Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe.
A/N: This is sort of like a follow up to Chapter 2: How they Fused, but I can be read as it's own one-shot.
Has hints of unrequited Amethyst/Pearl and Pearl/Rose.
"Garnet" Amethyst tried out, "That's a nice name." She giggled, walking around the tall gem.
Garnet was shocked. Hearing her name on the lips of another was exhilarating.
"You ok?" Amethyst laughed.
The newly formed being smiled widely, all three eyes lit up at one.
No.
She wasn't ok…
Garnet was better than 'ok'!
Every shared movement and every single thought turned conversation, it was all too real.
Sapphire and Ruby felt remade.
Garnet looked at her hands, not directly speaking to anyone, "I did it!" She shifted her weight, noting the distinct feeling it brought.
"Wait!" The Earth gem exclaimed, "Did this just happen?!"
A stream of thoughts mingled through one mind.
Amazement
This was not like any of the other fusions she had ever experienced! Even if it was only slightly, she could sense a difference.
She did not feel lost in this fusion, nor did she feel completely herself either. Never before had she been this comfortable, as though she was resting, yet more awake than ever.
Relief
She could fuse! They could fuse! Who knew it could happen so simply. Was this what fusion was like? So many questions to be answered … How had they even manage to fuse from a kiss?
Through shared separate reactions, one was mutual.
The kiss! Garnet remembered.
"I-" She began, wrapping two gemmed arms around her own body, "I know." She answered herself.
Amethyst watched on with interest. She almost felt bad throwing this obviously emotion filled fusion to Pearl's stern mercy …but not really.
"Come on, Garnet. We'll be late." Amethyst pulled the larger gem along behind her.
Garnet took a few stumbling steps after.
Pearl was already outside the temple speaking to Rose. She was so focused on the large pink woman that she did not see the group of two approach. Pearl did however noticed as Rose's eyes grew wide, becoming fixated on a sight the slender gem did not yet see.
"Amethyst, you're la-" With a huff, Pearl turned sharply to see, "Who?" She took a step back, drawing her spear in Rose's defense.
"Gosh pearl, put it away." Amethyst joked, "You really want to fight your friends."
"Friends?"
Those heterochromatic eyes…
"Sapphire and Ruby." Rose put a hand on Pearl's shoulder in a calming way.
At the voice of their leader, the fusion grew nervous.
"You fused." Rose stated. She did not question 'why' or 'how'. The leader of the crystal gems kindly asked, "What is your name?"
"Garnet." Amethyst said excitedly, unable to hold back anymore, "Her name's Garnet." The purple gem looked to Pearl, waiting for some kind of reaction.
Pearl just narrowed her eyes at the fusion. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen this coming.
"Garnet." Rose addressed the tall fusion with the same loving expression she had always adorned in the past. She did not say anything further, but her eyes invited the fusion to speak.
The two as one felt, shared and spoke aloud, "I wanted to be closer. We fused on accident, but it wasn't a mistake." Garnet flushed, "I wish I could tell you more, but I don't even fully understand."
Amethyst walked over to Pearl, tagging on her arm a bit, "They're really well put together, aren't they. Even Opal didn't look like this." She motioned to the very singular looking fusion.
Pearl looked uncomfortable at the mention of Opal.
"But you're eyes." Pearl noticed, pointing out the only feature that proclaimed the gem a fusion.
All three eyes looked back at the slender gem with a neutral expression, annoyance and understanding canceling each other out.
"Are you enjoying yourself in there?" Amethyst asked, reveling in the commotion.
Garnet nodded , "It's comfortable." Her voice was stoic in contrast to what was happening inside her.
"Please listen, Garnet." Rose glided over to the fusion, "In time you will come to understand things that cannot be taught." She imparted all she had learned, was still learning, "But, dear friend, do you know what you need to do now?"
Garnet shook her head.
Rose smiled, "Not attend this meeting."
"What?!" Came the voice of a certain perfectionist.
Rose chuckled her adorable chuckle.
"But-" Garnet was confused.
"Hush~" Rose instated, "You need to have fun now. I'm sure Pearl will graciously catch to up on all you have missed."
At the mention of her name, Pearl striated up, loyalty winning over her disapproval.
A smile formed on Garnet's lips to match that of Rose, slowly returning to her previous state of excitement.
"Would you even be able to focus if I asked you to stay?" Rose asked, already knowing the answer.
The one who had believed in her, mentored her and sheltered her now also accepted her.
Garnet was no longer afraid.
"Off you go!"
"Go on!" Amethyst urged, "Heck, I would if I could."
