And let's keep moving along. This is one of the few fics where I have a definite ending planned, so I kinda want to get to it. Hah. Fun times. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 5

Connie woke up first, despite her best efforts to sleep in. Having a regular schedule that she adhered to was great for her internal sleeping clock in the long run, but not so much when you were always the first to get up.

Being an early riser was not all it was cracked up to be when all your friends slept in.

She yawned, stretching her arms over her head before looking for her phone to check the time. As much as she'd like to get the day started, Connie didn't want to wake Steven up before she absolutely had to. If things were as normal, it was likely around eight which—

"Good morning, Ms. Connie," Sky said, surprising Connie enough that she dropped her phone. She turned quickly to see the other pearl sitting up brightly on the sleeping back they'd put out for her. She had both legs to the side, and her hands in the lap of her short skirt. "Did you sleep well?"

Sky stumbled slightly over the word "sleep" as she asked, and Connie pressed her lips together. Steven had mentioned that gems don't need sleep, and it was only natural that extended to Sky as well. That and she wasn't quite sure Steven had done a great job last night trying to convince Sky that she could sleep in the first place.

Pearl didn't like to sleep either, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that Sky proved resistant to it as well. Who knows how many hours she actually managed to sleep last night? Connie looked out the window and saw the sun up, and figured she must have woke up with the light.

"Yes, I did," Connie said. She smiled down at Steven, who was snoring softly with his hand thrown over his face. "It's a nice surprise to see someone who gets up before I do."

"Oh, I didn't sleep," Sky said. She adjusted her skirt over her knees, before placing her hands back in her lap. "I made an attempt, but it didn't work."

"That makes sense," Connie said, crossing her arms. She voiced her earlier deduction to let Sky know she wasn't alone. "I know that Pearl doesn't sleep from what Steven told me, and I don't think Garnet does either. But Amethyst does, so it was an—wait! Does that mean you were sitting there awake all night?"

"Yes?" Sky asked, tilting her head. "Is there something wrong?"

"What did you do all night?" Connie asked, looking around. Nothing seemed to have moved from when they bunked down last night, and even Sky's bedroll looked mostly unruffled. Like she hadn't moved. "You didn't sit there and watch us alone all night, did you?"

Sky continued to look confused. "Is that a problem?"

"I guess not," Connie said, shifting. She rubbed the back of her hair and pressed her lips together. "Weren't you bored though? Sitting there all night with nothing to do?"

"Of course not," Sky said, sitting up straight. An aura of pride fell over her, and Connie took mental notes. Sky almost looked coy as she tilted her shoulders one way and her head the other. "I'm a high class pearl you know. We could be needed at any point in time, so we have to be ready to go when we're called. However, our capable and wonderful masters don't need us all the time. That often means we spend many, many hours of the day waiting. I'm well used to sitting quietly and awake until I'm needed next without fidgeting."

"I see," Connie said. She glanced at Steven, still asleep under his roll. Well, if he wasn't going to get up, then Connie was going to take this opportunity to learn more. "What do you do when you're sitting there alone then? Think to yourself? Or do you have something to keep you busy?"

"Under normal circumstances, I'd spend my time recapping the day, or taking inventory of the things my master had trusted me to hold, or if we're visiting someone, I might have a chat with a fellow pearl," Sky said. "But if none of that is available, I might practice my singing quietly, or people watch."

"Well, like you said, you had a lot of practice," Connie said. "So you must be good at it."

"Thank you," Sky said, puffing up. "I've worked very hard to get this good."

"Is there anything else you'd like to do or try?" Connie asked. She crossed her legs under her and smiled. "Like, now that you've got the time and freedom? I know Pearl learned swordsmanship now that she's had the chance. Are there any hobbies that you like?"

Sky shook her head. "No. Not really."

"Ah," Connie said.

That wasn't quite the answer she had expected. All those nights in lessons and scheduled structure with her mom had left Connie with thousands of ideas of things she'd rather be doing. With as long as Sky had been alive, surely she'd thought of something else! Maybe? Either way, Sky had the opportunity now! And they mustn't waste it!

Connie sat up straighter in her seat. "At least now that you're on Earth, you can try a whole bunch of different things. I'm sure we'll find something you like, and that can keep you occupied."

"Hopefully not too much," Sky said. "I do hope to be a help to Mistress Sapphire as much as possible when I can."

Steven shuffled to the right, and Connie nudged him with her arm. It was about time for him to wake up anyway. That sleepyhead!

"I'm up, I'm up," Steven said, shoving his blanket off the bedroll. He stretched and rubbed his eyes. "Good morning, Connie. Good morning, Sky."

"Good morning, Steven," Sky said.

"You two been up long?" Steven asked.

