Hey everyone! Guess what? School's out for the summer, so that mean that I have three months of freedom! I've been dabbling in various fandoms to try and get back into the swing of things, as it were, so you may or may not be seeing various oneshots from me for various things. Meh. Hopefully I'll be able to get the motivation together to work on my larger stories some time soon, yeah?

Anyways, I honestly got sucked up into the Steven Universe fandom a couple of months ago, and this idea (along with several others) has been stuck in my head for awhile, but I could never find the time or drive to write it! I'm so happy I finally got to finish, though! However, this is my first Steven Universe FanFiction, so would you all please be so kind as to leave me a review on what you think?

Also: Let me state now, that a few things in here, as well as the oneshot's "plot", itself, are based purely upon my own personal headcanons. Maybe they'll turn out to be a part of the show, or maybe not. Who knows? *shrugs*

Anyways, I hope you guys like it! I'll try to make some more content for this (painfully underrated) fandom in the future, but until then, stay safe, and enjoy!

~Fallen

This Bond Between Us

The screech of clashing weapons sparked all around her, while war cries belonging to her people rang loud and true in her ears. Her dark eyes flicked from one end of the battlefield to the other, though she knew the chaos and bloodshed traveled far beyond what she could see. Any life offered by foliage had since been trampled beneath hundreds of feet, and the earth below was hard-packed by soldiers' marches. The delicately sloped hills were broken by charred burns and wicked gashes left behind by countless attacks that had missed their mark. Now and again, she saw shards of, from this vantage point, what appeared to be multi-colored glass. Despite all the chaos as her kin remained locked in brutal, kill-or-be-killed combat, nothing made the red-skinned being's heart ache more than those shards.

Remnants of what could only be the broken stone of another Gem.

She knew she should be fighting. After all, she had pledged her loyalty and allegiance to Rose, and the other Crystal Gems. To fight by their sides against the armies of the Homeworld Empire, and keep this helpless little planet safe. After all, they needed all the help they could get, because while they were many, the Empire was more. Much, much more. But... these Gems... they had been her friends, her partners, and her mutual protectors. She had come here from Homeworld with them – she'd even helped Jasper, Peridot and Topaz establish the Kindergarten when they'd first gone about colonizing the planet!

She hadn't cared about the planet's fate then, so why did she now?

...What a stupid question. She knew why.

She cared because the Gem she loved did. And no, she didn't mean Rose Quartz. Yes, she respected and cared for Rose as a friend and authority figure; sometimes she even liked to see a mother in the pink-colored Gem – it was difficult not to, given her loving, compassionate nature. And though Rose Quartz had been the one who began the rebellion against the Diamond Authority to save this tiny, weak, defenseless planet, it was not the Crystal Gems' leader who held her interest so steadfastly in their cause.

A small blush was hidden beneath the pigment of her naturally-red cheeks as the image of a blue-skinned, light-blue-haired beauty came to mind.

The distracted Crystal Gem was broken from her stupor when a cry pierced her ears.

"Ruby! Help!"

She looked around to see a short-statured, dress-clad figure slumped on the ground. Her eyes were hidden by dirt-speckled hair, but her teeth were clenched in pain from an impact with the ground. Above her elegant form, was a lither, taller Gem, with similarly blue skin, and deep aqua hair that stopped above her shoulders. From an arm twirled a slender whip of water, poised straight for the other Gem's weakened form.

Sapphire!

Ruby's blood ran cold at the sight, and without a second thought, she charged with a scream of fury, summoning up a spiked gauntlet from the red gemstone embedded in her left palm. Her heart throbbed in her chest, and the sound thundered in her ears like a drum as pure rage sent her into a panicked, hurting frenzy.

"Lapis Lazuli, you damn traitor!" she shrieked, sending an armored fist into the blue Gem's back, barely missing her stone. The female lurched forward, and rolled a few times along the ground as Ruby crouched protectively by her lover's side, gauntlet raised and a grimace on her face. "I thought you pledged your loyalty to the Crystal Gems! How could you try to hurt you friends? Your family?!"

