... And that's it for this story! I sure didn't expect the Post-GA Vacation arc to get this hectic, but it's been fun to do all the same! Hopefully it's been just as fun to read.

So yeah, anything involving Gypsum, the conversation with Peridot and Lapis over the recovered memory regarding Jasper, the Era 3 movement finally starting, what exactly Imaginary Steven and Peridot did way back in GA Act III, the issue of Sphalerite and 5XF, how the hell corrupted and pallified gems will get cured in a continuity with a dead Diamond Authority, and all the other loose ends that didn't get a mention - as well as new ones I intend to one day add - all of that will be in separate stories. I'm not gonna promise jack on what comes next, since odds are fate will completely make me betray what I'm advertising anyway. Until the next time~!

For the final 39 hours of the vacation, Sphalerite and Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XF made as much use of that time that was possible within the parameters of reality. Doing so allegedly in honor of Steven and Peridot (the much more well-known sister of 5XF), but really because as long as Sphalerite was locked in her fused state, 5XF was determined to take this opportunity to express her feelings to the fusion as best she could. However Peridot and Steven returned to the world, there was no telling when 5XF could see her beloved fusion after this.

There was no debate about it whatsoever: this relationship happened very suddenly, and not even the couple in question imagined this was how their vacation would end. 5XF certainly didn't expect to fall in love, let alone go as far as she did… and Sphalerite didn't expect to appear during the vacation in the least. She knew Steven and Peridot intended to surprise the Crystal Gems by coming back as her, but it was a safe bet neither planned to fuse days before the vacation ended, and most definitely did no one think it was possible for Sphalerite to still be here as long as she had.

At the very least, both 5XF and Sphalerite acknowledged that they were moving way too fast (especially compared to Steven and Peridot, who'd only recently gotten together yet knew each other for the better part of a year; and they thought skirting the edge of second base was going way too fast… which, in all fairness, it kind of was). However, circumstances for this couple in particular were very different from the relationship the fusion came from.

Both were fully aware that as a fusion – one very new and lacking in experience – Sphalerite could only exist under certain conditions. This didn't leave her much time to do much of anything outside of do what she was brought out for in the first place, much less be available to cuddle with her new mate. Lasting from Friday morning (in Delmarva's time zone, anyway) and still maintaining her form all the way up through Sunday night and still going was a very unprecedented event; one that neither Sphalerite herself nor 5XF counted on happening after this.

After all, it was easy to figure the reason Sphalerite didn't defuse the moment she passed out a couple of hours in; Steven and Peridot needed her to be there in their place. While neither could be contacted to get an exact reason, the fact that both were split into two different personas that were cruelly arranged into deathmatches to kill their loved ones by 5XF (albeit under the heavy influence of a corruptive power)… which had lovely results like Steven nearly being strangled to death by 5XG while Peridot very nearly killed herself just to get her evil counterpart to stop… that probably had something to do with their fusion shortly taking their place and remaining there ever since.

5XF didn't have the chance to even apologize to either of them before Sphalerite took over.

Still, there was no question that the stress was inadvertently picked up by even Sphalerite, hence her collapse after only a few hours into her appearance, then sleeping for 14 solid hours. After waking up as herself, Sphalerite could only assume Steven and Peridot still needed more time to recover. The fact that she wasn't getting input from either consciousness at all (opposed to the overload she got from both the first time she came to be) supported that, and the fusion had no choice but to look after 5XF. While she didn't mind, Sphalerite still barely knew who she even was, let alone this random Peridot. She counted on Steven and Peridot's help to build her own identity, but the only one she could turn to now was a gem who really had no better of an idea about her own identity. Ever since she witnessed the very drastic change from the cunning sociopath 5XG to the fun, loving, and highly emotional Peridot… 5XF was honestly terrified.

She knew Steven and Peridot meant well when they tried to assure her how she too could find out her own identity – the one Homeworld went out of its way to make sure remained forever buried – but 5XF just couldn't take that kind of news in stride. She made it no secret to either of them that they way they were going about this only raised her own anxiety, and it wasn't long before an identity crisis set in.

5XF couldn't understand why she suddenly did thoughtful things for Steven and Peridot despite really not liking either of them. She worried this was part of some kind of infection she was suffering directly through the pair; honestly, 5XF thought up a wide variety of ways that every bit of this was an elaborate ruse to get the elder Peridot to sign off on her own free will – what little she had left thanks to Homeworld's way of life. She eventually snapped under the stress and decided to only trust herself after running away. Even that got 5XF nowhere as she ended up getting herself trapped in a temple chamber, and while she ultimately got out on her own, Steven and Peridot were right on her tail by that point. Tried as she did to keep herself distanced from the couple, only to end up completely cornered, 5XF's only hope to avoid being dragged back to a life she was pretty sure she didn't want was to listen to a random, disembodied voice in her head.

That incident led to 5XF having to give Gypsum (who she never met face-to-face) some kind of control or influence on her mind. The craze of power and her anxiety levels that only made her hate Peridot and Steven even more created the scenario that ultimately led up to why she was now saddled with Sphalerite alone. This fusion being with her was a direct consequence of her actions.

After getting ganged up on by two Peridots and two Stevens (justified in their case, really) and nearly dying of fright when 5XG – who the elder Peridot spent so much of her life going out of her way to avoid due to her little sister's reputation preceding her – basically threatened her to surrender and restore her escorts into their original forms, Sphalerite appearing was… well.

5XF was too afraid to act or even know how to feel, other than a sense of relief that someone other than Steven or Peridot was facing her with none of the agony or anger she was just dealing with in four separate beings. She wasn't told of the fusion at all, so she had no way of anticipating this… not that 5XF knew much about fusion to begin with other than what Homeworld wanted her to know and believe.

Still, the technician shocked herself when she admitted out loud how little she cared about being in a fusion's presence or being associated with one. But she really did feel like a fusion, especially one as friendly and accepting as Sphalerite, was not even in orbit of the myriad of morally wrong or otherwise upsetting elements that pervaded 5XF's life all the way back to when White Diamond trapped her kind in pocket dimensions for the sole purpose of being decoys.

Sphalerite didn't once talk about anything that just happened (unless directly asked about it), and she certainly had no hard feelings over 5XF completely scarring her components for life. Her offer to take 5XF somewhere legitimately safe made her seem like the first true beacon of hope the Peridot had seen since coming to Earth. When Sphalerite emphasized the technician's need to relax on top of being in a safe place and having a quiet spot so she could finally digest the catalogue of catastrophic events that all happened within the span of a single day, that was when 5XF felt a new sensation that actually brought her comfort.

Despite barely knowing her, Sphalerite gave a damn about 5XF's needs and was keen on asking what she wanted before making any big decisions. She carefully chose the spot on Earth to recover at, but not before making sure 5XF was okay with another abrupt jump in the time of day. While she was sure by this point that Peridot and Steven did care about her (the easy way to settle that was realizing how they still strived to bring her back even after ditching the tablet she stole from Peridot; despite recovering said device, they rushed headlong into danger for 5XF's sake and paid the price for it, but she could already see that neither of them regretted doing so), they weren't very good at showing it.

Peridot especially; 5XF still felt in many ways her own sibling hated her now, and at this point she couldn't even blame her for it. Then again, Peridot couldn't fully blame 5XF for feeling hated in return, either. Steven was a bit more on 5XF just not understanding human beings in the least; and while it was never the case, Steven's more open showing of care and concern felt superficial to her.

It was mind-blowing to recognize the fact that the fusion she loved so much was one quarter-human, in hindsight. 5XF couldn't deny a lot of Sphalerite's charm came from the small part of her that was a mortal being. She truly was unlike any other kind of gem 5XF knew (or knew of).

5XF prided herself on being a more cautious and reserved Peridot than her sister, yet here she was on the beach watching Sphalerite create a pocket dimension to preserve the tiny house they just fornicated in for nearly two days straight. For all the flak she had given Peridot about her relationship with Steven, she officially had no leg to stand on anymore.

Then again, knowing that her lover was literally the product of Peridot and Steven's love meant 5XF couldn't in all good conscience denounce that relationship any longer. Without their love, 5XF never would have found her own.

After spending a short time enjoying each other's company and getting her mind off the madness that happened in Egypt, 5XF quickly became attached to Sphalerite. As the hours passed while the fusion slumbered, the technician found herself continuously thinking of her – and not just out of concern for her well-being (which that was represented in scheduled check-ups every couple of hours on the dot). That small period of time where 5XF finally just let herself open up to her surroundings and her company was the most the gem ever enjoyed herself in her entire life. Such a small sample made 5XF yearn for more; she already knew and accepted that she needed Sphalerite to feel like that again.

And, of course, the pair had a very important aspect of themselves they could relate on: not really having much of an idea of who they are, or who they're meant to be. Sphalerite hadn't existed long enough to find out, and 5XF had to start over from scratch the moment she set foot on Earth, after casting aside so much of life she thought she knew… and was later proved to be wrong. She had a hard time trusting herself, consequently, to find her true identity.

But if 5XF could place her trust in anyone at all, it would be someone who was in the same boat as her. While she wasn't sure how much help she could be due to having such limited knowledge of fusion, it relieved the elder Peridot that such knowledge wasn't required at all. Sphalerite was just another gem, in the end. The lack of Steven and Peridot's influence (which 5XF could tell was the case) meant everything Sphalerite did and said came from her own independent will and desire. She truly was another gem entirely despite her components.

The moment Sphalerite finally woke up and 5XF found herself thrilled that the fusion remained after awakening from such a long period of slumber, that was when the green gem knew something was amiss about how she viewed this individual. She was just happy beyond words, almost wanting to cry, that she came from the bedroom rather than Steven and Peridot. In that moment, 5XF was determined to find out what this feeling meant… and what that said about herself. She also desired to help Sphalerite in any way she could, and the two spent several hours resuming what they started. 5XF found herself in a state of pure bliss; a very alien concept, yet its unfamiliarity didn't frighten her like it normally would have.

She found that Sphalerite's presence; especially being in close proximity to her, gave 5XF more comfort and confidence than she'd ever experienced. With the fusion around, hardly anything seemed frightening (whereas before, she was very timid about every little detail she came across that she couldn't decipher).

It dawned on 5XF that she also never had friends before. Not that this kind of backstory was anything special, as Peridot didn't either, but they led very different lives.

Peridot was friendless by choice, because she didn't see friends when she looked at the masses of her kin; she saw pawns to use to elevate her own status and discard once the objective was achieved. Until Earth opened her mind, Peridot literally couldn't comprehend a gem who was someone other than a means to an end, or a superior authority she knew to obey… at least until a time came where Peridot felt they could fall into the first category.

Because of how notorious Peridot was for this behavior, 5XF was shaken when she noticed the pattern in her sister's actions. Despite never once working in the same station as Peridot and never crossing paths until many years later, 5XF's passive methods of gathering information told her everything she needed to know about her tyrannical sibling. While she found Peridot's actions reprehensible, 5XF couldn't deny that she behaved that way for a reason: it always helped Peridot scale higher and higher up the bottom-tier totem pole. It served a purpose and kept her alive despite the insane amount of risk-taking.

While 5XF didn't share that kind of ambition or proactivity (not during her life on Homeworld, at least… in the present day, 5XF no doubt had degrees of said traits after all), she was keen on staying alive. Rather than doing so by eliminating competition, she simply kept to herself, did her job, and snubbed every single Peridot who ever approached her. Whether their intentions were good or ill, 5XF wanted nothing to do with them and did everything in her power to not acknowledge their very presence.