"Not long, Steven. Sky and I have been chatting," Connie said. Sky turned and leaned out the barn window, and it distracted Connie from answering further. "Is something the matter, Sky?"

She turned back and touched her finger to her lip as if she was hesitant to ask a question. Connie waited patiently, and eventually Sky blurted, "Why are Miss Sapphire and Ruby still fused? Is there still danger?"

Steven and Connie joined Sky at the window and saw Garnet down below, walking the perimeter. She looked up, catching them all in the window and waved. Steven and Connie waved back obediently before.

"Garnet is always around," Steven clarified. "She likes being that way."

"Oh," Sky said, and Connie was sure she looked a little ill.

Peridot and Amethyst walked in on Steven and Connie doing their best to explain why Garnet was fused twenty-four seven.

It only took a second for Peridot to conclude they were failing miserably.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Sky said. The bratty pearl had taken to pacing on the other side of the room, her skirt swishing behind her around her legs. The agitated look was good on her, Peridot smirked to herself. Served her right. Sky held her hands out as she spoke. "Even if you take the, um, oddity of two different gems fusing together that is in this case, fusing is for emergencies and situations that require extra strength. Why would you stay fused long after the mission has ended?"

"She's not wrong you know," Peridot said, having already guessed the second she got upstairs what the conversation was about. If there was anything to gossip about around here that wasn't the engineer-fighting pearl or the mini-amethyst, the near permafusion was the next best bet. "It is odd. Even Amethyst and Pearl only formed Opal for as long as it took to move something."

"See!" Sky said, pointing at Peridot. The pearl looked more ruffled than ever and Peridot tried to hold in the snickering. "Even she agrees with me! I understand Mistress Sapphire and Ruby formed Garnet to fight the monster, but why are they still like that? When will I see Mistress Sapphire again?"

"Maybe not for a while, Sky," Connie said, carefully. Peridot held in the snort at the human's attempts to save the other pearl's feeling. And then immediately corrected herself. Peridot wasn't like that anymore. She huffed as Connie continued. "Ruby and Sapphire like being Garnet."

"Because they love each other," Steven said, joining the conversation. Peridot wondered if she should pull out the camping show and the relationship chart to help explain. That's how she got used to the permafusion anyway. Steven continued doing his best however. "Garnet said that they were a conversation and an experience!"

"They're still Sapphire and Ruby, Sky," Connie said, attempting to clarify for Steven. "You saw that yourself yesterday, didn't you?"

"I did," Sky said, shifting. "I did and I saw that she's in there, but it's not the same. You know? Garnet's a third person."

"Also true," Peridot said.

"You are not helping, Peri," Amethyst said under her breath at Peridot.

"What? I'm pointing out facts," Peridot said. She held her head up and put her Kindergarten Education to work. "Fused gems of two different types for an entirely new gem that has its own personality and mind. That's why normally in fusion, you stick to gems of the same type, to avoid that."

"I thought you got over this thing about Garnet?" Amethyst asked, glaring.

Peridot took a step back, straightening her back. "I have! Just because I've accepted her, doesn't mean I still can't think it's weird they prefer to be a third entity over their individual selves!"

"It is a weird day when I find myself agreeing with a Peridot," Sky said, sticking her cheek in her hand.

Peridot refused to comment.

Not that she had to. Steven, Connie, Amethyst and Sky all broke out into a new argument over the matter. Gossip, arguing. All the same. Peridot sighed and crossed her arms. What a day.

"I wonder what's keeping everyone," Pearl said, hands on her hips. They had sent Peridot and Amethyst up to fetch Steven, Connie and Sky about ten minutes ago, and they were still no shows. Garnet tried not to worry, but that was fine since Pearl was doing it enough for the both of them. "They normally don't sleep in this long, especially with Connie up there."

"I'm sure that they're fine."

"I wish I could believe that," Pearl said. She rubbed the side of her face and counted to ten under her breath. "I just know there's trouble. I can feel it."

Garnet didn't even bother to check future vision for this one to check whether Pearl was right or wrong in that assumption. She had a feeling that whatever was up there, would be difficult to deal with no matter what she saw. So Garnet should probably take care of things sooner than later.

"I'll go get them," Garnet said.

She entered the barn, heading for the stairs on the side that led up to the hay loft where everyone had set up their bunks. Garnet could already hear the voices coming down the stairwell and knew that wasn't a good sign. She made it to the top to find the whole lot of them bickering.

Over Garnet.

"I don't mind Miss Garnet, but I want to see Mistress Sapphire, too!" Sky shouted. She stomped her foot and huffed. Her hair was ruffled, and her hands clenched. It wasn't a good look for her, and almost surreal considering how calm and put together she normally was. "What is so wrong about that?"

