Chapter 8

Beyond the Veil: A Day Full of Surprises

I own Nothing

"Psst, hey, Steven." A voice called out to the sleeping youngster, his head buried deep into his pillow as he snuggles deeper into it. "Steven - hey, wake up buddy!" There it was again, this time accompanied with a little nudge to the boy's shoulder for good measure.

"What? No Garnet…..I-I don't wanna eat pickles for breakfast…..that's not a…..breakfast food," Steven mumbled, his mind unable to produce proper or coherent sentences this late at night.

"What?" The voice question with a chuckle, "no, Steven, it's me, Naruto. Now wake up, we've got some training to do,"

That seemed to do the trick as the boy kicked up from his bed, a droozy yet infectious grin exploding onto his features. "Did you say training?!" Steven cried out in excitement though his jubilation was cut short when his new teacher clasped his hand over his mouth with a playful yet stern look to him.

"Shhhhh! Let's keep our voices down, alright?" Obsidian instructed before releasing Steven's mouth. "Now, are you ready to continue your training?"

"You know I am," Steven whispered before he jumped from the comfort of his bed and rushed to the main door, his sparkling smile shining in the dark and starry night. "Come on, let's get a move on!"

As the two headed towards their usual spot, Naruto began to reflect on the week they've had together so far. At first, Steven was not prepared for waking up so late at night, his first day of training was mostly sprinkled with little impromptu nap sessions by the shield wielding kid, but that was to be expected and Naruto planned accordingly. Each day was a new experience for Steven, each one trying new ways to awaken his weapon once again, one dealt with physical exertion, seeing if pushing his body to a certain degree would show results - it did not, to the ire of Steven whose muscles were on fire the following morning. Next up was sparring - not anything too dangerous, mind you - but enough to give Steven some urgency to need his weapon. Though Steven did show some promise in becoming a good fighter in the future, the sparring matches didn't do much for the boy.

This continued the entire week, each night spent trying to find something, anything that would trigger his weapon, yet everything fell short, leaving Steven a little disheartened about his chances. "Alright Steven, I think it's time for us to mix things up a bit. How about we-"

Naruto couldn't finish his thought as Steven stopped before him, halting both his momentum and his words. "Naruto….I know you're trying your best and I'm really grateful for it but….we've been trying all these different things for the past week now and nothing seems to be working…..maybe the two other times I awakened my weapon were just flucks….maybe I-" But this time it was Steven's turn to be cut off as Naruto placed a firm hand on the boy's soft fro.

"Hey, that's enough, I won't have my student doubting his abilities; once you do that, you've already lost." He spoke firmly, a confidence in his voice that Steven wished he had. No matter how hopeless this past week was, Obsidian never showed any type of disappointment or regret, he would only smile and motivate Steven to get back up and continue onward. "I know that this must be frustrating, you feel like you're inches away from your goal only to take four steps back - but once you give up, you'll lose all of the progress you've made and then what do you have to show for it? I believe in you, Steven. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"...Y-You do?" He questioned, a nod answering it. "You're right, Naruto. I'm sorry for that,"

"There's no need to be sorry, Steven. We all lose sight of things, we just need someone to help us back on track." He chuckled as the two made their way towards their spot with relative haste, the night was their only time to train and they couldn't waste it by standing around. Once there, Steven began their usual routine, stretching out his muscles and doing some warm up exercises, but was surprised to see that Naruto wasn't participating - infact, he's take a seat on a nearby stump, ushering Steven to do the same. "Now, I've been thinking about this all week and I've been wondering why you haven't been able to conjure up your weapon. Can you tell me once more what happened the other times you awakened your weapon? Maybe that'll give me something to work with,"

Plopping down beside his teacher, Steven began to think back on those moments in time, his thumb and forefinger gripping his chin in a thoughtful stance. "Well, the first time happened when I was eating some Cookie Cat ice cream bars and the other was when Lapis had tried to attack Connie."

"And what did you feel in that moment?" Obsidian asked,

Steven hummed as the gears of his mind began to turn. "With the Cookie Cat ice cream bars I felt pretty satisfied cause they were out of stock and were probably going to be discontin-"

Obsidian chuckled, "no, not that one, I meant the second one when you protected Connie, what did you feel right then?"

"Oh, well, I was worried…..and scared that my friend was going to be hurt," Steven answered, nodding his head as he listed his feelings.

"Anything else?" He wondered,

Steven clasped his eyes shut as he thought back to that moment, "ummmm….I-I wanted to protect her, I didn't want anything to happen to her because of me…..and then, when I decided I wanted to protect her-"

"You awakened your shield." Obsidian answered for his young student, which said student nodded in confirmation. Realization began to set in as Obsidian decided to tell Steven his hypothesis. "Steven, I think your weapon is triggered by your desire to protect people."

Steven's eyes grew wide, how could he not have thought of that? Thinking back, it was so obvious! The answer was staring him in the face the whole time and yet it just flew past him. Though, a thought did come to his mind that he needed to voice, "b-but I feel that all the time, though. Every time something bad happens to Beach City, I feel bad about it and I want to protect the people that call Beach city there home."

Obsidian nodded, "yes, that's true, but there was a defining factor that you had lacked during those times." He explained, "you decided that you wanted to protect her. It takes a strong, decisive heart and mind to bring forth your weapon, it cannot be just a thought nor a desire, but a hard need for it to come out when you desire it too."

