"It will we a great challenge." Steven said seriously.
"How did it get so bad?!" Pearl gasped seriously.
"Can't we just let it be?" Bismuth asked, sitting o the floor. "Let it roam wild?"
"No. If it gets worse, the peace will be disrupted." Pearl said seriously with a stern nod. "We have to do it.
"Guhhhh! But do we need to do ALL the laundry?!" Peridot grunted in annoyance.
What they had been referring to all along was the huge pile of un-folded clothes laying on Steven's floor.
"How did you get so many shirts?" Pearl asked the young boy.
"I don't know. It's what you've been buying me for the past few years." Steven shrugged
"It's gonna take all day folding all these clothes!." Peridot exclaimed loudly in annoyance.
"It would work faster if a little ms. Amethyst could have shown up." Pearl crossed her arms in annoyance. "Where is she anyway?"
Steven took a run for it and jumped into his pile of clothes like jumping in a leaf-pile.
"I think it's pretty cool the way it is." He giggled.
The gems chuckled, while Pearl face-palmed herself.
"Gems!" The gems turned their gaze to their leader, rushing up the stairs to the loft. "I sense an instability down south. It's the Time Ship."
"Oh my stars!" Pearl gasped. "We need to leave immediately!" She turned to Steven. "Steven! Do you still have that time-glass you found?" She asked.
Steven looked through his bag-pack and picked up the circular time-glass. "Got it!"
"Good." Pearl hummed as she nodded. "I just wish the stars that it's the right one. We haven't even tried it out yet and there's no way to retrieve another one."
"There's no time testing it." Garnet demanded. "We need to leave NOW."
Pearl nodded determined. "Bismuth, Peridot. We'll need help." She looked at the two gems.
"No problem!" Bismuth fist-bumped her own hand.
"Yeah!" Peridot climbed up Bismuth's back and threw her fist in the air
"I'm coming too." Garnet nodded, pushing her visor back up her nose-bone. But as if on cue, she flinched and looked down at her hands as her gems started glowing again.
"Nuh uh. Forget it, power-couple. You stay put." Bismuth told her as Peridot jumped off her back and stood up and approached Garnet slowly. "You're in no shape for a mission, soldier."
"Bismuth's right. Maybe you should just stay put." Pearl hated to agree and go against her leader.
"We'll be back before you four even can say 'Time-Ship!' Bismuth rest a hand on the fusion's shoulder with a wide grin.
Garnet nodded, not enjoyed. "Alright."
"Let's move." Pearl shared a glance with the two gems and half-gem before heading downstairs, leaving Garnet alone on the loft with a hand resting on her stomach
She hummed in dislike and turned her head towards the pile lf clothes.
She hummed again.
The warp-pad light up and Pearl, Steven, Bismuth and Peridot stepped off.
"Whoa..."
In front of them, stood a huge shrine, in the middle of a huge desert.
It was white, almost crystal-like. It kind of had the shape of a pentagon and reached well above the temple's height.
"Sooo... hooot!" Steven wailed, already covered in sweat and started pulling his winter-clothes off.
"So, what's the plan?" Bismuth asked Pearl, hands kept on her hips.
Pearl brought froward the time-glass. "We claimed this artifact at the Sea Shrine. And now we're returning it to it's source."
"And it's in there?" Steven asked.
"Yes." Pearl nodded as she began walking ahead towards the shrine.
Steven simply left his jacket outside and followed the gems inside.
The doors shut behind them as they stepped inside.
They were immediately met by a long hallway.
The walls inside were white and looked as crystal-like as the outside.
"Now, where could the head-room be?" Pearl asked out loud, looking around.
"Hmm. I suggest we'll split up into teams and go different directions. That way we can look across a wider area." Peridot suggested i thought.
"Yes, I agree." Pearl nodded. "But how will we keep in contact with each-other?"
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Steven exclaimed and took off his bag-pack and picked out a few walkie-talkies. "Uncle Andy was gonna throw them out but I said I could take them." He handed the gems one walkie-talkie each. "That way we'll stay in contact."
"That's what I call initiative little soldier!" Bismuth grinned and pat his back.
"Right. Steven, you stick with Peridot. Me and Bismuth will go different directions." Pearl said and Bismuth nodded in agreement.
Steven nodded and Peridot muttered something in dislike.
The gems then headed different directions.
Steven and Peridot were walking their direction of the ship.
