fatwhiteguy: The cocoa and pepper is here! It's here at last! In regards to Ruby and Sapphire, though we'll definitely be getting into Rupphire territory soon, I can't really say one way or another whether or not their feelings for each other were romantic prior to their fallout. Even if they were, they wouldn't have known themselves, really. At the very least, they cared very, very deeply for each other. I THOUGHT THE MOVIE WAS GREAT. I HAVE BEEN BLASTING THE SOUNDTRACK ON REPEAT. The thing about Spinel is that I kind of already have the background of this fic planned out? And it is possible that Spinel can fit into that backstory. If I decide to do the OSRAS version of the movie, I want it to be something besides just "everything is the same but Opal, Sapphire, and Ruby get rejuvenated instead."

Dovahkiin795: Thanks!

ObsidianPheonix96: I can't really say one way or another just because of spoilers, but if you mean if there'll be a "Sardonyx meets Smoky" episode, there is something planned, just as a fun little fourth-wall-breaking chapter.

Kraven the Hunter: The Answer is here right now, haha. Sapphire's past and her decision to become a rebel will be explored later. Thank you very much!

usernamesarebullshit: (Love the name) So sorry for the wait! I'm going to give the typical answer that life got really busy and I had school, my job, etc...I'm just also going to add that I had some health issues (personal and family-wise) and this chapter in general was very, very tricky to write. Thanks for the patience!

Steven awoke to a hand tapping him on the forehead. The hand was white and slender, attached to an equally white and slender arm, which was attached to someone leaning over him, almost masked in shadows.

To the side of his bed, Pearl and Amethyst sat beside one another with bright smiles.

"Hey, Steve!" The energy was real, but Amethyst's delivery was scripted.

"Please, don't panic," Pearl added, just as slowly. "We are friends!"

"We are family!"

"You see, Steven, the Gem you've known this whole time is Opal…"

"…but Opal is us!"

"Opal is a fusion of us two."

"I'm Amethyst!"

"I'm Pearl!"

Both together: "It's nice to meet you!"

Steven, having caught on only then, laughed as he kicked off his blankets. He almost yawned, but kept it down to say, "And it's nice to meet you guys…again!"

Amethyst's wide grin deflated. "I told you he'd remember."

Pearl's cheeks took on a bluish hue. "We've been planning this for years."

"Happy birthday, Steve!" Amethyst ruffled his hair into a mess. He chuckled. "Sorry Carrot-Nose ruined the surprise."

Pearl chided, "What if she hears you?"

"She can fight me, that's what!"

A sigh, but then Pearl gave Steven's shoulder a squeeze and gave him a warm smile. "We're happy you finally know."

"I am, too." Steven sat up with a yawn. Outside his windows, everything was cast in a bluish light that he guessed was early dawn. His birthday at last. "Are you going to stick around today?"

The wince Amethyst gave him was apologetic. "Sorry, bud. Don't think so."

He wasn't disappointed; it just meant Opal was going to return, not that Pearl and Amethyst were going to leave. Curious, though, he asked, "Why not?"

Pearl and Amethyst gave one another confirming looks.

Amethyst began, "Well, since the surprise got ruined, we figured we should do something else!"

"So," Pearl continued, "Remember all that hot cocoa and pepper we promised?"

Steven gasped. "Am I finally going to get it?"

"Yes, but without pepper, because we knew you wouldn't like it!"

"Yay!"

The mugs came hot and steaming from Pearl's Gem (hers being very small, maybe a swallow or two), and everyone got comfy. Amethyst lied across Steven's feet, Pearl crossed her legs, and Steven tried not to vibrate from pure excitement. He'd been waiting for this day for forever and a half.

It was Pearl who began. "Once upon a time…"

There was a Pearl who belonged to a Rose Quartz.

Pearls were the lowest of all Gems. Their only jobs were to do as they were commanded, tending to their owners' every desire. Servants at best, robots at worst. This Pearl was a good Pearl. She did everything she was supposed to do and she did it well. Pearls had to be good.

But the Rose Quartz did not like that she was a "good" Pearl. She saw something in the Pearl that she wanted HER to see. The Rose Quartz helped her realize that she was something one-of-a-kind, not one-in-a-million. She was a person real and unique. The Pearl grew stronger, braver, and most importantly: free. She didn't belong to anyone.

And then they started a war!

A-hem.

Sorry. Go on.

It wasn't just the Pearl that the Rose Quartz saw beauty in. She saw it in humans, every Gem she met, and the Earth itself. She saw wonder in the disorder of it all. Nothing was predestined, nothing built to a design or expected to comply. The Rose Quartz began a rebellion against the tyranny of Homeworld. She made many friends and lost many friends, but in the end, they won. The Pearl never left her side.

And it was rad.

Yes, it was.

