Connie was reading a book on the symbols in dreams. Though that night hadn't felt like a dream once Connie had seen Amethyst, she had to try and find out more. Her phone suddenly rang it's jaunty tune and Connie picked it up, seeing it was Steven.
She flipped it open and answered, "Hey Steven-!"

"Connnnnie! Something's happening!" Steven cried.

"What do you mean?" Connie asked.

"The TV! Something's wrong with the TV a-and there's a gem-"

Connie immediately turned on the TV to see Pearl. "I… gotta go." She hung up and stared at the TV.

Pearl gave a cough and then spoke, "This is the pearl of Lady Rose Quartz and I…" She sighed and whispered, "Garnet and Amethyst are gone, I can't find Yellow Diamond… and I'm stuck here… Please send help!" Pearl cried in desperation.

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The video repeated after the rest of the Temps had gotten there.

"Hm... where could this Pearl be broadcasting a signal that strong?" Peridot muttered.

"There's only one place." Jasper frowned.

Lion hopped out of a portal with the older Crystal Temps riding on his back. He collapse immediately after and Connie popped out of his mane.

"You okay, boy?" Connie asked, gently petting his fur.

"Knew it." Jasper muttered. Connie looked up to see the Communication Hub which she thought would be gone forever. It shot up a beam to the sky.

"How was a pearl able to do that?" Peridot whispered.

Connie looked at her hands, "... Jasper, you can't form Malicite, not again. My powers are unpredictable now."

Jasper looked at Lapis who didn't want to meet her eyes. "Lapis?"

Lapis glanced up, "Jasper, I know you like to be fused with me, and that we feel really powerful together… but it's just too dangerous. We know what happens, she's… we're unstoppable."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and then Jasper turned to Peridot with a sigh, "Do you want to fuse then?"

Peridot glanced at Connie, then at the pillar behind her, was she actually talking to her? She turned back to Jasper with stars in her eyes, "M-Me?"

"...I swear if you cry…" Jasper started.

Peridot gave a loud sniff, trying to stop her eyes from tearing up, she was failing. Jasper smirked and then turned, walking to a open area. Peridot ran after her.

"Fusion!" Connie cried. Lapis looked surprised and a bit sad. Connie didn't notice, pulling her away to watch.

"I can't believe it!" Peridot squealed, cracking her knuckles, "We're fusing!"

"Ok, think I'm ready." Jasper said after stretching. Her gem glowed.

Peridot smiled, "I'm ready too!" Her gem glowed as well. They walked to each other and Jasper suddenly ran to Peridot. They hooked arms and Jasper flung the gem into the air. Peridot grinned and had her body like a star. Jasper grabbed
her legs and flung Peridor back to where the gem hung upside down with a happy grin. They disappeared and a fusion opened her eyes. She was light orange with a long triangular shaped mane of hair. She had a crossed dark orenbe and green shirt
that showed off her stomach and baggy pants that were the same color. She yawned and stretched, "Oh! It's been too long!"

Connie squealed in happiness while Lapis held a weak smile, "Hello, Andalusite. It's good to see you again."

The fusion suddenly cartwheeled and laughed, "It's good to be back!" She rolled over and giggled.

Connie ran up to her with a beam, "Hi! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Andalusite turned to her and put her head on her arms. "Connie! I've already met you, silly goose! Known you your whole life." She winked, gently bopping the girl's nose.

"Oh, yeah." Connie blushed with a giggle.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited to be here." The fusion gushed, standing. "You see, I haven't exactly been myself lately." She started a rough chuckle and Connie giggled beside her. She turned to Lapis who forced out a small
laugh then said, "Er… Andalusite, don't you…. have something to do?"

Andalusite gave a smirk, "Ah, someone's jealous."

Lapis blushed gently and shook her head, "What? No, no, I-"

"Sure, sure, Lazuli." The fusion said, walking away. She then smiled, "I guess I do got some work to do though." She then formed a giant version of Jasper's helmet and scrap metal from to ground slammed into it. The gem
gave a mighty cry and the helmet split apart into multiples.

"Whoa! Shotput! Like the olympians!" Connie squealed.

