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Priyanka, idling in her approach through the apartment parking lot, eyed the scene before her critically. A Honda Civic was parked askew and edging across the lines five spots down, which made the pickup truck beside it park heavily to one side to avoid it. This, in turn, forced the car beside that to park on the far side of the delineated parking spot and so on down the chain.Bad parking begets bad parking, Priyanka mentally tutted. A med school colleague had jokingly prayed to the goddess Rita, meter maid turned deity of the parking lot. Without realizing it, Priyanka had become a convert herself, wordlessly praising the goddess' generosity whenever she'd find that perfect spot at the hospital.Determined to break the chain of bad parking, Priyanka pulled squarely into the center of her spot. She felt a kind of righteous satisfaction at doing Rita's work this day, even though it put her sedan in danger of door dings.The sedan was leased, though, which helped her be cavalier.Priyanka gathered up the canvas bags of groceries and medical journals she'd brought with her, supplies to see her through two days and three nights in the postage stamp-sized town of Beach City. She was humming Rita's hymn as she walked carefully up the stairs to apartment 212, the omnipresent rainbow overhead visible but looking a little faded.Stepping inside, Priyanka saw Doug at the dinner table he seemed to prefer to his actual desk, the man hunched over his laptop while a portable scanner droned beside him. Connie was seated at the reading chair across the apartment’s living room with an uncannily similar expression of concentration on her face. There were five books stacked haphazardly on the end table beside her and she had one open in her lap. The larger and smaller Maheswarans greeted her without ever looking up from their screen or page, respectively.Priyanka nudged the door closed with her hip and smiled to see this studious family tableau, wrapping the domestic calm around her like a warm bubble. She set her own bags in the kitchen --nothing that needed to be put away immediately-- and then walked over to see what Connie was studying.The air in Priyanka's figurative bubble chilled when she noticed an old copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting amidst the books stacked beside Connie. It popped entirely when she realized the teen was reading 1001 Baby Names, the book detailing prospective names complete with alternate spellings, cultural/historical context, and astrological import. Some on the page were circled in faded yellow ink and these Connie paused to jot down on a notepad.Priyanka beat a hasty retreat."Doug," she whispered, crouching beside the man intent on his work. On his laptop screen a page of handwritten text was appearing inch-by-inch as the scanner did its work. "Should I be worried that your teenage daughter is reading a book on baby names?"Doug blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose. Priyanka could practically see the machinery behind his eyes as he shifted gears and mentally replayed her words; Doug was expressive when he was caught off guard."Oh, yeah I could see why that'd cause concern." He gave an embarrassed grin, a schoolboy smile that was dangerously disarming. "We hauled a bunch of Citrine's stuff back and are going through it together. I'm scanning the journal she left for Connie and Connie's reading through some of her old books. As you can imagine, there's a lot that's pregnancy related."Priyanka felt twin pangs of anger and jealousy at the look of wistful grief that crossed Doug's features. She tamped down on both, neither being deserved or constructive. Instead she found a smile somewhere and pointed it at the man. "Thanks for clarifying. I know I like to pretend like I've seen it all, but having only raised a son..." and she let the sentence trail off.Doug gave a commiserating head bob. Back when he’d first learned about Connie dating he’d reacted fine… when in public or in front Connie. But as soon as he’d had a wall between him and the rest of the world, the man had been the very picture of conflicted emotions.It was an open question if he was going to emerge from the experience with an aversion to rainbows.The most immediate concern addressed, the next item on Priyanka’s mental list made itself known. The doctor glanced over at Connie, who looked like she was trying to decipher a lost language, and then back at Doug. "Why is Connie studying the discarded baby names picked out for her like it's going to be on the SATs? Is she expecting some kind of hidden code or something?"Doug shrugged and there was that helpless schoolboy grin again. "Given that we found Citrine's secret base from the magical clue in her giant wolf who is also magical..." and this time he was the one to trail off into silence.Priyanka rose, shaking her head. She wasn't one of the inmates running this asylum. Maybe she got the occasional day pass --she had traveled on magical wolfback to and from Empire City three weeks prior, after all-- but with Connie and Doug’s well-being ascertained she considered her due diligence complete. She crossed over toward the kitchen and, addressing the room, asked, "Are we feeling vegetarian or not for dinner tonight?"Connie failed to look up from her book even after Priyanka repeated the sentence a little louder. Then Doug grabbed a laser pointer lying on the table nearby and waggled the red dot across his daughter’s arms and book."Wha- Huh?" The girl looked up, bewilderment becoming chagrin. "Sorry," she said a little louder than needed and she retrieved a hearing aid from somewhere which she fit to one ear. Fiddling with the device she turned back to Doug and Priyanka. "What was that again?"Priyanka tried to wear a relaxed smile, mentally kicking herself for forgetting about Connie's magic-induced hearing difficulties. The doctor had been learning Tamil bit-by-bit over the months but she had the rueful thought that her time might have been better spent taking ASL instruction. "I was polling the room about vegetarian for dinner. I was thinking mattar paneer but I know someone has been sneaking butter chicken ingredients onto the grocery list."Connie had a look of wide-eyed surprise at being called out. Once upon a time it had stunned Priyanka how a teenage Anjan could go from looking like a miniature adult to a little kid in the blink of an eye, and this was definitely the same phenomenon with Connie.Then the girl frowned and was suddenly her age again. "Actually, Steven and I might not be back in time for dinner tonight. I- I’m leaving as soon as school lets out, actually."Priyanka set down the bag of garam masala and folded her arms. "Your father and I are supposed to know in advance of any dates." She only barely stopped herself from adding 'young lady' to the end.Connie set the book of baby names aside but forgot about the notepad. When she rose to give her defense, it tumbled forward and she wound up scrambling to catch it out of the air. Pad secured, she objected hurriedly, "It's not a date! Steven and I need to go talk to someone, uh, magical but Steven was too busy with school and catching up on homework yesterday so today we're going to go out and, um, it's just, gems aren't always real good about remembering meal schedules."The girl did look apologetic, though that could just as well have been remorse at missing a hearty meal. It was sometimes hard to tell with teens.Priyanka held Connie's gaze for a second longer before her eye dropped to the gemstone set in the girl's sternum. Right. That. It was odd how Priyanka could forget about that. Her expression softened and she uncrossed her arms. "So long as Steven's parents know what to expect as well, and the two of you won't be out too late..."She glanced over at Doug who gave her an affirming nod. Good. Without Mary and Greg to help referee, Priyanka worried the whole situation would spin out of control the second someone took their hand off the wheel. Her metaphors may have been mixed but Priyanka's feelings of concern weren't.Connie smiled. "They know and Steven has school tomorrow so we can't stay out too late. Also, the gem we're trying to meet can see the future anyway so I'm hoping she'll know to expect us. If we have to go looking for her then it could take a lot longer."
See the future-
"What?!" cried Priyanka and Doug simultaneously.The distances displayed on Peridot's HUD were logarithmic because even though high-Earth orbit was, astronomically speaking, a minuscule trip, space was prodigiously large. Even gemkind, which had devised means for faster-than-light travel and had spread across countless systems, lacked the vocabulary to adequately convey just how big space was.For a gem like Peridot, it was ever a reminder of just how small they all were, how truly grand the larger tapestry of existence was, and how precious these motes of light were amidst the vast, stellar night."This is your captain speaking," drawled Lapis, her voice slightly staticky over Peridot's headset. "Buckle up because we're entering a patch of space-turbulence. Weeehaw!"Of course other gems had their own reactions to the depthless cosmos.As Peridot, held by blue arms back-to-chest against Lapis, was tumbled and pinwheeled through space, she allowed herself to get carried along emotionally as she was physically, the latter's gleeful attitude giving rise to a nasal, "Woo!"Several bouts of 'turbulence' later and they were approaching their destination: they were only removed by a gulf of space the approximate width of the Eurasian continent as opposed to several Earth-widths.Again, space was vast."Laz," said Peridot, her voice echoing slightly in the confines of her helmet. Neither she nor Lapis needed atmosphere to survive, of course, but verbalization necessitated a medium and so they wore air-tight helms with clear faceplates and built-in radio broadcast/receivers. Lapis had been kind enough to desiccate the interior pre-flight so that there was no risk of fogging from moisture. "We are nearing the sixth platform. Please adjust your speed accordingly."She was projecting a holographic arrow indicating direction along with a numeric display conveying proximity. After they'd nearly clipped the second platform while traveling roughly sixty times the speed of sound, though, Peridot had taken to offering verbal reminders.The grip around Peridot's midsection shifted and she felt the faint pull of deceleration. Over her headset she heard, "How many pieces is this one in?"If Peridot had been able to employ two fully functional limb enhancers then she'd be able to scan from farther with a higher degree of fidelity. As she was reliant on one, and one that was showing the slow but steady degradation of utility as components were imperfectly replaced… Peridot banished such grousing; her resolve may be renewed in the wake of the Ziggurat mission but she still found herself susceptible to disparaging spirals if she wasn’t vigilant."Minor debris notwithstanding, this one appears to be intact, Laz." The previous five orbital platforms, or 'doom cannons' as her fellow Crystal Gems insisted on calling them, had been little more than fractured husks held together by microgravity.Some minutes later they approached close enough that part of the starfield backdrop to space was briefly obscured. They were close.From Lapis' helmet to Peridot's came, "Circling the block now, Dot." Banking, Lapis brought them out so that the structure was between them and the Earth.The doom cannon came into view, backdropped against the blue planet it had been built to protect. If Peridot had her way, it would continue to do so, albeit in a novel fashion. It was only the uncertainty that the platform was even operational that prevented Peridot from making an anticipatory cackle.The 'cannon' was cone-shaped. The broad end was pointed at the Earth below. Moving upward the structure tapered to an ever-smaller point, approximately one hundred-and-twenty feet bottom to top. This point continued even further with an antenna made of Era-1 materials, about as wide at the base as Peridot was tall, that didn't end for another sixty feet. The cone's midsection was encircled in a scaffold which was, in appearance and scale, akin to a wrap-around porch surrounding a terrestrial house.As her vision spheres adjusted, Peridot could make out that cone, antenna, and scaffold were all different shades of pink.Lapis set them down on the scaffold, their hard light forms adjusting automatically to the microgravity. She winged over and flicked the side of the structure, any noise lost in the vacuum. "There's just something 'un-doomy' about pink,” observed the gem. “It's like if a destabilizer tickled you into poofing or if two huge Quartz gladiators settled a match with a pillow fight."Peridot, her gravity connectors transmitting a faint 'clonk clonk clonk' through her form as she walked, traveled directly to the control panel built into the weapon's side. Beside it a single Scolecite was embedded, powering the structure as well as using gravitic nudges to maintain its orbital position.Some centuries back Peridot had insisted the Crystal Gems trawl a statistically significant percentage of the debris orbiting Earth, scanning for gems (embedded or otherwise) trapped in space. If these gems had been outside the radius of the corruption effect it would have been a monumental find, to say nothing of the ethical weight to rescuing them. Discouragingly, those they'd found had been corrupted, even at orbital heights higher than this one. The recovered audio from the Ziggurat suggested that gems within the Diamond base on the Moon had remained uncorrupted, so that offered a theoretical orbital ceiling, but it was a ceiling 238,606.5 miles high.Space was just so vast.Creating a file for the gem before her, Peridot assigned a designation of 'high probability of corruption' to the embedded Scolecite and investigated the data coming from the control panel. Some day she hoped to invent a corruption-detecting scan so she could make that designation a certainty, but that was a matter for another time."If these readings are accurate, this device is capable of hitting with a force in excess of fifteen giga-pillows," snarked Peridot as she analyzed the data feed. "Pink or otherwise, I'd recommend against engaging in bedding-based melee against this structure."Lapis swooped over, excitement clear in her transmitted voice. "You mean this one actually works?!"Rather than answer directly, Peridot tapped in some commands, her limb enhancer broadcasting the appropriate authorization code to be accepted by the Era-1 artefact. The device reoriented, swiveling around until the Earth that had been below their feet now towered above their heads, a sky of oceans and swirling weather patterns, a ground of star-dappled abyss.Lapis' laugh was conveyed over the headset. "Sweet! Hey, can we line up a shot on the Sahara? There's beef between us."Peridot smiled and rolled her eyes behind faceplate and glasses both. "I'm afraid you'll have to settle your geological feud another way, Laz. These weapons have built in failsafes to prevent them from firing on the Earth. It would hardly do to have a system which accidentally bombarded the very colony it was made to protect.""Can we shoot space then?" came the bubbly reply. Lapis swiveled around to look at Peridot, her face visible through the polarized front of the helmet.Peridot opened her mouth to quibble with the term 'shooting space'... then thought better of it. With a command, the platform reoriented until it was pointed at a nondescript section of blackness. There was a thrum throughout the platform and a white orb grew rapidly on the point of the antenna overhead. A beam of faint white light shot out, the soft light-equivalent of a laser probing the empty sky for its target. With a silence so sudden it was loud, the beam vanished and the orb was released, hurtling away and shrinking until it was indistinguishable from the stellar lights above."Sweet."Peridot smiled. "Indeed," she said a minute later. The