After the war, there were only a few rebels—the Crystal Gems—left: Rose Quartz, the Pearl, and a Ruby and a Sapphire. They searched high and low for others, but all they could find were the monsters that had become of them. They had won, but what kind of victory was it?

Still they looked, holding onto the hope that they would find just one of their friends. One of these searches took them to the Alpha Kindergarten, the second-most successful and damaging of them all. It was just many of the horrors Homeworld had set upon the planet. Each time a Gem was made, it sucked just a little bit of life from the planet. A few might do nothing at all, but thousands and thousands of Gems was quickly destroying the Earth.

When they arrived, they saw nothing. Their only company was shadows.

"I'm not so sure about this," said the Ruby.

Rose Quartz replied, "Let's just look. We need to be sure!"

The Crystal Gems searched everywhere. They looked in every emergence hole and around every corner. All they could find were stones and darkness.

Rose Quartz grew more somber as they went on. She was so hoping this would be the search, but it seemed that they would return as four once more.

Good rhyme.

Thank you.

Then, suddenly, the Sapphire called, "Listen!"

A very odd sound, like propellers, was quickly coming in their direction. The Crystal Gems summoned their weapons, but they couldn't see where it was coming from. Was it another monster? Something worse?

Suddenly, the Pearl was hit.

She went tumbling hard to the dirt, utterly blindsided. Something settled atop of her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw another pair, big and dark.

It was me!

Indeed! Do you want to introduce yourself?

Sure.

I had never been on Homeworld. I was never supposed to be! I was just one of the loads of Gems Homeworld made on the Earth. But I came out of the Kindergarten all by myself. I knew I wasn't supposed to be alone, but…I didn't know where everyone was. I was hundreds of years too late.

I was all alone for centuries. I thought, maybe if I just stayed put, someone would come for me. Maybe they just forgot about me.

And they did come for me! One day, out of NO-where, a couple of people like me showed up! They didn't look like me, but they had Gems just like I did. And I was like, "Yo! That's crazy!"

So I ran over to say hi!

She did not.

Cut me some slack, P! I'd only ever had rocks for friends!

We are rocks?

Fair enough.

Sorry, sorry. Anyways, she tackled me to the ground and—wait.

Ahem.

"No way," cried the Ruby, "An Amethyst!"

Rose Quartz cheered, "We found one! We found a Gem!"

The Sapphire added, "She's okay!"

So, so long after, and they were finally successful. They'd finally found another Gem that they could celebrate their freedom with, to live a life free of plans and rules and expectations. It was like a drink of cold water after being lost in a desert.

The Pearl was…almost as happy. The Amethyst was still sitting on her. The Pearl pushed her off.

Rude.

Hush, Pot. Kettle is still speaking.

Now that they could see her, the Crystal Gems were…perplexed. Amethysts, like all Quartz Gems, were made to be big, strong, and ready to fight.

I was wrong.

You were small.

Which was wrong.

You were fun-sized!

Ohhh man, I am so using that from now on!

You're welcome.

They had seen Gems like this before, so it didn't concern them. The true issue was that none of them recognized the Amethyst. They raked their memories for any of an unnaturally small Amethyst, but came up short.

The Pearl guessed, "Maybe she's from a different faction?"

The Ruby agreed, "There were a lot."

But the Sapphire shook her head. "I don't think so. How would she be able to survive what happened? Why is she here?"

I had no idea what they were saying. All I heard was 'walawubauguahoakatoo!'

The Pearl looked around them at the many, many silhouettes where Quartz soldiers had emerged. "Did she only come out afterwards? I'd never heard of a Gem taking so long to form."

Rose Quartz was too overjoyed to care.

"What does it matter?" she cried, and swept the Amethyst up into the air. "What matters now is that she's here, and she's okay, and she's amazing! Hello, Amethyst! I am Rose Quartz, it's wonderful to meet you!"

And I said, "I'm Rose Quartz!"

Rose Quartz paused. "You're Rose Quartz?"

"You're Rose Quartz?"

"Yes, that's right!"

"That's right!"

"Rose?" the Pearl cut in. "I think she's just repeating what you're saying."

"What? No!"

"What? No!"

"Oh."

"Oh."

The Ruby sighed. "Guess we'll have to work on that."

Rose Quartz was not deterred. She'd waited for so long to see if she and the others were the only ones left. It didn't matter that she wasn't a Crystal Gem, or how different she was. She was her own, unique being and they would all take care of her!

"It's okay," Rose Quartz declared. "We'll just have to—"

Then—suddenly—the Amethyst glitched.

"Glitched?" Steven asked.

The bodies of Gems are projections of light—with mass, yes, but light all the same. Our bodies and faces are only the designed forms we take to talk, walk, and live. Our Gems are projectors, and we are images. So, if something happens to our Gems—if they are cracked, or shattered, or are…hit the way the Gem monsters' were—then we can't form right.

That's why I'm small.