"Pearl to the Crystal Gems. Have you found anything yet? Over." His walkie-talkie spoke.
"Steven and Peridot to Pearl, No. Over." He spoke back.
"Bismuth to Pearl. No. Over."
"So. What if it turns out we got the wrong time-glass?" Peridot asked confused.
"We'll figure that out when we get there." Steven explained, holding up the time-glass.
But as he did, the time-glass lit up.
"Whoa!" Steven and Peridot gasped, Peridot clinging on Steven's shoulders.
Steven held up the time-glass higher. "There!" He started running ahead with Peridot close behind.
They ran up a long-staircase and into a wide room, with an altar.
And at that altar, stood a metallic pedestal, looking like it was missing something.
Steven and Peridot stepped up.
Steven looked at the big time-glass wall-painting behind the pedestal.
"So? What are you waiting for?! Do it you clod!" Peridot shouted at him.
Steven picked up the time-glass.
"Welcome home, lil' buddy." He smiled as he put the time-glass on the pedestal.
The glass lit up and started floating above the time-glass. A very pretty sight
The duo sighed in relief and embraced each other.
"We did it!" Peridot exclaimed
"We did it together!" Steven grinned and started heading back outside.
"Steven and Peridot to Bismuth and Pearl. We have returned the time-glass! We did it!" He yelled into his walkie talkie.
Peridot walked after him shortly.
But slowly, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring at nothing. Mute.
"Peridot! Are you coming?" Steven called, stopping in his tracks. "Peridot?"
He rushed back and rustled Peridot's shoulders. "Peridot? Hello? Can you hear me?" Steven waved his hand before her.
No reaction.
"Oh my gosh. Stay where you are, I'll come back for you!" Steven told her before running off, leaving Peridot all alone.
(With Pearl. 10 minutes earlier)
Pearl was walking alone through the many halls. She looked around, spear ready in hand.
She picked up her walkie-talkie. "Pearl to the Crystal Gems. Have you found anything yet? Over."
"Steven and Peridot to Pearl, No. Over." It spoke back.
"Bismuth to Pearl. No. Over."
Pearl was about to respond when a sudden door opened from the wall.
She winced and aimed her spear but soon noted that the room was indeed empty.
When she had entered the room, it felt like she had walked from one world to another.
The room she had stepped into, was much bigger than she had expected.
And it wasn't a room either really. It looked more like another hallway, filled with lots of doors. Doors they had on gem ships.
The walls were yellow and the doors were yellow.
She didn't even notice she found herself holding her hands close to her chest.
She grimaced also when she noticed her usual attire was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a dress which was a mix of blue, white and pink all the way to the skirt.
When suddenly, she heard someone crying.
Startled, she looked ahead.
There, at the opposite side of the room. A white pearl with pink, princess Leya-looking hair sat on the floor, crying loudly into her arms and knees.
Pearl cocked her head to the side in wonder.
She looked over her shoulder.
No soldiers. No guards. No gems.
She carefully stepped away from the door behind her and over to the pink pearl.
The crying pearl noticed the appearing shadow above her and looked up.
"Are you alright?" Pearl asked her, quite monotone.
The pink pearl sobbed and dried away some tears with her lower palm. "I- I'm as well as my diamond wants me to be." She sobbed and hugged her knees.
Pearl watched her quite skeptical actually. It actually looked like it was her first time ever seeing anybody cry at all.
"What do you think they'll do with me?" The pink pearl asked her, frightened as she looked up at the other pearl tearfully.
"I am not allowed to engage in those questions." Pearl told her plainly.
The pink pearl gave her a look of disappointment. "Could you sit with me?" She begged through tears. "I don't want to be alone right now."
Pearl looked skeptical. She looked over her shoulder again.
No gems.
She sat down beside her, looking straight forward.
Pink Pearl leaned her head against Pearl's shoulder.
Pearl tensed uncomfortably.
"It was an accident." Pink Pearl sobbed loudly and looked up at the other pearl. "You believe me. Right?"
"Um..." Pearl stuttered uncomfortably, moving some of her shoulder-length hair back.
When suddenly, the doos opened.
Pearl flew up to her feet, tangling her hands together.
Pink Pearl was a bit slower to react, but stood up as well.
A blue Agate walked over to the pink pearl.
"Hands forward." She ordered.
Pink Pearl sobbed and reached her arms out.
The blue agate summoned a pair of destabilizing hand-cuffs and hand-cuffed the pearl.
