Note: We are close to the end and I am very excited!

Chapter 14

The Titan's were locked in almost a stand off. Every hit one would get off the other would land two in turn. The aquatics were struggling to hold it together and Whinney was struggling to keep the upper hand. But she figured out the key to her victory. Whinney knelt down and let the aquatics think they had gained some ground. As the water Titans arms swung down against the air Titans back, Whinney used this as a distraction to thrust her arms forward. The twister like arms shot down the cliff side, across the waters surface, and straight into the water Titans base. The air shot through the base and up into the titans body. The air turned into whipping tornados within the Titan and ripped it apart. Lapis did her best to hold the Titan together but the air ripped past her hard and flung her right out of the chest. Both Guardians were thrown clear across the air at lighting speed. They all were lucky they didn't slam into the rocky cliff faces as they hit the water almost a mile apart from each other. As they sunk into the water and started to quickly re-group, Whinney changed direction.

The air Titan roared up into the sky and raised a hand. It slammed it into the waters surface below as a show of power before dissipating. As it turned into nothing more then a breeze on the wind Whinney was heading towards the pair on the cliff side. She had stepped out of the Titan as it hit the water and had her gaze locked on Steven. Her eyes were burning white with fury. Her nephew had been nothing but a nuisance since being brought here with her prize and had become a big thorn in her side. A thorn that needed removing.

"Steven Universe." Whinney's voice cut across the air to the pair on the ground as she wave her hand "You are in way over your head little boy."

Steven got to his hands and knees as the earth Yvette raised to protect them shattered off the cliff side. The look of anger on his aunts face froze him in place. He could feel the fear in his chest at the anger burning in her eyes. Steven tried to stand but his hands slipped a bit on the edge of the cliff and he was afraid to move.

Pearl was struggling to move at all. She was right there, the ocean was right there. All she had to do was roll off the cliff face and she would be in the water again. Be safe, in a way, and with the others. She could feel there pulls and there panic. There fear.

Everything was telling the aquatic to run but she couldn't. She couldn't leave Steven up here with the Elemental. She looked ready to kill him. He had done nothing but helped her, helped them, in every way he could. Even being little and weak for a human he still tried knowing that he could get really hurt. Pearl looked at the center of her nightmares closing in on Steven then back at the water below. She could see her Companion moving fast just below the surface towards where she was above. She was tugging hard on there connection in fury and pleading for her to join her below. She wanted to give in so badly. She wanted to be with her Companion so much that it hurt. The thin aquatic glanced between both the sea an the enemy and as Whinney got right up to Steven, Pearl lunged forward.

Whinney had gotten right up to Steven and stood tall over him. She watched him look up at her in fear as she raised her hand and drew it back. "Goodbye Steven."

Whinney's fist turned into fingers pointed with sharp nails before lunging it forward. Except, she didn't hit Steven. Pearl's gasp of pain and her cold fingers on her wrist made the color drain from her face. Whinney's fingers were a good three inches into Pearl's chest. She could feel her prize gasping for breath and the beating of her heart just on the tips of her fingers. The silver of the aquatics blood started to trickle down the Elementals hand as she slowly pulled her fingers back.

"What." Whinney's eyes were wide as as Pearl's fingers slipped from her wrist as she fell back against Steven in a heap "What did you do?"

Steven had flinched at his aunt looming over him and covered his head in fear. When a strike didn't come he felt a new fear fill him as he saw Pearl standing over him. She was shaking and when she stumbled back and fell against him he saw Whinney's face. He saw the fear and surprise and the silver all over her skin, painted on like she stuck her hand in a freshly opened paint can.

"Pearl?" Steven felt something building in his chest as he wrapped his arms right under her arms "Pearl?"

He could feel her shallow breaths and the limpness in her form. He placed his hands over the gaping hole in her chest. His poor attempt at trying to cover up the hole didn't stop the silver from dancing over his fingers and staining up the shirt on her form. The pressure in his chest was getting greater as Pearl's fingers clasped over his own. Her fingers were like ice and he could feel her breath start to slow. Steven looked up at Whinney as his eyes started to burn.

"Why?" Steven asked as the ground started to rumble under there feet, forcing his Aunt to take a step back "Why?!"