Yes. Some Gems take too long to emerge, or the mineral they are planted in are poor, or resources are too low, and so on. They form outside of the design they were meant to have. Glitching is…its own thing. No matter what form you are meant to take, whether "right" or "wrong", your Gem falters. It can't keep it up.

Homeworld had been merciless to glitching Gems. All four of the Crystal Gems knew that if the Amethyst had emerged sooner, in Homeworld's grasp, she would have been shattered in an instant.

I had no idea what it was. I just knew it was wrong. It's like…every now and then, someone hits you with a destabilizer. You go all spazzy and you just have to wait until it's over. Trying to keep it down just makes it worse.

I thought, 'Hey! Maybe these new whatever-they-weres can fix me! Rad!'

The Crystal Gems all shared a look, and Rose Quartz set the Amethyst down. She glitched again, all misplaced pieces and wrong colors.

None of them had ever been around a glitching Gem for long. They had no idea how to help, or even if they could help. They couldn't even fully explain what caused glitching. Who were they to try and remedy it?

Rose Quartz was silent for a long moment…but then she smiled. "We'll help her! There's nothing wrong with her; she just needs some…support."

"Support!"

"Yes!"

The Ruby and the Sapphire agreed, but the Pearl hesitated. She was happy that they'd finally found a Gem! She didn't care that she was glitching. She was just like her—

Um.

—she was just like the Rose Quartz. She believed every Gem should have the chance to be who they wanted to be, no matter what. Except…the Pearl had never met a Gem who knew nothing about anything! The Amethyst didn't know about Homeworld, its rules and judgements, the war that they'd fought to stop them…what if they did something wrong? What if they taught her wrong? The Amethyst should have been able to be her own Gem, but with only the four of them as teachers, what if she didn't learn how to be a Gem?

"Pearl?" Rose Quartz laughed. "She likes you!"

The Pearl looked down.

I was on her leg like a koala!

Yes, she was. I was taken very off-guard and I kicked her off.

She squawked.

I did not!

Everyone laughed.

Yes, they did!

It was funny.

Hmpf.

Rose Quartz lifted the Amethyst up once again and said, "Welcome to the Crystal Gems." Then she kissed the Amethyst's forehead. So relieved was she that a tear ran down her cheek, and when the Amethyst lifted her hand to it, her glitching calmed.

So basically, I was like this big, purple stray dog they took in.

Yes, basically.

Anyway, they took me home after that, and we were finally the Big Five! Even though I'd never been with other Gems before, everyone was so nice to me! I didn't know what it was, but when I was with everyone, I felt…good! Like, even though I kept glitching and I didn't know anything they still liked me!

Ruby taught me how to summon my weapon and fight. Sapphire showed me how to shapeshift and Bubble. And Rose taught me everything! She told me what it meant to be a Crystal Gem. She showed me how all life is beautiful and worth protecting, from Gems to humans to those stupid bugs that buzz in your ears when it gets hot outside and refuse to leave you alone and you can't catch them cause they're too fast.

"What did Pearl teach you?"

Jack diddly squat.

Amethyst!

I'm kidding, P! Geez!

Pearl taught me all about the war and Homeworld. Stuff like how we weren't the only Pearl and Amethyst, or how we were made. Plus, she taught me how to speak.

But most of the time she just carried me around.

That's generous. If anything, you carried me.

Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe.

Now that you mention it, why were you so clingy with me? I'm thinking you just liked to ruffle my feathers. Am I wrong?

I thought you were funny.

Hm.

Anyway, I got stronger and stronger, and I started going with them on missions to find Gem monsters. We were like a big family on one of Greg's dumb TV shows.

You love those shows.

That wasn't an insult.

The others told me about themselves, too, like why they joined the Crystal Gems and junk. I joined because the Earth was all I'd ever known and I didn't want any hoddy-toddy jerkwards blowin' it up. Ruby joined because the Crystal Gems took her in when she was on her own. Sapphire joined because they actually cared about her, and Rose thought everything was neat.

Pearl said she joined because she wanted to help Rose, but I heard how Homeworld treated Pearls. It ticked me off! I was mad!

We were training one day and I was like, "Yo, Pearl, what Homeworld did to you was janked up!"

Amethyst!

What? It's true!

Don't use that language in front of Steven!

Fine. Sorry.

Anyway, I replied, "Yes. It was."

"So why weren't you fighting for you?"

"I was! But if it wasn't for Rose, I would have never realized my own worth."

And that didn't make any sense! I said, "Pearl, that makes no sense!"

"Why not?"

"You're giving Rose credit for everything. Look, I love her, too, but she didn't do EVERYTHING. You and Ruby and Sapphire all helped out in the war! And yeah, maybe she gave you a nudge-nudge, but…Come on, P. You're you because of you, not her. Right?"

I didn't know what to say. I just agreed, "I suppose," and we carried on.

