A/n: Writer's block gone yay! Also guys, I am starting a Q and A for this story. Curious about the characters? Their personality or what they would do in certain situations? Ask away. You can ask either in the reviews or in a private message. I'll Post Q and A with an actual chapter to read. We'll see how it go guys.

I pressed my face into Garnet's back, hugging her from behind.
"...You are the lead of this group now," I started. "...no matter what you decide...I'll always be by your side...you know that right?"
There was a long silence.
"...I know..." She whispered.
She placed her hands over mine.
We stayed like that for a long time.
"I'm so sorry it turned out this way...let's go back inside love," I said gently.
She turned to me.
"...will you just stay out here with me?"
I blinked.
"You already know my answer to that..." I said tracing a finger over one of the augments I made for her, they sat on top of the stars on her gauntlets.
A star over a star...
I knew her.
I got into a fighting stance as we prepared to spar.

...

Slowly I walked around the woods. There was plenty to see but it didn't catch my eye. I was here for something but what?
Why was I here?
I had to retrieve something.

I remembered.

I sighed as I looked at the gem's shatter pieces.
~T-There's...no way I can help her now...~
I thought sadly.
These gem shards were what was left of the recon team. They all were in my bubble safe but...shattered.
I had already taken a moment to mourn the loss and my failed mission.
I frown as the tears came again.
How could I forget this?
Now wasn't the time to be crying. I had to get back to Garnet and the others.
~It would be best if we regrouped.~
"Bixbite!"
I turned around as I heard my name being called.

Whoever had called me was far away but the wind had blown their cry towards me.
I frowned as I listened.

"Bixbite! Help!"
My heart stopped and I took off running.
Nothing made sense.
Nothing was as it should be.
Remember.
What had happened?
Why were they here?
...And why did I suddenly not know where here was?
It was like my world was turning, twisted, wrong.
I didn't understand what was happening.
The sky was dark.
Unnaturally so.
The ground felt like it was trying to keep me from moving forward.
The trees and landscape around me were threatening to fall away.
My heart hammered in my chest as I leaped forward...
I had screamed in pain...there was so much pain and it was real.
"R-Run!..." I turned to them.
Ruby grabbed Sapphire's shoulders and they scurried into the undergrowth, me not far behind, limping after them.
The enemy was only stunned.
Quartz soldiers.
More than I could count.
What where are they doing here?
I had barely managed to get us into a safe hiding spot.
The base of a hollow tree covered in thick vines.
I wheezed as my eyes stayed locked on the searching soldiers.
Minutes passed, they were still out there, I looked back at the two, they were frantic.
Ruby with her teeth clenched.
Sapphire with her mouth hung open slightly.
"A-Are you guys okay?" I asked in a whisper.
That seemed to snap them out of it as they looked at me.
"...Yes..."
It was Sapphire that answered.
I flinched in pain as I shifted.
"...I'll lead them away..at the...the first chance you get-"
"No way!" Ruby hissed quietly.
I was quiet for a moment...

Crystal stumbled over to Sapphire as Bixbite suddenly separated. Sapphire already had her hands out for the gem as she weakly collapsed.
"S-Scarlet..." She complained with a frown.
The Beryl stretched between looking back at the two blue gems.
"Ruby is right...Crystal you're hurt and neither you nor Sapphire can fight..."
"Don't count us out just yet," Sapphire said sternly.
Scarlet glanced at Ruby.
"...is it just me or..."
Ruby nodded.
Sapphire and Crystal looked at each other then looked back at their partners.
"W-what...what's the matter?" Crystal questioned.
They both looked reluctant to explain. Gritting their teeth it was their turn to look at each other.
"Uh...being fused...will..."
Ruby shook her head stopping Scarlet.
Scarlet bit her lip.
"Over here!"
All four of them paled at the booming voice.

..