The ground under his feet cracked at his yell. The crack spread out and started racing away from the three of them. The cracks ripped towards the building quickly as green started to come out of the cracks. The green then started to turn into vines. These vine spread like fire and started over taking everything. The vines slammed into and out of the building and ground. They grew big and monstrous as they moved. In moments half the building was covered in them and soon thorns grew out like razer sharp spikes after. Vines started to grow up around the three of them in a dome like structure as Steven took hard breaths bubbling with anger.

"Why did you do this?!" He yelled as the ground cracked more and Pearl flinched against him in reaction "What did they do to you?! Why did you have to hurt them?!"

The vines grew faster at his anger and soon started breaking the cliff under them. They shot out at random places in the cliff face below. They twisted and curled in the air as Steven shouted. An just like his mothers name sake, thousands upon thousands of Roses started to bloom across all the vines in a twisted display of beauty. The more anger and fury radiated out of Steven the thicker and faster the vines grew, twisting into tight loops and clumps.

Steven raised his hand and shouted loudly "Just, go. Away!"

A giant wave of force left Stevens hand and shot out around them. The vines that encircled the three of them ripped apart as they all flung away from each other. Steven had no control over the power he released in his anger. Whinney slammed back into the building and the vines quickly wrapped around her like a cocoon. Her wide startled eyes locked on the horizon as she was swallowed by the green thorns. Steven and Pearl went flying off the cliff. The force Steven released was so great there breast bones cave in with a crack as they shot across the sky like projectiles. Steven had lost his grip on the aquatic once they were airborne and hitting the water everything went dark for them, pain being the last thing either of them felt.

The Guardians were very angry as they got flung out of the titan. They were a mess of clicks and growls as they hit the water and started back towards the pod. As they started closing in they felt a wave of force hit them from above. Everyone got shoved down deeper into the water a good few feet and Bella, along with Yvette, got forced under the waters surface roughly. The wave of forced caused Jasper to tug harder on her connection to Pearl. She couldn't help but send all these different feelings of hurt and anger and worry down the line to her Companion but just as she tugged she felt it.

There connection snapped.

Jasper stopped swimming with her eyes glued to the surface above. The others were re-grouping just shy of her but she couldn't hear them. She seemed just frozen in place. It was almost like she could physically see there connection frayed on the end, just floating in the water before her. Her hands started to tremble as she pulled on this thread with nothing attached to the other side.

"What happened?!" Amethyst yelled out as Lapis and Garnet came careening up to them all.

"She got into the base and fucking ripped us apart!" Lapis yelled as Garnet growled loudly looking around for a threat from above along with Jasper. The others herd Garnet's click of shock before they followed her line of sight. The younger of the pod didn't understand the face Jasper was making but the others did. Garnet couldn't bring herself to swim over to there other Guardian, her need to protect them all was still running rampant in her mind. She just looked at her as Blue darted forward towards her. "Jasper?"

Two things happened at once when Blue reached Jasper's side. There were two distant crashed into the waters surface and a deep bruising wave hit all the aquatics at once, forcing them to grab there chests in shock more then pain. This wave of energy that flooded through them distracted them all enough for the Shifters to see what had hit the water first.

"Steven?! Pearl?!"

All eyes turned to where the shifters were swimming towards the sinking forms of there missing two and everything just seemed to stop. Jasper felt such a deep stab of sorrow and pain hit her very core. She wasn't moving. Pearl wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. Just moments of her sinking , her body made no move to form her tail or take a breath. All the fight for defending them all, that anger, that rush of power, just drained from Jasper's body. She took a staggering breath before she yelled. She cried out in such agonizing sorrow that it hurt. It hurt so much the others felt themselves break a bit inside just from hearing it. They flinched away from the Guardian as she darted forward towards her sinking other half. She didn't register the others following behind or that she bum-rushed the shifters out of the way in her haste.

"Mom." Yellow didn't swim forward with the pod but up towards her mothers, who were orientating Yvette in the water "What's wrong?"

"I don't-" Bella's breath hitched as she grabbed her chest. Another wave of pain rocked through her, seeming to radiate from her very core "Somethings wrong with the sea."

Bella looked to the other Aquatics to see them feeling the same way. The outcast lagged behind the pod greatly as she grabbed at her own chest. The pod reacted similarly ranging from gasps to curling in on themselves a bit. The Guardian's were the only ones to not visibly flinch at this pain. One was souly focused on there pod and the other focused on the two sinking into the water. Bella knew what had happened as she looked at her wife with a small pain in her eyes.

"What do you mean somethings wrong with the sea?" Yvette said once she was able to get her body accustomed to breathing water. She looked at her wife in worry as she watched her face twist with mild discomfort.