While the Amethyst was with the Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz did all she could to help her with her glitching. They practiced shapeshifting and reforming, but for the most part, Rose Quartz's healing tears did the best. The others were worried, as they'd never known a glitching Gem for so long, but Rose Quartz was unrelenting in her optimism.

One day, perhaps half a decade after the Amethyst joined the Crystal Gems, they were all on a hunt for another Gem monster. They were deep within the woods. Their weapons were ready, yet they had not seen any sign of the elusive—

BAM!

"Ah!"

Oops. Bam.

Yes. Bam.

The Gem monster seemed to come from nowhere. With lashing vines and eyes like flower blossoms, it was a horrible, plantlike beast with a mouthful of briars. Each of its arms ended in claws like Venus fly traps. Its Gem was embedded in its chest. A Gaspeite, perhaps.

The Crystal Gems sprung into action!

I'm going to do the sounds.

The Sapphire covered the Ruby's gauntlets in razorous claws of ice, grabbed hold, and flew them both high into the air. The Ruby came crashing down on the monster with a thunderous

BOOM! WHAP-WHAP!

The Pearl slashed apart the vines that whipped for them. When they grabbed her spear tight in their grasp, the Sapphire sliced it free.

SHINK! SWOOP!

The Rose Quartz turned to the Amethyst, and with only a nod, summoned two shields and held them together. The Amethyst twined her whip tightly around them and swung, the new flail

Wooooooooossssshhhhh

-ing through the air and meeting its mark, hard and square upon the monster's head.

WAH-THUMP!

They all fought with everything they had, but all it took was the slightest misstep, a miscalculation at just the wrong moment.

Suddenly, the monsters' claws had clamped down upon the Pearl and Rose Quartz, and the other upon the Ruby and the Sapphire. Trapped, they were lifted high into the air, the monster squeezing them tight, almost crushing.

For a minute, I was really scared. It was just me, and the others were in trouble. What if I couldn't help them? What if I couldn't—?

BAM!

"AH!"

Sorry, Steven. Bam.

The spiny pods were blasted apart in a spray of green and shining lights—one white, the other purple.

Instead of the others, there were two new Gems I'd never seen before! And they were AWESOME. One had four eyes and just—a ta-HUN of hair and the other was wearing these super-cool shades.

"Yay, Garnet's back!"

So the monster was crazy mad now, all screaming and biting, so the new guys jumped right on it. The one with the shades had SUPER big gauntlets and the one with a lot of hair pulled out an umbrella. They hit the monster at the same time and POOF! No more monster.

The new Gems got all shiny again, and then the others were back. And it was super cool, don't get me wrong, but I was also just like, "WHAT?!"

Rose Quartz laughed a bit nervously and explained to the Amethyst, "Those were fusions. Ruby and Sapphire became Garnet, and Pearl and I became Rainbow Quartz."

"WHAAAAAT?!"

The Pearl stepped forward to assist. "When two or more Gems fuse, they combine themselves into a single being. It's still them, but it's also someone new—stronger and more powerful."

"That's so cool! Why didn't you guys tell me about it before?"

Rose Quartz sighed guiltily. "We're sorry, Amethyst. Fusion can be a tricky thing to figure out. We wanted to give you time to grow stronger before you tried it."

"No! I'm ready! Let's do it! I'm reeeeeaaaaaaddddyyyyy!"

And so, the training began.

Many things can make fusion difficult between Gems. How many are there? Are they stressed? How close are they? Sometimes, overthinking might cause fusion to fail. Just like how you fused with Connie, sometimes fusion is easier when you aren't even thinking about doing it. It's funny, in a way.

The Crystal Gems all did their best to teach the Amethyst how to fuse for months and months, to no avail. No fusions, just momentary combining that quickly fell apart. The closest anyone got to it was Rose Quartz, but even she couldn't get it to work.

Trying to fuse while you're glitching is like trying to hear one person while everyone is screaming. And when we got close, I almost felt what it was supposed to feel like, but…I also felt what the others were feeling.

Reluctance.

Wariness.

Frustration.

Fear.

One day, like most others, the Pearl was simply walking around the Temple when the Ruby and the Sapphire came to her in a panic.

"Have you seen Amethyst?" they asked. "We fused into Garnet to show her how fusion works, but she ran away! She was so upset."

The Pearl thought for a moment. There was a place she could think of: a well-shaded tree, not horribly far away, that looked on the ocean. It wasn't a place anyone would think the Amethyst would like—it was quiet and not at all exciting—but the Pearl knew how going there often helped her calm down and feel at ease.

"I'll find her," the Pearl promised them.

And she did, as the sun was setting on the horizon. The Amethyst was sitting among the roots of the tree, legs pulled up to her chest, and the Pearl saw with horror that she was crying.

"Amethyst," she exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"If none of you guys want to fuse with me, just say it!"

"What? What makes you think we don't want to fuse with you?"