Steven thought on that answer, his mind swirling the information around as he came to the same conclusion his teacher did. "...So, you're saying that because I decided to protect my friend….I brought the shield out,"

"Exactly, now, we just have to work on how we can replicate that feeling within you, weather your friend is or is not in danger, so you can call upon your tool on a heim like we do." An idea came to him, an image of his supposed "fake" life as Naruto Uzumaki flashed before his mind. "And I think I might have an idea, come with me." Just as Steven was getting cozy on the soft grass, his teacher stood up and waved him to follow him to an even patch of grass. "The problem was that I've been going about this all wrong. I settled back into my older habits when I was teaching other gems back at homeworld; I was focusing too hard on the physical and not on the mental, you are different from us so I guess we need to start thinking differently." Once explained, Obsidian took his spot in the center of his training grounds. "Now, sit here, cross your legs and close your eyes. What we're about to do is meditate,"

"Meditate?" His teacher's actions were quickly followed by Steven who sat in front of him, as instructed.

"Yes, we're going to clear your mind of all distractions, once that's done maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to put you into that same mindset to trigger your weapon."

"I hope this works," and so the meditation session had begun, their silence intensified as minutes seemed to fly by, before anyone knew it, an hour had passed and the cluttered mess of ideas and thoughts that ran rampant through Steven's mind began to clear, leaving nothing more than an empty void of peace and serenity.

"Good, Steven, you're doing great." Obsidian stated, releasing a calming outtake of air. "Now that you've cleared your mind, it's time to begin. I want you to focus in on your memory of that day, I want your mind to pull from it, allow yourself to see and feel as vividly as you did on that day. Now, this Lapis you speak of, what's she like?"

Steven's closed eyes twitched as the memory began to surface, but this time it was far more clearer as if he was reliving this very moment once again. "...S-She's a cracked gem…..she's scared a-and confused…..she's determined to get back to home world…."

"Very nice, now, what's happening?" He encouraged,

"...She's sucking up all the water from the oceans….she's creating a massive pillar of water into the sky…...Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Connie, Dad, Lion and I are all there at the bottom of the pillar….I-I feel sorry for her that she has to feel this way." Steven continued onward,

"What happens next?"

"...She sends out copies of Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and I to keep us busy….w-we fought as hard as we could, but nothing seemed to be working…...we had no idea how to beat them….Dad broke his leg, Connie almost drowned…...everything was-"

"Hectic," Obsidian interrupted, putting words in the young gem's mouth.

"Yeah, very much so…...after I saw Connie and Dad close to getting hurt…..I told Lapis that I was done fighting, I didn't want to fight anymore…..but she didn't listen…..she fired one last attack at us using my water copy…...and then-" But soon, his recollection was halted by Naruto's voice.

"Don't go any further, hold on that moment." So Steven did, the memory of this battle freezing in mid-climax, as if Steven was watching a movie and hit pause. "Now, I don't want you to focus on who's there or what's happening, I want you to only focus on what you felt at that very moment and I want you to feel them once more as raw as they were on that exact day."

"...I-I was fed up, I was angry at Lapis's attacks…" Steven felt the same inkling of rage he felt on that day, the tingling heat that rushed through his body like a wildfire. "...I-I felt worried for my family and friends, I was nervous for their safety…." Just as rage slipped through his body moments before so did the nervousness that plagued him that day cycled through him as it did that day before. "...and then, finally…...above all else…...I felt…...no, I wanted to defend my friends….I wanted to save them from this attack and no matter what happened, I was prepared to protect them with everything I had!" That was it! A warmth grew from his very core, lighting up his gem like a christmas ornament before it projected a very familiar and welcomed sight to see. Steven opened his eyes as the warming glow of his pink shield caught his attention. "I did it!" Steven cried as his shield floated before him. "I brought out my shield! Yes, yes, yes!"

"Easy Steven, keep focus." Naruto stated sternly, "I know this is exciting but you need to learn to stay focused enough to keep your weapon live."

"O-Oh, right, sorry." And so Steven followed his teacher's advice, closing his eyes once more to try and keep this feeling alive within himself.

"No need to be sorry, Steven. I'm proud that you did this so quickly," he praised, looking over the weapon with calculative eyes. Such an interesting weapon for such an interesting boy, most gems wield harmful or offensive weapons, yet he and subsequently his mother hold a more defensive and protective weapon. I suppose it speaks to their character as gems that in a world filled with danger, they are the only gems equipped to defend against it.

"Thanks, I'm actually surprised myself. I didn't think meditating would do the trick, I thought we'd be at this for maybe another week or two." Steven admitted though he was happy he followed through with his teacher's idea.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, this is just one step forward, we have a lot more training to cover before I'd feel comfortable with you actually helping in a mission." He stated honestly, holding some marity behind his words. "Right now, we're going to focus on your ability to keep your weapon stable and being able to call upon in at a moment's notice."

Steven chuckled nervously at that part. "I-Isn't that rushing things a bit? I-I'm still having trouble keeping it stable right now,"

"I know and that's the perfect time to get you used to it." And just like that, Naruto delivers a punch to the shield, rocking it's defense easily as it dispels. "No enemy is going to wait for you to get ready or let you focus, it's going to have to become second nature to you. That's why I'm going to assign you a little bit of homework."

"Homework?" Steven wondered, stumbling to his feet with a tired look in his eyes. Without much training under his belt, Naruto wasn't surprised to see signs of fatigue after he awoken his shield, he's had to go to great lengths to do so, so it comes at no surprise it takes a hefty toll on the user...well, until they get used to it, that is.

"Yep, between training sessions, I want you to summon your shield at least once a day. Once that get's easy to do, we'll crank it up to two a day, then three, then four, and then we'll be doing it so many times it'll be like second nature." Obsidian explained, standing from his position as well as he walks towards the impromptu training grounds exit, Steven following in toe.

Steven swallowed hard at his teacher's idea of homework. He was rather uncertain that he could do such a thing on his own let alone do something like this while also keeping it a secret from the other gems. So, he decided to voice his opinion to his teacher, "...T-That sounds kinda-"

"Hard? Well, of course it is, this isn't something that's suppose to be easy. You're pulling something deep within yourself to the surface, if it were easy every gem could do it the second they are created." He stated matter of factly as the two neared the beach. however, something seemed to be off. Just before they made it out of their training grounds Obsidian's ears caught something, it was faint, but he'd be lying if he didn't hear something. "Now, I think you might want to turn in early tonight, your gonna need your rest for what's to come."

