Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You sure they're just sleepin' in, Lap? I'll admit I'm not really used to seeing this… it really wasn't ever a thing back in Rose's day."

Lapis calmly offered a knowing smirk to her companion before resuming their mutual observation of an unusual sight they happened upon during a casual walk along the beach.

Steven and Peridot. Both unconscious but resting peacefully in a way that suggested they were in no way attacked by anyone last night. Granted, Peridot's face was planted firmly into the sand (not needing to breathe gave her body no reason to adjust her head for air), but she was otherwise fully embraced by her snoozing boyfriend. Both were fully clothed, and there was no evidence otherwise that suggested the pair engaged in anything inappropriate.

Still, given where the two slept, it was at least somewhat a cause of concern; there was no reason for someone like Steven to be sleeping in a location like this. No doubt he would wake up deeply regretting it, as the menacing sand was caked over his elbows, mixed in with his curly locks, and there was no telling how many granules snuck their way underneath his shirt and pants.

"Well, Steven's still breathing, and he doesn't look bothered at all," Lapis noted. "We'll see how long he stays that way when he wakes up. And Peridots by nature are a lot tougher than they look; the fact that Peri's form is totally stable should mean she's fine. Though she never was much of a sleeper before…"

"We've all given her plenty to be exhausted about, I guess," an uneasy Bismuth admitted. "You sure we shouldn't let someone else know about this?"

Lapis shook her head. "Bismuth, I'd say "be my guest", but I like you too much to let you be a victim of Pearl shooting the messenger. She's the last one who should ever know about this."

Bismuth let out a hearty chuckle at that sentiment. "Well, thank you kindly for sparing me the pain! Pearl's definitely not mellowed out with age; Rose was the only one who ever really kept her in line in the past. Much as I love her, I gotta admit she'd get pretty overbearing at times. And she had a history of overreacting to every little thing… I could see her screechin' up a storm if she saw Steven right now."

Lapis nodded in agreement. "I don't know her as well as you, but I've been around her long enough to get a feel for her quirks. I really don't think this is something we should be bothering Garnet about, either. Though I haven't seen her at all since last night when she pulled in Sphalerite and 5XF for some kind of private meeting…"

"Oh, Garnet's actually "out" right now," Bismuth informed her companion. "At least, she was as of a few hours ago."

The ocean gem tilted her head at the blacksmith. "She's "out"? Out for what?"

"She split," Bismuth explained. "Ruby and Sapphire have been tourin' 5XF around, lettin' her get used to her new home. They both showed her my forge while I was workin' there earlier. We had a bit of a chat, but it's still tricky gettin' that new tech gem to open up much."

"I guess there's a reason why Garnet felt the need to split up to do that," Lapis mused; these elements weren't really adding up in her head, but she was not yet familiar enough with 5XF to know of certain details that would clear up her curiosities in an instant. "It's good our new guest is getting accustomed to her new environment, at least. In some ways, I still feel like the odd one out here, so I can't really blame 5XF for wanting to keep to herself…"

Bismuth smiled warmly to her fellow gem, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure that feeling will pass mighty quick once you're dealin' with a crowd of gems who still don't know what all's happened in the past couple of weeks and how that'll affect their lives from here on out, just like the rest of us. As much as I'm sure me feelin' like I'm in the wrong time period is gonna feel like a little gripe when the time comes."

Lapis let out a chuckle, blushing lightly at the gesture. "I guess I never really thanked you for sticking by me whenever I wasn't out circumnavigating the planet. You've really made this adjustment period a lot easier for me, Bismuth."

"Our Top Tiny probably doesn't realize how much good she did forcin' us to clear that tension between us," Bismuth noted with amusement as her focus returned to the sleeping youths tangled in the sand. "You ever stop to think about how big a leap we've made from where we were a couple of weeks back, Lapis?"

"I know we've made a lot of progress, but I guess it's easy to overlook just how much we've grown," Lapis admitted. "You were just being let out of your bubble after you tried to kill Steven a while back, right?"

Bismuth solemnly nodded in affirmation.

"And I was coming back to help fight after I had basically left Steven for dead," the shorter gem recounted; visibly uncomfortable acknowledging this detail. "Along with everyone else on Earth, really. We were both in position to make up for the awful things we did…"

"Between that and being stuck in stasis for thousands of years, I suspect that's why we gelled so nicely," Bismuth told her. "We're both still trying to find our footing, even after all that. But the moment I was able to get you to keep Malachite in the past where she belongs so we could make Moonstone a reality… y'know, Lapis, that's when I really felt this is where I'm supposed to be."

Lapis was compelled to look up to Bismuth directly; visibly moved by her comrade's words.

"That's right; I still had doubts whether or not this current version of the Crystal Gems truly needed a Bismuth element to their cause and their family," the blacksmith readily admitted. "When Steven first let me out, I was not ready to accept how much the Crystal Gems had changed. So many dear friends of mine are gone – and that much hasn't changed since I was given this second chance to adapt."

"And they'll stay gone until we're able to find a cure," Lapis sadly acknowledged. "You know, as much as I don't like thinking about my old Homeworld life these days, I guess it didn't hit me until recently that there were some gems I was hoping to see again when I first went back to Homeworld. But I never got the chance to even look them up before I was locked away for treason, even though I never committed such acts…"

Bismuth couldn't help but look hurt as she realized another similarity in their lives. "By now, there's a good chance most of those gems you were lookin' to reconnect with are pallified…"

"Yeah… they're no better off than your friends." The look in Lapis' eyes told her companion that it wasn't the first time this had crossed the terraformer's mind.

"All the more reason we should be there for Pearl when we can afford the time," Bismuth adamantly stated. "She's the one everyone's expecting will cure everyone in the end. But that's way easier said than done."

Lapis was surprised to actually feel the weight of Pearl's burden in that moment.

"The odds of finding a cure that'll deal with corruption and pallification are so low," she realized. "So realistically, she's got two cures to spend her days and nights looking for. I can't imagine how much pressure she's under right now…"

"Well, it's something she's used to." Bismuth smiled to Lapis, hoping to ease her concerns. "She was Rose's right-hand gem; the Pearl I know always worked well under pressure."

Lapis looked to Bismuth with a hint of skepticism both in her expression and tone. "Works well under pressure, huh? Pearl? Could've fooled me. Your nostalgia might be clouding your judgment…"

It seemed Lapis unexpectedly hit something of a sore spot; Bismuth visibly flinched from that statement. It was rare to see a seasoned veteran like her show any kind of vulnerability.

"–Guess that's a fair point," an uneased Bismuth conceded. "It's kinda ignorant of me to keep seeing my friends as the gems I knew five-thousand years ago; they've had to live through and endure these losses and hardships I've just recently come across. That alone can harden a gem in many ways over time… and there's no doubt losing Rose and raising Steven forced them all to change in order to adapt."

"I could barely comprehend anything that changed once I was out of that mirror," Lapis sympathized. "When I first returned to Homeworld… it scared me. At first, I thought maybe I landed on some weird colony by mistake. But it looked nothing like the Homeworld I knew; it was still just as foreign on a second and third visit. And I don't know if it's because I got to know Steven before going back that first time, but… what little I've seen of the Homeworld gems every time I went back to that planet, they just seemed so… cold. More ruthless than I generally remember them being."

Bismuth thoughtfully eyed Lapis for a moment before responding. "Maybe it wasn't that they changed… it's more likely meeting someone like Steven opened your eyes to the truth. Maybe your own nostalgia of the Homeworld you knew made you blind to just how awful that society really was. You Lapis Lazulis rank pretty high in the caste, as I recall."

It was almost disturbing how much Lapis and Bismuth had in common; the former didn't consider that she too was a victim of her own misguided nostalgic feelings of the world she knew… or rather, the world she thought she knew, before a certain hybrid came into her life.

5XF had also quickly pegged Lapis as a high-ranking member of Blue Diamond's court just by appearance alone. The ocean gem couldn't deny the higher-end lifestyle she once had very likely did play a large role in her perception of Homeworld and life itself.

"Y-yeah; we were right on the cusp between worker gems and the nobility," Lapis admitted, unable to hide her shaken appearance. "And it was fairly easy for us to be recognized as gems of higher influence. 5XF talked to me about this a few days ago, actually…"

"Oh, right! I think you mentioned you had a nice conversation with her a few days back on one of those communication doohickeys," Bismuth realized. "Usually I pride myself on being able to get along with any gem, but I think she's a little scared of me. But you…? Heh, I guess you got a way with Peridots, Lap."

It was a bit relieving for the topic to shift into something much less daunting; Lapis really wasn't ready to delve into the details of her distant past at this point. However, 5XF coming to mind compelled Lapis to shift her focus back to the sleeping Peridot.

"5XF is a lot easier to talk to than Peri, actually," Lapis revealed. "She was very formal and sophisticated. No egotistical posturing; she was all business. I think she'll come around with you soon enough, Bismuth, but I advise not to approach her like you would with the Peridot we know."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Bismuth graciously expressed. "I should've figured she wasn't gonna be just like our Peri."

She offered a glance to Lapis, showing a rare instance of uncertainty. "We're gonna have to rewire our minds entirely to make this Era 3 program work, huh? S'gonna be tricky if we stay stuck in the past like this. Maybe we should use these extra days of downtime to make peace with that part of ourselves. I wanted to take care of that weeks ago, but there just wasn't enough time to set aside for that… between, y'know…"

Lapis nodded in understanding. "That wedding I didn't attend, the Diamonds invading Earth, you having to watch over me and Peri until we reformed while everyone else went to Homeworld, then finding out our friends were in trouble on Homeworld and needed our help, all the work we did to plan our mission and carry it out… then we lost…"

She tried to hold back her choked-up feelings; despite not being conscious for those dire moments, being forced to abandon Peridot on Homeworld for that mission would never fail to hurt in ways Lapis rarely felt otherwise. For a gem very acquainted with enduring pain of many varieties, it was quite telling just how deep this internal scar truly was.

"I wanna say I'd have gladly taken Peri's place back then," a saddened Bismuth stated. "But I bet every single one of us feels the same way… and I'm sure that's exactly why Peri kept what she knew ahead of time to herself. You're not the only one who thought things might've played out differently, and for the better if only you did more, Lap."

"But you didn't get poofed," Lapis pointed out. "You're also way more experienced than me, Bismuth. I can't think of a single way you even screwed up that entire mission."

Bismuth shook her head. "No one's perfect, Lapis. You know that. There's a part of me to this day that believes if I had kept taking charge of the mission even after Peri came back from healing her damages, this all could've ended without anyone getting left behind. But then I remember that Pearl I had to kill on the bridge… Steven's never gonna look at me the same way again, you know? Even though he knows as well as I do that I had to take her out."

Lapis was compelled to offer her own support in the form of a pat on the back.

"We all would have been either shattered or made into pallid slaves if you didn't do that, Bismuth. If we took the time to incapacitate her non-lethally, there's a good chance White would have spotted us trying to escape. Or Yellow might have taken initiative to stop us if we lingered in the area that long. And you know that if we didn't permanently dispatch that Pearl, she would have regenerated and gone right after us. We wouldn't have had the time to heal Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst or plan our escape route. Even if we made it to the terminal, I don't think we would have been able to handle numbers like that with just the five of us; especially since Connie was unarmed."

Bismuth greatly appreciated Lapis' support, though she was still troubled and filled with doubt.

"I just wonder if more gems would have ended up shattered under my command," the blacksmith mused. "I stand by what I did with White's Pearl, but I don't think Steven will ever really forgive me for it. I feel like there'd be a lot more gem dust on my hands if I was the one heading the mission. Don't know how, but… call it a feeling. If that did happen, I… wouldn't be surprised if Steven poofed me and put me back in a bubble for good this time."

It was very unusual to hear Bismuth talk like this. Lapis wasn't used to hearing her friend so lacking in confidence and self-esteem. This bright, buff gem was always a living hype machine until now, seemingly able to pump up anyone who was feeling down. But when the pillar of positivity and stability herself was compromised, Lapis knew she needed to do something to mend this. However long Bismuth was holding in these destructive thoughts, it was high time she be relieved of their burden.

And it seemed absurd that the gem prone to pessimism and low esteem for everyone (including herself) could do anything to rectify this.

But despite that, Lapis wanted to try.

"Bismuth… I think you need to talk this out with Steven when he wakes up," she proposed. "After everything that happened, I think he at least understands that his own pacifistic beliefs can put us all in danger. His mercy to White Diamond in the end literally almost killed all of us, remember?"

"If Peri hadn't thrown that attack right back at White when she did…" Bismuth knew what Lapis was referring to. "I guess you're right. I want to think Steven knows I didn't off White's Pearl for fun or anything, but… I can see him still thinking I was just bein' sloppy; that I didn't try hard enough to spare her life. Y'know, I hate to admit it, but… this was one of the biggest reasons why I voted for Peri to lead us."

"I guess I would've known this already if I had just gotten over myself sooner," Lapis lamented. "I did kind of wonder why you just let Peridot do her own thing even though you've got more experience in this kind of thing than both of us combined."

To that, Bismuth managed a smile.

"Well, I was always more of a field commander than a proper team leader," she admitted. "And that's not the kind of mindset you want for a leader when our mission was to rescue our friends and leave as quietly as we could. I was never much for stealth, y'know. Between that, Peri knowing Homeworld way better than either of us, me worrying about falling into my old habits, and… well… like you said before, my nostalgia of how I perceived my teammates could cloud my judgment mighty easily… and havin' that happen in foreign territory? Sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me. I'd only been in one battle alongside today's Crystal Gems at the time."

Lapis carefully considered Bismuth's words before responding. "When you say nostalgia… Bismuth, where are you struggling the most? What change to the Crystal Gems is the hardest part for you to adapt to? Because I'm starting to suspect…"

Bismuth bowed her head. "I'm still talkin' about Steven the way I'd talk about Rose. The negative responses I'm picturing in my head… they're ones I'm imagining from her; not her son."

"I figured as much." Lapis had a hard time believing Steven would really be this hard on her. "All the more reason why you need to talk this out with him."

Her eyes were on Steven at that moment, but once again they shifted to the tiny green gem in his arms.

"If it makes you feel better, Peridot and I are due for a talk I'm not looking forward to having," Lapis confessed. "I never properly apologized to her for ditching everybody and stealing her home away, and… I finally figured out why Peridot treated me differently from the others. Apparently, she's realized it, too."

Bismuth looked to her fellow gem inquisitively. "Treated you differently? You mean you two didn't sass each other all the time?"

"That only started up after I came back…" Lapis cringed as the guilt began to settle in. "Before then, she… did whatever she thought would make me happy. Over time, Peridot was going out of her way to filter her stupid thoughts so that she only said what she assumed I wanted to hear. Her wants were secondary to mine, and I… I actually took advantage of her when I first realized I could apparently do no wrong in her eyes, no matter how much I treated her like crap."

Bismuth was clearly not happy to hear this, but she tempered herself. "I'm gonna assume you understand that was a terrible thing to do and you're gonna drop that bad habit from here on out."

Lapis quickly nodded to that.

"Good. So tell me, how do you want Peri to treat you?"

"Like she would anyone else!" Lapis blurted out, having to bite back the emotional turmoil that threatened to spill out. "Which so far, she's been doing… so it's important it stays that way even after Peri and I have this talk. I'd… say more, but it was hard enough just outlining the discussion with 5XF…"

Bismuth could tell whatever it was her fellow teammates were due to talk about, it was something heavy.

"You don't have to tell me anything more than that, then," she assured Lapis. "I could always tell there was a lot of history between you two. I got the rundown of how Peri came to be one of us before you came back. You were mentioned a few times, but Peri herself was pretty quick to gloss over the specifics."

Relieved, Lapis smiled a bit more confidently. "Once we sort the drama out, I'll tell you the whole story. I… kind of would like to just spill it already; there's just something about you that makes me want to open up a little more, Bismuth."

"Well, my biggest asset as a Crystal Gem outside the battlefield has always been to be that shoulder an ally can lean on," Bismuth warmly explained. "Something kinda like what Greg was doing for us during that six-day gap between our Homeworld missions. Of course, I wouldn't be very good at that job if I was prone to breakin' down myself, so it's anyone's guess why I tripped up and got that way around you, Lapis. Sorry 'bout that."

To that, Lapis shook her head. "No gem is infallible, I think we've come to learn. Even the Diamonds had some pretty clear-cut limitations, as we've recently seen. No one's without at least one weakness… and I bet a gem like you pretty much has to internalize most of your issues to be everyone else's problem-solver. So, don't even apologize for that – it kinda felt… good to help you out for a change."

Bismuth gave her fellow gem a coy glance. "I remember you tellin' me how you were gonna learn how to be a good friend to make up for your own mistakes – I'd say doin' what you just did… that's what a good friend does."

"–I'm gonna wait to see how my talk with Peridot pans out before I can honestly say I'm even a halfway-decent friend," a flushed Lapis stammered. "I should probably… rehearse a bit before diving into that hot mess. I probably shouldn't spring this on her the moment she wakes up, either…"

"I'd like to get the air cleared with Steven as soon as I can," Bismuth said. "But I guess I'd best ask if he'd rather wait on that… stars only knows what these two rascals got into last night that got them like this."

This whole time, Steven and Peridot slept through Lapis' and Bismuth's entire conversation. It probably helped that neither were being particularly loud (Lapis even made the effort to tone down her few outbursts), but it was still peculiar and just slightly suspect how they could have ended up like this. Still, both were resting so peacefully, neither of their fellow gems could bring themselves to disturb them.

"Actually, I'll level with you on something," Bismuth quietly uttered to Lapis. "I asked Ruby and Sapphire about Sphalerite last night when they visited. That was when 5XF got this look like she'd just been punched in the gut – and Sapphire just told me she defused… and that it might be a while before we see her again. Ruby of all gems told me to watch my mouth from here on out; I'm getting the impression that Garnet's conversation with Sphalerite and 5XF didn't go over too well."

"And that might have something to do with why Steven and Peridot are like this right now," Lapis understood. "I was wondering why we never got to welcome either of them back last night. M-maybe this isn't a good time to confront either of them…"

Bismuth let out a tired sigh. "No time's really gonna be a good time to throw loaded questions at them, Lapis. I agree we oughta give 'em some space when they wake up, but we should let them decide when they're ready to take us on face-to-face. Sooner we blow past this, the sooner we can focus on this Gypsum problem."

"Right… Gypsum." Lapis had almost entirely forgotten the reason why Era 3 had gotten delayed again. "We haven't even heard Steven or Peridot's side of the story on her yet. Between her, Sphalerite being a thing now, and none of us being able to even talk to Steven or Peridot since Thursday, I'm getting the impression that maybe their vacation hasn't been as relaxing as 5XF led me to believe."

"That would explain why Sapphire and Ruby told me that we're gonna take it easy these next few days," Bismuth realized. "We're still gonna be productive, but it feels like the vacation just got a bit of an extension. Speaking of… we're just about done with that side-project of ours, aren't we?"

Lapis held back a giggle. "Well, I guess it sort of ended up being more of Moonstone's project at this point, but… yeah, with a little more polish, it could be done within a day or two."

"I was thinkin' we should let our tiny teammates see it after we talk things out," Bismuth suggested. "Even if it isn't all-the-way finished by then, I think they'd both appreciate it. It kinda fits the theme of what we're aimin' to accomplish with them, if you think about it."

"That's a great idea," Lapis commended as she wiped away a sudden tear from the corner of her eye. "I really couldn't have done it without you, Bismuth. And I guess you're right; we've been pretty fixated on the past in a lot of different ways… but seeing something that'll honor the past ought to cheer them up. It's definitely helped me make peace with some of my recent hang-ups. Maybe even for the refugees…"

"Yeah, it's definitely gonna be a comfort for those poor souls," Bismuth agreed. "All the more reason to get Moonstone to add the finishing touches tonight. Sounds like we've got our schedule for today all set up, Lap!"

"Does that mean you two are done yammering about past crap? You're standing around talking and compromising perfectly good blackmail material, I hope you know."

Both Bismuth and Lapis nearly jumped at the sound of a new (but thankfully familiar) voice entering the conversation.

Almost as if she had appeared out of nowhere, Amethyst stood before them on the opposite end of the sleeping couple in the sand.

Said couple seemed to be drawing the quartz's interest, as she had her phone out and was carefully aiming it in their direction while adjusting her hold on the smart device.

"I'd ask how long you've been here eavesdropping, but I'm not so sure I really wanna know," a very uneased Lapis uttered.

"And what's this about "blackmail"?" Bismuth inquired; eyes narrowed.

"C'moooon, I know you guys are more fun than you're letting on," Amethyst teased before a flash emitted from her phone. "There we go! Perfect shot."

Indeed, Amethyst made sure to take a potentially incriminating photo of Steven and Peridot asleep together in the sand. The flash didn't even make them stir.

"Eeesh; totally didn't take Peri to be a heavy sleeper," Amethyst muttered. "You two just found 'em like this, huh?"

"Yep; they've barely moved an inch since we found 'em like this," Bismuth affirmed. "So what did you just do there, Amethyst?"

"I think I see what her angle is," a smug Lapis mused. "Getting a picture like that will totally embarrass them, so you can hang that over their heads for favors, right?"

"I see P-Dot has taught you well in the art of sabotage," Amethyst commended, looking gleeful at the quality shot she got from her snoozing friends. "Well, that and I just wanted to add something to my Squad collection. It's been a while."

Lapis chuckled at the observation. "Camp Pining Hearts alone abuses the crap out of that narrative gimmick; Paulette can be a real piece of work in some episodes."

Bismuth still didn't like the sound of this… "This is really something y'all do for fun?"

"Trust me: Peridot's got her own evil little stash of blackmail material she's not above using," Amethyst slyly assured. "Besides, if either of these dorks start having doubts about their relationship or whatever, I'll just throw this in their faces as proof of how cute they are together. It's a guaranteed motivator."

"Well, you got your picture; shouldn't we wake them up soon?" Lapis asked, looking a little worried. "I mean, I wouldn't know for sure, but isn't this something that would make Pearl blow her top?"

It didn't take long for Amethyst to think that over. "… Yeah, probably. And not in a fun way. I was actually gonna borrow Peri for the morning. I got the news that we're taking a few extra days to prepare for the Gypsum stuff, and… I'm getting a feeling that maybe the kiddos need a vacation from their vacation, too."

"Oh, you needed Peridot now?" Lapis looked a bit relieved to hear this, but was also curious about what the young quartz had in store for her former roommate.

"During that day while we were sorting out all the bubbles, we talked about stuff to pass the time," Amethyst explained. "When I asked about how she found out when her birthday is on Earth, she offered to approximate mine whenever we had the chance to visit the Prime Kindergarten since my hole's still intact. Peri said that was all she needed to get an accurate read, and since we're on Earth, she wouldn't have to mess with all that kooky math conversion between Homeworld and Earth time."

"Huh… not sure what a "birthday" is all about, but it's mighty generous of Peri to offer that," Bismuth remarked. "It might help to get her in a good mood at the start of the day…"

Lapis sighed. "Yeah… I haven't stopped to think that maybe something else is wrong with Peridot… and Steven, too. We shouldn't drag them into these heavy discussions we're planning right off the bat."

Amethyst raised her hand and waved it to get her fellow gems' attention. "Ooh, I got an idea! Bismuth, since Steven's back now, he can show you around Beach City all proper-like! Have him take you to Funland or something; that'll cheer him up and you'll get some guaranteed entertainment outta the deal. At least you won't be too short for any of the rides, heh."

Bismuth didn't get what Amethyst was referring to, but she did find something very enticing about this idea. "I like the way you think, Amethyst! I have been overdue for a formal tour of the Crystal Gems' present-day world beyond our home. I'm still waiting to see just how much Earth's advanced in the past few thousand years!"

"Then Funland's a great place to start," Amethyst assured. "Laps, you sure you're fine with all this?"

"O-oh, trust me! You're really doing me a favor," Lapis nervously assured. "Besides, I'm sure if Peridot was awake right now, she'd be screaming at me to branch out and make more friends. I've got plenty of options…"

"Should we wake them up now?" Bismuth wondered. "They're still so peaceful. And I kinda hoped our talking would've stirred them by now…"

"Like I said, we don't need Pearl seeing this," Amethyst reminded the blacksmith before shooting an unimpressed glance to Lapis. "Seriously, Laps? You haven't even tried throwing water on them yet? You, of all gems?"