"I can feel it, Pearl! Every time we get close! You're all afraid. What, are-are you scared you're going to catch my glitching?"

"Amethyst, no! We just—I know fusion might be hard for you, and I didn't want you to be upset when it doesn't work. I think we're scared of upsetting you, not…OF you!"

"I just don't get it…Why does everything have to be so hard for me?"

"I…don't know."

"I wouldn't have to deal with all of this if Homeworld hadn't messed me up!"

"Amethyst!"

"Well, it's true! What, they would have shattered me for being like this? THEY were the ones who made me!"

"You are not messed up."

"Oh, come on, P! Don't act like glitching is a good thing!"

"It's not a good thing. But it isn't anything to be held against you! It doesn't ruin everything…! I'm sorry you have to go through this, Amethyst, but please don't say you're messed up. You're perfectly fine."

"I don't FEEL fine."

The Pearl hesitated. She did not know what to say to comfort the Amethyst. She did not know if she'd ever felt what she was feeling.

"If one of Homeworld's top controllers showed up right now, what would you do?"

"What?"

"If they were here, and they started calling you things, insulting you, saying you ought to be shattered—what would you do?"

"I don't know. Punch 'em?"

"Why?"

"Because that's mean! They don't get to tell me that! Why do they get to decide if I'm 'right' or not?"

"They made you."

"Yeah, SO?! I'm still me! I don't have to have their approval to be 'good'. I'm not mean! I'm not selfish, o-or a coward or anything! I'm nice! I like to help my friends! I like to kick butt!"

"I agree."

"Yeah."

"So you're perfectly fine."

The Amethyst didn't respond.

"It's okay to admit you have problems, and that those problems cause problems. And yes, maybe those problems make up part of you, but they AREN'T you. No one gets to decide if you're right or wrong. If you'd punch a Homeworld Gem for saying something so bad about you, don't say it yourself."

The Amethyst was still quiet for a moment.

"Is that how they made YOU feel? Like you weren't what you were supposed to be?"

"Yes…in a way." The Pearl sat down beside her. The Amethyst finally let her knees go. "They didn't want me to BE anything. When I realized I wanted to be SOMETHING, they decided that I was breaking the rules. As if I owed it to them to stay the same."

"Because you were…you."

"Exactly. No one else got to say what I had to be."

"No one?"

"No one."

"Even Rose?"

The Pearl almost protested, but stopped at the look the Amethyst gave her. She couldn't help it. she could have spent her existence as a mindless drone, only doing as told, never speaking unless spoken to. She felt such an endless gratitude to Rose Quartz for helping her see otherwise.

Somewhere along the way, however, she had turned 'helped' into 'made.'

The Pearl had set HERSELF free. SHE made the decision to fight in the war, to live as a Crystal Gem. No one else made that decision for her.

"No…Not even Rose."

I hugged her.

"I think you're pretty great."

The Pearl was surprised, but…pleased.

"You, too, Amethyst."

And then—

And then—

It happened.

I was gone.

And so was I.

But still there.

I was confused.

I was scared.

I was shocked.

I was relieved.

I was safe.

We were balanced.

Kind of a mess, though.

Lots and lots of colors.

Our HAIR…

We were so tall!

Four arms—

—strong arms

What was our name?

We got a name?

Don't all fusions?

Do we choose it?

Yes, but what felt right?

Well, what sounds like us?

What did we feel like?

Strong, but…

Elegant.

Calm, but…

Energetic.

Was there a word for it?

Calmergetic.

Sure.

What about…

O

P L

A

O

P

A

L

O P

A

L

O P A L

O P A L

O P A L

OPAL

Opal?

Opal.

We were Opal.

And then—

We lost it.

Poof!

The Amethyst and the Pearl hit the ground, themselves once more. The Pearl just stared. She couldn't believe it happened.

I was NUTS.

"We did it! We did it, we did it, holy moly Stromboli, weeeee diiiid iiiit!"

"Yes. Yes, we did."

"Is it always that cool? We were so strong and tall and calmergetic and it was us but someone else and I was me but I was you, too, and Peeeeaaaarrrl that was insane can we do it again please please please can we do it again—?"

"Amethyst, please, I'm reeling."

"Oh. It's okay! We don't have to do it right nooooooooohhhhhh man we've GOT to tell the others!"

"Oh, I don't think we need to—"

I picked her up.

Roughly so.

I took us all the way back to the Temple and the others were there and I was like, "We fused and our name was Opal and we were awesome!"

Rose Quartz was shining bright with jubilation. "You DID?"

And Ruby was like, "Ooooohhh!"

And Sapphire was like, "Aaahhhh!"

Scrambling to her feet, the Pearl tried to explain, "I don't know how it happened, Rose! I wasn't even thinking! We were just talking one second and the next we were—"

And Rose was like, "Chill."