diagnostic data from the device showed that, while this platform was in remarkably good condition compared to the others, it would be ill-advised to fire it many more times before repairs and maintenance were completed."If that'd been pointed at a Homeworld ship, would we be watching attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion?" asked Lapis, the gem slipping in a reference to Blade Runner, something she and Peridot had watched multiple times during more... freewheeling days.Peridot felt twin pangs of frustration and concern as she looked down, as if she'd somehow see the twinkle of Connie's gemstone on the planet below. She tamped down on both, neither being relevant or constructive. Instead she turned to Lapis. "Unlikely. The sphere is a kinetic blast conveyed via hard light projectile. If a vessel had been struck, we'd likely see a section punched through or the craft broken into fragments depending on the ship's design and the point of impact."Lapis' helmet cocked to the side. "Wait, this thing doesn't blow stuff up? It punches space?!" She reached up to scratch her head and instead met helmet. Exasperatedly she threw her arms starward and announced, "What the heck kind of cut-rate, pink-with-a-bow-on-it doom cannon is this?!"The technician chuckled lightly into her headset as she lowered herself into a seated position, leaning against the platform's bulk. Lapis took up a similar position opposite her."The kind intended to divert asteroids," she instructed, a hint of mirth woven into her didactic tone. "If you explode a large mass on a collision course with Earth then you end up with a swarm of medium-sized masses on a collision course with Earth. Hardly the desired outcome. The point is to deflect rather than destroy, which is why this orbital array fires large-surface area projectiles that impart kinetic force on impact: they push rather than penetrate or detonate."Lapis gazed up as if trying to find the infinitesimal speck of the projectile they'd fired. Then, several moments later, she said slowly, "It really does fire pillows at stuff." Peridot was about to interject when Lapis added, "Giga-pillows, I mean."Lapis scooched back and laid her head in Peridot's lap, the angle wrong for Peridot to see through her polarized faceplate. The technician had to resist the foolish impulse to stroke Lapis' hair, something impossible without removing her means of verbal communication.When Lapis failed to say anything in the long seconds afterwards, Peridot filled the silence with, "I'd like to perform some preliminary maintenance, but anything more comprehensive will come later when we bring additional tools and materials. Within the hour we should be able to move on to inspect the next orbi- doom cannon. There are thirty more in total, distributed evenly in high-Earth orbit."In a soft voice that made Peridot strain to hear over the receiver Lapis said, "You're really good at this, you know?"Peridot blinked, helmet cocking to the side slightly as she tried to unpack the subtext in Lapis' remark. "That's kind of you to say, Laz. And I don't disagree with your estimation of my technical acumen, but may I ask what prompted that observation?"Her mind momentarily diverted to vague feelings of contentment and curiosity, Peridot was surprised when she attempted to raise one arm up and found her elbow resistant to the motion as though in the grip of magnetic attraction. A peculiar phenomenon, especially since there should be nothing in the platform's workings that would generate a magnetic field.There was a subdued chuckle that was broadcast from Peridot's lap up to her headset. "I didn't mean the tech thing, you dork. Or, not just that. I meant at being a rebel. Which is good because you didn't have a heck of a lot of options back in the fifteen whatevers when you reformed here." There was a beat and Lapis added, "But we'd be in so much coprolite right now without your help, so, yeah, great work."There was another pregnant pause between them. "Is there something deeper troubling you, Lapis?" asked Peridot. In her experience, Lapis rarely approached a sensitive subject directly, preferring to veil it behind witticisms and snark.The helmet in her lap angled up enough she could actually see Lapis' face. "It's just, you were in this big funk about Homeworld coming back and I was worried that maybe, since you never actually got to stick it to Homeworld gem-to-gem like OJ, Bismuth, and me did, that maybe…” There was a pause and then, “I'm just saying, it's one thing to think the Earth is awesome and another to be ready to stomp on the Diamonds' toes and tell 'em to get janked."Without realizing it Peridot had engaged her limb enhancers' self-diagnostic mode, something she did when she was apprehensive. The magnetic irregularity from before vanished and was subsequently forgotten. "You were worried that my dedication to the cause was superficial."Lapis sat up in a hurry, pivoting to better face Peridot. "Not like that. I mean-" The gem blew out a breath that stirred the pigtails confined within her helmet. After a moment finding her rhetorical bearings, she said, "You have to be a certain kind of crazy to fight Homeworld and I wasn't sure if you were. All sorts of gems joined the Rebellion back in the day, loved choice and the Earth as much as the rest of us, but ask them to throw a punch at someone wearing a diamond and they'd freeze up or panic."Peridot took her time considering her words, using the conclusion of her enhancers' diagnostics as a kind of personal time limit to formulate her response. "When you first brought me to Earth I resented you," she said, her voice quiet. "I thought all of the rebels on the planet were deranged and dangerous criminals, of course, but I held you as directly responsible for my abduction and therefore especially deserving of my ire.""I mean, I was responsible," said Lapis in a subdued voice, the gem wilting a little under Peridot's gaze. "Jasper sure as heck didn't punch her way through space, snag you off that station, and punch her way back to Earth."Peridot nodded, agreeing, at least in abstract. "I don't disagree. But if you were to blame for my relocation and upheaval then it means you are to thank for my subsequent awakening to the merits of the Earth and the organisms thereupon. If I am a rebel in spirit and deed, it is because you gave me the chance, strange and convoluted that it was." A measure of warmth entered the gem's voice as she added, "Though I strongly recommend against a repeat performance. The odds of you absconding with a Homeworld gem and finding them receptive to Rebellion ways are low."Lapis’ smile was wide even if it was tinged with chagrin. "You know I only grabbed you because you were hot, right? It was just me, Jasper, and Citrine. Okay, and Garnet but you don't need Future Vision to see that's off the table. This corrupted Beryl smashed one of my favorite shrines during a fight and I just got so pissed that I had to go back. I had to see real gem culture again, not squint at the leftovers and reminisce. I had to see what I was missing, and when I got there, what I was missing was that Peribooty."Peridot was about to retort when Lapis winked and fired what was colloquially called a finger gun at her. This forced Peridot shake her head in a combination of amusement and second-hand embarrassment. Lapis could be quite the effective flirt but she was also adept at being deliberately terrible at it, this being a sterling example of the latter.Finally Peridot recovered enough to say, "Yet another improbable victory to your trip: that your posterior-based selection process found you a gem willing to endure your attempts at charm." Below them the planet's terminator was rotating into view, the division between day and night approaching because the array was in geosynchronous orbit."You arrived on the station I was updating with modern equipment," resumed Peridot, "and you managed to bluff the commanding Agate into assigning you a technical liaison because, and I quote, 'an Era-1 as ancient and powerful as you couldn't possibly be expected to use all this fragile Era-2 tech without breaking it.'"Lapis laughed, looking utterly unrepentant. "Hehe, yeah. When you've nearly got seniority on your old Diamond, it's a fun card to play." "Which is why I found myself reassigned to babysit this incorrigible clod," and Peridot's voice rang with relish even as Lapis looked mock-offended. "Then, within the scope of a few weeks, I find myself aiding and abetting the target of a station-wide gemhunt.” Her helmet shook side to side, signalling her disbelief. “Truly your capacity for chaos is unrivaled."Lapis bowed slightly at the waist, then said over Peridot's headset, "Okay, but it's not my fault that Agate was ready to shatter you on general suspicion.""Yes, that certainly factored into my mental calculus when I realized I'd been swept into your charade," agreed Peridot. Sobering slightly, she fixed Lapis with a steady gaze and said, "Quite rightly I assigned blame to you when I reformed on Earth. You were the cause of my flight from Homeworld space. Literally. And you were initially the gem I loathed most of all on the entire planet. Again, literally that was true. I accept and embrace the most unlikely fate that has befallen me and, even though I do not credit you with having anticipated any of the consequences," her tone admonishing, "I am glad on multiple levels that you did what you did. And I will stand up to those who would threaten the people and planet dear to me even if it means accepting the form of insanity so endemic to my fellow rebels."Lapis scooched closer, then closer still until she was sitting adjacent. Next she brought her face close, pressing her faceplate against Peridot's so that there was as little between her gazing into Peridot's eyes as possible. Then she leaned forward and kissed her faceplate as though she were delivering it to Peridot herself.The gem batted her eyes at Peridot... before crossing them slightly so she could focus on the lip marks right in the middle of her field of view. She reached up to wipe the mark away and, of course, found her fingers brushing against the outside of the faceplate. The kiss mark remained untouched."That seemed like a better idea at the time," conceded the gem, her tone mildly embarrassed.Peridot chuckled and shook her head, doing her best to ignore the warmth rising in her cheeks. "If it is too problematic, Laz, I’ll clean it after you remove the helmet. Though it will necessitate a cessation of future conversation."Lapis waved her off. "Naw, it's fine. Just more of me living with the consequences I totally didn't anticipate. Besides," she said, her jocular tone dropping away, "there was one other thing I wanted to ask you."Peridot's eyebrow rose. "Oh?""How are we? You and me. Us. The two of-""Yes, I take your meaning, Lapis," interrupted Peridot. Then, despite cutting Lapis off, she was at a loss for what to say next. She found herself staring up at the empty sky, trying to marshal her thoughts. When that didn't work she entered a few commands and found the view reorient so that the Earth dominated their field of view. Truly a panorama that engendered contemplation."Even loathing you, even blaming you all those centuries ago, I found myself drawn to you," she said softly. "The empirical evidence of my attraction to you is incontrovertible. The question arose not long ago of whether said attraction was permitted given my other obligations.”When Hiddenite had last formed over July fourth that had been the crux of Japser's argument, that Peridot, by indulging in her fondness for Lapis, had grown negligent of Connie. It was an accusation that had long been on Peridot's thoughts, even with the incident overshadowed by subsequent events.“Having gone nearly a month without keeping a close eye on my-" Peridot’s voice hitched slightly and she said instead, "-on Connie without her apparent harm, I think there exists room for me to be simultaneously a caregiver and a romantically inclined individual."With forced levity Lapis remarked, "I know I was complimenting your backside earlier, but I have a feeling there's a 'but' coming that I'm not gonna like."Peridot remained fixed on the orb in front of her, all the life and possibility that had grown to mean so much to her living thereupon. "I was able to go from loathing you to caring deeply for you without us ever engaging in fusion. I think we should attempt the same." She looked over at Lapis, her hand-equivalent reaching out to take hers. "Hiddenite with you in July was different than January. Better. And the reason, I suspect, was because you matured following your return from self-imposed exile. It is my hope that recent events and what's to come will allow me to do the same. And maybe-" her enhancer squeezed Lapis' hand fractionally tighter. "-Maybe next time, when we're both ready, it will be better still.""'Wherever this goes, let it be forward?'" asked Lapis, quoting Peridot's own aphorism from their July rekindling.Peridot smiled back, wide and genuine. "Precisely. Wherever, forward." She then dispatched a pair of floating fingers which wafted over between them and assumed a facsimile of puckered lips. These approached and 'kissed' the mark on Lapis' faceplate before returning back to their default positions and shape.Lapis grinned back, a blush threatening her cheeks. "You know, if you want to try that again without all the-" She rapped her helmet. "-Hardware, I wouldn't say no."That earlier warmth rising higher, Peridot managed to say, "A tempting offer, but one I must respectfully decline at this time."Lapis' hands went to her hips and she gave Peridot a look. This only served to make Peridot's smile widen."After all,” observed the technician in wry tones of amusement, “given your near-collision with orbital platform number two, I fear our rekindled romance would be cut tragically short were we to be rendered voiceless. And unlike certain hydrokinetics who need not be named, I consider the consequences in advance."Lapis' look continued even though her mouth curled into a smile seemingly against her own will. "Fine. Now point this thing thattaway and go for a little float. I need to whap you with something right now and all I've got on hand is are giga-pillows.""We're going to ask Garnet questions, questions she didn't want to answer for Mom, questions she may not want to answer for us," explained Connie, pacing as she spoke. They were near the warp pad by the Universe family barn, packed and ready for the expedition.Wolf had portal'd them over in exchange for an extra large rawhide chew, then departed to get ready for his next shift at the fry shop.Connie continued to think out loud. "We need to establish that we're serious.""And friendly," interjected Steven.It was the first cool day in September and Steven had used it as an excuse to wear two of his favorite shirts at once: a black Mr. Universe tee visible beneath a button-up pink collared shirt that was not, in fact, buttoned up. His unruly curls were restrained by one of the special scrunchies Connie had gotten him for a birthday present and he was wearing cargo shorts. He was one of those people who didn’t seem to mind cold legs or feet, hence the nearly year-round sandals.Connie nodded. "Friendly but serious. We're not her enemy, whatever her history with Mom may have been."In contrast, Connie was wearing a three-quarter sleeve tee, white save for a yellow band that ran diagonally downward and across. She had on teal pants and the new pair of coral-colored sneakers she'd picked up over a previous shopping trip with Priyanka: adventuring was rough on the shoes and necessitated frequent replacements.Steven signed his agreement. "We're trying to make things make sense for everyone so we can help things get better," he said brightly."Right. So I think we warp over there and tell her calmly but firmly what we're doing." Connie gestured as she paced. "No preamble, no games. Just a conversation.""She always manages to surprise us when we meet up with her," observed Steven, lifting a sandaled foot to