In the beach house, Garnet was taking about the green gem named Peridot.

"We need to track down Peridot, we found her pod , we know she's out there somewhere. She came to earth with a job to do, and odds are she's still gonna try to do it. That's why I gathered you here."
Garnet said to the crystal gems, while folding pristine clean salmon shirts with yellow stars in the middle.

Pearl and Amethyst were helping, while Amethyst had on foot on a stack of clean salmon shirts reading a magazine of sorts.
"I thought it was so you could help me fold all this laundry."
Steven commented slapping a folded shirt down on one of the stacks on his right, Garnet slightly faltered
"t-that too, the chore wheel idea you had fell apart fast."
Garnet replied, Amethyst replied with a 'wasn't me' as everyone turned to look at the chore wheel.

all the names under the chores were scratched out in red ink and underneath the names was neatly written the name 'Pearl' in cursive. Everyone turned to look at Pearl as she turned back to the group, with half folded laundry in her hands.

"I just really enjoy doing all of those things." Pearl said as she finished folding the salmon colored shirt and placed it down in a new column of shirts. "Its better if we do them together." Garnet says turning her attention to the purple skinned gem reading a magazine.

Garnet placed another folded shirt down as she and Amethyst made eye contact. there was a pause. Amethyst shut the book and started folding laundry, much to her dismay.
"Humans should just stop wearing clothes, it'd be alot funnier." Amethyst hushed her voice at the last part, earning a 'heeeeeeeey!' From Steven. "Im a civilified part human, thank you very much, clothing is a must." He said in a slight British accent, before giving back to folding shirts, but giving a hum.

"This is alot, I bet this folding would go faster if Ruby and Sapphire were here!" Steven gives a grin that grows as he finishes his sentence looking up at Garnet.

"I'm sure they'd be glad to see you Steven, but I am not unfusing over laundry." Garnet replied, Steven gave a 'aw' and got back to folding. "Garnet you don't think Peridot would come looking for us, do you?" Pearl asked folding a shirt and placing it on the pile she just made.

"We weren't her priority. She was sent here to do something in the kindergarten." Garnet replied as Pearl finished folding another shirt and placed it down. "Do you think shes still going to try to reactivate it?" Pearl asked, Garnet gave a hum and a nod. "If she gets it up and running the injecters will turn back on." Garnet said Steven stopped folding. "In...jectors? W-what are those?" He asks puzzled. "You've already seen them." Pearl started then elaborated.

"Well, you've seen them disabled." Pearl says as she makes a hologram of a injector from her pearl. "If Peridot reactivates them" the hologram showed an injector drilling into the ground, "they'll pick up right where they left off," once the drill has gone far enough, a star is planted in the ground, "planting gems in the crust of the earth," the star gets larger,"where they'll incubate," the star takes the bright lights out in the ground, "and suck the life right out of the ground." Everyone- except Garnet- felt terrified
"we can't let Peridot restart gem production here. If we do the entire planet will become..."

Pearl didn't want to finish her sentence nor did she have to. "Janked." Garnet finished, Amethyst, surprised by Garnets wording, laughs "Garnet! That mouth!" Amethyst said between laughs.

"Dont worry, we'll stop her." Garnet said to ease Steven's worry. Steven gave a large smile at Garnets words . "Come on crystal gems." Garnet said leaving the laundry and moving to the warp pad, and was followed by her team mates.

"coming!" Pearl said, getting up from her spot on the floor, Amethyst gave a small scoff and a 'as long as we don't have to fold anything' under her breath when summoning her whip from her gem.

Steven shrugged them off while trying to fold the shirt in his hand.

"Steven." Garent said, Steven turned in the direction of the warp pad stars in his eyes. "Come on. That means you too, right?" Amethyst said beckoning Steven over to the warp pad, Steven gasped abandoning the laundry and scampering over to the warp pad, next to Garnet, with his hands on his hips.
"You're a civilified part gem too after all." Garnet comments, ruffling Steven's hair lightly. "Garnet are you sure we should bring Steven? This might be dangerous." Pearl asks in concern about the safety of said child.

"Peridots got nothing we can't handle." Garnet remarked before warping to the kindergarten.

In the baring waste of the kindergarten a light blue light was shown, skimming over the deactivated injectors.

"Well, nothing looks activated." Pearl comments, still skimming over the rest of the injectors. "In fact it doesn't look like anything's budged." Pearl places a finger down a drill and slides it down to see how much dust has been collecting here.

"Since the last time we were here." Pearl says.
"you're right."
Garnet agrees.
"But just because Peridot hasn't been here yet, doesn't mean she won't come." Garnet says, earning a hum from Steven. "Let's do a thorough check of the perimeter." Garnet gets another hum of agreement from Steven. "That way we can monitor any future entry."
Garnet finished getting yet another hum and a 'sounds good to me' from Steven, as he walks away from the group. Yet as he walks away he found himself lost, not knowing which way to turn to get reunited with his team he hears a voice.