"This is great, Pearl!" Rose Quartz swept her up into a crushing hug. "I'm so proud of you two! Oh, tell us EVERYTHING! What did Opal look like? How did she feel?"

"She was super tall and had four arms and a lot of hair but it was weird 'cause some of it was like mine and some of it was like Pearl's."

Though still in a state of shock, the Pearl did her best to help. "Opal felt very…strong. Not violent, but controlled."

"She had Pearl's nose and my mouth and our Gems were all sparkly and had a lot of colors!"

"She was incredibly calm and composed, but not at all lax. She felt very energetic despite her elegance—"

"Calmergetic."

"Yes. That's the word we came up with."

Rose Quartz cheered, "This is amazing!"

The Ruby asked, "Can you do it again?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, c'mon, Pearl!"

But then the Amethyst's form began to glitch once more, so strongly she could no longer speak. Rose Quartz lifted her up and pressed her cheek against the Amethyst's to catch the tear that fell. The glitching calmed.

"Maybe you should calm down," Rose Quartz laughed. "Let's meet Opal later."

The Pearl agreed, still perplexed. Not upset that they had fused, or angry at the ease of it, but concerned for what she had felt Opal hadn't glitched. The Pearl wasn't glitching afterwards, either. She wondered why that was.

Pearl and Amethyst were quiet, suddenly, and Steven wailed his despair. "Don't stop on a cliffhanger!"

"No, no." Pearl tapped her chin. She seemed frustrated. "I just don't know how to segue this."

Amethyst was ticking off her fingers one-by-one, calculating. "It was pretty boring for a while."

"We had so long to think about this."

"I thought we would just make it up."

Seeing how seriously they were thinking it over, Steven offered a solution: "Timeskip?"

Amethyst looked to Pearl. Pearl looked to Amethyst. Together: "Timeskip."

A LONG STRETCH LATER

I guess.

The Amethyst and the Pearl fused several more times, each bringing more stability than the last. Opal was indeed very strong, and with a bit of struggle, her weapon was discovered to be a bow. She could walk on water and move at lightning speed. She was composed, but humorous, enjoying a calm meditation as much as fun excitement.

She was also stupid forgetful.

We got lost sometimes.

At least four.

The Pearl almost found herself looking forward to becoming Opal again. Opal gave her a sense of balance she'd never felt before. As Opal, she was in a constant state of comfort. She never had to care about anything at all.

Like someone was always there to tell you you were okay.

Still Opal did not glitch. More curiously, the Amethyst would also not glitch for sometime after. Was it fusion? Or Opal herself? It turned out to be the former.

I finally got to fuse with the others, too. It took a while. When I was fused with anyone, I didn't glitch. WE didn't. It was weird, but suuuuch a RELIEF.

But I liked being Opal the best. It was calm, but it wasn't boring, and exciting, but not exhausting. And like Pearl said, it was just NICE. I always felt safe when I was Opal. The others were fine, but Opal was just so special.

The others noticed the bond between them. As close as they all were, it couldn't be denied that Pearl and Amethyst had an incomparable connection. Still, when asked, neither had any explanation. Not any they could put into words.

However, as Opal, the Pearl felt just what the Amethyst was feeling: Loneliness. The feeling of never quite fitting in no matter what. Amethyst just couldn't relate to their stories of rising from Homeworld's clutches, she had nothing to "free" herself from. The Pearl realized that she was so understanding of this because she felt the same.

I didn't realize how much Pearl was hiding until we fused. She wasn't always happy on Earth. She didn't like how much weaker she was than the others. She was kinda bored of just doing the same thing every day.

I got it. This was our home, but wasn't there something else to do besides help humans and find monsters? She knew she could do whatever she wanted, but she didn't even know what she wanted.

These similarities and understanding just made Opal stronger. She was a powerhouse. She appeared in their battles often, the secret weapon up their sleeve. She always won.

After one of these battles—a birdlike Gem monster, nothing out of the usual—Opal unfused, the monster's Gem was Bubbled, and all seemed well. Just another day.

However, after they returned home, the Amethyst began to glitch…and kept glitching. She didn't stop.

I thought it was just normal stuff, but it kept going. And it HURT! I couldn't stop and I couldn't breathe. I was being ripped apart in every direction.

The Crystal Gems saw that something was very wrong. Rose Quartz shed a tear to help, but even as the glitching calmed down, the Amethyst's form sparked and shifted. It was a fire they couldn't put out.

The Pearl was very worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…'M fine."

"Let's take it easy for a while," suggested the Ruby. "Maybe you're pushing yourself too much."

They did…but it didn't stop.

I was glitching more and more often, and it went on longer, and it still hurt really bad! I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea what to do or how to stop it. Rose's tears helped, but only for a little bit. We were all freaked out! No one knew what to do!

