**Author's Note:

I apologize this chapter took me a bit longer to post. It's two/three times the usual length, but I didn't want to break things. It just felt right this way. Thanks to everyone for your comments and for reading. A special thanks to TheBlade17 and Mustangsarah10 for being loyal followers!

10. Tick, Tock

6 hours

Amethyst had a lot of bad days since Rose had gone away, but this one was near the top of the list.

In the past 24 hours, the short gem was trying to tally all of the ways she had royally messed up.

Let's see… I ate the rest of the pizza that was supposed to be saved for Steven, broke one of Vidalia's favorite easels, caused Garnet to split up, ended up losing Sapphire's gemstone at the bottom of the frickin' ocean, snapped at Pearl (literally – shark-style), lost track of Ruby and… Am I missing anything? Nope, that sounds right. That's me, Amethyst – your local screw up.

She was no longer swimming – she had come to the surface at least an hour ago – and had just come up to the shore of Mask Island. Sitting in the sand, the sun had already started to rise for the next day.

Man, how did everything go so wrong?

She felt a tug at her side and was surprised to find a little crab had crawled up to her still form, taking a keen interest in her right boot.

"Yeah bud, I don't think so." The crab had tried to claw at her heel, pincers no match for her rock hard form. She thought about pushing it away but decided not to.

Maybe it just wants someone to play with, like when I was just a feisty little loner, back at the Kindergarten.

Sitting there, Amethyst let out a groan and flopped backwards, staring into the sky as it began to brighten. Her tiny companion scurried backwards in fear, but ultimately came back, too captivated for its own good.

The fight that had driven the Crystal Gems apart was playing like a movie reel in her head, making her body feel like it weighed 1,000 pounds. The corrupted gem had been straight-forward enough, a big ugly thing with green spikes coming out of its mouth, opaque yellow eyes and a nasty underwater screech. The plan had been simple: Pearl would draw its attention by shooting beams and throwing some spears, Amethyst would wrestle it down to the surface with her whip and Garnet would go straight for the gemstone, pulling rather than punching. It was too difficult to get the normal force that a punch would pack in water, where everything felt slower and heavier, which had turned out to be their downfall.

Pearl had, of course, executed her role perfectly. Amethyst had been struggling, however, unable to get proper footing on the sea floor. In her rage, the purple gem tugged her whip too hard, sending the corrupted gem reeling upwards in pain as the spikey grip constricted around it. Amethyst felt her feet lift off the ground, her whip reacting to the sudden movement, and was flung directly into Garnet. Somehow, Garnet had managed to catch her and held her whip, trying to keep to the plan. But just as Amethyst had reached out to grab her whip from Garnets hands, the fusion's face confident face turned into one of fear as her body began to glow.

"Garnet?"

Completing forgetting her whip and the battle raging around them, Amethyst's arms went dead as she watched in horror as Ruby and Sapphire flew apart, drifting in opposite directions through the shifting waters. Ruby was holding the whip and Sapphire looked frantic, trying to get a sense of direction in the currents of the sea, reaching her hands out to Ruby.

The red gem looked furious, wrapped the ends of Amethyst's whip around her arm to secure it.

Sapphire tried to stop her, her fear paramount. "No, Ruby – we have to go!"

Ruby, hesitant to let go of the beast screeching and trashing below, reached a hand out to Sapphire so they could re-fuse. But at that point, the fight was a loss. The corrupted gem had thrown Pearl into the distance, the skilled fighter unable to hold it off on her own. Amethyst had completely let her guard down and just watched the madness unfold, drifting weightlessly away from the red and blue gems. As Ruby stretched her fingers further, trying to interlock them with Sapphire's own, the blue gem froze up and her hand fell. The temperature dropped around them and her face went blank, her future vision taking her attention away from the fight.

