Author's Note: Hey again, you guys! I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 2
Frozen

The plan was: There wasn't much of a plan.

Steven, for the time being, was going to stay with Greg until the gems felt as if it was safe for him to return. Ruby and Amethyst sent him off with pained smiles, helping him place his food shaped bags in the back of Greg's van.

"Are you guys sure you'll be alright?" Greg had asked as Steven said his goodbyes to Pearl's gem and Sapphire's frozen form. They hadn't expected him to take so long, but he thought that his half-human warmth might be what Sapphire needed to unfreeze her limbs, so they humored him.

"Honestly," Amethyst sighed, ragged. "Who knows?"

"And who cares!" Ruby's hands shot into the air. She started cursing to herself and walked off, irritated.

"Don't worry about her, she's just a little...heated." Amethyst cracked a small smile, chuckling to herself.

"I wouldn't worry too much about any of this, really." He smiled gently. "Things always have a way of working themselves out. You guys have always pushed through, I'm sure this time will be no different. In a few days, things will be the same."

Amethyst stared at the man, taking in his sunburnt skin and balding head. He was always nervous, yet always knew the right things to say.

"Ya know, Greg, I kinda get why Rose took to you so well."

The man's eyes widened, and his soft smile went slack.

"W-what do you mean?"

Amethyst only patted his shoulder, apologizing with a laugh as he flinched from his sunburn.

"Don't worry about it. If things go like you think they will, there's gonna be a lot of time to talk about it later." She smiled. "Take it as a compliment, dude."

"Will do!" He beamed before calling for Steven. The boy ran out of the house, trying his best to stay positive. Noticing him, Ruby calmed herself down, trying to be stronger for the little boy. They said their farewells, and the gems continued to wave from the porch as Greg's van became nothing but a speck in the distance. Ruby started to steam.

"Okay, what are we going to do?"

Amethyst stared out at the waves, watching a seagull on the shoreline that was staring at her through beady eyes.

"Well, Greg is making a stop at the barn to alert the three stooges, so I guess now we just kinda...wait?" Amethyst scratched the back of her head, smiling painfully. "Damn, I miss Pearl."

"I'm taking Sapphire and we're going to relax in Garnet's room. Come get us when the others arrive."

Ruby quickly headed inside, leaving Amethyst alone with her thoughts.

'I wonder if Greg is right'

Amethyst sat on a junk pile and stroked Pearl's gem with a cautious ease. Her fingers memorized every bump and groove that made her Pearl 'imperfect'. The feeling of the spot where the deep crack used to be caused a lump to form in the purple gem's throat, but she swallowed it back down. Instead, she focused on the first time that she and Pearl formed Opal.

"Pearl! Incoming!"

Amethyst darted through the waves, colliding with Pearl's lanky frame. Rose had decided that they should take Amethyst's training out to the beach today. Amethyst hadn't minded, and instead felt overpowered at the sense of freedom that the Earth brought to her. The kindergarten had been nothing but rocks and gray monochrome, so getting to feel a different part of the world made her giddy. Garnet and Rose understood why the younger gem was more excitable, but Pearl saw no reason why she should be. Instead of playing along, the older gem huffed, setting Amethyst down on the sand.

"You're all wet, Amethyst!" Pearl tried to wring out her shirt, failing miserably. "Oh, goodness."

Amethyst looked up at Pearl with sad eyes, sitting criss cross on the sand. Pearl looked back down at her, battling the puppy dog eyes that were making her heart flip in her chest. Of course, the guilt won out, and Pearl opened her arms back up to the childish gem. Amethyst laughed in happiness and jumped back into Pearl's arms. For once, Pearl couldn't help but smile, spinning Amethyst in circles. She didn't notice Rose and Garnet coming closer to them from the warp pad, nor did she care. In that moment, filled with such carefree happiness, Opal appeared.

She was tall, almost too tall, but filled with so much peace that both of the gems that formed her felt at home. Pearl couldn't remember a time where she felt so serene and comfortable within herself. Even Rainbow Quartz was more of a tease than this - this was a blanket of safety, something that she desperately needed.

Opal looked around, her eyes widening at the new sights around her. She looked down, getting used to the feel of her four limbs, which wiggled about, getting their kinks out.

"Why, hello there!"

Opal turned around, staring down at a starstruck Rose Quartz and an amazed Garnet.

"H-hello." Opal mumbled, trying to get used to the taste of words in her mouth. She would never get used to words.

"What's your name?" Garnet spoke, hands on her hips, face broken out into a wide smile.

Opal was silent for a moment, her attention trailing off, and instead focused on the way the clouds moved over the sun in the sky. She was thinking.

"I'm...Opal."

Things were always simpler with Opal, Amethyst thought. Since the beginning of their relationship, Opal had been formed much more often, but usually in secret. Pearl wasn't ready to tell Steven of the nature of their relationship, and Amethyst wasn't going to push her.

"Amethyst! Ruby!"