She knew that made her be perceived as a huge snob in her work station, but 5XF honestly didn't care. What mattered was that it kept her alive; the same couldn't be said for many of the gems who derided her for such behavior. Consequently, 5XF's social skills were every bit as bad at her sister's; just for vastly different reasons. Being on Earth severely exposed this weakness of hers. But she couldn't make sense of throwing aside the behavior that kept her alive up to this point, despite Steven and Peridot's pleading.

It was beyond her why Sphalerite was so much easier to talk to by comparison… but if she had to guess, it was the fact that trust was quickly gained on both ends by their similar plights. The fusion was constantly keeping 5XF's best interests in mind and did so happily, rather than begrudgingly and wishing she could just cuddle with her boyfriend like a certain Peridot she knew… she didn't need to say a word for 5XF to know this was the case. Steven seemed to be everyone's friend, so 5XF interpreted this as meaning Steven was actually no one's friend; she would likely not hear or see much of him once she'd been "converted".

Sphalerite focused on her. 5XF wasn't used to receiving positive attention at all, let alone so much of it. While at first it overwhelmed her, soon enough the technician found herself wondering how she managed to live so long without this experience. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like Sphalerite had a very similar experience. Actually liking someone for who they were was such a foreign concept to 5XF until today… and Sphalerite continued to be the sole gem she felt that way about. 5XF found herself further drawn in and cherishing every second of it. The more time they spent together, the more the technician found herself falling in love.

She had talked to Steven about the matter of Peridots and love. While she obviously had no affection for the boy, 5XF couldn't help but feel immensely jealous when she recognized love was what made 5XG change to the Peridot she was today. More than anything else, the jealousy stemmed from actually seeing a Peridot achieve the love they were never permitted to have… and of course, the fact that it was 5XG of all Peridots to be that lucky one. While some part of 5XF stubbornly believed even now that Peridot didn't even remotely deserve this lovely new life she got after the countless atrocities she committed on Homeworld, she was no longer compelled to judge her harshly on the matter of love. Once again, that love 5XF was so jealous of ended up producing the gem who could give her that and quell those jealous sentiments once and for all.

"I'll just add a layer to this so Peridot doesn't come across our home while she's browsing," Sphalerite assured her love. "Because I think I really wanna keep this place and use it again sometime…"

"Whenever that "sometime" is, I'll be waiting," 5XF promised with a dreamy sigh. She was desperate to cling to the post-coital afterglow that still lingered. "I'm sorry I'm gonna get us in trouble for delaying this…"

Oh, right. The 39 hours this couple had alone? It was actually 41. In Beach City, they were a mere hour away from midnight for Monday.

"Hey, how much did it take for me to go along with pushing back the schedule again?" Sphalerite slyly reminded the small gem behind her, prompting the latter to blush. "And I can say with absolute certainty that those extra two hours were worth it. In my short life, you've set the bar impossibly high… and the only way we can outdo this is, well… to do it again."

5XF smiled fondly at the proposition, but when she spoke, there was a tinge of sadness to her words. "The challenge is how we'll ever be able to make this much time for us again in the future, let alone more than that…"

"I may or may not have ideas for the near future," Sphalerite teased. "It's all a matter of timing. Provided no one learns of our little affair here, I'm certain the Crystal Gems will have no problem pairing us off together at various opportunities. Plus…"

With the house packed away, the fusion sauntered over to 5XF, giving her lover a sultry smooch.

"If we have less time overall to work with, that should be more than enough incentive for us to go all-out and forego the foreplay," she added. "We had quite a crash course starting out… now we're practically experts."

Sphalerite wasn't exaggerating; but really, it was common sense. Even two virgins who knew next to nothing about what they yearned to do together could easily become expertly skilled and experienced veterans if they just… kept at it for nearly two straight days with very few breaks taken between sessions. Especially when they did research while railing each other.

The advice Sphalerite gave to 5XF before their relationship escalated to this was very sound; just to get by during the "dry periods", she would always have this memory of their time together. It was more than just the sex; the two made great progress in learning just who they were; who they were meant to be. But of course, it was simply unavoidable to neglect the fact that they had quite the marathon of love-making that most established couples could never manage.

"A very astute suggestion," the Peridot commended. "I do hope it works out that way; we had the luxury of taking our time here. Having much less of it will push us to go above and beyond to make the most of the experience. I just wonder…"

Sphalerite could tell 5XF was worried; it was written all over her face. "What's up?"

5XF looked to the fusion; her expression was sobered down and sincere. "I-is… is there any chance at all that Steven and 5XG will know of this when they return? I know they've largely been unconscious, but for all we know, they might end up retaining your memories!"

That there was the biggest concern of all. It was also the biggest obstacle in Sphalerite and 5XF's chances of maintaining their relationship. Just to bask in her lover's presence, 5XF was entirely reliant on Steven and Peridot fusing… and even if they wanted to (they certainly didn't), the pair couldn't afford to trade their existence for Sphalerite's with the state their world was currently in. Steven and Peridot were set to be key figures in Era 3 in many different ways. They too struggled with the inevitable hardship of having to work apart and not having nearly as much free time to enjoy together.

What made 5XF feel the worst was the fact that their relationships couldn't tangibly coexist. She was fully aware how real the love between Steven and her sister was. After all the hardships they suffered, they deserved a happy life; 5XF couldn't bring herself to take that away from them.

"I can't say for certain, but I really doubt it," Sphalerite surmised. "Those two have been in a coma this entire time. If they were aware of any of this, I would've heard them screaming in my head ages ago. But honestly… outside of Steven choosing a stupid name for you, I've heard nothing from either of them. It's completely different from how it was before… but I'll admit, this has been liberating."

She fondly looked down at the small gem by her side and cradled the side of her face. "In the end, I didn't need them to find myself… you were more than enough, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

5XF wiped a tear from her eye. "Agreed!"

She pulled the fusion down to her level so she could properly kiss her. A statement like that needed to be rewarded. In fact, it made her want to bed Sphalerite right there and then, but reality finally settled in. The vacation was over.

"I love you so much," 5XF cried out as she did a poor job of maintaining composure. "And for so long, I loved absolutely no one… if I couldn't love anyone or anything else beyond you, Sphalerite… I'd be content with that. You have my full consent to claim me as your own… that's all I want to be."

"…5XF…" Sphalerite returned the kiss in kind, though she too kept in mind the reality of their current situation. "I want you to open your heart up to more than just me… there are so many things on Earth to love, so many people… you clearly love the ocean, do you not?"

The technician blushed; she certainly did, but it felt like such a distant memory now. "Oh, r-right. I suppose I misspoke."

"You're still learning how to open up to others," Sphalerite reminded her. "We're about to meet a lot of new friends at once. These people will be in our everyday lives from now on, until the day you truly feel ready to set off and make a life for yourself elsewhere. It'll take a while to adjust… but you know for a fact now that opening your heart to someone else isn't inherently a bad thing… or a stupidly naïve thing."

5XF nodded in agreement. "Now I'm not so sure where I'd ultimately like to end up… I honestly can't stand thinking about living somewhere without you now… and I suppose your components by proxy…"

"You've got all the time in the world to decide what the right path is for you, 5XF," Sphalerite encouraged her before offering a brief peck on the lips. "So, get ready… hold my hand if you want; so long as I don't defuse, I won't leave your side, okay?"

Unsurprisingly, 5XF was quick to take up her lover's offer and grabbed one of her hands. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she said with a tone of resignation. "Let's… get this over with before I lose my resolve and pin you into the sand."

The fusion smiled as she started to concentrate. "Oh, I don't believe I properly said it, so… I… I love you, 5XF. No matter how many steps we skipped in the relationship rulebook, I wholeheartedly believe we're meant to be together. I don't know how, yet… we'll find a way to make it work. I am indisputably yours, just as you are mine."

There was no more time to dawdle. It was a quarter till midnight in Beach City.

"However our lives play out from here… we have this place and the memories of our constant lovemaking. You'll always have me there, even when you can't get to me in person."

And with that, the loving couple faded out of existence, leaving Millennium Island uninhabited once more.

"I should have known… I swear, I should have known better than to allow this!"

These words came from a shaken and bitter Pearl who, much like her other teammates, was utterly distraught that it was so close to midnight, yet Steven and Peridot not only hadn't returned, but also weren't answering anyone's calls or could be contacted in any other way. The pair would probably have to spend an hour just cleaning out the flood of messages from their phones.

"Patience, Pearl. Keep in mind what I said," Garnet softly ordered.

"I know, I know… wait till midnight before we start hunting them down," Pearl whined. "To think I was so mad that they missed our party… now it's looking more and more like they aren't even alive! I told you what kind of places Peridot was taking poor Steven to!"

Amethyst, who lounged on the deck outside (along with the others as their eyes were cast to the beach anticipating the return of their straggler teammates), rolled her eyes and grunted out a sigh. "Pea, you gotta chill. I may have taught P-Dot all I know when it comes to causin' a ruckus, but Steven graduated that course long before she got here. I'm gonna get super-peeved if you start laying into Peri while you give Steven a slap on the wrist."

Pearl didn't want to dignify that statement with a response. She knew Amethyst had a valid point; from her recollection the last time she saw Steven, it did seem like he was the one more in charge of their dangerous exploration in the Sahara. And he was still level-headed enough to call her ahead of time before diving into the unknown.

Of course, that was Thursday. She was the last one to have spoken with either of them; all other calls that were answered on Friday were handled exclusively by 5XF. Then, later on that day, they were completely unreachable. Throughout the entire weekend, not a single Crystal Gem got a call through, nor any messages. By the time they resorted to tracking their phones, Sphalerite had already shut them off, as well as any other digital device that would give away their position.

"I'm sure they're okay," Connie told Pearl, who reached up to hold her hand. "Besides, don't they seem like the type who'd take "fashionably late" to the extreme?"

Pearl managed a smile for Connie's sake; she always had a soft spot for the girl. "One of them at least certainly is…"

Just then, an unusual color of light flashed in the distance on the beach.

Amethyst quickly checked the time: 11:59.

"Daaaaaang-oh-man! Those two are frickin' clutch!" she exclaimed, clearly impressed with the timing.

"Are we sure that's them?" Lapis inquired as she peered out, but naturally the dark made it nearly impossible to see who just spontaneously appeared. "I mean, I know she can teleport, but that color…"

And just like that, yellow sparks were seen in the air not too high up from the ground, but future sparks were placed gradually higher. The Crystal Gems cautiously observed this phenomenon as it did look to be closing in on them; the yellow sparks eventually appeared as stars of hard light that propelled the rider before disappearing. A dark figure was eventually seen practically treating the air itself like a trampoline until it abruptly made a very high vertical leap into the sky…

Only for the figure to sharply drop right in the middle of the deck; a star platform appearing just over the deck to bounce the one who was obviously Sphalerite up a few feet to soften the impact before landing gracefully… and of course she was going to pose. The little Peridot wasn't even noticed yet, as she was clinging to her back.

"Ta-da~! Meet the newest Crystal Gem, Sphalerite! I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm certain the pleasure is all yours!"

After a moment of silence as the Gems took in the sight of this stranger… most excitedly rushed over to crowd the fusion.