"Sapphy? C'mon! It'll be okay, just, just grab my hand – " But it was too late. The gem monster had used that opportunity to get the upper hand, coming hard at Ruby, the only one putting up a fight at this point. Skilled in combat, Ruby had prepared for this and quickly summoned her gauntlet and reared to strike. This creature was clever, however, and as the red gem reared her fist, the corrupted gem turned sharply and headed straight at Sapphire, who it determined to be the weakest link.

The two gems, one green and enraged and the other blue and elegant, flew downwards into the shifting sea floor. There was a massive poof as the two crashed, and bubbles and sand rose and clouded everything, tickling Amethyst's skin. At first she was about to laugh at the sensation and congratulate Sapphire on poofing a gem single-handedly, but the look on Ruby's face…

Amethyst leaned up in the sand, flaring in anger at the fresh memories. She looked out over the water, cursing herself for losing focus, for not being strong enough to hold the corrupted gem in the first place. The purple gem noted that the curious crustacean that had been her lone source of company had disappeared.

Ruby won't say it, but I know she blames me. I would, too. And what if Sapphire really is…gone?

The longer she sat stirring in her thoughts, the worse Amethyst felt. Garnet was so strong and level-headed, reassuring and confident. The fusion always knew what to do and what to say, and that made this whole thing that much harder. Amethyst had no idea what to do right now – continue searching hopelessly for Sapphire? Go find Pearl? Sit here and wait? The three split up hours ago and now she was alone, Ruby was alone, Pearl was alone, and Sapphire was alone, at the mercy of the sea below.

Standing up, the purple gem took no effort to brush herself off or untangle her hair. Having spent so long beneath the miserable water, the gritty sticky quality of the sand was a welcome relief. A reminder that she was real, alive, and here – but she didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted to go somewhere safe, where the water wouldn't hurt her and where she wouldn't be constantly reminded of her mistakes.

So as the small gem turned her back to the sea, a single tear fell into the sand, soon to be engulfed in the ocean with the coming of the tides.

12 Hours

Connie had read her survival handbook (a must when she went on exploration missions with Steven) front-to-back at least a dozen times. One of the cardinal rules was on the subject of missing persons.

In the event that someone in your group goes missing, it is important to act quickly. The first 48 hours immediately following an absence is the most likely timeframe in which you will find a lost or missing person unharmed. In particular, this rule applies to children under the age of 16. If you have electronic communication device with you, call 9-1-1 and notify police…

She didn't need to recall the rest of the passage, gritting her teeth and as she gathered a few things from the kitchen and stuffed them hastily into her training bag.

"Pearl, please, get up. I know you're… we are all worried. But we have to act quickly!" Connie had moved over to Pearl and rested a hand on the gem's shoulder, who sat numbly in front of the pile of dried blood that Connie dared not look at again. Blood had never made Connie feel ill, but this was a different case entirely.

Lapis had already been gone an hour at this point, and Connie was abundantly thankful for her headstrong behavior in spite of the circumstances. The blue gem, who had always seemed shy yet dignified to Connie, had become determined and her face a stone mask, revealing no emotion. When the girl and the gem had unlocked from their hug, they agreed that Lapis should go tell Peridot about what happened and wait at the barn, the only suitable meeting place given the Temple's condition, and Connie would wait for Pearl. The gem in question had shown up about 20 minutes after Lapis departed, and that twenty uncomfortable minutes felt like some of the longest in Connie's life.

She had started by going up to Steven's room, thinking as she sat on the edge of his bed that this space was the most appropriate place to wait, not wanting to disturb the scene below. But as she ran her fingers along the sheets, tracing the slight imprint left by his body, she found she couldn't stand to stay inside his house alone. The pain was still too raw in her chest and she couldn't break into tears again.

Instead, Connie turned to leave the beach house and stand outside, hoping the fresh air would give her some relief. So the human girl stood there in her training uniform, eyes scanning the breadth of her vision, searching for any sign of her teacher coming around a corner, or from above, or even from the sea…

Mercifully, Connie's reprieve had helped to calm her, the first 10 minutes passing uneventfully. Looking below at a sharp angle, her eyes eventually found something that made her stomach crawl. She saw a deep skid and something stuck in the sand. Bolting down the steps, Connie was surprised as she got closer that she hadn't noticed it before – the mangled remains of his cheeseburger backpack, half-buried in the sand, a few drops of red decorating the scene in quiet menace.

