Mine, Yours, Ours
“I don’t know how you do it,” Amethyst says when she meets Sapphire and Ruby for the first time—well, after she gets over her initial excitement, anyway.
The two exchange a look, and even Sapphire seems puzzled. Amethyst has performed fusion herself at this point—she’s been with the Crystal Gems some 200 years now—so that can’t be what she’s referring to, right?
“Do what?”
“Share everything!” says Amethyst, waving her arms as if the fact they just don’t get it is yet another source of frustration for her. “When you fuse with other people, it just looks like two gems because you two are still using the same eyes and arms. Even when you’re apart like this, people still call you RubyandSapphire like there aren’t any spaces between your names. Don’t you ever want anything just for you? Don’t you ever wish you had your own space?”
It’s an oddly flooring question. At this point, Garnet has been in existence for nearly three thousand years—a stretch of time that has been interrupted less than a handful of occasions, and primarily just for official introductions like this (they’re getting really good at them, if they say so themselves). Nowadays they hardly recognize themselves as two individuals long enough to define something as abstract as mine and yours. Even when Garnet fuses with someone else, she tends to function as a single mind that just happens to have two gems. Back in the rebellion, Garnet was a popular component of three-gem fusions for exactly that reason. If Sapphire and Ruby ever appeared as individuals, it only ever resulted in fusion tutorials or being bombarded by gems who were impressed at their incredible adaptability in the realm of fusion.
Yet in all of that time, no one has asked them a question like this. How is that possible?
Do they ever want something to just be theirs, and not also their partner’s?
While Sapphire sifts through different responses and their outcomes (including a scenario in which she owns a small trinket that she does not share with Ruby—a possibility she immediately rejects for making her uncomfortable; Ruby ends up stealing the stupid trinket anyway), Ruby just out and says it best.
“We already did that. It worked for like two thousand years, but this fits us better now.”
Amethyst begins to reply, but then stops as a thought hits her. “Wait a second—you’ve been together how long?” she says incredulously.
“Over five millennia, at this point,” says Sapphire. “I could give you the exact count, but I don’t think you care about the specifics.”
“Nah, not really—wow, five thousand years, though…” Amethyst scratches behind her ear as it hits her that that’s nearly twice her own age. “Yup,” she eventually decides.
Ruby can’t resist. “ ‘Yup’ what?”
“I’d definitely go crazy if I had to stay mushed up with someone that long,” Amethyst says simply. “Go crazy, and maybe punch them.”
While it could be interpreted as the naïveté of not being able to imagine another being interesting enough to coax you to settle down, it’s also entirely indicative of Amethyst’s own unique mindset. Amethyst is herself above all else, unapologetically. She does not bow down or give in to anyone or anything, even a derivative of her own personality, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that—in fact, her bold assertion of it is positively beautiful.
Truth be told, Sapphire and Ruby can’t help the way they howl in mirth before embracing the vibrant young gem in front of them. Amethyst reciprocates the hug well enough, but she is also not shy about speaking up.
“Um, what just happened? Did I miss something?”
“You’ll understand when you’re older,” Ruby assures her.
“Maybe.” Frankly, the probability of Amethyst understanding is very small.
About ten minutes later, when they are fused again, Garnet is thoughtful enough to explain their reaction for them. “They both imagined a scene in which you were punching your fusion partner for being ‘mushed up’ with you too long, and it brought back memories from when they were young themselves. They also have a great respect for your assertion to remain yourself, and were impressed by your ability to challenge them with your perspective.”
Amethyst stares for a moment, but the only thing that really sinks in is, “I impressed Ruby and Sapphire! Hey, Pearl!” Immediately, Amethyst dashes off. “Pearl! Did you hear what Garnet just said? Pearl? Hey, P, where you at!” As Amethyst’s search for Pearl leads her into the temple, her rambunctious voice fades.
Garnet smiles to herself. She’s glad they kept Amethyst.