scratch one calf."You're right." Connie swiveled around and faced him directly. "No games, though. So when we warp over, I'll stand facing one way and you stand facing the opposite. That way the first thing Garnet sees is us ready to meet her."The pair shouldered their packs, took up their positions on the warp pad, and vanished in a beam of light.They arrived at the aromatic grounds surrounding Rose's fountain. It was bright and pleasant, the sun peeking out between fat and fluffy clouds. There was greenery aplenty, the occasional briar stirring despite the absence of any breeze, but neither Connie nor Steven saw any sign of Garnet."Good of you to visit," said a voice directly behind each destiny partner."Whoa!" // "Eep!" cried Steven and Connie, respectively, as they swiveled around to see a maroon figure standing in the center of the warp pad.You could be on a warp pad when others were warping over, but the only way not to get shoved forcefully aside was to be in a position you'd know was going to be clear.Connie floundered for a moment, her thoughts scattered like startled chickens by this genial ambush. On instinct born of training, Connie and Steven circled around Garnet until they were side by side.Garnet seemed content to wait for them to respond, two of her three eyes twinkling with mirth, her lips curled up slightly at one corner."Hi Garnet," greeted Steven, amiability coming to the fore. "Thanks for the wizard-clue earlier. It really helped me help Connie when she got stuck as a cat."If Connie had the ears for it, they'd have flattened at the mention of her foray into shapeshifting.The fusion nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you both for directing Jasper and the others here. It was good to reconnect with Bismuth."This hadn't gone at all how Connie had expected but this wasn't just a social visit; Steven and she had come here for a reason. Marshalling her thoughts, Connie mentally reviewed her arguments, ran through what she planned to say, drew in a steadying breath, and-"No." The single word was delivered in a flat voice, all of Garnet's earlier amusement gone.Throwing planning out the window, Connie fired back, "What?! But I'm not Citrine. And- And- The last time we saw you you said, 'The war is over. Things are changing. The old arguments mean less than they used to.' Well..." and she gestured inarticulately at the three of them. "This is all of that combined!"Was it Connie's imagination or did the brambles seem more agitated after she'd raised her voice?The silence stretched out between them until Steven added with a hopeful grin, "Pretty please?"Garnet stepped down from the warp pad without ever turning away from the pair. Once she was a few feet back she said again, "No."Another beat passed, quiet save for the susurrus of the foliage. Garnet frowned slightly. "There was a moderate chance you would warp away," she said as if that explained... anything.Connie summoned a horizontal force field nearby and leaned against it, one hand running through her hair. She'd come to the fountain grounds to meet Garnet as a show of good faith. She was regretting that decision because if they were at the Sanctuary right now, she'd be far less frustrated."Can you at least tell us why not?" asked Steven in a gentle tone."When the Rebellion split, there were few who embodied the opposite faction, the faction willing to shatter, more than Bismuth. She and I reconnected, traveled together, all without incident precisely because we knew what not to talk about. There was no harmonious future where certain subjects were raised," spoke the seer."And you can't tell me and Connie about the end of the war stuff because it'll make us angry?" asked Steven, the teen looking bewildered by the very prospect.Garnet focused her attention on Connie. "I would not tell Citrine because she did not deserve old wounds closed. I do not tell you because you do not deserve new wounds opened," she said with an air of finality.Connie was really tempted in that moment to do as Garnet predicted and warp away in a huff. It was just so frustrating, all these ancient secrets and riddles. When had keeping a terrible secret secret ever actually worked out for anyone? Casting her mind over the many novels she'd read, Connie was hard-pressed to think of times when it had.There was a growl building in the back of her throat when a soft hand gripped her own. Steven gave her a wan smile and said simply, "Mysterious wizards gotta mysterious."She gave him a surprised look and felt a giggle escape her mouth. "How are you so calm about this?"Garnet watched with what Lapis would have dubbed 'resting poker face.'Steven shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "In games, when the wise old wizard person won't advance the story, it's because you need, like, a quest item or the right party members with you to unlock the dialogue."Connie blinked then reached up and wiggled her ears, still not following her boyfriend's logic.Steven's grin deepened. "What if this quest is two-player only?"Connie's eyes went wide. "You think..." She gave him a searching look. "You're sure?"He was clearly pleased with himself as he said, "We came here to have a conversation, after all," reciting Garnet's own words when the pair had asked her about fusion in August.Garnet gave the faintest of frowns as her third eye looked about. Apparently she wasn't seeing an answer. If Connie hadn't been convinced before, she was now because she really wanted to see that stubborn seer startled for a change.Steven pulled out his phone and a second later a chipper mix of electronic notes, acoustic guitar, and drum beats enveloped them.The pair hurriedly doffed their backpacks, Steven setting his phone atop the novelty cheeseburger. Then they turned and faced each other, grinning, the warp pad their dance floor.A corner of Connie worried that it might be different or weird now that Steven and she were dating. Would it change things? Did Steven expect to, like, kiss as they fused, because she felt self-conscious doing that in front of other people. Would they gross each other out sharing their thoughts and feelings now? Would their fusion get all self-obsessed like Hiddenite?The second Steven pulled her into a twirl her worries were flung away. Fusion was fun. Not 'fun' as a descriptive noun but as the thing itself. It was like when you were laughing so hard you were only aware of that, like your mind was a pitcher and it was so full of laughter that it couldn't hold anything else.Steven was her boyfriend now but he was still Steven. He was safe, he was kind, and most of all, he was fun.The pair twirled laughing, there was a yellow glow, a flash of light, and then someone was giggling and clutching themself, hodgepodge clothes dappled by sun and shade, hair an unruly tangle of curls reminiscent of the garden's brambles.Garnet's wide-eyed stare was capable of conveying fifty-percent more bewilderment than someone with two eyes and even that wasn't enough. Her jaw was dropped and for the very first time the unflappable seer was dumbstruck, her composure shattered.The person on the warp pad breathed a deep and contented sigh, steadying themself. Then they faced the fusion in the grass and said, "Um, hi."Garnet's open-mouth shock continued several long seconds, enough so that the person on the warp pad began to squirm, unsure what exactly to say or do next. Then it was like watching a sunrise in fast-forward, Garnet's mouth turning into a wide, ear-to-ear grin. She clasped her hands in front of her and all three eyes twinkled. An excited and entirely undignified squee escaped the seer."Oh. My. STARS!" Garnet hurried forward, the fusion like a completely different person with her cool demeanor utterly forgotten. She circled the person on the warp pad with open glee. "You are incredible. You are spectacular. You are unprecedented!"The person on the warp pad broke eye contact with Garnet, a little bashful. Then they made a cheeky grin and said, "I don't know if I'd go that far; it's just that nothing like me has ever happened before."Garnet stared at them for a second. Then she snorted --she snorted!-- a rich laugh emerging from the fusion. "You're funny too," and she laughed again before reaching up wiping two of her eyes.Then she straightened up, her smile never faltering but the gem regaining a semblance of her earlier composure, "It's wonderful to meet you..." and she trailed off meaningfully.The person on the warp pad looked at her expectantly for a second before going, "Oh! Uh, I don't have a name." They fidgeted with their hands before thrusting them into their two-styled pant pockets.Garnet's eyes never left theirs; she was the picture of inscrutable wisdom in that moment. "You do."The person in front of Garnet reached up to fiddle with hearing aids they didn't wear. "I do? Because Connie and Steven didn't talk about it before."Garnet took a step closer, placing one hand on each of their shoulders, piercing them with her level gaze. "You are you and you are Connie and Steven's conversation. They are talking right now, as you,” she intoned. “You have a name."The person's eyes went a little unfocused, like someone trying to catch a thought. "Asmi?" They blinked, seemingly surprised. "Asmi." They smiled. "Asmi! My name is Asmi!" Their smile widened, an excited exhalation escaping them as the final puzzle piece of identity snapped into place.Garnet stepped back to give them a little space. She smiled warmly. "It is wonderful to meet you, Asmi."Asmi's hand went to their cheek and they laughed. "See, Connie was reading this book of baby names and there was one she noticed and I think it's really cool because Asmi means 'rock born' in Hindi and that's totally what Connie is but when Steven heard about it..." Surprise punctuated the elation for a second like a stone crashing into a pond. Then joyful excitement rushed back in to fill the void. "Steven heard about it now! As me! And I think it's a great fit for him too because both of his parents are rock stars so I'm totally rock born! And Asmi is pronounced like 'us-me' which is me too and it's a name that works for girls and boys and the book said it could also mean 'I am' which is way cooler than how you say it in Latin! I mean I don't actually speak Latin but there's that Descartes quote and 'Asmi' sounds better than 'sum' and- and-" Asmi paused, panting for breath. Then they shook their head, grin never faltering, and thrust out their hand at Garnet. "It's wonderful to meet you too."As Garnet reached out, giving a surprisingly light handshake, Asmi noticed the farrago sleeve of their shirt. They hadn't felt this way before but now it looked... off. Still limply holding Garnet's hand, their gaze followed the sleeve up to their shirt and pants below.No, that wasn't right at all.Asmi let their hand drop. They glanced up at Garnet. "I feel like we have a lot to talk about..." and they left an opening for Garnet to object but she didn't. "So don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."Asmi closed their eyes and there was a flash of bright light that dissipated into Connie and Steven in a tight hug together: less an embrace and more like a picture taken during a roller coaster ride, the two sharing a thrilling experience together.Steven broke away, arms thrust skyward. "Asmi!” He laughed. “Connie, you found the coolest name!"Connie laughed too and bounced in place. "I didn't think about it at the time but when we were- It just- Woo!"A few joyful seconds later there was another flash and then Asmi stood there, really themself this time.
Their hair was still full of tight curls but now it was pulled back, secured by Steven's special birthday scrunchy. Their shirt was a blend of Steven and Connie's attire but not in the striated way of before: the sleeves were the pink of Steven's overshirt and the torso was the same cottony white as Connie's. There was a planet and moon colored to match the Mr. Universe undershirt Steven had been wearing, but the yellow ring around it was angled the same as the band from Connie’s shirt. The shorts were a blend as well, the cut of Steven's pants with the color of Connie's. Their skin was a shade between two others.Had Asmi stood before a mirror they would have seen other small differences, other blendings of features, a picture of a person newly come into focus. But instead they wiggled their toes, noticing their bare feet.Shoes weren't really Asmi's thing.Asmi looked themself over once more and smiled, pleased. Then they turned back to find Garnet fixing them with a thumbs up, mouth quirked into a deep grin.Asmi rocked on their heels, pleased. Then their expression sobered slightly. “Walk and talk?” they asked.Garnet lowered her arm, expression growing distant. A beat later she turned in the direction of the distant fountain, enshrouded within the thick foliage. Before she started walking she beckoned with her chin. “Walk and talk,” she answered.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Garnet walked quietly, leading Asmi through the grounds and towards the fountain at the center. She did not, in that moment, seem particularly talkative.That was fine. Asmi was, well, Asmi and just being felt marvelous. They walked with an excited bounce to their step and they felt like they wanted to look at everything, touch everything, and smell everything. All at once. It was a magical park after all and magic was cool.Though, eyeing the prickly brambles, the barefoot fusion resolved to tread carefully.They felt Garnet's smile on them. Tearing their gaze away from the landscape, they saw her looking at them, eyes half-lidded and wearing an easy smile. "Connie and Steven have fused before."Asmi nodded, warmth and excitement suffusing them. "They did it accidentally a few months ago." The contentment gave way to a kind of weary acceptance but there was a bubbly undertone hopefulness under it all. "Connie got really worried afterwards because every time Lapis, Jasper, or Peridot fused it led to drama. She didn't want me to do the same to her and Steven." Asmi then flashed a thousand-watt smile, filled with joie de vivre. "But they figured things out and I'm so proud of me. Them?" They hugged themself. "Us and me," and they laughed at the play on their own name."You bloomed in rocky soil," observed the seer, the praise coming out sounding oddly sad.Asmi raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question. They also wiggled their ears, not because they expected Garnet to know the meaning of that but because it was fun to be able to do that without using their hands. They refrained from wiggling their nose, though, despite kinda wanting to."Rose said that once. Of me." Garnet stepped around a bud that had emerged through the soil of the path."What was she like?" asked Asmi, tone soft.They walked in silence for a time, Garnet reminding Asmi of Jasper a little: reticent gems feeling the absence of their super-Quartz general."Before the Schism, Rose was kind and passionate. She loved everyone and wanted everyone to love themselves." A bramble reached out for Garnet and the fusion brushed it gently aside with a gauntlet-clad hand. "After the Schism, more and more it was desperation that drove her. I think she was more upset when Citrine's rebellion began to win against Homeworld than when the halves of the Rebellion were losing to Homeworld together." Garnet looked over at Asmi. "The rift between her and Citrine cut her very deep."Asmi nodded, one hand unknowingly go to their gemstone. "Citrine left a hidden journal for Connie. The main thing she did in it was apologize: for leaving obligations to Connie and for what she saw as failing Rose. She asked Connie to try and help Rose if she could and she died regretting how things had gone between them." Asmi sniffed. "The rift between her and Rose cut her deep too." They wrapped their arms around themself as if in self-comfort. "Maybe so deep it was fatal."The pair of pairs stood there in somber quiet for a time, alone in their grief together. Then Asmi stepped close and pulled Garnet into a hug, the maroon fusion wide-eyed and seemingly