Connie put on her nightgown, brushed her hair, cleaned her face and ears and polished her gem. She yawned, exhausted.

The girl walked into her room and got into bed. She felt a strange feeling and opened her eyes. She saw a shape at the edge of the bed… it looked familiar. Quietly, she snuck over. The girl blinked and then saw the thing was gone. Connie cocked her head in confusion, "What? I could've sworn-" Suddenly, something grabbed her hair and pulled her back, putting a hand over her cries.

Her captor warped to the Galaxy Warp and Connie saw it was Pearl.

"Urgh! Let go of me! Put me down!" Connie cried, kicking.

"Oh, stop struggling!" Pearl made a hollow version of herself that restrained the girl. "It's useless to try and escape. And as for your powers? If you try to use them, I give the sign for my double to poof you!"

"The warp's broken! You'll never take me to Rose Quartz." Connie growled, struggling. "I'll never, ever go to her! Not without a fight!-"

"Yes, yes." Pearl said, rolling her eyes. "Aren't you so brave."

Connie was surprised when the holo disappeared, and fell to the ground. She gave a growl of anger, she hadn't felt this kind of anger in a while, it was consuming her, "Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll never help you."

"Fix the warp pad, now." Pearl hissed.

Connie tried to act confused, "But, how am I supposed to? I don't have healing powers, I have destabilizing ones."

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Yellow Diamond. I never got the chance to thank you for healing Amethyst's gem." Pearl said, circling her.

"Amethyst…" Connie whispered. She glared up at Pearl. "Why do you pretend to care about her?! She fused with Garnet, did you know that?!"

"I don't pretend to care about her!" Pearl snapped. Her sword nearly hit Connie's nose and she grimaced. "Fix the warp, or else."

Connie frowned and glanced at the warp then back at Pearl. "Never!" She yelled. The girl got up and did a practiced roll around her. She attempted to run to the warp but Pearl grabbed her quickly. "Stop it! This was my last chance to go home!"

Connie glanced up in surprise at the desperation in her voice and felt Pearl start to cry, "I'm going to die here. I'll never see Amethyst, or Garnet…" Pearl suddenly started to sob. "I'll never see Rose again!"

"Whoa… It's okay…" Connie tried. "Um, Earth isn't that bad."

"It doesn't matter what it's like." Pearl hissed, glaring at her. "It won't be anything soon."

"What?"

Suddenly, the Temps warped in.

"Oh my stars! Connie!" Peridot cried.

Pearl gasped and released Connie in order to wipe away her tears.

Connie ran to the Temps and they all hugged her, Jasper practically crushing them. Jasper then glared up at Pearl, "You're gonna regret kidnapping my kid."

Pearl gave a frightened noise and tried to run but Lapis flew up and slammed her to the ground with water as Peridot trapped her in metal chains.

Jasper did a spin attack to get close.

Pearl gasped in fear, eyes widened, but she didn't look at Jasper when she said, " "Wait! Please! You need me! I know about the-"

Jasper was about to slam her helmet on the gem when suddenly, a yellow beam went straight into her, making her poof. They turned to Connie, who's hands surged with power, the girl's eyes shadowed. Connie ran up to the Pearl and held it in her tiny hands. Part of her just wanted to crush it in her power, and Connie had to shake her head to bring herself back. Where in the world had shattering come from? She had never wanted to shatter a gem, it wasn't like she was somehow better than them. She bubbled it and looked up at Jasper. "She was trying to tell us something…"

"I've captured many gems, kiddo. They always say you need 'em. Now we don't have to worry about her kidnapping you and taking you away to Homeworld." Jasper said, throwing Pearl's swords away into the water.

"Connie… are you okay?" Lapis asked, seeing Connie stare at her hands. Connie jolted back and looked up, "Huh? Oh, um, yes, I'm fine."

