Content Warning: this chapter includes some blood and gore.

Chapter Nine: Confrontation

The information Greg got out of the Crystal Gems was a solid starting place. It gave them their first lead yet.

France was, admittedly, a rather large area of the planet, and searching the entirety of it on foot would be a daunting, if not impossible task. Thankfully, it was not a task which would be required of them. They have the internet. She began with a broad search 'France healing'. It brought up many non-relevant terms, as Pearl knew it would— mainly hospitals and clinics in the country. She refined her search terms, again and again, and soon got more promising results. Myths of miraculous healings. Stories of a spring of eternal youth. A local saint, 'La Dame des Roses', associated with agriculture and protection. The encyclopedia article was filled with analysis and speculation, pointing out the similarities the figure bears to many religious and mythological figures across human cultures.

Pearl ignored all of that. It wasn't important.

Humans had finally advanced to the stage that they had orbital satellites monitoring their entire planet, and they'd used that technology to produce a comprehensive mapping system accessible by anyone with a computer. As rudimentary as it was, it served its purpose. Pearl pulled up that Gaggle Maps for that specific region of France, Steven and Lapis craning over her shoulders. The boy lost interest in less than an hour, and wandered off to practice his Korean vocabulary, but Lapis stayed. She was a solid presence at Pearl's side, never faltering, never blinking.

Pearl caught herself distracted by those mirrored eyes, and wondered how they would look once healed.

It took an entire night of poring over the map, but at last, Pearl caught something. A grainy image taken from space. Tucked among the mountain ranges, with zero pathways leading to it, was what looked to be a well manicured garden. Structures built from stone which could have been walls or fountains. There was a single blue dot which could certainly be nothing but a warp pad.

"Found it," Pearl said.

"You found it," Lapis breathed, as if barely believing her own words. Fingers digging into Pearl's shoulder, she leaned in closer to stare at the computer screen. "You found it! "

Pearl smiled up at her, put a hand over Lapis's, and squeezed back.

"I'm going to be healed," Lapis said.

"Yes," Pearl said, but there was a note of warning in her voice. "But first we need to get there."

Warping directly wasn't an option. A warp pad required the user to have a clear picture of the destination in their mind. Greg hadn't been able to take pictures of the fountain, and Gaggle's maps images were too low resolution. Regardless, teleporting directly into enemy territory, without any idea of who might have been there or what defenses they had would have been folly.

While Steven woke up and Lapis helped him get ready for the day, Pearl did yet more research. She compared her own map of the planet's warp pads, and found there was one in the area currently called Belgium.

"Not far," Steven said, drawing a line in pencil on his wall map between the two places. (He'd marked Rose Quartz's fountain with a red pin.)

"I could fly there in just a few hours," Lapis said, "If only I had my wings."

Steven gave her a hug. Pearl bent down closer to her Pi's keyboard, and did more research.

There were many trains running between France and Belgium. That leg of the trip would not be particularly difficult or time consuming. The issue would be getting to the fountain itself. It would take several different buses to the nearest town, and after that, it would be a trek through an unknown mountain to reach it.

But Pearl was certain they would get there, even if it would take a while. Her biggest concern was leaving Steven alone in the Palanquin. No doubt he would be able to take after himself for a couple of days, but what if the mission stretched on longer? Perhaps she should book him a motel room. Either here, or in the United States, where Greg could keep an eye on him…

"What? No, I'm coming with you!" Steven said, once Pearl brought the idea up.

Pearl frowned, and tried to channel Greg's commanding tone. "Steven."

He crossed his arms. "I gotta come."

"You do not," said Pearl. "This will not be a leisurely trip. It will be a long trek into enemy territory, and it will be dangerous. I will take you to France another time."

"It's not about France," he said. "It's because it'll be dangerous! I'm not letting you go on a dangerous mission alone! A Diamond is meant to protect their subjects. What kind of leader... what kind of friend would I be if I let you do this without me?"

That wasn't what being a leader was about. Or, at least, not what being a Diamond was about. A Diamond had to care for her subjects, yes, but not at the risk of herself. If she was lost, everyone else was lost with her.