The sound of Jasper's loud voice coming from Steven's room shook Amethyst from her thoughts. She clutched onto Pearl tenderly as she made her way back to them. Jasper was pacing the floor, a disgusted expression written on her face as she stared at all the damage the earthquake had done to the house. Peridot was analyzing some of the wreckage, trying to collect debris for goodness knows what. Lapis was sitting on the couch, feet up on the table, with her eyes closed.

"There you are! We've been here for hours now!" Jasper shouted, arms crossing over her chest.

"More like a few minutes, Jasper." Lapis snorted.

"Actually, it has been approximately five minutes and forty eight seconds since we arrived at your house." Peridot had looked down at the watch Steven had gotten for her for her 'pretend birthday'. He was adamant about getting the one that would tell the time down to the exact second. It had been Amethyst's idea to get one in the shape of a triangle.

Jasper groaned, smoothing her hair back, trying to calm down.

"You know what I mean! Being here is just so nerve wracking!" She cried, sitting down on the floor.

It hadn't been too long ago that Jasper pulled herself out of the ground. She refused to tell anyone what had gone on under the earth, but as soon as she showed up at the temple, she fell to her knees and begged for mercy. Of course, Steven had taken that as an opportunity to give her a hug, snuggling deep into the woman's untamable mane. She was taken aback, but from that moment, was fiercely protective over the small boy.

"We know, Jasper!" Ruby argued back, emerging from her room with a frozen Sapphire in her arms.

Jasper looked away, the sight of the frozen Sapphire causing her to shiver. Not only because it was an awful sight to see, but also because the room dropped several degrees when Sapphire entered it.

"W-What happened?" Peridot shouted, running over to examine Sapphire. "Is she okay? This definitely doesn't look okay!"

Even Lapis had sat up on the couch, her brows angled in concern.

"I think she's frozen because her powers have been intercepted." Ruby started, pulling the gem closer to her side. "Something is blocking her ability to see into the future. We've gotta find it, so she can get her sight back, and can unblock all of the ice around her."

"Okay, so that's plan number one." Lapis nodded towards Pearl's gem. "What about her?"

Amethyst clutched Pearl's gem tighter, looking down at it with saddened eyes. But, remembering Greg's words, she tried to perk up.

"P is gonna be okay! She's just taking some time to heal, that's all."

The gems around her nodded hesitantly. Peridot fidgeted. Lapis stepped up from the battered couch, getting close to Sapphire and Ruby. She extended her hand, resting it on Ruby's warmed shoulder.

"I think I know how to help," Her face was stony, a dull expression lingering on the lines of her skin. However, behind her eyes, there was a spark of excitement. "There's a power that I only use in emergencies, but - I think this is kind of an emergency."

Ruby stared back hesitantly, but moved aside so that Lapis could examine Sapphire. Lapis raised her hand towards the frozen gem, her eyes turning to their mirror like state. Water from the sink gathered around Sapphire's eye, and Lapis took the small gem by the shoulders, mumbling something under her breath. Silence washed over the gems as they watched Lapis perform this small ritual - a power that not even Homeworld could understand.

Some gems had psychic ability written into their DNA, and while most did not, those that did made it a habit to keep it a secret. Sapphires were the most common gems with psychic powers, so they were used more often by Homeworld to predict future events and anomalies in the timeline. However, it was also known that Lapis Lazulis were often gifted with the most powerful psychic power - which is why they were ranked much higher than that of a semi-rare Sapphire. Most Lapis Lazulis tried to hide their powers away, without much avail, and found themselves on the run most of their life. They were drifters, never staying in one place for too long, so that their chances of getting taken advantage of was much less likely.

Suddenly, Lapis jumped back. Sapphire's icicles shot off of her body, melting quickly to the floor. She breathed a sudden gasp of air, clutching her head dizzily. Ruby shot forward, holding the small gem closer to her body.

"Sapphy, Baby!" Ruby shouted, nuzzling her face into Sapphire's soft hair. "I missed you so much! What happened?"

"Oh, Ruby…" Sapphire clutched the red gem tightly, her face falling into the crook of Ruby's neck. "I - I can't see anything - the future is clogged. Something is blocking my vision!"

"Well, yeah, but what is it!?" Peridot screeched, throwing her hands into the air. "How will we make anything better if we don't know the statistical chances of us being shattered?!"

Jasper grabbed the small gem and lifted her up onto broad shoulders. Without a word, Peridot took a breath, and calmed down. They hadn't expected Peridot and Jasper to be a couple, but they didn't question it. In fact, Jasper seemed to know the intricate workings of the nervous Peridot, down to a T.

Ruby and Sapphire grabbed hands, twirling together to create Garnet. Garnet stretched, relaxing her muscles with a tiny pop. She hugged herself, smiling softly. However, her smile retracted, and she grabbed her head.

"Augh!"

There was a noise coming from deep within the temple, a quick sound. Whatever it was wanted to be found, and more so, wanted to be heard. Lapis walked to the door, touching her palm to the cool stone. Garnet, holding her head, followed, mirroring the water gem's actions.

"Do you feel it? The vibrations?"

Garnet made a noise, nodding her head.

"It's Bloodstone."