About an hour later, Connie had been tucked into bed. She gave a groan in annoyance and turned to Peridot watching her. "Peridot, please, I'm fine, you can leave now… I can't exactly sleep with you watching me."

"You… I wasn't… what? I would never-!"

"Out." Connie moaned.

Peridot gave soft angry mutters as she walked away, catching, "never lets me watch her sleep.. it's not creepy."

Connie flopped back down into her bed and sighed softly. She noticed a pink slipper on her bookshelf and crawled out to get it. She turned on her reading lamp on her bedside table and turned the thing over and over. "What was she trying to say? I wish I knew… Wish I hadn't been so careless..." Suddenly, her gem glowed and her room opened. She hopped down from her bed and ran in.

"Room, I need to talk to Pearl." Connie said. Pearl appeared in the clouds and cried out exactly what she had said before, pausing where Connie had destabilized her. Connie looked at the frozen fear in her face and gave a groan, "No! What in the world are you talking about?!" She lowered her head in frustration then slowly lifted it up, "Room, I need to go to the burning room, please. The real burning room." The clouds parted and Connie saw a vein of the Crystal Heart. She ran to it and slid down it, laughing in delight at the sudden race of air. She let go and tried to do an amazing flip. She nailed it until she landed and then fell back into her behind.

"Still needs some work." Connie murmured. She looked up and saw Pearl's gem float above her. The girl climbed the bubbles and popped the bubble. Pearl regenerated and cried out, "the cluster, so get away from me!" She panted and then saw where she was. Connie hopped down and pulled out her sword, not pointing it, but merely holding it.

"Where am I?!" Pearl cried.

Connie sighed, "In the temple."

She looked up at all the bubbled gems and froze in fear, "I can't be contained!"

Connie frowned and walked to her to assure the gem. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Pearl was frightened, and in her fright, slapped Connie. The girl gave a cry in pain.

"Hey! I saved you!" Connie growled. "People shouldn't hurt their savior!"

"I… hurt you?" Pearl asked.

Connie nodded.

Pearl started slapping her repeatedly, "Feel my anger! Feel it! Rhaaa!"

Connie shoved her off and pointed her sword threateningly. "I freed you for a reason! Why were you so afraid? Huh?"

Pearl looked at Connie with disbelief, thinking her wouldn't do such a thing. Connie thrust her sword forward. "Tell me!" She snarled.

Pearl gave a gasp and Connie softened. What was with her today? She was just so angry… "... Please… tell me."

Pearl frowned. "I was here because of the Cluster. I was meant to check on it… until I gained that you were here. Then, I was my mission to capture you. And just when I was about to shatter your rebellion and bring you to Rose, I got trapped here! I… I really miss her."

"Rose Quartz?" Connie asked.

Pearl nodded somberly. "She'd never forgive me for failing her…"

Connie tilted her head and whispered, "Well… everyone should have a second chance…."

"This was my second chance." Pearl growled. She suddenly kicked Connie's sword up and slid under the girl. She ran out the door and Connie yelled, "Wait! Don't leave!"

Pearl ran out into the room and laughed, "I did it! And now to find my swords and…" She glanced forward and saw Lapis, Peri, and Jasper staring at her with open mouths, Jasper frozen in a position of eating a massive sandwich.

"Uh, uh…" Pearl stammered.

"You're dead meat." Jasper growled.

Pearl started to run, away but Lapis flew up and smacked the gem to the ground.

"Guys! Wait!" Connie protested, but Pearl had already run into the bathroom and locked the door. Pearl panted inside.

The Temps ran to it and Peridot whispered, "This is going to be a strange experience for her… cause' that's the bathroom."

Pearl looked around and whispered softly so the others wouldn't hear, "What is this place?" She glanced at the toilet. "An escape!"

They heard the toilet flush and Lapis gave a sigh, "Get out of the toilet, it isn't going to work."

Pearl gave a sputter as Lapis' powers lifted her out.