"I don't think the Siren picked a successor to the hearts protection." Bella gasped "And I don't think she's breathing."

"What about Steven?"

"Oh no... Steven? Steven?!"

The three of them looked to the still form of the small boy as the pod closed in on him. Bella took her wifes hand as Yellow darted ahead towards Steven's still form.

Amethyst and Blue were right on Jasper's tail as they swam towards Steven and Pearl. The wave of pain rocking through them made them slow and groan just a little. It was very unsettling for them and it scared them all. Something was wrong with the Sea. Jasper reached the pair first and quickly pulled Pearl to herself, completely ignoring Steven. Amethyst and Blue curled around Jasper as they went to the boy.

"Aw man aw man aw man." Amethyst said as she reached out and grabbed Steven. "Blue, I don't think he is alive."

Steven was just limp in Amethyst's grasp. His eyes were closed and thin trails of blood were floating out from the corners of his mouth. Blue quickly curled around the purple Aquatic and didn't give Steven a full once over before grabbing her arms tight "No ones chest should look like that."

"Oh Poseidon." Amethyst's voice cracked as the others started coming around them "What did she do to them?!"

Jasper was slowly breaking on the inside. The closer she got to Pearl the more everything broke in her body, in her soul.

"No. No no no no." Jasper's voice was cracked and soft as she reached out for Pearl. "Please, please no."

Her Companion was cold to the touch as she wrapped her fingers around her arm. Tears danced across Jasper's vision as she tugged Pearl to her. Her body was limp and damaged. Her blood slowly oozed out of her cut and broken skin. Her chest was caved in at an impossible angle and she could see inside her, see her bloody heart! It wasn't beating... Her face was frozen in a peaceful but slightly pained way. Jasper wrapped her arms around Pearl's form and held her against her body. Soft words and pleas for her to open her eyes, to move, form her tail, something spilled from the Guardian's broken soul. Her words broken and torn growing soft not by choice.

The others surrounded her and the other three but she didn't hear them. Didn't see them. She didn't register another force of pain rocking through her body as another more painful one started to settle into her heart. She didn't see who it was but one of the pod reached out and so much as brushed her arm, causing the Guardian to roar back not to touch her, her voice softer then any of them had ever heard.

"Are they?" Peridot couldn't even finished her thought as another wave of pain rocked through them all "Aw clams that hurts."

"What is that?" Lapis groaned as she semi clawed at her chest. "Why dose this hurt?"

"Did she ever pick a fall back Protector?" Bismuth asked swimming up on them all but stopping short at the one Guardian's behavior around the white Aquatic.

"Not by law or ties." Sapphire answered as Ruby leaned into her with discomfort written across her face. "She didn't see a point with how safe we all have been for a while." Sapphire groaned and flinched "It wasn't a pressing matter at the time."

"What's happening to you all?" Connie asked as her and her parents met up with the pod "What's wrong with your bodies?"

Bella and Yvette were finally getting to the pod when they all looked at the Aquatics around them. Everyone looked paler, the ones who were unnatural colors looking washed out. There tails shimmered less and there scales seemed to loose there shine. Around there hearts a dark eerie patch was starting to form. The waves of pressure and pain hitting them was making this darkness grow.

"The sea is dying." Bella gasped out "She never picked another protector."

"Wait, she's dead?" Lapis looked at the still white mermaid and an idea hit her, like another waive of pain. "How, ugh, h-how long did it take me to turn?"

"U-Um." Bella flinched as grabbed her chest along with her wifes arm "About three weeks because you were frozen."

"And if I hadn't been?" Lapis asked.

"It would of taken a day." Bella answered. "Two at the most."

"There's still time." Lapis mumbled through gritted teeth.

"Time for what?" Peridot asked as they all curled in on themselves a bit from the pain. Garnet was starting to feel it now, she hissed an flinched, absentmindedly clawing at her chest.

"Jasper." Lapis pushed through the pain as she move over to the other Guardian. The second she got too close and touched her Jasper roared at her. It hurt to look at her. Jasper had such anguish and sorrow painted across her face that Lapis had to pull on her own will power to look her in the eye. "Jasper, go!"

Lapis shoved the guardian hard and the bigger snapped at her again.

"Lapis!"

"Leave her alone!"

"Shut it!" Lapis snapped before shoving Jasper in the arm again. "Go Jasper." Lapis growled and snapped back at the Guardian as she snapped at her again and turned away protecting Pearl's still body. "Take her to the heart!"