My eyes flew open and a gasp escaped me. Flailing around wildly she had grasped my shoulders in a firm grip trying to contain me.
I laid next to her in her bed as usual. She more than likely hadn't been sleeping but what had been up with that dream? It was like I had been back in the war but it wasn't a memory...or was it? No...Sapphire and Ruby hadn't meant my gems back then...
"...Beryl..."
Garnet called me.
I frowned.
"I...I'm okay...my dream just startled me..."
She paused.
"...tell me."
So I did.
We sat in silence for awhile after...
"...can you dream more?"
I tilted my head at the question.
"Go back to sleep...and tell me what else you dream..."
I hesitated for a moment but then gave a nod.

I groaned.
"Why are we here again?" I mumbled grumpily.
Nightmares all night that hadn't made any sense had plagued me.
I looked at the bubbled Rubies not caring if they saw me.
I was too tired to care.
"Lapis seem to have this under control..."
Garnet frowned at me.
"I told you to just stay in the temple..."
"Red Beryl! Ma'am!" One of the Rubies yelled.
I glared at her.
"Thank goodness we at least found you! We must get you to Yellow Diamond right away!"
My eyes narrowed and the others looked at me in shock.
"You don't have to be so loud..."
Of course, I was ignored and Steven asked to find out why else they were here.
When one of them tried to attack him I picked her up and she fought against me.
"W-What are you doing ma'am?!" She protested.
I looked at Garnet.
"...I prefer my Rubae..." I said in a grumpy voice.
Man, I was tired.
I saw the others look over as Garnet kept a straight face.

I was leaning on Garnet with my eyes closed when the next thing I know I was being pulled forward.
"Get going prisoners! Come on uh...Red Beryl...Ma'am..."
I glared at Amethyst.
"I don't want to go to the moon! I want to go back to the-!"
She nudged me
looking around panicked.
She was shapeshifted as Jasper and for the life of me, I couldn't understand how the Rubies were falling for this.
Pearl shook her head.
"Go back where?" Eyeball said tilting her head curious.

I just stared blankly as they all looked at me...
I heard someone facepalm.
"T-Thhhee barn!" 'Jasper' rushed out still holding my arm. "We...uh we totally made it our base...uh to keep the prisoners!" She finished nervously.
"Oh, great idea Jasper," They all took turns praising her.
When all the Rubies continued onward seemingly content, even pleased with the answer, Amethyst sneaks a glare at me.

"We have to 'file' our report." Amethyst urged.
"No...they want you to file a report...they want me...to go with them..."
I whined under my breath and climbed in the ship...
I felt my partner place her hand gently on my back as everyone stop to examine the ship. The gesture was comforting and discreet, that was the point of it.
~...something...something's wrong with me.~

~Crystal?~
Gems don't need sleep. Clearly.
But.
Everything was hazy and I realized why I was so tired...but I didn't understand why.

My sparring match with Garnet the other day I had been perfectly fine so that wasn't the issue.
I had done nothing to warrant this-

"W-what?" I murmured as I looked around.
I'd say I felt completely fine suddenly except I didn't remember the last...hour?Two hours? I...don't know...maybe...we were already on the moon and...
"I'm still Jasper!"
Amethyst shouted panicked.
"We've been tricked? Again?!"
I watched in a daze as all five Rubies came out of their ship and fused together.

"W-what...is happening?" I murmured from behind Amethyst.
It was like everything that was happening in front of me was one of those dreams or I was in one of those movie rooms Steven's taken me to before.
None of this felt real...but I knew it was...I knew it had to be.
I didn't know what I was doing when I moved forward my body moved on its own...
I grabbed Garnet from behind.
She can't fuse with Pearl.
I shouldn't let her.
No feelings were connected to those thoughts.
Everything still felt like a daze.
I don't know what my partner saw on my face and I can't describe the look on hers but they fused anyway and I watched unable to move again...unable to feel as Sardonyx used her Warhammer to knock the other Fusion out the airlock door.
The force made them unfuse and Eyeball desperately grabbed Steven on her way out dragging him with her out the door.
"Steven!"