"Aww, yeah! That's definitely Steven and little Dottie-P!" Amethyst cheered. "Hey, who's the stowaway on your back?"

"–Oh! Thanks for reminding me, Amethyst." Sphalerite reached back and lightly gripped her love who hung on her back for dear life during that ride.

Despite that being a bit much for her, she instantly trusted Sphalerite's grasp and allowed herself to be picked up and shown off. She tried not to look incredibly shy and scared out of her mind when she realized just how many gems surrounded the pair.

"I'd like to introduce everyone to Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XF!" the fusion brightly announced. "Our first liberated Homeworld refugee who was in Steven and Peridot's care for the latter half of the week. She doesn't have to join the team if she doesn't want to, but I'm hoping she elects to become part of this family in her own way, because she's a precious one-of-a-kind."

5XF couldn't help but blush madly at that introduction. She was soon let down to stand on her own two feet, but of course she remained very close to Sphalerite. It was a bit imposing to see literally every gem in sight was far taller than she was. The only exception was the human girl.

"Um… yeah, hi," 5XF gently said as she waved to this mass of strangers. Well, at least she knew some basic details after perusing the database on the tablet. "Nice to… nice to finally meet all of you. Some of you I already met over the phone… a-and there's no need for introductions."

"Really? Why not?" Amethyst was visibly disappointed. "I had a mega-awesomesauce speech all prepped for our new Peri!"

5XF began to look less shy; instead becoming stern. "First of all, I did an extensive study of all the Crystal Gems in 5XG's database on her tablet… as well as your fusions, the unaffiliated gems, the Diamonds, and your resident humans. Since there seems to only be one of each kind in this team, I presume you go by what kind of gem you are rather than your cut series code, which at least will make name-memorizing easier for me."

With a sigh, the Peridot continued with an even sterner tone.

"However… Amethyst, I would greatly appreciate it if you did not refer to me using the name nicknames you use for 5XG." It was clear she was still a bit sensitive on the topic. "If you all so insist on continuing to call her "Peridot", I suggest you at least come up with an alias when it comes to the rest of the refugees. You'll make a bad first impression if 5XG announces herself as "Peridot"… to a mass of other Peridots."

"Oh dear, I didn't think of that," Pearl realized. "This is a procedure that will eventually apply to all of us once we cure the corrupted and pallid gems."

Sphalerite gulped, as that reminded her of something very important to announce. "I-I should inform you all that we did come across a lair hosting an active corrupt gem in Egypt. Does the name Gypsum ring a bell to anyone?"

There was a moment of silence as the senior members thought hard on this.

"Not right away; perhaps with some further investigation, we may recognize something," Garnet replied, breaking the quiet moment.

Very reluctantly, 5XF stepped forward. "I might be the one you'll want to investigate first. I'm the only one who came in direct contact with her… or at least a projection."

"That's brave of you to come forward and admit that," Garnet commended. "Although I see no signs of corruption on you at all…"

"No, but I do have this "parting gift" she came out from," 5XF confessed as she moved her hand to the golden crystal embedded in her chest.

"–Let it be known the crystal has been with her since Thursday and hasn't been active or harming 5XF internally in any way," Sphalerite interjected. "I understand it's a cause for concern, but… please go easy on her."

5XF looked up to Sphalerite and offered a small, appreciative smile in return. "Yes, I can say with utmost certainty that this addition to my corporeal form has been completely inert for several days. My theory is that it will only potentially cause problems should I return to Gypsum's domain."

"All the same, I don't feel right leavin' that threat hangin' while we're try to launch Era 3," Bismuth commented. "If it's a corrupted gem, it's the Crystal Gems' duty to snuff out the threat and add another bubble to the collection… like we need any more of those, eesh."

"Yes, it seems we will have to delay the program launch once again until Gypsum is defeated," Garnet agreed. "But we will not leave immediately; a task like this requires planning."

"And I suspect our little temple-dwellers still have more details to share based on what Steven showed me a few days ago," Pearl spoke up, looking sharply to the new fusion. "Which I'm afraid requires you to defuse, unless you were actually there… when in the world did you two pull this off, anyway?"

"I wasn't present for any of that…" And by now, there seemed to be something of a block when Sphalerite tried to access Peridot's memories. "So I'll defuse soon. And, um… Steven and Peridot made me the night before the vacation started, actually. But Peridot wanted to surprise you all with me this way, once I got adjusted to my abilities and my two halves got in sync. The first time didn't even last an hour because they were squabbling in my head."

5XF tried her hardest not to look completely depressed after hearing a certain line…

"We were all wondering if a fusion like you was ever gonna happen," Lapis said with an odd hint of enthusiasm. "You know you need to show us everything you can do."

"Let's see how you measure up to some of the other fusions, huh?" Bismuth suggested. Lapis looked to the blacksmith and winked. "This is big, y'know!"

"I wanna take a shot, I wanna take a shot!" Amethyst was all to eager to get up in Sphalerite's business, unsurprisingly. "C'mon, Pea! Big G! Back me up here!"

"We are not using Sugilite," Garnet sternly denied. "And the demonstration will have to wait. I wish to speak with Sphalerite in private for the time being. … As well as our newest Peridot," she concluded, gesturing down straight at the technician.

"G-gah!" 5XF found that highly unnerving. "Wait, why me? You're wanting to talk about fusion stuff, right? I've got nothing to do with any of that... a-and please, just "5XF" is fine!"

Just then, Garnet smiled. "I have my reasons. I presumed you would want to meet me as soon as possible, 5XF. After all, I am the reason you were paired with Steven and Peridot, and a certain part of me is responsible for bringing you here in the first place…"

"… that Ruby…" 5XF couldn't believe she almost completely forgot about her; she wanted to give that gem a piece of her mind and then some. She frowned immediately and became surprisingly bold and compliant as she approached Garnet. "Very well. I will follow you."

While both Sphalerite and 5XF were beyond terrified of the reason why Garnet immediately requested a private consultation, they took solace in that they could face this together. Hand-in-hand, the pair followed Garnet inside the house. The little Peridot had no time to absorb the details of the beach house yet, as the entire group was taken directly to the Burning Room.

She didn't say so out loud, but Garnet felt something amiss about this fusion the moment she appeared. And 5XF… there was much more to discuss than she let on. The fact that the pair behind her were holding hands was not lost on the elder fusion. The way they held hands (much more tightly after entering the house and getting away from the crowd) immediately gave it away; Garnet was certain of it.

"Sphalerite, I look forward to working and interacting with you in the near future," Garnet commended her fellow fusion as she sat in the lotus position across from both of her guests who were also instructed to assume the position. 5XF honestly wasn't sure why she had to be part of this; it didn't take long for her legs to ache.

"I-I'm so glad I was able to meet you after all," Sphalerite expressed, on the verge of tears. "Steven and Peridot… they were both terrified that they could only fuse in their Diamond forms, but they finally managed to pull it off as their natural selves. Even though I'm sure it took a lot of loopholes and bending the rules of reality itself to achieve this at all…"

Garnet chuckled lightly at that. "You are overthinking it; Sphalerite deserves to exist every bit as much as I do, or any other fusion. You said your first run ended before it truly started… but I can sense that this time, Steven and Peridot are perfectly aligned…"

Sphalerite's eyes shined as she beamed with pride, receiving praise from Garnet like this.

"… perhaps too perfectly aligned."

And her face fell flat. She should have known it wouldn't be this simple. Garnet would have called her in here just to say that.

"Um, I don't understand…" Sphalerite was genuinely confused. "How can anything be "too perfect", if you don't mind me asking?"

"Think of it like a perfectly-made engine," Garnet suggested. "It performs the duty it is made for; it always does so at a consistent speed, consistent quality, and consistent quantity. However, say you never turn the engine off. You won't notice a thing at first since the machine never once malfunctions, but over a long period of time with constant work, ensuring only the best quality… eventually, what would you say happens to the engine?"

Sphalerite had no idea why she had trouble answering this question; this was an easy one for her Peridot side, but nothing was coming to mind. "Um…"

Noticing the struggle, 5XF was quick to supply the answer. "It overheats; perhaps even spontaneously combusts depending on the power input, but the end result is that the machine completely breaks down and cannot function."

Garnet looked to the little gem and smirked. "Very good answer. However, I was not asking you. Did you really believe your friend is unable to answer a question like that, considering who she is part of?"

5XF winced at the question; she probably should have thought that through better. Still, she found it very odd that Sphalerite couldn't answer an easy question like that.

"Of course I don't," 5XF rebutted, almost sounding offended. "Sphalerite is wonderful! It's simply been a very long day–"

"5XF… it's okay," Sphalerite quietly assured her love, smiling to her. "There's… something that almost feels like a mental block whenever I try to think of Peridot… same with Steven. I can go off what I know on my own, but… honestly, this just happened right around the time we left for home."

Garnet decided to cut to the chase. "Sphalerite, how long have you been in that form?"

Both of her guests visibly winced at this question.

"Why should that matter?" 5XF asked, trying not to panic. "You're in your fusion all the time, aren't you?!"

"Almost all the time," Garnet corrected. "Rare exceptions have happened in the past. Additionally, a few thousand years tends to give one experience to maintain a fusion. This is no simple matter to make light of."

"B-but I'm not!" 5XF insisted; she really believed she wasn't. "She needed to be Sphalerite!"

Garnet nodded, remaining calm. "May I ask why it was necessary?"

"Look, it happened because…" Sphalerite trailed off. Not only was she having trouble remembering details of events she wasn't present for, the fusion honestly didn't want to force 5XF to hear the whole story again. "Garnet, can you just read my mind? I've got my reasons for not exactly wanting to talk about it…"

She eyed 5XF, who tried her best to be resolute in the face of her awful actions coming back to bite her.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Garnet asked. "I can tell your mental stability is compromised… I may end up seeing certain events you'd rather I wouldn't…"

Sphalerite and 5XF clenched their teeth simultaneously and tried not to hyperventilate. It looked like there was only one way to do this without taking such a huge risk…

Slamming a fist on the floor to get Garnet's attention, 5XF looked directly at her; she was clearly tense and dreading what she was electing to do in a second, but this Peridot had no intention of sitting around letting her beloved fusion getting grilled while another ailment struck her mind. Surely this was the reason she was called up here.

"I'll tell you the whole story!" 5XF cried out. "Just… please don't resort to that. She's not doing well…"

Sphalerite knew why her love was going through with this, and it broke her heart. "Please; you've been hurt enough…"

"Shut up!" 5XF snapped before cupping her mouth in shock. She actually snapped at someone… the one she cherished above all others. "–Forgive me, that was awful. A-anyway, Garnet, let me do this, okay? You called me up here for a reason, didn't you?"

"You assumed this was the reason?" Garnet inquired.

5XF scowled at her question being answered with another question. "I don't exactly have much to go on! Unless you're ready to tell me, just be quiet and let me do what I need to do!"

Garnet nodded and conceded to the request. "5XF, you have the floor. Tell me everything."

5XF was on the verge of a crumpled mess by the time she finished recounting the relevant events. She held herself together the entire time (although without Sphalerite at her side, it was doubtful she would have been able to power through it), but it took her some time to fully get certain words out for certain events, but gentle touches on her shoulder or back from her love seemed to jolt her back into full functionality.