Steven cocked his brow as he eyed the gem skeptically, "well," he began, "why aren't you coming?"

"Just like you, I need to do a bit of training myself. So go on, go get some rest," Obsidian shooed his young apprentice away and reluctantly, he did just that - leaving Naruto alone with this new, unforeseen body that has taken up residence in his area. "So, how long have you known we were doing this?"

Out from the shadows appeared a familiar yet stern face, "I've always known that this was a possibility, I just needed to see it with my own eyes to know it was a reality." Her arms crossed and her hips cocked, Garnet made her way towards Obsidian.

"So…..what's going to happen? Are you going to tell us to stop?" He questioned, turning to face her.

She seemed to think about her options, her lips unmoving for what felt like minutes on end until Naruto was given his answer in the form of a single word, "...No."

"Really?" He questioned, bewildered by her answer. For some reason Obsidian didn't she'd answer him with such a simple answer, this was Steven they were talking about, the one boy that means the world to the crystal gems and yet she's prepared to let them continue their training with no strings attached? Maybe he overestimated Garnet's 'mama bear' persona.

"This is the furthest any of us have gotten to making progress with Steven's training, it would be foolish to stop you two now." She explained herself before a chuckled left her lips, a rare yet wonderful sound to hear. "Though, if I must say, I'm a bit jealous of you."

"How come?" He wondered,

"You were able to do something that none of us have been able to accomplish, it's impressive…..but also a bit frustrating," she stated honestly, something that Naruto really does appreciate about her - she's never been one to hide something or keep it locked away inside her, everything she feels comes out to those she trusted….well, mostly everything eventually.

Seeing as the conversation was going to continue, both gems decided that it would be best if they started heading home while they continued with it. "I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes, honestly, I just wanted to help Steven. The poor kid felt like he was nothing but a burden to the team, I couldn't let him think that anymore."

"I'm not frustrated at you, I'm frustrated at myself." Garnet said, "each of us tried our hand at helping him and yet neither of us ever thought about asking him the questions you did. We merely told him how we activated our weapons and expected it to work for him as well."

Naruto shook his head harshly, "don't beat yourselves up about this, I bet you three tried everything you could to help Steven." Then he shrugged, a snickering bubbled up from within, "besides, if wasn't here, I bet you would have found a way to help him no problem. I mean, you're two gems in one body, I bet you would have come up with something great to help him bring out his weapon."

Garnet halted, her three eyes widened at Naruto's blatant announcement of her union. "...I gather Amethyst told you about me then?"

Naruto didn't seemed to fazed by her question, "she did, but I think I would have put two and two together." He turned, taking her hands into his as he flipped them over to reveal her palms and the two shimmering gems that resided on them. "I mean, I may not be the sharpest in the galaxy, but a single gem doesn't have two of them embedded in their hands."

Garnet peered over her shades, her multicolored eyes now staring curiously at Naruto. "...A-And what are you thoughts about me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked,

"Most home gems find this form disgusting, an affront to everything fusion was used for." She retorted, earning a sigh from the young gem.

"I thought by now you and the group would have realized that I'm not like the gems from homeworld. I don't act like them, I don't speak like them, and I definitely don't think like them anymore." He explained with purpose as he examined her hands in greater detail, rubbing his thumb over her left gem - eliciting a surprised grunt from the red skinned mother gem, her complexion growing a darker shade of red than she ever imagined it could be. "Honestly, I'd say your amazing,"

"...A-Amazing?" She wondered, pulling her hands from his so as to possibly get some of her composure back. Her stone like attitude has never been rocked this hard by anyone, it was strange and yet, oddly satisfying. Too have another bring something out of you that you haven't felt for quite some time is an interesting feeling to say the least.

"Of course, most fusions are merely created to serve a singular purpose, but you, your union has created something even more spectacular and it wasn't out of a calculated effort, but by your hearts wishing to join as one. From how Amethyst described to me, you're a singular being with your own mind and thoughts, your own desires - technically speaking, you are a new gem, and this all came from a mere fusion brought about by love and care. It's like I said, amazing."

"Have you ever fused before?" She questioned, very curious about his answer.

The question seemed to have stunned him for an instant, his words caught in his throat. "...N-No, of course not. I'm the only Obsidian and you know how homeworld is about two different gems fusing."

"I know that quite well," she smiled, remembering her first interaction with her love, Sapphire. Though being looked down upon by Homeworld for doing something they considered an abomination wasn't that much of a fond memory, but if that never happened she would be here today. Soon, the group grew silent as they continued their somber walk across the beach, their home growing closer and closer into focus. "...Would you like too?"

Such a blatant question would through anyone for a loop, "A-Are you offering to -" Naruto asked, his words escaped him.

"Fuse with you, yes." She answered for him, finding his rather odd reaction to her question cute. "It's an amazing experience and I would...love to walk you through your first time, if you want to, that is."

"But….why would you offer something like that so...nonchalantly?" He asked, still rather caught off guard by such a question. "Amethyst told me that fusion is important to you, why would you just fuse with a stranger?"

"But you aren't a stranger, Obsidian." She answered with a knowing smile. "Though our time together has only been for a few months, I've seen you put your own life on the line to protect not only my friends but the world we've sworn to protect, so, I think can trust you to fuse with me."

Something seemed rather….off with how Naruto looked right now, the moment fusion was brought up he seemed rather chipper about the concept but once asked if he wished to do such an experience himself he began to look worried. "...M-Maybe later," he answered quickly, trying his best to keep his nervousness hidden, to no effect. "Please, I don't want you to think I don't want too….It's just, it's a huge experience and I'd like to be ready to do it properly."

