Chapter 5: Garnet

After the battle that shattered Pearl's gem, Garnet was able to keep herself together until they got home-just barely. The whole team was silent. In Garnet's mind, Ruby and Sapphire had conflicting responses to the current situation.

Ruby was furious toward Homeworld for destroying Pearl. But then again, of course they did. She was everything Pearls shouldn't have been. But that was why the Crystal Gems needed her. Ruby was going to avenge Pearl, somehow. Even though she got really mad at Pearl that one time with the whole Sardonyx incident, she knew how important Pearl was to the Crystal Gems.

Sapphire was instead upset with herself, taking the blame for not having foreseen the oncoming tragedy. She understood Homeworld's actions, knowing they were angry with the Crystal Gems for continuing to fight against them. If there was anyone to be mad at, she told herself and Ruby, it was her. She could have seen this, she could have prevented it. She blamed only herself for her teammate's death.

As soon as the Gems arrived on the warp pad at the temple, the gems went to their rooms (except Peridot, who went into the bathroom because a) she didn't have a room and b) she liked it in there).

Once the door closed behind them Ruby and Sapphire unfused almost immediately, as if they were trying to keep the others from knowing.

"Sapphire it's not your fault! It's Homeworld's damn fault, if anyone's! You know the way they are! It's a bunch of shit, and Homeworld can go die, dammit!"

"Ruby, keep your voice down if you're going to swear like that!" Sapphire whispered between sobs. "What if Steven heard that kind of language? And anyway, I could have stopped all this from ever happening in the first place. If only I had seen that giant-"

"You didn't know what kind of weapons and armies they had! You couldn't have! We haven't been there in nearly six millennia!" Ruby shouted. Not because she was angry with Sapphire, but because she was urgently trying to get her point across.

"I know, but even right then and there, in the moment, we could have stopped-"

"No we couldn't. Remember? We were helping Peridot," Ruby quieted her voice and attempted to calm her girlfriend.

"Y-yes, we were. I'm... sorry, Ruby. I can't change the past. I should just... let our situation be what it is."

Ruby smiled, tears in her eyes, and hugged Sapphire. The two remained there in silence for a moment, then Sapphire began to cry again. "Ruby... I miss her...!"

Ruby's own voice trembled with tears. "I know, Sapphy. I know... I do too!"

-A FEW DAYS LATER-

Steven had spent awhile studying the thingy Rose had tried to make, but to no avail. He figured if anyone knew how it worked aside from Rose herself, it might have been Pearl.

He actually had to stop himself from trying to find her room, having temporarily forgotten she wouldn't be there.

He decided to go find Garnet's instead. When he got there, he found exactly two things. Two Gems. Lying on the floor, snuggled close together, both asleep.

In this confusing and sad point in his life Steven had not expected this. But he held back a giggle, pulled out his phone, and opened up the camera. So this is why I couldn't find Garnet the other day... Slowly, quietly, determined to make no sound in an effort not to wake the two sleeping Gems, he crept around Ruby and Sapphire and took a couple of very adorable photos.

Oh, dang it! he thought. The flash was on!

As he expected, they began to move around and their eyes slowly opened.

"Umm... Oh, hey Steven..." Ruby mumbled. "Wait, Steven?! Were you watching us?!"

"Not for too long, I swear!" He finally let out a laugh. "Actually, I came by to ask you about this. Apparently my mom made it. She wanted to heal corrupted Gems, I guess? I'm trying to fix it... do either of you know how it works?" He held out the small device.

"Oh! Remember, she showed us!" Ruby said, reaching out gently to hold the device. "She asked us if it would work."

"Yes, she did. And we said we didn't know if it would. There had never been an antidote for Gem corruption before..." Sapphire said.

"Can you show me how it was supposed to work? Maybe that'll help me try to fix it," Steven said. "Wishful thinking, I suppose, but you never know."

"That's a good idea, Steven." Ruby smiled.

"See this part here, that looks like a cup?" Sapphire began explaining. "Rose's healing tears were placed in here. The gem would be in this slot here- then you twist this cord around it, flip this switch, and ideally the tears would target the part of a Gem that got corrupted. But it was often hard to find that part of the gem, because each different type of Gem is a different shape, and each corruption takes place in a different part of that shape."

"Do... Do you think I can still use my healing powers?" Steven asked.

"Probably, if you really focus..." Sapphire said, looking into the future. "Plenty of Gems abilities are dependent on the focus and stability of the user's mind. I'm sure you can do it, Steven," she smiled at him.

"Yeah! Focus your spit, Steven!" Ruby grinned.

Steven laughed. "Thanks, guys!"

They smiled as they watched him leave. "Hey Sapphy?" Ruby said. "We should probably re-fuse soon, shouldn't we?"

"Yes," Sapphire responded. In a flash of light Garnet reappeared once again. She smiled to herself and thought, I wonder what Steven's doing with that device of Rose's.

Her question will be answered soon.

AN: In all honestly, Garnet is a really hard character for me to write. Ruby and Sapphire are easier for me, for some reason.

Who knows what Steven's doing with his mom's scrapped experiment?! Not you? Ok, good.

Next time: Peridot finally! (She felt very irrelevant last chapter, if you remember.)

~Pikminsanity