at a loss for how to react; she was very out of practice hugging. Gingerly she patted Asmi's back then, a moment later, managed to return the hug with a surprisingly gentle embrace.They stepped back. "You're crying," observed the seer.Asmi wiped their eyes and sniffed again. "It's just such a sad story," the fusion signing their sadness as they spoke. "They really loved each other and the Earth but couldn't figure out how to have both.""It was a tragedy," agreed Garnet, resuming her walk toward the center of the grounds. "Before the Schism I looked many times for a future where their arguments relented. After the Schism I looked for a future where they reconciled."Asmi, keeping pace, looked at her with wide, slightly watery eyes, their question writ across their face.Garnet shook her head. "Never. If I'd known beforehand that they were fighting about shattering Pink Diamond I might have been able to do something different, but I only learned after Rose called her followers to her and withdrew."Asmi blinked and rubbed away the moisture on their face. "Wait, but how is that not something that shows up in the future? That's huge!"They rounded a bend, their surroundings growing dimmer as the canopy overhead grew denser. The idle stirring of the plants was a constant susurrus, the faint, leafy chorus of an enchanted forest. They were nearly there."A Sapphire can see the future with perfect clarity," said Garnet calmly, navigating the very familiar path forward. "There are some that can witness events decades before they happen. But a Sapphire's vision shows only what is likely to happen. And then likely to happen after that, and then after that, so on to the most probable eventuality. Under the Diamonds, life is orderly and structured. Unlikely events are very unlikely and so a Sapphire's predictions are reliable."While all the Crystal Gems were critical of Homeworld, their accounts weren't uniformly bad. Lapis would get nostalgic, Bismuth would talk about some of the impressive architecture, and Peridot could go on at length about its technology. Only Jasper, who has never been outside the solar system, had little positive to say, but even she had once told Connie that her life had been simpler under the Diamonds.But what Garnet described, an empire so orderly it could be forecast years in advance, reminded Asmi of Camazotz from A Wrinkle In Time; bleak and stifling in its absolute routine. It was a book both Connie and Steven had read --the former, for fun; the latter, for school-- and so it leapt especially easily to mind."Earth isn't so orderly and the Diamonds found their Sapphires unreliable, especially during the war." Garnet had a faint smile on her lips as she continued her explanation. "I don't see one probable future, but rather many futures, possible branches along the river of Time, some likely, others unlikely. With this knowledge, I have the map and can steer the ship."Asmi's eyebrows were raised high indeed, their mind awhirl with the implications of Garnet's power... as well as how it compared and contrasted to the many, many other examples of oracular powers in media. There were dozens leaping to mind just from comics alone.Garnet's aura of satisfaction dimmed. "The more familiar I am with the people and events that shape the future, the more accurate my map. Rose and Citrine," and Garnet heaved a sigh, something startling given the fusion's usual calm, borderline-staid demeanor. "They were driven by secrets I learned only too late." Another sigh. "When I learned them at all." She shook her head, bending slightly from a weight she'd no doubt been carrying quietly for thousands of years.Standing in the presence of an ancient seer bowed by the burden of her flawed predictions, Asmi could only think about one thing."How did you anticipate Connie and Steven warping over?" asked the teenage fusion, the words tumbling out in an avalanche of curiosity. "Because there hasn't been anything predictable about the last couple of days."Garnet looked over, a hint of a grin returning to her face. "Everything makes waves in the river of Time. I can see the waves that would collide with me even when I don't know the source. I might have hours of notice, or seconds, depending on circumstance." The gem radiated self-satisfaction. "I'm very difficult to ambush, as Jasper never seems to learn." Her grin deepened fractionally.Asmi blinked, following the implications. They cocked their head to the side. "Doesn't that mean you were waiting by the warp pad, like, a lot so that you'd always be in position to ambush Connie and Steven?"If true, this painted a very different picture of the inscrutable seer's flawless timing.Garnet stared at Asmi, the candle of her satisfaction snuffed out. She stared at Asmi until it was uncomfortable, then stared a few seconds longer. Finally she turned and walked down the path without saying a word.Asmi stood there, slightly shaken. When the maroon gem disappeared around a bend, though, they snapped to and jogged after to catch up.A different kind of silence settled between them as they stepped into the fountain's clearing. Rose's likeness stood there, eyes downcast and weeping into the crystalline pools at her feet. Asmi walked in reverent quiet around the pool, seeing it again for the first time.There was faint birdsong audible and the whisper of countless leaves, all underscored by the sound of the monument weeping. Words from Citrine's journal flowed through Asmi's mind and they could all too easily imagine the proud savior of Earth staring forlorn at their crying counterpart.With a mix of emotions, Asmi gazed at Rose's likeness, then looked to Garnet. Resolve tinged with compassion bubbled from within. "How did you escape corruption? If there's anything you know that will help me heal the corrupted gems, I really want to hear it." Their eyes drifted to the overgrown horizon. "Really, really want to hear it."Garnet sat down on the fountain's lip, one hand clenching and unclenching while the other gripped her leg tightly. She looked... conflicted. "It's not something I like to dwell on."Asmi's eyes went wide. This was new and not something any part of Asmi enjoyed seeing. "It was a difficult time for you?" they hazarded, trying to help with an obviously touchy subject.Garnet nodded in a stilted fashion. Then she shook her head in negation. "It was but I wasn't there for much of it." She gave Asmi a smile that failed to reach her eyes... any of them. "I'm not the best person to tell this story. I'll-" She paused, riding out some wave of inner turmoil. "It was good to meet you, Asmi.”Before Asmi could react there was a flash of light and Garnet, the most stable fusion Asmi was aware of, probably the most stable fusion ever... split.In her place sat a pair of child-sized gems. One was blue. Very blue: blue hair over a blue face, a dress in varying shades of blue covering the rest of her form. Only the white fabric for the outfit’s shoulders and long, white gloves defied the trend. A single, sparkling blue gemstone was set in her right palm. Her face, or as much of it was visible beneath her hairline, was icily dispassionate, the gem a portrait of stoicism painted with a winter-themed palette.And beside her, sitting with stubby arms crossed and scowling, was-"Oh my gosh!" breathed Asmi, the words tumbling out without pause or filter. "I had no idea Rubies were so cute!"The little gem's scowl deepened and she made a displeased grunt. It became noticeably warmer and little wisps of steam began to curl up from the pool below.Asmi was on the cusp of apologizing when Sapphire reached over, took Ruby's hand in her own, and said in a calm voice, "It's true. This Ruby especially."Ruby looked over at Sapphire a little startled then cracked a grin. She chuckled and leaned in to nuzzle against the gem's neck then whispered something through the blue hair that made the diminutive seer's cheeks flush slightly. In contrast with Sapphire, Ruby seemed very expressive, her feelings broadcast for all to see, a warm person dressed in warm colors.The temperature and tension dropped quickly.Asmi breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry," apologized the fusion, a weak smile rising on their face. Ruby looked up from her blue companion as if she'd forgotten Asmi was there.Asmi continued their apology. "I haven't had a lot of experience talking with others. I think I need to work on impulse control too." Everything felt fresh and exciting for Asmi, within and without, and it was difficult moderating that, especially because... Rubies had been kinda cute as monster dogs but as little gem people they were adorable.They had to suppress a squee."'s okay," conceded Ruby casually. She shared a glance with Sapphire (the blue gem apparently able to see fine despite her unbroken curtain of hair), huffed, and rose to her feet. She began to pace the lip of the fountain, too energetic to stand still."The war was about over, Homeworld was runnin' scared, and Rose was-" Ruby paused and glanced over at Sapphire. "Not around," she said slowly a beat later. Then she stamped a small puddle of fountain water and chuckled at the splash, faint wisps of steam rising under her booted heel."Ruby?" said the calm and motionless Sapphire."Huh? Oh, right," and the small gem resumed her fountain-side pacing. "Me and Sapphire, uh, Garnet, us, we saw this something coming. Something big." The stocky gem swiveled around to face Asmi and said, "Think of something big."Asmi was a little surprised by the sudden audience participation. "Oh. Okay." A beat of silence passed, Ruby seemingly waiting on something, so Asmi declared, "I'm thinking of something really big."Ruby nodded, satisfied. Then she shouted, "This was bigger!" and she threw her arms wide.Another pause. "What was it?" asked Asmi, finding Ruby's storytelling style odd but certainly engaging."We didn't know! We had no idea." Ruby paced so frenetically it was a wonder she didn't topple into the fountain itself. "Garnet said the thing about waves earlier and this was like that but like a really big, BIG wave." She trailed off staring into space pensively."Like a tsunami?" offer Asmi.Ruby smiled broadly, offering a grateful nod toward Asmi for helping her find the word. "Yeah! That! No idea what it was but a wave so big we saw it coming. We had less than an hour before it hit. We looked and looked in the future and everything we saw meant we got hit. Hide in a cave? Hit. Jump in the ocean? Hit. Warp to the other side of the planet? Hit. Go hit someone? Hit. Uh, by the thing. Not the person. Garnet's good at not getting hit by things she can dodge." Ruby shook her head, her back to the others as she circled the fountain. "No dodging this thing.""Just so we're clear, the thing was the corruption attack, right?" As entertaining as this was, Asmi wanted to make sure this wasn't the Ruby-equivalent of a shaggy dog joke."Yup."Sapphire hovered a few feet up from where she was sitting so Ruby could pace unimpeded below. She hovered back without a word."How on Earth did you avoid it?" pressed the fusion."We didn't," answered Ruby. "We avoided it off Earth. It was the only thing we could see that dodged the hit. Problem was, the only ships to go off-world were Homeworld ships."Asmi summoned a horizontal force field at chair height and sat down. They leaned forward; this was riveting even if the delivery took some effort to follow."No way Garnet gets on the ship. And Sapphy is a Sapphire so they'd ask, 'Hey, what's this Sapphire doing here? I thought all the Sapphires got off Earth years ago? Did someone lose a Sapphire? No? Then we better not let her on the ship.' But there's lots of Rubies and no one asks why a Ruby shows up because they get lost or they can’t see behind all the other, bigger gems and end up in the wrong line, or they have to stop and punch someone because that happens sometimes or-""Ruby," interrupted Sapphire in that level tone of hers."Wha? Oh, right. So Garnet snuck over to the last ship leaving Earth that was taking Rubies and then she split because they weren't taking Garnets and then Sapphire..." Ruby slowed to a halt, in motion and in speech. She looked apologetically at her companion."You did what had to be done," said Sapphire in a gentle voice and she gave Ruby's hand a squeeze.The red gem heaved a sigh and kicked the air a few times. Apparently satisfied the air had learned its lesson, she said in a somber tone, "Sapphy's gem went in a bubble and the bubble went in my pocket. People asked what was in my pocket and I told them it was a rock and then they stopped asking me." She kicked the air one more time, for reasons, then resumed pacing. "I was supposed to get on, wait for the thing to happen, then take an escape pod back to Earth.""That's really clever!" cheered Asmi. It made so much sense. No crazy conspiracy, or deep mystery, or strange new powers at work. No, just Garnet managing to detect that something bad and global in scale was coming but with too little notice to warn the others. So she snuck off-world and then snuck back on and she refused to tell Citrine about it because of the ugly history between them."It was!" agreed Ruby with a big smile on her face."It didn't happen," observed Sapphire.Ruby, still smiling, said, "It didn't! But it was a really smart idea."Asmi blinked. Then the force field they were sitting on winked out and they dropped to the grass below. "Huh?" they managed after recovering from their surprise landing."The thing broke all the escape pods," explained Ruby. "Broke the electronics or something. Messed up a lot of stuff on the ship even though we were nearly past the Moon. They even had us Rubies running new cables through the ship's crawl spaces on account of the fact that everyone hates running cables through the ship's crawl spaces so someone said they should make the Rubies do it."Wisely deciding to forgo seating that would vanish when forgotten, Asmi sat down cross-legged in the grass. "But how did you get back to Earth?""It took a long time. Years. Months even!" and the red gem gesticulated so widely she actually wobbled backward and landed on her duff. "I was all alone surrounded by too many people and I couldn't talk to Sapphire and there weren't any ships going back to Earth and every time I found a way back I found out it wasn't really a way back." The stocky gem punctuated each point by hammering the fountain with a fist. "It was a way to get captured instead and- and one time I thought I found a way, really, but I wasn't sure so I told everyone I was going to go talk to the rock in my pocket and I walked outside the space station and let Sapphire out and we fused into Garnet and Garnet saw that the way was an extra sneaky trap." Ruby was panting, not for breath so much as from agitation. It took Asmi a second to realize that the faint trails of steam coming off the gem's face were in fact evaporating tears."A trap by Homeworld?" they asked because Ruby seemed to need guidance now and then."A trap by Rose!" shouted Ruby. She swiveled around and dunked her face in the water, a muffled scream mostly drowned out by the ensuing gout of steam.While Ruby, uh, Ruby'd, Sapphire said calmly, "Every future involving the trap took us to Rose. What would have come next was uncertain, but it wouldn't have brought us back to Earth. That much was clear."The boiling geyser tapered off and Ruby rose back up to a standing position, the last of the moisture quickly sizzling off the gem. "We can't be Garnet on Homeworld! Even with Rose there! And we didn't even know if she was on our side anymore since she turned herself in to Pink Diamond before the-" The red gem tripped over her words and then over her feet, performing a pratfall in the process. Then she scrambled up and swiveled around to face Sapphire. "Sapphire!" she hissed in what Asmi assumed was meant to be a whisper. "Why didn't you stop me?!""The gaffe was inevitable," pronounced Sapphire, statuesque. "Also, we like Asmi."Ruby blinked. "Oh, yeah." She turned to face Asmi. "You're pretty nice. I want to punch you way less than Connie and I hardly want to punch her