There was no other traces of life here beside the blood and the backpack, but it was enough to confirm Connie's suspicions.

The girl had been attempting to piece together what might have happened the night before while she waited for Pearl, trying to make sense of a senseless situation. She returned to her post on the porch and headed for her training bag. It almost dared to be funny, Connie thought numbly to herself, that she was so mad at Steven only a few hours ago and now... She placed the tattered reminder of him into her bag along with the shredded piece of his shirt and zipped the bag securely.

By Connie's best guess, Steven could not have been gone for more than 15 hours. It was now 11:45 AM, just shy of 12 hours from when Steven had texted her. There's no way he had texted her the moment he had disappeared, she figured, because he wouldn't have been able to type. He could have texted her after, if he was within range of a satellite, but he wouldn't have included "HOME" in the message. Furthermore, she had to consider the state of the house – there was obviously some sort of struggle. The people who took him did not just waltz in and grab him in his sleep, in which case he wouldn't have been able to text her at all. And then there was the matter of his room– it was conspicuously undisturbed, so whatever struggle happened was limited to the downstairs part of the house. Something about that didn't seem right, though – if Steven met them head on in the middle of the house, why hadn't he also called someone and left a voicemail? That would have recorded a lot more information, and he could have left it running when the fight broke out. No, Connie thought it was more likely that he had tried to hide in the main part of the house (possibly the kitchen?) and was found, then there was a fight that carried outside, and then… she didn't finish the thought.

Though there was no way to know for sure that Steven was… unharmed, to use the term from her book, Connie had a strong feeling that he was at least alive. If they had wanted to kill him, there would be a lot more blood and of, er, shards? That sounded right.

Connie shook her head, trying to stay focused. If she was right about her 15 hour timeline, they only had 33 hours until their odds of finding Steven would fall dramatically. She really needed Pearl's guidance on a plan, or some idea of who would have taken him, or why the Gems had been gone in the first place – just anything would be useful at this point.

Unfortunately, Pearl was being, well, useless. It pained Connie to think badly of her teacher, a courageous fighter who she deeply respected, but the usually confident gem had turned feeble, her hands grasped around a piece of Steven's t-shirt, much like the one Connie tad tucked away in her bag.

"Pearl, please… We don't have much time. We have to act quickly if we're going to find him." Connie tried to force some confidence into her voice, although she was pretty sure it wasn't convincing.

Pearl, to her surprise, acknowledged the human girl's warm hand on her shoulder and placed her own cold, slender one on top.

"I—I'm just – no, you're right…" The gem stood up.

Pearl's voice shook as she tried to wipe away the tears. "You're right, I just… he can't… he's my baby… I failed him… Rose, I'm sor—sorr—" Whatever little composure Pearl had gathered faltered when she said the words aloud and she broke into sobs again. Connie was aghast, wanting to be comforting and supportive but acutely aware of the ticking of the clock that could mean Steven's life.

Lapis and Peridot would be waiting for them both at the barn by now, Amethyst was god knows where, and something had happened to Garnet – an absence that did not go unnoticed by Connie. She had to try a different tactic if she ever hoped to get Pearl out of here and back to reality.

Grabbing the taller gem by both shoulders, Connie turned Pearl to face her directly, and thankfully Pearl did not protest. Her body was mostly limp, her head hung and tears streaming down her face.

"Pearl, listen. I know you are worried. I'm worried. And I'm not… I don't know you like Steven, but I know that you're the only one who can make this right. Whatever hell you went through in the war, the chaos, on the battlefield… that's what this is." She lifted a hand off her shoulder and turned to face the warp pad, motioning towards the ground. Pearl's crying had become sniffles but she still looked hopeless.