The agate then grabbed her by the arm and started walking towards the door.
Pearl watched her.
The agate opened the door.
Pink Pearl looked at Pearl pleadingly over her shoulder.
Pearl watched her sympathetically.
The door shut behind them.
And Pearl was left alone, looking at the door.
She didn't even hear her walkie-talkie on the floor shout:
"Steven and Peridot to Bismuth and Pearl. We have returned the time-glass! We did it!"
(With Bismuth. 10 minutes earlier)
Bismuth was walking through the halls, gently whistling on a tune.
When suddenly- a door opened behind her.
"Whoa!" She shape-shifted her war-hammer and turned around.
But all she saw was an empty room.
"What the-." She walked inside and looked around.
Turned out that she had walked into a field, all green with a few flowers.
She smiled warmly at the sight, patiently waiting.
She looked down at the rose flower in her hand.
"Meet me on the field at sundown. Welcome to the Crystal gems." A voice echoed through her head.
She waited patiently.
When suddenly-
Someone slammed her in the back and pulled her arms back.
"Hey!" She shouted out as she fell down to her knees, being kept down by two gems holding her.
"No talking! We know you have been negotiating with Rose Quartz, you traitor scum!" A sharp voice yelled as two or more gems pushed her down to the ground.
"What?!" Bismuth shouted out when the sharp edge of a spear appeared inches from her face.
"Don't move." A deep voice told her.
Bismuth looked up.
Above her, stood a gem with white skin and deep grey-tripes. She had light-bluish hair which was cut in a bob with bangs covering her eyes.
Her hair waved in the wind and the colors of the sunset shone against her skin.
"Steven and Peridot to Bismuth and Pearl. We have returned the time-glass! We did it!" Bismuth's walkie-talkie shouted from her pocket.
(Present time)
Steven was running through the hall until he came across an opened room. He stopped and abruptly looked inside.
He saw Pearl just standing there, looking at nothing
"Pearl?" He called loudly. He went inside and looked up at her face.
She looked hurt.
"I wonder what happened to you." She suddenly spoke.
"Huh?" Steven looked up at her confused.
Though he soon realized it wasn't him she spoke to, as the direction of her gaze suggested.
He grabbed her arm.
"Pearl! We gotta go!" He told her alarmingly. "This ship is crazy! Peridot... she...we gotta go! Now!" He shouted.
"I wish..." A long tear ran down her cheek. "I wish I could have told you it would be okay... but... I'd be lying if I did..."
Pearl turned around with a startled gaze.
Steven turned around as well, startled of her sudden movements. "What's wrong?!"
But there was nothing there. Not even a sound. Not that he could see or hear at least.
Pearl though, was a different story.
She stood up straighter, quickly tangeling her fingers. "My Agate, forgive me- I didn't mean to-"
Steven watched as Pearl looked ahead. From the looks of it, she was listening to someone. Someone he could not see.
Someone in her head.
Steven backed away.
"I'll be back." He told her and ran off, leaving Pearl staring at nothing.
Pearl walked along the blue agate.
"That will be all, Pearl." She told her calmly as she walked inside the room, door shutting behind her.
Pearl nodded and took place beside the door, tangling her hands.
She shut her eyes and just listened to the silence of the hallway.
When suddenly, she heard footsteps.
She opened her eyes and looked to her right.
A familiar pearl with buns as a hair-cut made her way to another door and stood beside it.
Pearl blinked in confusion.
Pearl looked back and grimased uncomfortably. She urged to know, but she couldn't leave her post.
Her forehead started to sweat. Her brow narrowed.
She rushed over and stood discretely by her side.
Pearl watched her as discretely as she could to not catch any unwanted attention.
The pearl just stood there beside her, completely still and quiet. She didn't even blink. But now and again, her whole head would twitch unnaturally, like if she had been electrocuted.
Pearl swallowed, feeling the urge to at least talk to her. She turned her head, noting that no Agate was in hearing radius and then turned her gaze back to the gem.
"How was it. In there?" She asked her.
No respond.
"I'm even surprised you came back." Pearl continued, surprised. "Or rather..." She stopped for a few seconds and blushed a little bit. "I'm glad you came back." Still no response and all Pearl's smile faded.
"Are you alright?" She asked her as she bow forward a bit to get a better look at her.
"I am as well as my Diamond wants me to." The pearl slowly turned her head and smiled at her. Her head twitched, and the huge visible crack crossing completely the left side of her face sparkled like an error in today's technological widgets. What used to be her eye was now gone, replaced with the big crack covering her face.