"Pretty great, hm?" The fusion smiled. "I have control over myself, making this weapon probably one of the coolest weapons ya' seen from a fusion." Connie nodded while Lapis wilted behind her. "And after this, kiddo,
you're going to say that it's," The fusion slammed one of them into a pillar, knocking it out, "precise!" Another fell, "bold!" yet another, "Amazing! Athletic! And powerful!" The fusion smiled as the last one
was about to hit the top pillar, "And to think, with all that, I'm still the amazing me!" The shot put hit the tower gently and it all collapsed. She landed in front of Connie, Lion, and Lapis. The fusion gave a bow, "Now, if you
ever need me again, just let Jasper or Peri know and I'll be there!" She stretched out her back and she was gone. In her place, Jasper held Peridot still upside down. Jasper gently put Peridot to the ground and the small gem ran to Connie,
"Weren't we great? Isn't she amazing?!" Connie only nodded in reply. "I'll accept your praises now!" Peridot said trimputly.

"You two were so cool!" Connie gushed, "I loved her weapon and her jokes were great too…!"

Jasper glanced away from Connie and instead focused on Lapis. The ocean gem smiled and gave a few gentle claps, "Good job."

Steven, Connie and Jasper sat watching Crying Breakfast Friends.

"Why, Pear? Why did you lie to me?" Sobbing Spoon cried.

"I didn't mean to-" The Pear started sobbing. Connie touched her heart and Steven looked back at Jasper, "Aw, Pear. I'd forgive her. Wouldn't you?"

Jasper's eyes narrowed.

Steven started to sweat and turned away to see Lapis reading a magazine on the couch below them, "Lapis! Wanta watch Crying Breakfast Friends with us?"

Jasper glanced at her.

Lapis smiled politely with a small shake of the head, "No, but thank you, Steven."

Jasper turned away.

"Well, I'm still recording it for later." Connie replied. The tv suddenly started to glitch out again and Connie gasped, "No way, it's the signal again!"

"Pearl!" Jasper hissed. Peridot walked in at that exact moment and Jasper snapped her head to her, "Peridot! The signal is back!

"Seriously?" Peridot cried.

"Come on, let's go." Jasper grunted.

"Right." Peridot nodded, "Connie, where's Lion? Steven, go home, we don't need you right now, and Lapis, get your head out of that book!" She paced to the warp pad and the rest followed while Steven sadly waved goodbye to
Connie.

At the Communication Hub, Jasper and Peri were all ready to fuse again.

"You ready?" Jasper smirked.

"Of course I am!" Peridot said proudly. They fused once more and Andalusite appeared, "Hey! I'm back! Couldn't get enough of me, could ya'? She winked, "Now then, let's start!" She leapt into the air.

Connie heard a soft singing behind her and turned to see Lapis sitting on a rock with her back turned.

"Just know, you're better off with her… I know she likes fusing with you. I guess I'm so scared to be us. Just don't want her to take it all away…" Lapis whispered, looking at the smashed warp pad. "I know togther, we forever are strong, but can't you just see? Her insaness must be my tower of mistakes, and she's evil, thanks to me…"
The gem sang sadly, hugging herself. She turned to see the tower was destroyed and the fusion landed in front of Connie. "Oh, I wish there was something I could doo-oo… Something, anything just for you… So, my apologies simple, but it's true:"
She bit her lip seeing Jasper and Peridot smiling as they unfused. "I'm so sorry I did this to you…"

Connie looked at her with sadness and then thought up a plan.

Connie and Lapis rode on Lion that night at the still broken tower.

"Pearl's been back here twice. So my hypothesis based on this concludes she'll come back again. And then, we'll get her." Connie smiled. Lapis gave a tiny nod with a laugh, "Okay, but rember, only a few minutes out here and then
into bed."

"Okay!" Connie groaned. "Jasper's going to be so proud!"

Lapis cracked a smile, "Oh… is that what this is?"

They soon hid behind some rocks. Connie stuck a telescope in the hole in her rock and looked around. "I'm on a stakeout, just like dad!" She gushed. She looked around some more, "Nothing, more nothing…" She then saw a figure
resembling Pearl on the horizon, "Ah! There she is!" She zoomed in then realized it was just a cactus shaped like Pearl. "Nevermind…"

Time went by with Connie and Lapis becoming more bored each minute. Connie soon sat on the ground and seemed to be counting her fingers. Lapis turned to her, "Okay, time for bed!" She noticed Connnie's strange behavior and frowned,
"Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, I found this new mind trick online and I'm testing it out! It works!" Connie exsplained. "You use your right forefinger to point with, and touch each finger of your left hand, counting out loud. Then, with your left
forefinger, you count the fingers on your right hand. It will make you believe you have eleven fingers!"

Lapis grimaced but eventually tried it. She did as Connie said and gasped, "It does work! I felt the erdge to shapeshift another finger out!" Connie giggled.

"Well, even if we didn't catch Pearl, at least I taught you a great way to pass the time!" Connie beamed. She went back to counting when she saw a small turquoise light shoot across the ground between her fingers. She gasped.