Garnet was stiff as stone as she listened to every last detail. From 5XF's justification for stealing Peridot's tablet and running off all the way to the very first time she laid eyes on the guardian angel that was her Sphalerite, Garnet remained silent and let Sphalerite take full control of calming the technician down when certain parts became particularly hard to recount.

When both looked to their leader, expecting at least a visual reaction if not a verbal one, Garnet finally decided to share her thoughts.

"5XF." The harsh way she addressed the Peridot by name commanded her attention. "Rest assured you will be a case handled separately at another time. Know that the only reasons I am delaying your judgment day are due to your importance to this Gypsum case by association, and…" she looked to Sphalerite as she spoke more calmly. "I am certain she would have a reaction of catastrophic proportions if you were poofed, bubbled, and tossed back into the pile where I found you."

Sphalerite tried to focus her glaring on the floor, but she couldn't help but look up at Garnet once she was being referred to. "You're not wrong."

"Sphalerite, I did horrible things," 5XF reminded her. "I know Steven and 5XG got back at me for what I put them through… rightfully so, but that doesn't mean I've properly atoned."

She tried to stave off tears expressing her next sentiment. "I… I don't want to become another 5XG, who always got away with murder. I wouldn't be worthy to live under this roof with you…"

This at least calmed Garnet down a great amount, though it was almost impossible for anyone to tell. She hoped the elder sister of Peridot would be more of an immediate ally, rather than one that took extensive time and effort to rehabilitate.

"I doubt my participation in the next mission to Egypt will be enough to fully redeem myself," the technician mumbled. "But Garnet said we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We have more immediate concerns right now, Sphalerite…"

Garnet looked to her fellow fusion. "5XF is right; you were clearly summoned in a moment of sheer desperation. Steven and Peridot could no longer look out for the gem I assigned to them; 5XF couldn't be left alone where she was after everything that happened. You were their last resort, Sphalerite. Both Steven and Peridot were pushed to their limits in every possible way, so it was easy for them to sync up. That alone can keep your form stable for a long time…"

"She relocated us to a safer place on a tropical island," 5XF explained. "Sphalerite was… very considerate and kind to me. We had stuff in common, so we ended up… really getting along."

There was no phrase in existence that could accurately describe just how much of an understatement that was.

"Then I passed out," Sphalerite glumly added. "About a few hours after we relocated, I just fell asleep. All that time, Steven and Peridot were basically asleep within me; I didn't hear a peep out of either one of them like I did the first time they fused. It feels like they sort of… dragged me straight into dreamland with them."

"I can confirm she slept for 14 consecutive hours," 5XF reported. "I checked on her every two hours and made sure I remained close by in case she needed something. I presume that is abnormal behavior, yes?"

Garnet considered everything being told to her while she rested her chin over her palm. "Very much so; and when she did wake up, she still remained as Sphalerite?"

"Sh-she sure did," 5XF affirmed, trying and failing to sound too excited about that detail. "Personally, I was fully expecting 5XG and Steven to walk in… but it never happened."

"I suppose the short way of putting it is that I've remained in this form ever since Steven and Peridot fused after becoming whole," Sphalerite explained. "So… since early Friday, all the way up until now… I've been me, and Steven and Peridot still haven't made a peep in my head. I've had to rely on what little instinct I independently had and 5XF to get around and know what to do… she helped me find my own identity when my components were unable to."

The elder fusion didn't look the least bit pleased to hear this. "You tried to contact them, yes?"

"Multiple times," Sphalerite assured. "After a while, I just accepted that they would come out when they're ready to. After what they suffered, I expected it might take a while."

"What more could you expect from her, Garnet?" 5XF sincerely pleaded. "They didn't wanna come out; she couldn't just force them to. Doesn't that sound cruel?"

"That isn't the problem," Garnet sternly corrected. "Sphalerite, the memory blocks you are experiencing at this moment… that is proof that they have since regained consciousness."

"Really?" The young fusion didn't expect to hear this. "I had no idea… I-I mean, I still haven't heard them and they aren't responding!"

"Of course they aren't responding," Garnet coolly countered. "The mental block is a sign of a fusion in direct conflict with the gems who made them. There are many ways to interpret this, but the common cause for this either that the gems who fused do not want to separate, or the fusion herself is actively holding the gems back from defusing."

5XF had a sinking feeling she knew which perspective this case took. "How can a fusion even do that…?"

"I assure you; most cannot," Garnet answered. "It is a much rarer case than the alternative. The only way a fusion can override her own components is if said fusion has had ample amounts of time to develop her own identity – especially if this was achieved with little to no influence from the gems who made her."

Sphalerite blanched at this revelation… and she could feel 5XF's tension along with her own; Garnet was on to them.

"I-I haven't been shutting them out, though," Sphalerite desperately pointed out. "I've been doing the opposite! So this is the more common scenario, right?"

"It's true that Steven and Peridot needed a very lengthy period of rest to recover from the many degrees of damage inflicted on them earlier this week," Garnet acknowledged. "And I'm certain you did earnestly try to help coax them out. However, any kind of memory block inflicting a fusion can be interpreted as nothing other than a retaliation from one end or the other."

5XF shook her head, desperately not wanting to believe this… "Th-then they must not want to come out at all; it's probably because I'm still nearby! That would be a logical deduction, would it not?!"

Unfortunately, the increased, insistent cries of 5XF reacting to this situation only made the two lovers look more suspect in Garnet's eyes.

"When was the last time you tried to directly contact them, Sphalerite?" Garnet calmly asked.

"Um, let me work out the time difference in my head," Sphalerite mumbled as she thought back on that. "I think it was sometime… in the late afternoon the day before yesterday."

"So for nearly two days, you did not try to contact Steven or Peridot at all," Garnet acknowledged. "After being so consistent in your attempts early on…"

5XF could tell this fusion was out to blame them for this, but she was desperate to protect the integrity of herself and her lover. "Th-they weren't responding!" she protested. "She tried several times! If they wanted to stay in there, then who is she to tell them "no", huh?!"

"I'm merely curious of this odd detail," the elder fusion replied. "5XF, your investment in this matter makes it clear you had a role in this."

"What role could I possibly have?!" 5XF asked. "The most I could have affected is just being there because Steven and 5XG hate me! And that's not something I can control! I never once told Sphalerite to hold them in!"

Garnet studied the increasingly-spastic Peridot for a moment before speaking again. "But you clearly hold Sphalerite in high regard. You've been incredibly defensive of her this entire time, 5XF."

"S-so she's a friend, so what?!" 5XF had a bad feeling a certain plan of theirs was about to fall apart at the seams… "And yes, I enjoyed having her company over 5XG's and Steven's, but that bar is set so low in the first place, so that could apply to anyone!"

"5XF, I'll make this clear: you directly have no involvement in this issue," Garnet clarified. "You do not have the ability to make a difference of this magnitude. What you are capable of… is being a motive for Sphalerite to act against her components."

Now the technician was driven to tears. "Sphalerite didn't do anything wrong!"

The younger fusion was beside herself… with Garnet's last statement, it was beginning to make sense. More and more, it looked like the secret of their relationship wouldn't be the only thing uncovered in this room…

"I'll share my thoughts on how plausible each possibility is," Garnet announced, grabbing the attention of both guests. "Steven and Peridot had been severely damaged and needed a great deal of time to recover, true. But for what reason would they have to not want to return to their natural forms? Are you telling me they are healing damage after so many consecutive days of peaceful recovery? The mental blocks are proof that they are awake now. It's possible they have been for quite some time."

Sphalerite couldn't find a way to rationalize Steven and Peridot wanting to remain fused after this long. There was still so much for them individually to do after this… they both clearly held this vacation in high regard and panicked over any amount of time being squandered; the only reason they would have allowed their fusion and 5XF to hijack the last few days of it from them beyond being too injured to function…

More accurately, the only reason they couldn't simply defuse Sphalerite to salvage what remained of their vacation…

"I… I really didn't mean to hold them back," Sphalerite realized. "I mean… I still haven't heard from them, and this memory block issue is very recent."

"Going by your symptoms, Steven and Peridot had ample time to develop their form of rebellion," Garnet pointed out. "It would not simply happen out of the blue; the memory block would be a gradual process. For it to be this developed now… I estimate they've been conscious within you for no less than ten hours. Odds are they've been up and about longer than that, but you would have to risk sharing your aura link with me so I could give an accurate approximation."

Instantly, 5XF and Sphalerite's minds flashed back to what exactly was going on that many hours ago…

"They likely tried to reach you by that time, Sphalerite. However…" Garnet's tone darkened. "You confirmed that you made no attempt whatsoever to reach them within that time frame. However, any contact they attempted could easily have gone unnoticed by you if you were… particularly preoccupied."

"Just what the hell are you trying to imply?!" 5XF growled.

Garnet leaned over to scrutinize the pair. "Several calls to Steven and Peridot's phones were made during that gap of time Sphalerite admitted to not contacting Steven or Peridot. Not a single call went through. Every text message went ignored. All social accounts on Peridot's tablet… dead silent. We attempted to track your digital devices to ascertain your location earlier, but picked up nothing."

Sphalerite tried not to falter at that statement, but she couldn't help feeling the guilt. That was her doing…

"So, all devices were either damaged severely… or they were simply shut off," Garnet concluded. "But for what reason would they ever be shut off? I made it clear to Steven and Peridot to never shut off their devices for any reason during this vacation… precisely to avoid the panic that has been prevalent here for most of Sunday."

"Th-they could have simply lost power entirely…" 5XF tried to argue.

"I think not," Garnet cut her off. "Peridot would never allow for that, and her willpower could generate a reliable power source. Sphalerite, I presume you share that power, correct?"

Sphalerite reluctantly nodded. "I… y-yeah… I do."

"I hear 5XF herself handled many phone calls a few days ago," Garnet added. "So you both know how to operate these devices. I won't bother asking why you shut off all your devices for such a long period of time; there is only one explanation for that."

5XF winced as she reflexively grasped Sphalerite by the elbow; she needed something to comfort her here. "Please, don't…"

"You did not want to be found," Garnet accused. "Whatever you were doing, you wanted no interruptions or distractions. Shutting off your phones eliminated most of us in that regard…. but that would not stop Steven and Peridot from interfering."

Garnet had her; Sphalerite knew it. The latter only just realized she actually had done something very unethical…

"I-if I was blocking them, I certainly didn't mean to!" Sphalerite cried out. "I have no idea how– "

"Subconsciously, a fusion could do this without even realizing it," Garnet revealed. "Especially if she was so invested in whatever she was doing… and most especially if said fusion has the willpower to keep her components blocked indefinitely."

"Oh no…" Sphalerite finally understood what was really going on. She so badly didn't want to admit to it, but it was just a matter of time before Garnet completely exposed her and 5XF.

Garnet looked to the trembling 5XF. "And you were an accomplice to this, no doubt. You two were involved in an activity that spanned across nearly two days; total concentration was needed, and interference from anyone was out of the question. Even if the matter was urgent for a certain neglected pair…"

"Sh-she directly tried to contact Steven and Peridot just before that!" 5XF blurted out. "They didn't answer, so their silence was clearly a sign of their consent to stay out of it!"

"And tell me how someone completely unconscious can tell you "yes" or "no", 5XF," Garnet challenged. "Because the existence of this mind block and how long it has been developed tells me they were never truly given a choice in the first place. When they awakened, you two were already well underway with whatever you did."