at all," offered the stocky gem magnanimously.A little odd as compliments went but Asmi took it in the spirit it was intended. "Thank you. I'm really enjoying getting to meet the two of you, individually and together." A beat passed. "So... Rose gave herself up to Homeworld?" Another beat. "And how did you get back to Earth?" These reveals inspired so many thoughts and questions within the fusion, but if there was one thing they were good at it was enjoying themself; watching Ruby grapple with this tale was like watching someone climb onto the saddle of a mechanical bull and Asmi wasn’t going to miss a second of the spectacle.Ruby gave an easy shrug. "Eventually I found a patrol ship that was going through the system. I told the Ruby assigned to it that they were on the wrong ship and then took their spot and when we flew past the Moon I threw myself out the airlock.""That-" Blink, blink. "That worked?"Ruby nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it hurt, but there's all this air that slows you down when you're falling so it didn't hurt that bad. Plus," and she reached over to splash from the pool below. "Fountain water for the cracks."I guess a Ruby doesn't have to worry about burning up in reentry, conceded the fusion."And at the end of the war it was just us and Rose," continued the gem who had, seconds ago, been matter-of-factly talking about what was probably the most extreme successful skydive in history. "And Citrine's rebellion was winning and Rose was sometimes super sad and sometimes super mad and sometimes super worried. And then one day she just left.""She didn't tell you anything first?" Asmi's voice was getting louder as they spoke. "You didn't see that coming?!"Ruby thrust her arms skyward and yelled back, "No! Because it makes no sense! By the time we caught up she was being escorted off by some of Pink Diamond's personal guards! They didn't even take her sword away!""She must have had a reason," insisted Sapphire mutely.Ruby swiveled around. "Yeah?! Well I've been looking for it for thousands of years and I haven't found it yet! Maybe she told the fountain! Why don’t we ask it?” She pivoted and faced the weeping statue, shouting, “Hey fountain?! Why the heck did Rose do that? Oh right, you can’t talk because you’re just a dumb fountain!”Sapphire looked like she was about to respond to Ruby when she froze, and not just in the figurative sense: a thin rime of frost spread across her and the lip of the fountain she was sitting on."It's not okay what she did to us, Sapphire!" insisted Ruby, stomping around angrily and gesturing like someone trying to direct airline traffic on a runway. "She abandoned us and the Earth and-"Ruby's diatribe continued, and as soon as the gem stamped off a ways the temperature dropped, then dropped again. Suddenly Asmi's breath was fogging the air and they shivered at the snap cold."You should go," said a soft voice, Sapphire unmoving save for her lips, frost patterns fanning out around the gem. "It will be six hours and twenty-two minutes before Ruby and I reconcile."More angry imprecations emerged from the far side of the fountain, the stocky gem seeming to only get louder and more irate as she went.Asmi, suppressing a shiver as goosebumps crept up their arms, stood and gave a distracted nod. "It-" They shook their head. "It was nice meeting you, Sapphire. And Ruby too.""-if I had a sister you wouldn't see me throwing myself at Blue Diamond just because she-" was the reply from across the clearing.Sapphire gave a curt nod as icicles began to form on her face-obscuring bangs. Asmi took that as their cue to depart.They walked in silence (distant rants notwithstanding), their thoughts loud in their skull. There was so much to process on top of the already staggering pile of recent reveals and discoveries.Asmi heaved a sigh as they approached the warp pad. It was getting late.The fusion stood there, staring at their reflection in the warp crystal below. "Mostly I'm nervous about tomorrow," they confessed in a bout of self-honesty. “Rose and Citrine and all of that are important but not tomorrow-important.” Summoning a force field to lean against, they gave another sigh, lighter this time, and wrapped their arms around themself in a hug. "But it's going to be okay."They smiled, breathing deeply just to smell the fragrant air once more. Whatever else, it had been really fun being them. "Thanks for the name, me," they said to the air. Looking down at their crystalline reflection, they said, “See me later!” and then there was a flash of light.Steven was holding Connie and Connie was holding Steven right back. He ran his fingers through her hair and said soothingly, "We'll tell the gems first thing in the morning. I'll even pack some breakfast bars to eat while I bike over to your dad's house so that I can get there earlier."Connie clutched him marginally tighter. "What about school?"Steven reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe I can get miss Peridot to sign a note for me if it takes a while. That would probably make it excused given all the weird rules about gem stuff in Beach City."Connie wanted to object --she didn't want Steven risking trouble from his parents or teachers-- but was too relieved to do so. Confronting her guardians tomorrow about what she'd learned and how they were completely wrong about certain things... She could think of a dozen monsters she'd rather fight instead.A few deeply contemplative seconds passed and then Connie registered that the fingers running through her hair had stopped."You're thinking about Ruby skydiving back to Earth, aren't you?" said the girl as she nuzzled Steven's neck and chest."I totally am!" confirmed Steven, Connie feeling the vibrations of his voice through his chest even as she couldn't hear them through that ear. "Oh! I wonder if she landed in the Yamcha pose, because if it were me I'd-"Connie smiled to herself. It was going to be scary but she wasn't alone, and that made all the difference.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
If you had somehow snuck a pressure gauge between Connie's hand and Steven's, you could have used it to determine distance from the Beach House. The force of Connie's grip was rising steadily as they got closer, Steven having to put on a brave face by the time they were ascending the stairs together: apprehension and years of sword training made for a very firm grip indeed.The omnipresent rainbow was shining brilliantly overhead, the morning light prismed through whatever it was Lapis did to sustain it.The sound of activity within meant the Beach House was occupied; the needle on the hypothetical PSI gauge inched a little higher. The door and the screen door to the Beach House were closed. Connie paused in front of it and heaved a sigh, looking over at Steven, eyes pleading.Steven reached over and gently wiggled her nose. "It'll be okay," he said softly, the phrase reminding each of them when Asmi had said the same the day before.Another heavy breath and Connie nodded. She released Steven's hand, instead strangling the strap of her backpack, the pack weighed down with Steven's power diary, Citrine's journal, and other bits of evidence borrowed from her mom's hidden archive. With her other hand she reached out and opened the screen door.There was a muffled nasally voice that clarified into audibility when the inner, non-screen door to the Beach House opened. "-any longer. We are going to Doug's domicile and we aren't leaving until we talk with- CONNIE?!" The green gem startled when she noticed the girl standing in front of her. A step behind Connie was Steven, the boy wiggling one hand as if trying to recover from an over-firm handshake.Connie took a step back, nearly bumping into Steven. "M-Ma'am," she answered back.A beat of silence passed between them. Within the Beach House Bismuth waved and Lapis was making little hopping motions to try and see over the top of Peridot's hair. Jasper leaned against the kitchen divider and smiled. Wolf panted happily from his spot on the couch."We need to talk, ma'am," // "There are matters we need to discuss, my dear," said Connie and Peridot over one another.Another beat of silence. Steven waved back.Peridot spoke first, voice light. "You... came to speak with me?"Connie held onto her backpack strap for dear life. "You and everyone else, ma'am. There's, um, there's a lot I need to tell you guys." She glanced back at her boyfriend. "That we need to tell you," she amended.Peridot cleared the doorway so rapidly she nearly trampled Wally, the robonoid herding a growing hill of sweepings and dog hair toward a dust pan. "Then please, come in. Take a seat; all of the traps have been disarmed." The technician fired a look at Bismuth. "Right?""Yeah, Green." Bismuth nodded her head, then froze, then scratched one ear. "Hmm, maybe hold off on washing any laundry, actually."Something passed between Connie and Steven --an unspoken 'You heard that too, right?'-- then the pair walked in, if a touch hesitantly."You guys cleaned," said the girl in a surprised tone, head swiveling about.Wally pivoted around to peer up at Connie. She flashed the robonoid a brief smile, who chirped and then turned back to the tidying with renewed vigor."And got new stuff," observed Steven. "Cool TV! Oh, and the stove looks neat."Bismuth smiled. "Thanks. It can cook a roast or liquefy steel. Green made me disable the flamethrower though," she said with a faux-pout.When Peridot pushed the door closed it shut with the heavy 'thud' of a blast door sealing, reverberations traveling through the floorboards and up Connie's feet rather than the lighter 'click' she remembered back in August.Connie looked like she was about to say something when a blue, hug-seeking missile collided with her. "Con-con!" Lapis snatched the girl up into a tight hold and spun around, wings beating so that the two whirled up to the rafters. Connie's yelp of surprise became an excited shriek by the time they settled back down. She was dropped giggling and wobbly onto the couch, resting against Wolf's flank instead of the back cushion."Missed you so much!" insisted the blue gem while assaulting Connie with affection. Connie had to struggle to fend both her and Wolf off, the latter sneaking in some happy licks. It wasn't until Steven came over and offered Wolf head scratches that she caught a break."Hi Bismuth!" cheered Steven. "I thought you were on, like, a peace vacation or something."The smith gave a casual shrug. "Blue and Jaz couldn't fix a damaged sensor array if it was raining Rose tears. And since Green was-" Bismuth swallowed whatever she was about to say as she cleared her throat, "-busy at the time, I got pulled back in."The shenanigans and conversation drew to a close when heavy footfalls approached and the morning light was occluded by a tall figure. Connie looked up to see Jasper staring down at her. "Hey squirt." A large orange hand ruffled her hair, drawing a laughing cry of protest from the girl. Then Jasper sat down in her usual spot on the couch, muscling Wolf's rump a little for room, and said, "You had things to tell us?" She reached up to scratch at her sleeved arm while she gave Connie her attention.Lapis squeezed onto the far right side of the couch beside Steven, forced to sit on the tiny lip of cushion not occupied by magical wolf or mundane human. She pulled the boy into a side hug. Across the room Bismuth took a seat on one of the bar stools."Actually," interrupted Peridot, "I would like to address the gathering first. I think the nature of our recent, erm, findings and activities should be established upfront. After all, it is quite literally of global significance."Connie and Steven shared a worried look, the latter adding, "Whoa."Peridot nodded. "An apt exclamation," she added as she began to pace the length of the living room. "Succinctly put, we have concrete evidence that Homeworld has taken a renewed interest in the Earth. Approximately eighty-two hours ago on the evening of September the thirteenth Bismuth and I witnessed the restoration of the Earth's Galaxy Warp followed by a brief reconnaissance of two Homeworld-aligned gems."Connie gasped, as did Steven. Maybe. Connie's hearing aid was in her left ear, Steven was sitting to her right, and this wouldn't be the first time her brain had filled in the silence all on its own.Peridot looked at them somberly though Bismuth seemed, if anything, pleased; the smith smirking while she drummed her fingers on her knees.The green gem continued her debrief. "The Galaxy Warp has once again been disabled-" --unseen behind her, Bismuth shifted one hand into a large hammer and waggled it at those seated on the couch-- "-and additional alerts put in place to better detect a repeat attempt.""What did those scout people want?" asked Steven.Peridot's mouth became a thin line, the corners minutely downturned. "We are not certain at this time. But Homeworld's agenda and ours are so oppositional that the situation is essentially zero-sum.""If they want it then it's bad," rumbled Jasper, translating and agreeing both."Did-" Connie felt herself reaching for Steven's hand but brushed against Wolf's paw instead. She gave the furry ankle a squeeze and a pat, Wolf's tail thumping against Jasper to her left. "Did this happen because of Pearl and Amethyst?"Peridot's face transitioned through a sequence of expressions, the outward signs of a strong emotional reaction only barely contained.Before she could formulate her response, Lapis said in an apologetic tone, "It sure looks like it." When Connie faced her she gave a wan smile in return. "They blast off and Homeworld comes sniffing around a month later?" She shook her pigtails, "And it's not like they had much reason to do us any favors; we didn't exactly send them off with a wave and a smile."There was a moment of stricken silence from Connie followed by a soft, "Sorry girlie," to her right.An uncomfortable moment became two and then Peridot hastily pressed on. "However, in the wake of the enemy probe, we have been busy preparing ourselves and our environ for a potentially hostile encounter. For example, this dwelling has been partially rebuilt to be far more defensible," and she gestured broadly, floating and tethered fingers fanning out to encompass the whole Beach House."No Homeworld elites are getting in here without a fight." Bismuth's eyes sparkled with glee. "Jaz and I had a lot of fun while those two were in space."Jasper only gave a minute nod, a hint of a smile on the warrior's face."Defenses?" // "Space?!" said Connie and Steven over one another."The four of us infiltrated the Ziggurat," explained Peridot, "to acquire command codes for an orbital asteroid-deflection array.""Peridot defeated an Onyx," remarked Jasper with approval while Lapis crowed, "We have doom cannons!" and ended the pronouncement with a cackle as though she were a Saturday morning cartoon villain.Connie and Steven stared at the gems, then each other, then back at the gems, mouths open. There were inarticulate noises of bewilderment coming from the pair.Peridot tried not to look too pleased with herself but only partially succeeded, rocking contentedly on her gravity connectors. "Yes, the Ziggurat did not give up its prizes easily but we did succeed. Laz and I have made a survey of the thirty-six, ahem, 'doom cannons' and found five to be fully operational after only modest repairs and I am confident I can have a sixth functioning later this week after I have salvaged the needed components from other, defunct cannons. That accomplished we'll have one orbital defensive emplacement to cover every sixty degrees of stellar approach, plus or minus a few arcminutes.""And you can shoot these doom cannons at Homeworld?" asked Steven, bouncing a little in his seat."At Homeworld itself? No," corrected Peridot, falling into her teacher-mode as she addressed Steven. "But any Homeworld vessels that attempt to approach the Earth will be bombarded and hopefully destroyed. Between that and the destruction of the Galaxy Warp, it should be impossible for Homeworld to approach the Earth undetected and