A/N: AND WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?! a LATE chapter update? why, that's unheard-of! so the reason is that my internet was acting screwy, but only with this laptop, and it was connecting just fine. But it was messing up for some reason. Removing Google Chrome from and adding it back to Firewall and restarting the laptop worked wonders both times. Also, a guest reviewed (Chapter Thirty)! lemme answer them.

/Guest: Haha, no. The "E" word wasn't emotion, as he already feels emotion, but points to you for trying, unlike others. Keep reading, as I'm sure you have, and you'll find out the answer. XD

Now, enough talk! here we are with Chapter Thirty-Seven! I hope you enjoy this change in perspective. :3

A Triangle in the Stars
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Discovery

Pearl was protectively holding the ancient item—a small statue of a seemingly angelic figure with similarly ancient zodiac signs on its wings—she and her friends had been questing to achieve. The tall Gem seemed a little scratched up though, as she walked down the damp stairs from the holding place. She sighed, "Finally... we finally obtained the Illictic Cashid..."

Garnet was behind her, looking scratched up as well, but not as much. She had her head tilted slightly back for some reason, as if watching the now just cloudy sky. As if she'd seen someone fall from it in her future vision...

"Alright! now what do we do?" Amethyst was definitely ready to get out of here and back home. Not that she knew it was the resting place now for not one, not two, but three demons.

"We're not done yet," Garnet replied, seemingly out of nowhere, as if she sensed the purple Gem's thoughts. She wasn't worried, even though she was the only one who could See. In fact, she was as calm as ever. She believed in them, after all.

"That's right!" Pearl sing-songed, reaching the end of the stairs and casting a longing glance at the broken Warp Pad right next to them. She then continued, "We have to head over to the Zodiac Temple and save it with this artifact."

"Alright then. Let's go already! I wanna go eat some food!" Amethyst cracked her knuckles, grinning almost.

"And check on Steven.." Pearl muttered with a slight sigh. She resumed walking, putting the Illictic Cashid away in her gem, scanning the path, even though there weren't really any dangers here. Or, at least, any dangers they couldn't take care of. Garnet did the same, but her head was still tilted. She was scanning the sky as well. Amethyst soon groaned, walking with them, "Can't we go any faster?"

"Well, I'm somewhat tired..." Pearl frowned at Amethyst. Garnet frowned as well, but at no one in particular. She hoped she wouldn't have to break apart a fight again. The pale Gem continued, "We haven't exactly stopped to rest fully and properly for weeks."

She'd actually come to appreciate the human technique of resting a while back. She didn't think, however, that she'd have to need it. Not like this. Not since that one incident when they all got overworked trying to search for treasure on Steven's behalf. They all failed to find the treasure, long story short.

"Hey, Garnet, if I fall asleep, can you just carry me?"

The fusion glanced at the purple Gem, looking as if she was about to say "no". But she soon nodded, with a slightly noisy shrug. Pearl groaned quietly, narrowed blue eyes still scanning the path. She mumbled something that could easily be interpreted as, "I wish I had someone who'd carry me..."

"Great. Thanks, Garnet!" Amethyst proceeded just to fall down on the ground, snoring way too loudly and incorrectly to actually be sleeping. Garnet actually smiled with laughter after a while of just staring at the small Quartz Gem. She snickered as she walked over and picked up Amethyst and shouldered her, indeed holding to what she said she'd do. Pearl soon couldn't resist laughing either. It was nice they could still laugh about things even with how dire circumstances seemed.

―

Pearl and Garnet kept walking along the wet path, side by side now. The latter kept her hidden eyes on the sky. Pearl kept hers on the ground, watching the damp, luscious environment go by. Amethyst soon fell asleep for real lying on Garnet like that, actually. And the fusion's smile widened. Of course. She saw that happening.

Pearl put a hand up to her forehead, but there was little to no sunlight to block out. It must have been to get a better grip on her surroundings. To focus. But, again, she couldn't help thinking about Steven and how he was doing. She sighed. But then something pulled her out of it. She saw something lying on the path far, far ahead of them. It could have been a hallucination, of course, but she didn't care at the moment. The tall Gem's eyes widened, and she quickened her pace. Garnet sped up too, frowning slightly. She was careful not to drop Amethyst.

This "something" was blue, and it glowed. It looked like a lock for a key, but with two closed buggy eyes, a mouth, and limbs. Pearl gasped, and summoned her spear as she reached it. She turned her weapon around and poked the seemingly unconscious creature with the other end, curious eyebrows raised.

Garnet adjusted her visor, still holding Amethyst. This must have been what she had Seen falling out of the sky. And then she summoned her gauntlet around her free hand, just to be safe. They had no idea whether this would be a danger or an ally. Or both. And her future vision was offering too many contradicting possibilities.

