Despite everything that had happened there, the Crystal Temps had to go back to the Beta Kindergarten. Lapis, Connie, and Pearl all felt slightly uncomfortable being there after everything that had happened with Garnet. But, they had to find the corrupted gems that hadn't had the sense to flee once their cages had been destroyed.

Some cages had remained intact despite Garnet having punched the wall they were on, and one of these still cages was what Connie and Pearl walked up to.

Connie peered into the bars and saw a corrupted monster. The thing seemed to be a greenish ball of fur with chicken-like legs. It's gem rested on its back and it had three eyes on either side it's head. The poor thing…

"There's another one here!" Pearl announced.

"Cool, we'll be there in a second!" Jasper called to the gem, she then gave a war cry and ran into a hole that housed a gem. Lapis and Peri gave similar yells, and they ran in right after her.

Pearl and Connie heard the monster roar and then various sounds of water splashing, and metal scraping on the walls.

"I found its tail!" Lapis cried to them all.

Jasper gave a confused grunt then called, "That's not a tail, Laz!"

Connie thought they must be talking about it's hair or leg or something else, when she finally heard a poof sound.

The older Temps came out looking satisfied as Jasper held a bubbled yellow circular gem. She transported it away with a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe Garnet would do something so horrible as to cage a gem like this!" Peridot huffed in disgust, glancing back at the hole.

"But…That's what we're doing." Connie suddenly said with firmness. "Who's idea was it to lock them away in the Burning room?"

There was a silence for a few moments, then Jasper gave a dry cough. "Er… well, your mom's."

"I thought so." Connie muttered softly, looking at her gem.

Peridot quickly injected herself into the conversation. "But your mother only did it to protect them, she may have shattered before, but she knew that Blue Diamond-"

"I was just wondering. I know I'm supposed to still look up to her." Connie cut in gently. She then turned back to the cage.

The monster gave a screech at them, showing three tongues that sprang out like tentacles. The thing tried to run up a wall but soon landed on what would be its head.

Pearl gave a sigh in disappointment, putting a hand on her head. "It's a shame they had their minds and bodies absolutely ruined. They were perfectly good era ones. Now they're just brainless, terrifying beasts."

"Move aside, you two." Jasper grunted, pushing them away from the cage. "Lapis, Peridot, look alive, it's gonna run."

Lapis made her wings into fists and Peridot turned her pole to a hatchet.

Jasper formed her helmet and then ripped out part of the wall along with all the bars.

The monster gave a screech and barreled into Jasper. The gem gave a yell in anger, holding on tight and trying to slam her helmet in on the gem.

"Lapis! Let's make this thing even more dangerous!" Peridot called, and threw her hatchet at the monster.

Lapis thrust out her hands, and water immediately incircled the weapon, dulling the thing and making it even more effective if it hit. But, it didn't hit.

The monster had already sprinted away from the spot it was aimed and the thing landed, leaving a large rut in the ground.

"Urgh! Poof already!" Jasper yelled, still trying to slam her helmet in.

"Don't worry, I'll help!" Pearl cried. She wanted to help more than keeping Connie away from the fight, which the girl was irritated about. The teal spear finally formed in her want to protect Jasper and the Temps. She aimed her spear and threw, certain it would hit.

It didn't hit the monster, but it hit Jasper's hand, making her lose her grip. The gem gave a cry, and the monster ran off into the distance.

Pearl gasped in shock, running to help Jasper up. "I'm so sorry! I-I thought it would hit it, I wanted to help!"

"Wow, great shot, Pearl." Jasper growled, taking her hand and watching the spear vanish. "I didn't want or need your help. You just got in the way."

Pearl blushed in anger, crossing her arms. "You would've lost it either way! … And you don't need to even worry about it anymore, because I'll find and capture it for you!"

The other Temps walked up just in time to find Pearl walking away with a determined look, trying to prove she would never get in the way again.

Connie looked after her then looked back at the Temps. "... Um, she may need my help…."