Lapis couldn't help but blush deeply when Amethyst pointed out this obvious oversight.

"Wow, maybe I do need an extra day to unwind," she admitted with nervous laughter. "Can't believe I didn't even think of that… h-heh, hold on…"

The terraformer easily conjured a controlled medium-sized pillar of water from the ocean right behind her and contorted its figure until it hung right over the sleeping couple.

"But if they get pissed over this, I'm telling them this was your idea," Lapis smugly shot back before letting the mass of water splash down over the unsuspecting targets below.

"BLECHK!"

"Gggghaaaah! What the–?!"

"Rise n' shine, babies of the bunch!" Amethyst joyously hollered at the soaked and distraught pair. "If you're quick about it, we won't ask what you've been doing in that sand pit all night!"

"S-sand pit…?"

Peridot was too busy spitting out sand and trying in vain to rub her face clean to pay mind to her friend's words, but Steven was very quick to take notice to his surroundings. He looked extremely confused.

"Whoa, whoa! H-how the heck did we end up here?!" Steven wailed immediately. "W-weren't we on the roof?!"

Lapis' eyebrow raised up in bewilderment. "Zero answers, but more questions already… this is off to a fantastic start."

"The heck were either of you doin' on the roof for?" an equally confused Bismuth asked. A quick glance towards the beach house's roof compelled the blacksmith to press further. "I don't remember that roof ever havin' some piece of cloth over it."

Amethyst followed Bismuth's gaze – unlike her companions, she didn't look the least bit confused. On the contrary, the quartz's expressions implied the polar opposite.

"Aha, looks like you two came prepared for your second roof date, huh?" Amethyst teased the hybrid. "I remember that last time left you with one heck of a stiff back, my not-so-little man!"

Peridot was still preoccupied trying to clean her face (a bit difficult to do when her hands were covered in bits of sand as well; by this point she was forced to remove her shades and struggled to open her sand-crusted eyes), leaving Steven to wallow in embarrassment as he struggled to process this very uncomfortable situation he found himself in immediately after waking up.

Between the merciless teasing from Amethyst and the confused suspicion from Lapis and Bismuth… as well as his own confusion on how and why he and Peridot ended up here of all places when he last recalled being securely on the roof, Steven was quickly getting overwhelmed.

"This ain't the first time they've been up there?" a perplexed Bismuth asked Amethyst.

"That's just weird," Lapis remarked. "Even for Peri standards."

At least Amethyst took the time to pay attention to Steven long enough to notice their collective interrogation was having an adverse effect on the boy. She made the effort to dial back her urge to tease the couple and hoped her friends would follow her example without having to ask them directly.

"Well, it makes sense that neither of you get it," Amethyst casually assured. "First time it happened, it was like literally a day or so before you were brought back, Biz. Meaning you were still out being a space drifter, Laps."

Amethyst briefly shot the terraformer a stern look.

"You're actually the reason they were up there the first time," she revealed. "Lil' Peri-D found out you'd been on the moon practicing your voyeur-fu, so she was up on the roof hopin' you'd see her giving you the stinkface."

Just like that, Lapis' composure fell to pieces, feeling a crushing guilt when Amethyst concluded her explanation.

"And like a good boyfriend, Steven joined her for the night and helped Peri get through all that. We found 'em both snoozin' on the roof the next morning."

"W-we weren't even dating back then!" a flustered Steven countered. "I-I mean, I was starting to get an idea that night that maybe there was something more between us, but the important thing was helping Peridot resist–"

"Unless you have a desire to consume multiple servings of sand for breakfast, you will speak no more of that night in public. Are we understood, Steven?"

While far from clean, Peridot had recovered enough to register what was happening around her and was quick to silence her boyfriend before he completely spilled the story of one of her most vulnerable moments to their peers.

"Oh… right." Steven blushed as he quickly felt terrible for saying as much as he did. No matter how groggy he was from just waking up and finding himself in a very confusing situation, he couldn't excuse himself for being so careless with his words. "I-I'm sorry, Peri…"

"D-don't give me that look; I'm not that mad!" Peridot herself was flustered that she inadvertently made Steven feel much more terrible about his mistake than she intended. "We… have other, far more valid reasons to be upset right now, you realize."

Unfortunately, that didn't exactly ease Steven's concerns.

"I take it that means you don't know why you two ended up like this either, Peri?" a worried Bismuth inquired. "I would think one of you would have some kinda idea how you got from the roof of the house allllll the way down to the shoreline. That ain't exactly a hop, skip and a jump's distance."

"If you two fell, we'd at least see signs of impact or a trail in the sand," Lapis added; she used her water wings to hover a bit as she scanned the area behind them. "But it doesn't look like anything was disturbed. I don't see anything that looks like a path to here."

"That's a big drop, too," Amethyst noted. "If it didn't wake either of you up, I think at least one of us would've heard a mega-crash. Neither of you look banged up, either. You guys must've Peri-ported."

Peridot sighed. This was not something she was ready to deal with after the heavy drama she and Steven went through last night. "I suppose that's the only explanation that makes sense, but I don't remember doing anything like that. To be honest, I don't recall even joining Steven in the state of slumber."

"I-it's not like we did anything we shouldn't have been doing," a defensive Steven asserted. "We just had a really rough night, and…"

He was shocked to just now realize something important…

"Oh, geez! We haven't seen you guys since before we left last week!" Steven felt so terrible, even though it was completely out of his hands how last night's events played out. "I'm so sorry! It totally slipped my mind to get back with you all after we talked to Garnet…"

"Well, you did greet us as Sphalerite," Lapis playfully pointed out. "So don't feel too bad about–"

"Never speak of that so-called fusion again, Lazuli. I don't ever want to hear that name so long as I exist."

A very uncomfortable silence followed Peridot's ominous decree. Lapis found herself trembling; not only due to her friend's menacing tone, but the fact that she was referred to as "Lazuli".

Historically, Peridot only ever called her that during her much darker days as the Crystal Gems' mortal enemy… or if Lapis did something to severely anger her. No doubt this instance was the latter.

"Yeah… sounds like the talk with Garnet really didn't go over well," Bismuth whispered to Lapis in hopes of easing her concerns.

"We'll… tell you guys about that some other time," a shaken Steven assured the others. When Peridot gave him a dirty glance, the hybrid remained firm. "Peridot, they at least deserve to know why. You can just leave it to me if you're not okay to talk about this."

"S-Steven, I'm not going to force you to endure that alone!" Peridot argued. "I just–… I need more time! Is that a problem?!"

"Of course it isn't," Steven warmly assured his girlfriend. He leaned over to comb his fingers through the small gem's dampened radiant locks. "I'm not ready to do it right now, either. But it's not fair to our friends to keep them in the dark, okay? I'll be ready when you're ready if you really wanna do this together."

Peridot allowed herself to limply fall into Steven's grasp. "I… will concede to that. This is the best we can do from now on, together…"

"We don't need fusion to prove we can be as one, Dot," Steven assured; he almost sounded as if he was on the verge of crying. "I promise it'll be okay; and whatever happened to us last night… j-just don't worry about it right now. We're not alone anymore."

That reminder seemed to snap Peridot out of it. Still locked in Steven's embrace, she looked to see three sets of eyes on her and her beloved. All of them were good friends she hadn't seen in several days… only now did that detail strike Peridot to the core.

"L-Lapis, I apologize for snapping at you like that…" Peridot seemed to struggle to get all of the words out she wanted to say, but so many remained unsaid. "I… actually have much more to apologize for, but–"

"No harm done," a cautious Lapis assured. "And I know we have a lot to talk about, okay? There's something I need to apologize for, and I understand you've recently remembered something important about the day we met that we really need to clear the air about."

"W-wait, what…?"

Both Peridot and Steven were stunned; neither of them said a word to Lapis about the circumstances of what happened the day she and Peridot met. It was definitely a conversation the couple mutually agreed needed to happen, but neither had spoken to Lapis since that horrific memory was unearthed from the depths of Peridot's memory. There was no way for her to know about this ahead of time…

"I ended up having a chat with 5XF while you two were out doing whatever a couple of days back," Lapis casually explained, naïvely unaware that she was triggering her former roommate in a different way now. "She didn't wanna go into the details; your sister was pretty clear that this was something only you and me should really talk about, but she gave me a thorough outline of what we need to cover… and what you're likely going to tell me, I guess."

Only then did Lapis focus back on Peridot and recoiled to see the diminutive green gem nearly boil over with sheer rage. It was expressed in waves of heat she subconsciously emitted, which at least dried herself and Steven up.

"O-okay, that explains it," a very nervous Steven acknowledged as he grasped the shoulders of his shaking girlfriend. "Th-thanks for clarifying, Lapis. We'll just–"

"THAT NOSY LITTLE HARLOT! SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO INSERT HERSELF INTO MY PERSONAL BUSINESS! FOR STARS' SAKE, WHY CAN'T I JUST GET THIS FAILED EXPERIMENT OVER WITH AND SHATTER HER ALREADY?!"

Everyone went quiet again; Steven himself inched away a few steps from Peridot, looking particularly horrified by the words of his beloved gem.

He so badly wanted that statement to be a typical Peridot overreaction… but a read of her current feelings showed Steven the very ugly truth: his girlfriend meant every word of what she said wholeheartedly. In that moment, she wanted her sister dead.

Unfortunately, even Peridot's silent realization of what she blurted out and the shame that came with it didn't really change her feelings as much as Steven hoped. While she covered her mouth with both hands and fell to her knees, shivering with horror, the human hybrid remained hesitant to comfort her.

After all, while Peridot was mortified by her own words, what really shook her to the core was the fact that even she realized her harsh words fully reflected how she felt and what she desired. Flashes of the events throughout the previous Thursday coursed through her mind, ever since she mustered the courage to free 5XF from Ruby's bubble. What sustained her inner rage was recalling over and over again the moment she realized 5XF was the one responsible for making Steven drag that horrible memory out of her in the first place.

She was so angry at 5XF for making her relive the most traumatic day of her life, but Peridot couldn't hate her enough to want her dead for it after she and Steven managed to work through what she couldn't on her own. She couldn't pretend it would have been for the best if that day remained buried in the innermost depths of her memory core; sooner or later, Peridot would have had to face this part of her past. Handling it in the middle of nowhere with no one but her beloved at her side was the best possible way to work through it; that much couldn't be denied.

Peridot knew how hard it was going to be talking about this with Lapis; as much as she dreaded it even now, the technician understood it must be done sooner rather than later. She agreed with Steven that it needed to be a priority.

She did not anticipate Lapis already finding out exactly what they would be talking about before the discussion was even scheduled.

The only way Lapis could have known ahead of time… all signs pointed to her big sister. What little Peridot could bear to glean from Sphalerite's experiences proved the fusion interacted with absolutely no one but 5XF for the remainder of the vacation. Sphalerite herself was in the midst of a deep sleep along with her components at the time Lapis was contacted. Between this and the unexpected stress of ending up in such a strange and compromising position with Steven this morning that Peridot couldn't for the life of her remember how it all came to this, she was about to completely break down. Steven's sudden lack of presence was not lost on Peridot, either; she knew her behavior had to be terrifying him, and rightly so. But it didn't make her feel any less beside herself with anguish. More and more, Peridot felt she was losing control of her life… and she couldn't help but feel 5XF was purposefully taking that away from her.

Bismuth, Lapis, Amethyst, and Steven all alternated between keeping an eye on Peridot succumbing to her breakdown to looking at each other, silently asking for someone – anyone -– to find a way to lighten the mood or nullify this tension. No one was brave enough to say anything out loud, for fear that it would exacerbate the problem.

However, Lapis felt responsible for this… even though she had no way to know how bad an idea it was to mention 5XF or Sphalerite in Peridot's presence. She knew her former roommate wouldn't be in any condition to talk later if this persisted, and Lapis wasn't about to screw this up for both of them. She had been living with the guilt for how she treated Peridot far too long to let it fester even one more day.

She calmed herself as best she could; Lapis closed her eyes, opened her mouth…

"It seems I misjudged you; that sounded like a very honest expression of how you truly feel… something I presumed you've always been either incapable of or unwilling to do. I commend you for your proven ability to truly change, 5XG."

All heads but Peridot's snapped forward to discover 5XF just a few feet away from the group; she was accompanied by Ruby and Sapphire, as she had been since Garnet defused the prior night.

Peridot resisted her urge to follow everyone else's gaze; she legitimately couldn't trust herself at this point. If she saw her sister now, Peridot feared she wouldn't be able to stop herself – and it was apparent she couldn't count on Steven to hold her back at this point.

"5XF. If you know what's good for you, you'll pretend you never saw this or heard what I just said," Peridot forced herself to say. "Now get out of here."

"Unfortunate; I was hoping to ask the same of you and your human companion," 5XF dryly retorted. "I've been toured through all permitted areas of the Crystal Gems' premises, so I wish to relax and monitor the ocean from here. I only ask that my view is not sullied by the presence of yourself and your Steven. Am I asking for too much?"

"My apologies," Sapphire interjected, likely aiming to control the damage as much as she could. "I foresaw this area clearing out by now, but the future is ever-fluctuating and fickle…"

5XF let out a quiet sigh. "Please do not use that word. My former hosts have forever tainted it."

"It's not our fault that word is a perfect description of you," Peridot shot back, attempting to maintain her self-control… poorly. "Then again, there's a wide variety of derogatory phrases that suit you just as well. However, I'm curious about something: what made you think you had a right to talk to Lapis about certain subjects that you have nothing to do with? I never permitted you to witness the events of that day, let alone gossip about it to others!"

"Wh-what?" 5XF was genuinely taken aback by this accusation. "5XG, I wasn't gossiping… I-I'll admit I eavesdropped when I shouldn't have, but that should be a minor offense compared everything else I was doing around that time! A-and I overheard you and Steven agreeing you needed to talk to Lapis about this. She called for you a few days ago, but you weren't available to talk; you and Steven were still Sphalerite at the time, and it was just before she woke up after being asleep for more than half an Earth day…"

Lapis was surprised to hear this. "W-wait, so the reason Steven and Peridot weren't available to talk that day… it's because they were fused? And asleep? You could have just told me that…"

5XF shook her head. "5XG wished to surprise you all with Sphalerite when she and Steven returned home. Additionally, Sphalerite specifically asked me to not reveal her existence to any of you just before she fell asleep; she too wanted to honor 5XG's wishes. I agree it would have been easier to be fully honest with all of you, but this was not my secret to tell."

"She really did that?" a shocked, nearly breathless Steven asked. "She… Sphalerite actually cared about us…?"

"Of course she cares about you," 5XF snapped at the hybrid, though she managed to keep herself relatively firm and even-tempered. "Would it not be completely illogical for a fusion to not care for their own components in any way?"

While this revelation surprised Peridot greatly, it was honestly too little, too late to salvage her perception of the fusion.

"What I find illogical is the concept of Sphalerite caring enough to honor my wishes not to spoil the surprise of her existence, yet not having the same consideration for the well-being of myself and Steven for literally everything else she did," she bitterly countered. "Just stop it, okay? Stop justifying her actions; she is now forever irrelevant! Sphalerite will never return, and you have only yourself to blame for that, 5XF!"

5XF felt she shouldn't have let Peridot's words affect her so adversely, but her fears of never seeing Sphalerite again being so adamantly vocalized by her willful sister was too much to take. Ruby was quick to keep the technician steady in her grasp when she stumbled back in shock.

"L-listen, I talked to Lapis about your imminent conversation because I wanted to be helpful!" 5XF cried out with far less composure. "I know I owe that to you, a-and I understand you'll both have a very difficult time even having this kind of talk. Anyone would! My sole intent was to inform Lapis to give her time to prepare what she would have to say to you, and to optimize the time needed to properly sort this ordeal out!"

"You weren't supposed to even know how we met in the first place!" Peridot shouted back, heavily agitated. "Let alone have any authority in a conversation that is 100% none of your business!"

"Yes, I've already owned up to sticking my nose where it didn't belong," 5XF told her. "But we can't turn back time, and I cannot in all good conscience simply pretend I never saw that part of your life, 5XG. My intent was to help you and Lapis as much as I could in a limited capacity!"

Lapis directed her gaze over to her seething friend and decided it was time for her to step in. "Peridot, just let it go; I can assure you 5XF went out of her way to be respectful about this. She even cut me off when I was starting to say things she felt should only be heard by you."

Peridot looked to the terrformer, horrified. "You're taking her side… I-I honestly shouldn't even be surprised by this…"

"I'm grateful she let me know about this so I could prepare for it," Lapis clarified. "I'm not condoning her invasion of your privacy, but 5XF already apologized for that. And it's not like we can do anything to change it; it's a stupid issue to get so hung up over, Peri! And that's coming from me!"

"I wasn't expecting praise for doing this favor," 5XF murmured. "At the same time, it shouldn't be unreasonable to believe this doesn't warrant being treated like a criminal."

"Go find some other body of water to observe!" Peridot screamed at her kin. "Garnet told me not to approach you, but you're the one who approached me! I should not be expected to back down when you're the instigator here! If you heard what I said about you earlier, I can't imagine why you'd want to be anywhere near my radius!"

5XF remained firm in her stance. So long as Sphalerite wasn't being mentioned, it was easier than expected to stand up to her sister. "Oh, you mean how I overheard your desire to shatter me? You're implying I should fear you for that reason, but we both know you won't succumb to that desire."

As the environment around Peridot started going haywire, with gusts of wind blowing sand about, an alarmingly potent dome of heat turning bits of sand into glass, accompanied by the soft rumbling of the ground below… Peridot's friends – Steven included – started to make some notable distance from her.

Ruby was tempted to act, but Sapphire held her back and shook her head immediately. Though her premonition of this area being vacated didn't go as planned, she had a bit more faith in the current future she saw; there, 5XF's words rang true and no one was ultimately hurt… externally, at least.

"I'm the Diamond of Will, you ignorant little clod," Peridot growled. The fact that she was even identifying herself with any part of her Diamond heritage was a red flag that the youngest gem of this bunch was very much not herself right now. "If I want it enough, I can make you explode into pieces without even lifting a finger."

Steven could tell his girlfriend was heavily poisoned with very familiar toxic emotions; in hindsight, the toxicity of her repressed feelings many weeks ago when they first conversed on the roof felt so minuscule by comparison.

"Is ending my life worth what you'll lose in exchange?" 5XF challenged. "Senselessly murdering me would make you indistinct from the Diamonds that are no longer with us, would it not?"

Bismuth couldn't help but cringe at this statement; it immediately made her think of that very uncomfortable conversation with Steven… the very reason she needed to clear the air with him in the first place.

Similarly, it also pained Steven to hear these words. 5XF's voice wasn't that different from her sister's – consequently, Steven couldn't help but think about 5XG; the amalgamation of Peridot's worst traits, and the very chilling talk they had before it shifted to a brutal strangulation. She harshly admonished how Steven conducted himself around Bismuth during the very same conversation Bismuth herself wanted to properly atone for.

Both shared a quick glance at one another before abruptly shifting back to the quarreling siblings.

"You are in no position to take the high road!" Peridot cried back. "You are not allowed to pretend you have any sense of morality; not after what you put me and Steven through!"

"I won't dispute that my actions against you two were inexcusable," 5XF calmly agreed. "All the same, you are no more qualified to pass judgment on my ability to learn from my mistakes, 5XG. But I am not here to dwell on the past; I apologize for letting my curiosity get the best of me again, but I had no ill intentions whatsoever when I informed Lapis about your imminent conversation. I wanted to make that clear; the only reason I'm here now is because I want to rest and take in a view that I know will offer comfort. I had no intention of speaking with you today."

"Yet you addressed me first," Peridot growled. "You drew attention to yourself!"

5XF almost pitied her sister at this point… almost. "My apologies for feeling the need to acknowledge that you've stopped lying to yourself and are embracing your true feelings, which is to have me shattered. I commended you for being fully honest for once in your life, 5XG. But as I said before, it's a foregone conclusion that you will not follow through on that desire."

"Stop talking like you know anything about me!" Peridot protested. "I could–I could–…"

"First of all, you gave me a very lengthy exposition dump on your life story since your assignment to Earth," 5XF interjected. "In the format of fully-detailed visuals, no less. Unless that was nothing but a very elaborate fabrication, I objectively know quite a bit about you. Secondly, will you stop lying to yourself? No amount of power you wield will shatter me; your weakness for Steven will always keep that power in check. As much as he hates me, he would hate you far more if you shattered me here and now."

All eyes were on the very distressed Steven. However, no one's gaze was more piercing than his girlfriend's.

He could tell Peridot was aware of the fact that her actions were not endearing him to her side in the least. She was looking at him as if she had already committed an act of murder, silently pleading for his forgiveness.

Steven had to keep in mind that Peridot's instability wasn't solely 5XF's fault; she had already been breaking down before the elder Peridot stepped in. The mystery of how he and Peridot ended up in the sand like this still hung over his head; he could tell the technician was similarly burdened. After the madness they endured after being liberated from their fusion, the last thing the couple needed was an uncertainty of the nature of how their night played out.

Their night on the roof was supposed to inspire hope that life would get better from here; the assurance of their unity, both as Crystal Gems and as lovers.

Waking up only to find that had been compromised… it bothered Steven way more than he cared to admit.

"Go ahead, 5XG. I'll offer no resistance: shatter me, if you want to so badly," 5XF darkly urged her sister. "Prove me wrong and make me pay for my transgressions with my life. I openly invite your wrath; in a way, you're honestly doing me a favor, as you've confirmed my greatest fear earlier."

Several gems looked to 5XF in that moment; all aghast that she was not only baiting her sister to kill her, but the tired look of resignation in her eyes told them their first refugee already felt her life was forfeit and not worth living.

Peridot could tell 5XF meant every word of what she said. As much as she wanted to act on her desire, Steven was no longer the only reason she couldn't go through with it.

While she managed to calm down her intense surges of rage on her own, it was now a challenge to not burst into tears in front of everyone. "Sh-shut up; just stop it…"

"I dare you," 5XF declared. "You'll likely never get an opportunity like this again."

"I-I will not indulge your suicidal codependency on our fusion!" Peridot finally cried out. "And I will certainly not ever grant you a legacy as a pathetic martyr! Unless you're going to confess that you had something to do with how Steven and I ended up here last night, I want you to leave!"

Steven cringed; he knew it was just a matter of time before Peridot resorted to that accusation.

"I have no idea what you're referring to," 5XF coldly replied. "But of course, my word alone isn't good enough for you. Luckily for me, I have a rock-solid alibi. Find some other gem to implicate."

"We've not left 5XF's side all night," Sapphire confirmed.

Ruby nodded in agreement. "We knew you two needed your privacy, so we made sure none of us ever crossed paths."

Finally, Steven found the courage to approach his girlfriend. Before saying anything, he embraced her from behind; that alone provoked more tears to spill from the technician's eyes.

"Peri, we'll find out what really happened and why," Steven softly assured her. "This isn't the time to investigate that, though; we need to just step away and relax for a while. Can you be the bigger gem for me and let your sister have this spot to herself? I know there's a part of you right now that's reminding you not to fall back into a really bad habit…"

Peridot knew what Steven was talking about; the role her past life served currently. The last thing the ascended gem wanted was to return to the Peridot she used to be: an amoral, overly-ambitious sociopath. Indeed, in her mind's eye, she could see the old 5XG looking down at her; cold and stern as always.

However, 5XF seemed to shatter her internally with a few harsh words of truth: it really didn't matter how powerful she became. At this point in her life, Peridot had ended up becoming one of the most versatile super-powered beings in the universe.

But none of that mattered, really. As long as Steven lived, he would always be the power that nullified her own. Peridot wasn't sure why this specifically bothered her so much…

… Until 5XF practically announced that she no longer valued her own life if Sphalerite truly was never coming back.

This was too much to process; too much to accept. With the overwhelming work ahead of everyone in Gypsum and everything involving Era 3, Peridot desperately needed a few days of lighthearted fun. Every day felt like a constant test that pushed her to her limits.

"... Steven, I–…" Peridot found herself getting choked up already. "This is too much. Way too much. I-I don't know what to do…"

"I'm not really that sure about myself, either," Steven sympathized as he squeezed her tight. "But I promise you, we'll work something out…"

"Actually, we've all got plans in mind for y'all," Bismuth spoke up. "Just simple fun stuff, too. No work. How's that sound?"