uncontested.""Cooool!" breathed Steven, prompting Peridot to preen in wordless agreement.After a few excited exchanges about the doom cannons, Jasper, scratching at her sleeve, said over the others, "Tell them about the recording.""Recording?" echoed Connie."Ah, yes." Peridot banished the holographic simulations of wireframe Homeworld vessels splintering into fragments like something out of an old Asteroids game. "The other find of significance from the Ziggurat control center was an audio recording of the corruption event Homeworld unleashed at the close of the war."Connie sat forward on the couch, quite literally on the edge of her seat. "Really?! Do you think that could help figure out how corruption works?"Peridot's eyes twinkled, a teacher clearly pleased with her pupil's quick reasoning. It had been quite a while since Connie had resumed her usual tutelage and Peridot seemed to miss their old dynamic. "Very possibly. More data can only help our analysis.""Can I hear it?!" asked Connie, the very picture of eagerness.The four gems present flinched and Lapis and Jasper both said over one another, "No!"Connie ducked as if dodging incoming fire, eyes wide and looking to Peridot for context.Peridot gave an embarrassed cough into her hand-equivalent. "The recording, though in no way as inimical as the original event, has proven quite... uncomfortable for Lapis, Jasper, Bismuth, and myself. You and the Steven may listen to the recording only when all other parties are vacated." Peridot's gaze moved to the middle distance as ideas cascaded into place. "And once I've had opportunity to assemble suitable sensors for gauging the physiological effects on a gem-human hybrid and human, respectively."Silence descended over the gathering, save for the noise of Wally busily sweeping and stealing the occasional appraising glance at Connie.Connie nodded. "That makes sense. Wow," and her hand found Steven's. "I didn't realize so much was going on while I was, um, well, not here." She blinked then looked from gem to gem. "Was there anything else?" she asked, her voice somewhere between anticipatory and fearful."There is one final matter." Peridot's expression grew somber as she crossed the living room to approach Connie, pulling the girl to her feet and guiding the pair around the deceptively heavy coffee table.Her eyes were apologetic as she met Connie's, but there was a determined cast to her features as Peridot addressed her wayward ward. "In the wake of the launch I reacted poorly, first toward you and then in general. It took time and the assistance of others," and the gem paused to glance at Bismuth, Lapis, and Jasper. "But I have rejected the nihilistic, even hopeless state I was in initially. Whatever transpired, I should not have emotionally lashed out at you. Though I do not agree with the-" and her tone became strained though she maintained her composure, "-curious decisions you made during that altercation, the appropriate forum for that is a civil discussion, not petty sniping."The gem squared her shoulders and her expression softened, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly. "I love you, Connie, and will endeavor to treat you with the respect you deserve."Peridot and Connie both stepped into a hug, Connie clutching her guardian tightly as she heard, 'ahhh' from Steven and Lapis both. For the first time Connie actually felt like she was home and the flood of relief that accompanied that nearly staggered her.Finally the hug broke and Connie and Peridot stared at one another. "I'm sorry too," said Connie. She was, even though she stood by the righteousness of her decision.Radiating a kind of maternal satisfaction, Peridot only nodded. Finally, floating and tethered fingers fidgeting a little, she said, "You asked me following the launch if you were grounded and I told you no because at the time I believed our doom would be both swift and inevitable. In resumption of the previous, hopeful status quo, I must reverse my earlier declaration. Until suitable time has passed or you have convinced me of the validity of your decision to aid and abet the fugitive Amethyst and Pearl, I must declare you grounded."It's possible Steven might have gasped but Connie wasn't in a position to confirm it visually. She felt a cold chill shoot down her spine but it didn't run as deep as she remembered feeling during past punishments. In the wake of everything she'd seen and done, losing TV privileges and the like just didn't have the emotional weight it once did.Connie nodded, licking her lips for moisture. "I- I understand, ma'am."Peridot offered her another, briefer hug and then guided her back to her seat beside Steven, her boyfriend making a valiant effort to not look stricken at the punishment.Peridot drifted over to a spot near Bismuth. The technician was leaning with her back to a stool instead of sitting down, giving Connie and Steven an affectionate, even apologetic look. In a gentle tone, she said, "I believe you and the Steven had some things to convey."It took the pair a moment to mentally shift gears. "Oh, uh, yeah," stammered Steven, the teen's hand never leaving Connie's now that it was an open question how soon he'd be able to hang out with her again. "Do you want to start or should I..." and he trailed off.A lot of feelings were going through Connie just then, as though everything she'd tried to avoid by moving in with her dad had been waiting for this moment to come rushing back. With her free hand she rummaged through the pack open at her feet and handed Steven the glitter-covered power diary, colored sticky notes poking out from the top to help them find the relevant entries. "Go ahead," she said, not trusting herself to say more.Steven held her gaze for a moment longer and then, reluctantly, took his hand back. "Okay." He opened the book to a page marked by a purple-black sticky. "So, me, Connie, Lars, and Sadie went to Mask Island back when the power was out. Actually, me and Connie went on a sorta mission first: we played with the big shadow thing in the Quarry and Connie did her forehead thing that made it into a small shadow baby; we went to Connie's mom's sanctuary and did the thing that kept all the bad hot feelings from spilling out; and then we found a mole monster person attacking the boardwalk so me and Connie poofed it.""Another Omphacite?!" cried Peridot, aghast. Jasper, meanwhile, gave an approving head tilt."Uh, yeah, one of those," answered Steven, flipping through the book and finding a sketch of the green monster labelled in the diary as 'Guaca-Mole.' He held it up for everyone to see. That accomplished, the book went back in his lap and he said, "But after that we went to Mask Island and it was really pretty and Lars brought homemade cookies and we camped but then there were more monsters and the warp pad was all ickied up and we couldn't warp home."This brought a confused look from Bismuth, the smith asking the group, "We know something that gunks warp pads?"Jasper shook her head and Lapis said, "Nope." Then the blue gem looked thoughtful and said, "Wait, you guys were gone for, like, three days stuck on the island fighting monsters? I thought you two were necking under a geode while the donut dips made themselves scarce."Peridot opened and closed her mouth several times before burying her face in her hand-equivalent. "There is so much about this entire discussion to object vociferously to." She heaved a sigh, still unable or unwilling to look up. "But please go on," she said in a resigned tone of voice.Connie, meanwhile, had mirrored the technician's pose, red creeping up her cheeks and threatening to reach her ears.Steven blinked, as if making a mental note to look up 'necking' later. "Right. So we called these monsters shadow tricksters because they weren't really mean so much as pranksters who, uh, really didn't like Lars much. And, well, it turns out that Connie was making them accidentally from, like, leftover shadow monster stuff. They kept getting smaller but then one of them ate the others and turned into a big wolf trickster and then Wolf showed up and ate the wolf one that wasn't him and then he howled us all home and licked up the gunk stuff."There was a moment of silence broken only by Wolf's happy panting and the 'thump thump thump' of his tail thudding against Jasper.Then there was a wall of noise as four voices started speaking all at once. This tumult was silenced by Connie with a cascade of sparks followed by a drawled, "Please hold all outbursts until the end of the presentation.""But the ichor-like substance inside Wolf's dimensional pocket, and the strong resemblance to the sessile umbralite dwelling in the derelict quarry, and-" stammered Peridot. Lapis, meanwhile, was giving the magical canine a suspicious, side-eye look.Another cascade of sparks. "Did Mom summon shadow monsters?"Four heads shook, Bismuth adding, "Not while I was around.""Then let Steven finish," finished Connie. "Believe me, there's more."Steven waited another moment to confirm the floor was his, his right hand busy scratching Wolf's noggin. "We learned later that Wolf was made by Connie's mom and Rose Quartz though we we don't really know how. Something to do with her trying to figure out how to heal corruption," ventured the teen.A warning flicker of sparks was all that kept the room from erupting into a still more noise."After that Connie got a new phone and me and Connie went to a really cool concert though we had to, uh-" Steven glanced over to Connie who gave a minute shake of her head. Steven coughed, "Yeah, and it was a really cool concert."The silence was heavy until Lapis asked, "New phone?"Connie fished the nigh-indestructible, titanium-and-pink device out of her pocket for all to see. Four sets of eyes looked at it and then at Connie skeptically."Pink?" asked Jasper, voicing their thoughts aloud, though Bismuth added, "Looks sturdy enough."Connie sighed in defeat. "It was the only color they had left.""It's okay, dear," offered Peridot. "I'll find a suitably colored paint that will adhere to the chassis."Connie's grateful expression was response enough.Steven flipped to a page in the diary that was marked with a clear yellow sticky note. "A couple days later Connie discovered a really cool new power that we're calling Colored Perception."Peridot looked between Steven and Connie expectantly, then started to say, "And this novel power does-" when the words died in her throat. Her Connie had just turned transparent and, according to her background biometric sensors, no longer possessed a heartbeat."Gah!" squawked the gem as she toggled her sensor array and pointed them at the spectral ward. Not only did she no longer possess a heartbeat, but her temperature was indistinguishable from ambient and in fact, her mass scanner was detecting nothing save for something the equivalent of a fist-sized hologram centered at chest-height for the girl. "Connie! Your vitals are entirely absent! Are you well?! Is this the intended effect?! ANSWER ME!" she bellowed, beside herself with worry.For her part Connie looked distracted, her gaze flickering back and forth between Peridot and something visible in the middle distance over Peridot's head. Connie's mouth opened and closed wordlessly and then she turned and signed to Steven.Jasper reached out and pressed on Connie's shoulder, her hand going right through without Connie even noticing. The gem's eyes went way up at that."Connie says that she's fine but she can't hear anything, like, nothing-nothing, when she's like that," translated Steven while signing something back to the girl.Trying again, Jasper reached out and pushed at Connie's immaterial form, hand passing through until it reached the translucent gemstone at Connie's chest. Then Connie toppled forward, soundlessly tumbling over the coffee table and landing in a sprawl on the other side. The clear glass of water on the table was utterly undisturbed."I could feel her gem," offered the warrior in the pin-drop silence.Connie scrambled to her feet and looked to Steven in wide-eyed surprise as the two exchanged a flurry of sign language. Then her eyes widened further as she looked at Jasper. Soundlessly she reached out and ran her finger through her own gemstone, with Steven doing the same a moment later."That's so weird," offered the boy. "Because she can't touch it and I can't either, though it does bonk against force fields." He signed as he spoke.Lapis waved a watery wing once then twice through Connie's side, nodded to herself, and said, "It's Citrine's see-through power. Just Connie-fied."Peridot's near-panic had subsided slightly, helped by her disabling the biometric alerts flicking across her HUD. "Connie-fied indeed. When Citrine entered this state, the energy requirements were so high that her gemstone downgraded the quality of her physical projection from hard light to soft light. This affected her gemstone as well, for unknown reasons, rendering her no more substantial than one of my holographic projections."Steven's signing reached a fever pitch as he struggled to keep up for Connie's benefit.Peridot continued, examining her scanner readings. "In Connie's case, her gemstone is soft light but the rest of her is just... light.""Sorry, Peri, you lost me on that one," drawled Lapis as she made a game of 'tickling' Connie's nose with a wing, something Connie was helpless to stop until the girl summoned a force field between them.Peridot obliged the request. "She's not hard light, like our projected bodies. Gemstone excepted, she's not soft light, like my holograms or Citrine while effecting the same power. And she's not conventional matter like the Steven. Everything save her gemstone is a Connie-shaped hologram made of light, mass-free, unable to interact with matter and therefore unable to generate or perceive sound. Or," the gem hastened to add, "that's as it appears based on preliminary data."Bismuth walked over, picked up a rumpled blanket lying in Lapis' window seat, then tossed it over Connie. The blanket engulfed the girl, Connie collapsing under it like it was an industrial press. The blanket landed on the floor with no outward sign there was anything underneath save for a muted glow through the fabric; it was like a magician using a handkerchief to make someone's watch vanish."Looks like she interacts with opaque matter just fine," remarked Bismuth in the silence following assorted gasps and other noises of surprise.Before anyone could properly react or panic, a large, horizontal square of force sprung into existence with the blanket partially draped over it. It was angled upward with maybe a three-inch gap off the ground at the high end. Connie, so flat she almost looked two-dimensional, tried to wriggle out like a cartoon character or a super-human limbo player. She got part way free, tried to sit up, was halted by her gemstone against the force field, then wriggled further and escaped. She didn't look like she much cared for the experience.A few seconds later Connie was no longer see-through, her vitals returning to Peridot's sensors."Please don't do that again," said the girl in a pained tone of voice. "I don't think I can feel pain when I'm like that, but being completely trapped under an immovable object, unable to see or hear or feel anything is not fun."A touch sheepishly Bismuth bent down and balled up the blanket before tossing it back over to the window seat. "Sorry, Alloy."After spending another moment recovering and reorienting, Connie asked, "Did I follow Steven right? I turn into light when I'm like that?"Peridot nodded. "The scans are quite unambiguous, even if the mechanisms by which that is accomplished are, if you'll forgive the term, utterly opaque.""Powers are weird," said Jasper succinctly and everyone around the living room bobbed their head in agreement. Then the warrior turned to Connie and asked, "Is there more to Colored Perception?"Connie drifted over to Steven, unconsciously assuming her half of the pose they'd drilled where Steven, shield in hand, was protecting her back. Her hand went to her gemstone. "Yes. A lot more, actually."The others looked at