"Log Dat 6-5-2-." He looks over at the direction the voice is coming from, a square shaped hole? "This is Peridot. Updating status. Still on this miserable planet."

It was Peridot! She was rising from a elevator of sorts tapping away on her green transparent screen made out of fingers. "The fusion experiments are developing properly" she took a side glance at Steven. "A few have even emerged early-GAH!" Peridot turned back to Steven, leaning back, there was a pause in the atmosphere.

Peridot looked around before turning back to Steven and whispered "are the other ones with you?" Then shrinking back to silence Steven looked around himself before shaking his head slowly in uncertainty, before nodded his head then shrugging his shoulders in a slight 'I'm sorry' pose.

Peridot inhaled getting rid of the screen and getting her fingers back. "Of course. Why not?" She said facepalming in irritation, then getting intrupped by Garnet yelling "PERIDOT!" In a low but loud voice. "There she is!" Pearl yelled spear in hand and Amethyst running to her. Peridot gasps and shrieks, running in the other direction earning a "there's no where to go!" from Garnet and a "your cornered!" From pearl.

Peridot, in mass panic, runs on the walls of the kindergarten, making Steven and everyone else stop in there tracks. "Hey! I can't do that!" Steven yelled, looking up at the running figure. "Neither can SHE!" Pearl says in a rage, throws her spear up at peridot but misses when Peridot ducks, earning a 'ha missed!" From Peridot before the spear hit an injector and disappeared as the weight of the injectors own body crashed in on itself and began to fall taking Peridot with it to the ground.

"Do you think shes hurt?" Steven said in concern before Peridot broke out from a rock. Earning a chuckle and a 'nope' from Amethyst as she raised her whip just as Peridot started to run, Amethyst tied her up in said whip. Peridot with one finger free turned to Amethyst and put her free finger on the whip and lit it up making Amethyst drop the with exclaiming "HOT WHIP!" Then snarling at the green gem.

"You crystal clods! go ahead! wreck this place! See if I care. I already got what I needed!" Peridot exclaimed running from the team of rebels earning a 'get back here!' From pearl, Peridot realized and used her finger to prepel wind and make herself fly, in turn making Peridot laugh evily. "I'm gonna bop her good!" Amethyst yelled in anger. "I'll help!" Pearl comments.

"Hurry Garnet!" Steven says, believing he's still on the ground running, Garnet held the child up in humor. "If Peridots mission was to reactivate the kindergarten, the injectors would be on. Look. They're not " Garnet says looking around the kindergarten that made Steven stop running in place and look around. "Oh." Steven said thoughtful. "Let's see what she was actually doing." Garnet lifted the injector on the elevator type thing.

"Down here." She said. "Oh oh!" Steven said as there was now a hole. "Your brains and brawn- the whole package!" Steven compliments, earning a 'thank you' and hi-five from Garnet. "Is it cause your a fusion?" Steven asks, Garnet smiled. "I have to keep some of my secrets." She replied, Steven pouted. "Aw, please? I want to know!" Steven said earning a chuckle from Garnet.

"Is the strong part of you Ruby, and the wise part of you Sapphire?" Steven asked as they went down. "Its all of both. When two gems combine, it creates something greater than the sum of their parts. That's why I'm so great." Garnet answers simply with a smirk. "Whats it like to stay fused all the-woah." Steven cut himself off as they finally reach the place." I don't know how but this place is even creepier than the last time we were here ."

Steven comments and Garnet agrees. "Yes. There's something going on." Steven looked at the cracked screen like thing. "The powers not on." Steven commented and looked back at Garnet. "What was Peridot doing?" Steven asked.

"It looks like she pulled these out of the walls. Somethings strange." Garnet comments looking up at the tubes in the ceiling. Rustling was heard in one of the tubes on the ground Garnet walked over to the tube. "Garnet?" Steven said as his stomach turned with uneasiness as he ran over to the tube Garnet was at, something was definitely wrong.

Garnet placed her gauntlet over the tube, only to pull back as it started to shake. Violently. "Is there...something in there?" Steven asked hugging Garnets leg to ease his thumping heart. his eyes unnaturally large, as they backed away from the Violently shaking tube.

Steven stepped behind Garnet, his heart thumping through his ears as the rustling got louder. and louder. and louder. And louder. Something fell right behind them, Steven gave a shriek and looked behind them with Garnet to see a soft blue hand combined with a pink foot.

Garnet grabbed the abomination in one hand as Steven gave a confused 'woah' then they looked up. To see all kinds of mixed abominations. Foots on foots. Arms on arms. hands on legs. any combination. all abomination.

"What are they?" Steven asked as Garnet loosened her grip on the hand-foot, and it grabbed on to Steven's face. Steven let out a small shriek and Garnet poofed it immediately, showing the two gem shards forced together. "What is it?" Steven asked again at the sight of the gem.

"It looks like two gems shards stuck together." Steven comments in confusion. "Ugh!" Garnet spoke in disgust throwing the gem shard away from her, as more crawled or tried to move.