Steven smiled widely at the blacksmith. "Sounds exactly like what we need! What did you guys have in mind?"

"Well, me and Peri-D have a long-overdue date that we're gonna take care of before that boring work junk pushes it back a ton of months," Amethyst smugly spoke up, which prompted a look of confusion from both her little brother and little sister figure. "C'mon, you already forgot? You promised you'd get me a birthdate, dude!"

"Oh! Of course; the Prime Kindergarten!" Peridot could hardly believe she actually forgot planning this with Amethyst. Then again, thanks to how the latter half of the vacation played out, even a day barely over a week ago felt closer to a year by now. "We can go there anytime you'd like, Amethyst."

"Peri-port us away, then!" the quartz insisted. "I wanna go now! You never know; my b-day could be today and I'm gonna expect a mega-sweet party if it is. Day's still young, so…!"

Finally, Peridot managed to genuinely smile. "I'd be happy to take you now; it's been too long since we've had a Not-So-Shorty Squad outing!"

"Actually, I'd like to borrow Steven for the morning if it's alright with you," Bismuth awkwardly interjected. "I've been hearin' good things about this Funland place, and Steven's been meanin' to show me around Beach City for weeks!"

"Oh… I guess we never got around to that, huh?" Steven let out a nervous chuckle. "Geez, Bismuth, it's been like a month since you were brought back out. We really need to get you adjusted to this time period!"

"That you do, little man!" Bismuth asserted, giving Steven a playful slap on the back. "I'm not gonna be much good helpin' these Homeworld refugees if I barely know this planet myself, right?"

Peridot offered a reassuring nod to Steven. "You're by far the best candidate for adjusting gems to Earth, Steven, and Bismuth deserves nothing less. Besides, my business with Amethyst really is not well facilitated for a third party; you'll get more out of the day touring Bismuth than you would sitting around a derelict kindergarten waiting for me to calculate and carbon date some markings and grooves in a hole."

"H-heh, good point," Steven conceded. He could tell neither he nor Peridot were entirely comfortable going their separate ways right now, but… "We'll… get together later, right? It just hit me that we've got a lot of people to catch up with now that we're back…"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Peridot assured as she rewarded her boyfriend with a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for being a good center of gravity for me, Steven. I feel better already."

It just dawned on Steven that his support did indeed keep Peridot from completely falling apart once more. He felt just a little guilty; if he had acted sooner despite his girlfriend's frightening behavior, perhaps he could have defused this situation much earlier…

"Let me know if you need one later," Steven jovially instructed. "Until then, let's give the rest of our friends a little loving attention, 'kay?"

Peridot bubbled up with laughter as she felt Steven's warm lips peck her gemstone, though it abruptly stopped when something blue caught the corner of her eye.

"Oh… Lapis…"

The ocean gem didn't look hurt, offended, or even bummed out, to her credit.

"Go on and play," Lapis urged her former roommate. "We'll have our talk when we're good and ready, okay? No pressure. Believe it or not, I've got plenty of options, myself."

This immensely relieved the technician. "I-I suppose it's important our mental stability is at its peak before we engage in that kind of conversation. Your patience and your mercy are greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to let you know when I'm optimally prepared."

"You might want to make yourselves scarce immediately," Sapphire suddenly warned everyone. "Very soon, Pearl will find her way here…"

The seer gem glanced to Peridot specifically. "And she's on the warpath. She will not hesitate to mess with your plans. Peridot, be wary when you return home. You are the target of her ire."

"Of course she's pissed at me," Peridot grumbled. "She can join the friggin' growing line of clods who share her grievances and take a number. Thank you for the warning, Sapphire. Let's get out of here while we still can, Amethyst."

"Seeya later, all!" Amethyst waved to the others. "Next time you see me, I'll be handin' you a wishlist for my birthday!"

And just like that, Peridot and Amethyst vanished in an instant. Steven couldn't help but miss his girlfriend already, but he had to keep in mind that it wasn't a bad thing to spend at least a little bit of time away from her.

Much as he hated to admit it, Steven really felt he'd been neglecting his friends since he solidified his relationship with Peridot.

"Steven, you and Bismuth should hurry along as well," Sapphire advised. "Pearl won't hesitate to interrogate you, if only to draw Peridot out."

"Do I even wanna know what Peri did to get Pearl this mad?" a concerned Bismuth asked.

In that moment, Sapphire and Ruby fused – finally, Garnet was back.

"I guarantee it isn't worth your time," the fusion assured. "But I will hold her off as long as I can; whatever is troubling Pearl is not worth delaying your overdue tour of Beach City any longer, Bismuth."

"We appreciate it, Garnet," Steven warmly expressed. "C'mon, Bismuth! I'm kinda hungry, so do you mind if we stop for breakfast, first?"

Bismuth smiled and shrugged off the matter. "Breakfast's an experience itself, right? Can't be havin' you Bismuthin' that if you're gonna show me around town!"

Steven grinned; thankfully, he'd forgotten by this point that he and the jolly, buff gem he was hanging out with for the morning were due for an unpleasant talk of their own sooner or later. "That's the spirit! This way, Bismuth!"

As the second pair scampered off, only Garnet, Lapis, and 5XF remained on the coastline.

"So, uh… do I need to flee?" Lapis nervously asked. "I've been an unwilling informant once before; that's definitely an experience I'd rather not live through again."

"You ought to stay here and give 5XF some company," Garnet coolly suggested. "She's in my care now, but it's in her best interest to get to know all of the Crystal Gems. Her issues with Steven and Peridot should not prevent her from befriending the rest of you, at least. Pearl will see no point in inconveniencing either of you, so do not despair."

"Oh…" Lapis entirely forgot 5XF was still with them; then again, she had been completely silent for a while now, and she was already sitting and watching the ocean just as she intended. "Right. Well, if it's fine with her, I don't mind…"

"I accept your offer for company," 5XF calmly conceded, briefly startling the ocean gem, who didn't think she was still listening to anyone. "I would like to learn more about oceans in general… and after my kin threw a fit the way she did, perhaps it would be to our mutual benefit to have a proper conversation face-to-face."

Lapis nervously nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm… sorry I brought it up; I had no idea she'd react like that."

"Then there's no need to apologize for something you couldn't possibly have foreseen," 5XF insisted before she looked back to Garnet. "Oh, um… thank you for everything you've done, Garnet. I, uh… do give Ruby and Sapphire my thanks as well. Let them know I would give them a full grade for their performance evaluation."

Garnet smiled at that. "They appreciate your gratitude, 5XF. Best of luck on making some new friends."

As the fusion walked off to deal with a raging Pearl, 5XF invited Lapis to sit by her; the latter took her up on the offer.

"You may ask me anything you like," the Peridot offered. "On the condition that you answer my questions about the ocean."

"Hm…" Lapis looked out to the massive ocean ahead of her. "Well, I've made friends in weirder ways before."

Chapter Text

With everyone's morning schedules mapped out, the Crystal Gems all went their separate ways. In order to be ready for Gypsum, to be prepared to run Era 3 where Homeworld left off, and to be up to the task of saving Homeworld's colonies from civil disorder, the team agreed they needed to prove they could truly function as a singular unit brought together by these common goals. More than that, they all needed to invest time strengthening their bonds with one another.

Bismuth and Lapis joined (or rejoined, one could say) the Crystal Gems and were immediately thrust into the final battle of a war that had persisted for eons. Peridot hadn't been part of the cause for long, herself; Connie just barely had more seniority. On top of that, even Greg was officially considered part of the team against all odds. With the size of the Crystal Gems' forces nearly doubling in less than a year, there was precious little time to properly integrate the newer inductees.

There was about a week where the team could bond between missions, but by then the team had been forcibly fractured. Much of the bonding that occurred was out of sheer necessity with very little in the way of organic growth.

Now, they were united. The goal set by Pink Diamond several millennia ago had finally been reached… but as a consequence of this achievement, the future of gemkind now rested squarely on their shoulders.

This was a mission that truly had no conclusion.

It was an endeavor that required everyone to be on the same page.

Even Bismuth, one of the most stable gems around, had her hang-ups.

Paired up with Steven for this outing, the blacksmith was finally able to take in the surroundings of the world just outside the Crystal Gems' domain; the world inhabited by humans – the very beings that drove Rose Quartz to protect all life on Earth in the first place – was a concept Bismuth still needed to adjust to. The war Homeworld waged on the protectors of Earth and the widespread damage it brought about never allowed Bismuth to have much to do with much of the life she strove to protect.

It was bizarre, now that she really thought about it. For being so dedicated to Rose's cause, Bismuth barely understood who and what she had been protecting for so many years. This was not a good state of mind to have for a gem who would be responsible for helping the Homeworld refugees adapt to their new home. Bismuth was honestly not used to feeling like a rookie in any sense of the word, but ever since she had been brought back, the perpetually jolly gem was made somber facing reality.

Steven himself was one of the hardest changes for Bismuth to accept; she wouldn't let it show with her friends, but the moment the young hybrid started spouting Rose's rhetoric… that broke her façade as well as her resolve.

Even after being told the truth about everything regarding her former leader and accepting it for what it was, Bismuth couldn't help but shake the feeling of Rose's ghost lingering whenever Steven was around. The nature of the Homeworld missions allowed Bismuth to shove those insecurities aside; a time of peace forced her to acknowledge that she truly hadn't made peace with everything that changed since her glory days. It didn't help that with every passing day, more and more changes piled on top of what Bismuth already struggled to accept.

But if she was going to start anywhere, it was going to be with Steven. Regardless of how Bismuth felt, he was the heart of the team, now. While he inherited many of his mother's ideals, Steven was certainly his own person. After so many years of her life revolving around Rose Quartz, a couple of conversations with Steven was hardly enough for Bismuth to truly digest.

Little did Bismuth know, Steven urgently needed to speak with her one-on-one as well.

No matter how much he tried to ignore it, 5XG's harsh, biting admonishment for how he conducted himself around Bismuth in the past continued to echo in his brain. And of course, a certain incident in their pair of Homeworld missions made him very hesitant to directly approach her ever since.

He had no idea Bismuth shared so many of his concerns presently. The blacksmith certainly didn't let it show as she took in the surroundings of Beach City as they traveled to a certain destination that would cure Steven's hunger.

"Quaint little place," Bismuth remarked. "Good to see humans aren't as primitive as Rose described nowadays. Back then, it was all loincloths, spears, and gathering, she would say."

"Kinda refreshing to hear a gem take notice that we've done well for ourselves over time," Steven graciously commended. "Everyone else usually comments on how far behind they are from gems, or that they're gross savages or something."

Bismuth chuckled at that. "Well, I mean, I figured it went without saying that they're far behind even what gem tech from my time could do right now. Can't imagine how many times you've heard a gem brag about that; least I can do is not add to the pile, right?"

"I appreciate it," Steven assured. "Even Peridot was complaining about our tech limitations like, literally every time we went to a new vacation spot. Only exception was when we made a stop in Tokyo. It was almost impossible to pry her away from there, actually."

"Ooh, you're gonna have to tell me all about that later," Bismuth urged. "When you're ready, that is."

Steven froze momentarily after that statement. "… oh, yeah. You guys must be wondering what all we were doing last week… and why we weren't answering anyone for the past few days."

"Like I said, you can tell us all about what when you feel ready," the gem insisted. "But most of us can tell you and Peri had a rough time; I'm sure that Gypsum character had something to do with it. We really don't know more than that, though. And this ain't no time to put either of you on the spot."

"Thanks for understanding," Steven murmured. "Well, we came out here for you, anyway. Once I get something to eat, we'll save so much fun, we're gonna forget what our problems even are!"

Bismuth smiled; slightly forced. "Naturally! So, where're we headed to?"

"We're almost there," Steven announced as he pointed out in the distance. "The Big Donut! See that building over there with the ring-shaped thing?"

Bismuth looked ahead… and sure enough, an establishment matching Steven's description stood, just a short walk away.

"I see it," she confirmed. "So what is the ring all about, anyway?"

"It's just decorative," Steven explained. "It's supposed to look like a donut; people see it and they'll think about donuts. The more they think about donuts, they'll suddenly start wanting some, and they'll start craving 'em so much, they'll put all their plans on hold just to go to this place and buy donuts."

Bismuth gave her companion a wary look. "Sounds more like a hypnotic device, if you ask me."

"We call it "advertisement" here on Earth," Steven clarified, looking a bit sheepish. "I mean, it's not literally hypnosis, but I'd be lying if I said it's nothing like that at all."

"And here I was thinkin' this planet had nothin' in common with Homeworld at all," Bismuth sighed out. "I'm guessin' propaganda's just a universal plague."

It was oddly a very dark sentiment coming from Bismuth of all people; that much was not lost on Steven.

"I promise it's not that bad here," Steven urged. "You gotta remember, humans like us need stuff like food to live. A lot of people make a living providing that, but there's lots of different kinds of food out there. Different people are good at making different types of food, but we can't exactly just buy food from every place; so we're forced to make an exclusive choice. That makes all the food providers competitors, meaning they gotta go out of their way to convince us why we should choose them. They aren't making us make that choice, though; it's up to us to decide what's the most appealing to what we want for ourselves."

"I guess the donut helps the store stand out," Bismuth admitted. "Most of these other buildings look a bit same-y…"

It relieved Steven to see Bismuth quickly getting the hang of the basics of human economics.

"Exactly; just think if you weren't the only Bismuth around right now and all the other Bismuths were trying to get us to use their weapons and everything else they craft instead of yours," Steven told her. "Wouldn't you do whatever you could to prove no Bismuth crafts better than you?"

"This Bismuth builds best!" Bismuth asserted. "Dang straight I'll show 'em all, but I just need my skill to prove that point, Steven!"

Steven nodded. "Right; we know that, but most of our healthy refugees are Era 2 gems who've never even heard of you, Bismuth."

This caused the large gem to pause. "Hm, that's true…"

"While I doubt there's a Bismuth who could match your spirit, it might take more than that to win over your customers," Steven informed her. "All it takes is a flashy decoration or a really smooth talker, and you might find those other Bismuths getting the work you should be getting, no matter how much better you are than them."

Steven blushed as he had to remember… "I mean, really, don't worry about something like that for real, Bismuth. That was just some what-if talk to help you understand why humans do stuff like this. I'm not sure how many other Bismuths we have bubbled up right now, or if we even have any healthy ones we can release anytime soon."

"I sure didn't see any," Bismuth glumly acknowledged. "But I see what you're gettin' at, Steven. I appreciate you goin' the extra mile to help me get a grasp on how these humans operate. Can you picture me tryin' to explain the decorative donut to the refugees if we never had this conversation?"

"Oh, geez, that's a good point," Steven nervously laughed out. "Good thing we're doing this tour, then! Let's head on in; I'm not gonna be a very good guide on an empty stomach."

Bismuth nodded in agreement. "We can't be havin' that; lead the way, little guy!"

Before they even entered the store proper, Steven and Bismuth were met with a very unexpected surprise right in front of the Big Donut's doors. A very familiar gem (for Steven, at least) tended to the opening/closing sign before she spun around in shock.

"I-it can't be– You are f-far too large– Yet your uncanny resemblance to–!"

"Awesome to see you again, Rhodonite," Steven confidently greeted… before his childlike enthusiasm took over as this gem's presence sank in. "H-holy crap, wait! You're actually here on Earth! Are the other Off-Colors okay?! Is, i-is Lars–?!"

"By the stars, it is you, Steven," Rhodonite quietly realized. "We've all been worried sick about you!"

The fusion was quick to open the door for her two guests. "P-please, come in!"

Bismuth glanced over to her shorter companion. "You're gonna introduce me to these new friends, right?"

"You bet!" Steven excitedly assured as he dragged Bismuth along with him into the store. "You're gonna love these guys!"

Many delighted gasps of disbelief greeted Steven as he and Bismuth made it indoors.

"Could that be Steven?! But you are so…"

"… Much bigger than you were before…"

"Yeah, it's a human thing," Steven explained as he waved to the Rutile twins. "I'm so glad you're all okay! When the heck did you make it back to Earth?!"

A short, oddly-colored Sapphire popped in, looking nothing short of excited.

"Oh! Steven! I have predicted that we will touchdown on the planet Earth in approximately… nine Earth days ago! Isn't that quaint?"

"… Very," Steven agreed after an awkward pause. "Wait, so… you're saying you've all been here since… two days before our vacation…"

Bismuth looked to Steven. "That's less than a day after we came back from Homeworld. But we were loaded down with work right after coming back; that's why we had that vacation in the first place…"

Steven nodded in agreement. "I haven't set foot in town since… Garnet's wedding, I think. Geez, I've ghosted everyone in Beach City for the better part of a month, Bismuth!"

"I can tell you're about to get down on yourself," Bismuth scolded. "And you'd best stop it before you start, Steven. You know exactly why you wouldn't let yourself go out and mingle during that week."

Steven felt a chill run down his spine; he indeed remembered why he didn't keep in touch with anyone outside of the Crystal Gems for those six days between missions: Peridot.

"If you did, you'd be comin' down on yourself for a different reason," Bismuth added. "But a much more valid one."

"You're totally right," Steven admitted. "Thanks for keeping me in line, Bismuth."

"So, are you gonna be the first to try out our new Off-Color Donuts or what?"

The oh-so familiar masculine voice shocked Steven to the core. The hybrid looked to the cashier's counter, and there he stood.

"LARS!"

Much to Bismuth's surprise, Steven dashed straight over to the other end of the store and jumped over the counter to give his pink-hued friend a long-overdue hug. And while Lars was fully prepared for a hug, he was not so prepared for the leaping glomp he ended up receiving instead. The forced knocked both young men back against the wall, but pain was secondary to what they both felt presently.

"G-Geez, Steven," Lars muttered with mild embarrassment. "I know you're making up for being so late to welcome me back, but give a heads-up next time. You've put on some weight!"

It didn't stop him from hugging Steven back in earnest, at least.

"S-sorry, I just can't believe I actually forgot about you for so long," Steven wailed. "A-and extra weight comes with the growth spurt; you know that!"

"Can't argue that," Lars conceded. "So, is this another phase, or…?"

"I've been like this for over two weeks now," Steven answered, finally relinquishing his friend from the hug. "Pretty sure it's sticking this time. Some… really major stuff happened, and if there's ever a time where I need to start growing up, it's now."

Lars tentatively nodded in agreement. "Sounds like we've got a lot to catch up on. Wanna introduce us to your new friend, first?"

Steven gasped and looked to Bismuth, looking and feeling so ashamed. "Oh, man! I'm sucking as a guide as much as I did as a babysitter! I'm real sorry–"

Bismuth just rolled her eyes and smirked. "Steven, donut make me come over there. Just power through the pity, already!"

The blacksmith's play on words helped greatly in lifting Steven's spirit. Hearing Lars laugh along with him was even more of a boon.

"R-right, right," Steven agreed as he got the giggles out of his system. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Bismuth! She's a Crystal Gem like the rest of my friends and I seriously wouldn't still be here talking to you all if it wasn't for her help."

"You cheeky little flatterer," Bismuth cooed as she waved to everyone in the store. "Nice to meet y'all! Can't wait to hear your stories. And if you ever need a weapon or some help with construction, I'm your gem!"

Steven was glad Bismuth was there to pick him up from these episodes of depression that seemed to increase in frequency within this day alone. "Bismuth, this here is Lars – one of my Beach City BFFs – and these are the Off-Colors! They were all rejected by Homeworld, but the fact that they made it here safe and sound when so many others didn't should show just how capable they really are. Rhodonite's the one who let us in, there's the Rutile twins, Padparadscha is the cute lil' Sapphire over there, and…"

There seemed to be one missing from the count. Steven looked to Lars with concern.

"Lars, where's Fluorite?"

"Fluorite?!"

Steven flinched at Bismuth's reaction. "Not that Fluorite, Bismuth. This one's another fusion, like Rhodonite."

"Fluorite's outside in the back," Lars calmly informed his friend. "She's not exactly able to fit inside in her natural size, and she can only shapeshift for so long. We'll try and fit her in once we get you two settled."

"Settled? … Oh, right! Food!" Steven grinned. "Did I hear you right before, Lars? You made donuts named after your team?"

Lars smirked and showed Steven the display of many donuts in a variety of colors, frostings, toppings, and/or fillings.

"Once we made it to Earth, we all just wanted to settle down and chill after everything that happened. Old Man Dewey's been overrun managing this store on his own since Sadie quit, so I offered to step in and do my share since I've been out for so long. The Off-Colors have helped a lot, and it's getting them adjusted to Earth life as a bonus. So I figured it was only fair to represent them in the best way I know how!"

"Through… donuts," Steven acknowledged, unable to hide his amused smile. "I'm so happy for you, Lars. And it goes without saying how glad I am you made it out okay. Some major stuff went down not too long ago…"

"Yeah; it's a good thing y'all didn't get too involved with Homeworld," Bismuth added. "Now that we know you're here, you might be a big help for the Crystal Gems. Is it too early to propose an alliance, Steven?"

Steven shook his head. "We're allies already, Bismuth. And really, I don't think any of us counted on these guys coming back this soon. But I definitely think we'll all be able to help each other. Lars, I'll take one of each kind of the Off-Color Donuts."

"That's a friggin' truckload, even for you!" Lars exclaimed. "You're totally sure about that?"

"I've barely eaten in like three days," Steven asserted. "The most I've had was a little sandwich and a glass of milk last night. I'm taking one of everything, Lars."

"Eeesh. We really do have a lot to catch up on…"

"We were truly blessed by the stars above," Rhodonite gasped out. "Homeworld, gone… the Diamonds, gone… and so many unwell gems who are doomed to stasis until a cure for their ailment is found. Yet gems like us not only escaped with our lives, but our health as well…"

"Life's weird like that," Bismuth agreed. "And it's only gonna get weirder from here."

Lars' eyes were glued to the floor as he tried to process everything. "Guess it's a good thing I got the Off-Colors integrated as Big Donut mascots, then. Looks like I'm ahead of the curve."

"Once we get this corrupted gem in Egypt taken care of, life's gonna get pretty crazy," Steven sighed out as he popped another donut in his mouth, barely chewing the pastry before he completely devoured it. "The vacation didn't really help as much as I hoped… it actually made things worse in a lot of ways. I hate dragging you back into our crazy business after what you've been through, Lars, but…"

"Say no more," the elder teen urged. "I'm just a call away, Steven. After everything we've been through, I'm glad to say I'm no longer a raging douche who's gonna turn his back on you. As nice as the peaceful life is, what good is it if my friends aren't there with me?"

"Awww!"

Steven couldn't help but hug Lars again. "I'm so happy for you, Lars! Once you find yourself a ring for Sadie that isn't a donut, you'll be all set!"

"Wait, what?" Lars sputtered out. "Oh, man. You really have been out-of-touch with everyone else…"

"Huh?" Steven was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lars scratched the back of his neck and looked up to the ceiling, trying his best to hide how awkward he felt. "I forgot, you totally missed Sadie's concert. Sorry to disappoint, but that ship has sailed."

"Lemme guess; creative differences?" Bismuth slyly teased.

"Actually, that's not too far off the mark," an impressed Lars admitted. "You an expert on this sort of thing, Bismuth? I didn't think gems really…"

"Let's just say I've got a real good intuition," the blacksmith answered confidently. "And gems are perfectly capable of getting into this "love" business; how the heck do you figure Steven came to be if they couldn't?"

Lars let out an embarrassed blush as he tried not to stutter. "Uh, riiiight… forgot about that."

"So, you're saying you and Sadie aren't tying the knot?" Steven looked so disappointed. "You guys acted like you were already married! What the heck did I miss?!"

"I think your imagination's embellishing some of that," Lars smugly remarked before straightening up to give a legitimate explanation. "Steven, I figured after all your crazy adventures that you knew this even better than me, but life tends to throw you loads of curveballs. Even stuff that seems like a sure deal, set in stone, totally inevitable… it can change just like that, and end up playing out the opposite way you expected it."

Steven thought over these words carefully. Lars actually had a solid point; much of Steven's life involved unexpected twists and turns within this year alone. The true identity of his mother and her questionable nature came to mind immediately, followed shortly by the fate of the Diamond Authority and Homeworld itself.

"Well… yeah," he uneasily admitted. "I could sum up my entire year as nothing but plot twists; things I thought were always true since I was born turned out to be lies, people changed in ways I didn't count on happening the way they did… for better or worse."

Steven smiled at Lars, which the latter returned in kind.