The way Garnet worded all of this was very telling… the junior fusion knew the end was nigh for her. "I-if I heard them, I… honestly don't recall hearing them. I was very busy…"

She looked up to Garnet with a look of sheer dread. "You already know everything, don't you?"

"I do feel the truth is within reach," Garnet confirmed. "I would appreciate it if you both be honest and own up to this; the longer this mental conflict goes on, the more Sphalerite resists, and the greater the chance is that all three of you will sustain severe mental damage that may never fully heal. I know you would not willingly hurt Steven and Peridot, Sphalerite..."

"... But I am hurting them," Sphalerite sorrowfully acknowledged. "Because I…"

"You do not wish to leave," Garnet gently told her. "When a fusion is this reluctant to give up her form to bring back the gems who made her, it's because there is something in this world that is tethering you; a very strong desire to remain here."

Now it was Sphalerite's turn to spill tears. No matter how hard she resisted the urge, she looked to an equally upset 5XF. Garnet followed her gaze knowingly.

"I will admit… when my future vision showed 5XF last week, I was not sure what role she was meant to play in our lives," a sighing Garnet recalled.

"– W-wait, is that why you made Steven and 5XG take me with them?!"

Garnet nodded. "When you informed us of Gypsum, I was certain it was only that… but I'm finding that role is rather secondary to why you are truly meant to be here; why you out of the millions of gems we removed from Homeworld prior its destruction were the one to first learn of our world, and what our current mission is."

5XF was on the verge of a breakdown after this intensive interrogation. "Then what the hell did you bring me out for?! I'm sure it was that stupid Ruby's idea!"

To that, Garnet briefly smirked. "Ah, yes. Remind me later that you should properly meet my components. In the meantime, I suggest you make the most of what little time remains, 5XF. I cannot promise when you will have another chance to be in the arms of your soulmate."

Spalerite and 5XF's eyes bugged out as they gaped at Garnet.

To that, Garnet let out a chuckle. "I noticed the way you two held hands on the way here," she playfully pointed out. "It was not hard to put two and two together."

"You knew this the whole damn time?!" 5XF was furious. "Why didn't you just say so in the beginning and force us to suppress that?!"

"I never once told you to suppress anything," the elder fusion pointed out. "And rest assured that I will not meddle in your relationship. I've found your dynamics during this talk very endearing… the love between you is very strong."

The smiles 5XF and Sphalerite had upon hearing that quickly faded when Garnet resumed speaking.

"That being said, I'm certain you are aware of the unique challenges revolving around a relationship like this. You seem extremely committed for a pair who only had a few days to get to know each other… however, said commitment is currently harming Steven and Peridot." Garnet paused before finishing her statement, as this was hard even for her to say… "With this element out in the open now, I can certainly imagine what you two were so involved in that you went out of your way to hide yourselves. May I ask if anything else of significance happened during that time?"

Sphalerite shook her head. "We never stopped… 5XF and I agreed to only focus on ourselves for the remainder of the vacation. We… we learned so much about each other even through that. So, we just kept going."

She and 5XF were rendered embarrassed and ashamed of themselves following that confession.

Surprisingly, Garnet was dead silent for a good few moments… and the first word out of her mouth was a very quiet "Nice…." before the gem cleared her throat immediately after that.

"That is… I will have to get back with you on that another time," Garnet finally said, though her tone indicated that this very concept even shook her to the core. "5XF, I see your true purpose was to become part of Sphalerite's life; to learn about yourself through her… rather than Steven and Peridot. But now that time has passed. You understand they must come back now, correct?"

"Understood…" 5XF muttered, bowing her head as she tried not to cry again. "I, I knew that from the start…"

Sphalerite looked so disillusioned. "I can't believe I… that I actually did this to them. I'm a traitor to the ones who made me! All because of love?!"

"Love can be quite a destructive force," Garnet informed her. "But I want you two to know this: you can come to me when you have concerns about your love. Despite what you've done already to express your love, you two are still very new at this. From here on out, you'll face great challenges to maintain that love. Are you two prepared to endure these hardships without losing your love for each other?"

5XF quickly jumped up to embrace the very depressed and resigned fusion.

"I won't let anything or anyone take her away from me," the Peridot declared. "E-even when she's gone… my feelings will never change. I-I'll just always remember the time we had…"

"I wouldn't dare lose 5XF for any reason," Sphalerite decided. "I won't give up. We're going to find a way to make this work."

She sadly turned to 5XF and returned the embrace. "I'm so sorry I'm leaving you alone to deal with the consequences of our actions. Please be strong for me, 5XF… and I promise that next time we meet, your perseverance will be rewarded."

5XF looked up to her love and nodded, silently assuring the fusion she would do absolutely anything for her and the love they shared.

Garnet quietly watched the pair kiss each other with such unexpected intensity; as if they'd been doing this for years.

They very reluctantly parted when Sphalerite needed air… and it took every ounce of willpower 5XF had to finally back away from her lover. It was Garnet's time to step in.

"It's time. Sphalerite, let's meditate. It will take a great deal of concentration to break through your barriers," the taller fusion instructed. "You know you will be among us once more one day… so do not despair."

"E-easier said than done, but I'll give it my all," Sphalerite nervously promised as she followed Garnet's example. The pair of fusions fell silent after this, leaving the anguished 5XF to watch as her lover's gemstones lit up brightly, and eventually, her form faded into the tan-colored light.

At that exact moment, 5XF couldn't hold back the fresh tears that spilled down her cheeks.

The tan light split in half; by that point, the color shifted to pink on the left and green for the right. Familiar forms took shape… one flash later, the light faded, and coming out from it was Steven and Peridot; both struggled to stand at first, as well as being in disbelief that they truly came back.

"Oh my stars… is this for real…?"

"We're back!" a joyous Steven shouted out, pulling Peridot into a celebratory hug before dragging her to Garnet so they could properly hug as a group. "We're really back!"

5XF took to hiding behind Garnet during this; she absolutely did not want to be seen by these two anytime soon. Peridot especially would be eager to pound her sister into the dirt. And that was assuming she didn't know about the incident that trapped them inside their fusion…

Needless to say, she cowered when the group hug happened, but luckily the pair's focus was squarely on Garnet and not her surroundings.

"Welcome home, you two," Garnet said in such a warm tone that 5XF never expected could come from this particular fusion. "You've been greatly missed."

"I-if we're here, that means… that means we're home," Peridot just realized. "Wait, what day is it?!"

"It's officially Monday now," Garnet told her. "Yes, your vacation is over. I'm sorry it ended this way for you two."

Steven was downtrodden, but also a little preoccupied trying to sort himself out mentally. When he and Peridot were last themselves, they just survived a hellish round of torture that would surely scar them for life. He remembered his and Peridot's snap decision to fuse… though he wasn't sure if it was a conscious action now. It just seemed to… happen.

Like it was meant to happen.

At that point, his aura reading kicked in. Despite not spotting 5XF yet, Steven could tell she was hiding. However, just feeling her presence and her feelings now… that kicked in a disturbing flood of memories that weren't his own.

"Oh… oh wow." Steven was stunned as he tried to take it in.

Garnet could tell what was happening; this was an expected side-effect, so she patiently waited to see the pair's proper reaction.

"Steven, what's wrong?!" Of course, Peridot was immediately worried and grabbed his shoulders. She then gasped as she started to feel a very similar experience; only being recently separated from Steven in this unusual method meant she was still receptive to some degree of connecting her consciousness with Steven's. It had happened a week ago when Peridot and Steven's minds melded to the point where she could actually visualize Steven's thoughts.

She couldn't match Steven's abilities as an empath; not even remotely, but her bond with Steven allowed Peridot to pick up enough details that kick-started her own mind to flood in. Of course, she did not take this experience as calmly as her boyfriend.

"N-no, no… I don't want to believe this!"

Steven was constantly shaking his head; a bit in denial himself. "Th-that can't be possible… that can't really happen, can it…?"

"I'll admit I did not see this coming," Garnet admitted. "You two… you'll need to sit down, relax, and process all of this. I underestimated how much of a shock this would be to your systems."

Both immediately did so; their legs were getting wobbly, anyway.

"Steven… you must be starving," Garnet realized. "I'll get you something to drink and a snack. Please behave in the meantime; Peridot, I'm looking at you."

Peridot grit her teeth in frustration upon hearing that request. "Behave...? You want me to behave?! You already know all this crap we're remembering, don't you?!"

"Only what I was told," said an assured Garnet as she stood up to exit the room. 5XF had nowhere to hide now. "I won't be long; Steven, you have my permission to do what is necessary to keep the peace."

"I– … yeah, sure…" Steven did not sound sure of himself at all, but apparently that was enough for Garnet, who vacated the room.

He then noticed Peridot spotted 5XF curled up into a corner the distance; the sight of the elder Peridot was like the color red being shown to a bull. The junior technician stood up once more.

"She is so dead."

That was more-or-less what 5XF expected to hear out of her sister. She just remained where she was; since Sphalerite faded out of her life, 5XF found herself not at all motivated to keep moving. It was like a part of herself just fell off and died.

"Peridot… I'm only gonna tell you this once: don't hurt her. Not with your fists, not with your words… just leave her alone." Steven barely had it in him to law down the law. He couldn't even face 5XF; his back was turned to her.

"Steven–! Did you or did you not see what I just saw?!" Peridot cried out at him. "After everything we went through, our own vacation was taken from us! A-and, everything that– what they did– Steven, what does that even make us?!"

"You think I'm not wondering the same things as you?!" Steven shouted back. "I-I'm still trying to make sense of this, Peri! Please, just… calm down and sit with me! We can hug it out and figure this out together…"

Peridot wanted to do that, but… "Hugging it out is what got us in this mess in the first place, Steven! That was how we ended up making Sphalerite! It all went south from there, remember?!"

Steven knew Peridot had a right to be frightened. He too was terrified of possibly fusing again.

"Th-then just sit down with me, okay? We won't fuse if you just do that," Steven pleaded. "I know it's hard, but you need to control yourself, Dot. Garnet's gonna help all of us, too."

That at least got Peridot to begrudgingly sit with Steven, but she was still shaking with fury.

"If by "all of us" you mean that the fickle stupid idiot is included, then I am not interested!" Peridot sharply told him. "We're home now, so we no longer have to escort that ungrateful clod. She can just be thrown in with all the others we'll release tomorrow and we'll never see her again."

"Ah… actually… that's been delayed again…"

Steven and Peridot paused; they knew that was 5XF's voice, although it was barely audible and was so feebly spoken by the gem no one would look at.

"Again?! Why again?!" Peridot's fury died down as she took in another shocking surprise. "That was the plan set in place before we embarked on this vacation!"

"... Gypsum was never directly encountered, so…"

Peridot smacked her forehead and grumbled. "For stars' sake… gah. All that we went through, and we never even saw the clod! Of course we have to finish what we started, and we can't start the Era 3 program with a known corrupted gem active…"

"For what it's worth, I think the temple we went through to get there warrants another visit," Steven helpfully suggested. "We were in such a rush looking for… you know… we hardly got a good look at the inside. And Pearl wanted us to take pictures of the inside."

"We really don't have a choice but to revisit it," Peridot glumly acknowledged. "I never got a good look at the domain before everything went straight to hell for us, let alone where on Earth the warp pad sent us, so I can't bypass that with my teleporting."

Steven nodded in agreement before managing a smile to his bitterly sour girlfriend. "Y'know… I thought about something."