But Steven's declaration filled Pearl's core with something… warm. Something she didn't quite have a word for. She considered it as she ran her fingers absently across the beads of the bracelet Steve and Greg had gotten her in Empire City. Not happiness, precisely, because she still was not happy about the prospect of Steven being placed into danger, but…

Lapis, it seemed, was happy, if only judging by her smile. "Oh, let him come," she said. "We'll be in and out real quick. The Crystal Gems won't even know we're there. Besides," she said, ruffling Steven's hair affectionately. "What better protection could we have than a Diamond?"

And now Steven was smiling along with Lapis, and there really was no way Pearl could say no to their matching grins. She sighed, but smiled a little herself. "Very well, then. You may come."

oOoOo

Garnet had forgotten just how boring stake outs could be.

It was a tedium which she hadn't been exposed to since the War. There hadn't been any need for it. Gem monsters weren't particularly subtle or clever. After that initial, terrible round-up, the simplest method was to just wait until they were drawn to the power of the Temple and take care of them there.

But what Garnet was waiting for… it wasn't a Gem monster.

Probably. There were rarely any absolutes with Future Vision, after all.

It had started with a casual glance at the future earlier that morning, just to See if there were upcoming catastrophes to prevent. Garnet had Seen nothing more eventful than a trip with Rose to the Fountain to check on how her most recent healing experiments were going. Only, when they'd gotten there, they'd found the Fountain destroyed. The statues defaced, the basin broken, and worst of all, the precious tears, meticulously collected over the millennia, all spilled.

It wasn't a certain future. Garnet had peered down different pathways, and see timelines where the fountain itself was left in-tact, but the tears themselves still gone. Others still where it looked completely undisturbed.

Garnet wasn't wholly surprised. There was a reason she'd told Mr. Universe the location of the Fountain. Though she hadn't admitted it, she'd agreed with Pearl that there had been something suspicious in Mr. Universe's behaviour. She thought this might be a suitable test to determine if there really was something there.

It appeared there was. The Fountain being destroyed so shortly after sharing the information with him couldn't be a coincidence.

But things didn't add up. Wanton destruction didn't seem like Mr. Universe's style. There had to be something else causing these strange futures.

Garnet wasn't sure what that something was. But she intended to find out.

She had arrived at the garden late in this place's afternoon, and now true twilight was falling, only the thinnest line of pink visible over the tall brambles. Garnet did one final loop of the garden, still not finding anything (or anyone) amiss. The place was very quiet.

She returned to the Fountain proper. In the pool, a single bubble floated. Garnet picked it up carefully. Inside there was a corrupted gem— Snowflake Obsidian— suspended in water, both in the bubble and out. Rose was investigating if constant exposure to the tears could heal it. It was an experiment Rose had tried very early after the Corruption, and it had failed, like all other techniques, but evidently Rose thought that some repeat trials were in order.

Garnet opened her third eye, and Looked.

The future was closer now. She could See things more clearly. And she Saw, in the darkness of the night, two figures stealing into the garden…

Pearl?

No. A Pearl, but not Pearl. Too dim to make out any great detail, besides the fact she bore the Diamond insignia. And with her, a Lapis Lazuli, wearing the same symbol. They had with them a device— a floating orb, a miniature Red Eye, floating out to scan the gardens—

Garnet's eye snapped closed, and her fist clenched. Two uncorrupted, Homeworld Gems. On Earth.

This was not good.

She should not have come alone. She should have brought someone. But she hadn't. Pearl had been so suspicious about Greg and his questions regarding the fountain; Garnet had feared she would have jumped to conclusions, could have seen things that weren't there. Rose Quartz, meanwhile, was being willfully blind, annoyed at Pearl's worrying and irritation towards her latest human attraction, and dismissing any similar concerns. Amethyst could have come… but she could be so distracted. Garnet had not thought she'd have the patience for this kind of mission.

(And, if Garnet was being completely honest… maybe she'd been hoping to complete this one by herself. To remind Rose why it was unwise to dismiss her.)

Too late to go get any of them now. Night proper had fallen. The intruders could arrive any moment. Garnet reached down, took the bubbled obsidian, and tapped it, sending it back to the Temple. Rose would be annoyed at Garnet for disrupting the experiment, but it would be no good if the monster got loose and caused yet more chaos.

Garnet went behind a nearby archway, hid, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long, all told. She had barely even settled into her place when she heard the distinct hum of a Homeworld Scanner. She saw the red glow of the eye first, followed by the scanner itself.

