Warning: This chapter contains violence and abuse and may not be appropriate for younger children.
"Amethyst, I need to go to Mt. Agate and retrieve the fire crystal" Garnet had informed her, twelve years prior. "If I'm successful it won't erupt for another 100 years, and we can avoid another disaster. I'll need to go alone. In the meantime, there is a corrupted gem in the strawberry fields. It shouldn't be a problem, it's just a big beetle monster. Think you can handle it?"
"What about Steven?" Amethyst asked, hoping to spend more time playing with the newborn whom Greg had brought for a visit.
"I think it's best we allow Pearl some time with the baby. She's not dealing well with… the loss…and I think we need to give her a chance to get to know little Steven."
"Okay" Amethyst said, a little disappointed at having to leave her new friend, but also grinning at the opportunity to go on a solo mission. Garnet left the house and disappeared under the water, swimming to the nearby island where she would retrieve the crystal and prevent the destruction of its inhabitants. It was nice to be alone with her thoughts as she ventured toward the island. She thought of Rose, and how much she missed her. She couldn't believe her best friend and mentor was gone forever. She missed her smile, her kindness and understanding nature. She had never once judged Garnet for what she was, and was always there for her no matter what.
As Garnet went about her mission, Steven came her mind. She no longer had Rose, but she had him. She couldn't explain why she felt so affectionate toward him, so protective. After all, Rose was gone because of him. Despite all that, Garnet loved him deeply and inexplicably, and couldn't help but wonder if this is how Rose would have felt, if she had been human and able to be with him now. She hoped Pearl was enjoying her time with him while Greg left her to babysit, while he went to go to the store. Surely she would love him too, in time.
When Garnet arrived back at the temple she heard growling and the sound of Steven's cries. She ran as fast as she could and busted the door open trying to get to him. When she saw him he was screaming and surrounded by corrupted gems, who had taken a form similar to ravenous wolverines, but sickly orange with ugly deformed faces and frothing mouths. Garnet destroyed all of them within a matter of seconds and held the child close. Unfortunately, Pearl and Amethyst chose that exact moment to warp back into the kitchen.
Before Garnet could even blink, she had Pearl by the hair, screaming in her face. "Why did you leave him!" she growled, punching her in the stomach. Pearl let out a gasp.
"What are you talking about!?" Pearl struggled desperately. Garnet punched her harder in the face.
"You were supposed watch him! Gem monsters attacked the temple and you weren't here to protect him! Do you resent him so much that you want him gone, is that it?! I told you to stay here! You'd think even a worthless Pearl could follow simple orders!" she bellowed. She was practically crushing Pearl to death now and Amethyst stared up at the two older gems in shock and horror before running away as fast as she could go. All of Garnet's fear for Steven and the rage and crippling grief for her beloved mentor blinded her as she snarled "You will be broken for this!" She couldn't see that Pearl had simply thought he would be alright for just a while she helped Amethyst with her mission. In her mind, she had left him for dead out of spite. She raised both gauntlets and Pearl crumpled to the floor, broken, bloody, and terrified. She looked up at the gem whom she had trusted and been friends with for millennia with a look of utter shock and betrayal.
"G-Garnet…no!" She whispered, trembling. "P-p-please" It was all she could manage. She covered her head with her arms and just waited, completely helpless.
In the silence that followed, Steven's terrified squalls snapped Garnet back to reality. She looked at the tiny little boy and then back at Pearl, who was now a bloodied heap on the floor, was sobbing at her feet and still begging Garnet not to kill her, as if Garnet was a diamond and Pearl was yet again a common homeworld slave who had disobeyed her master. The weight of what just occurred begun to dawn on her and her face contorted into one of horror. "What have I done!?" Garnet thought, backing away. Garnet was the one that deserved to be shattered.
Garnet was back in the strawberry field now. She was sobbing uncontrollably, visors flung aside like trash. Since that time, Garnet had changed completely and had pushed the memory out of her mind. Now she realized she had never even mentioned the incident after it happened or apologized to either of them. She just wanted to forget. She was now, however, forced to face the consequences of what she'd done. Both of her teammates feared her, and Pearl probably sill blamed herself. Ever since then she had clung all the more tightly to the more powerful gem, desperate for her approval as if she was the one in need of forgiveness.
Garnet was absolutely disgusted with herself.
Author's note: Secret Team had me speculating about the gem's past and how the characters and relationships might have been vastly different at a different point in time. Based on Pearl and Amethyst's reactions in the episode, Garnet may have been a very different person at a certain point in her life. Also, while I chose to portray this "good guy" character as having bee abusive in the past and understandable reasons for doing what she did, I in no way mean to imply that abuse in any form is condonable. Ch. 3 coming soon.