Our Pearl screamed and flew back and crawled the ground, completely terrified.
The Agates nearby heard and quickly started heading towards them. "Hey! What's going on over there?!" One of them roared.
Pearl watched in terror as she flew up to her feet and rest her hands on her shoulders.
"What's wrong with you?! What happened to you?!" She shouted desperately. "Who did this to you?! Answer me! Please!"
"Hey! You! Get off of her and get back to your post!" One of the Agates roared at her as they reached the scene. The one speaking grabbed our Pearl by the wrist but she quickly shoved it away.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted and continued clinging on White Pearl.
"Send the Amethyst guards." Blue Agate hissed. The others nodded and ran.
"No! Get away from me! What did you do to her?! Help! HELP!" Pearl continued screaming.
Steven ran through the hallways as quick as he could.
When suddenly, Connie ran past him.
"Huh?" Steven stopped in his tracks and turned his head.
But nobody was there.
Steven hummed and turned his head and noticed he had come across another opened door.
He stopped and looked inside.
He saw Bismuth standing still, talking to nothing.
"Oh no! Not you too!" He sighed and stepped out. "Think Universe. When did it happen? It happened right after we put the time-glass back-." His eyes widened. "The time-glass!" He gasped and started heading the way he came.
Back at the Morganite Facility, Bismuth restlessly sat leaned against the transparent dome, carving a stick with a rock.
When suddenly, she felt the presence of someone behind her and she turned around violently.
It was the gem from before, watching her from outside the dome.
"Oh, it's you." Bismuth muttered and stood up, turning towards the gem. "What do you want? You got what you wanted. I'm here. Happy?" She snapped
The gem didn't respond.
Bismuth frowned in confusion. "You got what you wanted! Go away!" She said, much louder.
The gem put her hand to her ear, noting that she didn't hear her.
"You can't hear me?" Bismuth asked.
The gem shook her head.
Bismuth was taken aback. "You can read lips?" She asked, pointing to her own mouth.
The gem nodded.
"Huh." Bismuth hummed, intrigued. She rest a hand on her chest. "I'm Bismuth."
The gem rest a hand on her own chest. "Snowflake."
The days went and the two had grown fond of each other.
They sat down at each side of the dome, listening to each other.
"- and they say I have anger issues?!" Bismuth ended telling her story and they both shared a laugh.
Bismuth ended her laughing with a deep sigh, resting back on her arms. "Snowflake, what are you doing here?"
Snowflake's smile faded. She looked down and shrugged.
"It's because it was what you were made to do?" Bismuth asked.
Snowflake nodded.
"Yeah, I've heard that before." Bismuth scoffed and sat up straighter. "I wanted to become a black smith. I guess I had to pay for that dream." She looked up at the dome surrounding them.
Snowflake shrugged again. "I... I always wanted to become an artist. Like Onyx." She chuckled.
"But I ended up capturing gems for Morganite." She sighed. "To be honest... it feels kind of good. Capturing gems." She admitted. "It feels like I'm depriving their freedom that I will never have." She looked down shamefully.
Bismuth watched her speechless. She had never met a gem like her before.
She sat up. "For you, I would give up my freedom."
"Bismuth-."
"No! I mean it! Snowflake, I promise. If it takes me 5000 years, I WILL give you my freedom." Bismuth told her, resting a hand on her chest.
Snowflake smiled. "And I will give you mine."
"Let's get out of here." Bismuth rest her palm against the dome's wall.
Snowflake moved some hair behind her ear. She rest her palm against hers.
"Together."
Steven rushed up the stairs, passing Peridot on the way.
"Hey Peridot!" He panted loudly.
Peridot just stared straight out.
"I am defective." Peridot repeated someone. "With these limb-enhancers I will become whole."
Steven rushed over to the pedestal.
The time-glass was still floating above it.
He took a deep breath. "Okay." He exhaled. He reached his hands for it, when-
"Steven! Come on!" A voice called behind him, laughing.
Startled, Steven turned around.
"Connie!"
Connie laughed, wearing her long, red dress.
"We'll be late!" She told him.
"What? No! I'm not too late!" Steven stuttered in confusion, looking between the time-glass and Steven. "I need to remove the time-glass and we all will just forget this ever happened. Just like a bad..." He slowly trailed off in realization. "Memory..."