"Connie, she'll be fine. Besides, she feels like she's helping, and that's what matters to her." Lapis shrugged with a smile. "Let's just go home, she'll be back."

"But…"

"Go with her if you want, I'm not gonna stop you." Jasper said gruffly, walking to the warp pad. "Just be real careful, and don't get yourself killed, kid!"

"What?! Jasper, we cannot leave our fragile Connie out here, she'll get hurt!" Peridot yelled, running after her. "What if she gets dehydrated? Or the monster has secret claws? Or what if Pearl can't-!"

"She'll be fine!" Jasper called back.

Lapis gave a sigh, giving Connie a hug. "I know you can handle yourself, but if you lose your sword, are you sure you want to be out here without anyone to protect you?"

"Pearl's here. She can protect me." Connie said with a smile, looking off in the distance.

Lapis gave a weak smile. "Oh, er, right! Of course! Well… just be safe!"

Connie soon had caught up to Pearl, after a short sprint.

Pearl gave a sigh, turning to face the girl. "Despite what you all think after that disaster of a fight, I can handle myself just fine!"

"I know!" Connie laughed, clasping her hands. "I just want to help, even though you may not need me to-"

"If you insist on helping, then come along!" Pearl sniffed, turning away to continue walking. "I don't want you getting upset that we're making a plan! I know that the Temps would be so I understand if you feel the need, but I-"

"I love plans!" Connie cheerfully said, running up to Pearl. "They never think things out before they do things, and I always want to make a strategy, but they never take it seriously!"

Pearl gave a patient smile. "Well, you're not making the plan, I am."

Connie's huge smile fell. "Oh…"

"... But you'll help execute it." Pearl added on quickly, not wanting her friend to be unhappy.

"Awesome!" Connie beamed again. "So, what is your plan?"

Pearl hushed her suddenly and pointed.

Connie turned to see the corrupted gem once more, it was staring up at an injector with interest. "Oh…"

Pearl summoned her spear, and aimed it at an injector just opposite of the one that her prey was so fixated on. She squinted, her mouth going into a small and straight line in construction of the plan.

"Pearl, what are you-?" Connie's mouth was covered at once, and Pearl threw her weapon.

The spear hit the injector, making it fall to the ground with a grandiose boom. The corrupted gem gave a screech in surprise, turning to the thing. Another spear was formed, and Pearl aimed as quick as possible to make sure the monster wouldn't move.

Despite that, the monster seemed to hear it and dodged just in time, making the spear land in a patch of boulders on a higher ledge.

"What? Impossible!" Pearl gasped in surprise, she wasn't outraged, but was slightly upset it had failed so easily. The gem grabbed Connie's arm and leapt her down to face the gem.

Pearl summoned her spear while Connie unsheathed her sword.

"Go!" Pearl cried.

The two gave cries and ran to the thing, thrusting out their sharp weapons. The monster then suddenly leapt over them both with amazing agility, making them both gasp in surprise. The thing ran off, leaving Connie panting and Pearl staring in shock.

There was a sudden crack above them and they looked up just in time to see the boulders the spear had been holding back, coming down on them!

Pearl gave a yell, shoving Connie out of the way.

The girl fell to the ground, turning around just in time to see Pearl leap out of the way.

"Pearl! Are you alright?!" Connie cried, running up to her friend.

Pearl dusted off her pink dress, then gave a nod. "Yes.. I think so. Now, come along! We must find it again!"

After a few minutes of searching, they came across the corrupted gem.

Pearl had soon made a trap for the thing using injector legs as a sort of cage that Connie held high over another piece of the machine. The gem knew that this monster seemed to hold a certain interest in the devices, so she would use that against it.

After a few seemingly long minutes, the monster came walking through, not noticing Pearl hiding behind a rock or Connie above it. The monster hesitantly went up to the injector, peering down at the shiny thing.

Pearl crawled stealthily close to it, quiet and calm.