"Of course, you should never rush something like this." She answered, seemingly unaffected by his odd rejection, and yet, if you were her mind, you'd know that wasn't the case. "Oh no! Did we scare him off? Did we come on too strong?! Ahhh! He might start thinking we're a bunch of weirdos for just asking him point blank to fuse with us!" Ruby questioned hectically, trying to find any rhyme or reason as to why he was so quick to dismiss such an offer, but thankfully, she had someone else to calm her in her time of need. "Ruby, calm down, we need to let him come to us - forcing something like this onto him would have driven him away, but now we just need to wait for him to become more comfortable with the idea."

"Thank you," Obsidian sighed as he began his trek up the wooden steps of their beach house. "Also, though I do really like Garnet, I'd love to see who makes her up someday,"

She smiled at that, "well, maybe some day you'll get to meet them." But before they could continue, a thought popped into Garnet's mind, one that needed to be voiced. "Oh, and if you could, please don't tell Steven about my little secret. I want to surprise him,"

"Trust me, I know. Amethyst made me swear 1,000 times that I'd never tell Steven your secret. Your secret is safe with me," he chuckled, slowly opening the screen door so as to not disturb anyone's slumber. "Goodnight, Garnet. See you in the morning,"

"...Yeah, see you then." A fluttered when through Garnet's very being when she saw Naruto's swave smile as he disappeared into the beach house.

-One Week Later -

"This place is even bigger and more weapony than I remember."

"This was the sight of a historic battle. Every weapon here was left by a gem over 5,000 years ago." Pearl states, ducking under a massive axe - it's worn tip still stuck firmly into the battlefield. "I don't like to disturb it, but Garnet said we can't just leave these lying around." As she speaks, Garnet's already doing her duty by ripping the aforementioned axe from it's home with a simple grunt, tossing it over her shoulder as if it was nothing more than a paperweight.

"Never know when you might need one of these." she quipped,

"I need one of those all the time!" Steven retorts with his usual loud yet surprisingly charming attitude.

"Why don't you look for one that's more...you?" Pearl hummed, hoping that Steven might get the hint.

"Okay, Lion, come help me look." But the pink-furred creature was a bit busy with its own search - following behind a dainty butterfly, prepared to strike at any moment. "Aww, come on!"

"You really need to train that thing better." Pearl said,

"Oh, we've been making progress. Now he looks at me when I say his name." "Lion!" Steven called, but his feline friend seemed a bit more focused on the fluttering insect that was in his sights. "Hey, lion!" He called yet again, but, surprisingly, he was met with the same result. This continued for quite some time, Steven calling for his pet while said pet continued to root around in the strawberry patch that seemed to have taken over the battle grounds. "Uh, sometimes." Soon after, lion does, in fact, come back to Steven but this time he had a scabbard gripped in his maw like a wounded animal, presenting it to Steven like we're a price.

"What's he got now?" But Pearl soon gasped at the sight of its distinct color scheme and rose design in the center. "That's the scabbard for Rose's sword!" With this realization, Pearl wrestles the holster for Rose's sword out from in Lion's mouth, looking rather annoyed that such a sacred thing was placed in such a nasty area.

Steven scanned the area, mystified by the news now given to him. "Mom fought here?"

"That's right, and I fought alongside her," Pearl stated proudly, her eyes twinkling with pride at her involvement.

"Man, I wish I could have seen it." Amethyst chimed in, her arms locked behind her head.

"No, you don't. Countless gems were broken here. It was a maelstrom of destruction and death." Garnet explained in grave detail, her face stern as she recounted the horrors that befell this place and the gems that fought there.

"But we won!" Pearl said triumphantly, undercutting the seriousness of Garnet's words. "Your mother led us to glorious victory. The odds were against us, and our hearts were uncertain, but we chose to fight alongside rose, and here we made our stand against our homeworld!" She continued her tale with fondness in her words and nostalgia in her heart for what took place on this battlefield, all that she remembered were the times she was there for Rose and when Rose was there for her - nothing more, nothing less.

After they gathered up as many weapons as they could, the traveled back to their home, where Naruto was, now coming back from his morning training session. After seeing the gang had left on some secret mission, he decided it would be the best time to get a little exercise in before they returned and as luck would have it, he walked back in just in the right time to see the Crystal gems with their hands full of sharp and pointy objects. "Oh, there you four are, I woke up this morning and you guys had disappeared on me."

"Hey, Naruto, we just got back from a historical battleground that was used for the final battle against the homeworld gems and us, you should have seen it! There were weapons spewed all over the place, some were massive - bigger than five of me standing on top of each other." Steven proclaimed, his face etched with excitement and wonder like it usually is after or during a mission.

"That does sound pretty neat, Steven, but personally, I think I've seen enough battlefields to last a lifetime," Obsidian informed him,

"Oh yeah, I guess that's true. You must have seen hundreds of them." Steven nodded before another curious look came over his features. "Hey, what were they like?"

"I can't really recall all of them, they all kinda mix together in my mind. When you're in the heat of battle, your enemies mere inches from you - prepared to end you at a moments notice you can't really stop and survey the land." Obsidian stated honestly, though he didn't seem to notice how grim it sounded in context.

Steven chuckled nervously, unware of how to deal with what the war-torn gem had just told him. "...I-I guess I never thought of it that way,"

"Hey, Obsidian, check this out?!" Thankfully, the award moment was ended by Amethyst, the queen of perfect timing. She ran up to her not so secret sweetheart and produced her pile of weapons she so proudly holds to him, a smile a mile long now gracing her features. "Look at all of these weapons I found? What do you think? I think our room's been needing another pile!"