"And my usual way of solving problems ended up failing for the most important stuff in the end," he lamented. "I couldn't get through to the Diamonds…"

"You got through Blue," Bismuth was quick to point out. "You know she wouldn't have sacrificed herself to save us if you hadn't gotten her to see the light."

Just thinking of Blue Diamond made Steven wince as he tried his hardest not to cry.

"I guess; I just wish she didn't have to throw her life away just as she was coming around," Steven sighed out. "And Yellow and White…"

"Both impossible," Bismuth reminded him. "You said you tried to talk to Yellow and she wouldn't budge; we were racing against the clock in a major battle at that time, and you know darn well you couldn't have stopped White from finishing her off."

"I just wish I was more mature about it for what little time I had," Steven argued. "It got to where I was just annoying her on purpose without trying to really appeal to her better nature…"

Steven was going in circles, and Bismuth was determined to stop the cycle.

"Listen, Steven! You had no way to know you wouldn't have another chance to get Yellow to come around!" she declared. "It was out of your hands – all our hands. You know all of us wished we could've done stuff differently at the end of that first mission. We all thought we could've made it out together if only we did certain things a little better, but Garnet proved it all would have played out with the same result no matter who did what differently. Not just the detail of a Crystal Gem getting left behind no matter what, but how Yellow and Blue were gonna end up!"

It pained Steven to hear this, but he couldn't deny Bismuth was spot-on with her points.

"And I better not hear you even start on White Diamond," Bismuth warned him. "That one, you did literally everything you could with. She turned you down every single time without any hesitation. You know you risked our lives on more than one occasion tryin' to appeal to her, right?"

"I'm sorry…" Steven tried to distract himself with another donut. "But after losing Blue and Yellow, I just couldn't give up on her…"

"Steven, you can't change everyone's mind," Lars cut in, sighing. "There are people out there so stubborn, they won't budge for anyone for any reason. The ugly truth is that some sick minds out there really are too far gone to be saved. Take it from someone who was a stubborn jerk up till the moment he died: cut your losses, learn from your mistakes, and move on. Focus on who you can help now, instead of dwelling on the ones you couldn't for whatever reason."

That struck a major chord with Steven. He immediately recalled how much Lars wanted to change and become someone worth being saved by him. These were sentiments expressed after his revival.

Additionally, Steven was very familiar with much of what had been said to him. He'd heard it numerous times before…

Primarily from Peridot.

As much as Steven loved her, Peridot's pragmatic cynicism often clashed hard with his idealistic point of view. While he didn't deny that Peridot was justified to see things the way she did, part of Steven hoped that everyone else in his life would be more receptive to his approach.

But sadly, it turned out more people – humans and gems alike – shared Peridot's ideology than Steven anticipated.

The silver lining here was Lars' take on the matter: he did used to be a stubborn, immensely selfish and egotistical jerk. More often than not, his good moments were often tainted or overshadowed by his worst traits; he was absurdly resistant to Steven's influence for a long time.

Even if it hadn't been Steven who gave Lars this second chance at life, however, the elder boy wouldn't have been any less inclined to change his ways. All the same, he was living proof that some people would take their stubbornness to the grave.

"Well said," Bismuth commended. "In Steven's defense, I can see him not bein' able to turn the Diamonds around is makin' him worry that he won't be able to help the Homeworld refugees accept all the changes to their lives. I won't deny that's gonna be a challenge for all of us."

"We certainly sympathize with the position you've been thrown into," the left Rutile expressed.

"Even as far removed we've been from Homeworld society, this is a lot to take in even for us," the right Rutile added.

Rhodonite nodded in agreement. "Our home planet is no more, and our presumed primary reason for existing – serving the Diamonds, that is – that died with the Diamond Authority itself. We're still adjusting to Earth; I can't imagine how complicated it will be with so many gems hit with this news at once."

"But once they realize they can live their lives freely and forge their own path in life as we had, they should be much happier!" Padparadscha excitedly pointed out.

"That is the end goal," a shapeshifted Fluorite pointed out in her usual drawl. "They must learn to adapt; to cope with change. Most importantly… learn to place their trust in the Crystal Gems."

All Steven could think about in that moment was how he couldn't earn 5XF's trust. He knew full well the elder Peridot only tolerated him at best; there was a high chance that would never change. Peridot running her mouth about Sphalerite being banned from existence basically ensured that 5XF would never consider herself a friend to either of them.

He could only hope his and Peridot's failure didn't ruin 5XF's chance to befriend the other Crystal Gems.

"You all would be great motivators," Steven finally said as he tried to calm his nerves by munching on another donut. "Can you imagine that? The Off-Colors – gems Homeworld rejected and tossed aside – become the figures for other gems to look up to. You're all living proof that Homeworld gems can live on Earth and live your life without needing a Diamond telling you what to do."

"That does sound most delightful!" Padparadscha swooned. "The gems of Homeworld following the example of the ones deemed defective; it could be the ultimate gem success story!"

Bismuth smiled, clearly on board with this idea. "I think we oughta formally propose this to our fellow Crystal Gems first, but let it be known that you've got my full support on this one, Steven. We really need all the help we can get, and this here could be a real game-changer!"

"Wh-what if we mess up, though?" the perpetually-paranoid Rhodonite asked. "Even the slightest slip-up could turn them all against us; can you imagine the riot?!"

"Rhodonite, we're all worrying about messing up," Steven assured the fusion. "You're definitely not alone feeling that way; we're gonna be super careful how we play this, and we'll be there to support each other in case things go south for one of us."

"There's a very low chance we're gonna let all the gems out at once," Bismuth pointed out. "Because we need to be able to control the situation, which is gonna be harder to do the more gems we gotta look out for. But we're not retreading the Diamond Authority's M.O. – the Crystal Gems are teachers and guides, not governors. Once the refugees know the laws of the Earth and can coexist with its native life, they're free to go wherever they please and do whatever they want."

"Sounds good to me," Lars agreed. "It's not like we're gonna be living in the Big Donut 24/7, so feel free to hit us up if you need us, okay? We can schedule visits and whatever just to make sure you're all hanging in there."

Neither Steven nor Bismuth expected to come across a much-needed reprieve from the inevitable future stress when they stopped by the Big Donut. But both were immensely glad they ended up coming here; this was sorely needed good news.

"That would be so great," Steven expressed. "Thank you so much for everything, Lars. All of you."

Lars let out a sly smirk. "So, I was meaning to ask… you said something about vacationing around the world earlier with your girlfriend. You'd better have pics to share, or else I might be tempted to tell you it didn't really happen."

"OH! R-right; I kinda glossed over that part, didn't I?" Steven fumbled around his pockets, thankfully finding his phone soon enough and held it out to Lars once he found the correct collection of pictures. "Here's my proof."

Lars eagerly snagged the phone and swept his finger across the screen as he cycled through the pictures… he was very quickly confused. "Wait a sec… this isn't Connie…"

"Oh, I didn't mention Connie and I friendzoned each other?" Steven asked with a faux innocent tone. His sly smile made that painfully obvious.

"Your girlfriend is a gem?!" Lars had no idea why this surprised him so much. "N-not that there's anything wrong with that, y'know, but what the heck did I miss?! I was so sure–"

"That me and Connie were gonna get married?" Steven finished for him, still unusually smug. "Sorry, Lars. That ship has sailed."

Lars knew Steven didn't accidentally echo what he himself said earlier. "… Okay, I walked right into that one."

Steven let out an amused chuckle. "It's okay; we're still best friends. –Or I guess, more like one of my three best friends. We had a nasty little fallout right after our adventure, but we patched things up. And we just decided at that point, that… well, let's just be friends."

"I think I get it," Lars reluctantly understood. "Love messed with your friendship, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it's complicated juggling both at once," Steven admitted. "Especially with all the crazy stuff in my life. And I guess with some couples, it just doesn't work out."

"Connie said she was in her "Puppy Love" phase… or something like that," Bismuth added. "She thinks she's too young to be worrying about stuff like that as much as she was before. Now, she's all about figurin' out what she wants to be in the future. Y'know, outside of being the greatest human swordswoman of the Crystal Gems."

Lars couldn't help but shrug. "She's an ambitious one, huh? Well, I'm not one to hold her back from shooting for the stars; that'd be mega hypocritical of me. It's just tough to wrap my head around it all, you know? You both seemed like a lock for life…"

"Life throws me curveballs for breakfast," Steven boasted in jest. "And I'd say Peridot's one of the curviest balls life's ever thrown at me."

"Next time, you'd better introduce me to her," Lars told Steven as he continued to look through the vacation pictures. "I can tell she's way into you. Glad you found a keeper, Steven."

"How about you?" Steven asked. "You never did tell me why you and Sadie gave up on being a thing. You got someone else in mind?"

Lars was a bit embarrassed that he never properly explained that to Steven. Then again, the conversation got derailed pretty quickly by more important topics…

"Not too different from why you and Connie didn't work out," the teen admitted. "Love just made us both super toxic for each other. When I came back and found out Sadie's really taking off on that music career she's aiming for, it sorta hit me then and there: our lives feel like they're galaxies apart."

Steven thought that over. "Is it because I revived you, Lars?"

"The only thing you reviving me did was wake me up," Lars insisted. "You helped me see the big picture, Steven. All that time I wasted, trying to be the coolest dude in Beach City with the most babes on each arm… there's way more to life than that. You didn't do anything to sabotage the relationship, man: I should be thanking you for helping me learn to figure things out on my own. The old Lars could be seriously wrecking Sadie's career right now; the ignorant dick."

"Lars, please…" Steven winced at his friend's harsh stance on the man he once was.

However, Lars stopped Steven from saying another word. "Hey, I'm not being down on myself," he clarified. "I'm trying to express some gratitude, here! Thanks to you, Steven, you brought out the best in me! And it's important I accept that I used to suck really hard as a human being, okay? I need to remember the man I used to be; that'll keep the current me on the straight-and-narrow!"

Steven could have sworn he heard Peridot's voice speaking these very same words along with Lars.

"Sounds familiar, huh?" Bismuth playfully nudged Steven with her elbow. She too immediately thought of Peridot, as she heard this very sentiment from her several times in the majority of her video logs.

"Almost too familiar," Steven murmured back as he accepted his phone back from Lars.

Lars raised an eyebrow at the pair. "What're you talking about?"

"I'll tell you next time," Steven hastily promised. "So, no one else yet, huh?"

"I'm just now getting readjusted to Earth life again after spending like an eternity in space," Lars retorted. "Not to mention catching everybody up on what's gone on with me since I left – except Ronaldo, of course – not to mention running the store here. There's been no time for that, but don't you worry about a thing, Steven! Just because I've readjusted my priorities doesn't mean I'm not open to finding "the one" eventually. Plenty of fish out there in the sea, after all!"

"Good way to go about it," Bismuth approved with a wink. "I'll be rootin' for ya, Lars. Mighty glad I met you!"

Lars nodded, offering an honest smile. "It's been an honor; and I'm really looking forward to our groups mingling and working together to make Earth's Era 3 work out."

"We'll keep in touch," Steven promised as he tightened his grip on the bag of donuts he had not yet eaten. "Donuts were great, by the way! Please tell me those aren't limited editions…"

"Well, they were more of a prototype to see how well they'd sell," Lars admitted as he looked to the kiosk that the Rutile twins were in the middle of restocking. "If everyone else finds them as addictive as you, I'd say they'll make regular in record time."

"YAY!" Steven couldn't help but cheer. "Oh, man, I'll have to come back every day to buy out what's left. This'll totally make the Off-Colors take off as mascots."

Bismuth waved farewell to her new friends. "We'd stick around and chat some more, but Steven's gonna show off this "Funland" place to me. We weren't expectin' more than just a short pitstop."

"Eh, I kinda have to work, anyway," Lars admitted. "Old Man Dewey could show up any second now and bite my head off for chatting with the loitering customers."

"At least you're a lot happier here than you were before," Steven thoughtfully pointed out. "I'm so happy you've come as far as you have, Lars. And I'm beyond relieved you and the others made it to Earth safely. You all rest easy, now! No one's gonna hunt you down ever again."

Steven and Bismuth bid the Off-Colors farewell and sprinted out of the store; the former leading the way to Funland.

"What a way to start the day," Lars sighed out. "It was like he totally vanished on everybody… but I guess Steven's got a bigger calling in his life than any of us would've expected."

"I welcome this new era," Fluorite warmly expressed as she made her way out the door and shifted back to her much larger size. "We're about to see great things from that hybrid."

"O-oh dear!" Padparadscha exclaimed, sounding alarmed. "Speaking of seeing things, I just had a very troubling premonition, everyone!"

While this would normally be a cause for concern, Rhodonite rolled her eyes. If it was truly as bad as the Sapphire claimed, they all would have suffered already. "Must you disrupt this peaceful morning with that nonsense?"

"It's okay," Lars assured the small gem. "Go ahead and share."

"Steven will purchase a large quantity of our stock… and leave without paying!"

That made everyone's heads turn.

"Crap, did I seriously forget to ring Steven up?!" Lars rushed over to the register to find… he most certainly did.

"We would have earned so much money," Padparadscha lamented. "If only he didn't skip out on the bill…"

Rhodonite gave a stern look to Lars. "That other human coworker of yours won't be happy about this. Shall I set up a tab?"

"It's on the house," Lars decided as he made up for the difference with his own money. "Just this once. I owe him at least that much for saving my life, you know? Besides… you gotta spend money to make money."

"Thanks for everything you said back there," Steven told Bismuth as Funland came into view. "I dunno what's with me today…"

"You have been shootin' yourself down way more than you usually do," Bismuth noted. "But hey, I'm always here to pick up a friend when they're feelin' down. I'll make sure you don't break down on me when we're supposed to be havin' fun!"

It truly was more of a chore than Bismuth let on, as she not only had to keep Steven afloat, but keep herself from showing how hurt she was when certain topics were brought up. They were skimming very close to the very topics both were so on edge with each other about.

"Well, a place like this won't give us much time to mope around," an assured Steven stated. "It's all about doing stuff than talking."

"Well hey there, Steven! Good to see you still kickin'! You been off growin' in to that new body?"

Steven's eyes lit up as he saw another familiar figure he hadn't seen in ages. "Mr. Smiley! Haha, good one! I've just been really super busy, but I wanted to bring a new friend here!"

Mr. Smiley was startled, but not surprised when Steven ran up and hugged him. "H-heh, yep! You're definitely still Steven. Not bringin' in your usuals today?"

"The usuals are out on their own adventure," Steven calmly explained. "Mr. Smiley, Bismuth. Bismuth, Mr. Smiley."

"I see you live up to your name, good sir!" Bismuth commended as she shook the man's hand. "Don't you worry; I'm just as lively as Steven's squadmates!"

"Huh, just noticed no one else is actually here," Steven pointed out as he observed his surroundings. "How did business get so bad?"

Mr. Smiley narrowed his eyes but retained his smile. "Business is always like this around this time, kid. It's Monday morning and kids are still in school for a couple more weeks."

"That just means more rides for us, right?" Bismuth asked Steven.

"Good point," Steven agreed. "No lines. This is actually awesome!"

"Yeah. Workin' at a time like this… awesome stuff…"

When Steven and Bismuth curiously looked to Mr. Smiley, he quickly recomposed himself.

"I mean, yeah! No lines, ride all the rides you want! Play some games, while you're at it!"

Bismuth grinned. "I'm game! But I'll let you lead the way, Steven. All this stuff looks interesting, but you're the one who's gonna know where the hot spots are."

Steven nodded in agreement. "I won't steer you wrong. We're both definitely tall enough for everything now, right, Mr. Smiley?"

"Looks like it," Mr. Smiley observed. "Glad that growth spurt finally struck ya, son. You were overdue!"

Finally, Steven could ride everything in Funland without having to resort to subterfuge to bypass the height regulations. He hoped Peridot had at least grown enough to overcome that hurdle herself on her next visit… then again, Steven remembered even if that wasn't enough, his girlfriend could will her body to meet the set requirements. He really did regret not being able to take Peridot on the rides last time…

"Tell me about it," he agreed with Mr. Smiley after a short pause. "Okay, Bismuth! Let's have some fun!"

And so, their fun commenced.

Bismuth and Steven were thoroughly enjoying themselves as they experienced each attraction Funland had to offer without having to wait in line at all.

In a way, Steven was baffled how much more fun a place like this was when no one else was around. As someone who enjoyed the company of people, he was surprised to find he wasn't even bothered by the lack of the usual cries of joy and screams of other passengers as he and Bismuth tried out every single ride.

As long as he had at least one friend at his side, the crowd that usually filled this theme park now seemed more like an annoyance in hindsight; it came to a point where Steven wondered how he'd tolerate future visits (presumedly during normal business hours) if his fun was hampered by lines of people. It was so much faster to get around in Funland at this hour, on top of that. Steven vastly overestimated how much time it would take for him to tour Bismuth through every attraction.

Bismuth herself was having fun; she was a very easy gem to please. She naturally had a bundle of questions to ask Steven for every ride they went to and got a crash-course in multiple aspects of human culture as a result. Thankfully, the thrill and amusement provided by the rides balanced out the overwhelming knowledge the blacksmith took in. She really wondered how she managed to completely overlook this place even though she had been back for at least a month. Granted, she had been gone or busy half the time, but it was still surreal when Bismuth realized a place like this was within walking distance from the Crystal Gems' home base.

Some rides were enjoyable enough for repeat runs; of course, Bismuth's inner architect couldn't resist studying how everything was designed. She soon found herself full of ideas how to make these attractions sturdier, more attractive, and most importantly, more fun. No Homeworld construct she'd ever seen or built came even close to resembling the designs of this discount, second-rate theme park. Like Peridot, Bismuth was fascinated how Earth made up for their inferior technological advancements compared to Homeworld by introducing the element of entertainment to their work.

At the very least, it was a fantastic way for Steven and Bismuth to spend a couple of hours leaving the drama of their new lives behind them in favor of marveling at the positives of just living in the moment.

In a place like this, the duo could forget their worries and their woes in the name of fun.

Unfortunately, that went against what Bismuth and Steven wanted to accomplish in the first place with this outing. The thrills and the fun of an amusement park made them forget they badly needed to talk.

"Oooh, here we go! That's what I'm talkin' about! "Test Your Strength"? That one sounds straightforward enough!"

Steven had a feeling Bismuth wouldn't be able to resist this game. "Yeah, it's pretty self-explanatory. I just wish it was that easy to actually win."

Bismuth gave Steven a curious look. "Seriously? Nobody ever wins this one?"

"The mallet's like half my weight," Steven admitted. "Which makes it really hard for most of us to even lift it and hit the target – never mind hit It hard enough to make the marker ring the bell."

"Ah, so that's how it works," Bismuth understood. "Well, Steven, you're half-gem and a bigger man yourself since you last tried this; how 'bout you give me a demonstration?"

"Hah, we'll see about that!" a visibly exhausted Mr. Smiley boasted. "I ramped up the difficulty after your purple friend broke this thing."

Steven handed a ticket over to the man and grabbed the mallet. "It was just a matter of time before Amethyst busted it, huh? We'll be careful."

"You'd better," Mr. Smiley warned; his tone still jolly as ever despite being visibly worn down. "I'd hate to give you another lifetime ban!"

"Show that contraption who's boss, Steven!" Bismuth cheered. "Drop that hammer!"

Emboldened by his friend's encouragement and his own self-assurance of his recent developments, Steven slammed down the mallet with all his might.

However, he was quickly deflated to find the marker and the lights not even reach the halfway point. "Wow… you really did make this harder for us."

It was apparent no ordinary human would ever win at this game again.

"Let me take a crack at it," Bismuth urged as she gave Mr. Smiley a ticket. However, her eager smile dissipated as she was given the mallet. "Hm… you might wanna invest in something better than this; I could break the handle without even thinkin' about it. Is it okay if I use my own?"

Mr. Smiley didn't expect to hear a question like this, but tentatively nodded as he was given back the mallet. "If you say so."

Steven had a bad feeling about this, but he held it down. He could barely hide his concern when Bismuth's hand morphed into the shape of a much bigger mallet, however.

The familiarity of this weapon sparked some very brief flashes of certain past events.

"I'm callin' shenanigans if I can't beat this," Bismuth boasted. "Okay, game: time for your stress test!"

Needless to say, the deafening impact from Bismuth's throwdown was more than enough to ring the bell… at least before the marker was shot up with so much force that it knocked the bell off entirely. The lights lit all the way up to the top, but soon shorted out; the power behind Bismuth's downward thrust cracked the machine.

All eyes were on the soaring bell, but for Steven and Bismuth, both swore they saw something else in its place.

Or rather, someone. That poor, unfortunate White Pearl.

"You killed it! Literally and figuratively!" Mr. Smiley cried out; his choice of words only triggering his pair of customers further.

The bell fell out of sight… and a second later, a splash was heard. Bismuth's strength sent a piece of the heavily rigged game careening into the ocean.

"I-I'm really sorry, Mr. Smiley!" a panicked Steven apologized. "Please don't ban us; w-we can fix this! I'll get the bell for you!"

"Steven, I'll get the bell," Bismuth asserted. "This is my doing… it's my responsibility. You oughta stay put and see if you can't patch up that machine."

Steven's face fell at the sound of Bismuth's abruptly somber tone. Inadvertently, through his aura, he picked up on his friend's sudden, intense feeling of guilt and regret… every bit as strong as his own, and definitely not brought on by accidentally breaking a game.

However, she had a point. Steven had a chance to salvage this with his own powers… but to do that, he would have to remain here.

"I-I'll fix it as fast as I can," Steven promised. "But I'm going after you if you haven't found the bell by then."

Bismuth really didn't think that was a good idea, but she had lost the gumption to protest. She simply headed off without a word, in the direction where the bell plunged into the ocean.

Mr. Smiley didn't anticipate this to play out so dramatically; he could tell there was some legitimate tension between Steven and his friend that seemingly came out of nowhere. He could only watch in awe as Steven licked his hand and placed it over the broken base of the game… and watched the cracks mend.

Steven concentrated as hard as he could to restore this machine to its former glory; he did not want to leave Bismuth out on her own any longer than he absolutely had to.

Of course, the bell was not going to be that easy to find. Bismuth could only go so far in the water before she was forced to turn back: while she didn't need to breathe, she wasn't exactly adept in getting around underwater.

The Pearl she had to kill kept popping up in her mind, on top of that. She was never seen to shatter, but being helplessly frozen in a block of ice while falling from such a great height basically ensured her demise at the bottom.

That situation was so easy to push aside in the past; sensible, as so many other more pressing matters surrounded the Crystal Gems at the time. Only Steven truly mourned that White Pearl's loss, and him even doing that was a huge detriment to the team.

"I figured that bell fell pretty deep."

Bismuth whipped around to see a very downtrodden Steven at the shoreline. "Steven?! There's no way–"

Steven shook his head. "My spit heals stuff pretty quick nowadays. We'd better hurry, Bismuth. Tides can carry light stuff really far out."

Immediately following that, Bismuth found herself sharing a pink bubble with Steven. She helped him roll their spherical shield further underwater with nary a protest.

Shortly after they were fully submerged, both Steven and Bismuth's gemstones lit up in hopes of catching the gleam of the metal bell they sought.

"We've both been avoiding why we really came out here," Steven suddenly said, to Bismuth's shock. "But after what happened this morning, I…"

"Needed to distance yourself from reality for a little while," Bismuth finished for him. "Yep. Ain't nothin' wrong with that, Steven. But… we had to get to this point sooner or later."

Steven glumly nodded. "The sooner, the better. But… I'm not sure where to start."

Bismuth didn't expect Steven had very similar plans in mind as hers, but when she really thought about it… this made sense. Of course, they weren't quite on the same page yet.

"I'm a gem known to get along with almost anybody," Bismuth sighed out. "You're no exception, despite everything that happened before with Rose. There's really only a couple of things that would qualify as "issues" between us."

"Mom's actually sort of… related to what I wanted to talk about," Steven admitted. "What about you?"

Bismuth bring herself to look at Steven. "Sorta related, but more about what I ended up doing after everything we talked about when I came back, and everything you told me when I got my second chance."

Had it not been for the nature of their quest, Steven would have had to take a minute to think this over. However, he could see the issue plain as day now. "The Pearl on Homeworld…"

"Yeah… we never really talked much about that," Bismuth said with a sigh. "Peri said she read you the riot act to get your head back in the game, but…"

"She needed to," Steven insisted, sounding fully sure of himself. "Because I was risking Blue Diamond's sacrifice being for nothing by just standing there and freaking out over it. You know, instead of running for my life like I should've done from the start."

