Lion was sitting up; cleansing its fur of Steven's spit. While it was busy grooming its fur, Steven was sitting down by Cornelian. He was gushing over how she was one of the commanding officers for Rose's army. Steven told her how she was mentioned to him. He didn't mention anything about Pearl or any of the Crystal Gems, though. He didn't want to risk it. He instead went on a tangent of asking her question after question. He wanted to know what it was like to lead a group that helped the army.
Cornelian could answer every question. The big gem seemed to be enjoying Steven's company even though she just met him. Cornelian returned the favor by asking Steven what his life was like. Steven's stories about his friends caught her interest. Though she found it weird he didn't mention any gems, she paid it no mind.
Cornelian also told her share of stories. She told him how she knew Rose Quartz well and how Rose was sweet. She told him how she looked up to Rose as a leader and how she taught her to be a great leader herself.
"From what I knew, yer mother was great, Steven." Cornelian said. "I may not have been as close to her as those Crystal Gems were, but..." A frown started to appear on her face. "I should'a known she wouldn't do this to us…" The big gem sighed and rested her head on her hands.
Steven put his hand on her, trying to comfort Cornelian the best he could. He could see how bad she felt and wanted to make her better. He tried to give her a reassuring smile. The larger gem took notice and gave a small chuckle in return. She found him cute, having a heart of gold just like his mom. It wasn't long before silence filled the air. Lion was lying on the sand while Cornelian and Steven observed their surroundings.
The large gem finally broke the silence by standing up and stretching a bit. "We should probably get you back t' where you came from." The young boy stood up and stretched too, as if mimicking her.
They both walked over to the Warp Pad, only to find it was still broken. "Oops," was all she could mutter.
Steven looked at the cracked Warp Pad, wishing Peridot's Flask Robonoids were here. He then started to think. What if he could heal more than just flesh and blood? Steven licked his hand, making sure to get as much spit on it as possible. It was quite difficult due to his mouth becoming dry from the desert's heat. He started to wipe the spit all over the broken Warp Pad. Cornelian watched in disgust and awe as the cracks started to shrink.
"I'm going to need a lot of healing spit." Steven said. He continued to lick his hand and rub the cracks. Each time he did so, the cracks would grow smaller by just a hair. It surprised Steven a bit that it was working. It also made Steven happy, knowing the events here made his powers work again. He just hoped it would last longer than last time.
It took almost thirty minutes before the Warp Pad was finally repaired. It still had some minor scratches left, but Steven fixed it enough for it to work again. Steven went and got Lion, bringing him over to the Warp Pad. The two stood upon the platform. The boy was about to warp them back home when a thought ran across his mind. He looked up at Cornelian and asked, "Are you coming along?"
The tall gem shrugged a bit, stepping onto the large Warp Pad. "Might as well. I don't intend on livin' in Australia." Steven smiled, even chuckling a bit.
He spread his arms out to the side and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. This was a larger Warp Pad than usual, so it took a bit more power for him to work it. He managed to activate it. A white light appeared, engulfing all three of them.
###
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were floating mid-warp. Garnet had halted their warping process to give Pearl time to think. The tall, slender gem was trying to recall where Peridot escaped to. She remembered how she had landed in what appeared to be a forest-like area.
"I think she landed in some type of forest!" Pearl said. She started to describe which forest Peridot might've landed in. Garnet resumed their warp and sent them to a forest like Pearl described.
Amethyst was impatient, recalling it took Pearl an hour to remember. When she had tried to ask Garnet to use Future Vision to see where Peridot was, she refused. She said she wanted Pearl to do it on her own but never explained why. Amethyst thought she was just trying to mess with her. She was relieved when they finally reached solid ground.
Garnet decided to take the lead once again, motioning for the other two to follow her. Soon they were walking through the forest, being as silent as possible. Their goal was to find Peridot, get some answers, then bubble her. The forest was quite silent. The only noises were the occasional rustling of tree branches and tweets of birds.
Garnet spoke quietly, trying not to attract any unwanted attention. "We need to split up and look for her. The more area we cover on our own, the more likely we'll find her." Amethyst and Pearl nodded simultaneously. The tall gem summoned three wrist bands. "These are communicator watches. You should know what to do with them." Garnet handed the other two the communicators, putting her own on her wrist. No one got a chance to say anything before Garnet walked off into the forest.
Amethyst put her communicator on, running into the forest as well, leaving Pearl there. Alone. She felt a bit anxious for some reason. Her heart was starting to race as her face became moist. Something about this place… This forest… It made her worrisome. The tall gem shook her head, trying not to worry about it. She was here to find Peridot; nothing more. Pearl snapped the communicator onto her wrist and then began to walk. She was alone to fend for herself against whatever may attack her. What if Peridot had built an armed Robonoid? What if she got attacked by a strong gem creature?
Pearl's mind wandered as she began to walk forward, avoiding anything in her path. She gave off a subtle smile. She wanted to think they left her alone because they believed in her... Because they knew she could beat anything that came her way. Pearl wanted to believe it. She wanted to think positive thoughts, especially now. Pearl endured emotional trauma from recent events, including yesterday. She wanted to keep her mind off her fragileness. She wanted to forget how weak she was without Rose.
Her mind drifted a bit as she started to recall events that occurred years ago. So many years ago that human technology was far more primitive than it was now. She remembered how the war against Home World was full of destruction and death.
It was all so grim to her. So many gems; lost. Even if she didn't care much for humans, she still felt a hint of guilt. Somehow humans had gotten killed in the midst of the war. The battlefield was huge. The war spread for miles. It wouldn't surprise her if some of the mortars had overshot and hit humans. Her thoughts started to stray from the grim memories. She started to think of the one thing that made her happy: Rose Quartz.