- ❤️ -
This time, I don't think the time skip was long but everyone was upset, shouting my name...I felt worst.
"Beryl! Talk to us! Steven is out there dying! You can fly! You have to get him!" Pearl had long passed solely anger and was on the verge of tears.
"W-what?"
The airlock door was still open.
Garnet was standing at it looking back at me with a deep frown.
Apparently, this was my first response.
"Dude! What's with you? Get Steven!" Amethyst shouted.
My eyes widened.
"R-right!"
I made it one step.

3rd POV

Garnet's jaw dropped as Bixbite collapsed to the ground with the first step she took.
Garnet had known her partner was tired but she shouldn't be this exhausted and out of it. She had been praying on her lucky stars they made it back to earth without all this happening. Some things she saw she hadn't understood, it didn't make sense or she honestly didn't see it coming.
This was one of the things she hadn't seen coming.
And it wasn't the worst...
She gritted her teeth as she watched her light up and forcefully come apart.
Scarlet slide across the ground sat up and grabbed her head.
"Ouch...what the heck Crystal? What was that about?" She shouted in anger.
Garnet's eyes narrowed under her shades.

She looked over at her other smaller partner to see her missing.

"Hey! W-wait! I can't fly in open space without you!"
Scarlet had already scurried up from the floor.
They all watched the petite gem take the stairs two at a time back up to the control room...
"Now what?!" Amethyst asked freaking out.

"...Scarlet..." Garnet called.
She watched her careful.
The Beryl was really tense still staring after Crystalline with widened eyes.
"...No...# #$% way..." she whispered a gem cursed.
It started in a slow hesitate walk and then she took off running.
"Scarlet..."Garnet called after her.
She bit her tongue.
She looked back out the airlock door.
They definitely didn't have time for this.
"Pearl get that ship up and running. I want it figured out by the time we get back because that's when we leave to find Steven."
She left no room for debates and Pearl voiced none.

Scarlet Pov
My hands shook as I slowly approached the last of the stairs.

"C-Crystal? Babe, there's nowhere else to go in this dump so I know you're up here so you might as well give me an answer." I gulped.
Silence.
I hate this.
I hate silence.
She's never given me silence.
She always talks.
I can never get her to stop talking sometimes.
"Scar...don't come up."
Her voice.
Her voice is good.

I rushed up.
"You can't tell me...not...to...come...up..."
I froze.
"...No...no. . This can't be happening...why now?...not now...not now...not ever!"

3rd Pov

Crystal sat on the floor wiping at her tear stained face.

From the waist down scales were slowly growing on her form.

"...No...No. . This can't be happening...why now?...not now...not now...not ever!"

Scarlet clung to her for dear life.

"I-I'm afraid..." Crystal sobbed.

"Listen to me. You have to fight it."
Scarlet buried her face in her hair in worry.

They already knew who it was when another pair of arms came around them observing what was happening.
"Crystal..."
Garnet ran her hand over the scales in concern. The corruption.

Scarlet frowned, thoughts racing.
How did this happen? How could this have happened?

"Crystal...did I..." She started.

"No!" Crystal shouted.

"...How do you know that for sure?" Her reply was heartbreaking.

Garnet intervened between her small lovers.

Everything was happening so fast. They had to get back to the ship.
"Don't start you two. Scarlet's right, though, there's a way out of this Crystal...I can see it" She gave a small smile. "Thanks to your augments no doubt," She ruffled her hair.

"But it's up to you...you gotta believe in yourself."
Crystal wiped at her tears looking surprised.
She looked down at her hands that were already growing scales on them too.
She gulped.
"C-can...can we go to the ship?"
Garnet nodded with another smile.
"...and..." Tears came to her eyes again. "and...and I want to see Ruby..."

Garnet looked surprised.
Scarlet and Garnet looked at each other for a moment.