24. What Divides Us
"That liar!" Amethyst was yelling, and though the Gems were able to maintain their gravity, nothing else did, and soon everything was thrown into chaos. Human possessions, new and old, began to spill everywhere and fly into all of them. It was madness, the deafening alarm and flashing red light, junk bumping into everyone as they began to push away from the base, the vessel jerking and sputtering from inactivity, thrusting them all around violently as it set a course for Earth.
Many of them were yelling in confusion, and Garnet formed both gauntlets and pounded on the door angrily, trying to break free before they had gone too far.
Pearl was screaming at her, tugging on one of her arms with both of her own. "Garnet, stop! Connie will die!"
Realization flashed on the Garnet's face – it was true, all of the oxygen would be sucked out of the pod if she broke through – and her expression was quickly replaced by shame before the ship jerked again, flinging her backwards and throwing more crates around the airless trap. Connie had grabbed Steven's shirt before the madness started, clinging it to her chest as she was slammed randomly into objects, floating through the cacophony of sights and sounds, bumped with each crescendo and pushed backwards in each quarter rest. A shooting star, the cargo pod sped across the galaxy – a cold grey on the outside, flaring red and combusting and collapsing within. It was, in a word, chaos.
Amethyst had been able to latch onto Peridot in the activity, screaming at her over the madness. "Peridot! Can't you do something! Rig it or something?" The green gem was already a step ahead of her, feeling around for a loose panel, but it was difficult through the vacillating space. There wasn't much room to move around, which worked to their disadvantage, constantly being bumped and shoved as more belongings flooded the space outwards and upwards with each erratic jerk of their tiny ship.
Madly, Garnet and Pearl tried to hold down as many boxes as they could while Amethyst and Peridot ripped up panels, careful not to create any holes. Lapis was floating with her water wings, cradling Connie and knocking away junk as it floated towards them. They couldn't be moving very fast without a gravity engine, but resource pods are designed for speed so it was impossible to know how close or far they had moved away from Pink Diamond's base.
Mercifully, Amethyst found the shut off for the alarm, but the light still flashed red. It was at least quiet enough that they could think again, relief washing over them.
"It's got to be – in this generation of – yes, here we go. Yes! I found it! Hold on."
And they did, hoping that whatever Peridot was about to do didn't make things worse. They held their breath while her little fingers worked at wires and plucked at microchips. Then, with a crash, all of the worldly objects smashed into the ground. Connie was the only Earthly thing still afloat, safe in the protection of Lapis' arms.
"Way to go, Peri!" Amethyst ran up and offered her a high-five, but the green gem did not return it. She may have been able to restore gravity, but it was obvious that she was raddled by what had just happened. Her usually green face was shadowed in the same wicked red that flooded the room. The space had grown darker, bathing them all in a flat crimson that made everyone look they had been washed in blood.
The others came to the same understanding as Amethyst slowly lowered her hand. They were on a five-thousand year old cargo pod headed for Earth – they had only just left a few hours ago.
Pearl closed her eyes and took a steadying breath before speaking. "One thing at a time. Is anyone hurt?"
The gems and Connie inspected themselves, thankfully unharmed with the exception of two bruises on Connie's arm. She was still gripping Steven's shirt, but her hold felt a little more desperate now.
Pearl spoke again, her war experience taking charge. "Peridot, can you at least get us to stop moving?"
"I… might be able to. These older models were usually designed for one-way routed travel – it was faster that way. They were intended to make a delivery, then someone would need to re-route it manually to send it back. I could certainly stop it, but I would have to totally disconnect the navigation from the engine. And if I do that…"
She didn't finish the thought, everyone else hearing the words unspoken: we'll be stuck here.
Amethyst sank to the ground, crossed-legged and seething with annoyance. They needed things to work out now more than ever, and this was just a disaster.
Steven… She leaned her head back against a box, wondering what he was doing right now.
The others joined Amethyst on the ground, the air stinging with defeat. All of them knew the longer they waited, the less likely it would be that they would reach him.
Lapis broke the stillness, her face thoughtful. "Why don't we just… go back to the base? One of us could bubble Connie and carry her. It would be faster than this."
Garnet frowned, thinking, considering the possibilities. None of them looked good, unfortunately. "It's too risky. Bubbles are fragile, one tiny mistake could cost Connie her life."
They all fell quiet again, trying to deny reality. Did it really come to keeping Connie alive or going back for Steven? That was a cruel play from fate.
Peridot joined the conversation tersely, all her former confidence gone. "Well… we could send Connie back to Earth. Bubbles are fragile when carried, but if they were transported… But it would be dangerous from this distance, if not foolish."
Connie felt a little hurt, but she realized that it was her keeping them here. She knew Steven was more important, so if that's what it took, she would do it.
Naturally, they turned to Garnet again, who had removed her visor in exasperation. She did not speak, trying to focus, thinking…
"It wouldn't work. Connie would not… make it back safely." The euphemism was wasted, everyone understanding what she meant. The human girl had grown very pale, and was shivering.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Connie." Pearl stood and started looking around in the mess of belongings and boxes for something that could keep her warm, a blanket or comfort in this celestial scarlet of nightmares. There had been enough residual heat from the Zoo to keep her okay for now, but the longer they sat here the more dangerous the conditions would become. She ended up using Greg's shirt as a blanket, making a mental note to thank him if they got back to Earth.