But, once again, their conversation was interrupted by another, in this case being Garnet, who was trying to fit the massive axe from the battleground through a small door frame leading to god knows where. "Amethyst, help me with this axe first, then you can make as many piles as you want in your room."

"Alright, alright - coming!" Amethyst sighed as she was about to put down her swords to go help her differently colored friend, but was stopped by Obsidian.

"I got this, Amethyst. You go and make your pile," he said,

"Really? Awesome! See you later, Obsidian, I'm gonna go find the perfect spot for this stuff!" You didn't need to tell Amethyst twice as she scooped up her pile once more and rushed towards her room, a goofy grin now playing on their lips. "Oh, and also, make sure you check your side of the room before you sleep tonight, I may or may not put these piles of weapons where your bed is."

"Really? You couldn't find any other place to put it?" Obsidian asked with a knowing smile.

"What, that spot is perfect!...J-Just make sure to check, alright?" And like that, Amethyst was off, prepared to make another messy pile in her room just for the pure fun of it.

Obsidian shook his head in a knowing fashion, he's grown more and more accustomed to Amethyst's strange habits when it comes to her room. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He chuckled as he saw her light blue hair disappear into her room. "Alright Garnet, whatcha need?"

"Grab the other end, I need you to help me maneuver it through the door." She ordered, shifting the axe to hopefully give Obsidian enough space to help.

He looked to the axe that now hung out of the door, the bladed portion seemed to be the part that was stuck and cocked a brow. "...You mean the sharp part of the axe?"

"Yep," she answered. "Hurry, grab hold!"

"Why, are you losing your grip?" He asked, quickly gripping the weapon so as to help her if she was in trouble.

With a snicker, Garnet answered him, "no, I just don't want to hold onto this thing all day, now let's go."

With a twitch of his eyebrow, Obsidian reluctantly did as he was instructed and helped Garnet through the tight corridors of this crystal lined area, a place that he hasn't seen yet. "The longer I stay here the more questions I seem to have for this place." Naruto thought to himself. "Where are we taking this thing anyway? Cause it looks like this room is nothing more than a narrow hallway of crystals and more crystals."

"This isn't the first time we've gone back to the battlefield to clear it up. We go there every so often and store what we have picked up into the weapon's vault." Garnet answered, leading the weapon down the narrow passageway like a pro, almost as if she's done this before.

"Weapon's vault? This place has a weapon's vault?" He asked,

"Yep," answered Garnet, "Amethyst likes to keep her weapons in her room while I like to store them in there."

"Well, I guess you can think of Amethyst's room as her own armory. Trust me, there's enough stuff in there to ward off any invading force," he chuckled, sending an unexpected warmth through the red gem's being. "Hey, I've been meaning to talk with you about that….proposition you offered me a week ago."

"Proposition? Hmmm, I don't think I follow." Garnet said, her voice knowingly playful as she taps her chin in 'thought'.

"Come on, don't be like that, Garnet, you know what I mean." Obsidian answered rather bashfully, "*sigh* the….fusion thing,"

"Oh, you mean that one. Personally, I thought you had forgotten about it." She hummed,

He shook his head harshly, "of course not, I don't think I could forget such a suggestion. Now….I've been thinking about it a lot lately and...well, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to fuse."

"Don't sound too enthusiastic about it, Obsidian." She said numbly before she put down the weapon, halting both of them in their path. "Forget I asked you; if you don't want to do it, please, don't force yourself to-"

"No, no, no! It's not that I don't want to do it, it's just….I've never done something like this, two people coming together as one, it's kind of a weird thing to think about." He interrupted, unwilling to let this be forgotten. "I mean, what will happen to me? Will I lose all of who I am or will I gain something from you or-"

Garnet placed her hand on his shoulder, a soothing tone came to her voice as she spoke. "It's alright to be nervous about this,"

"O-Okay, so what do I do? U-Ummm, d-do I ummm," He tried to think of what he needed to do to initiate the fusion process, but his mind came up with nothing - everything he knew about gem biology flew out the window, leaving him dumbfounded in front of Garnet.

"Easy Obsidian, just let your feelings flow through you. Here, let me show you," her voice soothing and helpful, she grabbed his hands and placed on on her hip while she held the other. Her hand soon slipped behind him, pulling him closer to her - a guttural sound escaping the young gems lips at the sudden closeness. "Hold on and keep your eyes on me." After those words of confidence the two began to move, slowly swaying back and forth as the motion took them, each growing more and more comfortable in their position. "There you go, you're getting it," but Garnet didn't expect what was coming next. Without warning the tables were swiftly turned, instead of Garnet leading a young, unsure gem through his first fusion, this supposed unsure gem took charge, picking up the tempo of the dance and began to through his own moves into it, his movements were swift and calculated but also very interesting. "W-Wow, there you go!" Soon, the dance came to an end as Naruto dipped Garnet, their faces now inches apart. Garnet was lucky that her shades hid her her eyes from his because the were wide from what just happened. He just….took over the dance as if this was second nature to him, it was beautiful but also strange for someone who's never fused to take the lead after just a minute.

But her musing was soon stopped when her gems along with his own began to shine as Garnet felt the same closeness she usually reserved for Pearl and Amethyst wash over the two. "Are you ready?"

"...Yes," engulfed in the light, the two gems became one as their bodies made of light morphed into one being. The cave grew quiet as the light soon died down, dimming to reveal a singular form where two once stood.

