As the group arrived at the prison, Nadia devised a plan.

“So, Amethyst will melt the bars from the outside if Sahara is still in a cage,” said Nadia. “Now we brought an extra item for her, we have to make sure she gets it.” Amethyst melted the door leading to the prison.

“Sahara!” cried out Ella, rushing over to meet Sahara. She didn’t turn around.

“Sahara, it’s me, Ella,” said Ella, grabbing Sahara’s shoulder. Sahara spun around and shot Ella backwards with a force field.

“Well done, darling,” said Madame Myalo. “The bad people aren’t going to hurt you.” Sahara smiled. She had done well.

“Sahara! Don’t listen to her,” said Nadia. Madame Myalo walked over towards them.

“Hm, attempting to break out of the school, that wouldn’t be good. I’m afraid I’m going to have to lock you up for that,” said Madame Myalo. “Right,darling?” Sahara didn’t respond.

“Darling?” asked Madame Myalo. “Are you alright?” Sahara smiled.

“You may be the most controlled person in the school,” started Sahara. “But every power has its weaknesses. And yours is what you don’t know.”

“I don’t understand,” said Madame Myalo.

“You don’t have to. You lacked partial knowledge of my powers,” said Sahara. “And forcefields beat mind reading.” Sahara stabbed Madame Myalo in the back twice before she crumpled over. Amethyst ran over and melted Madame’s bracelet, which started to beep because of “lost contact”.

“Phew, I’ve had a mental block on for three hours! Do you know how tiring that is?” asked Sahara. Everyone looked at her.

“What?”

“You just killed the headmistress,” said Garnet. “Why didn’t you expect us to be surprised?”

Sahara paused. “Because… I’m.... Wait. I killed the headmistress! I killed the headmistress! I’m a murderer! AAAHHH!”

Ella ran over and clamped a hand over Sahara’s mouth. “Shh… you’ll get us noticed!”

Sahara’s muffled cries were heard as the girls dragged her out into the hallway. Her eyes teared up, but after five minutes, she gave up fighting Garnet and Nadia’s grip. The girl slumped weakly like a ragdoll, silently crying.

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As they ran outside, Phila waved them over. “Oma and I are ready, what’s wrong with Sahara?”

The girl cried out loudly, “I’m a killer!” and continued bawling.

Amethyst pursed her lips. “It’s a long story.”

Suddenly, Ella jerked her head up. “Wait, where’s Haze? I can’t leave without him!”

Oma shook her head. “No, you’ll only get him in trouble or get caught along the way!”

Garnet looked sideways. “So, you forgive us for giving him a love potion to love you?”

“Wait, what?” Ella paused. “That isn’t natural? He doesn’t really love me?”

Amethyst shook her head. “It’s artificial. However--”

Ella started to cry. “No, why? Why doesn’t anyone love me?”

“Ella--”

Phila put an arm around Ella. “I love you, you’re my sister.”

“Ella!”

Sahara continued to cry.

“ELLA!” Everyone grew silent. “Please listen. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Every day, I gave him less and less potion, or a weaker version. Except apparently for Phila it doesn’t matter how much of the potion she drinks. But anyways, at this point, some of what exists is real; it must be. Scientifically, his brain isn’t producing that many artificial hormones as quickly as we see--”

Ella looked at Amethyst, tears streaking down her face. “How much?”

“How much what?”

“How much is real?” Her bottom lip quivered.

Amethyst looked off into the distance. “By now, taking into account the gestures and actions of Haze, I’d say… 82.24% is really emotional attraction.”

Ella wiped her tears away and paused. “Although I am sad it’s not true love, that is enough for me.”

Phila shrugged. “Well, considering I love you about 50% of the time, that’s pretty good.”

Sahara let out a sob. Garnet lifted her hand off Sahara’s mouth, ungagging her. “What’s wrong?”

Sahara sat up. “Terrence… why is he taking so long? Maybe we should help him?”

Ella wiped the last of the tears off her face. “I’ll go check-- I can fly quickly.”

Garnet shook her head. “You’ll be seen!”

Oma grinned. “You forgot you left us with all the power items Terrence stole” She tossed Ella the hat and Fireball.

Phila stood up. “I’ll go, too. I’ll morph into a fly and stay on Ella’s back, and if needed, I’ll morph into the surrounding objects to blend in.”

“If you’re going, you might be gone for a while. I’ve been wanting to study a sample of your, umm, I believe the correct term is ‘goo’. Would you mind giving a sample?” asked Amethyst. Phila sighed as she reverted part of her arm into a beaker.

“I want it back later,” she said, glaring at Amethyst. “But now I’m going to find Terrence.”

Sahara looked up. “You’d do that? For me and Terrence, risk being caught?”

Phila started saying, “Well, I mean, they won’t see us--”

Ella interrupted her. “Yes. We would. Because no matter what you’ve done, we are family, and nothing will ever break us.”

Phila’s hair turned purple. “Nothing.”

Sahara smiled. “Thanks, guys. Now, hurry up