"Heart?" Jasper echoed softly looking up at Lapis before back at her Companion.

"It saved me it can save her." Lapis said pushing on her arm again "But only if you hurry."

Jasper was mumbling Lapis' words under her breath before it seemed to click in her head. The blue aquatic watched recognition cross the guardian's face as she started looking around wildly.

"Go." Lapis said turning Jasper and starting after her, the pod slowly moving to follow "Will get you there but go!"

"Don't forget Steven!" Sapphire said as Garnet grabbed the boy and tugged him away from Amethyst and Blue, turning to follow the other Guardian.

"Hurry." Bella said tugging her wife along behind the pod "Were running out of time."

Both Guardians took off like bullets with there cargo held tight to there chests. The pod was doing there best to keep up but it was becoming harder and harder the further they moved from the shore line. More and more waves of pain rocked through the water and into there very cores. For the younger it was becoming too much and they were starting to fall behind. The slowest in the party were the shifters and Yvette. The ocean wasn't there natural element and they were struggling to keep the aquatics in there sight. Bella was lagging behind in the middle between the groups, not want to leave them behind.

"Bella, go." Yvette called out to her wife "I know how to get there from here, will catch up."

"Yvette."

"Get them home safely."

Bella nodded to her wife before turning and pushing forward, quickly vanishing into the distance with the pod. They were moving in a direct line to the heart as fast as they could. As they went the sea was reacting poorly around them. The water was staring to turn grey and the surface was starting to become rough. The clouds overhead started to grow dark and the wind started to whip the surface far above there heads. The wildlife around them seemed to be slowing down like they were loosing energy and looking like they were going to fall into a deep sleep. Coral and seaweed alike were starting to dull in there color. The Aquatics could feel the currents around them starting to slow, making it felt like they were swimming through tar.

The younger of the pod were starting to slow down dramatically. Peridot looked like she was going to be sick a Amethyst just looked pale. They both looked washed out as they grunted in pain, the grey coloration around there hearts growing out further from the source, starting to bleed down there veins.

"You gotta make it." Amethyst called out as her and Peridot both used what strength they had left to gather the water around themselves and thrust it forward, propelling the others forward but causing themselves to stop completely and start to sink. "Ugh, this sucks."

This pattern followed the pod as they went, one by one falling off but doing what the first two did. Ruby and Blue fell behind next and Sapphire followed close behind them. Lapis was pushing herself hard along with the Guardians when she herself fell behind. Yellow refused to leave her mother in the dust and soon that pair disappeared into the distance as the last three Aquatics pushed on.

"This better work." Bismuth groaned as the three of them dipped over the edge of Challengers Deep and started swimming down "Or were in big trouble."

"We wouldn't be alive long enough to find out if it's not." Garnet hissed through her teeth as the crack to there target appeared from the dark waters around them. "Bis."

"I got it." The lone mermaid said pushing ahead of the Guardians and getting snapped at by Jasper. She just rolled her eyes and ignored her on the way by. She was too stiff and numb to really fight back with even a witty remark. Bismuth reached the wall and bumped into it rather hard before running her hands along the rim of the cave.

The Guardians were watching Bismuth and were getting antsy, even more so as Bella appeared from above and swam down to join them. "Outcast."

"I'm working on it." Bismuth growled out as she found the right rune and started tracing over it "I didn't know who attacked them when they called for help so when we left I sealed the cave to keep the heart safe."

"Bismuth." Garnet growled as Jasper started grinding her teeth.

This was a lot bordering on too much. They were all on edge. Garnet was barely holding it together where Jasper seemed to be coming apart at the seams. Bella as moving much slower at this point as she floated down to be level with the others. Being an Elder she was much more affected by the oceans changes then the ones in front of her. It hurt her deeper and harder with each wave of pain that pulsed out from this crack. From the Hearts core.

Bismuth grunted in triumph as the runes around the caves entrance glowed it's welcoming blue. The lone Aquatic gestured to the entrance before coughing and sinking a bit. "Poseidon, hurry."

Jasper shot forward and twisted into the cave with Garnet close on her tail. Inside the cave was worse off then when they left it. Most of the runes that had survived the crystals invading this space were now cracked and shattered. Deep red pulsing cracks littered the walls and floor. Part of the ceiling had caved in and the nook the heart sat in was blown out. The Heart itself was weakly pulsing with a sickly grey glow around it. Garnet stopped in the middle of the cave as Jasper went straight towards the heart. As she came right up to it she could physically feel the pain the heart was feeling. She could feel the sea dying and he ocean crying out. She adjusted Pearl's form into one arm as her other reached out to take the heart. When her fingers got close she whined a bit at the slight rejection of her touch she could feel.