Amethyst's annoyance was budding into anger now. "Well, we can't just sit here, we need to make a decision. The longer we wait, the further we're getting from the base and the closer to Earth. Are we going to stop, or not?"
And she was right, there were no windows – the pod wasn't exactly intended for passengers – so it was impossible for them to know how far they've traveled. They all just glanced around at each other, faces dark, confronted with an impossible choice.
What can we even do? All of us get stranded out here, or head back to Earth? Connie will die, and without the navigation we might never make it back to Earth; or, Connie will live if we go back, but we don't have any other way to get to Homeworld. Steven…
"Why don't we…" Pearl began, but she stopped halfway through the thought. "No, no, that wouldn't…" and trailed off again. The others were eager at any prospect that might preclude either of those options, so they encouraged her to continue.
She bit her lip, looking nervously from Peridot to Connie to Lapis. "Well… we could try to meet in the middle – I mean, literally. Connie may not be safe out there in space if we tried to carry her, but what if we split up? Lapis, with your speed and flight capabilities, you could reach the ship faster than if we all tried to go. And, Peridot, you are the only one who could navigate the ship back to us. If you went together, you could make it back to the Ruby Ship unhindered, while we would stay here and keep Connie safe in a bubble."
They were tense while Garnet considered it. "It… could work. I won't lie, our odds aren't very good. This isn't like when Steven got lost in space – he can control his bubble from inside. Ours could pop very easily by comparison. And, even if you are a straight shot from our current location – it would take a little over four hours for you both to get there. And then you would have to come back and find us." The fusion was measuring the barnmates both very seriously as she went on, not prepared to risk Connie's life if she wasn't certain they were up to the task.
They had been holding hands, squeezing as Garnet addressed them. They shared a responsibility to protect Steven, and if this was their only option, then they were prepared to face it. Lapis pressed her mouth into a hard line and nodded for the both of them.
Pearl interjected then. "This is… all well and good. But, the one most at risk here is Connie."
She stood up and moved next to her student, taking the girl's wrapped hand in her own cold one. It was a gentle touch, a bond between student and teacher that had blossomed into mutual respect and friendship.
She looked at the human girl seriously. "Do you understand what this would mean, Connie? If something goes wrong, we," she indicated the other gems sitting around them. "Will all survive. This is a choice only you can make." Her voice rang with finality.
Before Connie could reply, Garnet added to the already tense conversation. "It will be dangerous. Even if everything goes well, I don't think you'll have enough oxygen to survive for more than six hours."
The girl was shivering, but not from fear. She had agreed to do whatever it took to save him, and if this was the cost, then she accepted the possibility of dying out here. In her mind, she could hear Steven's voice from Pearl's dream.
I…love her, Pearl, I wish I could have told her. But I don't want to hurt her anymore.
She had to do this for him.
After the decision had been made, they sprang into action fairly quickly. With a nod of confidence, the others let Peridot work her magic. It didn't take the gem long for the ship to jolt one final time, then they were floating along an uninterrupted path through the vacuum of space, inertia a concept lost to the stars. Amethyst and Pearl were doing their best to coach Connie on what to expect, how little or how much to move, what differences to consider from being in a bubble on Earth. Garnet was moving the boxes, filled with possessions sadly stripped from their owners in millennia past, to a pile in front of the door. She did keep Steven and Greg's belongings, asking Pearl to store them in gem, but everything else went in the pile.
Peridot and Lapis were feeling the most pressure out of anyone, the pair quiet and focused. Lapis had to kneel to be on Peridot's level, but they were looking at each other fiercely.
The blue gem whispered to her, voice full of fire. "We can do this. It'll just be me and you, like at the barn."
Peridot returned her intensity, leaning her head forward, resting her gem gently against the blue one's forehead and closing her eyes. "Of course we can do this. We're Percy and Pierre."
Face turning a pretty shade of purple as she blushed under the red light, Lapis closed her eyes and smiled.
"Well… are we ready?" It was Garnet, her voice even. Connie was standing next to her, frowning but her eyes were sparkling under the red light. Pearl and Amethyst flanked them, faces determined, and so Lapis turned to offer Peridot to climb on her back. She accepted, and they stood next to the door. It was time to part ways.
Garnet bent down gently and placed her hands, gauntlets and all, on the human girl's shoulders. She was wearing Steven's shirt over her training gear, and she gripped Greg's shirt-made-blanket in one hand. In the frigid temperature of space, she was going to need all the extra layers she could afford, even if the bubble would seal in some heat.
"Alright, Connie. Just try to breathe steadily. Regular inhales and exhales, and let us know if something is wrong. Are you ready?" She said nothing, giving Garnet a single firm nod.
Her hands dropped softly away from Connie's shoulders, and in a fluid motion, the girl was surrounded by a sparkling purple orb under the red light, refracting the hue in a sparkling, pretty way. Garnet held her aloft in one hand and handed her to Pearl – she was going to need both hands for her next task.