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"What is it?" Lapis asked, concerned.

"I think I saw something!" Connie cried, scrambling to her telescope. She peered in and saw Pearl's escape pod traveling to the tower.

"It's Pearl's escape pod… How did she get it? Did she steal it?" Connie murrmered, watching the pod build the Hub back up using tractor beams. "She's lifting the pillars, and she's fixing the hub…" the pod landed
on top of the hub and Pearl got out, or at least what looked like Pearl. "What's she doing up there?" She zoomed in and gasped. She waited for the gem to reveal her face and her suspicions were correct. "It's… Peridot…"

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"What?" Lapis gasped. She gently pushed Connie aside and peered into the telescope, "Oh no."

The next morning, Lapis and Connie sat staring at the TV, even though it wasn't on.

"Why would Peridot rebuild the hub?" Connie whispered.

"I think I know, but I hope I'm wrong…" Lapis sighed. Connie turned on the TV but the screen was filled with static like before. They flinched when they realized Peridot was right behind them, clearly doing terrible acting.
"Oh , this is no good!"

"What's wrong?" Connie whispered nervously.

"It's Pearl. She must've fixed the Communication Hub again!" Peridot cried. Jasper walked up as Lapis and Connie exchanged worried glances. "Jasper, it's the hub again."

"I can't believe Pearl is giving us so much trouble!" Peridot laughed nervously, "But it hardly matters, right Jasper? We can disable this tower as many times as we need to, together! Okay? Okay. I'm ready. Are you ready?"

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"I know what she's doing." Lapis sighed. Connie glanced at her with worry, "You do?"

They saw Jasper and Peridot were about to fuse and Lapis blurted out, "Wait!"

Peridot frowned, "This better be good, Lazuli."

"You-you shouldn't…" Lapis blushed, looking at Jasper.

"Peridot... we saw you." Connie sighed, looking away.

"What?"

The girl look back with hurt in eyes, "You need to tell Jasper it was you!"

"Kid, mind telling me what you're talking about?" Jasper said through gritted teeth.

"Er… I'm sorry…" Peridot whispered, "I-It's just... so much fun being Andalusite with you." Jasper dropped her to the ground.

"You little-"

"Wait! D-don't shatter me… Let me explain!" Peridot cried.

"Oh ho, this is good, this is really good." Jasper chuckled darkly while Peridot backed away, "To think, I thought I was protecting my team from some crazy gem, when really, it was all you fixing the hub!"

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"It really was Pearl! T-The first time…" Peridot

whispered.

"You tricked me!" Jasper snapped, grabbing Peridot up by her shirt collar.

No! No, no, no, no! We just needed a reason to fuse! I just wanted to share a few more victories with you!" Peridot cried, struggling in the gem's grip.

"Those weren't victories!" Jasper growled. Lapis ran up and grabbed her arm, "Stop it! Please! I know how you feel about it, but fusing with you makes us feel so… powerful."

Jasper threw her aside, "Listen here, brat! Don't defend her! Pearl is out there somewhere and Peridot's been distracting us with... nothing!" Lapis shook in fear, cowering in her shadow. Connie was so shocked and
her hands surged with power. "Guys…"

Jasper glared at her, "Oh, do you have something to say now?!"

Connie gulped. She hated when Jasper went berserk like this!

"Stop! Don't bring Connie into this, this is my fault!" Peridot cried, running to Jasper. "Punish me!"

"That's enough!" Jasper yelled. Peridot fell back. Jasper snapped her head to Lapis, "I don't care what you think," She grabbed Lapis by the wrist and pulled the water gem to her face.

"Jasper, please! Don't!" Lapis begged.

Jasper tightened her grip, "You're fusing with me!"

"No!" Lapis cried. They vanished and Malachite appeared. She laughed and slammed the tower apart.

"Help! Help me please!" Lapis' voice suddenly rang out, "I can't do this again! Please!"

Connie felt her hands burn with light as Peridot watched in horror. The girl gave a cry as the power escaped her, pushing her to the ground and all they could see was yellow light.

Connie fiddled with the bandage on her arm a few days later as she watched Crying Breakfast Friends with Steven and Lapis.

"Please, forgive me!" Pear cried.

"Of course I forgive you!" Spoon sobbed. They hugged and started crying again. Lapis glanced down to see Peridot walk into the Beach House and Jasper warp in. They walked past each other without making eye contact.
Peridot sighed.

"It sure would be nice if things worked out the way they do in cartoons." Lapis whispered.

"Yeah. It would." Steven said, Connie had told him everything. Connie sighed and pointed the remote at the screen, turning it off.