"But that wouldn't be like you," Bismuth pointed out. "Just like Rose, you treasure all life… even the lives that threaten our own. That's what I'd call "caring to a fault", but… it's not like I haven't thought about doing something differently back then. I'm not proud of what I did, Steven. But I do stand by it."

Steven's eyes tiredly darted around their oceanic surroundings; still no bell to be found.

"I never got the impression that you were proud of doing that," he informed his fellow gem. "I bet it was hard for you… not only doing what you did, but knowing how I've always felt about that kind of thing, just like Mom. And I had to see it happen, on top of that… I wasn't ready–"

"I know a lot of gems were made to be ready to see death happen at any time – and I guess I'm no exception – but one thing I 100% agreed with Rose on was that no one should be conditioned to see something so horrible," Bismuth cut in. "We shouldn't want to kill each other… death is not something we should just shrug off, no matter who it is or how much they had it coming."

Steven couldn't agree more, but this didn't stop him from wanting to cry. "I really can't think of what else you could've done differently that would've made us any safer getting out of there," he admitted. "I know just poofing her and nothing more was a huge risk to take. Too big a risk… we didn't learn about pallification until right after that; if we didn't get back inside fast enough, any one of us could've gotten infected."

"She also could've reformed at any time and chased us inside," Bismuth added. "We might've not had time to get Garnet, Pearl, or Amethyst all patched up and caught up on what was goin' on. It could've been just the five of us at the end, there. And I don't like thinkin' about our chances of escaping with our lives under those conditions, you know?"

"Wow. I didn't even think about that," Steven realized; his eyes widened. "Geez, Connie didn't even have a weapon…"

Bismuth was relieved Steven was taking this seriously and thinking of the exact same points she and Lapis considered earlier.

"Yep. We might've never made it off Homeworld," she told him. "I'm not wantin' to say it's just because you insisted on givin' that Pearl mercy, but…"

Steven closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I get it. Like you said at the Big Donut, I literally did risk your lives because I wanted to believe White Diamond could really change. Believe me, Peridot and Connie both got on my case about that. I can't say they're wrong, but…"

"Don't let us get you all jaded," Bismuth advised. "You need to be able to trust your intuition; sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong. But if you doubt yourself all the time, you're always gonna be wrong."

"That's a good point," Steven commended, managing to smile a little. "I really didn't expect you to be hard on yourself over this still."

Bismuth gave Steven a hard look. "Steven, didn't you ever wonder why Peri led the charge in the first place? Was she really the one that first came to your mind when you thought who you'd see up front-and-center when you got saved?"

Steven was surprised how he barely gave this detail any thought… "Huh. That's a good point. You're the experienced Crystal Gem out of who we had left. You were kinda in charge when you first met up with me and Connie…"

"Peridot named me second-in-command," Bismuth confirmed. "And you saw how she was…"

"Huh, I think even she wasn't expecting to lead you guys," Steven realized. "I just remembered she talked to me about everything you all did to set this rescue mission up while I was healing her. And I could tell she was trying to hide it, but Peri was really insecure… she really didn't think I could seriously see her as a leader. She didn't expect me to say yes."

"She really did improve after you healed her up," Bismuth warmly expressed. "Peri was not kiddin' about that "center of gravity" thing. She was all over the place, but you gave her the confidence she needed to reach her full potential. And even now, she's clearly got a lot to learn… but as long as you're not too far away, Peridot oughta be just fine."

Of course, Steven couldn't help but blush. "Aw… thanks, Bismuth. I mean, I kinda expected her to have a big role in our rescue. Not just because she'd never pass up looking that good to us, but she's the only one who could really guide us through Homeworld since it's changed so much since the rest of you were there."

"True, that was probably the biggest reason why we assigned her to the top," Bismuth admitted. "But I had another reason… less about why Peri should lead, but why I shouldn't."

Steven paused as he heard his fellow gem's tone grow darker towards the end. "Is it… because of Mom?"

Bismuth shook her head. "As much as I wish we didn't have to kill White's Pearl, it's pretty amazing how she was the only casualty by our own hands. I can't shake this feeling, Steven… if I led the rescue mission, there would've been way more casualties."

"… You really think it would've played out that way?" Steven felt his innards tremble at her words.

"If we did things my way, it's just common sense it would," Bismuth told him. "I don't do stealth or subterfuge, Steven. In my time, Homeworld already knew where we were; where we lived. The element of surprise was almost never on our side. Fighting back to defend ourselves… that's all we could do. So that's really the only I way I've ever known to fight Homeworld… even though that approach probably would've gotten us killed before we even reached Homeworld's orbit."

It saddened Steven to hear this, but it felt like he understood Bismuth better now. He knew these were details he needed to be aware of; how life really was for his mother and her followers.

"It made me think… if I really rescued you all like that; shatterin' every gem in my path… you might actually think Rose was right to sweep me under the rug like that. And the second we got home, I'd go right back to being stuck in bubble-stasis in Lion's mane… where I belonged."

Steven immediately went over to hug Bismuth tightly. "I'm so sorry; I should've never, ever said you were just like the Diamonds!"

Bismuth was startled, but gently hugged the boy back. "Wha… what brought this on, now?"

"I was awful that day!" Steven cried out, no longer able to hold in his tears. "I-I guess we both were, but I started it by saying something like that! I just ignored what your life must've been like, having to fight all the time for survival… I was trying to make you think that you were no better than the Diamonds just for defending yourself and your friends, which is no different from what I'm doing!"

The blacksmith was compelled to pat the boy's head in hopes of calming him down. "So, that's what got you down… 5XF saying that to Peri made you remember that time, huh?"

Steven shook his head. "It was a refresher, I guess, but that was nothing compared to what Dot said…"

"Huh? But she didn't say anything about it…" Bismuth was understandably confused.

"N-no; this was during our vacation," Steven sobbed out. "It's… oh, geez, I can't even explain this to you in a way that's gonna make any sense!"

"But you're gonna try, because we're gonna talk this out here and now," Bismuth asserted. "Just give me some bare-bones details and I'll fill in the blanks later. I wanna know what Peri said about you and me."

Steven eventually calmed down; he had to give credit to Bismuth later for being so patient and understanding with him.

"O-okay… I'll try. It's just… really complicated, because it was technically Peridot who said it to me, but sort of… not."

Bismuth raised a brow at that statement. "Oh, boy. This oughta be fun."

"5XF got internally corrupted by Gypsum," Steven started after taking a deep breath. "Me and Peri; we got ambushed. We got knocked out… and when we woke up, we were… split into two identical people. One represented all our best traits…"

"And I suppose the other was the worst of you personified," Bismuth postulated. "Light against the darkness, right?"

Steven was impressed how easily and quickly Bismuth grasped the concept. "Y-yeah, exactly! And one can't live without the other, so none of us could afford to die. But… Peri and me already accepted the worst parts of ourselves. So what ended up happening instead was… we got separated in different dimensions. I had to fight Dot's dark side, and she had to fight mine. There was no way we were able to contact or help each other… and the idea was that only one of us was gonna get out of that mess alive."

Now… Bismuth was mildly horrified. "Stars almighty… this happened on your vacation?!"

"Well, we ended up finding a loophole that saved us both," Steven tiredly explained. "But I'd rather hold back on talking about the whole thing… it was hard enough to live through and it's still giving me nightmares."

Bismuth quickly nodded. "Right; this is really something you should get into when the whole team's together…"

"Let's just talk about the part where Dark Dot mentioned you," Steven sighed. "She actually spent most of the time talking to me instead of fighting… but that was just to get me to let my guard down. Where she really got me was, er… I guess at some point you talked to her about that conversation we had before I poofed you."

"Hm… yeah, that was probably one of our first real conversations one-on-one," Bismuth recalled, now feeling awkward about it in hindsight. "This was before the wedding happened, but after everyone calmed down since no one was gonna introduce me to her after all that. You'll probably know where this is going already once I tell you how we told each other about how we joined up…"

It didn't take long for Steven to piece this together. "Oh… right. You both ended up with us after trying to kill me." He couldn't help but let out a sigh of resignation. "Well, at least that was just a one-time deal with you, and Dark Dot helped me see it was least understandable in your case. Full-Dot's a repeat offender; she had her reasons, too, but it took months to get her to knock that off."

Bismuth couldn't help but find that slightly humorous. "She is a stubborn gem; can't imagine what a handful she was as an enemy."

"I'm just glad we never really had to deal with Peridot at her worst," Steven admitted, visibly fearful of the prospect. "That's another story, but I think you already got an idea on the first Homeworld mission that she started out being a really twisted gem…"

It just hit Bismuth then as she recalled how eerie and unsettling Peridot was after poofing Yellow Pearl and her entire workstation: poor Steven was talking at length with that kind of Peridot. The same one who teased shattering her helpless coworkers, who was far too proud of her own sadistic tactics, and didn't hesitate lashing out at those who cared for her.

"Oh… stars, Steven, that's the kind of Peri you had to deal with…"

"You know what was really messed up about that whole exchange?" Steven rhetorically asked her. "I got to see through memories just how convincing Peri used to be as a liar. She can't do it to save her life now, but she was really good at it as the gem she used to be. But… Dark Dot, as much as she and I talked… she didn't lie once that entire time. She was completely honest with me at every turn."

Bismuth couldn't help but find that odd. "That… doesn't fit well with a Peri that's supposed to be nothin' but the bad stuff. Wouldn't a real bad version of her do nothin' but lie?"

"The truth can hurt," Steven realized. "Sometimes we need blunt honesty, but other times people can use it just to be mean and rub people's weaknesses in their faces. And lies… are almost always a bad thing, but I guess there's an argument to be had for white lies."

"Is there?" a cynical Bismuth inquired. "A lie is a lie, Steven."

"Right, but sometimes the truth isn't always the right way to go with certain people," Steven argued. "People can be really sensitive. Maybe someone you're close to shows off a new outfit, or they make something for you that they poured all their heart into and it's just… well, not for you. Maybe it's awful, maybe you're not seeing what they're seeing. Point is, being too liberal with the truth can hurt people without helping them at all."

Bismuth still wasn't fully sold. "But lying can actually benefit others?"

"Think about someone who's about to die, and in their last moments they think they're seeing their loved ones, or their home when they're really not," Steven urged. "You really wanna shatter that image by telling them they're just seeing things and they're dying alone?"

The mood got dark very quickly this time.

"Guess there's no sense in doing that," Bismuth conceded, though she was clearly concerned with Steven and his own mindset. "If you're gonna die, best you do it with a smile, huh?"

Steven nodded in agreement. "Sometimes there's just things people are better off not knowing, too. And sometimes to protect them from the truth, you gotta lie. I think that's what Mom meant to do every time she lied… but you're living proof that even good intentions can really hurt people; sometimes even more than just being a jerk."

Bismuth couldn't help but wince at that; she had been stranded and alone, trapped in an elaborate prison for thousands of years… all because Rose Quartz lied to the Crystal Gems of what really happened between them. She wanted to shield them from the ugly truth, but she did so at Bismuth's expense.

"Point is, the truth isn't exclusively good or evil," Steven concluded. "And if that's the case, so is lying. Dark Dot was smart, too. She knew it would've been a waste of time to even lie to me, Bismuth: she knew I had the ability to see through her words by reading how she felt. She pretty much didn't have a choice but to be honest with me if she wanted to get out of that situation alive."

"I vaguely remember Peri saying she was disappointed in how you acted when I told her about our conflict," Bismuth recalled. "She was fully siding with me over Rose in the video she made to me, but… she had way more contempt for Rose's conduct than she ever had for yours, Steven."

Steven felt his whole body slump in that moment; thankfully, Bismuth kept him grounded.

"No, Dark Dot proved she really didn't like the way I handled things with you the first time," he realized. "It was like… like… a verbal apocalypse or something! She rubbed it in hard that I had the nerve to say you were just like a genocidal tyrant like the Diamonds, just because you didn't agree with how I saw things! I-I was still stubborn and stupid enough to think love and peace would solve everything, and I demonized you for being realistic! For being logical! That's why Peridot felt so strongly about this whole thing, Bismuth! You share the same beliefs, and you're not wrong for feeling the way you do! But it's like…"

"She could see herself in my position," Bismuth sadly finished for him. "Peri told me as much in the video, Steven. I just didn't think she'd take it so personally; she really had nothing to do with our conflict…"

Steven shook his head. "You're her friend now, though. She feels for you; I think she wants to make sure something like that never happens to you again. As much as me and Peri love each other, Bismuth, we still don't agree on a lot of stuff. And all the love in the world isn't enough to erase how she really felt about that situation."

"What are you implying?" Bismuth inquired, though she had a feeling she wasn't going to like his answer…

"The last thing Dark Dot said…" Steven himself felt sick to even recount it, but… "She said she didn't blame you for a single thing you did. Because she believed I deserved to die for everything I said to you."

This was far worse than what the blacksmith expected to hear. "Peridot seriously thought you should've been killed back then?!"

"Like I said at the start, it's not really all of Peridot that feels that way," Steven asserted through his tears. "I mean, it wouldn't make sense when she loves me as much as she does… and how she's so determined to protect me. But there's always going to be a tiny little part of her that's gonna despise me for how I first treated you, Bismuth. The part of her that wished I died back then… it's microscopic, and it's all contained inside the gem she used to be, who hated everything about me. But Peri isn't defined by her anymore – her past self still exists, but it's there as a reminder. It's what drives her to keep bettering herself, you know?"

"Just like the rest of us…" Bismuth knew looking back on her worst moments often compelled her to keep moving past them as best she could. "So, Peri doesn't really feel that way about you… you two talked about all this after it was over, right?"

Fresh tears spilled from Steven's eyes. "No, we haven't! We haven't even had the chance, because–"

He managed to stop himself from saying more.

"Because of stuff you'll tell us about when you're ready," Bismuth understood, patting the fluffy curls on Steven's head. "So, this is what got you all tore up with me. Please don't tell me you agree with the part of Peri that said you deserved to die."

"N-no," Steven whined through his sniffling. "B-but it made me think… you know… I really didn't do enough to make this up to you, Bismuth. We talk about it like it was just any old argument, but it really wasn't! And however bad it was for you to attack me and still treat me like I'm Mom like pretty much everyone else does already, it was just as bad for me to be so judgmental of you! I disrespected you and everything you worked for and made it sound like it meant nothing… even though I have no clue what it was like for you all when you were fighting Homeworld here on Earth, and I'll really never understand or appreciate you like I should."

Bismuth managed to smile; it was heartwarming to hear Steven finally admit this to her face, however much it hurt him to do so.

"Well, to be fair, you're the change I'm still havin' the hardest time adjustin' to," she gently admitted. "And because of that, when I think about what you'd say to me, what you think about me… and how you'd react around me, all that comes to mind even now is the stuff Rose would say; what she'd think, and what she'd do. Because much as I loved her, Steven, I know now she's not the messiah we all made her out to be. Rose did some bad things, whether she meant well or not. And I know firsthand she can dish out some really twisted, disproportionate justice…"

"Bismuth, I swear on Mom's diamond that I'm never gonna do you the way she did," Steven solemnly promised. "Not for any reason – that's a fate worse than death. And I know you better now… at least I'm hoping I do; any conflict we come across in the future, we'll deal with it and we're gonna remember what not to do."

That was a much-needed lifted weight from Bismuth's shoulders. "I needed to hear that, Steven. Thank you."

"I'm not sure how to help you get your mind off Mom when it comes to me," Steven admitted. "I mean, I can't blame you any more than I can blame any other gem who's got the exact same problem… and I'm sure it's impossible to just totally forget about her."

Bismuth nodded in agreement, letting out a chuckle. "You just keep bein' you, Steven," she urged. "As much as you've got in common with Rose, I'm glad to see you've inherited the best of her. And there's plenty about you that makes you distinct from her in the best ways possible, Steven. It's only been a month since I've been back in the game, so maybe we just gotta give ourselves some more time to adjust."

Steven offered a nervous smile in return. "I keep forgetting that it's not just me and Mom that you've gotta get used to…"

"Y'know, that's another reason why I let Peri take the reigns when we took off for Homeworld," Bismuth told him. "It's still hard comin' around every day and not seein' Snowflake, Biggs, Tiger's Eye and so many others I used to greet every morning. You've never really met 'em, but they're still family to me just as much as Pearl and Garnet are. And even though I still have those two, it's hard to shake off how I remember them actin' and lookin' like back in my day. But they've been living with all this loss and devastation for thousands of years that I just learned about…"

"They've hardly changed at all since I've known them," Steven responded. "Most gems I've seen never really change except for Peridot… but I guess after that much time and losing Mom, they would be different from how you last saw 'em. Is there anything I can do to help you out with that?"

Bismuth gave the boy another much-needed hug. "Naw; I just need to spend some more time with 'em, that's all. Time like that's hard to come by these days. I just wanted to let you know nostalgia can really mess with your head, Steven. It's why I felt like it was gonna be a huge risk in more ways than one havin' me make all the decisions. If I'm still afraid you're gonna say and do the things Rose would, that's a sign screamin' at me to get this mess sorted out before I can take on any kind of responsibility."

Steven finally felt calm; his tears were dried, and he could tell with his aura reading that they were both finally at peace, having let out everything they needed with each other.

"It feels like we both reached our goal today," he serenely expressed. "This got a lot heavier than I planned, but… maybe it needed to be."

"We're still gonna keep each other in check," Bismuth assured him. "But at least now we understand each other a lot better than we did before. We can't very well manage Earth's Era 3 if there's no trust between us!"

"I'm glad Garnet gave us extra time to settle in," Steven sighed out. "There's a lot of pressure around what we gotta do, and–"

Just then, the light of his gemstone caught the glint of something metallic. "Oh, geez! I think I see the bell!"

"Oh, you're just now seein' it?" Bismuth teased.

Steven turned to Bismuth, raising a brow. "Wait… you already knew it was here. How long have you known that, Bismuth?!"

"Around the time you figured out we really needed to talk," Bismuth casually explained as they rolled their pink bubble over toward the sunken bell. "I figured that was a little more important, y'know?"

Steven let out an exasperated sigh as he reached out, bubbled the bell, then merged the bubbles to bring the bell into his hands. "Well… guess I can't argue with you there. At least it's still in one piece."

"That's a shoddy piece of work, I gotta admit," Bismuth told him. "I could make a bell a million times better than that; heck, I could make a better-lookin' contraption for that game without breakin' a sweat! Pearl or Peri would have to do the electronic stuff, though."

"Well, one of the two can just make that happen through willpower now," Steven realized. "It would be a nice gesture after all the trouble we caused for Mr. Smiley…"

Just then, Bismuth looked very determined with a new goal in mind.

"Steven, let's hurry back up to the surface," she suggested. "I have a proposition or two for that smilin' man. They've been simmerin' in the back of my mind for hours!"

He had to admit, it was inspiring to see Bismuth this driven. Steven had a vague idea where this was going and offered his friend a reassuring smile.

"If it's gonna save me from another lifetime ban, I'm all for it. Let's go!"

"So… hold on. You seriously expect me to believe you'd maintain this place, make improvements, and not expect any kinda compensation?! You think I was born yesterday, honey?"

"Listen, if you're gonna insist on payin' me, give it to Steven," Bismuth insisted. "And I won't have much interest in working my magic on this place if he ain't allowed to enjoy it, so you'd best make him immune to any future lifetime bans from now on!"

Steven grinned and shrugged at the still-cynical Mr. Smiley. "H-hey, this was all her idea, but I really think you should let Bismuth work on this place. This kinda stuff is what she was made for, and no one could just make up a list that huge of all those structural flaws she pointed out."

"Look, I'll admit you're not bluffin' on her skill; that new strength-tester is tight," Mr. Smiley told him. "But understand it makes sense that I'm not just gonna go along with this just because it sounds good!"

"You would be a stupid idiot to pass up on a steal like this, sir. Bismuth just pointed out all the various ways this amusement park could injure or kill your human customers if you simply ignore the many ways your attractions could give out at any moment. She is offering to install preventative measures, asking for nothing in return, and you will lose nothing in this deal. Unless you desire an inevitable lawsuit that will shatter your reputation and your means of living, I suggest you stop asking questions and accept our offer."

Mr. Smiley stared at the green technician applying the finishing touches on the new machine. "Uh… haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

Peridot smirked back at the man. "Didn't I just tell you to stop asking questions?"

"Hmph… well, if I've got nothin' to lose…" Mr. Smiley rolled his eyes before shaking Bismuth's hand. "Fine, fine! You got yourself a deal, Bismithy!"

"Nice nickname! And thank you kindly, Sir Smiley!" Bismuth said through her laughs. "Trust me, you won't regret this Bismuth decision anytime soon!"

Both Steven and Peridot shared a snort at the shameless wordplay.

"Thanks for stopping by to rig up the electronic stuff, Dot," Steven told his girlfriend. "I'm sorry for interrupting your thing with Amethyst."

"Trust me; you made the right decision doing this instead of coming with us," Peridot assured. "You'd be bored to tears by now. But I'd still choose the tedious birthday-calculating any day over whatever in stars' name Pearl is waiting to unleash on me at home."

"Peridot, are you sure you didn't do anything to bring that on?" Steven asked her, now much more serious. He knew their rivalry in mechanics would always breed animosity between the two in some form.

Of course, shamelessly dating the boy she helped raise as her own would add a layer to said animosity.

"You'd be able to tell if was lying, anyway," Peridot flatly pointed out. "But I seriously don't recall deliberately doing anything that would have set Pearl off. It's not like I had much time to do anything other than be with you since we got back…"

Blushing, she quickly added, "N-not that I'm saying that's a bad thing; far from it. But you should know there's nothing I could have done intentionally. I'm sure she just found another reason to despise me, that's all."

Steven picked up on the nagging doubt in Peridot's tone, but it wasn't because she lied; she had to still be worrying about why she couldn't remember much of anything after a certain point last night.

After all, that continued to linger in Steven's mind as well.

"You're a lifesaver, my Tiny superior!" Bismuth praised her small friend, who of course glowed to receive this. "I knew you'd set these lights and digital doohickeys up without even thinkin' about it. And you sure did a better job laying that design out than whatever schmuck designed the old one!"

"This theme park badly needs an overhaul," Peridot agreed. "Steven took me to a few of the most famous ones in the world, and ohmystars, they are galaxies ahead of these pitiful knock-offs. And I could still do a better job than those professional-grade rides! And so could you, Bismuth!"

Bismuth triumphantly pumped her fist into the air. "That's what I wanna hear! Share some notes with me when you got the time, Peri! We're gonna make Beach City have some world-class rides! That oughta win over at least a few refugees, right?"

Peridot smirked at the idea as she stood up, having finished her task. "We'd at least find out which ones are soulless problem gems if any aren't won over. I'll share some reference photos when we return home for the day, Bismuth. But I do believe I'm finished here, so I'd best return to the Prime Kindergarten and make sure Amethyst hasn't snapped and broken my machine out of sheer boredom."

"Has it really been that tedious just getting her birthday figured out?" Steven asked, perplexed that a seemingly simple task would be so daunting.

"Let's just say I have a very healthy contempt for the Gregorian calendar you humans insist on using," Peridot smugly told the boy as she started to pass him by… only to suddenly embrace him and indulge in a kiss.

Bismuth smiled knowingly at the sight while Mr. Smiley wasn't sure what he saw was real. "Dang! Since when did Steven get game?!"

"Oh, hush," Bismuth teased the man. "They've been apart for a good few hours until now, and both of 'em thrive on affection. Didn't you ever have feelings like this?"

"Way too long ago–I mean, none of your dang business, woman!" Mr. Smiley was visibly flustered as Bismuth warmly chuckled back at him.

The loving couple reluctantly parted; both relieved and at ease in each other's presence despite the tensions from earlier in the day.

At least, one of them felt at ease until they suddenly felt a little peculiar.

Steven, lovingly glued to Peridot's eyes, seemed to notice an unusual, sparkling gleam in her right eye. Of course, thanks to her shades, it was very nuanced. However, she was also faced away from Funland at the time Steven took notice to this.

"Peri…?"

Peridot's loving glance easily faded into immediate concern. "Every time you look at me like that, there's an issue. What is it?"