"How is this possible?! How did that clod get out? We bubbled her!" Peridot cried.

Lapis glanced at Connie, "Well… Connie is new to bubbling-"

"I popped it." Connie sighed.

"WHAT?!" Peridot screeched.

"She was scared, I needed to know why." Connie answered firmly.

"The reason she was scared is we finally caught her, there would be no other reason." Lapis insisted.

Connie shook her head. "It wasn't that. It was something called the Cluster…"

"A cluster of what?" Jasper asked, "Cluster of granola?"

"No, just a cluster.."

"I'll never tell you about it!" Pearl called from the bathroom.

"I order you to tell me. We both know a Lapis Lazuli is far outranking a Pearl, we all outrank you, especially Connie!" Lapis huffed.

"Tell us! Now!" Jasper growled.

"I… um… Never! I'll never tell you, you war machine!"

"Hey! That's true, but it still hurts!" Jasper snarled. Connie held her back from punching the door of its hinges.

"No, we shouldn't demand her…" Connie muttered.

"But we need whatever information she has!" Peridot cried.

"GHAA! It's burning me! Is this acid?!" They suddenly heard.

"It's hot water!" Connie called. "Turn the other knob for cold!"

Later, in the kitchen, the Temps contemplated on what to do.

"Wait, she's staying in my bathroom?" Connie cried.

"Well, she's going to have to if she won't come out." Peri shrugged

"What are we to do? Put her outside on a leash?" Lapis asked.

"Yes!" Peridot cried.

"Love that plan!" Jasper said at the same time.

Lapis nodded, "That is a pretty good idea…"

"Guys… I need to go." Connie muttered softly.

Jasper shook her head, "We are not letting you out of our si-"

"I need to go." Connie said with conviction.

"Oh." Jasper said, now getting what she meant. "Well, you can't right now."

"But-" Connie started.

Lapis stopped her, "Just go in the ocean! The fish do it all the time!"

"Ugh…" Connie moaned.

The next morning, the Temps, excluding Connie stood outside the bathroom door.

"Pearl, if you don't open this door right now, I will kick it down!" Jasper growled.

"Oh, and bubble me again? Oh ho ho, I'm so scared!" Pearl cried sarcastically, acting dramatic.

Jasper gave a growl. "I am going to-"

"What is this Cluster? Just tell us already!" Lapis moaned.

"You better not have made it with that Kindergarten!" Jasper growled, leaning against the door. "You're killing this planet!"

Connie suddenly innocently walked up and knocked on the door. "Pearl, may I come in?"

Pearl cracked open the door for her and peeked out. "No."

Connie slid in anyway and gave Pearl her pink slipper back, "Here you go."

"Hm. This is useful. I rather missed it from when you last attacked me. May I ask where my swords are?" Pearl said, slipping it back on.

"Er…" Connie murmured. She switched topics, "Would you mind handing me that?" Pearl turned and saw the girl's toothbrush. She picked it up and examined it. "What is this thing?"

"It's my toothbrush!" Connie said happily. She took it from Pearl.

"And…that? What is that?" She pointed at Connie's hairbrush and the hybrid picked it up. "My hairbrush!"

"And that thing?" Connie glanced over at what Pearl was pointing at.

"A towel…" Connie said. The girl only then noticed Pearl was staring at her hands every time she demonstrated a thing. Connie realized that Pearl must've been remembering the time she had been poofed, how angry, and upset Connie must've looked. Connie put the towel down and showed her normal, non-glowing palms to Pearl. "I'm sorry. I must've scared you when I destabilized you…. But I won't hurt you again. I lost control over my emotions before. Instead, I'll focus that passion on this Cluster, I want to help to make you feel safe again…"

Pearl sat down and the toilet and gave a small laugh. "That won't be an easy task."

Connie gave a weak smile. "Um… this may be a bad time, but I have to use that…" She said nervously with a blush, pointing at the toilet.

"For what?" Pearl whispered.