"But you survived. You protected everyone who mattered to you, with nothing but your strategy and a sword." Connie repeated her teacher's own words back to her, hoping they would have the intended impact.

"Now, we need a strategy to save him. Only you can do that. Please, Pearl… We have to go to the barn."

The two stood there for awhile after Connie's speech, to the point that the human had begun to feel awkward. She knows she probably stepped over so many lines, personal and in her teacher-student relationship, but she needs the self-assured, determined Pearl right now. Steven needs her.

24 Hours

Peridot, Pearl, Steven's human companion Connie, Amethyst and Lapis were now gathered at the barn. The sky had become that familiar blackness as it did at the end of every day on Earth, but Peridot was too busy to bother with time right now. She was standing on a stool next to Pearl, who was sitting very still with a dead look in her eyes. Though Peridot was proud of her invention, she had never hoped to use it so soon.

Peridot hadn't said very much since Lapis had arrived and told her what had happened, but she knew things must have been really bad from the blue gem's explanation. Her wide eyes, disheveled hair, and slumping shoulders did not match her voice, which was rushed. The green gem was certain there were details her counterpart had omitted, but she didn't press her for details. There was so much pain in her expression… all Peridot could do was nod along.

First, there was the waiting, which was excruciating. Lapis couldn't sit still, flying back and forth from the silo and the barn, constantly scanning the skies but saying very little after her initial explanation. Peridot had wanted to go to investigate herself, to do something useful, but Lapis refused to let her go. She grabbed the small gem's hand when she headed towards the warp pad, and she was surprised when Lapis pulled her into a soft hug. Not only did the blue gem tend to avoid physical contact, but surprised Peridot with a small whisper

"Please, just… I can't be alone right now." The green gem hugged her back, trying to show comfort, an expressive emotion she was still somewhat unfamiliar with.

Finally, Peridot untangled herself from the taller gem's arms, but kept a hold on one gentle blue hand. "Wow, thanks."

Eventually, Peridot returned to her technological works-in-progress, trying to make as many adjustments as she could without the Gems being present, putting each sensor through various tests and making adjustments. Since Lapis was here, Peridot started with fitting hers, which turned out to be rather complicated due to her gem placement and her water wings. Regardless, both gems were happy to have something to occupy their time while the sun moved through the across the sky.

Now, it was night again, and Peridot was writing down some numbers on her tablet as she measured the bandage she had temporarily placed around Pearl's.

Hmm, Pearl uses her gem to store items, which is something I hadn't accounted for. I will have to make adjustments… some kind of activation setting, whereas everyone else will have automatic responses…

Though the green gem did not speak except to weigh in when asked, there wasn't much conversation going around amongst the others. No one seemed comfortable, despite the many days spent working here together months ago, trying to prevent the destruction of Earth. This time things were different, tense, the absence of Garnet and Steven making it all the more obvious. The barn was Peridot's home, sure, but this wasn't just the barn now. This was a strategic location being used to plan not one, but two recovery missions, the latter of the two making Peridot extremely nervous.

Not only had she and Homeworld separated on bad terms (she was pretty sure calling Yellow Diamond a clod, to her face, was much worse than "bad terms") she wasn't fearful for her own safety. Steven had given her life again – a place to live, a barnmate, her pet, and a hundred other reasons to be thankful she stayed here. This place was her home, and she owed it all to him. The others were busy, fueling themselves with anger and determination, but Peridot's couldn't join on their enthusiasm. She was too aware of the way her stomach squirmed as she thought about Steven, alone, with Homeworld gems.