Peridot gave Steven a tired look. "Do tell."

"You know how we talked about how overcoming really tough obstacles like making you remember that really bad thing would make us stronger as a couple?" he asked, sounding more like his positive, unassuming self.

"Of course I do," Peridot flatly replied. "And in hindsight, it feels like such a minor inconvenience now."

"Think about how strong we gotta be now," Steven urged. "How many couples get caught up in impossible deathmatches and come out of that alive?"

Peridot managed a modest smile for Steven when she thought that over.

Conversely, 5XF just completely curled into a fetal position as she was reminded of the crimes she just had to recount to Garnet minutes ago. Without Sphalerite by her side, it became even more painful to acknowledge.

"I wanna say that could very well make us one of the most powerful, enduring couples in the universe, but…" Peridot couldn't ignore the facts that told her otherwise. "We both survived a fight where only one of us was supposed to live, but we couldn't keep a single gem in line. What does that say about our chances in this Era 3 program when we face hundreds of thousands of gems just like that?"

"I– Y-yeah, yeah…" Steven could absolutely not sugarcoat how badly they sucked as guides. "But it's getting delayed again because of this Gypsum thing now, Peri. Maybe that'll buy us some time to figure out how to go about teaching all these gems at once. I imagine Garnet's gonna rethink a lot of this because of how bad we sucked in our mission…"

5XF noticed neither of them would even say her name at this point. Though Steven was predictably going a bit easier on her, it was very disconcerting to notice even he was going out of his way to not say her name.

"You two could have done a much better job; that much I will say," Garnet said as she reentered the room with sustenance for Steven. "But I was the one who failed to see what role 5XF would play in our future; there were many possible roads, but most revolved around you two having much more involvement. You couldn't have known our new friend would find a corrupted gem and become a key player in how we must defeat her in the near future."

"Are you seriously saying that was meant to happen? Steven and I being forced into a deathmatch and all?"

"Not so much that part," Garnet assured. "But there's no telling when we would have found Gypsum otherwise, and based on what we've seen and what little we know, this seems to be an exceptionally powerful gem who likely cannot be defeated by conventional means. If she became a problem while we have thousands of gems out and about who could easily be corrupted by her, I'd… rather not think about it. So I must commend all three of you for giving us the opportunity to nip this disaster in the bud."

Steven guzzled down his drink before stuffing his face with food. However, when Garnet finished, he swallowed down his food; compelled to ask a certain question. "But… we still suck as babysitters, don't we?"

Garnet smiled down at the boy. "Unfortunately, yes."

That confirmation compelled Steven to look worriedly at Peridot. "Maybe we're not fit to have kids after all…"

Peridot blushed at the thought; it was actually a little comforting, though. It felt like forever since she was teased about that, and any levity to make this situation bearable for her was greatly appreciated. "Oh my stars, are you seriously going there again?"

… Suddenly, the comfort completely died off as she remembered what recently invaded her mind.

"Especially after what we just witnessed?!" she suddenly cried out. "Steven, what if–?!"

Steven's eyes snapped wide open as he understood exactly why his girlfriend was panicking. His mind flashed back to that first moment he and Peridot's thoughts were linked together… the thought that made it happen…

"W-we defused, though," Steven uttered. "That should cut out any chance of something like that happening." He looked to Garnet with pleading eyes. "Isn't that right? Defusing should completely mess up any chances to–"

"Who can say?" was Garnet's answer, which made Steven feel like his blood ran cold. Peridot experienced a similar chilling feeling. "Gem pregnancy is obviously possible, but it's a phenomenon far more rare than, for example, unfused gems with heterochromia. Very little is known on the subject."

Peridot gulped upon hearing that. "I… ah… being a certified Kindergartener, may have acquired some rumors and theories on such a topic."

All eyes were on Peridot now.

"Geez, I should've kept my mouth shut," she grumbled. "L-look, there's absolutely nothing on the record for fusion pregnancy. Not surprising, since they were solely used for combat purposes and nothing more. For ordinary gems… I, ah, had heard of some discussion on the matter. Most gems are made with both a giving genital and a receiving genital. This applies for gems made in either Era. Of course, low-caste Era 2s like me had more emphasis on carrying, since there were more than enough Peridots in existence to warrant not wasting extra developmental materials that could be "better" used on breeding gems that were far superior in utility but vastly inferior in numbers."

Steven intently listened, then had a question he was somewhat hesitant to ask. "So, uh… are you saying your kind could only have babies, not making them?"

Peridot blushed and grumbled at the question. Based on their fusion's actions, there were certain… details that warranted further questioning, although neither her nor her boyfriend were willing to go there anytime soon.

"Nrrrggggh, that is not what I'm saying," Peridot denied as calmly as she could, but she was very visibly flustered. It was a pretty personal question, after all. "Even my kind has the ability to seed other gems… in theory."

"In theory?" Steven parroted.

"You know how I mentioned more focus was put on our ability to receive rather than give?" Peridot tiredly reminded him. "That comes at the cost of our capability of giving being drastically reduced; in size, girth, and potency. Like I said, if there was a situation where Peridots were becoming near-extinct, that would say a lot more about the state of the world itself than our population. If that ever became an issue, Homeworld would have blown up much sooner than it did."

It was a little unnerving for all parties to hear Peridot sound so causal when speaking about a dark topic like this.

"If a higher gem's giving ability could improve at the cost of our own, of course it's logical to do just that. So, in short: we do have both means of reproduction. But the rate of our giving absolutely sucks compared to our ability to receive."

"Gems had always been made the same way for millennia, however," Garnet pointed out. "Even several thousand years ago and beyond, gems were made instantly by means of injector fluid and mineral resources. Never once has that method faltered. What was the justification for giving us the means to reproduce in another way despite it always being illegal in Homeworld?"

Peridot wasn't so sure about that; it was a curiosity she had for a long time, but never had the means to find out. "That's… mmn…nyrrrgh… a good question."

"It was Homeworld's eternal insurance policy."

For the first time, all eyes were on 5XF, who was still cowering in the corner while looking utterly pathetic. Still, she looked slightly better before and frankly had to be, to speak up like this in the first place.

"Do you mind elaborating, please?" Peridot coldly asked her sister. Of course, that tension wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

5XF weakly nodded before sharing her knowledge. "Being a certified Kindergartener myself, and a bit too curious for my own good, I can promise my word is every bit as valid as yours."

That made Peridot scowl and tighten her fist; 5XF decided it was wisest to just get to the point.

"It's related to the scenario you described: the world on the verge of ruin with several crucial gems on the verge of extinction," she explained. "When gem production had to be drastically altered to produce cheaper, lower-quality gems from Homeworld's terrain due to dwindling resources. Just a little over a decade ago, Homeworld was just a shell of its former self and literally could not create more gems from its terrain without causing the planet to collapse in on itself. Gem population has been stable since then, which is why natural reproduction was illegal up until the very end of Homeworld's existence, but I had come across several rumors that it would soon be legalized."

"If the population was stable, why was there talk of it being legalized?" Garnet inquired.

"As I understand it, the justification is allegedly... related to a rather nonsensical sentiment of imperial pride," 5XF elaborated. "Homeworld had several colony planets before its destruction, after all; several of them could produce gems the way they always had, but they were not considered "mainland" Homeworld gems and thus inferior by default, and there was some concern of colony-made gems banding together and rebelling against the "mainland". Since Homeworld was bereft of resources, natural reproduction would be the only way to rebuild Homeworld's population with Homeworld gems."

Another detail suddenly came to mind. "Incidentally… you all were told of the tale of the Lone Twin Massacre, correct?"

Everyone nodded in affirmation.

"Shockingly, one of the few Era 1 historical events that Homeworld couldn't cover up and hide from us Era 2s," Peridot remarked.

5XF nodded in agreement. "The end result of that incident was over 80% of Homeworld's population being shattered in a very short period of time. Even Homeworld colonies suffered this indirectly because there weren't enough gems on hand to fully develop them. It took hundreds of years for Homeworld to recoup their losses by creating replacements. Of course, it was largely done the legal way… but there's been evidence that suggests natural reproduction was legalized during that short time frame to speed up the restoration of Homeworld's population."

"So, there was merit in creating gems in such a way after all," Garnet acknowledged. "Had Homeworld survived the recent crisis that pallified the majority of its native gems, then natural reproduction would absolutely have to be legalized to restore lost numbers. Thanks to Steven and Peridot's joint efforts, we have an approximation of the ratio regarding pallified gems versus gems like you who were not infected. We rescued every single gem who was not already shattered, so the total is absolute."

"... I imagine the ratio will be upsetting to hear…"

"For every single healthy Homeworld gem, there are 995 pallids," Peridot reported without hesitation. It was possible she just wanted to jump on the opportunity to upset her sister, as the numbers did make her cringe.

"Y'know, unless the refugees relocate to the colonies, that's how gems are gonna need to reproduce here on Earth," Steven pointed out. "N-not that they have to; more like if they want more gems around… y'know, cutting into Earth isn't an option. Not that it couldn't happen, 'cause a couple of Kindergartens exist here and all, but we're not gonna let it happen. Peri, you saw what they were gonna do to Earth if Homeworld got its way."

That was a rather daunting memory to hearken back to, but a downtrodden Peridot nodded to Steven. "Correct; all of these unique resources would have to be sacrificed to make any more, so… yes, I suppose the laws are effectively reversed in Era 3. Kindergartens are now illegal; producing more gems will be up to the individual's discretion, but will have to be done in the, ah… more intimate method…"

"This is definitely a topic that will need to be covered when we address the masses," Garnet pointed out. "This entire conversation we just had… Steven, Peridot, this is how you should conduct your lessons. You both bounced off well with 5XF, who had both questions and contributions that you handled very professionally. Especially impressive considering where she stands with you both at this moment."

5XF's face gave Garnet a look that screamed "Really, Garnet? You had to remind them about that?".

"Rest assured I am still seething with anger and hatred of an infinite supply of supernovas," a chipper Peridot assured. "And I would apologize for embracing this hatred, Steven… but a world record-setting number of lines were crossed with this one. You cannot tell me you aren't furious with her as well."

Steven sighed. Even someone as mild-mannered as him had his limits. "Yes, Peri. I'm really mad. I wanna vent, too… but not like this. We just need some distance from the problem, okay? We'll come back to this and work it out when we cool off."

"We aren't getting an opportunity to "cool off", Steven!" Peridot barked back. "That little succubus over there is integral to our next mission, in case you've forgotten!"

"Peridot, we are not charging into Egypt right away," Garnet clarified. "I believe you too would agree that is a foolish move to make at this stage. What do you believe is the best course of action to take at this juncture?"

"Oh, well…" Peridot blushed a bit; once again she completely forgot she was indeed co-leading the Crystal Gems with Garnet. Considering the circumstances, it was more understandable this time, at least. "Obviously we need a conference with the full team plus the skank. We have deduced something very unusual and unprecedented about the temple we went through that led to the warp pad. We've taken pictures of its exterior, though it turned out to just be an upper tower rather than the full establishment…"

Steven just remembered what Peridot was referring to about the details. "Wow, that's right! Garnet, there's something up with that temple big time."

"I can use my photographic memory to capture what I can regarding the interior… what little we saw, anyway," Peridot added. "We were understandably in a rush. However…" She eyed 5XF, who immediately looked away in shame. "A certain floozy was in a significant chamber for a long period of time and had plenty of time to pick up details Steven and I were not able to afford looking into. So we're naturally going to have to pump her for information that I'm certain she has loads of."