"I…" Steven hesitated, as the last thing he wanted to do was needlessly worry his girlfriend. However, he powered through it, cringing as he pointed to his own eye. "Thought I saw something glow in your eye just now. Are you feeling okay?"

Peridot let out a tired sigh. "Your own eyes refract the light caught from the décor of the theme park, you clod. That's obviously why you saw a shine in my eye."

Steven wasn't sure about this answer. "But it was just the one eye…"

"The way my head is angled, cradled in your loving hands, would only allow my right eye to catch the light," Peridot calmly told him. "Have you anything else to refute my logic-fueled explanations?"

Now, Steven frowned. He had some evidence now; not the kind Peridot would expect. "Why are you lying to me, Dot?"

Peridot backed away, looking hurt. "What?! I-I'm not lying to you, Steven!"

"… Uh…" Steven was stunned by these words.

According to how he read her aura… Peridot didn't lie in her last statement. But she clearly lied in her last couple of lines.

"What, you don't believe me?" Peridot looked legitimately clueless. "What do I have to gain from lying to you at this juncture?!"

Absolutely nothing, Steven realized…

"S-sorry; I guess I'm still paranoid about what we found out this morning," Steven apologized. "I didn't mean to get you upset. I can tell you're telling the truth now."

"I suppose even your senses are prone to false positives now and then," Peridot sighed. "Our mental clarity is still obscured by the unknown; that much is obvious to you as it is to me. But the last thing we should ever do is start doubting each other's integrity, Steven…"

Still no lies to be found, and Peridot had a point, on top of that.

"I guess we still need a little more time apart before we can tackle this," Steven conceded. "That's fine, though. We're just starting to catch up with everybody."

He couldn't help but cup Peridot's cheek and bring her in for another kiss. Thankfully, he hadn't upset his beloved gem to the point where she would reject this method of making up. Joining together like this helped them both calm their nerves and reassure their nagging doubts that no matter what was behind their current plight, they would make it through the other end together, hand-in-hand.

After managing to pull out of a rigged deathmatch with each other with their very souls split apart, Steven and Peridot respectively felt embarrassed in hindsight that a brief instance of memory loss and odd circumstances would have them this shaken up. Even a worst-case scenario would pale to the situation where the only way to win with no one dying was to risk killing yourself and praying your opponent would spare some mercy to save you.

"I'd rather pass on catching up with Pearl, but I know it's going to happen sooner rather than later," Peridot lamented. "Ugh, and at some point today I have to have that talk with Lapis… are you sure doing this is going to make us mentally and emotionally prepared for what we're putting off?"

"It has to," Steven told her. "At least talking with Lapis will set you both free and put the past to rest–"

"Until a cure for corruption is found and Jasper is next on the list to be purified," Peridot sternly interjected. "At which point, I'll likely have made peace with my past issues with her, but Lapis… she'll probably hate us for the rest of her life for even entertaining the notion."

"It's gonna be up to you to make sure that's not how it plays out, Peridot. I mean, I don't wanna add on the pressure, but–"

"You already did," Peridot interrupted again. "If you want to make amends, you must kiss me again."

Despite saying that, she was the one who initiated the kiss this time. However, Steven was quick to reciprocate and match her dominance.

It was apparent at this stage the two would be a very clingy, very expressive couple. With every kiss, they became more and more reluctant to go their separate ways again, even for just a little while. Their affection was like a barrier, shielding the pair from the hardest, most vile parts of their lives. Steven found himself getting increasingly better in holding his breath as time went on, as he pushed his limits further and further just to be able to indulge in their tender kisses for a moment longer. Not just for his own indulgence, but for his girlfriend's sake. He knew she must have immense, stored amounts of patience to tolerate her boyfriend's air-related limitations that constantly impeded their experiences every time their lips locked together.

Said lips parted right on cue, as Steven was in dire need of oxygen. Though he had to admit, the lightheadedness he would get from Peridot pushing his limits was enrapturing in its own bizarre way.

"We shall resume our passion-driven ritual the next time we cross paths," Peridot slyly assured. "Preferably without witnesses. Shine on, my true love."

With that, the technician vanished, willing herself back to her previous location with Amethyst.

Steven stood in place for a moment before he was no longer overwhelmed by the daze of passion.

Now, oddly enough, he was worried again.

"You alright over there, Steven?" Bismuth called out; she and Mr. Smiley having greatly distanced themselves from the couple in order to give them space. Consequently, she was not in earshot of anything they talked about. "Miss her already?"

Steven glanced at Bismuth from his right side, then smiled back at her and waved. "Hah, am I that obvious?"

"Blunt as a mallet to the strength-tester," Bismuth shot back. "You wanna join us and give me some feedback on these ideas I got?"

Steven looked around hastily before nodding back to his friend. "Y-yeah, sure thing! Just a second, though! I wanna check something in the house of mirrors real quick!"

It seemed like a random request, but Bismuth simply shrugged and let Steven go on his way.

"Weird place to take care of business," Mr. Smiley remarked. "–Wait, the heck am I saying?! That'd better not be what he's doing!"

"Do I wanna know what you're even yammerin' about?" Bismuth inquired, giving the man a hard look.

"No, you do not!" Mr. Smiley proudly proclaimed. "But if that is what he's doin' in there, you'll find out soon enough when you clean up after him!"

"... I think I'll opt for believing Steven can hold it in a little while longer, thank you."

"H-haah… yeah, sure. Believe that."

Meanwhile, Steven was quick to go inside the mirror house. As soon as he found a mirror where he could inspect his face with minimal warping gimmicks obscuring his view, Steven fell back as a flash of pink nearly blinded him.

With squinted eyes, he crawled over to get a closer look, and thankfully wasn't blinded when he looked into the mirror again.

There, he saw exactly what he feared: his left eye no longer matching the brown of his right, but instead the bright pink color of his mother's. Also, the color he beared as Pink Diamond 2.0. Coincidentally, the same color as Iridescent Diamond's left eye as well.

"No, no… please tell me it's not you… that shouldn't even be possible!"

Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence after all. The pink eventually faded back to brown, but Steven frowned at this… as it only solidified his suspicions.

"But there's no other way Peri could lie, and then not lie at the same time… is there?"

[ NEXT PHASE: Peridot & Amethyst – OR – Lapis & 5XF ]

Chapter Text

While Steven spent his morning showing off a couple of Beach City's most notable landmarks to Bismuth, Peridot had familiar company in Amethyst as they closed in on the hole the latter emerged from in Earth's Prime Kindergarten.

Though she missed Steven already, Peridot did feel it was important to not completely neglect her friends. Amethyst was her closest, and they hadn't so much as texted each other in several days. There was much they needed to catch up on.

"That's the thing that's gonna figure out what my birthday is, huh?" Amethyst asked as she glanced over to see Peridot tinkering with a small machine that looked suspiciously similar to a barcode scanner from a retail store. "Uh, random thought: can't you just, like, will the answer right outta the cliff?"

The quartz didn't want to bring it up, but after so much time apart, it was now awkward again for her to actually be shorter than the technician. Not that Peridot towered over Amethyst now or anything, but she had grown just enough to make the size difference noticeable.

"Unfortunately, my willpower is rather reliant on what I know already," Peridot casually responded, though her eyes never left the device. "And since I'm not Steven, I can't exactly bring this place to life and ask it what day you emerged. Besides, if it was that easy, this wouldn't be much of an outing, would it?"

"Oh, sorry. I kinda assumed this would take like a minute and then we'd spend the rest of the time just doin' whatever," Amethyst admitted. "You know, the usual kinda outing."

Peridot looked to Amethyst and smiled. "Honestly, Amethyst, I am more than content to procrastinate and drag this out as long as possible. I am not looking forward to returning home anytime soon…"

She blinked right after saying that. "Huh, it feels sad to actually say that when I just got back from a vacation…"

"You'd better be sharing some of the 'deets on that, by the way," Amethyst urged, unable to contain her eagerness.

She recoiled a bit when Peridot's smile faded away, leaving a narrow-eyed dead stare.

"L-look, I'm not gonna pry everything outta you, Peri," Amethyst hastily assured. "If you really wanna keep it to yourself, that much I totally understand. But you and me are squad buds, y'know? I should have Early Access to your sensitive info!"

Though doubtful, Peridot at least wanted to humor her friend a bit. In a way, it might not be too bad an idea to let out some of her stress and frustration on her best friend before she would be expected to address the entire team.

"Normally, that's true," the technician agreed. "And I suppose it wouldn't be a terrible idea to vent some of my stress out on you if you're okay with that sort of thing…"

"Lay it on thick," the cocky Amethyst dared. "Quartzes can handle a little pressure."

Peridot sighed. This was going to be a long day… "Earth's Era 3 hasn't even started yet, but already it's affecting my life in a most unpleasant way. Though I suppose taking on a more authoritative role in the Crystal Gems is the more prevalent issue here…"

"Oh, right! Garnet told me you were co-leadin' with her from here on out," Amethyst recalled. "Congrats on the perma-promotion."

"Ah… thank you." Peridot shyly smiled at the sentiment; even now, her new role felt so surreal. "Unfortunately, I need to start getting into the habit of actually… well, being responsible. Which means I need to alter my way of thinking, because there are conversational topics I normally would share with you here without any hesitation… but there are potential ramifications I must consider now."

Amethyst couldn't help but feel curious about that. "So, you gotta train yourself to be more of a stiff, huh?"

"Hopefully not on par with Garnet," Peridot muttered. "I learned a long time ago that emulating her is not the same as leading, so I do want to make myself distinct. That being said, I still need to be realistic…"

"Got any examples?" the shorter gem asked. "Like, tell me something you'd like to spill with me but can't. You gotta have something in mind there, Per."

"Well, normally I'd be more than happy to tell you in elaborate detail why 5XF is the worst," Peridot grumbled. "But I really can't…"

"Yeah, I could definitely tell you've got some major issues with your sis," Amethyst murmured. "Why hold back, though?"

Peridot opted to focus on her device again in hopes of calming her nerves. "I presume you've not had an opportunity to really get to know her yet. Am I correct?"

"Guess that's true," the quartz affirmed. "We exchanged a line or two, but she was pretty off-putting…"

The device was not nearly calming enough. Peridot had to set it aside as her arms started to reflexively shake.

"Then I can't complain about her to you," she told Amethyst in a very tired, resigned tone. "You need to get to know her on your own time without my bias influencing your perception of her. I'll end up conditioning you to already not like her before you two even properly meet, and that's… exactly what we need to avoid with the refugees. Everyone's supposed to get a fresh start here on Earth; they all deserve an equal chance to make their own first impression, be it good or bad."

"Well, thanks to the little blow-up between you two, I've kinda got an idea what might be going on with her already," Amethyst mused. She was unsettled seeing Peridot visibly upset over this. "But, uh… you know, we can save that for later. You need to concentrate and junk to get my birthday figured out, right?"

"–Right, of course," Peridot quickly agreed, while doing a poor job suppressing the shakiness of her voice. "While I don't have to worry about any of that math conversion nonsense, your case has some extra annoyance factors of its own that will make this a bit of a chore to approximate."

Complaining about the work she'd have to put into figuring out Amethyst's birthday did a much better job calming the technician down.

"Oh, do tell," Amethyst slyly requested. "Just how much work do you gotta put in?"

Peridot could tell Amethyst was enjoying her imminent pain… but that was par for the course.

"Well, let's just say this would be a fairly transient process if I had an actual record of your emergence from this kindergarten," she dryly retorted. "And given the circumstances of the world around the time you emerged, I highly doubt one even exists. As a certified kindergartener, I've had access to my own record long enough to memorize every detail. Consequently, I could calculate my own birthday without having to examine my hole at all."

"Ah, so that's the difference-maker, huh? Yeah, there totally wouldn't be a record for me." Amethyst seemed to take that in stride, of course. "I came out after Homeworld corrupted most of the gems on Earth, so no one would've been operating any kindergartens. But hey, at least you don't have to mess with math for the better part of a year to do any screwy time conversion crap."

"No, but there is another aspect of time that makes your case tedious in its own right," Peridot countered. "But the first thing I need to do is approximate how many years ago you emerged; I highly doubt it's an even five-thousand. And to do that, I need to investigate this exit hole."

She did not look the least bit eager to do that, and Amethyst could see why. The purple gem couldn't help but audibly snort when she pieced it together.

"Heh, of all the times to have your little growth spurt! You even gonna be able to see what's what after you get all your hair stuffed inside, P-Dot?"

"Thank you for reminding me why this is going to royally suck, Amethyst," Peridot said through clenched teeth. "Best to get this over with, though…"

"You sure you don't want me to tie your hair back or something?" Amethyst offered. "Will up some scrunchies and I'll make this easier for you!"

Peridot paused; such an idea did come to mind, but she quickly dismissed it with barely a thought. "I-I'm not sure. I've never really messed with my hair before…"

She had admitted to Connie in a certain video that she regretted never dabbling in that.

"Yeah, but you looked super-cute when Steven slapped that ribbon on ya that one time," the quartz reminded her. "Maybe if I work my magic, I can make you even cuter, too!"

"Mmph…"

Peridot really struggled to trust Amethyst here, but she had to admit in the long run that this wasn't really a risk for anything. Even if it looked horrible, she would have an easier time fitting in the hole without having to expend any energy or spare concentration on shapeshifting. No one else was going to see them, unless…

"No pictures," she warned Amethyst, poking her nose for good measure.

"Eh, I already got my blackmail photo op of the day," Amethyst casually countered. "So I can totally control myself in that department."

Peridot quickly figured out what her friend referred to, but simply let out an annoyed huff and nothing more. Closing her eyes, she conjured a small bundle of scrunches that fell into Amethyst's hands.

"Excellent!" Amethyst had been waiting for months to do something like this, truth be told. Her companion always had so much hair to grab, it was impossible to resist imagining the styles she could pull off. "Good to go. Just sit your bubble-butt down and I'll work my magic in making your hair cavern-friendly."

"Must you call attention to my posterior?" and embarrassed Peridot grumbled as she sat down and prepared herself.

"Aw, cut the innocent act, Peri," Amethyst scoffed. "I told you before there's a certain part of you Steven really likes to stare at when you ain't looking, and you clearly remembered that conversation. Can't imagine why else you'd make the effort to give yourself an even bigger one since you last reformed."

Amethyst blinked at what she said just then. The rump in question was bigger than how it appeared when she last saw Peridot before the vacation. There was an obvious upgrade between the times Amethyst had seen Peridot from their penultimate Homeworld mission to their final visit, but somehow another one happened very recently.

"Wait… Peri, did you get poofed on the vacay?"

Fewer gems could stumble upon an accurate, logical conclusion using the most random means of interpreting innocuous details more often than this overcooked quartz.

"Via alligator ambush," Peridot grumpily confirmed. "Not my proudest moment, but Steven said I was crazy lucky that it was just my midsection in its jaws."

"Holy crow. Heck yeah you're lucky!" Amethyst exclaimed. "That's friggin' epic and scary at the same time!"

Peridot rolled her eyes while she endured her fellow gem messing with her hair. "Well, I wasn't out that long, but I figured a little concession was in order, since I knew he'd be the one to save me after my gemstone was lost underwater."

"Holy crap, Peri, your excuses have not improved with time," Amethyst laughed out. "You do that kind of thing to get noticed, dude! Let me guess, you just let out your sis or were about to, and you were afraid she'd be sporting a better booty?"

Reflexively, Peridot crossed her arms, hunched over and tried to contain her rage. She was glad Amethyst couldn't see her massively-blushing face now, but at the same time… there was a nagging feeling that the quartz could already read her face without even seeing it.

"Ah-ah!" Amethyst playfully scolded her fellow gem as she pulled her hair back and fixed her terrible posture. "You keep yourself straight, Peri-D. And just relax, okay? It's totally natural to feel like you need to stand out... y'know, even more than you already do most of the time. Shows how much you really care about Steven that you're putting any kinda stock in your appearance, 'cause you sure didn't think much about your looks before you two hooked up."

"You just make it sound so… shallow," Peridot groaned. "Which is the last quality besides stupidity that a genius should ever possess. I pride myself on logical thinking, Amethyst!"

"Newsflash: love and logic usually don't mesh too well," Amethyst teased. "Heck, logic and Steven ain't much better when you really think about it. But hey, somehow you managed a compromise."

Peridot sincerely hoped this moment was just a minor bump in the road for their outing; she desperately needed some form of reprieve before taking on future headaches. She knew she needed to follow her fellow gem's example and take the lower points of life in stride.

That was part of what always drew her to Amethyst in the first place; she and Steven were the main sources of her enjoyable moments on Earth when she first adapted to life on this foreign planet. Pearl was more often than not synonymous with the concept of stress and irritation in Peridot's life, while Garnet was… awkward to be around, at best. As much as Peridot grew to admire the team leader over time, even now there remained a touch of awkwardness every time they shared a room together.

At least nowadays that came from the surrealism of being on her level rather than the fact that she was a perma-fusion.

"True, and certainly that is no easy feat," Peridot tentatively agreed. "Though the fact that you figured out I got poofed during the vacation based purely on my butt size is arguably more impressive… and highly unorthodox."

Amethyst chuckled deviously. "That's how I roll, Dot: I'm the first to figure stuff out in ways no one else can. You know it's because of me that we all figured out your eye color quirk early on and what it said about you, right?"

"I believe Steven did credit that discovery to you despite him and Garnet seeing my eyes beforehand," Peridot recalled. "And he said your observational skills were the foundation of Pearl's plan to eliminate White Diamond's proxies; namely the fact that White's fusion with me made them utterly worthless. I can't believe I overlooked that!"

Amethyst felt quite proud of herself to be reminded of her accomplishments in the biggest mission of the Crystal Gems' long-lived crusade.

"Yep, I'm a master of the rocks most peeps leave unturned," she calmly boasted while her hands remained busy trying to tame her friend's hair. "We all got pushed to our limits back then… and no matter how much this Era 3 thing is gonna suck for us, I'd say after surviving the Diamonds and an exploding Homeworld, we're gonna handle the future stuff just fine. We gotta stay sharp, but it helps to remember we've all officially been in probably the worst spots we're ever gonna be in our lives."

This was much-needed advice that was blessing for Peridot to receive.

"Leave it to Amethyst to express the precise sentiments a troubled friend needs to hear," she said, audibly soothed. "Oh, stars… d-did I ever apologize for screaming at you in that video?"

"Ah, don't apologize for expressin' how ya really feel," the quartz told her in a dismissive tone. "I pulled some dick moves on you while you were our enemy and our friend, Dot. I'm just glad the worst thing I did to you actually amounted to something, 'kay? Don't sweat it anymore; I'm glad you didn't hold back on me."

Peridot found it easier to maintain her smile by this point. "It's stupid to even think about those old things at this point in my life, but I'm glad you all got something out of my nonsense. I can rest knowing I didn't waste my time when I believed I wouldn't make it off Homeworld alive."

"A little self-reflection never hurt anybody," Amethyst assured. "Aaaaand I think I've done all I can for your hair. Ponytails… definitely don't go well with your style, sorry to say. But whatever helps you fit better in that crevice, right?"

It was definitely far from Amethyst's best work. To keep her hair from sticking up even after being bound by a scrunchie, Amethyst had to make use of them all to loosely braid the hair in various segments.

"Correct; this very uncomfortable style will cease to be the second its purpose is fulfilled," Peridot flatly confirmed as she held up her scanning device. "Okay, time to do what we came here to do."

It would still be tedious busywork, but as long as Peridot kept in mind what Amethyst said about what they had already dealt with in the past, the task felt much less daunting.

Amethyst didn't even know the half of the varieties of hell Peridot lived through during the vacation alone; hellish moments that were on par with their Homeworld turmoil. However, it wouldn't be something she would be ignorant of for much longer… for better or worse.

The exit hole was a snug fit, as to be expected, but Peridot persevered as she scanned every detail of the rock she was surrounded in. She needed to concentrate but didn't want to force her friend to sit out and wait in awkward silence, either.

"You know, Amethyst, I've hardly asked about you at all…" she shyly admitted. "Catching up is supposed to go both ways."

"Eh, there's honestly not much to say," Amethyst responded with a shrug, though Peridot obviously wouldn't see that gesture. "I'm a lot more inspired to go to new places and do new things when I've got buddies in my party, but I was a solo act for most of last week. Not a bad deal at all, though. I definitely needed the R&R."

"Nyerrgh… I really need to stop feeling guilty Steven and I went without you," Peridot grumbled. "I know it's illogical, but I can't help but worry my decision to upgrade my relationship with him might create a rift in our dynamic and cause our group to disperse. Bad enough we both outgrew you so that we can't even be called the Shorty Squad anymore…"

Amethyst sputtered out very amused sounds of laughter in reaction to this, and Peridot was very thankful to be able to hide her heavily blushing face inside a hole at this moment.

"Psssshtt, oh man! Part of me wondered if you were seriously thinking that!" Amethyst said while failing to contain her cackling. "Seriously, Peri! You're getting as bad as Pearl; that's not a route you wanna go down. Neither of you could help how you grew bigger, so don't even start with that! I'll admit it's weird being beside you guys and being the one on the shorter end of the stick, but that's just one of the bazillion changes we're all adjusting to, okay? So the squad's not full of shorties anymore – big deal. We'll figure out a new and better name for us down the line!"

"If you want to deter me from traveling down any path, reminding me that I'm becoming more similar to Pearl is one of the most efficient methods," Peridot numbly responded. She was visibly shocked to be likened to Pearl. "So, you really don't think this relationship will fracture our bond as best friends?"

"Peri, the only thing it's gonna do is bring us closer," Amethyst assured in a more sober tone. "You're already practically a little sis to me; you'd better believe I'm looking forward to the day you become an official sis-in-law."

The elder gem smirked to hear her friend's wails of mixed joy and embarrassment.

"You two needed a vacation alone together," she added. "I mean, you needed that much since you guys hooked up during our most dangerous, deadly mission and all. And whatever crap happened on that vacation, outside of your health and whatnot, I'm honestly most relieved that whatever you both suffered didn't damage your relationship."

It felt so much easier to think of those trials and tribulations with this perspective, Peridot found. However much she and Steven lost from the experiences, their love never faltered; instead, it steadily strengthened.

"Yes… brutal as it mostly was, Steven and I loved each other through every step," Peridot said serenely. "Our amorous sentiments strengthened in accordance to the level of heinousness in our perilous journeys, and I project that trend will persist from here on out. For everything I've doubted and feared for needless reasons, right now… how we feel about each other is one of the few aspects of my life that I'm not doubting for a millisecond."

"That's what I like to hear," Amethyst commended, sounding relieved. "If you're that secure about your commitment, you don't need to worry about me being a third wheel, 'kay? We're still an epic trio, but it's totally okay if I feel like stepping back and letting you two indulge each other. Seriously, I'd better not ever hear either of you cry over that and think you did something wrong."

Peridot could never get over how words like this had such a powerful effect on her. It shook her to the core every time she spared a thought to acknowledge the overwhelming influence of her love for Steven (and his love for her, naturally). She only remained relatively stable now due to having a distraction in the form of her current work, but she was powerless to mask the raw emotion present in her voice.

"Wow, thanks, Amethyst…"

Immediately, the quartz snickered at her tone. "Ho-oooh-ly crap. That is the sound of a gem who's so heads-over-heels in love, she's already in withdrawal being away from her lover boy and needs a make-out session with him, stat."

Amethyst wasn't wrong, and Peridot was so caught up in the moment that she almost forgot she was being mercilessly teased.

"Do I ev–…"

Finally, it registered… right around the time Amethyst burst out laughing out loud once more.

"Y-you deceptive clod! D-do you want your birthday figured out or do you not?!" Peridot cried out, losing what little composure she had left. "I swear, I am not above holding our outing hostage over this!"

Thankfully, she was dedicated enough to her task to not get distracted and lose track of what she was analyzing in Amethyst's exit hole.

"Bwahaha, haha, o-okay, okay!" Amethyst relented between her laughs as she forced herself to gradually calm down. "I'll behave; I promise. You gotta be close to being done in there, right?"

"I have reached the origin point of your tunnel," Peridot confirmed. "I'm just ensuring that I get the entirety of this section thoroughly scanned; the key points in any gem's hole they emerged from are where they formed in accordance to the injector's inoculation and where they breached the surface."