She remembered how Rose would train certain gems. Some of them would become her second-hand. The others would lead the three divisions outside the Crystal Gems.
Pearl gave off a short chuckle. She recalled how, when no one was training, Rose would try to bring light to the war. She would make some jokes and try to lift spirits. Pearl remembered how she would make Pearl the butt of her jokes. She found it amusing. The slim gem never really got the purpose of jokes. She just thought they were blatant lies to amuse others, but she didn't care. If Pearl called jokes 'lies', then Rose's lies were her favorite.
The sense of charm Rose would put into her jokes made Pearl smile. It wasn't just her jokes that lifted Pearl's spirits, though. It was also Rose's determination; how she was willing to do anything to help her cause. Rose loved everyone, both humans and the gems that helped her. It made Pearl's heart warm up... Just thinking of her; remembering the good times.
###
It was dawn. All the gems were resting inside their bunkers except for three. General Rose stood outside and watched her pupils train. They were Colonel Garnet and Brigadier General Pearl. These three gems ran a group that managed the entire army. The group was well known as 'The Crystal Gems'.
Rose looked pleased as she watched them work hard. Their goal was to become stronger before the enemy. A smile grew on Rose's face as she watched their commitment.
Bursts of reds and yellows engulfed the Training Grounds, making the perfect scene. The beautiful view of two gems training within the glory of dawn.
Garnet practiced her coordination, persistently punching down wooden dummies that would appear at random. Pearl tested her accuracy, stabbing at random dummies and launching her spear at targets. She would often get a bull's eye.
They eventually finished their early morning training session, dismissing their weapons. They hadn't realized Rose was there watching. They both jumped when they heard Rose Quartz clapping her hands. "Wonderful!" She cheered.
Garnet grew a small smile while Pearl face became flushed. They both bowed, proud of their performance in front of their mentor. Neither of them said 'Thank you'. They had their own way of thanking Rose for her gratitude.
The sun was now starting to climb the sky, blue washing away the red. The two gems walked up the steps and went to stand by Rose. They always watched the sunrise together.
Rose knew gems didn't need liquids or foods, and so did everyone else. Despite this knowledge, she knew how they would enjoy indulging in man-made drinks. They didn't start doing this from the beginning, though. Throughout the many years they trained together preparing for war, man had evolved rapidly. It was only a few years ago when they made non-water liquids.
They were starting to make a place for everyone to hang out in when they weren't training. It was to be a place like a human saloon. The third division of the army sent gems out to go and retrieve liquids from humans. The gems would return a few weeks later with rum and beer. They would always bring the drinks in large quantities to last for years.
It didn't take long for them to finish the saloon. Every gem sat around the tables and conversed with each other. Others went to the bartender to order drinks. Every night they would do this, giving everyone a chance to rest from training. Even with the relaxation of the saloon, no one had as much fun as they did without Rose Quartz.
Every night Rose stepped onto a small stage in the center of the room and began to make jokes. Pearl always leaned by the door, holding her hands together with her fingers interlocked. She listened intently as Rose entertained the entire saloon. Rose's jokes usually consisted of wordplay and her teasing her comrades, especially Pearl.
This was the time of night the slim gem would always wait for. It was always so relaxing to listen to Rose's soft yet enthusiastic voice. It always let Pearl wind down a bit before and after training.
Rose looked at the crowd, having told a few jokes so far. It was the prime of the night and it was time to get things rolling. She gave off a wide smile before glancing over at Pearl. "Some might say Brigadier General Pearl looks like a bird," she started." Who wouldn't think that with that nose?" The crowd gave off laughs and cheers, just as they always did. It was fortunate they knew they were just jokes. Otherwise they would tease Pearl to no end.
Pearl covered her mouth a bit to hide her smile. She had to admit, she did look like a bird sometimes. She gave off a short chuckle, finding it impossible to hide it. The slim gem then continued to stand there. Pearl watched as Rose told more jokes, keeping the entire saloon laughing all night.
At some point Garnet walked up to Pearl and stood by her, giving her some company. The slim gem noticed and glanced at her. "Hello Garnet…" She said, looking back towards the stage. She kept her voice low.
"I noticed you standing here alone every night. You've been doing this ever since we started the saloon." The taller gem seemed a bit concerned. "Is something wrong?" She spoke quietly so no one would eavesdrop.
Pearl nodded, her face warming up a bit. "Yeah… I'm fine. I'm just watching from afar." Garnet nodded in response, turning to watch Rose as well.
They both just sat there, watching Rose as she continued with her nightly entertainment. She finished an hour or two later, going to sit back down and talk with some of her comrades. Garnet and Pearl finally walked outside, ready to start training.
###
Pearl was basking in her memories when a sudden rustle in the bushes caught her attention. Her thoughts were interrupted. She looked around, panicked. She summoned her spear in defense. She was sweating profoundly. She was becoming stressed. Darks thoughts were flooding Pearls head. They told her she should run. They told her she shouldn't be here. But she didn't listen to them. Pearl stayed there, despite her better judgment. She wanted to be brave.
"Come out!" The gem demanded, spear in hand.
The only response that came to her was the rustling of the bushes. Knowing this wasn't Peridot, Pearl went into a defensive stance. Her eyes followed the bushes as the predator rummaged through them.
This went on for a few moments before the noises stopped. Relief flushed over Pearl. She thought the predator had left when out of the blue; a sudden orange blur hit her. The collision caused her to fall over and drop her spear, dazing her for a few seconds.
Pearl shook her head to regain some of her composure. After blinking a bit and regaining focus, her eyes widened. She looked at what was sitting on her chest, holding her down. Pearl gasped, immediately recognizing who it was.
"Dragon's Eye!"