"Please." Her voice was so soft it echoed in the water like a whisper "You have to save her." The Guardian pushed her hand closer and felt more resistance but hesitation "I can't lose her."

Jasper could feel the hearts resistance to her touch as she took it in her too big hand. She regarded it for a moment before kicking back towards Garnet in the center of the room. Once at her side the Guardian looked at the other and her equal could see her confusion. Garnet groaned as she started talking. "Lay her out in front of you and give me her hand."

Both Guardians struggled to get there cargo situated where they needed. They put Pearl and Steven side by side, facing opposite directions. Jasper took Pearl's right hand and Garnet took Steven's. Both Aquatics looked at each other for a moment before back at the others. they looked so brittle and pale that it made then feel sick in a different way.

Jasper looked at her companions still face before taking the heart and placing it in her cold hand. At the same time Garnet brought Steven's hand up and held it to Pearl's with the Heart clasped between there fingers and they waited.

An waited.

...An waited.

The bigger Guardian felt her throat grow tight and her hand start to shake when it happened.

The heart started to glow.

It was a small glow at first. Just barely visible between there twisted fingers but soon it started to grow brighter and brighter and brighter. In the back of there minds they could hear whispers. At first they thought it as just there minds playing tricks on them but as the glowing continued to grow the whispers became stronger. Then it started to get hot. Really, really hot. It was so hot and so bright and becoming so loud both Guardians were forced to let go of there cargos hands and back up. They flinched and growled moving back towards the entrance unwillingly as the water around them started to change. The cave seemed to start to come back to life. The water around them buzzed like it was electrified like a typhoon gathering power. The walls shook as there cracks lost there red angry glow in turn for a powerful white one. The whispers they herd grew in force and sounded all around them and inside them. The moment the Guardian's shot out of the cave there was a deep yet powerful pulse. Bright light flooded out of the cave an then...

Pearl took a breath. Then another. An another. In and out, in and out. She could feel the holes in her skin. The broken bones just under the surface. The battered state of her body but she didn't feel the pain. She didn't feel anything but her breathing. Just her breathing. The Aquatic wanted to open her eyes but she felt the need not too. Like something was keeping her from opening them. It wasn't a forceful feeling, just a sleepy one. Then she heard a voice.

...Pearl...

A familiar voice.

My dearest Pearl...

So distant yet so close.

You have done so well my Pearl...

Penny's voice echoed in her mind and around her like current, wrapping her up nice and safe like a warm hug from a long lost comfort.

You were so brave... I am so proud of you... So... So proud... But this is not your time...

Your not meant to cross this line yet...

You need to go back...

They need you...

She needs you...

...My precious Companion...

Wake up

Pearl's eyes shot open as she gasped in a huge breath. At first she was disorientated. Everything was white and buzzing and...she wasn't sure. Her body was pulsing and felt sore but not hurt, not broken. A secondary gasp caught her attention and something an someone in her hand. She knew what was wrapped in her fingers, pulsing in her palm. She had spent many a night stole away in the hearts nook holding it and feeling connected to it. She felt a wave a tranquil and calm flowing up her arm and it helped settle her core in a way she didn't know she needed.

Soon the white around her faded and the Aquatic kicked her tail to orientate herself. As she moved she felt whoever was holding her hand tighten there grip. She felt herself jump in surprise as Steven blinked next to her.

"Woah, Pearl." Steven flailed a bit as he kicked his feet before they glowed for a moment and formed a tail, scaring them both "This is weird!"

'Oh, Steven!' Pearl clicked out tugging the boy to her and hugging him tight. What happened came back to her in a rush and she groaned at the memories, trying to organize them in her mind 'Are you ok?'

"I-I'm ok." Steven answered hugging her back before pulling away just enough to look her over "Wait, I understood you!"

'You can understand me?' Pearl eyes were just as wide as Steven's.

"Yea but are you ok? She hurt you so bad!"

'I'm ok.' Pearl clicked looking around then at the heart in her hand 'Just a little lost on how we got here...'