"..W-What the? So….this is fusion, Garnet? No, wait….I'm Garnet…..or am I Obsidian? No, w-we're neither - we're…..Rubellite!" The new being proclaimed, almost confused at its very existence yet it felt a certain giddiness to it. "W-Wow, this is….amazing! Look at us, Garnet! W-...We're massive!" the now formed Rubellite chuckled, staring at her four appendages as each one intriguing them more and more by the second. This body, it was so new, so interesting - nothing like this has happened in quite some time for Garnet. She's fused with Pearl and Amethyst countless times and even though she always feels a sense of warmth and endearment when together with them this one gave her feelings she'd never experience with the others, wonderment and power. The others never had such power within themselves, it was mostly Garnet who brought that into their fusions but now, now she realizes what they mean when they say 'when we fuse with you we feel like we can do anything'. Right now this body, this mind, and these feelings - they're all so….intoxicating.

They moved forward, trying to get used to the feeling of becoming one - their legs felt like jelly at first, like a newborn deer testing out it's potential for the first time, but soon, the two were moving faster together, one foot in front of the other until they were in a full on sprint down the corridor. Their hair, still a mystery to the two, bellowed behind them as they picked up speed, taking in the sights and sound in this new form while unaware of their destination. Before you knew it, they were inches away from smacking straight into the heavily reinforced door that held their weaponry, however, it didn't seem to deter them. Infact, they picked up even more speed, sprinting like a madman towards the door, their eyes now locked onto their target. Once in range, the two jumped, planting their feet firmly against the metal door before continuing their course upwards before dismounting with a flip, landing perfectly in front of their destination.

With a breathy giggle, the two looked around their surroundings once more, taking it in with as much clarity as they could; before them was a door, one with a heavy footprint etched deep into it, next to them - walls full filled with beautiful, aluminate crystals that now reflect the figure that stood before them, a new face that neither gem has seen before.

They started their gazing from the top of this new being set before them, the hairstyle being a lush head of dreadlocks that had an odd yet provocative design to them. They swirled with the colors of black and golden blonde, adding an interesting flare to their look. Next up was their face, a chiseled pointed chin with a tan, almost reddish complexion. Their nose was small and placed on said nose were Garnet's trademarked shades but with a few alterations to add a little diversity. They were tall, that much was obvious, taller than either Garnet or Naruto combined, they were lucky this part of the house was tall enough or they really would have been in trouble - wouldn't want Naruto's first experience as a fusion ending seconds before it began because they were stuck in a hallway. Back to their attire, it seemed to be a mix of the two's, Garnet's star - like, skin tight top covering their chest yet leaving their belly out on full display - it's star patterned now holding an orange star - Naruto's sleeveless overshirt was draped over them with a new red-orange type tinge to it. Their pants were simple, merely black the same color as the top with two reddish-orange stars placed on the kneecaps.

It was a striking image to say the least, one in which both members were quite pleased to see - there's nothing greater than to see the look of your fusion for the first time, it's an image that will stick with you for the rest of your life…..but, something was off. "...No," the longer they stared at their image the harder it was to keep themselves together, something was happening to Naruto that was affecting their stability, "Noooo! Get out! Get out! GET OUT! This isn't right, I won't let this happen! I'm me, I'm only me! I won't let you take me away!" They howled, gripping the sides of their head tightly as their figure began to warp out of existence. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Without warning, the two were separated, throwing them both to the ground. Garnet was the first to recover as she jumped to her feet to check on her friend. "Obsidian, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Said friend was splayed on the floor, his eyes glazed as they stared lifelessly towards the ceiling. "No...no, no, no - never again, I could feel it, it was- I can't do this again."

"Obsidian?" Garnet repeated, placing a hand on his chest, hoping to calm him down.

"No!" The gem jolted upwards, startling the leader of the group. Quickly he tries to compose himself, poorly, but at least he tried. "O-Oh….Garnet, I did…..see you there." He said breathlessly as if the wind was knocked from him.

"Do you have any idea what happened there, we fused for only a minute before it broke apart." She asked, hoping he could shed some light on the subject. She's never seen such a violent de-fusion, it was as if Naruto was physically trying to force them apart, almost like it was...hurting him.

"I-I don't know….I have no idea." He said almost as if he didn't even believe his own words. Obsidian was trying to hide something, Garnet could feel it, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Something seemed off, Garnet thought, as she began to pry a bit more towards what exactly happened. "Say, I thought you said you've never fused before,"

Naruto looked at her, his eyebrow cocked in confusion, "I haven't, why do you ask?"

"Our dance, you took it over as if it was second nature to you. Do you have any idea why?" She asked,

"...O-Oh, well, I just did what you told me...I let my feelings flow through me. Who knows, I might be a natural dancer." He stammered, unable to keep the base amount of eye contact with her. "L-Look, I just need to …..get some fresh air or something, whatever happened….i-it doesn't matter, alright? You were probably right, I was rushing too fast and wanted to see what this fusion thing was and probably got carried away. Sorry Garnet, I really messed up, but maybe we can do it some other time."

"Yeah...maybe next time" but he was already gone, jogging out of the crystal lined cave as if he needed to be somewhere. Soon, it was only Garnet in the weapon's vault, her and her thoughts. "What the heck was that?" Ruby thought nervously, she'd never seen someone react to fusion like that. While fused, his form seemed so calm as if this was something natural to him, then it began to waver - shifting ever so slightly as they awakened their weapon together….but then something happened, she couldn't pin down what, it happened so fast that if you blinked you would have missed it - but something within him destabilized their state.

However, they really didn't wish to dwell on the subject too much, maybe it was just as simple as Obsidian said, he could have just rushed in too deep with fusion and he buckled under the pressure of it. Either way, standing around wouldn't help anything so, with a sigh, Garnet finished her job by storing away the massive axe and headed out towards the living room, only to be greeted by a surprising twist.

"What? Why is it so dark outside?" She asked, looking out the window to see the starry night and the full moon hanging overhead.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Garnet? You two were in their for hours," Amethyst clarified, jumping off the couch with a loud thud. "It's like 9 p.m., what the heck were you two doing in there anyway?"

"9 p.m.? No, that's impossible, we were only in there for three minutes." Garnet stated, quite sure of herself.