"Alright, stand back." Her voice did not leave room for questions.
In typical Garnet fashion, she began to pound against the door in an awesome demonstration of force. The crunching of metal under her mighty fists made them wince, but it was also an inspiring sight. Finally – it may be a simple action, but it felt like they were doing something. The plan was shaky at best, but they hadn't given up. The Crystal Gems were notorious for defying the odds, and that was not about to stop. What image more aptly portrayed that than Garnet doing one of the things Garnet does best – smashing her way through whatever stood in their way.
In an abrupt shift, all of the air within the pod was sucked out, a vacuum ripping away everything that had been sealed inside until the pressure had evened out. Amethyst had carefully shapeshifted across the back of the pod into a large net, letting the air escape while she secured Connie from being blasted into space.
Then, Peridot and Lapis were off, following the directions Garnet had given them. The four of them watched the gems take flight, blue and green, until they were swallowed by the blackness. The success of this mission – Connie's life, Steven's life, and the fate of the Crystal Gems – was in their hands now.
Pearl and Amethyst took turns holding Connie, playing the longest game of the-floor-is-lava ever, except in the space version, literally-everything-is-lava; they couldn't risk her floating into the metal floor, ceiling, or walls of the pod.
To Connie, it sort of reminded her of the weightless and mystifying experience of traveling in a warp stream, but there was no solid ground on which she would comfortably land. Instead, she hovered, looking out into the blackness as Garnet stood looking into space with her arms crossed. So far, she had not said anything about Lapis and Peridot, which the others took to be a good sign.
It was surprisingly restful while they waited, the Crystal Gems and Connie floating through space. If Connie's life force wasn't literally slipping away by the minute, they all might have even enjoyed themselves. Soft red light spilling out into a galaxy of darkness, speckled with shimmering flecks of color as far as their vision could see. Garnet would go between sitting on the top of the pod, scanning both present and future for threats, or standing in the doorway to block any potential space debris from floating inwards. She had not totally destroyed the door, though it was a sad sight to behold. The latch bonding it to the cargo hold had been partially ripped away by the force of the air pressure change, invisible hands pulling all of the contents of the pod away, into space. The initial resistance had splintered it from the ship, and now the protective piece of metal hung there uselessly.
Pearl suggested trying to put it back for another layer of protection from anything outside, but Garnet was hesitant. The metal was badly warped, and there were several possibilities where sharp pieces might unlodge and float inwards rather than outwards. This way, they could at least watch the cosmos go by, Garnet acting as guard from any foreseeable threats.
During one of those stoic meditations, the fusion studying the stars in search of answers of Homeworld, she gasped. A sound broke the stillness of the universe, surprisingly close and shockingly familiar. Amethyst had been so startled she nearly dropped Connie, which made them all jump, but she managed to catch her with a well-timed stretch of her arms.
Connie's heart was beating loudly from the sudden scare, but she was trying hard to listen along with the others. What was that, where was it coming from? It was… close…
"…shhcrk….nonessential shhcrk gems must shrrk…Diamond…"
Garnet stepped carefully off of the edge of their private balcony, lifting herself up on the top of the pod, straining her ears... There. It was the outside of the door, buzzing weakly to life, the same screen Danburite had used to seal them away having managed to survive their bumpy departure. She carefully reached out and grabbed it, noticing that it was sparking lightly, damaged but not broken. Bringing it gently into the pod, the others were staring at it as an image of Yellow Diamond's Pearl sneered down at them, cutting out randomly, trying to tell them something.
Pearl, for her part, had begun to tremble – she recognized this style of dispatch, even after thousands of years. Yellow Pearl was standing at the main access channel for Homeworld communications. It was a… message.
The four of them stared at it, deadpanned as she cracked in and out of view. What was she trying to say? Was this targeted at them specifically, or was this going out across all screens, everywhere?
Garnet stood in the doorway, facing the others, watching the message from the translucency of the screen on the other side. Her brow was furrowed, trying to understand, thinking, searching…
Connie was having the most difficult time of them all, her vision and hearing obstructed by Garnet's bubble. Amethyst had turned her head to speak to Pearl, holding Connie securely yet delicately in enlarged purple hands. "P, you don't think you could try to, like, fix it?"
Her voice hadn't been hopeful, and Pearl shook her head slowly, her face concentrated on the screen. "No, no… I can operate these things, but I don't have the tools nor the expertise to repair them externally…"
They were all quiet for some time after that, picking up bits and pieces as Yellow Pearl's voice and image struggled through the damaged gem tech. They were able to collectively agree on the repetition of certain words: mandatory, Diamond, public, essential, and true. Everything else was interrupted, words almost rising to the surface only to pop they could fully form.