Sapphire used Ruby's shoulder her leverage as she brought herself to her feet. Her right hand glowed briefly, and elegant plates of a metallic substance appeared over her right forearm in a flash of pale blue light. The ends of her fingers now had sharp metal points, and it had a bionic-looking quality to it. Although it seemed delicate, Ruby knew the strength it packed behind a well-placed punch. Her left hand grasped Ruby's right firmly, and the red Crystal Gem could feel her fingers shiver with anger, hurt and betrayal.

"I... was wrong," came a quiet, dry voice. Lapis shakily rose to her feet, obviously hurting from Ruby's punch. She turned to them, holding her left shoulder, and spat at them, "The Empire is my family! I am loyal to the Authority!"

"Ruby, look out!" Sapphire's sweet voice gasped, and Ruby echoed the sound as, suddenly, her partner's hand dragged her around in a loose, sweeping circle, out of the way of Lapis' attack as the traitorous Gem sent a spear of water straight for where Ruby's head used to be. On reflex, Ruby grasped Sapphire by the arm, and twirled her in a graceful circle to regain their equilibrium.

A warmth filled Ruby's chest as she gazed upon Sapphire's surprised face, and a beautiful white light enveloped all she knew as something within her clicked, and for a moment...

Ruby felt herself become complete.

The air outside the Temple was heavy with grief and agony once it all ended.

In the aftermath of the great Gem War, there was only so much those remaining could do. Yes, they had won. Yes, they had driven the Empire and their Authority away from the planet Earth. Yes, they had saved the humans, and all other life on this planet...

But now, who would save them?

Though her heart was heavy with sorrow and hurt, Rose Quartz could only cry so many tears. She could only mend so many wounds. And they had already lost so many Crystal Gems...

As much as she knew they came to spite the Diamond Authority and their ways, Ruby also knew it had hurt just as much standing against them as it would have standing beside them. If they had lost, they would have been killed, and the planet hollowed out. But now that they had won... they would never be able to go home again.

"I suppose... this is our home, now," Pearl had muttered to Ruby in response. She had sounded... bitter, almost, despite the pride she held in her comrades' valor during the fighting. Ruby knew how she felt.

She was going to miss the familiarity of Homeworld. All of them, except for Amethyst, had been created at the Homeworld. This was supposed to be just another mission. But then, along the way, something had happened, and Rose's love for the rocky, water-covered planet became infectious, and they all found themselves falling for it. They had been willing to fight to the death for it.

Earth was their Homeworld now.

She was happy they had saved Earth and its lifeforms – proud, even. Of herself and her family and for all the countless lives they had saved, past, present and future. She was ecstatic when they deactivated the machines Peridot had been using in the Kindergarten, and destroyed what remained of the Homeworld Warps. She was overjoyed when one of the Gems created there, Amethyst, had decided to stay with them in the Temple. She could have flown when Rose had congratulated her and Sapphire for stopping Lapis during their first successful Fusion together.

Her heart almost stopped when she thought back on that.

Ruby and Sapphire; Sapphire and Ruby; one being, one body, one heart, one soul.

Garnet.

Never before had the two even considered the idea of Fusion. Up until now, the red and blue Crystal Gems had never had a reason to Fuse. They'd already been in sync – they were lovers, after all. And, again, there was never a reason to create Garnet. At least, not until Lapis Lazuli had double-crossed them. She had... tried to eliminate Sapphire...

Ruby's hands clenched into tight fists. She faintly recalled the memory of Garnet sending a blunt gauntlet straight into the gemstone upon Lapis' back. Her knuckles gave a quiet crack as her hand tensed with a flash of satisfaction. They'd managed to damage her enough to send the water-wielding Gem back into her namesake stone to heal. The heart of her existence. It'd become badly cracked as a result, and had Pearl not stepped in when she did, Garnet would not have thought twice about crushing it to splinters beneath her other fist.

Sapphire's shock towards what they had almost done had been enough to destabilize their Fusion, splitting the two Gems apart, and snuffing out the brief light of Garnet that they had created together.

Ever since then, Ruby felt distracted. It was almost as if... something had reached inside of her, grabbed a fistful of whatever was there, and pulled it out of her body. She missed that glowing warmth embracing her, holding Ruby against everything that was her beloved Sapphire. Melting her into the blue-shaded beauty's flesh and bone, combining their hearts and souls, threading their separate gems together into a single, harmonious existence. Every movement, every thought, every breath, in perfect sync.