"Because you're not thinking about how Garnet feels," Steven said. Ever the one to try and keep the peace, Garnet could see how the fight was taking a toll on him. At least Connie was there with him, a silent support. Steven was stern though, and Garnet couldn't be prouder. "And that means you're not thinking about Sapphire and Ruby. This is their choice, not yours."

Sky straightened her back, and Garnet stepped in before this could get any worse, or Steven had to strain himself further.

"I could have sworn you all were supposed to be working on the drill," Garnet said. The entire room jumped and turned to face her. Garnet crossed her arms and did her best "Mom" impression, as Steven had put it once. "The day's wasting away. Let's go."

"Come on, Peri," Amethyst said, grabbing Peridot and dragging her down the stairs.

Steven and Connie shifted in place, but a tilt of the head from Garnet sent them both downstairs as well, both looking out of place. That left Garnet alone with Sky.

"You're not in trouble," Garnet said immediately. Sky popped her head up, her bangs shifting just out of place to show off her monoeye. That was one of the few traits she'd picked up from decorating herself after Sapphire that she still kept automatically. Garnet fixed her bangs for her and sighed. "Everything is still very new to you here, isn't it?"

"I knew things would be different, but not this much, ma'am," Sky said. She grabbed her skirt, clutching the fabric under her fingers. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"I think if you took some time to learn more about Earth, that maybe you'd be able to better understand some of our own changes," Garnet said, but that thought was only from Sapphire.

Garnet held the side of her head and sucked in a breath. She should have known that when things came to Sky, Ruby and Sapphire wouldn't be on the same page. "It would be for the best."

The Ruby side made herself known, furthering Garnet's theory. "Or we could just help her out while finishing the drill. That's kind of important right now, too."

Garnet would not be the center of a fight today. Especially not with Sky watching her double conversation. She steeled herself and calmed down. It was hard to keep herself together when the parts of herself disagreed, but that didn't mean they had to break out into an argument. Ruby, Sapphire and Garnet were not fighting. Disagreeing was not fighting, Garnet told herself over and over.

There was a peaceful solution to this.

"Are you alright?" Sky asked, hesitantly.

When Garnet felt two different reactions, she decided to make the choice for them before they really did split for a fight. "I'm fine. I'll see you in a bit, Sky."

Garnet went to sleep for a while.

Sapphire brushed off her skirt as she and Ruby stood in the top of the barn. Sky looked happier than she had in the past few hours, smiling brightly at seeing her mistress again. Though she kept her tongue this tie, letting her excitement bubble under the surface.

Ruby stared at Sapphire and asked. "Why'd we unfuse?"

"I was thinking that you had a point," Sapphire said. She turned and took Ruby's hand, patting the gem on the underside of her palm. "The drill is very important, and we need to keep working on it."

"And that meant Garnet left because?"

"Because I also think it's important for Sky to learn about Earth, and this way we can do both," Sapphire said. This was the best idea. She and Sky could work their way toward getting her used to Garnet being around all the time by switching her exposure from Sapphire to Garnet back and forth more often. She'd normalize the two of them, and there wouldn't be any more problems. It would be perfect. "I'll take Sky into town, where she can learn and we'll be out of your way while you help with the drill. You're strong enough on your own to help with anything they need."

"Aren't you going to help?" Ruby asked.

"The half that was helping with the drill was all you, Ruby," Sapphire chuckled. She kissed the side of Ruby's cheek and grinned. "I'd just be getting in the way like this."

"But Garnet," Ruby said, almost sounding hurt.

Sapphire watched Ruby's worried expression and told herself to remain calm. This was a big step for them, as well as for Sky. It'd been far too long since they were apart for any reason that hadn't been a fight, or even been apart this long before. Maybe this tiny break would be good for them as well. If there were an emergency in the future and they were split up, it wouldn't help either of them if they couldn't function because they were apart.

"The best part about being two people Ruby, aside from getting to see each other of course, is that we can be in two different places at the same time," Sapphire said. She squeezed Ruby's hands and smiled softly to reassure her. "We're going into town, not across the country. It'll be fine."

"If you say so," Ruby huffed. She looked at Sky and put her hands on her hips. "You better watch out for her while you're in town."

"Of course!" Sky said, the pride dripping from her voice. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and nodded. "I wouldn't even think of doing anything otherwise."

"Good," Ruby said. "Then I guess, I guess I'll see you later."

"You will, Ruby," Sapphire said. She pecked Ruby on the side of her lip and turned to take Sky's hand. "Come on, let's get to town before it gets too late in the day and everything is closed."

"Yes, Mistress Sapphire!"

Sky followed Sapphire as she headed toward the main road, as she reached the fence, Sapphire turned and waved at Ruby who was still watching them from the entrance of the barn. She looked sad, but Sapphire reminded herself why she was doing this.

This was for Sky. This was for her. This was for Ruby.

Things would work out.