Garnet sunk deeper behind the archway and into a bunch of bushes. The Red Eye Scanner came closer, humming around the fountain and bathing the area in its red searchlight, bit by bit.

When the scanner grew close, Garnet ducked completely underneath the bushes, waiting until the red light had passed her by completely before poking her head back out. The scanner had now retreated fountain proper, going through an entranceway and moving out of sight.

Several more minutes of near complete silence followed, broken only by the wind rustling the foliage and the movement of the tears in the fountain. But eventually, Garnet heard voices. Quiet and off in the distance at first, the voices grew in volume as they got closer. There were three of them, one for each the three figures that came into view.

Three figures. Three. It was the third that made Garnet pause in consideration.

Two were Gems, that was for sure. A Pearl and a Lapis Lazuli, matching Garnet's Vision. But the third was… different. At first Garnet thought maybe she was a Tourmaline or Aquamarine, but her size and shape didn't match either gem type. But she had to be some sort of Gem. Not only to be accompanying two others, but Garnet could sense her Song, though the rhythm was unlike any she had felt before.

"This must be the fountain," the Pearl spoke, approaching the edge of the basin and peering over. "Hm. It looks just like normal water."

"Doesn't really matter what it looks like," the Lazuli said. She raised her hand in the air, and and a orb of the Fountain's healing tears rose with it. "Because if this is really all I need to heal myself…"

"Wait." It was the small Gem talking now. Her voice was rather low-pitched and scratchy. "What if this is like a trap, or something? Like, poison in the water?"

Garnet slid back deeper into the bushes, trying to hide her presence even more.

"How could it be a trap?" the Lazuli asked. "No one knew we were coming."

"Unless they suspected Greg," the Pearl added.

Garnet felt her entire form tighten. So Greg was responsible for this. When Rose found out, she'd be—

No. That wasn't right. At worst, Greg was simply a human being manipulated by these Gems. Even with that in mind, it meant the friendship Rose had thought she'd built with him was false.

Garnet did not look forward the time when she was going to have to tell Rose that.

"Look, I'm already cracked," the Lazuli went on. Scanning her back, Garnet confirmed this. Her tear-shaped gem was between her shoulder blades and it had a noticeable gash down the back of it. In fact… in a way that seemed rather familiar…

"Yes," the Pearl said. "But there are worse fates than being cracked."

"Oh. I know," the Lazuli said, her tone coated in ice. "And while I'm not eager to revisit that, at least I know what awaits me if things get worse."

The smallest Gem, however, seemed unsure. "I dunno," she said, kicking at the ground. "I mean… Your eyes are still mirror-y, but…"

"And I don't have a full grasp of my powers," the Lazuli added. "I can't summon my wings."

"Yeah, but we have warp pads! You don't need wings."

"Lapis being able to fly would be a distinct advantage, my Steven," the Pearl said. "A Lapis Lazuli's top speed when flying can be rather swift."

'My Steven'? Was 'Steven' some kind new gem type? Possible; Garnet had been away from Homeworld for a long time. But the fact that it sounded like a human name was… disquieting. What was Homeworld up to?

"I know…" the small Gem moaned. "But I don't want—"

"This is about what I want," the Lapis said, a slight warning to her voice. The Pearl shot her a silent look and even the smaller Gem seemed a little unhappy with the Lazuli's declaration. But if it bothered her, the Lazuli certainly didn't let on. "Okay," she went on as the orb of water hovered over her. "I'm going to put it on, right now. You two might want to back away—"

"No. Drop it."

Garnet finally revealed herself, jumping from the bush and into clearer view.

The Lazuli's eyes flashed defiantly, and did not heed Garnet's words. Her hand opened and in an instant the water fell, dowsing her and getting the other two Gems quite wet as well.

The tears had their effect on the Lazuli, filling the air with sparkles.

"Lapis!" the small Gem— 'Steven'— cried. "Your eyes! They're not mirrors anymore!"

Neither the Lazuli nor the Pearl paid any attention to her. They were focused entirely on Garnet. In fact, the Pearl even stepped in front of the Steven, laying a hand on her to keep her back

It was now, with the Pearl brought out of the shadows and into dwindling twilight, that Garnet could now pin down where she had seen the Pearl before. Or, more specifically, where Sapphire had seen her before. For that wasn't any ordinary Pearl.

That was Blue Diamond's personal Pearl.

And she was here. On Earth. At Rose's Fountain.