Their frustration was evident, but it was especially present for Garnet. She still couldn't see, but she could tell something was changing. She could see Steven sitting, and then him on his knees, both times he looked very, very sad. She could see something with Blue Diamond, and the vision was washed with fear but no clarity, and there was a gem in her hand at some point. She couldn't tell if it was friend, or foe, or how it got –
She was interrupted from her thoughts when a passing asteroid smacked her painfully in the back of the head. Between the unexpected force, surprise and distraction, Garnet was flung forward into the pod, catching herself instinctively on her hands and knees only inches from the others. That was an unfortunate use of reflexes, however, as her notable strength and weight came down hard on the base of the small pod, spinning them dangerously on the inside of the pod, pulled around by centripetal force. The screen flew into a wall and was smashed entirely, while the Gems spilled downwards and backwards as they twirled madly like a ride at Funland.
Disoriented by both her sight and her vision, Garnet failed to even notice the rush of purple that sped past her head, out the entrance and into space. The fusion slammed a fist in the opposite direction, trying to stabilize their motion, but it was too late. None of them saw which way the bubble went, or heard Connie scream as she was thrust into the void.
/
Both of them were aware of how strangely intimate this moment was, but neither of them chose to acknowledge it out loud. After all, they had at least another hour before they would reach Pink Diamond's base.
Not wanting to be a distraction, Peridot stayed quiet while Lapis focused on guiding them through space. Resigned to sitting with just her thoughts, the small gem couldn't help but linger on that warm moment they had shared before leaving the others. It almost, she almost, felt like Lapis understood her better than anyone, even better than Steven. She wanted to say something about it, or freeze time there for just a bit longer so she could relive the feeling, but there were higher order things going on – the Crystal Gems needed them both right now. Despite her best efforts, Peridot still felt her face grow warm when her mind would wander, remembering the feeling of Lapis' cold skin pressed gently against the gem on her forehead. Peridot was glad to be positioned on the blue gem's back; from here, Lapis could not see her blush.
Comparatively, Lapis was having an even harder time staying focused. Her arms were linked around Peridot's short legs and she could feel small green hands secured around her shoulders. It was like a reverse hug, and she typically did not let others fly with her like this besides Steven. Peridot was pressed up against her gemstone, the physical contact making her… uncomfortable? No, not that exactly. It was… nervous. She was trying not to seem twitchy by keeping her eyes forward and focused on Garnet's directions, but it was difficult with her so close. They had occasionally held hands as a comfort from time to time… this was different.
Then, there was the matter of the universe itself, devastatingly beautiful as it unfolded before them, stretching onto infinity beyond their vision. They passed stars, planets, moons, asteroids and comets as they continued flying back towards Pink Diamond's base, and it was a striking sight. Lapis had traveled through space like this before, but never with company. Never like this, with someone who watched these same stars with her on Earth on clear nights; with someone to ask what pattern they could see strung between the dots of the cosmos; with someone who she trusted and cared about.
So for a majority of the trip, even though it was hours long, they spoke very little. It was still nice, despite some lingering tension, because no matter how confused and nervous they felt, Lapis and Peridot were together. The blue gem smiled, remembering the kind words Peridot had said to her as they stood above the ocean only days ago.
I just want you to realize how important you are. To me. Because of you, I don't have to measure my life anymore by time, but by worth…I was bad, and you were good. Now we can be good, too.
We. We. Lapis liked it, but she realized the thought had made her blush. Flustered, Lapis cleared her throat awkwardly in the silence. Considering gems don't need to breath, even she realized that was conspicuous, but Peridot said nothing. She seemed to be focused on something else, lost in thought.
A few minutes later, Peridot asked her a question in an even tone. "Why do you Danburite did that?"
Lapis had not really given the idea much thought, so she was silent for a moment, thinking.
"I… don't know. I guess I assumed it was because she is loyal to Blue Diamond, but, now that I think about it…" she trailed off, the green gem picking up for her.
"Yes, I noticed, too. That doesn't make sense, why would she have offered to bring us back to the Ruby Ship, to return home? I… think she's like us, Lapis."
Lapis stared ahead, processing her words. "Just another gem who made bad choices, trying to do the right thing."
Peridot squeezed her arms a little tighter around the blue gem's shoulders in agreement, but said nothing.
More time passed, the two of them thinking about Steven, the universe, Homeworld, the barn, each other… It was scary, but it was nice.
In due time, Pink Diamond's base glimmered ever so slightly in the darkness. Peridot noticed it first, pointing a hand over Lapis' shoulder.
"There – I see it. The base."
She was right, and thanks to Garnet's instructions, they had made it perfectly on time. But as they came closer, something didn't seem right. They… something else was getting closer?
Lapis halted, straightening and floating while they were still a ways off, squinting.
"Is that…?"
Peridot's voice was weak. "A Hand Ship."
Even more frightening, Peridot recognized this one, too. It belonged to Yellow Diamond, a military class vessel with all the bells and whistles.
They neared the ship carefully, flying above rather than straight at it to avoid detection. By the time it was well within sight, the pair watched in horror as it docked right where they intended to go. Too large to enter the ship entirely, a green connecting tunnel extended from one outstretched finger, leading soldiers directly into the docking area, right in front of the Ruby Ship.
/
"Connie!" Garnet managed to stabilize the pod, but the damage had been done. Amethyst and Pearl were a tangled mess from the sudden movement, and the girl was gone, shot outwards at some point into the blackness around them. She focused very, very hard, all of her energy going into where they would find Connie and – there. Garnet could see it, but it was alarming and there wasn't much time.
