Change

Garnet simply watches as Jasper swims further away. She knew Jasper was goading her and she wasn't going to fall for it. Instead, she turns around and heads back to the beach.

"Where's Jasper?" Steven questions as Garnet's feet make contact with the sandy beach.

"She'll be back later." Garnet reaches out and ruffles Steven's hair. "Good game Steven."

Steven eyes lit up with stars. "It was! Thanks Garnet, this was so much fun!" Steven hugs Garnet's legs.

Garnet smiles down at the boy she helped raise. Then her eyes spot a shivering Connie. "It's getting late. Why don't you take Connie's to your dad's so y'all can take her home."

Steven nods his head and separates himself from Garnet's legs. "Okay. Connie!" Steven screams as he runs over to Connie.

Garnet smiles as she watches the two disappear into town. Amethyst and Peridot have long since departed to the barn.

Garnet frowns as she turns back to look over the water. Nothing.

Garnet shakes her head and heads inside.

..

It's been a week since Garnet called the meeting. A week since Jasper kissed her and a week of her racking her brain over why.

So far, Amethyst and Peridot have  discussed what they saw, but only to each other.

"Garnet?" Pearl interrupts Garnet's thoughts.

Garnet looks up at Pearl from her position atop the hill above the house. "Yes Pearl?"

"What happened? It all felt so real, like I've failed her twice." Pearl sits down next to Garnet.

Garnet says nothing for a while, just places a hand on Pearl's. "If anything, I'm the one that failed. I should've seen this happening. I should've protected my team better."

Pearl turns to Garnet with wide eyes. "It wasn't your fault. And we're here, we're alive."

"Scarred but alive."

Pearl is silent for a moment. "It all felt so real. I watched as the Amulet Stone monster charged at Steven and I reacted. I charged at it; I had to protect Steven. I watched as Lapis was hit, then nothing. But I remember hearing Steven scream before I poofed." Pearl tightens her fists balled up on her knees.

"It wasn't real, but it could've been. I'll do better, I promise." Garnet squeezes Pearl's hand with her own.

"We all should be doing better." Tears begin to fall from Pearl's eyes. "Garnet, what would we have done? We couldn't lose Steven, not after Rose." Pearl's body begins to shake as a sob racks through her.

Garnet wraps Pearl in a hug. "We'll do better. I'll do better. I won't let this happen again. It can't."

Pearl leans into Garnet's side as the tears continued flowing. It felt so real.

..

Garnet hasn't been to the barn for a while. But it's the home of Lapis and partially of Peridot. Though Peridot has a room between Amethyst and Pearl, she rather likes her home at the barn. Lapis, just doesn't want to be around Jasper, so her having a room in the temple was out of the question.

"How are y'all?" Garnet questions the three from her position at the doorway of the barn.

Peridot, Amethyst and Lapis all look at each other.

"Hey G., can we talk to you?" Amethyst questions with Lapis and Peridot behind her.

Garnet nods her head and heads deeper into the barn.

"You say it wasn't real, but it felt real," Amethyst starts.

"I've been through a lot of horrible things, but that was .." Lapis trails off as she looks away. 

"It felt like .." Peridot swallows and shakes her head. "We're here. We're alive. It. Wasn't. Real."

Lapis looks over at Peridot who has her arms wrapped around herself. "I watched you die Peridot."

"We watched each other die Peri," Amethyst says in a soft voice. "I was right there and I couldn't save you. I couldn't save myself. I couldn't save Steven. I couldn't do anything." Amethyst tightens her fists.

Peridot looks away and down at her feet. "I keep telling myself it wasn't real, that none of that happened. Even though I know none of it actually did happen, it doesn't erase what I saw, what I felt and how I felt. Useless."

"None of this is any of y'all's fault. It's all mine. I should've been better prepared. I should've protected my team better. I'll do better." Garnet offers.

The other gems shake their heads. "You and Jasper led the charge. Y'all were the first ones taken out and yet you still managed to save us. None of this is your fault." Lapis counters.

"I should've never put y'all in that predicament in the first place. I failed as a leader."

"You came through as our leader. You're not perfect G., you don't have to try to be." Amethyst smiles weakly at Garnet.

"Who freed you anyways?" Peridot questions, her curiosity peaked.

Garnet swallows. "I broke free of my own and Jasper freed me from Steven's."

"You saw Steven's vision?" "Jasper saved you?" All three barn gems question at the same time.

"I saw Steven's vision and yes, Jasper freed me of it." Garnet sighs. "I failed."

"Then we all failed," Jasper's voice rings out from behind the four.

Garnet turns around to face Jasper. Why is she here?

Jasper locks eyes with Garnet or at least what she presumed to be behind the shades. "We have work to do. I refuse to be beaten by anything, especially psychologically."

Amethyst nods her head. "I agree. I hated the feeling." Amethyst turns to Garnet. "I don't ever want to feel like that again." Amethyst balls her fists up by her side.

"Then let's not." Lapis adds and everyone turns to face her. "I refuse to be anyone's prisoner, not anymore and not again.

"We need to be stronger," Peridot quietly adds in.

"Together," Garnet finishes. Like Steven taught us.