Connie took a small breath, whispered a tiny apology in her head, and then dropped the cage. Pearl gave a cry in anger and the girl glanced down to see she had dropped it on her partner! "Oh, Pearl, I'm sorry! I-"

"I… I got too excited and wanted to poof that.. turd!" Pearl moaned. She hadn't used the word in a while, but it felt good.

The girl looked up but saw the monster was already much too far away already to catch.

Pearl soon was walking in the direction the monster had ran in with an angry stride. She had tried her best to stay calm, of course, but this… thing was just incredibly lucky it seemed.

Her young assistant followed her close behind. Connie was proud that Pearl loved taking charge, a long time ago, she nearly begged to be ordered, she thought that was all she could do. She gave a small cough, getting Pearl's attention. "Pearl? May I ask what your next plan is? If you don't have one, I was thinking maybe we could try a gentler a-"

"My next plan is a simple one, Connie." Pearl said suddenly, she had been lost in thought for a moment. "I can't believe I didn't think about it sooner!"

"Oh, what is it?"

"You! You easily poofed that crafty Zircon a few days ago with your sword, this beast won't stand a chance! It has no brain left!" Pearl laughed.

Connie felt eyes widen in shock and she started to sweat. She then made herself shake it off and put herself in a serious mode. She couldn't think of that now, she could be trapped in self doubt later.

The girl was standing quietly behind a rock, and looked up at Pearl, who stood behind another nearby.

The elder gem watched the monster, waiting for it to stop. When it did, she gave Connie a nod.

Connie quietly stepped closer to the thing, very slowly.

After what felt like a hour of waiting, which was really only around ten minutes, Connie was close enough. The girl unsheathed her sword as quietly as she could, but of course, the monster heard it.

Connie gave a cry as the thing screeched and tried to pounce on her. She hurriedly blocked with her sword, it scratched at her like wild.

"Get away, you monster!" Pearl called in anger, and her teal spear came hurtling towards it.

Seeing that, the corrupted gem was quick to abandon Connie and run off again.

The girl gave a moan, sitting up from the ground. She looked over to see Pearl fuming.

"That stupid thing! It's like it knew you were coming to it! But it couldn't have!" Pearl cried in fury, not thinking at all to help the girl up or see if she was ok.

"Maybe we should make camp for the night…" Connie whispered, seeing it start to grow dark.

The campfire was warm and cozy, and Connie was leaned on Pearl's shoulder and she roasted some marshmallows the elder gem had given her from the storage in her gem.

They were quiet, both thinking as the fire popped and crackled.

Pearl finally took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I… I just don't understand! That monster used to be a gem, of course, but corrupting it must've destroyed its mind! It must have! It's incredibly sad how different it is from you or me, it's not even a worthy adversary!"

Connie frowned and sat up, looking at Pearl with slight anger. "She is too. She avoided all your plans today. She may look and sound a bit different, but that doesn't mean that she's not smart. We should treat her just like we do with gems like the Temps, she's probably a lot like us inside. I wouldn't be surprised if all she wants is to be safe and happy again."

"Happy?" Pearl cried in surprise. She rolled her eyes. "You're awfully sweet, Connie, but that thing is nothing like us!"

Connie suddenly gave a growl and stood up, making fists.

"Ugh, what are you doing now?" Pearl moaned, looking between her fingers at the girl after planting her face in them.

"You're now a monster, just like that one we've been chasing!" Connie announced.

The girl suddenly gave a yell and tackled Pearl to the ground. "Poof now!"

"Get off me!" Pearl squawked, flailing her arms as she tried to pry Connie off. "You're out of your mind!"

"Really?! You think so?" Connie asked, pushing harder.

Pearl gave a growl in anger. "You're making me upset and I want you to leave me alone! I didn't want this! What did I do to deserve this?!"

Connie suddenly leaped up and brushed herself off. "Did you hear what you just said? All those things must be what that corrupted gem is thinking whenever we attack! You hated it, right?"