Like a never-ending dance to music that only their ears could hear. The dance of Garnet, with the love they shared acting as music.

They had lost so many during the battle. They'd either been cracked, crushed, or Corrupted. Turning into monsters, or receding into their gems for an eternity.

Topaz, Tourmaline, Emerald, Nephrite and Jadeite, Bloodstone, Feldspar, Serpentine, Citrine, Azurite, Lapis Lazuli... and many more.

Try as she might, Rose Quartz couldn't figure out how to heal them. Her tears weren't enough, it seemed. She'd managed to seal away Lapis' gem in a silver mirror for protection (good riddance), and encapsulated the others in a bubble of her energy for safekeeping. But she hadn't been able to heal them. Now the only ones left were Pearl, Amethyst, Rose, Sapphire, and Ruby, herself.

And Garnet, her mind chipped in. Ruby shook her head with a grumble.

Ever since their first encounter as Garnet, she and Sapphire had been talking. They'd been together for decades, now, and Ruby recalled them discussing some sort of way to... make themselves feel closer the past few years. Spiritually, physically, it didn't matter. In fact, they'd even considered upon the idea of the human custom of marriage before.

Back on Homeworld, Gems did not get married. They were created, formed, crystallized. Never born, like the organic creatures on Earth, so there was never much of a reason to coexist in that sort of way.

That was the entire reason behind colonization – to create Kindergartens, so they could form new Gems without depleting the resources of their own planet. Relationships between Gems were rarely more than acquaintances or friendship. There were a few romantic relationships every few centuries, but disharmony between partners, disapproval from the Authority, or overall public scrutiny usually ended them within a couple of years. But here, on Earth, Ruby and Sapphire had been able to nurture and grow their bond between one another.

They were happy... until Garnet, anyways.

Now it felt like something was missing.

Two weeks into the aftermath of the War, and Ruby had finally worked up the courage to approach Rose Quartz on the matter.

She had been standing on a sandy shoreline than lined its way around the cliff-side where the Crystal Gems made their home, the Temple carved into the rock and soil to shelter them. The multiple layers of her dress had been gently lifted from the ground, while the soothing waves washed over Rose's toes and cool sand. It was night, and the stars were shining in the sky without hindrance. Ruby had no doubt that the ideal position along the ocean would one day become a bustling settlement for the growing human race, and she also knew that one day it would be their jobs to look over those humans. Rose had decided that, for now at least, it would probably be better for the species to be left on their own, while in such a fragile state of development. To 'avoid meddling with their evolutionary independence', as she had stated it.

Ruby walked up beside her gentle leader noiselessly, hands folded with an uncharacteristic sheepishness at her front, eyes fixated on the damp sand. They sat in silence for some time, and though she would never admit to it, the red Gem was beyond grateful for Rose's quiet patience. She swallowed nervously, and couldn't quite bring herself to look away from her feet. Why did she feel so nervous? It wasn't like she and Sapphire were fleeing the Temple for Homeworld, or anything! Rose Quartz was her friend – she shouldn't be so nervous over something so silly!

She had started to pick at the skin surrounding her gemstone when a large but soft hand hovered over Ruby's shoulder. Looking up, the rosewood-eyed female met the deep, black-brown irises of Rose Quartz. Her full, light-pink lips pulled into a comforting smile, her pale, peaches-and-cream face looking rounded and delicate beneath the gentle moon's glow. Rose's thumb rubbed a short, soothing circle over Ruby's shoulder, making the younger, smaller Gem release a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

Before she could stop it, a miniscule smile pulled at Ruby's lips, and she murmured a breathy "thank you," as the nerves slowly faded beneath the consoling touch. Rose smiled back, brushing a thick ringlet of hair over her shoulder. "You're welcome," she murmured in response, "Now... do you have something you need to talk about, Ruby?"

She wanted to duck her head, but Rose's gentle eyes kept Ruby's at attention. They were careful, concerned, and curious. So, instead, she nodded, slowly. "I... uh..." She rubbed at her neck with a hand nervously, eyes darting briefly out to the sea stretching before them. "Do you, uh – do you remember – no, wait, of course you do, it was only a couple weeks ago..." She cleared her throat. "But, do you remember, during the battle, when Lapis...? And then me n' Sapphire... and then there was Garnet, and... stuff?"

