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The barn sat empty and silent upon the surface of the moon. Remnants of a happier time – of a shared life – were strewn around the place haphazardly. It was hard to believe that this ruined little shack was once a happy home.
The eerie silence was broken suddenly, as a portal ripped open through the still air; and through it leapt a certain pink Lion, carrying two passengers on his weary back.
“Thanks, Lion,” Steven said as he petted Lion’s head, the feline yawning loudly in response.
Peridot nervously jumped off the beast’s back and looked around at the state of the barn in shock.
“Steven...” she murmured fearfully, “What happened here?”
The walls of the barn were covered in large scratch marks. Lapis’ beloved hammock was torn to shreds on the floor along with Peridot’s alien plush, which was now missing its head.
“Do you... do you think Lapis is ok?” she added quietly, “What could have done this much damage?”
“I don’t know, Peridot – but it doesn’t look like Lapis is here...”
“Then where is she?!” Peridot wailed in desperation as she ran around the barn, “Was she chased out of here by whatever did all this damage?!”
“Oh, maybe she fled to the moon base!” Steven exclaimed, a glimmer of hope presenting itself to him, “Peridot, let’s go! Lion, are you...”
Steven stopped to look at his pet, who was now sound asleep in the corner of the barn.
“I guess that’s a no, then...”
---
An ominous aura filled the moon base, with only the sound of footsteps and desperate calling of the Ocean Gem’s name hanging in the air.
“Lapis? Lapis?!” Peridot's cries reverberated around the dark, vacant base.
She looked over at Steven; but before she could open her mouth to speak to him, a loud noise distracted her. It sounded like a growl...
Steven yelped in surprise as a large shape charged out from the shadows, launching itself right at him. He raised a hand to summon a bubble just in time to protect himself from his attacker.
Clawing at the outside of the bubble frantically, teeth bared, was a monster about twice the size of him. Its scaly body was pressed up against Steven's barrier now; webbed, clawed hands determined to get inside. The creature opened its mouth in a loud roar, spraying the bubble with what appeared to be neon blue saliva.
The monster sank its claws into the bubble for a moment before realising it was a lost cause. It let out a frustrated cry, leaping away from Steven and landing back on all fours; instead turning its attention to Peridot.
The technician was rooted to the spot in pure terror as the creature stared at her.
“D-d-did you do that to the- to the barn?!” she spluttered, shaking from head to toe.
With another almighty roar, the large blue monster shifted into a pouncing position like a cat about to leap onto its prey - and a pair of painfully familiar water wings sprang forth from its back.
"Oh, no..." Peridot wailed, sinking to the floor, "No no no no NO! It... it can’t be...!"
Steven looked on in horror, the realisation hitting him like a punch to the gut. Lapis hadn’t fled from this monster – she was the monster. A corrupted Gem...
Before Peridot could react further, the menacing creature that was once her beloved roommate threw itself at her, pinning the tiny green Gem to the ground.
"Lapis..." Peridot sobbed, "Wh-why?!"
She reached out a shaking hand and placed it gently on Lapis' animalistic snout, tears pouring down her face.
Lapis continued to growl at Peridot, baring her sharp teeth threateningly at the green Gem. Steven looked on, with a perfect view of the teardrop-shaped gemstone that sat on Lapis’ back. He took a deep breath and dissipated the bubble that he was encased in. While the beast was distracted, he ran towards her and flung himself up onto her back.
“S-Steven?! What are y-you- you doing?!” Peridot stammered.
Lapis howled and began trying to shake the young boy off. Without hesitation, Steven licked the palm of his hand and slapped it down onto Lapis’ gem.
“Come on, Lapis...” he murmured to himself, trying desperately to cling onto the back of his former friend. Eventually, the blue Gem began to calm down. She tilted her head to one side to look at Peridot before gingerly removing her clawed feet from the technician.
"Lapis...?" Peridot whimpered, lifting her visor up to wipe her damp eyes.
Slowly, the corrupted Gem backed away from Peridot - and began to whine loudly, sounding more like an injured animal than a threat now.
"How... how did this happen to you?" Peridot sniffled, shuffling closer to the Ocean Gem as she spoke.
Lapis' head was bowed, her webbed feet padding pathetically against the cold floor of the moon base. As Peridot got nearer, she noticed tears starting to fall from underneath the wildly overgrown, gold-flecked hair that completely covered Lapis' eyes. The green Gem reached out her trembling arms to embrace her lover, who gently nuzzled her in return, slowly wagging her long fish-like tail as she did so.
"Peridot..." Steven said cautiously, "Please be careful, this... it probably won't last. I'm sorry..."
"You don't know that, Steven," Peridot replied tearfully, "Look at her! She's not gonna hurt us, are you Lappy?"