"Three minutes? Gurl, you two must have been having a great time in the weapons vault because you wasted half of the whole day! So much stuff happened," Amethyst answered with a snicker,

"Really?" Garnet questioned, getting a nod from her height inclined friend. "Like what?"

"Well, if you must know, Pearl started acting all strange like when we found Rose's scabbard on the battlefield, so, while I was in my room finding the perfect spot for my weapons and you two were doing...whatever you were doing in the weapons vault, Pearl took Steven to one of our other secret spots for our arsenal. However, she started wigging out when she realized she didn't know all that much about Rose as she thought she did, next thing you know, Steven's pulling Rose's sword out of Lion's freaking mane! It was amazing! But it turned not so amazing when Pearl began to flip about how she knew everything about Rose and she'd never keep a secret from her. Yada, yada, yada, long story short, Steven and Pearl had a heart warming talk about who Steven's mother was to Pearl and how Steven loves Pearl just the way Rose did…..and I think that's about it,"

After Amethyst's long winded explanation, Garnet merely sighed before stating, "...I don't know why I asked you to tell me what happened, you've never been good at explanations."

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, I'm a great explainer. I told you the important details and skipped the boring in-between bits, that sounds perfect to me." Amethyst defended herself, a huff escaping her lips.

"Keep believing that," Garnet chuckled before she took the time to look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her recent fusion partner. "You wouldn't have happened to see Obsidian come through here, would you?"

"Yeah, he walked outside a minute ago. He looked upset and I wanted to go but…." Amethyst trailed off, her eyes locked on the screen door Obsidian probably left by.

"But what?" She asked, goating Amethyst to continue.

She gripped her arm in a nervous stance as she continued, "well, I'm feeling like I'm too attached to him, ya know? I feel like I should give him some time to himself, he's my best friend but that doesn't mean I should be with him 24/7. I asked him if he needed me and he said that he'll tell me all about it tonight but he needed some time alone first. So, I'll give it to him."

Garnet, seeing how hard it was for Amethyst to actually give someone she really cares about their space, smiled and placed a comforting hand on her head. "...That's very respectful and mature of you Amethyst, I'm proud of you."

"You think so?" Garnet nodded, getting a smile in return. "Awesome…..but, if you don't mind me asking what were you two doing in their for so long anyway?"

Garnet stayed silent for a moment, weighing her options. Should she tell Amethyst about what happened in their or should she keep it a secret? Either way, Amethyst won't take the news well, so, might as well give her the truth. "...Well, long story short, we fused."

The room ran cold and silent as both Garnet and Amethyst stared at one another, one with a detached gaze, while another looked on with shock and awe, plastered over her face. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" Amethyst yelled, a very loud response from a very loud girl. "Yo-you-y-you two fused!"

"Yep," Garnet answered curtly; she had to admit, Amethyst's reaction was kinda fun.

"No, no, no! That's not fair, not one single bit!" Amethyst hissed, her tone was seeping with jealousy and I suppose she has every right to be. Ruby would have felt the same way if someone else had taken Sapphires first fusion. "You can't take his first time from me! I lov-...I-I mean we're best friends! His first time should have been with me!"

"Well, why didn't you ask me to fuse with you before I did?" Garnet asked a solid question that Amethyst was not prepared for.

"...I-I-I was working on it, I was going to ask him any day now!" She fired back, but her argument just didn't' seem to have enough evidence to back it up.

Garnet chuckled at that, her flustered appearance seemed more comical than actually upset. "Then I guess I have beaten you to the punch then because I asked him a week ago."

"A freaking week?!" Amethyst nearly exploded at that revelation, how could she have been so behind?! I guess when you think no one else was after your crush you feel like you have all the time in the world, you have no idea someone else is behind you, prepared to do what you're too nervous to do.

"Yep," Garnet repeated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some rest - today was a long one."

"Oh no, you don't, you can't get away from me that easily!" But Amethyst's decree fell on deaf ears as Garnet turned and started towards her bedroom, quickly followed by the still raging gem. "Garnet! Stop ignoring me! We're gonna talk about this weather you like it or not!"

Now outside, the young blonde has taken his spot on the porch, leaning over it as he stares at the ocean blue - it's heavy waves crashing against the beach, the sound calming to the racing mind of one Obsidian. "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" A voice spoke up, catching Obsidian's attention.

"Hmm?" He looked up to find Pearl now perched on the roof, her light colored outfight standing out against the darkened sky. "Pearl, what are you doing out here?"

"I could be asking you the same question." Retorted Pearl, her feet now dangling off the side of their home. Though her sentence seemed playful, Obsidian could tell by the way she looked that she was feeling far from playful.

"...I needed some fresh air," he answered back, turning back to the view Pearl mentioned not moments ago.

"Staying in that weapons vault all day can make you pine for the fresh saltwater air, I suppose." Pearl chuckled dryly, one of the few times Obsidian's actually heard such a thing; it was nic to here.

"And you? Why are you out here?" He questioned,

"While you and Garnet were busy, I had a little adventure of my own, one that's been long overdue," Pearl explained, before a sigh left her lips. "Well, I guess I couldn't call what's happened today an adventure, more like a discovery that needed to be discovered."

While Pearl began her story, Naruto took it upon himself to get closer to her. So, without much warning, Naruto jumped from his position and landed softly next to her, "what did you discover?" He asked,

"Oh, you don't want to hear about it, it's rather boring." She bashfully stated,

"I've never had a discovery yet that doesn't have a little bit of excitement." So, with a little more prodding by Naruto, she finally told him, taking him through her day one step at a time, describing it as only Pearl could - accurate and long winded - but it didn't seem to faze him. Maybe it was the night sky or the cooling breeze or perhaps it was because he wanted to take his mind off what happened to him in there but the way she described her day didn't bother him. In fact, he downright enjoyed it, listening with a smile on his face and nodding all the while.