From their observations, the being definitely wasn't a Gem. It didn't look human either, though. It soon opened its yellow eyes, and was startled by them, particularly by Pearl's prodding, and jumped up and backed away. Pearl seemed just as startled by the creature's waking up, also backing off. Her eyes were wide, and she exclaimed, holding firm to her spear, "What are you supposed to be?"

Garnet still kept out that gauntlet, absolutely stone-faced. But the fact that she was still carrying Amethyst like one would a baby might have alleviated the tension. Key words: "might have".

"I-I don't... it's none of your concern!" he shouted. He was marveling over the fact he had survived Pyronica's throw, still. It had been a while in the air... he was sure when he landed he would die. All he did, however, was left a him-sized and -shaped crater.

Pearl frowned, keeping her weapon out. Garnet then stepped forward, brow furrowed underneath her visor, but she spoke with a gentle yet firm tone, "But I think it is our concern. You've reached an area no one but we three know about. We'd like an explanation..."

That gauntlet was still there, threatening. It was now at her side, but still—Garnet's reflexes were like lightning.

"Well... me and my friends were just walking along when suddenly one of them accuses me of treason and throws me as far away as she possibly can!"

Garnet raised an eyebrow underneath that visor. Everyone could feel it, even Pearl. The fusion wasn't exactly buying it, and voiced it, "I don't think you're telling us the full and true story... but it does explain how you got here. And it was that somebody threw you."

Pearl's frown deepened. She knew of no one—who wasn't a Gem—who was strong enough to do that, or strong enough to survive a throw like that. She needed answers, here and now. But she decided to let Garnet handle it.

"Uh... w-we're also demons from another dimension..." he answered, as if he read Pearl's thoughts. Which he did. However, he didn't want to explain the long quest of finding Gabriel and ending the demon war. Or Bill's obsession with finding the human. He himself barely understood what was going on there.

"Ah, that explains it," Pearl chimed in, finally. She seemed calm about it, but then it soon settled in. Demons. She freaked out inwardly, before it exploded quietly, and she held the blade of the spear up and pointing towards Keyhole, who squeaked, now, brow furrowing, "Wait, demons?! there's more of—!?"

Garnet then held up her gauntlet in front of Pearl, dispelling it to reveal her hand. It was the stop signal. So the tall pale Gem quieted, begrudgingly assuming a non-attacking position, setting her spear back to her side. The fusion nodded, "Understood."

She still seemed calm about the whole matter. Reason? three demons she could See in the Beach House. Not one of them have harmed, or tried to harm, Steven recently. Recently as in earlier today and yesterday. She almost found herself smiling at it.

Keyhole raised an eyebrow at this, but soon pushed it aside, "Anyway... can I hitch a ride with you guys?"

Amethyst chose that moment to wake up, yawning slightly. She didn't feel any movement, so she asked, "Hey, uh, guys? what's going on?"

Garnet nodded to Keyhole, implicitly saying he could indeed tag along, and set Amethyst down, explaining, "We've come across a sentient creature."

She didn't tell Amethyst Keyhole was a demon. She had her reasons. And most of them were already stated. And she also didn't want Amethyst to react like Pearl had, if that ever happened. Pearl frowned, and dispelled her Gem Weapon, sighing. She kept the true nature of the creature under wraps as well, despite wanting to shout it again. She did, however, start mumbling about it. She'd read documents upon documents about demons in her brief, though still unexplained, bout of interest in the supernatural. Next to none of them were quite savory.

Amethyst looked at him, "Hey, do you have a name?"

"K-Keyhole," he replied simply, nodding. He then bit his lip, "So, can I j-just follow you t-to wherever you're g-going?"

That was the thing about Keyhole. He was always a follower, never a leader, and that wasn't going to change any time soon. That's why he couldn't kill Bill—that and being too scared. Garnet seemed to realize this, once again putting herself into the leadership role, and nodded, "Yes, Keyhole. You'll be following us. But try not to be so dependent. This place can get very dangerous."

Pearl nodded with agreement, being the quiet one for once. There was a dark shadow cast over her blue eyes as she stared down at him. It was quite obvious she didn't trust him. Not yet anyway.

"O-of course. I'll try," he nodded.

"Alright! come on, guys. We're wasting time. We gotta go get this Illictic Cashid back where it belongs!" Amethyst then raced ahead. Pearl and Garnet nodded, and rushed ahead as well, still taking the path from whence they had come in the first place. Though when they got far enough, they'd have to make a turn instead of continuing along the straight path. It would be dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous than their expedition alone, but it would cut a few days, or weeks even, from their journey.

A/N: So now we're back on the Crystal Gems. X3 I took Pearl and Garnet, and Ace had Amethyst and Keyhole. I hope you enjoyed this! X3
Next update will be Thursday. Please leave me your thoughts. I love them. :3