Though her expression briefly darkened at the mention of Lapis Lazuli and her act of betrayal to their friends, Rose Quartz began to giggle. "Yes," she affirmed sweetly, "I remember you, Sapphire, and 'Garnet and stuff'. Why do you ask?"

Ruby ran her fingers through her thick hair, huffing out a sigh through her nose. "Well... we've been talking since then, and... a-and we were... w-we were thinking about Fusing again..."

"Well, I don't see a problem with-"

"Permanently."

"...Come again?"

Ruby's dark eyes fixed upon the seascape, gluing themselves to the rising moon, and the dancing reflection of light it left behind. The light made something within her spark with reminiscence – it reminded her of the light she saw before they had Fused. "Yeah..." she mumbled quietly, "We... like I said, Sapphire and I were talking, and we decided that we... really... really liked the way it felt when we made Garnet... and that we wanted to stay that way."

Her hands clenched, and her face felt warm. "B-Because that way, we-we can be together, forever. And we'll never be apart, so we won't have t-to worry about the other getting... getting hurt, 'cause we'll never be outta each other's sight." Ruby could feel Rose staring at her, and she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. It made her nervous again. "I don't like... being here without her... even if she's just in the Temple, it still..." There was a frustrated huff, and Ruby turned back to Rose sharply. "Ugh, it bothers me! I feel like there's this empty spot and I hate it! But... B-But with Garnet, it was... i-it was just... gone. And I felt safe, and warm, and happy. Like there wasn't a missing piece anymore." Her eyes felt warm and prickly, but Ruby refused to cry. She wasn't weak, damn it!

Rose's reply wasn't one she had been expecting.

"And why is this of any concern to me, Ruby?" The question wasn't meant to seem rude; she sounded genuinely curious, even a tad confused.

The shorter Gem stammered for a moment, taken aback. "W-Well we just, I mean, we just figured... one of us should ask for permission first, from you and the others, before we did it..."

There was a pause between them... and then Rose Quartz smiled. She even laughed a little. "Though I do appreciate the consideration," she said between short bouts of chuckling, "What you and Sapphire decide to do is entirely up to you two. It wouldn't matter what Amethyst, Pearl or I think. And I promise that we'd accept you no matter what."

Ruby looked uncertain. "But... we're all that's left of the Crystal Gems, now. Would having two merge into one make things harder?"

There was a thoughtful hum. "In some ways, perhaps... but in others, I'd like to believe it would make things easier for the rest of the Gems. A combination of your strengths to balance out your weaknesses, your mixed intellects, and empathy for others..." That brilliant smile had returned. "It would make you and Sapphire stronger as Gems – and as partners – In more ways than one."

"So... s-so you wouldn't mind...?" Ruby murmured, hope and excitement beginning to seep into the tone of her voice and the sparkle of her gaze.

Rose's smile was wide and radiant with joy and support. "Would it make the two of you happy?" she asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"A-Absolutely! More than anything!"

There was a nod. "Then I would not mind it a single bit. And I know that Amethyst and Pearl would support you, too."

Ruby's face split into the biggest grin Rose Quartz had ever seen her wear before, in all of the many centuries they'd known each other. She could practically see the stars dancing in the smaller Gem's eyes, and her ruby gemstone gave a short, dazzling flash in response to it wielder's ecstasy. She snatched Rose by the waist best she could, and squeezed as tightly as her muscles would allow, her breath hitched by giddy laughter and squeals.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she cheered after pulling away, bouncing once where she stood, before pivoting on a heel back towards the Temple. "I'm gonna tell Sapphire right now, and then we can work on our dance, and then we can make Garnet in the morning!" She dashed back towards their sanctuary, and calling one final, "thank you, Rose!" over her shoulder.

Rose Quartz smiled after the ecstatic red Gem, waving in the mix of a farewell and acknowledgment. The burden on her heart lessened, if only a smidge.

It seems as if some good has come out of this tragedy for my brave Crystal Gems, after all...