"She's out here, this way! Connie, hold on!" Garnet jumped relentlessly after the girl, barely visible in the bubble as she shot away from them into the darkness. Unlike Lapis, none of the Crystal Gems could easily navigate their way through space, left to use gravity to stand or to glide – there was no in between.
No, it can't – I shouldn't have, why didn't I see it? Connie, just hold on, I'm almost there…
But it was hard to feel motivated as she tried to fling herself off of rocks and space debris towards the girl, knowing that they were both headed directly into the path of an asteroid belt.
Then, there was the other issue of the future cracking her concentration. She could finally see now, whatever had bound Homeworld in a haze had mostly cleared, and the message from the Yellow Pearl rang threateningly in her mind. She was torn, future and present, the fusion divided in their focus. Steven… Connie…
Two children, and she had failed them both. It was a terrible feeling, shooting after the girl despite what she saw, desperate to intervene, to stop it, and she was almost there…
Pure force on her side, Garnet had been almost able to catch up, the asteroids and the girl coming into sight as she launched herself off of debris and rocks that floated through space, her acceleration able to make pace with Connie's velocity.
"Garnet!" Connie's voice was muffled and disoriented, but she could see the fusion rocketing after her as she spun, amazed that she hadn't popped yet, about to mark herself as lucky when she saw the panic etched into Garnet's face. Turning her head, Connie clutched her legs and arms together and took in a deep breath, prepared to smash into an asteroid. It was inches away, rotating towards her, almost there, so close…
And then space itself seemed to explode into white light. Connie thought she had died, the vacant atmosphere stealing the oxygen from her lungs, but she was able to peak through her eyes. It was dark, but there were a million streaks of white light zooming past her, narrowly avoiding her bubble. She took in a huge gulp of air in relief and in celebration of her life. She lived.
How…?
Garnet caught up with her, taking her bubble gently into her hands, before Connie could even begin to process what had happened. Blinking up at her, Connie noticed the fusion's visor cracked from being thrown around the pod.
"Garnet… what? How? Thank you!" Connie's heart was fit to burst, pumping hard with adrenaline.
The fusion said nothing, but she cradled the bubble very carefully as she took off her visor completely. The girl was shocked to see a tear welling at one of her eyes, quickly brushed away by the back of her hand.
"Wah – ? I'm okay, Garnet! You saved me – let's just, hurry, back to the pod." Connie shivered as she wrapped the extra layers around her a bit tighter and the pair turned around.
Covering her mouth with her hands, a gasp escaped her lips. It made sense now – the white light, the precision, the fear in Garnet's face. She wasn't able to catch up with her in time, she was going to be too late. Garnet had not saved her, but the figure who was leaping towards them. Connie could only image this, she, was Opal.
She was everything Steven had told her and more, tall and beautiful, long hair and even longer limbs. In one hand was a beautiful, shining bow that glowed with energy, another waved kindly towards her, while the other two helped her to stay balanced as she bounded towards them. She was… amazing. Her every action was the embodiment of grace; her face the image of opulence. Connie was just staring at her, in total awe as the towering, lilac vision approached them both, smiling gently.
"Connie – so sorry we let you slip away. Let's go back?" Even her voice was a delicate melody.
Before Connie could answer, Garnet felt the need to intervene. "I… Connie, I'm so sorry. I was so focused on the future, I lost track of the present. I should never have put you in harm's way. I can't even…" Connie was surprised, never having heard Garnet like this before. The fusion usually flourished with confidence– and now, her visor removed, her eyes were a mark of pain and disappointment.
"What – no, Garnet, don't be ridiculous! You are being too hard on yourself," she gave her a weak smile as her heart rate had almost returned to normal. "Nobody is perfect, and you've got the weight of… well, Homeworld on your shoulders. Let's just go back, for now. Peridot and Lapis could be here soon."
Garnet smiled appreciatively at the human girl's words and replaced her visor, but her heart was still heavy as Opal led them back towards the pod.
/
"Okay, are you sure you're ready?" Peridot was nervous, hoping Lapis would act as a rock to steady her right now. They had agreed on a plan – in space, without terraforming, Lapis wasn't much of a fighter, and Peridot's powers were too finicky to rely on offensively, so they were going to use speed and surprise to their advantage. If they could fly in just as the loading connection was removed, before the doors closed, Peridot would quickly open the latch to the Ruby Ship while Lapis flew around as a distraction. If they were lucky, the majority of the military presence should be just Quartz soldiers, who specialized in hand-to-hand combat and would be unable to reach her. They just needed a distraction long enough for her to get the door open, and they could speed away before the soldiers even had a chance to realize what was up from down.
And thankfully, Lapis was ready. She had been waiting for this chance, just a taste of what she intended to do when she got to Homeworld, when she found Holly Blue Agate…
Lapis had been so focused that she didn't realize Peridot was leaning forward, over her shoulder until she turned to give her a nod. They were so close their noses were almost touching; surprised, they both giggled, a moment of welcome relief before they descended upon the enemy. Lapis blushed just the tiniest bit, giving Peridot the nod she had intended, and then flew downwards to the loading area.
