Here it is, the last chapter of Silent Intent. There is something I'd like to point out. This chapter takes place 200 years before the show, the same year they rescue William Dewey. I've been extremely vague with the timeline, and I apologize for confusion this may have caused.

Thank you to everyone who was read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. I especially thank Aldecaalfi, who was the first to review and continued to do so. Thank you very much. I also want to thank Pearlislove, Tardisgirl123, and Yoru no Nyx as well. :D

Oh, before I forget, is being very kind and translating this story into Spanish. :)

And now, the final chapter of Silent Intent:

Deep in the temple, Garnet paced around the lava pit. Her hands clenched and unclenched, reflexively summoning her gauntlets just to dismiss them again. Part of her couldn't believe Pearl would run off like that. Several memories from the war proved that part wrong. The fusion looked up when she felt Rose's presence approaching her. The soft worried expression she wore did little to calm her nerves. Rose didn't say anything past her greeting, choosing instead to wait for Garnet to say what she thought about it.

"This isn't like her, Rose. She doesn't just run off on missions without letting someone know." Rose hummed, chuckling at the irony of Garnet's words.

"No, that's your habit." The other Gem had the decency to blush. "Have a little more faith in her. She's fought worse, during the war."

Garnet crushed the urge to fidget at the pointed reminder of a certain battle. "Alright."

"They'll be fine, Garnet. I believe in them."

This time the magenta gem frowned. "They?"

A shocked look of pure surprise crossed her friend's face. "You didn't know? Pearl took Amethyst with her." She watched Garnet relax and grinned, her dark eyes shining excitedly. "Who knows? Maybe they'll form Opal! It's a good chance for them both. They can learn a lot from each other." Her excitement must have been contagious because Garnet felt herself smiling at the thought of those two coming back happy and triumphant. A small worry still gnawed at the back of her mind, and she hoped Rose was right.

Amethyst hissed at the monster they were fighting. It was fast and strong too. She lashed out with her whip trying to catch one of its limbs. She missed and caught Pearl instead. More than a little surprised, she quickly released her mentor. Pearl's hand was moving: her first two fingers moving in a circle, then the signs for 'whip', 'spear', and 'together'. The younger gem didn't bother with nodding. She tucked into a rolling spin and circled their enemy. A blast of energy sped over her sending it off balance. Amethyst stopped, summoning her whip and snapping it towards the monster's legs.

Now that the softer underside was exposed, Pearl had an easier time piercing underneath the armor. Gathering the fallen gem was a simple task and she passed it to Amethyst to bubble. The silent warrior didn't tell her companion that this wasn't the gem beast that she and Garnet fought. It was smaller, weaker, with fewer legs and different coloring. Her lips pursed as she scanned the area for any sign of it. It seemed to be gone. Pearl turned back to Amethyst who stood next to her looking around. Nothing stood out. If it weren't for the subtle way certain branches were broken, Pearl would have written it off as natural damage. It led in the direction of the ocean but there weren't any beaches that way, only a wall of cliffs that plunged straight down for hundreds of feet. She followed the trail hoping to catch some sign of it still being there.

It had already moved on. Not too far, Pearl noticed, looking out over the edge. The massive corruption was out at sea and getting farther away. Pearl huffed in aggravation. She glanced at Amethyst and smiled. She knew what direction it was going; it would be wiser to return home and report it to the others. Let's go back.

Wide eyes glared at her. "But what about that one?" A purple hand shot up to point a finger at the retreating corruption.

Another time, Amethyst. We'll tell the others and discuss it then. I'd rather have you safe. Pearl ruffled the mane of lavender hair and hugged her. "Ame…sst." Hearing her name cheered her up about not fighting another monster, and soon Amethyst was running ahead of Pearl while her friend tried to keep up. She caught up to her in a field. They raced each other to the warp and Amethyst cheered as she reached it before Pearl. The knight wore a smile, activating the warp to take them home. Celestite sat on the platform stairs holding a tiny crab in her open palm, watching it scurry across the surface in rapt fascination.

"WE'RE BACK!" The shout startled the quartz, causing her to toss the crab. It hit the ground, and then ran to disappear along the beach. Pearl smiled apologetically before telling her she had to tell her, Rose and Garnet about what they'd learned on their mission. "We found the one that hurt them," Amethyst added. "Pearl wouldn't fight it."

The slender knight moved to explain her decision. The temple door opened, distracting her and admitting Rose and Garnet. Rose giggled although Pearl could tell her leader was relieved to see them both. "Garnet said you were back." She pulled them both into a hug. Pearl relaxed into it soaking in the affection from the gem she admired. After a moment she pulled away wanting an entirely different kind of attention. She felt she owed Garnet an apology for suddenly leaving without a word.

Garnet, I'm sorry. I should have let you know I was leaving. I—I forgot my ring! Where?! Her sentence was cut short by the warm embrace trapping her hands between them. She craned her neck to stare perplexed at her taller partner. Her confusion showed on her face. "Garnet?" A rich chuckle graced her ears. "Wh?" Each sound she made, each word she relearned, Garnet cherished. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to cherish Pearl's voice.

"I've got it. Here," She took her wife's hand, sliding the ring on her finger and kissing her hand. Pearl blushed at the display of public affection. "You found it." It wasn't a question, and Pearl could hear the concern in her partner's voice when others couldn't. Tracing her fingers along the edge of the shades Garnet wore, she offered a reassuring smile and nod.

We did. I think telling Rose where it was headed is better than trying to fight it and putting Amethyst in real danger. Pearl's hands roamed across Garnet's arms down to her hips, wandering up to snake around her waist. The magenta gem relaxed a little, the knowledge that Pearl put their safety first soothing her worries that she'd do something reckless. They'd already had too many close calls. We'll need everyone for this mission…together. Pearl hesitated at the last part, using her sign for fusion with reluctance.

Amethyst ran over, looking at the couple before announcing loudly that Rose and Celestite still wanted to hear how their task went. She grinned as her friends flirted a bit more. The purple gem wanted to get the talking over with so they could fight the monster that hurt her friends. She missed the grim looks Pearl and Celestite exchanged and the subtle way Garnet held her mate closer protectively. Thankfully she did notice when Rose's face took on a more somber expression when Pearl went into a detailed report of their mission. Celestite asked a lot of questions the younger quartz didn't think to even wonder about. What direction was it going? What did it look like? How did it fight when it attacked? Were there any weaknesses they could remember? Had they found any while fighting it? What kind of terrain were they in when she and Pearl saw it? The lunar gem looked more serious than Amethyst could remember her being, before the memory of her fight against Pearl.

"I see several futures where it becomes a threat to humans at sea." Garnet said after several long moments of consideration. "It'd be better if we stopped it before it does."

"We'll leave now," Rose commanded. "Pearl, you're certain we'll need to fuse to win this?" Her fellow rebel nodded.

"Yes, R…Ro…se." If it weren't for the seriousness of the conversation, Rose Quartz would have celebrated being called again in nearly four thousand years.