Sure, she had taken him once under a similar context (although, that was more of Jasper's doing – she had a different agenda). But Peridot wasn't like Jasper, hateful and aggressive, but she knew that the number of combatant gems far outnumbered the passive ones. She knew firsthand what gem technology was capable of, what sorts of sickening tactics they would do to even high-order gems who defied them. And Steven? He was an anomaly, a hybrid gem, who had all of the powers of a gem but all the weakness of a human. Not only would his existence be despised in theory, there was the entire other issue of his heritage, the offspring of Rose Quartz. If the Crystal Gems ever caught up with them… would he even be alive? And if he was, she couldn't imagine the trauma… Peridot suddenly became very preoccupied with the technology she was attaching to Pearl's physical form, trying to ignore the horrible train of thought.

Everyone else was trying to prepare, discussing where Lapis should strategically focus her hydrokinetic powers, and when they would meet up, what Connie should do in Beach City… They were all in agreement that finding Sapphire's gemstone should be a quick fix if Lapis and Amethyst worked together, trying to scout back to where they last saw her. If they were lucky, they could be back within a few hours, Sapphire and Ruby in tow (or perhaps they would be Garnet by then). If they had Garnet back, not only would her leadership be a relief to everyone, but her future vision is the key to finding Steven. He could be anywhere – in space, on Homeworld, back at the Zoo, on an unknown ship, even still on Earth, taken and being held somewhere far away.

"Peridot?"

She leapt, so lost in her thoughts she did not realize that the human Connie was speaking to her. She stumbled backwards off of the stool and landed gracelessly on her backside, causing Pumpkin to yelp at the sudden noise and leap into Lapis' arms. Everyone was silent for a moment, Pumpkin's soft growl the only thing disturbing the stillness, when Peridot started to laugh. She suspected it was because her nerves were wound so tightly, but once she started laughing, she couldn't stop. Then, Lapis started to laugh too, so hard that she snorted. Then Amethyst and Connie and even Pearl broke from her stasis, laughter filling the barn – they all realized that none of them had laughed since Steven had been gone. It was so refreshing, dispelling the horrible tension that had bound them for so many hours. The green gem laughed, laughed and laughed and laughed until she cried, and then there were tears, so many tears, happy and miserable and relieved and terrified but they felt good, so good to just let everything out.

48 hours

Many of them sat in silence, trying to sleep, but they were all very restless. To everyone's surprise, it was Peridot who suggested they try to settle down for the night – sleep if they were able, rest their bodies and their minds if not. At first many of them wanted to protest, but the green gem raised a hand.

"Working hard is important, but feeling good is important too. It's something Steven once told me. If we tire ourselves out… we might not perform at our best. And Steven needs us at our best."

No one argued after that. Connie slept in a sleeping bag that Mr. Unvierse let her borrow; Peridot offered her usual resting place on the second floor to Amethyst and Pearl, and the green gem and blue gem shared the hammock.

It was now the second day since he had been gone, and they had managed to find Sapphire and Ruby, but not Garnet. At first, everyone was so happy to see the little red gem that tears flowed and hugs were given but not returned. The red gem just cradled the blue one, looking at no one, eyes downcast as her partner rested against the red gem in her palm.

Greg had come earlier in the day with Connie, who had explained what was happening. By the time he arrived at the barn, the wetness from his eyes had gone and he had calmed significantly. He considered staying and trying to help, but the longer he lingered the more awkward he felt. The green gem, Peridot, was working with Pearl inside of the very same Ruby Ship that had brought him back to Earth not long ago. Amethyst and Lapis Lazuli were nowhere to be seen and Connie had walked off to call her parents. He knew enough about cars to fix a handful of problems, but this gem technology was way out of his league. Eventually, he called Pearl over and the two spoke briefly, exchanged a quick hug and he was on his way back to Beach City again. Greg had at least agreed to speak to the people around town, ask if anyone saw anything unusual that night or if anyone had heard from Steven.