Peridot eyed her kin again, noticing her attempts to strike fear into her sister's heart were attempting to be no-sold. … She couldn't help herself.

"Hm, you know, if the name Fickle doesn't tickle your fancy, I believe a superior moniker that defines who exactly you are would be Floozy! How about that, 5XF?" Peridot naturally sounded devious and intentionally antagonistic when she said this.

Much to her pleasure, 5XF covered her mouth to stifle her cry and fully turned away from the others to hide her immediate tears.

"Peridot…"

Surprisingly, Steven and Garnet snapped at the young gem simultaneously. This briefly shook her up before she glared at them both, trying her hardest to act like that didn't affect her at all. "Oh, what? You wanna get on my case if I say "water is wet", too? Both assessments are equally objective facts!"

Garnet sighed and shook her head. "I must have jinxed it when I commended you all for being professional earlier," she coolly lamented. "Peridot, I concur with your plan of action, so I will consult with the others when the best time will be to schedule this. I shouldn't need to tell you this, but it seems I must now: you are a leader; act like one."

As much as Peridot wanted to protest that, she held back this time and sighed with resignation. "Yes, Garnet… all I ask for is time to process these… highly disturbing revelations. I think you'll not argue that Steven and I got ripped off on our vacation in the worst possible way."

Although Peridot was being a jerk, it wasn't entirely without merit. If Steven was being reserved in keeping Peridot in line this time, that was definitely a sign that the two who most needed a vacation probably got less of one than anyone else.

"I'm gonna need time, too," Steven admitted. "Sorry, Garnet… it's just–"

"Steven, you do not need to justify anything," Garnet immediately assured the boy. "You've both been through some of the worst torture imaginable and a problematic fusion experience. We'll talk more on that in particular another time; for now, I want you two to relax as much as possible to make up for your lost time. If you wish to be left alone, say the word and I will make sure you are undisturbed. It goes without saying, but 5XF is no longer mandated to follow either of you. That experiment is now over."

"Praise the freaking stars," Peridot sarcastically celebrated. "You're giving us an A for effort, right? Steven and I didn't exactly have any choice but to fail here."

Steven just facepalmed while Garnet let out a bit of an annoyed huff.

"Peridot, I understand your need to vent your frustration, but know you are treading on thin ice now," she warned. "I will take responsibility for 5XF from here, so I would recommend– no, insist you two do not approach each other for the foreseeable future. With that said, you and Steven are free to go."

"You'll get no complaints from me; I am more than happy to stay away," Peridot assured before Steven took her hand and made his way to the door.

"Thank you, Garnet," Steven glumly said. "Glad to see you again… kinda wish it was under better circumstances, I guess."

At least he wasn't apologizing. Garnet smiled warmly at the young man. "It may take time, but life will go on and you'll find yourself living happily again sooner than you think. Love you."

"Love you too, Garnet…" Even happy, he sounded exhausted and ready to leave.

Peridot obediently followed along without complaint, though when they neared the wall 5XF had been glued to since her former babysitters discovered her upon returning, Peridot couldn't resist a final parting shot towards her sister. She sharply looked in 5XF's direction.

Against her better judgment, 5XF dared to look back. She hoped since she was on the way out, it would be an attempt to show some mercy, but… the catty smile should have been a dead giveaway.

"Ironic, isn't it? Garnet made us take you on our vacation, and one of your primary purposes was to be a deterrent for Steven and I losing control and succumbing to our desire to mate. Then the vacation ends with Steven and I coming out of this pure and innocent, while you not only caved in to the urge yourself, but also shamelessly fornicated with our fusion hundreds of times over! Nyehehe–"

"PERIDOT."

Again, Steven and Garnet simultaneously admonished her while 5XF immediately burst into tears.

"It's fine, Garnet," Steven assured. "I'll take responsibility for my Peridot; just focus on yours."

With a harsh yank and a pained squeal from Peridot, the couple disappeared.

Garnet approached the shaking, weeping 5XF and kneeled to level with the height difference. "Do you need a hug?"

Even though Garnet was responsible for taking Sphalerite away from her, she seemed like such a saint now compared to Peridot. With no one else left to console her, 5XF took Garnet up on her offer. Garnet returned the hug and let the poor gem cry her heart out.

While Garnet still had no intention of letting her fully off the hook for nearly killing Steven and Peridot in one of the most diabolical ways she'd ever heard of, it was painfully obvious the elder sibling was not inherently evil and was genuinely confused about so many things. Some part of the fusion even felt bad to take Sphalerite away – especially when the trade-off was an aloof Steven and a downright savage Peridot. Garnet highly doubted she would have ever seen this side of 5XF without Sphalerite.

"I-I'm never gonna see Sphalerite again, am I?" 5XF choked out. "I already miss her; I can't stand that I have to rely on 5XG to have that chance again! All I want is just to be able to lean against her on the beach and watch the ocean!"

"She would want you to still see the ocean, even if she isn't there to watch with you," Garnet quietly told her. "You knew going into this that this would be a very difficult relationship to maintain, didn't you?"

"Of course I did!" 5XF cried out as she glared up at Garnet; rivers of tears streaming from her eyes. "Why do you think we wasted no time expressing our love the moment we realized it?! Why I was desperate to make love to her for 41 consecutive hours?! We both knew we were rushing, but it was a foregone conclusion that I might not see her for a long time; possibly never again at this point! I-I loved her so much, I didn't want to waste a single second in her presence, so when she did have to disappear, we would be able to say we made the most of the time we had!"

Garnet stared in silence for a moment before smiling. "You are a clever gem; I will give you that. I can't imagine most in your situation would take that into consideration. You already assured me that you are willing to do whatever it takes to be her one true love. Know that you have my full support."

"You… you're not furious that I defiled the fusion of Steven and 5XG so many times over?" she squeaked.

"Regardless of who made her, Sphalerite has proved to be an individual in her own right. It's safe to say Steven nor Peridot will ever be able to influence her; not like you have. You two bonded over a persisting issue very few would have in common… and she came about this time specifically for you."

5XF nodded; it was relieving to hear at least someone was in her corner and understood her motives to do so many stupid things. "I appreciate it… though I guess I have you to thank for being able to be set free before anyone else."

Garnet chuckled. "Thank you for stepping up when no other Peridot would to explain the situation for Ruby on Homeworld. For your boldness, Ruby would make sure not to forget you… that is where the true chain of events started that has made your life what it is now. Despite what has happened, you do understand what makes Earth a remarkable planet now, correct?"

"Ah… yes; I do," 5XF shyly affirmed. "Steven and 5XG did a stars-awful job in explaining that to me; at the very least they shouldn't have let me out in such dangerous places!"

Once more, Garnet stifled a laugh. "I'll admit, I did expect them to have a little more common sense than that. They are still young and learning how to uphold responsibility. Although… I say young, but even with your changes, 5XF, I'll admit you seem much more mature than your sister. But you two are the same age, aren't you?"

"I am six seconds older," 5XF confidently reported.

"Ah, of course; those six seconds have made a world of difference," Garnet said with amusement. "What I'm trying to say is that you won't ever have to worry about anyone comparing you to your little sister. You are indeed two very different Peridots who have led and will continue to lead very different lives. But you both understand the appeal of living a free life, making your own decisions, being treated equally among your peers…"

5XF nodded. "When Steven and 5XG described it to me, it always felt too good to be true… and it's hard to take stupid children like them seriously. Sphalerite had no idea who she was, but even she came off as more mature than those two!"

"One day, I'm sure'll you will make peace with both of them. Understand that they have not been in a relationship for very long, either… and an unavoidable destiny entangled them both in the process, now being the last two Diamonds in existence."

The technician could hardly believe she completely forgot this detail. "That's… that's still so hard to believe; it's been challenging enough remembering there's no Diamond Authority anymore. I see why they have to be the ones heading this operation, at least… even though they must be the least-qualified members of your entire team."

"Well, we're hoping they will be living proof for the other gems that Diamonds are not the answer to their problems," Garnet admitted. "They will be there to teach the gems what life on Earth really means; their job is no different from ours, in the end. Once they've acclimated, they are free to go where they please and live their life the way they never got to in Homeworld."

"It is a nice thought…" 5XF agreed. "But certainly you don't need me telling you it won't be that easy."

"Indeed. I will admit, part of me hoped that if Steven and Peridot did an especially good job bonding with you, that you might be willing to stay and help us in this endeavor."

5XF froze for a moment before staring at Garnet. "W-well… however slim the chance is, I want to be where Sphalerite will be and nowhere else… which, consequently, means I must remain where Steven and 5XG are. I will consider enduring that my own little challenge in my resolve to not give up on Sphalerite… what good am I to your cause, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I know you may feel unnecessary because we already have a Peridot on the team, but one can never have too many technicians. You may have ideas Peridot never once considered, and… ideally, you could be our mediator with your fellow refugees. Not officially being affiliated with us may make them more inclined to trust you; you can help them understand whatever we were not able to do on our own." Garnet patted the top of 5XF's hair. "I'm not saying you have to be part of this in any way, of course."

"Mm… it's plausible," 5XF admitted. "I'll need to keep myself busy so I don't waste my time just moping around in a hole somewhere. I still need a tour of your home base so I'll know where to be and what places are off-limits, come to think of it…"

Garnet smirked. "I may have an idea who can help you."

5XF blinked in confusion as Garnet stood up. Before she could say anything, Garnet's form it up until it was no longer visible… in a familiar flash, where Garnet stood were two gems around her height.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, 5XF," Sapphire politely greeted. "I'm Sapphire."

"5XF! So, we meet again! I've been waiting t–"

Abruptly, a very pissed-off 5XF decked Ruby hard, sending her to the floor.

"Bastardize math like that ever again, and I swear I'll have your head!" Just like that, the heaving, furious 5XF went back to normal while Sapphire couldn't help but laugh with great amusement. "Whew… that felt good. I've been holding that one in for a while."

Eventually, the fallen Ruby was also laughing, though it turned out 5XF gave her a black eye when she sat up. "That's the "hello" I was lookin' for. Now we got those stinkin' formalities out of the way, so let's show you around your new home!"

"Of all places… you chose here. This very precarious ledge on the roof of this residence. Not to mention uncomfortable!"

"You seemed just fine with it last time," Steven reminded her. "You made us spend all night up here, remember?"

"Well, to be fair, I had you as a cushion," Peridot pointed out. "Still… it's a very random choice; you can't deny that."

Steven stared up a the moon in the sky, just as he did last time. "I figured it would help us gain some… I dunno, perspective? Maybe I thought reflecting on a simpler time would make this easier…"

"In our previous experiences, remembering the simpler times often makes us even sadder than we originally were," Peridot pointed out.

"Well, do you have any better ideas where to sit?!" Steven snapped before he could stop himself. He immediately bowed his head in shame, shaking it. "S-sorry; I'm so sorry…"

After settling down from Steven startling her, Peridot leaned over and looked to him inquisitively. "Steven… when you go this long without smiling even once, it's extremely concerning. Please let me share your burden."

Steven looked up to her, extremely confused by what she offered. "Uh, what…?"