"I'm startin' to get hyped!" Amethyst gleefully squealed. "Gonna have a day all to myself every year from now on, and it'll be soooo sweet…"

Suddenly, Peridot's head popped out from the exit hole, startling the quartz. With her duty in the tiny crawl space complete, her hair was liberated of all ties. For the most part, it immediately resumed its default style, though it was highly messy thanks to Amethyst's sloppy styling methods.

Luckily, Amethyst managed to hold in her instinctive urge to laugh at Peridot again when the latter gave her a stern, very hard stare that prompted the elder gem to cover her mouth with both hands.

"Honestly, Amethyst, is it standard protocol to torment your friend at every opportunity?" Peridot asked with a straight face.

"Peridot, don't even make it out like you don't torture your friends on a regular basis too," Amethyst retorted between giggles. "You're just still kind of a newb at it and do it without having to try that hard… or even knowing you're doing it."

The technician rolled her eyes at this as she finished climbing out of the hole and refocused on her scanning device. "Back to the task at hand, congratulations… I overshot your approximate age. If I only count the point of your emergence as your date of "birth", then you are merely four-thousand, five-hundred, and eighty-seven years old."

"Ooooh, a real number!" Amethyst was in awe, though it quickly faded. "Wait… what about my actual birthday?"

"That, I still need to calculate," Peridot explained. "Miserable as it was being stuck in that dreadful hole, that's nothing compared to the terror known as the Gregorian calendar."

Amethyst blinked cluelessly at the gem by her side. "The Gregorian what now?"

"Don't be cheeky, Amethyst: you heard exactly what I said," Peridot scolded as she poked Amethyst's chest to punctuate this.

In her free hand, a typical wall calendar appeared.

"Oh, the thing that only Steven really uses," a dismissive Amethyst acknowledged. "So, what about this calendar is so diabolical to our mission?"

"It's simple, really," Peridot said in a light, chipper tone before her it and her expression darkened. "This current method the humans use to record the passage of time hasn't even been in use for a full five centuries, and your age spans across roughly nine times that length! Additionally, the Gregorian calendar has countless logical imperfections I'm forced to carefully monitor for as I manually apply the Gregorian calendar thousands of years before its historical implementation to approximate your metaphorical date of birth."

Amethyst rested back into a smug smirk; she couldn't help but enjoy Peridot raging over various Earth concepts she still had trouble grasping. "Oh, is that all?"

"That most certainly is not all!" an irate Peridot insisted. "Why are the months not consistent in length, Amethyst? They couldn't uniformly be thirty-one or thirty days for what reason, exactly? And why is frickin' February so contrarian that it has only twenty-eight days as some form of protest?! But even that isn't the worst part about this wretched measurement of time!"

"And what is?" Amethyst had a feeling she knew what it was, but it would still be worth it to hear Peridot rant about it in her adorable, pedantic way.

"Need you ask?! It's that stupid idiot leap year! Tell me how that makes sense, Amethyst!"

This day felt like a possible contender for record-holder in how many times in a single day Peridot had gotten Amethyst to bust up in fits of laughter. The latter was already struggling to hold back another spell. "You're the smart one, dude, psssht… how about you explain it for me?"

"I ran across this menacing variable a few times when I approximated my own birthday," Peridot informed her. "For some superfluous reason, February gains an extra day in length once every four Earth years. Something about this month must be cursed to be such a statistical anomaly, I swear…"

"Eh, there are worse months out there," Amethyst mentioned. "February's got Valentine's Day, which is basically a day dedicated to eating a buttload of chocolate, so I can't hate on it too much."

"Forget the chocolate; this month is objectively a black mark on this dating system's credibility!" Peridot adamantly insisted. "Before I learned about the concept of the leap year, I kept getting inaccurate approximations for my metaphorical birth date. On three occasions, I had to make adjustments due to this moronic phenomenon. But that was merely a minor irritation, as I only had to adjust for it in the span of thirteen years…"

Amethyst's eyes widened with amusement as she started to piece it together. "Ooooh, I think I see where you're going with this!"

"I explained it in such a way that even a pebble could comprehend what I'm dictating," Peridot dryly shot back. "The reason I needed to approximate your age first was to determine how many times I'll need to implement the leap year variable. Divide that age by four, and on one-thousand, one-hundred, and forty-six instances, I have to account for February's arbitrary extra day."

"That's… a lot of extra days," Amethyst noted. "But hey, can't you just will one of your machines to automate that for you? We've still got loads of stuff to talk about while we wait on that!"

Peridot thought that over as she looked to the scanner she still held firmly in her grasp. "I'd rather keep an eye on this to ensure nothing malfunctions," she admitted. "But I suppose I can automate this ordeal, monitor it, and converse with you simultaneously."

"Take a seat with me, then!" Amethyst invited as she patted the ground next to where she reclined. "I was thinkin' that it's kinda a pity we can't figure out birthdays for anyone else in the group…"

The technician, after taking up her friend's invite to sit down by her, looked a bit downtrodden when this was pointed out. "Mm, that's true… Lapis, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Bismuth… whatever holes they emerged from, they no longer exist. The mainframe hosting all emergence records was naturally stationed on Homeworld, so that too was obliterated. Stars, I seem to recall many Homeworld colonies not having their own native central hubs… they were remotely connected via Homeworld's network."

Amethyst obviously never thought about something like this, but she was visibly worried now that Peridot brought this up. Suddenly, her jolly demeanor vanished.

"Whoa, wait. So you're saying there's like, a really huge chance that Homeworld's colonies are already in full-blown chaos mode because they got totally cut off from the rest of the galaxy the second Homeworld went kaput?!"

Peridot took a moment to study Amethyst's expression, as her tone very abruptly shifted to dead serious – and the technician couldn't recall the last time she ever heard her friend lose her cool so quickly. The dramatic way the quartz expressed her concern proved this was more than mere sympathy.

"I haven't personally been to any colony planets," Peridot admitted; her approach to Amethyst now a cautious one. "So I honestly can't tell you for certain that every single cosmic entity in Homeworld's jurisdiction was fully reliant on its now-nonexistent root network. But it's common sense that at a bare minimum, each planet had access to said network and made great use of it. In the end, all colony planets still answered to the Diamond Authority. That alone being permanently cut off would incite worldwide rioting, but…"

Peridot paused herself, as she only now realized being this blunt with a harsh fact of life like this only further aggravated Amethyst's anxiety.

Likewise, Amethyst realized she was being far too open about her investment in the wellbeing of the colonies – the Crystal Gems' duty as intergalactic diplomats of peace was on the backburner until their own planet properly functioned as a Homeworld substitute.

She knew with everything else ahead of them, the colonies wouldn't be contacted anytime soon. Amethyst was also aware how much her two younger friends didn't want to be the central figureheads of that campaign, but they were the Crystal Gems' best chance for the colonies to give them recognition. Steven and Peridot would be more than happy to find any excuse to put off their inevitable duty, and at this point in time, they had plenty to spare.

More than anyone else, Amethyst completely understood why her fellow squaddies didn't feel the sense of urgency that currently plagued her. She couldn't bring herself to pressure Peridot into something like this; not while the junior gem struggled with so many other parts of her life.

"Amethyst, I didn't realize the wellbeing of the colonies was such a high priority for you," Peridot gently told her. "I… really want to say we should possibly reevaluate its position on our schedule, but…"

"N-no way; don't waste your time on my account," Amethyst insisted as she shook her head. "I just…"

She grumbled inaudibly; the elder gem really didn't want to sour this moment with her best friend with her own selfish concerns.

"Lemme figure out how to say what I wanna say, and I'll explain why I'm freaking out over this, m'kay?" Amethyst proposed. "While I do that, let's think of something a little happier."

Peridot had a very hard time following along with this plan; now that she had seen that their collective decision to delay aiding the colonies had such an adverse effect on the normally jolly quartz, she couldn't in all good conscience just pretend the very tense past few minutes didn't happen.

"Um… define "happier"," Peridot warily requested. "It's nonsensical to pretend we're not about to get slammed by multiple unpleasant responsibilities as a consequence of our actions on Homeworld, you realize."

"I just thought of another birthday you could figure out!" Amethyst excitedly told her, hoping to steer her friend to a new topic. "Well, more like birthdays, but there's one I know you're gonna have some fun with, Per!"

She didn't catch on just yet, but Peridot couldn't help but dread what Amethyst was going to say next.

"W-we just went over the fact that no other Crystal Gem has an exit hole left to examine," she nervously reminded the quartz. "And doing this isn't exactly "fun" to begin with…"

"Nah, trust me: you'll get some entertainment outta this," Amethyst assured, seeming completely confident with her idea. "Naturally my fam could get their own birthdays too, but we could also hop over to the Beta Kindergarten and get a birthday for Jasper!"

Peridot completely froze before she could fully reveal the opposite intended effect this answer inflicted.

"Then down the line when Pearl finds the corruption cure and we get Jasper back to normal, we can throw a major–…"

Amethyst's voice died out when she caught sight of her best friend trying to internally fight off the soul-crushing trauma just hearing Jasper's name brought on.

Though to be fair, it wasn't merely the mention of Jasper's name and Peridot's immediate thoughts to the most traumatic moment of her life that brought on this panic attack.

More than anything, it was Peridot's realization that Amethyst was still blissfully unaware of her estranged, so-called sis' past behavior and the full extent of the living hell she put Lapis through… that by itself almost shattered her internally.

The last thing Peridot wanted to do was talk about this part of her life again.

"Peridot… g-geez, what the heck did I say…?" Amethyst quietly wondered to herself before slowly leaning in to comfort the trembling gem. "C'mon, talk to me… you can always talk to me."

But Peridot knew the last thing she should do was to keep Amethyst out of the loop. Not only because she was her best friend, but due to Amethyst's own personal investment in Jasper herself.

She tried to respond to Amethyst, but in the midst of her hyperventilating, every time Peridot attempted to speak just resulted in a wordless gasp.

In the end, Peridot wasn't sure she could do this.

For the second time today, the technician felt she was completely losing control of her life. It seemed like she could fall apart at any minute… and Peridot was not at all used to feeling so unstable. It was obvious her concerns from the incident when she woke up this morning continued to plague her; Peridot was able to hold it down well enough since coming to this kindergarten, but now it was starting to internally consume her again.

"Peri, you gotta pull yourself together!" Amethyst urged as she grabbed her companion by the shoulders. "C'mon, don't let whatever's in your head control you like that! Wh-whatever I said, I'm sorry, okay?!"

She was a far cry from Steven, but Amethyst was just influential enough for her cries to not go unheard. Peridot's shrunken pupils grew to their normal size, her full-body shaking stopped, and she seemed to be aware of her surroundings again.

"Oh my stars… Amethyst, th-that was…" It was still no easier for Peridot to speak coherently, unfortunately. "No, this isn't your…"

"You didn't freak out like this on your own," Amethyst readily asserted. "I said something and got you triggered; don't even try and act like that isn't what's going on here."

The scanning device Peridot had such a firm grasp on fell out of her hands and rolled to the ground. Thankfully, it was a short fall broken by the owner's lap since she was sitting at the time.

"I didn't think I'd have to talk about it this soon," Peridot wearily told the quartz; her voice worn down and weakened. "B-but I cannot simply leave you out of this, Amethyst. E-even if you tell me you don't need to hear it for my sake, you need t-to… at least for your own!"

Amethyst had no way to know how this was going to play out. She didn't foresee their conversation going this route at all.

"L-look, if you're saying this is something I need to know about, I'm not gonna argue that," Amethyst assured Peridot, giving the younger gem a hug. "You know me well enough to make that call, and I totally trust you're doing this because that's what a real friend would do. Just… tell me in a way that's gonna hurt you the least, okay? I'm right here; cling as hard as you need to."

Peridot did not have it in her to share this memory the way she did with Steven several days ago. However, she was also far too unstable to simply narrate the entire tale of how she first met Jasper.

Luckily, there was a happy compromise.

"Touch my gemstone," Peridot quietly instructed; Amethyst quickly followed it to the letter. "Close your eyes, concentrate… and you'll understand why I can't fulfill your request."

Amethyst silently closed her eyes and focused on the visuals from the not-so distant past flowing within her from the gems' connection. Luckily for her, she wouldn't have to deal with the unique side-effects Steven suffered when Peridot first tried to communicate with him like this.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this for you," Peridot meekly told Amethyst once the horrific event was mentally relayed to her in full. "I-I understand what Jasper means to you, Amethyst – I really, really do. I know you have nothing but good intentions. You always mean well. B-but I… I can't."

She had been clinging to Amethyst for a while now and had been in the quartz's embrace even longer than that. And yet, Peridot was surprised to feel Amethyst pull her in for an even tighter hug and felt lukewarm tears fall on her shoulder.

"What the hell, Peridot?! Stop apologizing, already!" Amethyst cried out. "You show me something like that and try to act like you're in the wrong here?! H-how did you keep this to yourself for so long, huh?! Why did you?!"

"I… just recalled it a few days ago," Peridot numbly responded. "A traumatic event of that magnitude…. I-I'm ashamed to admit I would not have been able to move forward and become a better gem with all of you if I had fully retained this instance of my life within my cognitive self. All but one part of that moment was suppressed with the intent of making it "disappear", so to speak. And even for what I salvaged… I mentally redacted every trace of context to minimize chances of regaining the full memory."

Amethyst used to fondly look back at the time she, Steven, and Peridot were able to overcome and neutralize Jasper as a threat all on her own. She was touched by Peridot's speech to Jasper before they were all forced to fight. All too quickly, the quartz realized Peridot never would have been able to participate to such an extent if she truly remembered what Jasper put her through.

"… Then I can't rip on you for keeping this from us," the elder gem understood. "This, uh… this is the thing you need to talk with Lapis about, isn't it? And the reason you blew up at your big sis earlier?"

Peridot whimpered as she nodded to confirm her friend's suspicions. "A-affirmative. 5XF is the one responsible for how I regained this memory in the first place. That's only one of the many reasons why I despise her, but… after I shared this story with Steven, we both realized this was not a matter I could just leave indefinitely buried. I must face this eventually when we cure Jasper, and… I need to learn to make peace with her when that time comes."

"That's… a tall order, to put it mildly," Amethyst remarked. "Geez, I'm sorry I dragged that outta you, Peridot. Y-you could've just turned me down…"

Peridot shook her head, now a bit more self-assured. "No… I wouldn't have shared this if there wasn't a good reason for me to do so, Amethyst. And being my best of friends is not the credential in question for why I decided to make you aware of this part of my life. You are the only one outside of Steven I have spoken of this to voluntarily. Lapis is forthcoming, of course, but she was directly involved in the matter. However, I haven't even shared this information with Garnet and do not intend to anytime soon, if at all."

"Trust me; I know where the lines are when it comes to gossip," Amethyst sternly told her. "I'd never spread this around."

"I know you would never do that to me," Peridot softly responded, offering her friend a weak smile. "And I appreciate it. But do you understand why I felt the need to let you know about this?"

It wasn't hard to guess, of course… "Y… yeah. Me and Jasper… we've got our own history."

"I understand your insistence on regarding her as a sibling despite the two of you coming from different kindergartens," Peridot added. "You are both quartzes made here on Earth. Unlike your kin whom emerged from this kindergarten, Jasper remains on this planet. Not only that, but she's practically next door. However, mentally…."

"… She's probably even further away from me than the fam literally is," Amethyst finished. "Until we can cure her. But even then…"

"You recall her utter dismissal of us all," Peridot pointed out. "The last time we encountered her. Not even Steven could get through to Jasper despite being stuck in the metaphorical rock-bottom point of her life. Even if we could convince her to hear us out once she's cured, have you considered how Jasper might behave once we inform her of everything that has changed? And how she'll have to adapt?"

Amethyst's eyes bugged out as a particularly disturbing detail crept inside her head. "Holy smokes… she doesn't even know Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz are the same gem yet!"

"Hm, would she take that harder than the fact that Homeworld and the Diamond Authority are forever lost?" Peridot wondered out loud, cringing at the thought. "Either way, I don't anticipate we'll come across a corruption cure anytime soon. But when we do… Amethyst, you know it won't be a simple task getting Jasper to come around. It's good to have an optimistic outlook even in the darkest of times, but…"

"No, Peri… I get it," Amethyst glumly assured. "All this time, I thought if I tried hard enough, I could be just like Steven and unlock that hidden good side of hers. Make her a real friend. But I keep ignoring the fact that… even on her best day, Jasper is probably still gonna be remorseless psycho full of bloodlust. And I can't overlook what she did to you, Peri… I-I mean, geez, Lapis is supposed to be my friend now too, and I've been overlooking how much it would hurt her if I actually tried to make Jasper a… a…"

"A Crystal Gem."

Peridot was grateful she had such a wonderful boyfriend; thanks to his powerful support back when she first shared this buried memory, the technician no longer felt the typical pangs of guilt and shame when she relayed the same story to Amethyst.

Steven went above and beyond to assure Peridot that she had done nothing wrong, and even her contradictory feelings brought on by the psychological trauma were nothing to damn herself over.

The only guilt Peridot felt now was forever compromising Amethyst's own happiness and optimistic beliefs. She hated having to make Amethyst see Jasper for how she truly was; Peridot knew her former escort would need someone like Amethyst to help in rehabilitating her, and she risked denying Jasper that benefit by speaking the truth.

"I-I used to think, y'know… like, "hey, it'd be so cool if we could make all three of our first major enemies our friends down the line" – Homeworld's trio of toadies becoming Crystal Gems like us would just be the ultimate win," Amethyst wistfully murmured. "Two outta three ain't bad… but I was super-shallow back then. Times like this, it feels like the Ste-man's had more of an influence on me than I thought – I keep thinking how cool it'd be to make all our enemies our friends, but…"

Peridot quietly sighed; it pained her greatly to continuously destroy her best friend's hopes and dreams like this, but she was committed to doing what must be done.

A leader needed to push past all doubts and do what was best for everyone, even if the optimal course of action ran the risk of upsetting one or more teammates. Peridot knew she couldn't arbitrarily make an exception for Amethyst simply because they were such close friends.

"Amethyst… I promise to do my best to make peace with what happened to me, so that one day I'll have the strength to forgive Jasper," Peridot solemnly swore. "I'm obviously not ready now, but–"

"Peridot, you can't let her off that easily!" Amethyst interjected, now visibly upset. "I-I'm not even sure how I'll approach her now, because there's no frickin' way I'm gonna overlook what she did to you!"

"This matter is between myself and Jasper; no one else," Peridot asserted in a stiff tone. "Besides, you need to remember whatever Jasper did to me is nothing compared to what she did to Lapis. I'm going to have a much harder time forgiving Jasper for that, especially if she does not regret her actions nor seek an apology… a-and I'm sorry to say, Amethyst, that the odds of a gem like her seeking atonement for acting on her brutal instincts are…"

Amethyst bowed her head I resignation. "I-I know; she's not exactly the type who'd be sorry for anything. Proud warrior n' all that…"

"Similarly, I need to trust Lapis to settle her issues with Jasper," Peridot added, though her doubtful expression showed how uncomfortable she was about that particular detail. "It's… not my business, yours, nor anyone's else's. So when you and I confront Jasper individually on our own time, we need to make an effort to not drag our friends into the conversation. It will be incredibly difficult for me to not bring Lapis up when I speak to Jasper… but perhaps not as difficult as the task of convincing Lapis to settle matters with her without it ending in a fatality."

"Oooh…" Amethyst cringed; she couldn't possibly see Lapis ever reaching a point where she could ever hold a conversation with Jasper again – rightly so, of course. "You know, Peri… this is just an observation from your bestie, so take it with a grain of salt, but maybe we shouldn't expect Lapis to deal with this the exact same way we're gonna. There's being wronged by somebody, and then there's… well, a next-level wrongness. A wrong so strong, it'll take way more than just talking things out to really make up for it. And a gem like Jasper… she'd be too proud…"

Peridot knew deep down it was killing Amethyst to speak of Jasper as if she was already a lost cause. And she had only herself to blame for her best friend – normally so hyped and wired to see the glass half-full – now being reduced to fighting off her inner misery as the ugly truths of life threatened to become a permanent blight on her optimistic outlook.

"You have a point," the technician murmured. "Jasper honestly should not physically be anywhere near Lapis at any time. Not just for the sake of Lapis' safety, but Jasper's as well. And perhaps we should entirely leave the matter up to Lapis' discretion rather than expect her to follow standard protocol. She is… clearly a special case. This is just… nrrrgh! Amethyst, this completely goes against what I said before, so what does that say about me as an authority figure?!"

Amethyst blinked at Peridot's sudden little outburst as she thought over the earlier parts of their conversation. "–Oh, right! You said all the gems are supposed to get a second chance, or a fresh start or whatever."

"Exactly," Peridot affirmed with a sharp nod. "Even Jasper, terrible as she was, deserves a chance to redeem herself. I-it's not currently an achievement I think is feasible, but that's merely my subjective sentiment. Of course, I'm biased to have a negative predisposition of Jasper, just as Lapis would. But we can't let our feelings interfere with any gem's right to prove they can in fact better themselves! As much as I cannot stand 5XF, I would be terrible to deny her the opportunity to befriend all of you!"

The quartz was compelled to give her friend a comforting squeeze once more. "Per, it's okay…"

"It is not okay!" Peridot barked back. "She should not be expected to like all of us in order to be welcomed into this family! Steven and I are a lost cause – I will inform you why that is the case after you have your chance to spend some time with 5XF, okay? But until then, please dismiss my sentiments when you see her, Amethyst. And do your best to forget what you saw between the two of us this morning…"

"I don't think I can do that last one," Amethyst tiredly informed the younger gem. "Because I think I've already figured out some pretty big things about her in that little exchange alone. Not, like, bad things… just things that could be good or bad depending on what more I learn from her later."

Peridot knew she was going to want to kick herself for asking this, but… "Wh-what have you gathered?"

Amethyst was understandably wary of answering this question, but Peridot did ask.

"Your sis and Sphalerite are – or were – an item. And for a relationship that couldn't be more than a few days old, apparently it's a pretty dang serious one."

Well, Peridot wanted to do far more than just kick herself, now.

"GGGRRRRRHGH! I-it's not–GYAH! Nyerrrrrrhmm–!"

She hated their relationship with a burning passion. It was the bane of Peridot's existence. And worst of all, the young leader could not rant about this, as she swore to uphold her vow to keep herself from running her mouth and preemptively ruining everyone's predisposition towards her sister.

"I'm gonna hold back on judging it until I really get to know Elder-Dot," Amethyst promised. "But going by how much you're freakin' out, I totally hit the nail on the head with my educated guess."

Peridots unintelligible cries mellowed down into grumbling by this point. She had to admit, the way she and her sibling spoke probably made it easy for not only Amethyst to pick up on the relationship, but likely Lapis and even Bismuth as well.

"And I can tell your sis is definitely more of a stiff," Amethyst added. "Better-behaved, which usually means a high risk of being boring, buuuuut I'll give 'er a chance. You're doing a really good job staying professional about this, Dottie-P. Gotta give you props for that."

"Mmh… thank you." Peridot could not reject praise; she was hopelessly addicted to it. "Though I've made this outing a fairly depressing one, now…"

"Hey now, don't start with that," Amethyst playfully scolded as she tugged on Peridot's hair. "Now that I've had some time, I think I'm ready to talk about that other thing now… y'know, before I went and brought Jasper up."

Peridot nodded. "A-and don't worry; we'll figure out a way to reach a compromise with how to handle Jasper. So, what else is on your mind?"

"My way-nicer sisses," Amethyst told her. "The Famethyst. I've been thinking 'bout 'em a lot lately, Dot. Most of my week, I wondered how they're doing… and worried that maybe they're not doing too good."

Now Peridot finally saw what was truly troubling her best friend. "And I just made you worry more talking about the universal civil disorder plaguing the colonies. Oh my stars, Amethyst… I really didn't mean to instill more fear and paranoia of the unknown…"

"Look, look: you couldn't have known that," Amethyst countered. "But I've been thinkin' a lot about them over the past week, and… it's kind of a stupid idea, but I wanted to pitch it to you and see if there's any way we could make this work out like, really really soon."

"I presume you want us to check on whatever colony your relatives are stationed in," Peridot postulated. "And it's certainly understandable, but I'm not certain how feasible it is or if we could even schedule it anytime soon."

