Morganite woke up. And she wept when she saw a small pile of her books, stacked in the corner of wherever she was. Her two clenched fists tried to bang craters into the walls, but the best she could do were small dents.

"Why am I still alive?! She's going to be in so much trouble for this!"

The door slid open.

"Morganite? Is everything okay?" The intruder looked around as though something had fallen over.

The champagne pink gem turned to look at her. "Who are you?" The tears still clouded up her vision.

"I'm Emerald. We're actually from the same family, but…I guess we never had a lot of reunions." She smiled for nothing. The pink gem's expression did not change. "You're safe in the bunk of my ship. We've been travelling for several days. It's just you and me here." Emerald took a few steps closer.

"Don't come near me!"

She paused, but didn't retreat and stood still in a balanced stance. Emerald glanced at the floor for a moment. "Can I sit next to you?"

Morganite pressed her lips together and attempted to regain her composure. "Sure. Fine."

Quietly, Emerald went and sat cross-legged just out of arm's reach. She didn't say any anything, just letting the background hum of the ship fill the room.

Morganite wiped the tears from her cheeks a final time. "I'm sorry I'm not all that friendly right now. To be honest, I'm not even supposed to be alive. Yellow Diamond sent someone very dear to me to take my life, but it looks as though she wasn't able to go through with it." She took in a heavy breath. "Can you tell me where we're going and how I got here?"

"You're on my ship per…Jasper's request. I'm a surveyor, and right now we're in hyperspace, so if there is anywhere you need to be, I can take you there."

"She gave me to you?"

"Well, it wasn't really voluntary on my part. You know how Jasper is…" The dark green gem watched Morganite carefully, but gently, as if she were looking at an earth rose in a frost.

But the ex-aristocrat started crying again and her counterpart moved closer, and with grave familiarity, laid a hand on her pink shoulder. And with an incredible greed, the heart-shaped gem stole Emerald into an embrace and held their bodies together. To Morganite, she was a healing balm to every part of her crusting-over emotional burns.

"I can't believe how genuine you are." Weeping. "Let me hold you for a minute."

Emerald drew her a little closer in response, linking her arms around the opposite gem and forming a warm, protective shield that she wished could stay with Morganite forever. "Of course."

Her pink chin pressed into the surveyor's shoulder pad. "I still can't believe all this. It's like a terrible dream. I wish I could go back and help Jasper—because she's going to be in so much trouble for letting me live—but if I set one foot on Homeworld again her sacrifice will be a total waste. They'd kill me in an instant."

They separated.

"I know Jasper didn't give you much of a choice, but thank you for taking me onto your ship."

"You are very welcome." After glancing around the room, Emerald looked back to Morganite. "I might be totally off base here, but it seemed like Jasper had the right plan for you in mind. She knew exactly who to take you to." Emerald's eyes glittered with an idea. "Maybe I can do more than just help you leave Homeworld. Have you ever heard of Earth?"

"Yes! The books I have with me are from there!"

"Perfect. That planet's warp pads were mysteriously broken the last time I heard. They weren't scheduled for repair because we need to investigate why the original ones were broken before we install new ones."

"I know what happened." Her conversation with Peridot came again into her mind, and how Jasper might be accompanying her as an escort, assuming she was still alive. "I think I'll be safe there."

"Then it's settled." Emerald tapped her guest's knee, once. "I'll punch in our destination for Earth."

"Thank you so much, Emerald. I don't have much with me, but as a token of my gratitude, would you like one of my books?"

"Are you sure? Jasper made it seem like they were really important to you."

"They are, but I want to at least give you something."

Emerald brushed some non-existent lint off her pencil skirt. "Well, if you really want to, that would be pretty neat."

Morganite managed a grin and picked up her collection, allowing the captain and soon to be sole resident of that ship to go through them.

"This is the best collection I've ever seen!" The dark green gem exclaimed over the handful of books. "Well, also the only one. Hey, this creature kind of looks like me." She held out a book with some kind of puffy, green animal with stick legs and a pointy nose on the cover. "Is this a good book?"

Morganite smiled. "I think it's good. It's really informative, so you should have it."

"Thanks very much." Emerald placed the book on her lap and laid both hands flat against it. "Um…Does it work? Nothing's happening."

"You have to open it and turn the pages." Morganite showed her with one of the volumes in her hands. "You read it top to bottom and left to right, usually."

"Oh! Silly me." She followed Morganite's instructions. "This is fun. Thank you." She looked back up again. "Do you think you'll like Earth?"

"I used to have a whole collection of things from Earth and other planets. At least some of it will be familiar."

Emerald nodded. "That's what I was hoping." Then she stood and tucked the book under one arm. "Let's go."

Morganite followed her to the control room, and either of those deep green hands dipped into the panel. After a few moments, the ship's hum scaled higher, then higher still. The familiar blue-white planet plunged into view, filling the window and lighting the two gems pale blue.

Emerald stayed where she was. "It looks like there is a lot…Hundreds of different land types down there." Her brows furrowed over the lines of data in her eyes. "Is there a place you like?"

"There's a smallish island in the continent called Asia, I think. Geographically, it's on numerous fault lines. I've always wanted to visit there."

"Asia…" The ship raced forward over a vast ocean, half in shadow. "Do you mean this island? With all the seismic activity?"

"Yes, that's the one."

Emerald pulled her hands away and looked at Morganite fully. "I'll take you down now, if you're ready."

"I am ready; thank you so much." The pink gem reached over and squeezed her hand for only a moment, sharing some of her emotions. "One day, I'm sure I can repay you with more than just an Earth book."

Emerald chuckled. "I'm sure you'll have a remarkable collection by then. But I think meeting again will be a reward itself."

Morganite, despite her heartache, grinned, and Emerald returned her smile while placing her hands in the ship console once more. The ship began to shake slightly as they entered the atmosphere. Slowly, the island filled the window, followed by a ribbon of pale brown sand. Their view clouded over as the humid salt spray of the ocean clung to the glass, and Morganite's own grand adventures on Earth began.