And they moved not a moment too soon, either, because as they crept closer the Hand Ship attachment depressurized, indicating that it disconnected from the base. Wordless, Peridot squeezed one of the blue arms locked around her leg, indicating it was time. Go.
The pair made their entrance, Peridot ducked her head low so as not to hit into anything, and Lapis gracefully swooped close to the ground near the Ruby Ship. Immediately, a mixture of confused shouting and pointing fingers began to ignite around the room, but the pair did not give them any mind. There was a commotion as Lapis leapt in and out of their reach, coming just close enough to keep their attention but vaulting upwards like a wave, tranquil and mesmerizing, only to crash downwards again with frightening speed. She was the ocean, beautiful and unpredictable, snaking through their fingers as they tried to cup her in their hands.
Peridot, on the ground, estimated there were at least forty soldiers, which she knew to be the size of a single battalion, and she had been right earlier – most of them were Quartz soldiers, although no Jaspers, Carnelians or Amethysts (the "Famethyst") as they had been told to expect at the Zoo. From what she could tell, most of them were Citrine – similar to Carnelians, but they were usually colored yellowish orange
Wasting no time, the green gem began to unlock the doors of the Ruby Ship, an easy feat for her; she's opened these doors at least dozen times by now. She bolted up the steps as fast as her legs could take her and yelled up to her barnie in a familiar way.
"Lapis! Now!" In a flash, the blue gem flew at the green one, propelling them both backwards into the Ruby Ship. Unfortunately, she flew a little too forcefully, and as a result, they both went flying backwards into the ship, Lapis knocked off kilter and smashing into a wall, while Peridot went sprawling in the other direction. By the time they had both regained their bearings, they had both been seized by Citrines and a lone Ametrine, the commanding presence in the force.
Lapis didn't like being touched by almost anyone, and she especially did not like the way two soldiers were roughly gripping her arms, holding her in place. She could not fly, could not move, she was stuck, trapped, a prisoner…
No, no, I can't do this again, I can't get trapped again. No, no, no… I won't. I won't let it happen.
Peridot watched in horror as her companion started to become undone, recognizing the panic and fear in her face. This was her fault, she had to do something, stop them, but there was no use. She was tiny, a limbless Peridot, as good as useless on her own.
"Lapis! I'm sorry!" She felt a tear well at her eye, but it was knocked away when a rough fist made contact with her face, cracking her visor. The Ametrine had an awful sneer on her face, obviously unimpressed.
"This is supposed to be the mighty Crystal Gem force we heard so much about? Where's your fusion leader? This is just pathetic," she added a kick to Peridot's stomach for good measure, Lapis horrified as they hurt her.
"Stop it! Don't touch her!"
Another soldier, one of the Citrine, grabbed her cheeks between one large hand. "Oh, what, are you going to use your tears to drown me? Don't make me laugh."
"Take them out." It was the Ametrine's command, the barnmates being dragged as they were removed from the Ruby Ship. As a precautionary measure, the commander summoned her weapon – a large battle-axe, at least twice the size of Peridot – and smashed the control panel. Peridot felt like she was watching a murder as she was dragged away from their only hope.
Lapis was being pulled backwards, away from her, and a circle of laughing and mocking Citrine had begun to form, taunting them. The blue gem was struggling in their grasp, refusing to let this happen again, desperate, yelling and shouting as they dragged them apart.
"What is this?" A voice echoed loudly in the room, a pretty white gem appearing in the door that had once framed Holly Blue Agate in a similar, disapproving way.
Behind her own visor, Danburite's eyes went wide with recognition. How – why did they come back?
"Danburite – these are the traitors we were sent here to recover. But there are supposed to be more of them, there are others, a fusion, a Pearl, a – " Danburite raised a hand to silence the Ametrine, still staring at the pair in front of her.
Why did they come back? Do they really think they can stop the Diamonds? He's… as good as dead, they have to realize that.
There was silence as she studied them, thinking, but… did she dare? Could she?
Eventually, she spoke, her voice sharp. "You are mistaken, Ametrine. These are two of my own, they aid me in tending to the humans. Unhand them, immediately."
"B- but it was said that a Lapis Lazuli and –"
Impressively stern for such a graceful gem, she cut the other gem off. "Did I stutter?"
Reluctantly, Ametrine looked between the blue and green gem, but this was almost entirely Danburite's operation with Holly Blue Agate back on Homeworld. She couldn't disobey an order, so she nodded at the Citrines to release them.
"Peridot!"
"Lapis!" It was practically in unison, the two flying towards each other, Lapis falling to her knees and hugging her tightly. Peridot was holding her, resting her broken visor on Lapis' shoulder. In a frantic whisper, she began apologizing, so relieved they hadn't hurt Lapis.
"I'm so, so sorry Lapis. This was a stupid plan, and I – "
"Shh… Do you trust me?" Lapis was still holding her close, the onlookers obviously uncomfortable by the display of affection. The green gem just gave the tiniest nod.
