To Fuse, Or Not To Fuse
"We only fuse in deadly situations," is the mantra of the Crystal Gems. "Fusion is serious and sacred magic, and it should never be abused."
Garnet supposes this is as much her fault as the misconceptions about her permanent presence during the war. She did, after all, introduce fusion as a battle tactic first. An intimate tactic, perhaps, but a tactic all the same.
She doesn't think she's ever going to stop regretting that. For a gem with the ability to see possible futures, you'd think she might have anticipated this.
Fusion is amazing. It makes you feel strong—and, when it's done right, you feel good and secure and well cared for, too. Small wonder there's a draw to experience it more often—but that's inadvertently become something of a taboo over the centuries. You can't crave the closeness of fusion without an excuse; you need something to fight. Apparently.
It's not as if Garnet doesn't understand. She is familiar with the fear of yielding the entirety of yourself to whomever you become with someone else. She experiences a very similar version of it just before she unfuses, even if she knows she always lives on in Ruby and Sapphire when they're individuals.
But Rose Quartz is the leader of the Crystal Gems. In the end, it's her call which fusion dogmas they should follow. She seems to have chosen the 'only for deadly situations' route. What Garnet feels about it doesn't matter, really, because she's chosen to follow Rose Quartz to the end. It would do no good to cause a philosophical rift in their friend group; they still have work to do rounding up corrupted gems, and that takes precedence over everything else.
Of course, Rose Quartz has been known to make exceptions to her own rules from time to time. Becoming Rainbow Quartz to impress and arouse Greg Universe, for example.
Pearl initiated the fusion to make the human male writhe in discomfort and feelings of inadequacy, that much is obvious (though perhaps not to Rose. She's never seen Pearl objectively, Garnet doesn't think). Nevertheless, a creature with Greg's enthusiasm for life and new experiences does not tend to default to envy. That was a severe miscalculation on Pearl's part.
"Hey Garnet," says Amethyst hours later, as they approach a Greg who is trying valiantly to imitate Pearl's dancing style by the rear bumper of his colorful van. They're still a ways off, so he can't hear them. "Do you think we're only supposed to fuse in deadly situations?"
Garnet glances at the young gem and gestures with both hands. "Obviously not."
"So you think what Pearl did during band practice was cool?"
"No."
"But you just said—"
"Using fusion as a means to rub your intimacy with another gem into someone's face is not something I condone. Fusion has more meaning than that; its worth is so much greater than petty acts of jealousy."
"Yeah, okay, you're the authority on fusion and all that—but has anyone said that to Pearl?"
Pearl's always been like this, always so easy to bristle at those who dare to get close to her Rose. Garnet vividly recalls their first few years of acquaintanceship. Pearl is overprotective and possessive, and the fact that Rose obviously delighted in giving Greg the show has only made it worse.
However, just because Garnet is familiar with Pearl's quirks does not, in fact, mean she can excuse the slender gem's choices.
"She knows," is all Garnet can say to Amethyst without going into the entire long backstory.
"Yeah, okay, if you say so," Amethyst is audibly doubtful (not that Garnet can blame her). "Just seems like the kind of disrespect you'd get angry about—actually, do you ever get angry?"
"Not usually," Garnet replies. "But I am capable of it, just like you."
"And you're not miffed about this. At all."
Garnet gives the youngest Crystal Gem a peculiar look. "Are you asking so you can see what happens if we get into a physical altercation?"
"It would be so cool!"
At least she's honest about it.
"Well, that's not going to happen," Garnet says, making a point of keeping her voice level. "Because I'm not angry."
Amethyst groans at how boring that sounds, but at this point they are within earshot of Greg Universe. At the moment, he is sprawled out on a large pink blanket and panting ("Geez! How'd she get her legs to do that?"). This new stimuli is readily accepted by Amethyst, and the purple gem takes this moment to peer over his prone body and ask bluntly, "Hey, are you dead?"
No, Garnet thinks as Greg sits up and replies. She's not angry with Pearl for acting on her own warped instincts. They've known each other too long for such a shallow emotion to be appropriate. She supposes, if she's anything, it's just disappointed.