For all of the confidence Connie had at the start of this crisis, it was quickly fading. She hadn't been sleeping well and ate only enough to stave off hunger, and it was starting to weigh on her. Part of her hoped silently, as she rested her eyes for another night, that Steven would try to come to her in a dream, but all of rests so far had been brief and unsatisfying. The window to find Steven was almost over, the 48th hour creeping upon them all like a predator in the night. Connie knew Peridot was right, that everyone needed rest to be at the top of their game, but it was difficult to stay still. Every second she was on Earth was another that Steven was gone, out there somewhere. She wondered if he missed her. Connie felt tears form under her lids and squeezed them tighter, not wanting anyone else to notice her moment of weakness. A few cries escaped her anyways, frustrated with her inability to control her emotions.

I wonder if he misses me too. Is it as hard for him as it is for me? Or what if all of this is for nothing and he's already dead by now? It's been 48 hours… A bit selfishly, Connie couldn't help but think of her own loss in this situation. It was not only losing Steven, but Stevonnie, too. The fusion had become a part of her identity, part of her existence. Now she hadn't only lost Steven, but a part of herself.

Amethyst was grateful Pearl agreed to share Peridot's sleeping space with her. Even though the purple gem had tried to act nonchalant, it was a huge relief to not be alone. Both gems missed their Temple rooms, and the last time they had slept in such close company was the night Steven "hosted" a slumber party. The purple gem was exhausted from the past few days – the battle, the beach, the Kindergarten, all of the crying – it was too much. She wanted to sleep and never wake up, but she knew she would have to eventually. At least the universe was beautiful up here, Amethyst thought as she gazed out towards nothingness. The horizon was scattered with a thousand stars shining in every color, each having so much meaning – greens, pinks, oranges, reds, blues, whites and purples, all shining vibrantly through the oppressive night sky.

She was about to roll over and ask Pearl something when she noticed a stream of light coming from the sleeping gem, projecting an image into the wall beside her. It was an projection of Pearl and Steven, but it looked like it must have been 10 years ago. Pearl had her old outfit, but the obvious part of the scene was Steven. He was so small, and Pearl was walking with him along the beach. She had to bend over nearly half of her height for Steven to hold her hand, which must have been uncomfortable for her, but the dream version of Pearl was all smiles. Steven was giggling as the water approached and washed over their toes. Then, the waves receded again, this time Pearl lifted him gently into the air before the water could reach him, and he absolutely burst with glee. Eventually, after several minutes of their teasing water game, Steven turned towards Pearl and reached his hands up, opening and closing his fist. Amethyst remembered when he would do that, the universal symbol for pick me up! Dream Pearl happily compiled, holding Steven close in her arms, and the two walked down the beach as the peaceful dream continued.

Watching something so personal made Amethyst feel sort of guilty, but she couldn't help herself. She felt a few tears slide down her cheeks, watching how peaceful the two were together, how happy Steven looked, pleased by the smallest things. Even though it wasn't her dream to imagine, this was much more refreshing to Amethyst than any sleep she could have hoped for, so instead, she watched Pearl's dream like an old movie, projected onto one side of their private space, feeling emotional and proud and a million other things all at the same time. She had felt helplessly worried about Steven and guilty about Sapphire and Garnet, but watching Pearl's dream unfold before her and knowing Sapphire was safe below (although not yet reformed) was so uplifting. Amethyst swore in the silence that she was going to bring Steven back to them, no matter what.

Ruby, the gem who perhaps needed rest the most, refused to sleep. She was furious with herself for letting this happen. Not only had someone hurt her Sapphire, but now Steven was gone. Garnet should have seen this coming, should have been more careful, shouldn't have left Steven alone… The grass nearby had already been sizzled away, so the dirt beneath Ruby just became red-hot as she sat there, fuming.

When she felt the waters pull away from her, she had been fearful at first. Had the corrupted gem, who gemstone had also never been recovered, come back to taunt her? Although Ruby was mighty, she was also small and alone. If she could just find Sapphire… But the water that shifted away from her had begun to change, the natural movement slowing and becoming still. Then, the red gem realized she was moving, moving up – up up and then she was above the water, but, no that wasn't right – she was still surrounded by water…

"Lapis? And – what? Amethyst?" Ruby was utterly confused at the sight of them, one floating and another flying nearby, a purple pelican, hovering over the water.