Lapis let out a soft whine in response. She opened her large mouth and licked the side of Peridot's face, causing the green Gem to chuckle sadly.
“Oh, Lapis... how did it come to this?” Peridot mumbled, holding onto the Ocean Gem. She feels so cold, Peridot thought to herself, not like how it usually is when I hold her...
“We need to get her back to earth with us,” Steven explained, “Then we can safely bubble her and—”
“Excuse me?” Peridot said indignantly, “We’re not bubbling Lapis!”
“We... might have no choice,” Steven continued gently, putting a comforting hand onto the green Gem’s shoulder, “I can’t fully cure corruption yet, so she’ll be safe until I figure it out.”
“But... not after she was trapped in the mirror... we can’t imprison her and leave her all alone again...” Peridot sighed deeply, trying so hard to hold back the sob that was welling in her chest.
"I know you're still in there, Lapis... and we'll find out how to fix you, I promise," the technician murmured softly, running a hand gently over the side of Lapis' scaly body. Lapis whimpered, nuzzling Peridot once more, her tail now drooping sadly behind her.
Suddenly, Lapis began to twitch slightly. She let out an unearthly scream and bowed her head in pain as her legs buckled under her.
"Lapis?!" Peridot cried, watching in horror as some sort of invisible agony coursed through her partner, “Steven, what’s wrong with her?!”
“Oh, no...” Steven mumbled, pulling Peridot away from the corrupted Gem, “Peridot, I’m sorry, we need to get out of—”
“Steven!” Peridot interrupted angrily, wriggling free of his grip, “Let go of me!”
Without warning, Lapis snapped her head back up, glaring at Peridot and Steven with her mouth open wide, spilling bright blue drool across the floor.
"Lapis, what's wrong?!" Peridot pleaded.
"Peridot, get away from her!" Steven yelled, “She’s losing herself!”
"Steven, she won't hurt anyone, you cl--aaaaaaagh!"
Peridot's sentence was cut abruptly short by Lapis sinking her large, sharp teeth into the technician’s arm. With a squeal, Peridot was lifted into the air and thrown across the floor with a force that caused her visor to crack.
"Lapis, stop, it's me!" Peridot screeched, "It’s Peridot!"
Lapis looked down at her, teeth bared once more. The stricken Ocean Gem had no idea who this small green person was - her only concern was to destroy it. A primal instinct filled her mind, telling her to protect her territory. She raised her head and let out a deafening cry, spraying the walls with neon drool.
"Peridot! I'm so sorry, she's... she's gone..." Steven called out to Peridot as he raced towards her, hastily helping her back to her feet.
"NO!" Peridot screeched desperately, "She's still in there, Steven! Please - please help her!"
Steven grabbed Peridot's arm, trying to pull her away from the monstrous Lapis Lazuli.
"STOP IT!" Peridot sobbed, trying to pry Steven's hand off her arm again, "L-LET ME GO!"
Using every ounce of her strength, Peridot freed herself from Steven’s grip, shoving him away from her and racing back towards Lapis.
“I’m... not gonna just leave you here, Lapis,” Peridot whimpered as her barn mate inched towards her, hackles raised, “You... d-don’t have to be alone...”
Lapis flared her nostrils, sniffing at the small Gem in front of her. Something about this curious green creature seemed right somehow. The Ocean Gem growled in confusion, clawing angrily at the ground below her.
“Peridot, stop!” Steven yelled, chasing after the technician.
Without warning, Peridot flung herself at Lapis, clinging onto to her for dear life.
“I love you...” she mumbled, hot tears dripping onto the corrupted Gem’s scaly chest.
All that Peridot could think about was that she never, ever wanted to leave Lapis’ side. Even if she was corrupted, she was still Lapis Lazuli – the most important Gem in Peridot’s life. She would do whatever she could to ensure that the blue Gem never had to be alone again.
Peridot began to feel strange as she clung onto Lapis – light, almost. Steven cried out in alarm as he noticed the technician’s gem beginning to glow brightly.
“PERIDOT!” he screamed, belting towards her as fast as his legs could carry him, “LET GO OF HER!”
But it was too late.
Peridot yelped as she realised what was happening, but she didn’t know how to stop it. With one final terrified sob, her form disappeared in a flash of bright white light along with Lapis’. A formless, glitchy mass writhed in the air in front of Steven, before taking a grotesque shape and landing heavily on the floor.
Tears stinging the corners of his eyes, Steven turned on his heel and fled towards the moon base’s entrance, the corrupted Gem in hot pursuit. He felt his heart ache as he looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the now two-headed creature; its second face obscured by a mass of yellow hair and a broken visor sitting above its long snout, bright green drool dripping from its sharp teeth as it roared...