Why? And where was Blue Diamond?

"We don't want any trouble," the Pearl said. "We merely needed the water in the Fountain. For healing purposes."

"Really," Garnet stated flatly. "That's why you came here, as night, and in secret."

The Pearl grimaced, but didn't deny it. But the small Gem stepped from behind her and spoke forcefully, "It's because you rebels can't be trusted! You keep all the healing water to yourself when it could be helping Gems on Homeworld!"

"Steven—" the Pearl spoke, pushing the Gem back behind her. But the small Gem wasn't so easily dissuaded. She kept trying to push past the Pearl, and might have done so, if the Lazuli hadn't also gotten involved, holding her back. The Steven seemed to be getting worked up, if her scrunched up expression and reddening face were any indication.

Garnet hadn't been prepared to go on the attack just yet. First, she was going to demand more answers. But… then she began to clearly hear the Song.

The Pearl's and the Lapis Lazuli's were the clearest. Elegant, lyrical, graceful, both different yet flowing together in harmony.

But it was the third, the small Gem, whose Song was so muted, that felt completely different from any that Garnet had ever felt. And yet at the same time, hauntingly familiar.

It was two rhythms really. The first was low and methodical; Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump, over and over, a steady, near perfect beat.

But the other song, the one hidden just below the surface… It filled Garnet was a near-forgotten terror. It was deep and full and commanding, like a march that compelled to you to fall into step with it.

Sapphire was very familiar with that Song. It reminded her of entering Court, of the eyes of dozens of courtesans trained on her, awe and deference on their faces as she delivered her latest predictions. But also, she remembered: Gems writhing on the floor, screaming in agony, Sapphire merely standing to the side, watching, resigned, pretending that she wasn't witnessing torture...

"Blue Diamond…" Garnet breathed. Her gauntlets were out. "What are you doing here?"

"He's not Blue Diamond," the Pearl said, voice sharp as a blade. Garnet could not see her eyes, but she could feel her glare. "He is Steven."

"A Diamond would not send their Pearl without being present themselves," Garnet returned. "You can call her whatever you want. I can sense her Song."

"My… song?" Blue Diamond stammered. The look of confusion was passable, but Garnet knew the Diamond's deceit. This was all just a game to them.

One that Garnet was determined to win.

"Look," the Lazuli took a step forward. She looked… mad. Madder than either the Pearl or Blue Diamond, in fact. Garnet braced herself, unsure what the Lazuli's plan was. "We just needed some quick healing," she said. "Let us walk away and there won't be any… complications."

"When a Diamond comes to Earth, that's not really something I can just look away from." Garnet began to walk in a circle around them, like a predator closing in on her prey.

" Hmph! Mom was coming to Earth for years before she met Dad!" Blue Diamond yelled. "She was here all the time and you didn't even know!"

"My Steven, please…" the Pearl pleaded.

"That's not possible." Garnet shook her head. "If you've been here longer then I would have Seen it."

"Seen it?" Blue Diamond asked. "Are you trying to spy on us?"

"Future Vision," the Pearl answered. "She's part Sapphire."

"She's a… fusion?" Blue Diamond asked slowly. Garnet gritted her teeth. Blue Diamond's machinations were starting to annoy. "If she's a fusion, then we need to defeat her," Blue Diamond said, straightening up, sounding more like herself now.

"I'm not sure, my Steven," the Pearl timidly responded. "If we can get out of this without conflict…"

"I don't know, Pearl," the Lazuli said, her hand raising in the air. The water in the Fountain mirrored the movement, a giant fist rising with it. "If she is a fusion, she came here looking for a fight. I say we indulge her."

The Pearl looked worried, frightened even. Blue Diamond nodded silently, a look of uncertain determination on her face.

Garnet readied herself, clenching her fists and falling into a battle stance. She opened her third eye, briefly Looking at all the various paths this encounter could go down. Some were good, some were bad. Some… were best not to dwell on. All the more reason to fight harder and give them everything she had.

"It's over, Blue Diamond," Garnet intoned. "I'm going to do what I couldn't all those millennia ago. Bring you to justice."

And with that, Garnet lunged forward, lunging with a blow aim directly at Blue Diamond

The blow never connected, however. Something hit Garnet first. Garnet was pushed back, almost knocked off her feet by a torrent of water. The Lazuli's opening attack.