"Danburite, please – you're certain these are…?" The white gem had backed up into the hallway, her heart and mind conflicted. Well, if there was one thing Danburite knew she could do, it was seal people away when they wanted answers. With a sigh, she typed a command into the panel at the door causing it to latch shut, denying entry of the battalion to the rest of the Zoo, hoping that her intervention had been enough for the others to escape, but not to become a target herself.
"Now." While the soldiers were distracted, several running and banging on the door, Lapis shot up to a standing position, dragging Peridot by the hand as she twirled herself around the green gem in a graceful pirouette. She leaned against Peridot gently with one arm, a ballerina's pose, before scooping her up and launching her into the air with a spin. Then, water wings springing to life, she flew up and caught Peridot in a blinding turquoise light.
The crowd of soldiers below were stunned, blinking in the sudden brightness that exploded into the room. Lustrous, aglow with a striking Aegean light, Blue Prehnite hovered elegantly in the air above them. She blinked several times, four eyes behind a butterfly-shaped visor, and looked down to inspect herself. Her hair was large and delicate, pointed backwards in soft waves of turquoise and powder blue; a single set of long legs and pale teal arms extended downwards, accentuated by a fitted garment that stopped at her shoulders and a flowing aquamarine skirt that was cut through the center to reveal lined leggings underneath. The typical curvature of Lapis' water wings had vanished as well, replaced by sharp, thin lines of water that extended outwards into icy tips, closely resembling the wings of a dragonfly; these, she could tell, were much, much faster.
Prehnite felt … powerful, and confident, and amazed by herself. Did Lapis plan this? Did Peridot want this? Was Lapis okay with it now, or did she want to stop? A million questions flashed through her collective mind, but as she flexed their thin teal fingers, she realized that her dominate emotion was relief. She was pretty sure Garnet had talked to Peridot about this once, but her combined power made her feel so self-assured, every fiber of her being bound by… trust.
"Whoa." Her voice was a pitched like Peridot, but disinterested like Lapis; it made her giggle in surprise.
"…So, you were looking for a fusion, right?" Prehnite laughed, enjoying the fear that crept into the faces below, most if not all never having seen a cross-fusion before. They looked magnificently terrified, and with good reason.
Raising both of her hands in concentration, she gripped the air with a new, unfamiliar intensity. The movement felt natural, but foreign; old, yet fresh. Then, the battalion exploded into a chaotic mess of sounds and movements, all of it colored by anger and fear.
Prehnite watched the soldiers try to spring into action, bemused as the scene exploded with activity. She easily ascended higher to avoid any attacks that were even close to reaching her. Even flying felt refreshing – she was a model of precision, zooming around the room with ease.
For what it's worth, she could not blame the reinforcements for the terror in their faces. She would be scared, too – one moment, you're triumphant, and the next, the floor itself had become alive. Metallic hands grew from the beneath their feet, grabbing at the ankles of eighty legs, as if an army of artificial fusions had spawned from the very steel that supported them. But these hands were not mindless like an artificial fusion – they were a powerful, unyielding execution of her will. Forget terraforming – she could manipulate metal – they snickered again, satisfied with their discovery.
It was thrilling for Prehnite, but for those below, it was absolute terror. The hands pulled hard, digging like sharpened daggers into each and every soldier unlucky enough to be caught in their grasp – many fell over, some screamed in pain, others started to stab and kick at her creations. Pleased as the mayhem, the fusion turned her attention back to the mission objective, a frown on her face.
The Ruby Ship is… ruined. Hmm. Another plan, perhaps?
Twirling through the air, the turquoise gem decided to make a new tool, an improved trinket. Surely they could do better than manipulate just the floor – the entire ship was metal, after all. Scratching her chin thoughtfully, ignoring the agonizing screams below, Prehnite flew over towards the door that sealed them away from the Hand Ship. A smile creeped up to her lips as a strategy nestled in her brain.
Tensing her hands again, Prehnite's face was focused as a deafening, grinding sound filled the room – the sound of metal being ripped apart. She dragged a hand across the air, a mass of alloy following her movements in a swirling, beautiful ball of color. It was as if the steel had been super-heated to neither a liquid nor a solid, but a form that begged potential, the possibilities endless. Focusing, she twisted the steel that had once sealed them in and made a massive hand of her own. A mighty, colossal, heavy palm with plated fingers, pointed and dangerously jagged.
"G'Bye, clods."
With a grand sweeping motion of her arm, the molded steel swiped across the floor, palm facing her targets, smashing through the entire battalion. A colorful cloud of smoke rose to meet them, tickling her face as she floated gently above, watching her creation at work. the room. The massive hand carried the gems with that same force until it stopped, hitting the opposite wall, but there was no loud impact, no damaged gems. The moment the hand was reunited with a shared source of metal, it simply melded into the wall on contact, relaxing seamlessly back into its natural form.
Landing gently on her toes, Prehnite blinked several times as she bent to examine the impressive collection of Quartz littering the ground, collected in a neat pile against the wall that absorbed the hand. Wow, she was… they were… something else.
"Should I… are you okay?" She was hesitant, careful. She didn't want her to hurt herself.