"Last time we were up here, you offered yourself to act as the buffer for all the stress, anger, and hatred I kept bottled up within me," Peridot gently reminded him. "I can tell just by looking at you; a ball of atmosphere-crushing pressure is tearing away into your innards. So allow my center of gravity to counterbalance that harmful power."

Miserable as he was, Steven couldn't help but laugh in earnest after that. Moments like these were precisely why he loved Peridot so much. He was nowhere near healed yet, but this was a good way to start.

Peridot looked positively radiant to see this reaction. "There's my Steven! Good to see you aren't completely lost."

She could tell there was a lot of work still ahead of her; the gem didn't know why, but she just knew Steven was suffering and chances were very high that a good degree of it was her fault.

"I couldn't do that to you; not after what we just lived through," Steven assured her as his smile slowly faded again.

"That… sort of implies you truly want to be lost," Peridot nervously pointed out. "And that I'm holding you back."

"You're holding me back from falling off the deep end," Steven insisted; though he was glaring at his girlfriend. "Don't ever feel guilty about that, okay? We should never want to be lost, Peri."

Peridot nodded in agreement, but looked nervous. "Neither of us are of sound mind tonight… that's just impossible. After what we lived through, survived, struggled, and now seen… I know I'm not nearly as adept in this skill as you, Steven, but please let me try. This is the only way my skills will improve to better serve you in the future."

It was astonishing how different Peridot's demeanor was now that they were alone. Then again, Steven wasn't one to talk this time.

"I get it; that's… really cool you're trying so hard just for me, but…"

"I-is that not good enough…? What else must I do?" Peridot was going out of her way to accommodate him now that it was clear he was severely upset.

Steven let out an aggravated sigh and looked up to the moon again. "There's something we gotta handle before I can let you do anything for me, okay?"

"Steven, I'm listening," his girlfriend said insistently. "But I can't help if you don't tell me. I can't read your feelings, unfortunately."

At least Steven could tell with his built-in feelings reader that Peridot was being completely sincere. What he picked up matched what she said perfectly, but he also picked up the growing level of worry building up in her that she wouldn't dare let him see.

She was always trying to look strong for everybody in her own way. Even though she was terrible at it… her efforts were appreciated.

"Promise you won't totally fall apart if I do?"

Peridot froze then and there; eyes widened with a look of pure horror. "…Oh, stars. You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"What?!" Steven could hardly believe he was giving off that impression, but now he felt even worse as he struggled to reassure her. "No, of course not! Geez, Peri! Talk about a leap in logic…"

Peridot's eyes were already shimmering with brimming tears. No way could she be crying this early on.

"You promise…? You're not just telling me what I wanna hear, right…?"

This was going to be harder than Steven anticipated. He grumbled and hugged Peridot a bit more aggressively than he usually did. "I promise, I promise! Just calm down, okay? I can't have you crying on me already; this is hard enough as it is!"

A shaking Peridot nodded and willed away her tears. She was still very nervous and fearing the worst. "You keep making it sound like a cease-and-desist of our relationship, Steven…"

"Peri, I'm just mad at you, okay?! That's all!"

He could no longer bring himself to hug his girlfriend now that he reassured her… supposedly. It was really not reassuring for her to learn of this.

"... "Just" mad, you're saying," Peridot sadly recited as Steven turned away from her. "I feel you're understating just how angry you truly are. It's because of how I behaved back there, isn't it?"

Steven was relieved she was getting better at finding out on her own where she was screwing up, at least.

"What else could it be?" he still asked impatiently. "And I'm saying that sarcastically, so don't start throwing out guesses!"

"Your uncomfortable level of grip on my wrist and refusal to speak to me until we came up here was indicative of your anger," Peridot lowly acknowledged.

"I can tell you're not sorry, though. So I don't know what to say…"

There it went: a jolt of guilt in the form of lightning, striking Peridot right down the middle, leaving her stunned.

"I… I know I said awful things," Peridot admitted. "And in any other scenario, I would be immensely sorry and ashamed of myself. But you know why it's different this time, Steven!"

Steven ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Yes, I know, okay?! We both saw the exact same thing… Sphalerite and 5XF stole our vacation. And did… so many things; I couldn't even get through it all."

"For what it's worth, it was too overwhelming for me to digest fully as well," Peridot sympathized.

"That's gonna forever change how we see her," Steven murmured, referring to 5XF. "And our fusion… Peri, I don't even know…"

"W-we can't ever be her again, Steven," Peridot asserted. "We know what will happen, and I'm not letting 5XF have the satisfaction of doing even more of that to her! Besides, why should she be allowed to do perform such lewd actions while the others expect us to be squeaky clean?!"

Steven was aware of the hypocrisy in that regard… he just tried not to dwell on it. "Sphalerite's her own gem, on top of that… there's no way we're gonna match 5XF in influence at this point, so I think it's pointless to try stopping her."

"Well, how she feels about us is quite obvious," Peridot snidely remarked. "Considering she was more than happy to trap us in her mind just so she and the so-called "sibling" could have a few more hours of intercourse."

"I still want to believe Sphalerite didn't mean for that to happen," Steven said, though his tone made it obvious he really didn't believe what he just said. "I hate assuming the worst of our own fusion…"

"Yeah, well I wanted to believe 5XF honestly got lost in the desert and didn't steal my tablet with full intent to ditch us," Peridot bitterly countered. "And how did that one work out for us, Steven?"

Steven shook his head. "Right; I know… I want you to know I'm not mad at you for not forgiving her yet. Even though it happened like four days ago, it still feels like just a few hours to me…"

"Time basically stopped for us the moment we fused," Peridot acknowledged. "And to think we were looking forward to seeing how great our fusion could be once we finally did it. After failing and failing, it worked… first time, she doesn't last beyond an hour. Second time, she completely betrays us."

"I just thought of something," Steven said with a look of dread on his face. When he noticed Peridot's inquisitive look, he elaborated. "We need 5XF for this Gypsum mission. We both know there's a really high chance she'll be able to use 5XF as a weapon against us. What if she has us on the ropes, and our only way of coming out of that alive is to…"

"Well, looks like we're dying," Peridot casually decided. "We had a good run; nice knowing you, Steven."

Steven glared at the technician until she finally broke; one of the few times someone could out-do her willpower.

"F-Fine! We'll enable 5XF and our fusion just so our stupid lives get saved," Peridot grumbled. "You realize they'll aim to make Sphalerite a perma-fusion, right?"

"They'll have a really hard time doing that," Steven told her. "We were able to win out this time by blocking her ability to use our memories, but next time she's not gonna have the advantage of us being so traumatized that it takes us entire days to recover. She won't be able to stick around for long if we don't want her to."

Peridot sighed. "I'm hoping that's the case, but it's often never that easy for us… after all, she does have access to my willpower and your aura. I wouldn't be surprised if she had the power to travel into her own body to find us in her mind, then will us into total submission."

Steven paled at that remark. "Oh crap. I didn't even think about that…"

"Yeah. I'm starting to think it's a good thing I can't do your power," Peridot admitted. "Combine it with will, and you've got a pretty dangerous weapon."

"Maybe it's better for us to not think about the Gypsum stuff until we have all the team together," Steven suggested. "We're the ones who got short-changed on the vacation; we really need to rest while we still can."

Peridot looked to Steven, slightly worried. "Are you still mad at me?"

Steven thought about it… he found much of the anger dissipated, though it wasn't entirely gone. Still, he knew a special circumstance like this would inevitably bring out the worst of his girlfriend… it was likely bringing out the worst in him as well.

"If you promise to watch your mouth and behave yourself, we'll be good," Steven told her. "That's all I'm asking for right now; I'm not even ready to forgive 5XF yet, so I can't expect you to be."

That was much less than Peridot was expecting to hear… and she was so relieved. "I give you full permission to use physical force to make me cut it out if I start acting up," she offered. "The attitude, I think I can manage on my own. My mouth… Steven, you know that's always been a challenge. I'll certainly try…"

"I know; you definitely have a habit of blurting out everything in your head before you realize you didn't wanna say it out loud," Steven acknowledged with a chuckle. "I'll do what I can if I can tell you're digging yourself into a hole."

Peridot blinked. "What does digging have to do with–"

"Expression," Steven casually cut her off. "Did I ever tell you what "shooting yourself in the foot" means?"

"Hm… oh, I get the analogy now!" Peridot realized with a proud grin. "I put myself in a bad situation by saying something bad, and I continuously say stupid things thinking I'm saving myself, but really I'm only making myself worse off than before."

Steven smiled at this. "Got it, Dot! You're really getting the hang of Earth terminology these days."

A very giddy Peridot quietly squealed in delight of the praise before she leaned over to give Steven an appreciative peck on the cheek. "I was lucky enough to have a good teacher; that's my secret!"

"Well, you sure did teach me a heck of a lot about Homeworld tonight, that's for sure…" Steven looked worried as he reflected on that. "I can't believe my stupid imagination of Sphalerite being a mom came back to haunt me like this. Peri, what'll we do if–"

"Such a travesty becomes reality?" Peridot finished. "Pray your theory that defusing put an end to the first scare… and so long as we never fuse again, there won't be any need to worry at all."

Steven shook his head. "Never say never. I just wish there was a way for us to talk to her without having to fuse. Although… I guess even if her relationship was legit, it'd only cause us major problems down the road."

"What do you mean?" Peridot inquired.

"Well… if you think about it, our relationship and their relationship can't exist at the same time, y'know?"

"... Oh." Peridot refused to take the relationship seriously, so she only now thought about the legitimate complications. "For them to have a stable relationship, we would have to concede to… giving up our individual everyday lives and have Sphalerite be a perma-fusion. Otherwise, we would have to severely inconvenience our lives and others around us to juggle both our identities and hers at once. And if their appetite for each other is anything like what we witnessed…"

"... Then she might as well be a perma-fusion," Steven concluded. "There really is no way to meet halfway on this, is there?"

"Indeed, Mister Black-and-Whtite Morality," Peridot dryly replied. "Sucks when you find there's no way everyone gets what they want, doesn't it?"

When she heard Steven sigh with that familiar sound of depressed resignation, she quickly thought to reassure her beloved boyfriend by clinging to him in a way that would feel very familiar.

"Heh. Is this your way of saying you wanna spend the night up here again, Dot?" Steven smiled, as he knew he wouldn't be able to say no to the adorable face looking up at him.

"I like it here," she said a bit more deviously this time around. "Plus, unlike last time… I could always will up some comforters so it won't kill your poor vertebrae like like last time."

That got a laugh out of Steven, who started caressing his beloved gem's blonde locks.

"I'll let you decide, I guess," he teased. "Ah, a vacation at home isn't so bad, huh? We can still have privacy if we just try hard enough."

Peridot was suddenly reminded of something. "Oh… stars, Steven, I just remembered something I promise we'd do and we never got to do it!"

A quick aura-cheat make Steven smirk knowingly at his girlfriend. "Oh, right… you had a cool story you were gonna share."

Peridot snorted at that. "S-sure, "cool" is a fantastic way to describe it. Ah, we may actually need to distance ourselves from the house when we do that. I believe we'll save that for tomorrow. We've had enough of traumatic overload of that material."

"Just please tell me your imagination doesn't go on like what we saw today," Steven pleaded… only half-kidding.

"Nyeeeh. Steven, just what kind of gem do you think I am? If we're ever gonna expel that smut from our minds, the only way to do it is to come up with an even more arousing display in the limitless realm of imagination! Now shush and dream with me."