He looked back at the brunette, who was laughing.
"You're just a memory. All this... are just memories..." He said and looked at the green gem and then back at the time-glass.
He narrowed his eyebrows.
He pulled the time-glass away from the pedestal.
Pearl stood before her leaders, looking down respectfully.
"My Diamond, my client has nothing to do with this. I demand a second opinion-!" The blue Zircon desperately tried to reason.
"No." The stern voice ordered from her throne and it silenced the Zircon. "Your client has showed an unacceptable behavior and should get harvested-!"
The Zircon grit her teeth and Pearl tensed.
"But..." The voice continued. "Considering the circumstances..." She took a pause. "Pearl."
Pearl yelped and looked up.
"You turned on your fellow gems, and for that you should be put in a bubble for the rest of your life-." A big, yellow hand clenched shut.
Pearl grit her teeth.
"But..." Pearl looked up.
The big gem shared a few words with another gem the same size.
"As the pearl in question has been put in place for her actions, we have no one to fu-fill her purpose. As punishment of your behavior, we will replace you to a planet called 'earth' where you will be serving beneath a gem named Rose Quartz. Your ship will leave shortly."
Pearl was terrified. But she bowed anyway.
"Thank you, my diamonds." The agate grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside the room.
Everything seemed to disappear around Pearl and she held her head painfully.
Steven held the time-glass in his hands, eyes shut.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"Guhh..." Peridot grunted behind him.
"Peridot!" Steven exclaimed, putting the time-glass in his pocket.
Peridot held her head painfully.
"My diamond!" She shouted loudly. "Where am I?" She asked, looking around. "Steven!"
"It's okay. I'll explain it later." Steven told her, resting a hand on her shoulder.
When suddenly, the whole ship started rumbling loudly and began shaking.
"We got to get out of here!" Steven yelled.
Peridot nodded and they began running.
On their way, they found Bismuth who had walked out of her room and looked around confused.
Steven pulled her along.
Pearl was just exiting her room and ran along as they passed her.
They ran out the exit and jumped onto the sand, covering their heads as the ship exploded behind them.
When the explosion had settled, they sat up and watched the ship burn down.
"Well. That could have gone a lot worse. Right?" Steven tried to lift the situation.
No one responded.
When they got back home to the barn, Garnet had been busy folding all the laundry the others were supposed to do.
She smiled proudly at the folded piles, sitting on the floor.
She heard footsteps going up the stairs.
Her smile faded.
None of the gems present looked happy. Not a bit.
Garnet stood up.
Steven walked over and put the time-glass in his back-pack.
"It was the right time-glass. But the ship was programmed to keep intruders inside. It was just like...it was programmed to revenge those who stole the time-glass." Pearl muttered, not even looking up.
"I... I think I'm gonna head outside for now." Bismuth muttered as she walked back downstairs. Peridot joined her. Only Pearl stood where she was, hands folded.
Garnet hummed in worry.
Steven laid down in his bed because night had soon fallen.
But something bothered him and kept him awake.
He turned around, looking at his wall.
"I hope they're okay..." He muttered.
But in fact. No one was really okay.
Pearl and Garnet were sitting on the couch downstairs. They were quiet, but it was okay.
Pearl sat down with a puzzled face-expression, holding her walkie-talkie.
Garnet sat beside her, mute and stoically looking at nothing.
But at last , Pearl sighed and quietly leaned forward to grab a multi-colored blanket (probably knitted by herself) and reached to cover Garnet with it up over her shoulders before covering herself with it and leaned her head against her friend's broad shoulder.
Bismuth meanwhile stood behind the barn, using her shape-shifted axe-hammer to chuck wood.
She slammed her axe hard against the stump keeping the wood on, using unwanted force cut in half.
She was frowning, probably thinking of what had happened that day.
She leaned forward, shape-shifted hand back to normal, leaning her weight against the stump and covered her face with her hand.
Peridot was sitting on the van's roof, looking up at the stars.
Amethyst sat crouched together in total darkness. Her hands were kept in check from a pair of destabilizer hand-cuffs.
It was dark outside. It was dark inside.
She sat curled up against the wall with her legs close to her chest.
She was shaking, with tears threatening to fall down her cheeks as she looked around the small, tight space in terror.
She didn't call for help. She just sat there, shaking slightly as she tried to keep herself from crying.
At last the tears started to run down her trembling face.
The kindergarten was such a quiet place.