"Yes." Pearl grumbled, standing up. "I guess she and I aren't so different."

"All she probably wants is for you to treat her like she belongs with us, and she does!" Connie grinned. "I'm sure you'll be surprised."

The next morning, Pearl had caught up to the gem, but with Connie's theory in her mind, she slowly walked up to it, willing to talk.

She gave a long sigh and then looked down at it. "I'm… sorry about what I've done to you."

The corrupted gem looked up, and Pearl couldn't tell if it understood or not, but it knew she wasn't attacking.

She squirmed slightly under the unrelenting stare, but then tried again. "You see, I suppose I never thought of it from your perspective and…" She gave a growl slightly. Why wasn't it responding to her? It had humiliated her in front of the Temps! She had to show them she wasn't a nuisance and could get things done. And it would be so easy to make her spear and poof the thing…

Connie gave a gasp in shock when Pearl summoned her spear, attempting to poof it with an angry yell. Of course, the monster immediately started to scratch at her, forcing the gem to the ground.

The hybrid got to the scene as soon as she could, trying to stop them. "Wait! Please, stop! She's my friend! You'll be safe in a bubble, I promise!"

Pearl gave a yell in anger and tried to stab the thing in its underbelly, making it swing itself away, unknowingly hitting Connie away.

The girl wasn't hit very far though, due to her extreme durability, and stood up only to see the monster running away, with Pearl having a firm hold on its leg!

The corrupted gem was so panicked it didn't even think to go around a loop of a crater, making Pearl land on its face, right where the gem was. She gave a growl, trying to pry the thing off so it would poof.

Connie gasped in fear, seeing them heading straight towards a cliff. "Wait!"

The corrupted gem toddled slightly on the edge, but then it fell.

Connie gave a cry, reaching out her hand just in time to grab Pearl's wrist.

Pearl suddenly twist around to face the gem, ready to end the feud. She knew that gem was annoying, but it was cunning, and didn't deserve to be poofed in such an elementary way. She felt like it wanted to go out in honor, just like every gem would when poofed. In that moment, she felt the universe around her suddenly slow, and inhaled. She calculated exactly what she wanted to happen, she wanted to poof that gem. Suddenly, a ball of teal energy manifested in her force and will, and it poofed the gem midair.

"How did you…?" Connie breathed, staring at the spear.

Pearl was shocked as well but then let it vanish. She shook her head in amazement. "I don't know…"

The two eventually climbed down safely to see the corrupted gem had indeed finally poofed.

Pearl gently picked it up and looked at it gravely. She had done it.

The two stood in silence looking at the gem when it was broken by a yell.

"CONNIE! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

They glanced up to see Peridot running to them with Lapis flying gently beside a slower moving Jasper.

"What was that light? Was it your gem?" Peridot asked frantically, circling Connie.

"No, my gem hasn't glowed in a while." Connie smiled, she then pointed to Pearl. "She made it with her spear and poofed the gem!"

"I always thought you could maybe do it." Jasper smirked, clapping Pearl on the back.

Pearl beamed with a blush but then frowned. "Wait, what do you mean thought? And how on earth did you know when to get here?"

Jasper gave a chuckle. "We didn't even leave, I just knew seeing you get in your angry squawking mode is hilarious."

Lapis giggled as Pearl flushed in anger.

"Well I did it, didn't I? You all saw I'm perfectly capable on a mission." Suddenly, the gem in her hand bubbled and she smiled, touching it to let it go to her home.

Her home, of course, was the barn. It warped in on Pearl's side of it, which Amethyst saw while munching on chips at their table. She stared for a moment then smirked. "Aw yeah! Corrupted roommate!"

Sorry this took me so long everyone! I'm not that good at writing action sequences, as I'm sure you know, so writing this in just the right way was hard. I've just been wondering why people like this fic if it is a lot like the original show, I've been kinda getting bashed on being uncreative in other places and I was just wondering. I just can't understand why you guys say I'm a good writer and creative, when I'm clearly not.