Pearl lifted her head at the pneumatic hiss to a haze of purple.
"Garnet. . .?" she whispered. Her throat felt tight with tears.
The other Gem moved incredibly slowly — or maybe it was her own sense of reality that was distorted.
The fusion crouched down beside her, torturously slow, and she felt her arms snake around her shoulders. Pearl turned gratefully into her embrace, letting out a shaky breath.
". . . I'm sorry. About— what I said."
"It's okay," came her soothing voice. "You're upset. We all are."
"I can't believe I let this happen," Pearl whispered into her chest. "I— I could have done something — I could have told him not to go—"
"Shhh." Garnet pulled back, lifting her face by the chin. She removed her visor and three sad eyes blinked back at her. "It's not your fault, Pearl. It's not."
She found she couldn't meet the fusion's eyes and her own dropped to the floor. "Then whose is it?"
". . . White Diamond's. Not yours. Not mine. Hers."
"To think I was affected so badly when I've seen these things before — Amethyst's never—"
She stopped, looking around.
"Where's Amethyst?"
Garnet's grip tightened on her shoulder as she too scanned the room. Her eyes widened as she remembered something.
"I . . . I thought Connie brought—" She gasped. ". . . We left her in the chamber."
A bolt of fear struck Pearl and she struggled to her feet, unsteady legs almost giving way as she sprinted for the indoor warp pad. "AMETHYST!"
Garnet followed, footsteps thundering through the ship. "Connie!" she shouted. "Stay here — don't you step foot outside!"
The girl lay in a far, dark corner of the room. Her form only trembled in reply and she curled tighter around herself. The warp pad sounded, transporting the Gems outside, and she was left alone.
YOU ARE READING
Bleached | Steven Universe
Fanfiction"How have you been, my Starlight? You're ready to collaborate, I hope?" . . . "Steven!" Pearl cried, throwing herself at him. Amethyst opened her mouth to speak. "That's not Steven." ~~~ Cover credit: Me!!