"…Yes. I'm okay." She took a calm, steady breath, closing all of her eyes.
"We're okay."
/
For what felt like a long time, Garnet held Connie in the cargo pod, the two surprisingly calm given all that just happened. Garnet was trying to forgive herself for earlier – it was irresponsible and, ironically, short-sighted to let herself be consumed by the future, and this was a nice bonding moment for the two of them. Most of their time… before all of this, had been spent only when Connie was a part of Stevonnie, so this felt nice – just the two of them. Well, and Opal. The giant woman had pulled a large hunk of rock towards them with a familiar purple whip and had made it her personal floating seat, sitting defensively just in front of the opening of the pod. She was having her own private moment, so she felt disconnected from the human and the other fusion.
She didn't get to be herself very often anymore, the halves of her whole sometimes out of sync and always busy, always worried, always self-conscious. She hadn't been herself since before everything with the Cluster, and even that had been brief. Even though these circumstances were… grim, it at least felt nice to be alone with herself. There was a lot of things out there that made her feel weak, but Opal was bound by an intensity right now that even she couldn't explain, so she enjoyed awaiting Peridot and Lapis' return in a comfortable silence. The moment with Garnet earlier had been stressful for all of them, but sometimes… it's what divides us that unites us.
Inside the pod, Connie had burst out laughing. She was trying to ignore her headache, the shortness in her lungs. "So, Ruby really likes frogs? Why?"
Garnet couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't even know. Sapphire likes frogs, so Ruby likes to like frogs, because they remind her of Sapphire."
"Aw, Garnet, that's beautiful." Connie meant it – Ruby and Sapphire had a special sort of connection that she only appreciated more after Stevonnie fell from the Sky Arena.
"Hmm. Frogs are beautiful…? I think I like that." That made Connie laugh again, but she coughed too. Neither of them had said anything, but they knew there wasn't much time left. Garnet had seen flickers of Peridot and Lapis, the base had been ambushed, they had been caught, but they were alive. It was confusing, in some futures they arrived in a Ruby Ship, and in another they just arrived, she couldn't tell… But now was not the time. Present, not future.
Connie probably had an hour, tops, so Garnet frowned and released a sigh of her own.
"Connie, I'm going to ask you not to speak anymore. It's… safer that way." Her voice had turned serious, and the human's eyes went wide, but she nodded in understanding.
"Since I have this moment… I know you declined my apology earlier, but I want to say it again. Connie, you are a member of this team as much as me, or Pearl, or Steven. You are a Crystal Gem. I had already taken a risk at your expense to go through with this plan," she nodded her head to Connie, suspended in the purple bubble. "But I lost sight of what mattered, frustrated by Homeworld and what's happening with Steven and flashes of visions I can't understand. Then, there was Yellow Pearl's message…" Connie arched an eyebrow; Garnet hadn't mentioned anything about the message earlier. Did she know something? Was it a vision?
Garnet could see the curiosity on the girl's face, however, so she shook her head lightly. "Not yet. I'll tell you when the others get here. It makes more sense that way, since things could change." Mysteriously, her visor seemed to glimmer a little under the red light as she said that. Connie nodded, appreciating her sincerity.
"G-Garnet!" It was Opal, her soft voice turned sharp. The fusion adjusted so she could turn to see Opal outside, careful not to disturb the bubble in her hands, and her eyes went wide. A moment or two passed, and a great green Hand Ship was approaching them very quickly. She was tempted to shoot up, fearful at first, but then… clarity.
And then she was laughing, laughing and laughing and smiling. Opal looked confused and terrified, thinking that Garnet may have perhaps become unhinged.
"W-what are you doing? We need to go! How did they find us? Give Connie to me, we can – "
The ship stopped abruptly and in a flash of movement, a beautiful turquoise gem appeared before them. Opal and Connie looked shocked, mouths agape, and Garnet just grinned in deference, marveling at Prehnite's grace and confidence. Three fusions, six gems, one human, all floating in space, staring at each other.
Opal staggered through a mess of words "You – but, how – a fusion? Um – sorry – what do we call you?"
"It's… Blue Prehnite." She sounded embarrassed at the sudden attention. "But, um, we – or I – guessed that Steven will want to call us Pree. So… either is just fine." She beamed warmly back at the others; the thought of surprising him with, well, herself, filled her with delight.
Garnet had walked to the cusp of the pod, signaled for Opal to take Connie, and she crossed her arms. "So, Pree... If I'm keeping track correctly from what I gathered in my spotty visions, you were ambushed, you fused, you took out a battalion of soldiers and… what was the last thing?" She feigned ignorance, tapping a few fingers along one cheek, loving the surprise and glow of the two of them together.
"Oh, right, the next logical thing. You stole a war ship that personally belongs to Yellow Diamond, right out from under Homeworld's nose."
Prehnite couldn't help but blush at that, bashful. Connie and Opal just stared at her, dumbfounded. They – she – did all of that in just a few hours?
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Garnet was smirking, her sarcasm obvious.
"Just…" she threw her hands up, embarrassed and proud and rolling all four of her eyes at them.
"Stop being a bunch of clods and let's go."