Bleached | Steven Universe

Garnet: Unsynchronise

"I was lookin' forward to a fight — just didn't realise it'd be 'gainst some murky, malformed rock."

        Pearl sighed and Sugilite jumped on the attack, clenching her fists. What was her problem?

        Wonder she ever became a Crystal Gem. Bet she'd hide every chance she got in a real fight.

        Pearl looked up and Sugilite prepared to verbally smack her down. So what if she might've said it out loud? It was true.

        "Sugilite . . . do you mind unfusing?"

        The fusion bristled. "Why? You don' WANT me here?"

        "It's not that, I just . . . I want Garnet and Amethyst right now. Please."

        She was about to deny her the possibility of seeing them when Pearl locked gazes with her. Her eyes were big and sad. "It's just . . . Steven. . ."

        Looking down at the boy, she deflated.

        In a burst of white light, Garnet and Amethyst were left standing together, hand in hand. Pearl shot them a grateful smile. "Thank you."

        Garnet glanced down at a sullen Amethyst and gave her hand a quick squeeze before she let go, striding over and kneeling beside Steven.

        "What do you think we can do?" she asked, consulting her future vision. "Steven should be free — there's no way White Diamond could still be controlling him. He's just—" another glimpse into the future. "—Trapped."

        "I— I'm not sure." Pearl ran a hand affectionately through his dark curls. The gesture drew Garnet's attention to something.

        "He's breathing," she said.

        Pearl jumped — but the sound she made was somewhere between shock and relief. "That— That's good, right? He'll be okay?"

        Garnet sighed. "Pearl, I don't know. There are so many possibilities. I don't know how this is gonna turn out."

        "Uh . . . guys?" Amethyst stepped into the circle. "What about Rose's fountain? We've healed cracked gems in there — what if it can fix . . . whatever this is?"

        Pearl gazed at the boy for a moment. He looked like he was sleeping. "Well . . . it's worth a try."

        Garnet could sense the tension in the air, strung taught like a bow string. Every one of them was devastated, but reigned in by the tiniest ray of hope. They had Steven back, now. At least they had a chance of fixing what White had done.

        There was a sniffle from the corner and everyone turned. Connie still lay facing the wall. Her thin body was trembling.

        "Connie," they all said at once. Pearl pushed herself up and scrambled over to the girl. "Connie! Are you  . . . Are you alright?"

        From her post across the room, Garnet could faintly make out her answering whisper. "No."

        Pearl laid a hand on her back. "What have you been doing all this time?"

        "Crying," came Connie's frail voice. "And sleeping." She let out a sob. "Dreaming about Steven."

        "Oh, Connie. . ." Pearl's voice was drenched with regret. Then, she seemed to brighten a little. "You know, we . . . we have Steven. He's here."

        Garnet had never seen a human move so fast. Connie bolted up, shadowed eyes wide, and scanned the room. "Here? Where?"

        Garnet cleared her throat and the girl's eyes settled on her. She gestured to the boy beside her. "He's right here, Connie."

        The girl scrambled over in a flash, nudging her way next to him. "Steven! Steven? Are you okay? Wake up!"

        Garnet was about to place a hand on her shoulder when Amethyst did just that, crouching down beside her. "He's still . . . gotta way to go. But he'll be fine, alright? We'll fix him."

        "If we just had some of Rose's water. . ." Pearl sighed, standing and making her way over.

        Connie bolted upright. "Water? I have water!"

        There was a short silence, and then Garnet sighed. "Connie," she began carefully, "We need some of the healing water from Rose Quartz's fountain—"

        "No!" Connie jumped to her feet and Amethyst fell back with a yelp. "I— I have it! I brought some with me! I just need to. . ." She looked around wildly and then, with a gasp, bolted across the room. She pounced on the backpack slouched against the wall. "I had some in here! Me and Steven — we. . ."

        She pulled out a bottle and examined it. Shaking her head, she threw it aside. It rolled across the floor.

        Another bottle — discarded. Another? — no, not that one either. Garnet could see the panic dawning on Connie's face, the widening of her frenzied eyes, the heaving of her chest—

        "YES!" she shrieked, and pulled out one more bottle, this time dotted with cartoon stickers. She stumbled over, sitting shakily down, and held the bottle out in trembling hands. "This . . . This is it."