Connie expectantly. Steven, meanwhile, reached up and gave her back an affectionate pat."While I'm like that I can see the shape of people's emotions. It's like a huge, colorful fractal that shows if someone is nervous or angry or happy or-" and her hand trailed down to squeeze the seated Steven's shoulder, "-really kind." She turned to Peridot. "A couple of days ago when I rushed up here and hugged you, ma'am? I had seen your 'scape and you were just so... sad; I wanted you to know I still cared about you."Peridot seemed to withdraw in on herself for a moment before saying in a soft voice, "Whatever your source of information, your conclusion was not inaccurate. The surprise embrace was... affirming."Connie looked at her caregiver affectionately for a long second before she steeled herself for a subject she'd been dreading. Balling her hands into fists, she said, "But I can do more than just look. I can... make changes.""Like Yellow's panic and anger power?" offered Bismuth casually."No! Or, I mean-" A sigh. "Mom's power wasn't limited to those emotions. She could make other changes as well, and so can I. I accidentally made Lars be less insecure when I first unlocked this power-"There was a low whistle and all eyes turned to Lapis. "Really? If you took that away, what was left? Bad fashion sense and an inexplicable attractiveness to short blondes?"Connie shook her head but she chuckled all the same, as much from the tension as the scathing remark. "Without his insecurity, it made Lars do stuff he'd always been too afraid to do, some good and some bad. Steven, Sadie, and I had a rough time trying to fix things after." Connie's expression was serious once more. "But don't you see? I did that to Lars and Mom..." She looked in turn at Jasper, Lapis, and Peridot, holding each one's gaze for a second. "Citrine influenced you three as well." A second passed and she added, "I found a journal of hers where she said as much, so that's not just speculation."Wally scuttled past to empty a dust pan into the trash can, but the Beach House was otherwise quiet. Jasper was her usual, inscrutable self, Peridot was wide-eyed, and Lapis only leaned further back in her seat."Come on, I wasn't the only one who suspected... right?" asked the blue gem. Her question was met with stares. "Really? Maybe I just needed it most, but after a while I noticed how my emotional roller coaster had fewer dips around Citrine.""She always knew what to say," muttered Jasper, the gem's eyes open but no doubt looking at the past.Lapis nodded, lounging casually. "Yup. Turns out she was more than just a really good listener.""Why?" asked Peridot, several emotions vying for room in the singular syllable.Lapis leaned forward, chin resting on her hands. "Why do you think, Dippin' Dot? 'Cause we're usually only one bad day away from flipping out. OJ has her patrols, you've got your tinkering, and I have junk food, but when that's not enough we lose it and either go hide or start redrawing the landscape in shades of wham.""I think Connie's mom just wanted everyone to be happier," offered Steven. "She said in the journal that it was hard on everyone during the war so she helped and then after, with nearly everyone turned into monster people, she wanted to keep helping."Peridot shook her head like an animal trying to ward off flies. "But I never endured an internecine conflict. Unless she-" The gem gasped. "Were my allegiances overwritten?!"Connie was quick to intervene. "No! The power doesn't work that way. It can make people feel different emotions, temporarily, but it can't, like, make someone think differently. Mom said in her journal that you were having a hard time on adjusting to life on Earth so she tried to help. Plus, you have way fewer marks than..." and Connie's voice trailed off, the girl suddenly unsure of the wisdom of that statement."What about me?" asked Bismuth in, what was for her, a quiet voice.Connie blinked. "Huh? Oh, uh, I don't know. I can check." A beat. "If you're okay with that, I mean."The smith nodded and for about a minute Connie was see-through once more, staring through Bismuth and into the middle distance. She returned to solidity and shook her head. "No. No changes, which I did not expect. Every time Mom or I use that power to change something there's these little marks left over and I don't see any in your mindscape, Bismuth."Bismuth nodded mutely but didn't say anything further."Rebellion suited you," said Jasper with a hint of mirth.The smith chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I guess it did.""How do you all feel?" asked Steven.Lapis shrugged. "It just confirms my hunch. Besides, I'd move out of my own head if that were possible, so I'm not going to get mad at Citrine for trying to do a little redecorating."Jasper just grunted, a noise that could mean anything or nothing coming from the reticent warrior.The morning light was reflecting off of Peridot's glasses, hiding her eyes. Her expression was muted. "I will have to give the matter additional thought."A beat later a pair of floating fingers vanished somewhere in the kitchen and returned with a baggie of sour candies. The autonomous fingers had it opened by the time it reached Peridot, who popped one into her mouth with her tethered fingers. The baggie was hovered over to Lapis who took a handful before letting it waft back over to the technician.Connie found and squeezed Steven's hand. "There was one last thing about that. Um, Lapis and Jasper have... damage. Places in their mindscape where a part of the pattern was destroyed. I have no idea how Mom did that or what it means."Jasper stared into the distance for a second and then asked, "Just me and Lapis? Not Peridot?"Connie nodded.Jasper seemed to relax at that. "Then it's probably to do with us being corrupted."Now it was Connie and Steven's turn to react. "WHAT?!" cried the pair, Connie adding, "Mom wrote about how the three of you were caught in the corruption attack, but she said she cured you guys!"Jasper and Lapis shared a look, the latter swallowing her candy, giving a small shake of her head, and saying, "After you."There was a sparkle and the long sleeve covering Jasper's left arm vanished, revealing orange skin mottled with blue-green splotches like circles of mold growing on a fruit.Connie's eyebrows tried to climb all the way off her face and she was certain this time that the gasp she heard from Steven was real."More on my chest and back," stated Jasper."Why did I never know about this?" breathed Connie, transfixed by the reveal and feeling unsettled... also a little betrayed. She'd seen Jasper nearly every day of her life and the fact that this had always been hidden blew Connie's mind."Unpleasant reminder," was all the warrior said.Lapis added, "Aside from ruining the Crystal Gem swimsuit calendar, it's a little unpleasant seeing how close we came to being like every other schmuck out there waiting for a bubble." Running her hands over her own sleeves she added, "And I'll be passing on this little show-and-tell, so everyone knows." She leaned back and began scratching Wolf's ears, the immense hound doing a darn good job reading the room and letting everyone forget he was there when appropriate.After Connie had time to get her fill of gawking at Jasper's arm, the warrior said. "Citrine couldn't heal us completely. Had to burn it out instead. Left marks." With that, she resummoned her sleeve, then reached and scratched through the fabric."Whoa," said Steven and Connie could only nod in agreement. "Though that's a way better reason for 'scape dots than it might have been," he said, offering Connie and the room at large a relieved smile.Peridot's voice intruded on the moment. "I would very much like to know how you acquired this informative journal of Citrine's." She'd steadily eaten her way through the sour candies, a tell for her anxiousness, and was now having her floating fingers float the wrapper to the trash can.Wolf panted and wagged his tail as Connie said, "Oh, right. Well, Mom left a puzzle for me that could only be solved with Colored Perception. It led me to Wolf who took me to-""Citrine's archive?" supplied Jasper."Yeah." Connie cocked her head to her side. "How'd you know?" She really hadn't expected being on the back foot through so much of this conversation.Lapis, Peridot, and Bismuth all shared puzzled looks, then turned to face Jasper."You can only enter insubstantial. Citrine’s power didn’t work without a target in range," explained the warrior. "I stood guard outside. After the Rebellion we stopped going. Didn't know she was still going back.""Oh. Okay. I'm pretty sure Mom was using Wolf for that after she, uh, made him." Connie looked to Wolf for confirmation but the canine was more interested in chin scratches than elaborating on his origins.Jasper gave Wolf a long level stare at that.Peridot was looking thoughtful. "This archive? Does it contain an automated book binding device or an ersatz robonoid?""Yes!" piped Steven. "Me and Connie and Mr. Maheswaran were wondering about those.""You and Doug have been inside?" asked Jasper, aghast.Connie answered. "I had Wolf warp them inside. We kind of camped there one night while I first read Mom's journal."Peridot regained control of the conversation. "Some time ago your mother requested I fabricate a few devices for her but refused to divulge the cause. She brought Emet to me for maintenance twice but I haven't seen the wayward robonoid for decades."Steven blinked. "Emmet? Like the builder guy from The Lego Movie?"Bismuth, a recent but devoted fan of the building blocks, leaned forward with interest.This time Peridot looked bewildered. "I'm unfamiliar with the film in question, but I suspect the names of being homophones. Emet, spelled in the English alphabet as E-M-E-T, is a reference to the legend of the Golem of Prague."Connie retrieved the journal from her backpack and set it on the coffee table. "Mom kept secrets. Kind of a lot of them. And maybe that was needed during the war but I don't think it helps anymore. Later I want to take everyone to the Archive so you all can look it over. Maybe you can help explain some of the things there that Dad, Steven, and I weren't able to understand. Plus," and she gave a small smile, "it's something of hers and I know everyone misses her."Jasper gave a small nod. Peridot looked intrigued by the offer. Bismuth was distracted, eyeing the journal warily. Lapis, still seated, reached up and pulled Connie over beside her, hugging the girl at hip height. "Ah, you're such a thoughtful gal, you know that?""We missed you," added Jasper.Peridot sighed around a relieved smile. "Yes, despite the many surprises that have come to light in the course of this discussion, the most immediate detail of import is that you've returned to the Beach House. The preceding weeks have been tumultuous ones and it is my hope that we can enjoy a return to familial unity even if normalcy may be too large an ask."Steven smiled and Connie smiled, the girl returning Lapis' hug in earnest... but she still felt that knot in her stomach.Stepping back from the couch she addressed the room. "I'd really like that but it can't just be a return to how things were. I left because of how things went with Amethyst and Pearl-" and across the room Peridot flinched.Connie pressed on. "-But that was the result of me having mixed feelings about things for months before that. If we don't talk about things and change things then- then sooner or later we'll have the whole thing happen again. I think Mom was tired, from the war and from what came after. Reading her journal and thinking about how hard things have been for you all after she- after I was born, I think she kept making temporary fixes for the group. I don't want to talk bad about Mom, maybe she didn't know what to do either, or maybe she knew something I don't, but I'm not Mom and I won't just adjust everyone whenever it gets bad. I want things to get better in the long term and I think this is our chance to do that." She paused a beat, cheeks a little flushed from the impassioned speech that had poured out of her. "Together," she concluded.Steven's face was lit up with a big, big smile and Connie could only take a moment to smile back at him, basking in the approval of her boyfriend, destiny partner, and Light Side coach.Peridot cleared her throat, forcing Connie to focus once more. "Do you have any specific objections or proposals, my dear?" asked the green gem in a careful tone."Oh, right. Well, with the theme of doing what's easiest, I think we treated the situation with Amethyst and the Quartz Pack kind of like we treat normal corrupted gems: solving the problem quickly and directly. I mean, we're pretty powerful-" and a part of her couldn't help but marvel at the fact that she was, justifiably, including herself in that assessment, "-so most problems can be solved by just hitting it hard enough."Lapis bounced a little in her seat. "You just described what my tattoo would read if tattoos worked on gems."Rather than get sidetracked, Connie continued. "But by doing that with the Quartz Pack, we made an enemy of Amethyst. We should have recognized that the situation was different with her and held off on the usual 'smash and bubble' approach, even if it meant waiting weeks or months before tackling the Quartz Pack. And if Amethyst had been on our side then we might have been able to talk her and Pearl into staying on Earth! Or, if they refused to stay, we could have discussed a way that would let them go back to Homeworld without endangering the Earth." Without realizing it Connie had begun to gesture grandly, swept up in the momentum of her own speech. "We're not the bad guys but, to them, we were and now that could be what's earned us the attention of the real bad guys: Homeworld. Plus, I really want to try and find a cure, or treatment, or something for corruption and if that works then we'll have all sorts of new gems around like Amethyst and Pearl and I don't want that to go wrong too."Steven clapped and Wolf made half the people present jump by barking his approval.Lapis rose to her feet and said, "I mean, since Nurse Citrine isn't here anymore we've had almost fourteen years of cold turkey to learn to cope. And then you started getting unreasonable about little things like flying away for three months and here we are, all marginally more sane and high-functioning because of it." She skipped over and pulled Connie into a side hug. "This is just making it official.""Making what official?" asked the girl, smushed up against Lapis."That we're all a bunch of doofs who need the occasional smack upside the head with the cluebat." Lapis turned to face the group. "Anyone opposed to making Connie chairwoman of the 'Stop being dumb' committee?"Peridot started to open her mouth and Lapis was quick to say, "Co-chaired by Dot."Wolf barked."You can be mascot," quipped Lapis, adding, "Sorry BM."Bismuth rolled her eyes and smiled. Jasper gave a faint grin and a nod.Peridot rose and walked over, Lapis retreating to the couch to give them room. The green gem gave Connie an earnest, searching look. "We won't know if your supposition holds true regarding the Amethyst and Pearl, and I have strong reservations about anything which risks incurring the existential threat that is Homeworld's attention. However, there is undeniably wisdom to your assessment, especially should a means of treating or curing corruption come to pass. Given a... clearer understanding of your motivations during the day of the launch as well as my pride at your impassioned call for greater transparency and cooperation within our group, I am formally rescinding your punitive grounding." She then pulled Connie into another in the latest of a surprisingly long line of hugs brought about during this reunion.Steven cheered and Wolf rattled the windows with another percussive, happy bark.Stepping back and smiling with satisfaction, Peridot asked, "Was there anything else, dear?"Connie grinned up at Peridot, the knot in her stomach, one that she'd been carrying for weeks now even if she hadn't always realized it, one that had only been growing heavier as this confrontation approached, that knot finally gone. She looked around the room and felt light, a pervading sense of contentment and relief radiating off her.She looked at Steven who, smiling, gave her the nod."Well, there is one last thing."Peridot sat back down, expression intent."Steven and I-" Connie faltered and Steven rose to his feet, walking over beside her.Lapis rolled her eyes. "We know about the smooching, you two cuties. Or did you think that rainbow was an advertisement for Skittles?"Connie blushed a little. She'd known, or certainly assumed that the others knew about Steven and her dating, but it was another thing to be standing in front of them when the subject was out in the open.Lapis was beaming at them. Jasper seemed pleased in her reserved way. Bismuth smirked and shot her or Steven a wink. Peridot looked... her limb enhancers had entered diagnostic mode and her expression was tight, but she looked like someone who was trying to be happy despite their internal screaming.It honestly reminded Connie of how her dad had looked when it'd first come up.Feeling Steven take her hand and give her an affirming squeeze, Connie said, "Actually, it's about fusion."Though not in the literal sense like it had been with Sapphire, the temperature in the room dropped.Steven bulled forward, trying to maintain their momentum. "Connie and I have been figuring some stuff out and we've been talking with Garnet-"The temperature dropped further, though Bismuth seemed fine with the direction of the conversation."