"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded, "These meetings are important."
The young gem giggled, happy to be receiving attention from Pearl.
In recent times their relationship had grown rocky. Any attention became good attention.
"Thank you." Garnet spoke to the group, before taking off.
Rose watched the retreating figure, "Such a rare gem." She whispered.
Garnet.
Garnet ran along the shore, moving in any way she could. Her movements were erratic and unplanned. She tested the limits of her body by climbing, swimming and jumping about. Not taking notice of the humans who looked on from the boardwalk, interested in who would be so merrily playing on the beach during the cold off season.
Garnet was in high spirits, on the inside and out.
How long could they maintain this form?
Could they stay like this?
Such questions were unheard of.
Fusion was a weapon. War had changed its function from the bonding practice it used to be… but did that mean Garnet had to adhere to its new meaning completely?
She did not feel like a weapon. She almost didn't even feel like a fusion.
Seeing the Earth's star fall past the horizon, Garnet made her way back to the temple. It appeared as though Rose, Amethyst and Pearl where already in their rooms by the time she returned.
The tall gem held out her hands to the door. Blue then red lit up in correspondence, opening the path to a dim room.
Part of Garnet recognized the room. She had seen it once before when exploring the temple with Amethyst. It was almost as though this room had been waiting for her all this time. At the time it had seemed uninhabitable, but now the room felt all too comfortable.
Garnet looked up at the ceiling, at a puddle that she knew connected her to the other rooms. The fusion jumped up, plunging through the puddle and finding herself indeed in Amethyst's room.
"Why must you take my things hostage too?" Came an irritated voice, "As if you don't torment me enough."
"Torment you?! We barely talk anymore!"
Pearl and Amethyst?
Garnet climbed out of the puddle, hiding behind one of the many piles of 'treasure' that decorated the floor.
"And just for the record-" Amethyst continued, "I do not take your stuff. It just end up here. You need to keep track of your junk."
"Right." Pearl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in obvious disbelief, "Kind of hypocritical coming from you."
Amethyst groaned in frustration, "You're so different lately. You used to be nice."
"I am nice." Pearl protested.
"Uh- No, you're not." The shorter gem assured, "Not anymore."
Pearl looked away but remained silent.
Amethyst sighed, "I wish-" There was so much she wished for the two of them. The young gem hated how much she longed for the mature gem's attention and affection again.
Had she been mistaken? Was Pearl right? Had they always been this strained?
She knew Pearl was hurting because of Rose and Greg's relationship. Heck, even Amethyst herself was feeling lonely because of it. But Rose and Greg were happy, and they would have to find a way to respect that.
Amethyst wanted Pearl to talk to her, even if it was about her obvious feelings for Rose. If Pearl would just open up, maybe she would be able to come to some kind of closure.
If they would just communicate…
"I wish we could be more like Ruby and Sapphire."
Pearl's eyes went wide, "What?" Returning her attention to the messy gem.
"They seem to get each other, you know, despite how different they can be." Amethyst explained, "And look at the fusion they made together."
"It's-" Pearl tried to objection.
"It's wonderful." Amethyst firmly cut her off, "You can't tell me it's not. I know you well enough to gather at least that much."
Pearl closed her mouth, not able to argue with the true.
The slender gem would give anything to feel worthy enough to fuse with the gem of her greatest affection, to be in complete harmony, to be one.
"When we used to form Opal, I know th-"
At the mention of Opal, Pearl's demeanor shifted, "Amethyst, please just stop." The taller gem turned away.
"Huh?" Amethyst was confused, "What did I say now."
"Opal was a just a tool, a weapon we used on Rose's command." Pearl snapped, not bothering to face the other gem anymore. She did not want to see that face.
"But we-" Amethyst tried to remind.
"We *don't* form Opal." Pearl insisted.
The elder of the two took her leave.
Garnet, not wanting to be caught by either, stealthily returned through the puddle.
Safely inside the pressured walls of her room, Garnet let out a deep breath.
"I need to talk with-"
For the first time in the fusions short life, it could not speak as it wished to. The two gems inside conflicted.
Garnet looked down at her hands.
"I liked this." She spoke to herself. Though there was a shared understanding that this would not be the last time she looked through these mutual eyes, Garnet felt a feeling of impending loss.
"It will be alright." She assured herself as a strong glow enveloped her body.
As the bright light lifted, it found the two gems in a warm embrace.
Though the two held each other close, they already ached at the distance. Separate minds still worked in unconscious unison. Two holding a shared understanding as they parted, that this was only the beginning of something extraordinary.
