Keystone Motel

"We're going to a motel! It'll have a pool, and free ice, and it's right next to The Best Diner in the World!"

''This article is about the episode. For the location, see Keystone Motel (location).'' "Keystone Motel" is the 15th episode of season 2 in Steven Universe, and the 64th episode overall and is the second episode in the 3rd StevenBomb.

Synopsis
Steven, Greg, and Garnet face challenges and adventures, making interesting stops along the way as they head out on the open road on a road trip together.

Plot
The episode begins with Pearl warping back to the Crystal Temple. Steven asks Pearl where she had been, to which she replies that she was looking for Peridot for a few days straight. Pearl says that she knows that everyone is disappointed in her, especially Garnet, and wants to make it up to Garnet by showing she is trustworthy again. Garnet enters the house, and Pearl immediately tells her that she was just looking for Peridot. She asks Garnet for any new ideas on searching Peridot, but she ignores Pearl and heads to the warp pad. Garnet stops when Pearl apologizes. Greg enters the house and enthusiastically asks if anyone wants to go on a road trip. After being met with confused stares, Greg asks whether or not he came at a bad time, and Garnet tells him to continue. Greg wants to travel to Keystone because he had been sold car wash brushes through the internet for a very cheap price and wants to pick them up. He plans to stay in Keystone overnight in a motel, which gets Steven excited for a road trip, especially after mentioning that there will be a pool, free ice, and the "best diner in the world." Garnet decides to come with them, even after Greg says the motel isn't actually as good as he says it is. Pearl tells Garnet that she will make sure Amethyst knows that Garnet and Steven are off to Keystone, but is ignored once again.

During the car ride, Garnet, sitting in the back of the van, seems visibly agitated. When they pull over to their room, Steven gets very excited and jumps on one of the beds. Greg checks for bed bugs as an annoyed Garnet enters the room with everyone's belongings. Greg gets a message on his phone to pick up the tunnel brushes, and asks Garnet to watch over the room. She has a slight spasm on her hand, and gives him the thumbs up. Greg leaves off for the brushes. Steven begins bouncing on the bed and reading the brochure. Garnet begins to act strangely, and speaks to herself as though Ruby and Sapphire are talking to each other. Ruby says that she does not want to forgive Pearl, but Sapphire says that she must. Garnet unfuses into Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby angrily tells Sapphire that Pearl used them to form Sardonyx and because of it she feels used. Sapphire asserts that Ruby is taking this issue personally, to which Ruby yells that this is, indeed, a personal issue of fusion. Sapphire simply says that the sooner they forgive Pearl, the better it will be, and that Ruby can't stay angry at Pearl forever. Ruby begins to burn the floor and carpet, and storms out of the room, leaving burnt tracks behind her.

Steven leaves the room to swim in the pool and finds Ruby angrily running back and forth. He asks her if she wants to swim in the pool, but Ruby begins to rant about fusion. She is mad that Sapphire doesn't seem to care about what fusion truly is, and remarks that usually they are the bigger gem, but since they have different opinions and are unfused from Garnet, they can't rationally solve the issue. Steven jumps into the pool, and implores Ruby to join him. Ruby walks into the pool, sinking to the bottom while still pacing and incoherently ranting about the issue. She quickly heats up the water, prompting Steven to quickly exit the pool as the pool begins to boil.

Steven returns to their room only to see that the room frozen and blue. Steven asks if Sapphire is fine, and replies that she is. As she speaks, she generates more visible frost on the wall behind her. Steven turns on the television, and asks if Sapphire can predict which channel he will enjoy the most, responding with "43, but there's not much on." The room gets colder, and Steven hides under the blanket on his bed. He begins to ask Sapphire a question, but is interrupted by her, saying that even if she does talk to Ruby, she won't listen. Steven seems confused, and Sapphire clarifies that she knows Steven would ask her that she should simply talk to Ruby. He says that Ruby seems very upset, but Sapphire simply asserts that this is irrelevant. She can't stay mad at Pearl and Sapphire for long. She is confident that eventually Ruby will come back and say that she was right, and confirms with her future vision. Steven says that he will go to the bathroom, but finds that the toilet is frozen and leaves the room.

Greg returns to the motel with his tunnel brushes and some pizza. He is confused as to what Steven is doing outside with his bathing suit and where Garnet is. He opens the door to his room to see it all frozen, and Sapphire simply tells him, "He's not going to like that it's square." Greg realizes that Garnet has split, and asks where Ruby is. Steven points to Ruby, who is pacing in the completely evaporated pool. He knows that there is a problem since Garnet split up, but is still optimistic about sharing dinner while opening a box of square pizza, which terrified Steven. He contemplates on why Ruby and Sapphire simply can't make up, and Greg explains that sometimes people who love each other can hurt each others' feelings without intending to. He suggests that they give the two gems some space to work it out. Steven says that it will be better if they simply talk to each other, but Greg is confident that all of this will be over in the morning when they go to "The Best Diner in the World."