A Gem monster showed up at the Temple one day, and we were all fighting it, trying to keep it out, doing our best, but I started glitching AGAIN! I couldn't move or do anything, and it was coming right for me!

Pearl jumped in front of me right when it came down, and got poofed. I was so…MAD! I was screwing everything up and Pearl got hurt and wouldn't be back for a long time…Ugh! I didn't know what to do.

Rose and the others were trying really hard to figure out what was going on. Sapphire finally got something with her future vision, but it was…bad.

For some reason, my glitching had gotten to its worst…but would get worse. It would get longer, and more painful, and eventually…

I wouldn't be able to form at all.

No more fusing. No more fighting. No more talking.

No more living.

I was…terrified. I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay alive and be with the others, and what would happen to me? I'd just be—trapped in my Gem, forever and ever?

Everyone was freaking out, but they didn't want to show it. Sapphire tried to stay calm and Ruby tried to be casual, but I knew they were just as scared as I was. Rose really, really tried to smile, but…She couldn't for long.

All we could do was just wait for the end to come. I've never felt so alone, no matter how much they tried to make me feel better. They kept telling me it was okay, and I didn't need to be scared, but…come on. Tell me the idea of it doesn't horrify you.

I only found out when I finally reformed.

I just couldn't accept it. At all. I could. NOT. Lose Amethyst. I'd lost so many of my friends in the war, the others were all I had left and now? Now I have to just let her go, too? It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she just be okay? Why couldn't we all just live on Earth and be happy? Every time I thought we were getting a happily ever after, something came along and ruined it!

I knew Pearl was trying to stay away, but I wanted to spend as much time together as I could. It was just hard not to talk or think about it. We didn't want to just focus on what was coming, but it was impossible to act all nice and casual.

I stayed with her as much as I could. Even if I couldn't look her in the eye at times. I was so scared of Amethyst just becoming another part of my life, started and ended.

We trained and I taught her about Homeworld. We still went on missions and helped humans. Life kept going, but Amethyst was getting worse. She could no longer stay solid for a second. Even if just a little bit, she was always glitching in some way or another.

I promised myself that I'd watch over Amethyst until we found a way to help her. Even if she couldn't form anymore, I'd protect her Gem with my life. There had to be an answer somewhere—even if I had to wait a hundred times a hundred years.

We couldn't form Opal anymore. We were really stressed and couldn't think straight. The others said that maybe I should stay home when they went on missions, but it just made me angry even though I knew they were trying to be nice.

We were together in Pearl's Room and she was looking at all of her swords. I knew she got trained in swords until she could get her weapon under control, but I'd never asked her about it. All I knew was that she did it to fight in the war. Which had me thinking…

"Pearl?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you keep fighting?"

"In the war?" The Pearl was unsure of what she was asking. They'd talked about this many times. "I wanted to be free, remember?"

"No, I mean…Ugh. You had to have been scared, right? You were fighting a whole army of Gems that were stronger than you and would have shattered you. You couldn't have been totally fine with that."

"Well—no. I was scared very, very often. Sometimes I regretted doing anything to begin with. I thought that living my life as a drone would have been preferable to being in constant fear. I was exhausted."

"So what kept you going?"

Even as they sat still talking, the Amethyst was flickering. The Pearl looked at her for a long time before answering, "I had to remind myself of what was coming in the end. It was just a bad storm, I told myself. I would be poofed, and lose my friends, and be terrified and tired, but I would be happy in the end. Rose and I were going to live safe and happy together on Earth with the others. We would never have to worry about anything ever again. We…

We…

We…"

The Pearl began to weep.

I ran over to her as fast as I could. I was glitching so hard I almost tripped. "P, what's wrong? P?"

"No," the Pearl groaned. "No, I'm not going to be upset. I have too much to focus on right now."

"Pearl, what's going on? Please tell me!"

"I know that life isn't a fairy tale, Amethyst. I know that I'm always going to have to worry about the next day, or the next big event. I know my story doesn't just end when I want it to. But…" The Pearl began to sob, and the Amethyst caught her. "I'm so tired of losing things, Amethyst! I lost my home! My friends! I keep waiting to STAY happy, but all I get are these moments where everything seems okay until it's ruined all over again!"

"Pearl, you—I get that. It's okay. But that's just how life works, y'know?"

"But why does it have to 'just work' like that?! Nothing should 'have' to happen! You shouldn't…You shouldn't have to go! Amethyst, I didn't want you to have a happy ending, I wanted you to have a happy LIFE! I thought at first that we wouldn't take care of you right, but then I realized your life could be perfect…You would never have to worry about Homeworld, or wars, and you'd always have me and the others so you'd never be lonely. I wanted you to always be happy even if I couldn't be but—but—but that's not going to happen! It's not FAIR! You want to stay, we all want you to stay! I want you to stay forever but…but I'm just going to lose you, too…"

I was crying, too. I know Pearl wasn't trying to scare me. She was being honest about how she felt. I just wished she didn't feel that way. I hugged her as tight as I could.