"After that, I spent the rest of the day telling Steven all about the Gem War's illustrious history, giving demonstrations and we even retrieved one of the tattered flags of our people…..today was a humbling experience for me." Her story finally came to a closer, her tone far more somber and melancholy than before. "At one time I thought I knew every single thing about Rose, but today flipped everything I knew on its head. What hasn't she told me? There must be countless secrets that she kept hidden from me for all these years and I fooled myself into believing that Rose could never keep a secret from me."

"I wonder how Steven reacted to this," Obsidian added,

"Oh, Steven must have thought I was a complete lunatic today." She moaned painfully, burying her face into her hands with a sigh. "Running around, muttering nonsense, and even almost letting him fall to his doom just because...I couldn't handle learning something like this."

Obsidian looked to the sky as he states, "well, love can do that to a person."

"L-Love?" Pearl questioned nervously,

"Don't pretend, Pearl, even I can tell that you had some deep rooted feelings for Rose other than respect and admiration." He stated matter of factly, leaving Pearl little room to deny. "I hate to admit it but I know how you feel,"

"You do?" Pearl asked, a doubtful tone clear as day in her voice. "With all do respect, how could you possibly know how it feels-"

"To give your heart and soul to another only to watch them time and time again choose another, leaving you behind to pick up the piece of your broken heart?" Obsidian answered with a somber tone that rivaled Pearls. "I know far more than you think I do on the subject of unrequited love."

"But how would you? Did you find a Homeworld gem or something?" Asked Pearl, still a bit skeptical of his claim.

"...I've only told this to Amethyst, you'll be the second person I've met that I trust enough to intrust my story too." He said, his face bore a serious expression, on in which Pearl has never seen before. "Before I tell you, I need you to promise to keep an open mind and to understand what I'm about to tell you is the truth."

"I'll try,"

"That's all I can ask for." Just as Pearl explained her story to him, so did Obsidian to her. From the moment he was placed in suspended animation to everything afterwards, and to say it left Pearl speechless would be an understatement. "So, that's my tale. I woke up on Homeworld, being pulled out of the suspended animation I was placed in and I realized that everything I felt and everything I had been through was nothing more than an illusion, but an illusion that still seemed so real. Even today, the feelings I had thousands of years ago still feel raw and very much apparent."

"What you told me aside, what does this have to do with you understanding my pain." She asked,

"Because in this world of illusions I was in love with a pink haired girl just like you, her name was Sakura Haruno and I was enchanted with her. I tried my hardest to gain her affections, I'd push my body to the limit, I'd protect her from all harm, I'd even profess my love to her every day by asking her out - but it never happened, another had her eye." He explained, his very face spoke volumes of his emotional state right now. To him, reliving this illusionary concept was just as painful as if it were real life. "My rival, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura had fallen for him long before I was in the picture and she refused to see anyone other than him, no matter how many times he'd turn her down or insult her. Soon, when he defected from our village, Sasuke even went as far as to try and kill her but her love for him never wavered and that was the moment I realized that I had lost her. Regardless of what I do, she'd always love him - she'd always rush back to him without a second thought. So yes, Pearl, I understand how you feel for Rose. You watch over and protect the one you love and yet the find that same love in another, it's painful."

"...I guess you do understand my pain," she nodded, though she doesn't fully grasp what this dream world truly was, she could tell just by the way he explained this to her that they share the same feelings for someone else only to watch them disregard them in search for another. "But I don't want to feel this pain anymore, it's been years now and yet I still feel it as if it were yesterday. I hate this feeling, I hate that I have to feel this."

"You don't have to , Pearl." Obsidian stated, "there's always another option."

"Like what?" She wondered aloud,

Obsidian looked to her, his eyes filled with truth. "Move on, find something or someone else to help mend your broken heart."

"Were you able to?" She asked,

A sigh escaped his lips, "no, I was pulled from my illusion before I ever could. I supposedly died before I could find closure, but you can."

She thought on this, her mind was not a place to be right now, full of memories of her wonderful times with her Rose, keeping her from truly finding her own form of closure. "...I don't know, I don't think I could love someone as much as I loved her."

"Well...you have Steven, you have Garnet and Amethyst too…..and you've got me as well,"

"Y-You?" She asked, shocked that he'd even say he'd be there for her, and she could honestly say she probably wouldn't have done the same.

"Of course, I was told I was going to be a Crystal Gem, right? Well, that means I need to be there for my teammates, that includes you." Naruto wrapped an arm around Pearl and pulls her closer, pressing his body against hers. "If you need to talk to someone who'd understand what you're going through, please, feel free to ask. I'll always be here for you Pearl,"

Those words, those simple words seemed so insignificant to the untrained eye - a mere comforting phrase you'd say to a loved one or friend who needed you in that moment, nothing more nothing less, but to Pearl it meant the world. Those were the words that pushed her to be by Rose's side, knowing she'd always be there by hers, prepared to fight and to fall alongside her. What Obsidian said...it meant much more than just words, it was an oath. "..T-Thank you, Obsidian. That means a lot to me,"

"There's no need to thank me, you'd do the same thing for me if I were in your shoes." He said, his usual optimism shining through.

"No, Obsidian, that's the thing that makes this moment so special - you were here for me in my toughest time and instead of patronizing more or pretending to care, you offered to help me and to be a sympathetic ear for me in the future...I don't think I'd do that for you. What you did today….that's exactly what Rose would do."o."

Thank you all so much for reading my story, the reviews have been great and the more I get the more I feel energized to continue forward with this story. You all are wonderful and I can't wait to see what you guys think about this chapter and as always, if you have any questions or just want to tell me how you felt about this upload, please, feel free to PM me or write a review. Alucard1959, out!