The next morning the four sit at the diner and get their breakfast. Greg is confused as to why Ruby and Sapphire are not eating, as Steven explains that gems don't need to eat. Greg says that Garnet likes to eat sometimes, though, but Ruby angrily exclaims that Garnet isn't here anymore. Greg tries to draw attention from the issue by saying that this is, indeed, the "best diner in the world," but Ruby seems to be more and more agitated, shaking the table. Sapphire simply tells her that she's shaking the table, and Ruby yells that she is surprised that Sapphire is feeling anything at all. Sapphire says that she doesn't need to feel, she simply sees. Ruby gets more agitated at the fact that Sapphire can see everything perfectly while shaking the table enough to launch Steven's and Greg's breakfast plates, which they both catch. Sapphire simply explains to them that Ruby's rage is temporary, and she will simply burn herself out soon. Ruby screams that that's what Sapphire thinks, and says that she is an eternal flame. She summons her right gauntlet and launches the table. Steven seems sad, and Greg tries to calm him down by saying that they can still save their breakfast. Steven, visibly shaken and upset, drops his plate on the floor, and leaves the diner.

Ruby and Sapphire rush to Steven outside to talk to him, but he stops them. Steven angrily explains that he was excited to see that Garnet wanted to come with them on the trips to Keystone to have some fun. This trip is no different from home, where everyone is tense about the issue. He thought Garnet wanted to have fun on the trip but Ruby and Sapphire simply keep quarreling with each other about their issue. He asks if it's really he himself who is at fault. Ruby tries to comfort him and says that it's all their own fault for constantly fighting each other over the issue, and Sapphire realizes that they made Steven feel as though he was at fault. She looks into the future and sees that all this has been solved. She realizes she was carried away in the future and had paid little regard to the present, understanding that this is why Steven feels guilty. She begins to cry and understands why Ruby thinks she doesn't care about fusion. Ruby comforts her by saying that it is her own fault and admits to simply having the desire to be mad without the consequences rather than finding a solution. Ruby apologizes and lifts Sapphire's hair to reveal one eye. They calm down and begin to exchange kind words to each other, Ruby beginning to kiss Sapphire. Greg comes to Steven and says that he paid for everything and is now ready to leave for home. Ruby and Sapphire fuse, and Garnet says that they won't leave until they get the free ice. They then return back to the temple.

The trio return to the beach house to see Pearl and Amethyst quietly discussing something. When Garnet walks in, Pearl asks her how she was, to which Garnet replies with, "Not now." Pearl is surprised that Garnet is speaking to her again in some way. Greg says that this was truly a great trip, and when Steven asks if they can go on another trip some day, Greg says they can but simply not to that diner. The closing star iris is over Greg's face as he says, "Oh boy."

Characters

 * Steven
 * Pearl
 * Garnet
 * Greg Universe
 * Ruby
 * Sapphire
 * Amethyst (non-speaking)
 * Peridot (mentioned)
 * Sardonyx (mentioned)

Objects

 * Greg's Van

Locations

 * Keystone
 * Keystone Motel
 * Beach House
 * Greg's Van
 * The Best Diner in the World

Music

 * TBA

Trivia

 * This is the second episode to be aired in StevenBomb 3, which aired on July 14th.
 * This episode is symbolized in the promo art for the 3rd StevenBomb with a breakfast platter in the form of a smiling face.
 * This breakfast platter was shown to be the gang's breakfast at "The Best Diner in the World."
 * Ruby has thermo-manipulation, as she can increase the temperature of her surroundings, when tempered.
 * Her weapon is a gauntlet.
 * Sapphire also has thermo-manipulation, but lowering temperatures instead of increasing it.
 * She is the source of Garnet's future vision.
 * She is revealed to have one eye.
 * Amethyst appears in this episode, but has no lines.
 * This is the second episode to feature Ruby and Sapphire. The first being Jail Break.
 * This is the second time a different state has been mentioned.
 * The first was Kansas in "Love Letters".
 * Keystone is not an actual state in real life, but is the nickname for the real-life state of Pennsylvania. The image on the brochure Greg has is identical to that of the real world Pennsylvania.
 * This is also the second time a character has gone to a different state, the first being Jamie.

Continuity

 * When Steven mentions the feeling of the car brushes on his fur, he is referencing going through the car wash during his out of control shape shifting in the episode "Cat Fingers".
 * Garnet (and, to an extent, Ruby and Sapphire) still show strong emotion towards the misuse of fusion, just like in Keeping it Together.
 * Garnet is still mad at Pearl from the previous episode. She is unwilling to forgive, or even speak to her, even though Pearl has been away from the base in search of Peridot and her (hoped for) redemption.
 * Although Ruby showed her anger, Sapphire appeared to stay calm/bunching up her anger.
 * Garnet's quote on Gem names for her left and right hand, is subtly referenced, when Garnet's hands are shaking uncontrollably, before Greg left.
 * Greg's comment about breakfast bringing people together is a callback to one of Steven's lines in Together Breakfast.

Errors

 * When Steven tells Greg where Ruby is, they are at the front of the van, but in the next shot, they are in the back.
 * When Sapphire's ice appears on the walls, it's on the headboard of the bed in the next shot.
 * Ruby summons her weapon onto her right hand despite her gem being on her left hand; it is unknown that if this was intentional.
 * However, her gem is visible on her left hand for a split second during her animation when she was summoning her weapon.