"I want you to be happy, too, P. I want to stay. I don't know why it has to 'just work' like this, but…It does. I'm sorry."

"I'm going to miss you, Amethyst."

"You, too, Pearl."

Then we were gone, and Opal was back.

Back and…

Fine?

She'd never done it before, but Opal wasn't glitching at all. She felt normal, which was strange.

I thought for sure that if I fused at that point that we'd at least be kind of woozy, but…No.

Everything was okay. Better than okay.

We were strong and calm and safe. We didn't even feel like we were about to come apart. It was normal.

We were curious, so we decided to stay fused for a while. Just to do nonsense things, like organize the swords or…heck, we took a nap!

I guess part of me was kind of thinking this would be the last time Opal ever came, so I was happy. Still, I had no idea what was going on.

We both knew, but neither of us cared. As long as Opal could stay for as long as possible, the reason didn't matter.

The others were really shocked. No one had any answers.

Sapphire was relieved, but when she said why, none of us knew what to say.

Sapphire explained that by fusing, Opal provided Amethyst with a stable form to take—a framework to work with.

However, to do so, Amethyst would have to STAY fused. Once Opal fell apart, Amethyst would only briefly stay together before glitching once again.

Everyone started arguing about what to do. Yeah, they were happy that there was at least SOME KIND of solution, but what kind of a solution was it? Was everyone going to just have to take turns fusing with me for the rest of my life? Who fused with me better? Which fusion was the strongest?

Opal started to fall apart because of all of it—we tried really, really hard to stay together.

I didn't like anything that I was hearing. They were just doing their best, but just going on as a burden for everyone to take turns with? I couldn't live like that!

Finally, the Pearl found her voice within Opal to say, without forcing the Amethyst down, "Pearl will stay fused with Amethyst!"

The others stared in disbelief. Had they heard right? There was no way she was making such an offer.

Rose Quartz stepped forward, a hand to her throat. "Pearl, this isn't a burden for you to bear all on your own."

"It won't be a burden at all."

The Sapphire protested, "But…you'll never be YOU again."

I was on her side! Inside Opal, I told her, "P, she's right! I'm not going to trap you, that's not fair!"

"I'm not being trapped," the Pearl told both Rose and Amethyst. "I'll still be Pearl, and I'll still be Amethyst. I'll just…be someone else, too. We're not going anywhere."

"Pearl…I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not."

The Ruby asked, "Are you sure? This is…a really big decision."

Inside Opal, the Pearl and the Amethyst realized something at the same time, in the same mind:

I didn't want to lose Pearl.

And I didn't want to lose Amethyst.

So…

if this was what it meant to stay together…

Okay.

We'd stay together.

Steven chugged down the last of his cocoa so he could gape at the two of them. Pearl and Amethyst were giving each other bittersweet smiles. Almost absentmindedly, Pearl reached out and brushed away the bangs that fell in front of Amethyst's eyes before ruffling her hair.

"So that's why you guys stay fused all the time," concluded Steven. He was in awe.

Amethyst poured some more pepper into her drink…and then just tossed back the rest of the shaker. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Was it easy?"

"It was different," answered Pearl. "A fusion had never been around for so long before. There were times we thought we wouldn't be able to pull it off. But we did!"

"How?"

"We love each other, dude!" Amethyst threw an arm around Pearl's middle, smiling even as Pearl fumbled not to spill her barely-touched cocoa. "It wasn't easy, sure, but it got easier. I would have done the same thing for Pearl that she did for me."

"Exactly. Amethyst understands me better than I even understand myself. I wouldn't give up the world for a friend like her."

Amethyst unwound her arm from Pearl and disguised it as reaching for her drink. "Yeah. Small price to pay n' junk."

Steven hummed. "So that's where Opal came from."

"We're both very happy you know about us now, Steven." Pearl scooched closer so she could wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him close. Steven chuckled into her shoulder. "Now you have three people who love you very, very much."

Amethyst nudged him with her foot. "And, uh…Thanks. For being so cool about it. The others were kind of…hesitant at first, so."

"Well, I already know Opal. So I already know you guys, right?"

"Exactly!" Another nudge. "You've got it!"

"So…How long until you guys have to fuse again?"

Pearl shrugged. "It'll be a little while."

"Let's just chill." Amethyst crossed her hands behind her head and leaned back with a relaxed sigh. Already she looked very sleepy. "It's nice to stretch my legs every now and then."

Pearl leaned her back against Steven's nightstand and closed her eyes. "Agreed."

Steven snuggled back into his blankets. He would have another few hours before his birthday festivities began. Until then, he was content to sleep just a bit more—and whether it was Opal he awoke to, or the two Gems that composed her, he didn't mind. "See you in a little bit, Opal."

"Happy birthday, Steven."