The red gem's confusion didn't last, however. "Wait, no, you can't make me come back! I have to find her – what if she's hurt down there? I need to…" and then the fatigue, emotions and hopelessness crashed into her all at once, her voice cracked along with her spirit. She started to cry, sob terribly as the tears rolled down into the water bubble that held her body afloat.

"Ruby, stop it, man. Just take a breath. Lapis is going to find her." The pelican spoke, trying to calm Ruby's angst. Again, Ruby was taken by surprise – she knew Lapis wasn't exactly an enemy anymore, but she never went out of her way to be kind, either.

That was all before. Before Lapis found Sapphire, buried deep in the sand beneath the ocean and her heart sang with joy, before she noticed the splintering crack that ran across her beautiful blue gemstone, before she cried and accidentally burned Amethyst as they retreated to the warp pad, before they reached Rose's fountain, before she felt the relief wash over her as the precious blue stone mended perfectly, before the others had told her why they had been acting strangely, before she tried to warp home and the Temple warp pad wouldn't activate, before she learned what happened to Steven…

That was before, and this is now. Ruby was tired, so tired, but she couldn't do anything alone. She needed Sapphire, and she could feel everyone's need of Garnet. She wasn't a leader, she wasn't anything without Sapphire, just another Ruby guard, who couldn't even protect the two things that mattered most to her.

72 hours

Now the Crystal Gems were really feeling the pressure. Connie had become undone after another dreamless night, anxious and distant the entire next day, pushing herself through training drills with watery clones provided by Lapis. The aquatic versions of herself provided a welcome challenge, an opportunity to take out her anger and frustration and they were a refreshing change of pace from holo-Pearls. Amethyst had taken the form of an owl and flew back to the Temple for the first time since they all came back together, tasked with collecting a few things that they were to need while stationed in the country: food and drink for Connie (and herself), a change of clothes for Steven if – no, when they find him, Pearl's favorite sword, a few things from her own room, and to check on Greg. Pearl had begun to help Peridot with her project, once the concept had been perfected, glad to be able to focus on something.

But all of that was that morning and barely took up their afternoon, and it was now night again. They were all running out of things to do, waiting for Sapphire to reform. None of them wanted to admit it, but they felt helpless without Garnet. They would never be able to scour the entire planet, nigh the universe, looking for Steven without her.

Pearl couldn't stop replaying horrifying images in her mind from the war. Public executions. Torturing gems for information. Shards, everywhere, no matter where she went. The terrifying renegade though she once was, Pearl felt a fraction of herself. Back then, she had Rose, and Rose would make sure everything was okay in the end. As long as she had Rose, she was ready to face anything. Now, she didn't have Rose, and she didn't even have Steven. His gentle smile, his forgiving nature, his infectious laugh, and those stars in his eyes…

She felt the emotions welling in her that usually triggered her tears, but she had no more tears to spare. Instead, her eyes just gazed lifelessly forward, re-living a life 5,000 years ago while her present self hardly existed.

The first hour had been the hardest. Connie had been trying so hard to get her to focus on the big picture. But all she could do was sob, her face in her hands, only looking up when Connie grabbed her and forced her to face her problems. From the moment she heard Connie on the phone that morning, Pearl knew something had been wrong. She had felt guilty all day for leaving Steven alone and now she was being punished for it – they took him. The others tried to reason with her that it could be anyone, even human kidnappers, but Pearl knew. It was Homeworld. This was her punishment for the rebellion, thousands of years later. They let her come to love freedom, fusion and her life, only to have the thing that made her life worth living stolen away from her.

The others were hurting as the hours dragged by, each occasionally leaving the group to grieve in private, but Pearl did not seek privacy cry because she found herself unable to even grip her own emotions. She was just finally getting what she deserved, after so many years of defiance – just a Pearl, put in her place.