"Is that what all these things are? Gems...stuck together?" Steven asked staring at the poofed gem, Garnet gave a mixed yell of disgust, terror, and something else Steven couldn't decipher. "Garnet?" Steven asked concerned and confused. A tube broke open and a clustered gem floated up from inside.

the blow from the tube moved another tube, unnoticed by the two, moved into the abyss of darkness. The cluster gem started to form as hands and bodys of gems then started to glitch and form into a handed beast as screeching and screaming could be heard from the beast.

The two backed away from the beast as Garnet let out whimpers in fear shaking her head. "Uh.. Garnet!" Steven started at the terrified fusion with wide eyes.

"What do we do!?" Steven asked as a multicolored two way hand climb it way up him, Steven let out a small yell and grabbed the hand as the forced fusion beast grabbed Garnet.

"Please! Talk to me!" Steven yelled as he kicked away the rest of the forced fusions crawling his way. He summoned his shield at one of the arm fusions. The beast knocked Garnets visors off her face showing the petrified look on Garnets face. Steven knocked away the small fusions.

"These were crystal gems shattered into pieces, they were buried together." Garnet muttered tears building in her eyes. "Why aren't you moving?!" Steven exclaimed hiding in his shield. "They were forced together, they were forced to fuse, this is wrong!" Garnet shouted as she looked at the gem. "I-I-I'm sorry!" Garnet said before her body started glowing and coming apart.

"No, no! Garnet you're coming undone!" Steven said. "Garnet! Garnet!" He shouted keeping away the smaller forced fusion. "Garnet! Please! What's the matter?! This isn't like you!" Steven shrieked, Garnets eyes fell back into play as she knocked the forced fusion back as its eyes widened in surprise as she began to rip them apart, once she stopped glowing she poofed them.

Letting their gem fall to the floor, bubbling it, and picking it up from the floor earning a cheer and a 'we did it!' From Steven Garnet stood there unmoving. "Garnet?" Steven said Garnet was unfazed.

"So this is what homeworld thinks of fusion!"
Garnet said in anger.
"We couldn't have known they would do this."
Garnet replied to herself chocked up.
"This is where they've been- all the others we couldn't find, they've been here the whole time!"
"Rose couldn't have known."

"This was punishment for the rebellion!"

Garnets voice echoed though the empty base.
"Its not our fault!"
She said, her voice breaking.

"Garnet!" Steven's voice brought Garnet back to reality. She sent to bubble away and turned to Steven. "Steven-" Garnet was about to speak but a voice cut her off. "Yo we're back." Amethyst said walking into the base with Pearl.
"Garnet, we lost Peridot, her fingers were to fast for us." A two way hand crawled up Amethyst. "Um what are these things?" Pearl asked, grabbing the forced fusion off of Amethyst.

"Put them down!"

Garnet yelled, shocking Pearl and Amethyst. "What" Pearl whispered dropping the hand. "We need to poof and bubble all of them, we can't let any escape." Garnet said with sterness before slamming her gauntlet on the fusion.

The warp pad went off and there was Steven with a basket about to get laundry. Steven looked up and saw Garnet. "Hey Garnet, how's it going?" Steven asked. "Still damp." Steven looked in the washing machine, the clothes were still going.

"Oh right - the clothes." He looked at the washing machine. "There are towels in there, do we even have plumbing up here? How do you get the washer and dryer to work?" Steven asked. "Magic." Garnet whispered. Steven chuckled, Garnet looked away making Steven stop. "Are you... all right?" Steven asked.

"I wish you hadn't seen that." Garnet said softly. "Aw it's okay." "Its not okay" Steven frowned. "W-why?"

"What homeworld did... taking the shattered parts of fallen gems and combining them those gems weren't asked permission, Fusion is a choice. Those gems weren't given a choice. It isn't right! It isn't fusion!"
Garnet finished right as the buzzer for the laundry went off. Steven got the clothes out of the dryer and took a glance at Garnets stern face.
"Whats it like, being a fusion?"
Steven asked
"you've fused."
Garnet replied turning to the kid.

"I mean, like, all the time. Do you forget who you used to be?"
Steven clarified.

"You forget you were ever alone, you know, when you fuse, you don't feel like two people. You feel like one being, and your old names might as well be names for you left arm and your right."
Garnet smiled.
"When you split up is it like you disappear?" Steven asked.

"I embody my- I mean Ruby and Sapphire's love. I'll always exist in them even if I split apart, but the strength of that love keeps me together so I can stay Garnet for a very long time." Garnet explains. "Thats why your so great." Steven says, Garnet chuckles and Steven starts giggling until the wind blows and a white and blue sock flies out the basket. Garnet grabs it and hands it to Steven. "Don't want to break up a pair." She says, Steven picks up a white and red sock "Yeah your right. They belong together." Steven says as Garnet matches the to socks and places them on the top of the basket.

.

.

.

The tube that was knocked off the base had cracked, then shattered, a light blue gem glowing and floating before forming into a humanoid gem instead of the abomination that was bubbled minutes prior. The gem opened its four eyes. Fairy like water wing popped out from its back and it flew out of the hole.