"I don't remember much after yelling at my Aunt outside after she hurt you." Steven mumbled watching as Pearl held the Heart of the Sea up in her hand before letting it go. The heart floated in the water and glowed a happy blue color as it slowly floated back to its resting space. As it move the runes cracked and broken all around them started to glow. The cave shifted and shook as the runes repaired themselves and the walls slowly connected to become some what whole again. Enough so that the cave was stable but not where it was before. A lot of care was going to have to be done to fix it. "That's so cool."

Pearl smiled gently at the stars in Steven eyes at the magic around them before she felt a tug, making her gasp and dart towards the caves entrance, tugging Steven along behind.

Jasper and Garnet shot out of the caves entrance as fast as possible. The pulse of energy that followed them was a powerful one. It wasn't unpleasant or painful but so full of energy that they felt revived. They felt it in there core and radiating out of there very body's. The four of them could feel the sea living and breathing again as currents started to move once more. The bright vibrant color of Jasper's skin came back to its full glow as Bella herself seemed to almost glow the blue her skin was. Light flooded out of the cave and covered them for a few moments before fading back into darkness. They all floated there frozen, unsure what to do. There eyes were glued to the caves entrance as small sounds reached there ears from within.

Jasper glanced over at Garnet as she gently touched her arm before looking back at the entrance and tentively pulling on her connection to her companion. She felt some resistance and it gave her some hope.

Not even a second after Jasper tugged Pearl shot out of the cave like a rocket. She full on slammed into her Companion and clung to her for dear life, letting Steven go just before plowing him into the bigger aquatic with her. Pearl gasped hard and was shaking as she clung to the Guardian who quickly in turn grabbed ahold of her. She could feel the bigger aquatic shaking just as hard around her. Her grip was near crushing but Pearl didn't care. Everything was a bit too much for both of them and they just needed this connection, physical and otherwise. They tugged on there connection as hard as they could just to feel it strong between them. Just to feel connected. Between the both of them, they weren't sure ho was shaking more.

"Oh, Steven!" Bella was startled with the other three with them once both Pearl and Steven came flying out of the cave. She was taken back when Steven wasn't crushed to death at how deep they were under the surface and that he looked like one of them. "You have a tail!"

"This feel weird!" Steven was trying to figure out how to move. He managed to stop himself from hitting the pair in front of him but couldn't figure out how to move past that. "How do I move?!"

"Hold on." Bella went to move closer to Steven but Garnet was faster. The Guardian took his hands and tugged him forward.

"Kick your legs like they are tied together." Garnet said softly tugging Steven forward, and away, from the other two. She knew it was important for Companions to be close to there partners. She could feel the frantic pulling between them and knew they needed space. It has been a traumatic few days and this comfort was import to them. They almost lost each other and everyone almost lost them along with the sea. So she tugged Steven closer to the other two. "That's it Steven."

"This is weird and so cool." Steven said with his tounge sticking out a bit as he concentrated on doing what Garnet told him. When he got it he looked up excited and the Guardian couldn't help but smile "Dose this mean I can hang out with you whenever I want now?"

"I don't think Greg would want you to do that without asking first." Garnet said.

"Oh! We forgot Greg in the building." Bella's eyes went wide as she looked up "We need to go get him and the others."

She kicked off as Garnet helped Steven swim up. Bismuth started to follow but stopped to call out the remaining two. She hesitated at first, watching them, before getting her lungs about her "C'mon you jellyfish! We need to get Greg."

Hearing Bismuth call out to them made Jasper huff. She pulled away from her Companion just enough to look her over. She ran her fingers up through Pearl's hair, pushing it out of her face as her eyes moved. She looked at every part of the smaller that was broken, that was crushed. Every place that was damaged had a white scar covering over the repaired skin but she was here. She was alive and breathing in her hands. A small part of her still feared that Pearl would vanish if she didn't hold her or touch her here, even now as there connection was a tug of war between them, that simmering fear was still there. An Pearl could see this is her companions eyes. She could feel the fear behind the biggers tugging and she fully understood why. She closed her eyes and just pushed her forehead against her Companions. The bigger rumbled and she clicked softly in turn.

'Thank you' She clicked as her small hands held the biggers to her skin 'You were so brave'

'Not on my own' jasper clicked back just as soft 'I couldn't-'

'I know' Pearl cut her off 'I'm so proud of you'

Jasper huffed hiding her red face in the smallers hair for a moment as the other chuckled softly before pulling away and taking her hand 'Lets go get the others, we have quite a bit to talk about now'