Garnet smirked. If the Lazuli really was suppose to be their heavy hitter, then Blue Diamond had sorely miscalculated this encounter.

Without missing a beat, Garnet charged again, dodging one watery blast, another, another— but one came from the side and sent her hurtling back. She was flung, hard, against the ground, but any pain quickly receded as the Fountain's tears washed over her.

Garnet was back on her feet in an instant, bearing down this time on the Lazuli. The enemy's weapon was healing tears. Garnet could take as many hits as Lazuli wanted to throw at her. But Garnet had to shut this down, and not just because she didn't appreciate being juggled around like a toy. It had taken Rose thousands upon thousands of years to collect all those tears. It would be waste to let them simply be a Lazuli's plaything.

Garnet was on top of the Lazuli, bearing down on her. The Pearl grabbed Blue Diamond and leapt to the side, and with just a second to save herself, the Lazuli managed to leap in the other direction.

In the second and a half it took Garnet to turn and face the Lazuli, she had kicked off from the ground, two watery wings sprouting from her back.

She flew over Garnet's head, just barely out of reach, and reached out a hand to the Pearl and Blue Diamond. "Grab my hand!" she screamed. "We need to get out of here!"

It seemed the Lazuli had caught on.

The Lapis Lazuli flew in closer to the pair, trying to grab the Pearl's outstretched hand.

Just a bit closer…

There.

Garnet leapt, gauntleted hand striking out and she grabbed tightly around the Lazuli's ankle. The Lazuli's glared over her shoulder and began trying to kick Garnet with her free foot.

With all her strength, Garnet pulled her. Lazuli's wings fluttered, but she remained airborne. Again Garnet pulled, and the force was enough for the Lazuli to jerk downward, Garnet grabbing her arm.

The Lazuli was thrashing, trying to free herself, but it was no use. Garnet tightened her grip on the arm and and crushed.

"Steven—!" The Lazuli was cut off.

In an explosion of smoke, the Lazuli's form was gone, Garnet's hands now gripping nothing but empty air. With one swift movement, Garnet caught the Lazuli's falling and gem and in another, she bubbled it and sent it back to the Temple.

"Lapis!" Blue Diamond yelled. Garnet turned her attention towards her; she looked equal parts horrified and furious. The Pearl pushed Blue Diamond aside, throwing herself between her master and Garnet.

"Steven. Leave. Now." The Pearl sounded like she was barely able to hold it together. And true, her normally smooth and precise movements were now jittery and unsure. But still, she stepped determinedly in front of Blue Diamond, holding her hand out backwards as if that could stop the monarch from moving to the front. "Run. Take the warp pad and go. Far away; from here and Beach City."

"Neither of you are going anywhere," Garnet said. "Except with me, to the Temple."

"Go." One last, almost pleading whisper and the Pearl was running at Garnet, her hand at her gem and her hair dishevelled to reveal a bright, piercing gaze. The Pearl's gem was burning with light. Garnet readied herself for whatever the Pearl's attack was going to be. She braced—

And felt something wet and scaly slap her across her face, knocking her shades off.

Garnet stared at the sunglasses, lying on the ground for a moment poofing into nothingness. Then she refocused her gaze on the Pearl who was holding, of all things, a fish in her hands. She looked nearly as surprised as Garnet.

Whether an intentional move on the Pearl's part or not, she used the opening well, throwing the fish aside and pulling a new object from her gem.

A thin, slim weapon, its blade glowing electric blue in the darkness. A laser knife. Much more dangerous.

The Pearl yelled and lunged at Garnet, stabbing and swiping the knife every which way. Most of the attacks missed, but a few made their mark. Garnet winced in pain every time the knife's glowing blade struck her form.

But it was never enough to do lasting harm and soon, the Pearl swung too wide and left herself completely open.

She was far from the warrior Pearl Garnet knew.

Garnet grabbed the Pearl's wrist, wresting the knife from her grasp. It fell, deactivating and clattering loudly against the ground.

The Pearl tried to pull away, putting on as brave a face as possible. But much like the Lazuli, she was unable to match Garnet's strength. Garnet grabbed the Pearl's other arm and prepared to deliver the finishing strike.

"No! Let Pearl go!"

Garnet felt a blow land against her thigh and suddenly the Pearl was out of her grasp and Garnet was flying back, landing painfully against one of the Fountain's walls.