-And we think that there's a lot more to fusion than what you guys have been thinking." Steven gave them all his thousand-watt smile. "It doesn't have to be bad or scary or some kind of emotional time bomb at all!" he exclaimed as if delivering the good news that unicorns were real and there were six saddled out back ready to take them for a ride."Fusion is dangerous and should be reserved for dire situations," said Jasper after a long beat of silence, the gem speaking with an air of finality."I used to think that too," insisted Connie, taking a half-step forward (though maintaining her hold on Steven's hand). "Hiddenite always seemed to precede a big fight, Malachite was scary, and Tiger's Eye felt like trading two of my favorite people for one bigger, blander person."The group was waiting, hanging on Connie's words."But Garnet is proof that fusion doesn't have to be problematic like that," said Connie. "She's fused because Ruby and Sapphire love each other, not because there’s a fight. She does all sorts of things while fused and doesn't seem to be drama-prone, scary, or boring compared to the gems that make her."Lapis shook her head. "Ruby and Sapphire are the exception that proves the rule. Maybe she is the perfect fusion, I certainly can't do better, but that doesn't mean what works for her works for everyone else." She gestured toward the opposite end of the couch. "Jasper's proof a Quartz can come out perfect but that doesn't do me or BM a lot of good, does it?""Okaaay, but- uh, what if I said there was another fusion who was good too?" offered Connie, her grip on Steven's hand intense.Peridot blinked at them owlishly. "A second data point would certainly lend credibility to your argument," conceded the technician, "but I fail to see how that's possible."Before she could answer, Connie heard a chipper mix of electronic notes, acoustic guitar, and drum beats. She looked over and saw Steven holding his phone out in his free hand and giving her an encouraging look. Turning, he tossed the phone underhanded to Lapis, then reached over and wiggled Connie's nose.It's going to be okay, she thought, hearing the words in Asmi's voice."What's happening?" asked Peridot, an edge entering her voice.As Connie and Steven stepped into their dance positions Lapis bounced in her seat, the phone chirping music in her lap, and said, "No idea but it's adorable!"The pair twirled laughing, there was a yellow glow, a flash of light, and then...Asmi was holding themself and giggling, backlit by the glow of the morning sun, and marveling once more just how fun being was. They opened their eyes and saw eight more gawking at them and four mouths gaping open in surprise. Even Wolf looked confused, with only Wally unperturbed as it cleaned between the racks of training swords along the back wall.In a sheepish tone, Asmi made jazz hands and said, "Tadaaa."Silence."Hi everyone. I'm Asmi." A timid wave and a half-smile. "I'm like Connie and Steven but with less trouble reaching the high shelves," they quipped. When the joke landed flat they made a strained face.Peridot flew from her seat. "This is unprecedented." She lifted Asmi's arms up, prodding and scanning as she circled them. "A fusion involving a human being?" Her voice reached a tone just shy of open panic. "It's impossible! And extremely inappropriate." Voice cracking, she commanded, "Unfuse this instant!"
Asmi retreated a step. "I mean, I promise it's okay. Connie and Steven have been fusing for months and they figured out how to make it- me, work." They cracked a partial smile. "I'm really proud of those two.""Months?!" squawked Peridot, the gem recoiling as if she'd been slapped. Then, drawing herself up to her full height and using what Steven called 'the Mom Voice,' she barked, "Steven DeMayo Universe! You relinquish my Connie this instant!" She looked like she would have said more if she hadn't gotten too mad for words.Asmi looked wide-eyed around the room and, seeing no support to be had, said in an unsteady voice, "Oh, um, okay I guess.” They gave a weak smile and said, “Bye?" the word inflecting up into a question at the end. There was a flash of light and then Connie and Steven clutching one another, this time protectively instead of joyously.There was another beat of silence."You're grounded," barked Jasper."You are so totally grounded," said Lapis. Then she turned her attention to Steven, fixing the boy with a piercing stare."Young lady, consider yourself grounded," said Peridot, agitated and wagging a floating finger at them.Connie and Steven were too stunned to do more than stand there, wide-eyed and paralyzed.Bismuth slid off her bar stool, walked over, and gave a dumbfounded Steven a high five.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Pinkie Pie had been chased off and Con-con was getting her loft to feel like her loft again after being gone for, like, a month. That she was texting lover boy despite being grounded was an open secret that no one had wanted to notice just yet.No, right now it was time for the four of them to talk about the girl and what was to be done with the girl; despite the fact that they’d started this bold new age of respect and no-secret-keeping by grounding Connie up to her eyeballs, it was agreed that they’d probably want to figure out what grounding her actually meant now that she was, ya know, not just a little girl anymore.Funnily enough, being able to saw a hole in the wall with your lightning sword really changes the household dynamics.And that was why Lapis was standing in the burning room while Dot paced and grumbled angrily and Jasper kept stealing glances at that mural of Citrine. BM, at least, seemed unconcerned, having stretched out in the lava pool like it was a jacuzzi after five minutes of watching Peri march and mutter.Alright, that was enough stewing. Lapis summoned a bubble --completely empty-- and then popped it loudly between her hands. The sound of a bubble bursting in this room was always guaranteed to get everyone’s undivided attention.“So, Connie’s grounded,” said Lapis laconically. “What’s that actually mean now that she’s the second coming of Citrine as foretold in the ancient prophecy?”“We have an ancient prophecy?” asked Bismuth, visible only from the chest up with her arms draped over the side of the lava pool.Jasper shook her head ‘no’.“It’s clear,” said Peri, her voice angry and louder than it needed to be, though she’d at least stopped wearing a rut in the temple floor. “A sharp curtailing of recreational outlets, no socializing, and possibly some punitive endeavors like cleaning or robonoid maintenance.” Those weird tether-fingers of hers were flicking back and forth like the tail of an animal that’s this close to reordering your view of the food chain.“Really, Green?” Bismuth hauled herself up slightly out of the pool, molten liquid dribbling onto the floor and sizzling. “She comes back after a month and you want to lock her up? Seems like a good way to get her to leave again and take her time coming back to base.”“Yes, but Connie has been- been- fusing under our very noses. For months!” and Peri’s voice hit one of those high notes that make you worry about breaking wine glasses or bursting bubbles. “We can’t allow that to go unaddressed!”“What about her classes?” Lapis asked, because someone had to pull this car out of the ditch. “You gonna cancel Con-con’s classes while she’s grounded?”Dot rolled her eyes. “Well, naturally her coursework would resume. It’s fundamental to her development as a burgeoning intellect, maturing human, and Crystal Gem.”“Training,” said OJ, talkative as ever. Still, good to know Lapis could count on being able to maneuver Jasper in an argument. There for a while she’d worried she lost the touch.“Pardon?” asked the cutie in green.“Connie must resume her training. Especially since she has new powers to master.”Another scoff from Peri. “I hardly see why this is being discussed. Of course her training will continue while she’s grounded.”Before Lapis could run with the ball, BM beat her to it. “But she trains with Steven, what with Meatball being her shieldbearer and all.”Dot scowled at the problem the same way she scowled at Johnny when he oiled on the floor. A few foot taps later, looking like she’d bitten into something nasty, she conceded, “Very well. The Steven can be permitted over for the duration of training.”“And missions,” chirped Lapis, swaying on her feet for the fun of it.Peridot blinked. She was smart but she sometimes needed a minute when the hits kept coming. “Yes, we shouldn’t exclude Connie from missions, nor the Steven for that matter since his presence enhances Connie’s physical safety.”“Especially not with Homeworld sniffing around,” said BM, heat ripples in the air making her look a little blurry. “I want to get in as much of that before we have to stop and put those elites back in their place.”OJ nodded. Then, looking thoughtful, she said, “We’ll need a large table.”Because… obviously.Peri looked at Lapis and BM, saw that neither of them knew what to make of that, then asked, “Could you elaborate on why?”“For Lutes and Loot. The coffee table is too small.”Dot shook her head. “You mean that roleplaying game about dice and elves?”Nod.“Of course not! That’s a recreational activity and socializing both! Two of the very activities we want to curtail for the duration of Connie’s incarceration,” objected Peri.Jasper folded her arms that way. It was something that Lapis knew from a long, shared history meant the Perfect Quartz was going to do an impression of a wall, only more stubborn. “No.”"You can't be serious?!" cried Peri. When Jasper refused to budge, she said, "How is Connie spending unsupervised hours of playtime with human peers a punishment at all?! I will not have Connie playing some diverting game of make-believe under this roof while she is grounded!""I'll go.""You'll what?""I'll go," repeated Jasper. "Then it's supervised. It'll be at Todd's player's house so she's not under this roof."Peridot looked like someone had drawn rude faces on her visor, then threw her limb enhancers in the air. "Fine! If you insist on making a mockery of the very institution of discipline then she may engage in such- such- monkey shines with you as chaperone!"OJ uncrossed her arms and gave a curt nod.Well, if that isn't my opening then nothing is, thought Lapis. Out loud she said, "Speaking of squees and chaperoni..." She trailed off, ending on a broad smirk.Dot rounded on her, eyebrows raising high in surprise and then crashing down in a fierce scowl. "Nooo,” she drawled. “You can't possibly mean..."Lapis waggled her eyebrows at Peri. "Connie and Stevedore are dating and it's the best thing ever. We don't let that continue and girlie's going to start remembering all those times she's seen kids sneaking out at night in movies. Especially when I start watching them with her and poking her during the important parts."Bismuth, from her lava-cuzzi, was smiling so widely Lapis could hear it. As far as Lapis knew, BM wasn't the steadfast shipper she was but she seemed to love rebellion for its own sake, teenage rebellion included.Peridot's limb enhancers were crossed and Lapis wouldn't have been surprised if Dot's glasses were showing little targeting crosses over a certain, blue face just then. "Jasper's request was flagrant enough but this is entirely beyond the pale. And besides, the cause of Connie's grounding is due to her and Steven's unacceptable..." she stammered, searching for the word before spitting out, "fusion-based fraternizing!"Lapis nodded, giving Peri a sympathetic look. "No, totally. You don't have to tell me that fusion is diving into the deep end of trouble. But we're not mad at them for dating, we're mad at them for fusing." She shrugged. "If I tag along for the first then I’ll be there to whap 'em with a newspaper if they try the second."She's so cute when she's angry, thought Lapis as Peridot scowled at her."Again, absolutely not."Cute but stubborn, she amended."Okay, I didn't want to do this but I'm pulling the teenager card," said Lapis seriously."The what?" asked Bismuth, having hauled herself out of the pool and was just then wringing lava out of her rainbow-colored hair."The card that says, 'Connie isn't a little girl anymore and Lapis is apparently the only one in this messed up family that speaks thirteen-to-nineteen-year-old,'" she explained. "You go and cut off Connie from Steven and she's going to resent us. All of us. Possibly for a long time. And even if she doesn't blast a hole in the wall and flip us off while she runs into town, we really don't want her thinking we're the enemy." Lapis paused for a beat to let that echo of Connie's own phrase sink in. "Especially not with Homeworld thinking of coming by to borrow a fresh cup of genocide."Silence reigned in the burning room, thousands of bubbles wafting overhead amidst all the weird pipes and stuff that made the temple function."You're certain?" asked Peridot, her expression strained.Lapis nodded somberly. "Certain as a Sapphire."Peridot looked down at nothing in particular and blinked a few times. "Okay. I- I trust you, Laz."Bismuth walked over, a few bits of molten rock smoking between her dreadlocks and in the pocket of her apron. "Can I take her for walks sometimes? Alloy and I have some good talks going out. Plus, I think humans need sunlight, right?"Dot drooped in defeat. "Yes. Connie will be allowed to engage in the aforementioned activities, and with the previously stated parties, so long as she is adequately supervised by one of the four of us." Rising up with a final determined look, Peri fixed each of them with a stern glare and said, "And we will all act superlatively in our roles as supervisors and chaperones, is that understood?"Everyone nodded in agreement, plus or minus a smirk."Very good," said Peridot, determined to salvage what dignity she could. "Now, if you'll excuse me, our Connie is home and in need of a meal, as well as an explanation of the terms of her grounding."With that, Dot all but ran through the temple door into the Beach House beyond."Someone's glad Connie's back," drawled Bismuth.Jasper gave a curt nod and strode forward, her pose screaming 'going on patrol.' She vanished through the door a beat later."Yup," said Lapis, popping the 'p' for effect as she fell in beside Bismuth. "She's not the only one." Then Lapis' smile dropped and she said in a lower tone, "Though someone's going to have to have a little talk with lover boy. If he's fusing with Connie then he must need a few whacks from the big, blue cluebat."