While the Gems and the Best Friend Squad, as they fashioned themselves, did not know the extent of Entrapta’s involvement, they had a sense that something was wrong. But they did not worry about that for the time being. Instead, they took a break and enjoyed themselves. Stevonnie showed off her killer dance moves, as did Garnet, while Amazonite flew from tree to tree with delight. Glimmer, Bow, and Amethyst enjoyed the food, while Pearl and Adora sat off to the side, laughing at each other’s jokes, teasing each other, as they had done before.

As the sun went down, they had nowhere else to go. Some villagers offered their lodging, but they did not want to impose too much, so they only accepted bedding materials and slept alongside Perfuma near the base of the tree which contained the Heart Blossom. Everyone, including the Gems, seemed to be asleep, with Lapis and Peri unfusing for the night because they felt too tired to stay fused together while they slept. But there were two people who were not asleep: Adora and Pearl. They stayed up as the light from the night sky shined on the ground. They walked through the Whispering Woods, thanks to Pearl’s gem serving as a sort-of-flashlight, together and reached a rock outcropping that overlooked a lake. This lake was something the Horde had overlooked when they came through the Woods before, partly because they didn’t know the terrain as well as those who lived there. Adora held Pearl’s hands tightly and declared something that surprised her, who saw them as friends and nothing more. ”I really admire you, Pearl, your elegance, knack for organization and order, and your inspirational talk. Bow and Glimmer are nice and all, but you are really a friend I wish I had known sooner. I wish you could stay here forever.”

Pearl was flattered but was cautious. They had only recently met and because of this, they did not know each other that well yet. That was the word of warning that she gave Adora, while remaining supportive and blushing at her praise. ”I’m glad that you like those qualities and see me as a true friend…but we barely know each other…Garnet says love is something that grows over time, not something that can just happen instantly or quickly. The same is the case for friendship.”