Blue Diamond hadn't fled, after all. Now she was at the Pearl's side, both on their knees.

"Are you alright, Pearl?" she asked.

The Pearl said something in response, too low for Garnet to hear. Didn't matter. Garnet climbed swiftly back to her feet, raised her fists and aimed her gauntlets at the pair. With luck, one blast would be all she needed.

She fired her rocket gauntlets and they flew at their targets. In the instant before impact, the Pearl turned, eyes wide in shock and horror.

"Steven!" she yelled. She threw herself around Blue Diamond, wrapping her tightly in her arms.

The rocket gauntlets struck the Pearl in the back and exploded.

"PEARL!" Through the smoke clearing debris, Blue Diamond's voice cracked against Garnet.

When she was able to see clearly again, Garnet saw that Blue Diamond was on her knees, crying and cradling the Pearl's gem.

"Pearl… Pearl, please… Don't leave me…"

Garnet's gauntlets grew back as she strode over to Blue Diamond. She could have used another rocket blast, but Garnet didn't want to hurt the Pearl's gem. Or Blue Diamond, even if she did deserve it. That would be needlessly cruel, and anyway, Garnet wanted answers.

"Give her to me," Garnet commanded, holding her hand out.

Blue Diamond knocked it aside, scampering to her feet and back several steps. "No! I won't let you hurt Pearl! I won't let you!" Her voice was raw and ragged, and despite the tear stains that ran down her face, her teeth were sharp and pointed, bared at Garnet like a wild animal's.

Garnet grimaced, before stepping closer and reaching for the gem. Blue Diamond tried to get away, but Garnet grabbed a hold of the Pearl and, when Blue Diamond refused to let go, pushed the Diamond aside, making her lose her grip. Garnet quickly bubbled the gem, sending it away to the Temple.

All that was left now was Blue Diamond.

Though, at the moment, Blue Diamond was on her hands and knees, her form shaking and… crying? Why was she crying?

No matter. Garnet picked the tiny Diamond up, and tore her body in half—

— and instead of a poofing sound, there was an ugly rip, and instead of smoke, there was blood, blood and other foul liquids. The air turned thick with the funk of it, scent like iron and sewage, all of it pouring out of the body's guts, onto Garnet's hands, onto the floor, Blue Diamond screaming in pain until her face went slack, mouth gaping—

Garnet slammed her third eye closed, recoiling from the Future Vision. In the present, Blue Diamond was still trembling on the floor, her strange flesh body whole and unharmed.

What had that been?

"Get up," Garnet commanded, trying not to let her horror show. "It's over. You've lost. I'm taking you prisoner."

Blue Diamond said nothing.

"I said, get up."

"... How could you hurt Pearl and Lapis?" Blue Diamond asked, her voice shaking. "We just wanted some of the healing tears from the fountain. Why couldn't you just leave us alone?"

Her voice was growing in volume. And strength.

"'Leave you alone'?" Garnet repeated, unable to fully believe what she was hearing. " Heh. It takes a Diamond to have the gall to accuse me of not leaving her alone."

"We just needed the tears!" Blue Diamond yelled at her. "We just needed to heal Lapis! We weren't going to hurt anyone!"

"Don't," Garnet cut in, a deadly sharp edge to her voice. "After all that you and the other Diamonds have done, do not claim you never meant to hurt anyone."

Blue Diamond got to her feet, giving Garnet a dark and cold look. "I hate you," she said, first a whisper but then louder. "I hate you. Crystal Gems, fusions, fountains… I hate all of you."

Garnet noticed sparks of bright blue electricity arcing off of and around Blue Diamond. Garnet prepared herself.

"Give me back Pearl and Lapis," Blue Diamond demanded, her eyes shining in the darkness, blue light spilling out from beneath her shirt. "Give them back to me."

Garnet said nothing, only readying herself. Sparks were forming around Blue Diamond. The air smelled of ozone. It was about to happen…

"Give them to me NOW!"

All at once, as a whole wave, the building electricity arched off of Blue Diamond and launched itself at Garnet. There was no room and no time for her to dodge. She put her arms up, covering her face, even though she knew it would do no good.

The wave washed over her and Garnet felt her knees buckle beneath her, barely able to catch herself before hitting the ground.

Garnet gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.

She hurt, all over. But not physical pain. This was a deep, hurtful, cutting pain that didn't attack her body, but her soul.

