I can't live like this any further. I need Pearl again, now more than anything."

Sapphire smiled back, which caught the purple Gem off guard but it was a very pleasant surprise to see. "Good, now, let us find Pearl and solve all of this."


Being cut off from Pearl for so long made it almost a shock to see her again. She certainly didn't change at all, still possessing her feathery hair, gauzy dress, and timid stance that boasted meekness and fragility, but she still appeared beautiful nonetheless to Amethyst.

"Please don't tell me you're to yell at me again, are you?" Pearl squeaked, flinching once she was near her former lover.

Amethyst sighed and said, "No, and I'm sorry for everything I said to you before. I wasn't thinking straight and I was too caught up in all the grief. I just didn't understand how Opal saw Pink Diamond when we swore she was gone."

"I didn't understand that either," Pearl admitted bashfully, flushing a deep blue color that Amethyst couldn't help but admire. Silence passed before she added, "Maybe that's a sign that Opal isn't something healthy for both of us . . ."

"No," Sapphire interjected, almost furiously. The words finally reminded both Pearl and Amethyst that the blue Gem was still in their presence. It was hard to remember her being there now that they are finally reunited. "Just because Opal is something hard to comprehend doesn't mean she is something unhealthy. I think I have an idea of what to do but I need Opal to be here again."

"Um . . . are you okay if we . . ." Amethyst began awkwardly.

"I still don't know why you're so hesitant to ask," Pearl replied cheerfully, wiping away the tears that formed at the edges of her eyes.

A sweep of their feet, a brilliant flash of light, and a gentle sigh afterwards, Opal appeared in all her glory, just as Sapphire remembered her. It actually took a lot of composure for the blue Gem to not dissipate her form right then and there.

"I'm afraid that I might fall apart again," the fusion admitted fearfully as she sat down cross-legged in front of the Gem her components simultaneously recognized as Sapphire. "What happened in the Arena . . . was not a good experience."

"Don't worry," Sapphire reassured the fusion, clasping her hands in her lap and guiding Opal to do the same. "I advise you to do what I do when my visions of the future overwhelm me. Simply sit and breathe and focus on nothing else."

"But that sounds so simple . . ." Opal started.

"Exactly," Sapphire interjected with a smile. "It's simple, so that means you can do it. Just breath and focus on my voice."

"Okay," Opal responded and she did as she was told which was a bit difficult when there were screeching voices in her head and nonsense thoughts bubbling all around her. "I'm breathing . . . I'm fine . . . what do I do now?"

"Close your eyes," Sapphire instructed as darkness overtook Opal's vision. "Now Opal . . . here comes a thought . . ."