It wasn't fair, though. She had done bad things – horrible, unforgivable things – but Steven was innocent. So, so innocent. He saw beauty in everything, kindness in everyone, and radiated happiness into the lives of those around him. And now, he was gone, because she had been too weak to protect him, too preoccupied with corrupted gems to make sure he was safe.

Pearl had shattered gems before, although the memories pained her. She never wanted to, but it was a war. She couldn't help but shudder when she saw the pained expressions of gems who were shattered while still in their physical form; the act of watching someone's consciousness split into a million pieces, tiny parts of their essence ripped away from the fibers that bound them into a single person. The way she had to drive a sword through chest, navel, forehead, arm, and leg for her cause, watching the life leave the eyes of dozens of gems…

Pearl was moving and talking and acting within her own reality, at the barn on the outskirts of Beach City, her gem intact, but she thought she understood the pain those gems had experienced now. Her gem had not broken, but her heart had been shattered.

So, when another day without her Steven came to an end and some of her companions worked through the night, she surprised herself with the urge to speak to Connie. The two had not spoken directly to each other since the first day in the Temple, and Pearl's zombie-like state brought her to the spot where Connie had established her sleeping bag. The girl had been working relentlessly all day, pushing herself harder and harder and harder against whatever Lapis would throw at her, and her behavior had not gone unnoticed by Pearl.

Oh, Connie…

Connie, who had been texting someone on her cell phone, was surprised when she realized Pearl was standing in front of her. Her teacher had been noticeably absent from the group – she was here, physically, but she wasn't really here. Her mind was elsewhere, but no one wanted to ask where.

"Ma'am?" Connie began to get to her feet as the graceful gem looked down at her.

Pearl raised a hand to stop her. "No, it's okay. I wanted to talk to you before you sleep."
Connie complied, going back into a sitting position but not withdrawing to her sleeping bag.

Pearl looked at the human girl, a pillar of resolve, beautiful and fierce and determined. It was beings like Connie that helped Pearl to understand why the Rose had felt the Earth was worth protecting. She had changed so much in the short time they've known each other and the teacher couldn't help but feel proud of her student. She smiled, the first time since the ridiculous laughter had swept her away days ago.

"Connie. I know you care for Steven… Maybe as much as I cared for Rose." The girls cheeks flushed with color, but Pearl continued.

"I just… I wanted to say thank you, for what you did for me the first day. You handled this better than any of us, and we're only a few thousand years older than you." Pearl let out a small chuckle at her own joked and sighed. Connie was beaming at the compliment, and that Pearl was acting a bit more herself, but remained silent.

"Whatever happens when Garnet comes back to us, I want you to know I'm proud of how much you've grown. A part of me is… ashamed of the way I've behaved," Connie looked like she wanted to say something, but she bit her lip, not wanting to interrupt.

"But in another way, I'm glad I did. Though it was irresponsible of me, it gave me a chance to step back and watch you masterfully handle such a horrible… situation. It has given me a chance to remember what it was like to fight for someone I loved. So... actually, that was all. I'll let you sleep now." Pearl was about to get up and walk away, but was surprised when Connie flung herself forward into her arms, squeezing the gem appreciatively. Pearl had not expected the sudden touch, so she didn't hug back, just received the warm embrace of the human child. It was not the same sort of hug she was used to from Steven, which were always soft and cuddly even since he was an infant, but the hug was warm and comforting all the same.

Connie began to pull back, a tear in her eye, and opened her mouth to say something, but she was stopped by a sudden scream.

"It's happening!She's reforming!"

There was a clatter of odd sounds and voices as the various gems and the single human clambered from their individual enclaves around the barn. They all stood and stared as the gemstone that Ruby had held so tightly floated, casting a cooling blue light in every direction, illuminating the rolling hills and the trees of the countryside. The light grew brighter and brighter until it started to take shape. Ruby was crying, tears of joy, and soon everyone was crying with her.

Sapphire, small, beautiful and wise, landed gently on the ground in front of them.