I͢ to҉o̵k͡ Sa̧pphir͠e a̸ẁay̡ fro͏m̢ he̕r͝ ̢s̴afe ̢l͡ife͜ o͡n̸ Hǫm͡e̴w̨o̢r̨ld.́ ̢She'͟s g͞oi͡ng ̴to̶ ̧be͜ ̀c͜r҉a̡c͠ḱed or ͝sh̸a̛t͠te̢r̵ed҉ o͟r͜ w͢o҉rs̷e͜ ͞a̡nd̴ ͠i̵t ̡will all͏ b͟e m̶y̸ ̡f́a̢ul̛t͡.

If̀ onl̀y ́mỳ͞ F̵ùtu͟ŕĕ V҉i̸sḭoṅ ͜h͢aḑ ̸b͠ëěn͠ b̢e̵ţt͟ër.̵ I c͡oů͞ld ̸hav̶e͞ ś́e̴ȩṉ̷ the͏ ̡Cor̕ȑ̢uptḯo̴ņ Bō͜mb ̵ańd t̸rî͢ed tó s̢a̢vê͢ ̀ėv́ȩ́r̢y̵ỏñ̨e, ͟raț̴hẹr҉ t͏h͟ěṉ͝ ̕let͞ ̸ṯhë͡ṁ͏ ̡ẗu͠r͏n ̕ỉnto ̢mon͝stēr̨s͘.̧

Garnet gripped her head, gripped her palms, gripped onto anything she could. She tried to ignore or block out the what she was feeling, but it was true. It was all true. She had failed, completely and utterly.

Į'm̡ ǰüsṫ ̕a ͢ṃ̕öns̕ẗ̛eŕ, ̵an̕d̶ ͞a̷b͢o͏ṃ̕iņat̷ioń.͘ ͡Ì sh̨öú͢ld ḩ̈àv͏e̢ ͝le͠ẗ́ Ḃ͜ḻ̵ue Dia̸mon͏d͝ ̵s̕h̀a͘tt̡eṛ̕ m͝è ̕an͝d j̕ùst̴ ͟lẻt̀ ̀ḯṭ̷ en̵d̵ ̶ther̴e

'No. That's not true. And you know that.'

'Yeah. We've fought with all we had, always to protect others.'

Ǐt's ̸t̀rū̡é̴-̡-͞ jų͟st̵ à̛ ̨mon̕śtë̷r̶, ͘j̕ůst̢ a ҉frę̕ak͏.̵ ͡I̵ g͟ȍt ̛ḛv̸er͞ỵò͝ne͜ ȅlşë̴ ̴sĥatṯȩrėd̶ ̀õr҉ ̶córr҉u̸p̕t҉e̛ḑ-͡- ̶mô͠ṅ͜ste͞ȑ̀ş,̸ j̨ųs̕t ҉liķè͟ më͟

'You are not a monster. You're my hero, Ruby. I love you. Completely.'

'And I love my Laughy-Sapphy with everything I've got.'

'And… Garnet— you are that love.'

'You're not a freak, or a monster or an abomination. You're made of love. And you're stronger then this.'

'So get up, Garnet. And finish this.'

"No!" Garnet shouted, slamming her fist on the ground and expelling a small energy wave from either of her gems. She had an electricity all of her own, and it burned around her, burning the blue lighting away. And all at once, she was out of her own mind and back at the Fountain, Blue Diamond beginning to cower as she got up.

"It's over," Garnet spoke heavily.

She lunged and grabbed Blue Diamond's arm. Blue Diamond pulled and flailed, trying to get away, but it was for nothing. Blue Diamond was weak, surprisingly weak. She tried to punch and push Garnet, and it did hurt, but compared to what she had just gone through, the punches were nothing.

In response, Garnet punched the flailing Diamond in the abdomen, causing her the keel over. The moment's vulnerability was all Garnet needed. The proud fusion picked the Diamond up, and, body and all, captured her in a red bubble.

Garnet didn't know why Blue Diamond was here. Didn't know why she'd had such a small guard, didn't know why she'd been so easily defeated, didn't know why she wore such a small form, didn't know why this body bled. But she intended to find out.

"Let me go, fusion! Let me go!"

Garnet held up the captured Diamond, screaming, banging ineffectively at the sides of the bubble, and smirked. "Got you."