Amethyst shook her head, now firmly gripping Peridot's shoulders again while giving her a hard look of determination. "Hey, listen to me: my fam isn't on some colony planet. They've been assigned to Pink Diamond's Human Zoo – they deal with the Zoomans and stuff. It's just a little station, and it's a place most of us are familiar with since we've been there before. We're gonna know a lot of faces there, too."

Peridot gulped. "Well, you all might know the faces there…"

She, of course, had no part in that particular adventure a few months back.

"I'm tellin' you, Dot, it's the perfect place to practice your diplomating!" Amethyst insisted. "Small crowd most of us are familiar with – so even if a riot does break out, we'll easily be able to keep 'em under control. And with how sensitive the Zoomans are, we really should check this place out first before any colony to make sure the lack of Diamond influence hasn't totally wrecked the exhibit."

It was a compelling argument; Peridot's resolve visibly crumbled as she tried to exploit whatever logical hole she could find in the proposal.

"Are we not taking a huge risk endangering the humans in captivity if we fail to get through to the gems?" she asked. "Steven and I haven't even practiced how we will conduct ourselves diplomatically. We've not even shifted into our Diamond forms since we returned from Homeworld!"

"Look, every time we go to a new colony, we'll be taking a risk no matter what," Amethyst pointed out. "But I guarantee you that Pink Diamond's Zoo is gonna be as low-risk as it gets in this political game we're playing. We gotta learn how to do this right eventually, you know."

"But you also know in terms of priority, our intergalactic diplomacy mission is in the figurative back of the line," Peridot reminded the quartz. "We need to ensure Earth can function as a proper home for gemkind before we worry about the state of other celestial entities, Amethyst. And before we can even do that much, we have a very dangerous corrupt gem on the other end of the world that must be dispatched before we commit ourselves to anything else!"

Amethyst smirked at this statement. "You mean besides these extra few days of chilling out we're gettin' because you and the boyfriend hit some big bumps on your vacay?"

Peridot blushed, grumbled, and looked away before letting out an exasperated huff. "It is important for us to mentally recover from our traumatic experiences. I have a feeling Steven and I only witnessed a mere fraction of Gypsum's power and potential."

"And that's why I'm not gonna interrupt our Gypsum preparation with what I'm pitching to ya here," Amethyst clarified. "But I really, really want us to at least check out Pink's Human Zoo before we start the major Era 3 stuff, Peri. If I wait until after that happens, it could be months before we can schedule a time to head out there since we're all gonna be super friggin' busy, see?"

This point actually resonated with Peridot. The technician was well aware that her carefree life would be truly over the second Era 3 launched on Earth. There would be very little time to rest, let alone time to do whatever she wished. Realistically, she could see Garnet projecting even a short, simplistic visit like this to not be feasible for several months, or even years.

Amethyst couldn't possibly wait that long. After a certain point, Peridot was certain Amethyst would try and run that sort of mission by herself if she had to. She wasn't quite as impatient or impulsive as Steven, but the relatively young quartz was certainly up there. It was cruel to make her wait for such a long time, not knowing if her beloved Famethyst was okay or even alive after being cut off from Homeworld.

"Fair enough," Peridot conceded. "And I suppose I owe you this much, since I do not have the mental or emotional fortitude to set foot in Jasper's exit hole ever again, let alone calculate her birthday."

"Geez, do you have to put it like that?" Amethyst winced. "I'm really sorry I asked you to recap…"

Peridot shook her head. "No; we needed to have this discussion sooner or later, Amethyst. And… I believe this is actually helpful in preparing me for when I have to talk to Lapis later on this very incident. So, you have my thanks for assisting me in this endeavor."

She managed to smile and give the quartz a playful hug for the first time in ages.

"It's only fair I support you however I can for this proposal," Peridot added. "After all, the first rule of family is to never leave a member behind or let them be forgotten. It's never too soon to start honing our skill in diplomacy, additionally. We will need to approach our own refugees just as we'll have to for any off-world gems… so perhaps your request is not only perfectly reasonable, but a logical and necessary step for the Crystal Gems to take before we launch our Era 3!"

"Awww, duuuude! You're totally the best, Peri-D!" Amethyst cooed as she returned the hug tenfold. "I knew you'd fight for me! Mucho gusto, boss!"

Peridot found herself blushing at her friend's reverence. "Much as I thrive off being rightfully worshiped, Amethyst, there is absolutely no need for you to be formal with me for any reason…"

Well, one big reason suddenly came to mind.

"–a-ah, outside of when we are collectively facing the public, that is," she hastily amended. "Reverence is a bit of a necessity in establishing credibility. However, you are making this "zoo" out to be like more of an informal settlement, so…"

Amethyst nodded. "Well, can't hurt to play it safe anyway, yeah? While I guarantee the zoo's gonna be a chill experience compared to the colonies, it's still gonna shake 'em up that there's no more Homeworld. Aaaaand it'll be weird for 'em to accept Trucy and Pinky-2 as their new Diamonds, too."

"In name only," Peridot sternly asserted. "The Diamond Authority isn't continuing with us in any way, shape or form. Honestly, if there was a way to get those clods to accept us as delegates of Earth without a Diamond representative, I would be completely on board with that."

"Still not into Trucy, huh?" Amethyst mused. "Guess I can't blame ya; havin' a Diamond alter-ego sounds really cool, buuuuut… I admit it's way less cool the more I think about actually livin' with something like that."

Peridot nodded in agreement. "I've passed the acceptance phase of her existence, at least… Steven's already scolded me a few times for overexerting my will at the expense of my own health when I could have bypassed it had I shifted into Chartreuse."

"At least you know he's only saying that 'cause he loves you so much that he worries about ya all the time," Amethyst assured. "Steven's the last one who'd pressure you into being someone you're not."

"I'm very fortunate to have such an accommodating, compassionate partner," Peridot warmly stated. "I just need to learn where and when to make a compromise… I don't want Chartreuse to simply be my power crutch or my metaphorical ensemble for work or social gatherings. But I still need more time to get comfortable with truly being her. Very few truly good things happened whenever I became her in the past, so…"

"So now is Trucy's chance to show she's more than just a fancy-lookin', power-boostin' troublemaker," Amethyst encouraged her uncertain friend. "And a little visit to the zoo's the perfect place to start on cleaning up her image!"

Peridot found herself easily moved by Amethyst's words; she sniffed and held back a tear as she gave the quartz an affirming nod with a quivering smile.

"You really are something else," Peridot remarked; her tone full of fondness. "This idea to make an impromptu visit to Pink Diamond's Zoo before we get to work… at first it seemed out-of-nowhere, arbitrary, and spurred on by a selfish desire…"

Amethyst snorted when that detail was mentioned. "Well, it kinda is, still."

"Yet you've made an incredibly compelling argument for it," Peridot commended. "We do need to brush up on our diplomacy; the destination is small and familiar to many of you, so logically it's the optimal place to start honing our skills and finding out where we need to improve. Should we succeed, we'll gain allies earlier than anticipated, which would greatly help our cause in its most turbulent phase. We very likely won't come across a colony that poses less of a risk in a worst-case scenario, but should we succeed with these gems stationed at the zoo, they can aid other imperiled colonies while we stabilize our society on Earth! Because as you said, otherwise it could take months or years before the Crystal Gems are ready to contact the colonies on our own time, and by then, it might be too late!"

"Oy-oh-boy," Amethyst muttered. "Spoken like a true politician, P-Dot! Bring that fire with you when you take this campaign straight to our team!"

Peridot smirked wickedly. "Oh, I intend to. And worry not: even if the other Crystal Gems won't let this motion pass, we can always take matters into our own hands and simply go ourselves. So long as I have coordinates, my power can take us to this "zoo" whenever we desire!"

Amethyst wasn't exactly on board with the idea of going rogue and handling this with only a small portion of the theme, but she managed to smile regardless… though it was visibly one of unease.

"I, uh… dunno if we've got anything that'll tell us where it is exactly," she admitted. "But hey, we're gonna have to build another spaceship to do this intergalactic political junk to begin with, so…"

"–Oh, wow. I can't believe I forgot our last ship was destroyed."

Peridot didn't even have time to get upset over that when it happened. The death of a certain loved one took up 100% of her attention back then… and the state of the ship itself was a trivial matter when Homeworld's remains were getting brutally torn up by the rage and grief of the ascended gem.

"Eh, you and Bismuth made the last one in just a few days," Amethyst recalled. "Shouldn't be a big deal to make another one. Still, I can't thank you enough being all for fighting for me on this, dude. I know you and Steven both aren't keen on this part of our new job…"

"We'll suck it up," Peridot assured her. "It's the price we pay for being special, after all."

Just then, Peridot's phone started to ring. She quickly stood up and procured the device and smiled to see the visage of her beloved with his name over the picture.

Amethyst couldn't help but snicker. "Aw, don't tell me he's booty callin' you already, Per!"

Peridot scowled at the quartz; a deep teal tinted her cheeks as she growled and quickly tried to regain some composure. "D-do not even–!"

The elder gem quietly snickered to herself as Peridot answered the call of her one true love.

"Greetings from your great and lovable," Peridot chirped out; almost immediately, she looked smitten. "To what do I owe the honor, my center of gravity~?"

Her lovestruck expression faded into mild confusion. "Oh, you aren't interrupting anything, Steven. Do you require my assistance?"

Amethyst was content to smirk and just imagine what was being said on the other end of the line.

"Busted machine, huh? I'm surprised it took this long for one of Funland's contraptions to malfunction or break down entirely," Peridot commented. "You do realize after spoiling me so many times with the world-renowned theme parks last week that Funland will be nothing more than an eternally inferior experience from now on, right?"

The technician smirked; she began to resemble her old self-assured, egotistical self again. This was a great relief for Amethyst, who was internally overjoyed to see her friend liberated (if only briefly) from the drama surrounding her life.

"Well, it sounds like this is a blessing in disguise, then. Bismuth could give Funland a much-needed makeover and consequently make it a much more credible tourist trap! Oh, do you think she could eliminate the height restrictions in the process…?"

Peridot huffed when she got the answer she expected. "Fine; I suppose it's inconsequential now that I've ascended, anyway… what exactly did you need me for, then? –Ohh, electronics. That makes sense. I suppose I could whip up a circuit board and throw together some kind of pattern with the LEDs…"

The young gem smirked as she absorbed every word of Steven's grateful praise. "Yes, yes, I am the best. You do realize I'll expect you to reimburse me with a more potent sentiment when I finish my job…"

Peridot couldn't resist succumbing to her blushing and looking as if she was about to melt when Steven responded. He was certainly not a lover who would ever disappoint.

"Starved for affection as always," she teased. "Are you certain love is not an essential secondary sustenance for you humans?"

It was anyone's guess whether or not Peridot was aware of her humorous hypocrisy; regardless, Amethyst snickered to herself after hearing this. And the snickers grew louder when she saw Peridot's blush deepen after Steven responded. He very likely had just called Peridot out.

"D-don't you sass me!" Peridot sputtered. "Stars almighty, do not mock the gem you're begging for a favor! …–I said that in jest, Steven: stop apologizing. Calm yourself; with my efforts combined with Bismuth's, you needn't worry about that "lifetime" ban that smile-prone human is threatening to hand down. Give me a minute and I'll be right over to save the day."

She almost hung up but gulped and paused as Steven's last words stopped her. "A-aha, yes, yes. The love you feel for me is very much mutual on my end. My love for you is absolute, as always. I look forward to our imminent reunion."

Now she could hang up. Peridot immediately glanced at Amethyst, who finally stopped holding back on her full-blown cackling.

"Oh, come on! You couldn't have heard more than half that conversation; how would you know when anything objectively humorous was spoken between myself and Steven?" Peridot protested.

"Can't help it," a clearly unapologetic Amethyst explained between her chuckles. "You both just got it so bad for each other, it's unreal! I always knew the day Steven became a real Ste-man would be the day he turns full-on into a ball of mush. The dude was born with lots of love to give in nearly every variety. Now here you are; the long-awaited conduit for his romantic brand of love! And he's makin' up for lost time!"

Peridot scoffed at this, but of course her blushing never faded. "Anyway, I need to relocate to where Steven is for just a moment. Apparently, Bismuth applied so much force to that strength-measuring game that she smashed it to pieces."

"Eeesh, she flattened that one?" Amethyst was admittedly impressed. "Mr. Smiley triple-reinforced that sucker because I kept breaking it – and Bismuth straight-up obliterated the thing?!"

"In one hit, allegedly," Peridot added. "But as I previously said, a machine that fragile would only malfunction repeatedly if left to its own devices, so it's to Funland's benefit that it's getting a replacement that is superior in every aspect. Steven said Bismuth's taken an interest in maintaining the structural integrity of Funland, so that's quite refreshing news to have at a time like this."

Amethyst couldn't help but feel Peridot massively understated that last part.

"Sounds like Steven's doing good getting Bismuth adjusted to Beach City," the quartz happily pointed out. "Just as I figured the not-so-little guy would, heh."

Peridot looked to her friend with a bit of concern. "I'm very sorry to interrupt our "hanging out" time like this, Amethyst…"

The quartz shrugged off the imminent concern; she seemed to regard this as something she was quite used to. "Hey, we can't afford to let Steven get lifetime-banned from Funland, Peri. It's your duty as a Crystal Gem to make sure our boy gets to have some fun whenever he needs it and do whatever you have to whenever something threatens to take that away from him! And, it's your duty as Steven's girlfriend to be there for him as his loving, trusted partner!"

While this spiel made Peridot blush again, this time she was smiling rather than scowling from embarrassment.

"Steven did sound a little tired," she noted. "As if he just had a very heavy and difficult conversation himself. But he's only with Bismuth, for stars' sake…"

"Eh… you weren't awake to overhear this, but Bismuth was overdue for a talk with Steven," Amethyst uneasily told her. "But you said Steven just sounded tired, right? And he and Bismuth are clearly still fine hanging out right now, so odds are that duo tied up all the loose ends left hanging thanks to the Homeworld debacle."

Only then did Peridot silently piece together what issues Bismuth could possibly have with Steven… and yes, since her light and dark personas merged, the technician remembered every detail of what happened in those dreadful deathmatches – even the one her primary "light" self was not present for.

Consequently, she remembered the dark entity known as "5XG" verbally tearing Steven to shreds, especially when she brought up the incident that caused the hybrid to poof and bubble his fellow Crystal Gem. He kept her in stasis until the advent of Ruby and Sapphire's wedding – this milestone in the Crystal Gems' history paired with the revelation of Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz being one and the same finally allowed Bismuth to be given the second chance she deserved.

Peridot merely assumed these issues had been worked through already; she never would have dreamed 5XG's words would have left this much of an impression on the best side of her beloved.

"Dot, Dot, Dot," Amethyst chided as she caught her best friend lost in thought. "It's all good, okay? Stuff like this is exactly why Garnet's extended our break before Gypsum and Era 3, don't you see?"

"–O-oh; of course," Peridot stuttered in agreement. She felt silly needing to be told this by Amethyst, in all honesty. "Steven seemed fine otherwise; if he was truly upset, he would not have been able to flirt with me so expertly."

Amethyst grinned at this detail. "See? He's already dyin' to see you again. Better not keep your man waiting!"

"I fully intend to take advantage of our time in close proximity with each other," Peridot devilishly assured. "All the same, this should be a simple job for an engineer of my caliber – I will do my best not to linger, as it does pain me to leave you by yourself like this. Perhaps you could come with me…"

"Nah." Amethyst was content to sit down and sit this out. Her eyes caught the device that fell out of Peridot's hands the moment Jasper was brought up – it still remained on the ground unattended. "I should probably keep an eye on this thingamajig still figuring out my b-day."

"Oh my stars!" Peridot cried out, horrified. "I was supposed to monitor that device to ensure nothing would malfunction! Th-the topic of Jasper must have broken my concentration!"

Amethyst closely inspected the scanner-shaped machine before offering a shrug to her friend. "For what it's worth, it's still working just fine. Still doing calculations and backdating."

So, at the very least, Peridot didn't damage it nor hinder its progress. Still, she was visibly exasperated.

"Even so, a glitch could have happened during our conversation and we'd be none the wiser," the younger gem tiredly countered. "Unfortunately, we may have to start this all over again from the beginning…"

"But it's still working like it should, dude," Amethyst pointed out. "You don't know if it glitched out or not – maybe it didn't. Maybe it's still fine as it is!"

"Even so, I pride myself on accurate approximations," Peridot sternly insisted. "I will not sully my credibility on an oversight – especially when my work pertains to my best friend. So, let us compromise – allow the machine to finish this initial scan as-is and record the results. Then, run it again: this time, keep your eyes on the screen for the entire process. Resist all distractions and do not let the inevitable boredom break your resolve. Can I count on you to do that for me while I assist Steven and Bismuth?"

"Well, guess I can't ignore the huge incentive there is for me to do a thing I'd normally never do," Amethyst slyly pointed out. "If I gotta endure a little boredom to figure out what my birthday is, then so be it or whatever, eh?"

"Ah, very true," Peridot agreed. "It's settled, then. Of course, if something catastrophic happens in your vicinity while I'm absent, do not hesitate to contact me. I don't anticipate this task taking up too much of our time, but you never know..."

Amethyst winked at the junior gem while still paying close attention to the device. "Hey, if you've got an opportunity to get a little steamy with Steven, don't pass it up on my account! No doubt he's missing you as much as you miss him."

Peridot suppressed her urge to bark out at Amethyst in her usual defensive manner… but of course, she couldn't hold down her very-visible blushing.

"I will not leave without Steven reimbursing me in loving affection," she assured the quartz. "Keeping it brief should work in my favor, though; teasing Steven with a sample should make him desperate for me by nightfall."

"Ooh, even at the rookie stage, Peri is already proficient in the art of cocktease-fu!" Amethyst teased… though the gem entirely meant every word she said. "You're all set, girl: go get 'im!"

Peridot was very uncertain of her friend's choice of verbiage. "I feel I should not ask for clarification on this particular art… i-in any case, I'll return as soon as I can, Amethyst. I'm counting on you to make up for where I fell short, okay?"

"Will do," Amethyst assured with a lazy wave. "Seeya when I see ya, Peri-D!"

Peridot teleported to Funland, leaving Amethyst to sit in her spot while constantly monitoring a very dull and simplistic-looking device.

This task would be easier said than done… but thankfully, the incentive was strong enough to keep Amethyst on the straight-and-narrow.

In less than half an hour's time, Peridot returned to the Prime Kindergarten precisely from the point she teleported out from it earlier.

"Welcome back, my pal!"

Amethyst waved the younger gem over to where she had been sitting the entire time. Peridot rejoined the quartz and took a seat.

"My apologies for the delay," Peridot gently expressed. "It seems I'm not the only one still worried about relatively trivial matters – I was required to invest extra time consoling Steven…"

"Seriously? You're apologizing for that?" Amethyst could help but scoff at this. "Dude, I'd be more pissed if you just ignored him. I know Steven's prone to having little episodes here and there – usually it's Rose-related stuff causing them – but at this point, I think it's just gonna be routine thing that happens every couple of months. At least you were there for him this time."

Peridot nodded as she carefully absorbed this information. "Indeed; I wish to always be there for Steven in his hardest times. I've been told Steven has a history of temporarily losing certain powers and abilities – in fact, I believe he was going through a spell the night I kidnapped him. I ordered him to use his healing powers to fix a malfunctioning warp pad, and his saliva had no effect."

Amethyst immediately looked concerned. "Is that the deal right now, Per? Are Steven's powers gone?"

"Mm, not to my knowledge," Peridot admitted, though she didn't look entirely certain herself. "Past instances seemed to be indicative of a psychosomatic outage – but there is no outage of any kind as far as I've seen this time. However, Steven's ability to read anyone's inner feelings seems to have been compromised."

"Uh, you mind simplifying that?" the baffled Amethyst requested.

The younger gem sighed; her eyes cast down to the ground. "Steven accused me of lying to his face, Amethyst… b-but when I assured him I was not lying at all, he seemed to realize that was indeed the case. In other words, his aura reading is now producing false positives. I'm hoping it's short-lived; a malfunction like that could prove to be problematic in the near future."

All of this seemed very suspect to Amethyst… but she couldn't quite put her finger on why, yet. Peridot herself seemed a little off… but that was little more than a hunch for now.

"Well, Steven's powers have gone wacko-crazy in plenty of ways even before your time," the quartz pointed out. "But it's always been temporary, and if I had to guess, it's probably just what comes from being a half-n-half; especially when one half is a Diamond. I'll help keep tabs on him if you need the extra help."

"N-no; however this incident happened, I can't help but feel I unintentionally instigated it." Peridot hastily assured. "I won't drag you into our mess: I am the one who should clean this up."

However polite she was about it, this rubbed Amethyst the wrong way. But she held back on her urge to press for more information for the time being.

"I'm sure it's not your fault," Amethyst said consolingly. "Um, by the way, the second scan is almost done, I think. Wanna take a look?"

Peridot wordlessly took the device from Amethyst's hands and studied the readings closely. "Oh, thank you for monitoring this in my absence. What was the result of the first scan?"

"I'd rather save it until the second scan's done," Amethyst slyly told her. "We'll see if they match up and whatnot. Part of me kinda hopes they do, 'cause the first one's like, waaaay too fitting to not be right."

"Hm…" Peridot's eyes narrowed at the screen. "Shame on me for subjecting you to this; it's such dull task."

Amethyst shrugged in response. "Hey, between this and a Pearl lecture, I'd choose this every single time. You wouldn't believe the kind of boredom-torture I've lived through over the years, dude."

"Well, I built this machine… that makes me its creator," Peridot acknowledged, though it seemed she was talking to herself more so than Amethyst. "So with a little willpower, I should be able to channel my desire to speed up this tedious procedure."

As Peridot's stare at the scanning device hardened, her free hand clutched all sides of the screen tightly.

Then a subtle glow emitted from the gem's body. Amethyst suddenly caught sight of a very conspicuous irregularity in her friend's appearance, enhanced by the natural darkness of their location. She was quick to suppress her shocked expression, as now the quartz was dead certain all was not right with her best friend. But she could tell calling her out on this immediately would be a mistake.

"Silly me; why did I not think to do this sooner?" Peridot said in jest when the second scan was finally complete. "If I can make metal bend to my will, of course I could force machines to work as fast as possible with the power of my authoritative command."

"So lay it on me, Peri-D!" Amethyst urged as she showed the technician the date she wrote down from the results of the first scan. "We got a match, or what?"

She let out a cheeky grin when she saw Peridot's scowl.

"A match, indeed," the seething Peridot confirmed. "After all that time I explained the sadistic nature of the humans' calendar system and that one contrarian month in particular…"

"… It was just totally destiny that I'd end up with a birthday on the 29th of February, huh?" Amethyst slyly finished for her. "The friggin' day of the leap year, on top of that! –Wait, does that mean I only get a birthday once every four years…?"

What seemed so fitting and cool now seemed a bit unfortunate and inconvenient…

"Ask Steven," Peridot sharply answered. "One positive to this is that you'll have plenty of time to make a birthday wish list, at least."

"… Crap." Amethyst realized the other downside to this particular date being her birthday. "No party for me today – I've gotta wait like, a ton of months before we get there!"

"But by then, you'll have every last detail planned out," Peridot was quick to remind her. "Besides, at least you get a birthday. You're part of a very exclusive club now, so be grateful."

Peridot did have a point; the only other Crystal Gems with birthdays to their name were herself, Steven, Connie and Greg.

"O-oh, right! Thanks so much for doing this, Peridot!" Amethyst expressed with a hug so strong, she practically tackled her diminutive friend to the ground. "You're so the gem of the hour!"

The technician did not anticipate this strong of a display of appreciative affection. She squealed out as she found herself pinned to the ground, unable to move.

Amethyst had her right where she wanted her, and the larger gem knew if she didn't act now, she'd never have another opportunity like this.

Peridot's shades were already knocked loose and uneven from the impact of the fall. In one swift motion, Amethyst snatched them straight from her friend's face.

There, she saw proof that she had every right to be suspicious.

The gentle glow that emanated from Peridot's body earlier was innocuous enough, but not even her shades could hide the much greater intensity of her right eye's sudden radiance. And of course, Amethyst couldn't help but find it suspect that it would only affect one eye.

Sure enough, it wasn't a coincidence: while Peridot's left eye remained blue and ordinary, her right was now a fluorescent lime green.

Even if her left eye hadn't been abnormally luminescent, Amethyst still would have found this change to be nothing but suspicious.

After all, Peridot's right eye was supposed to be hazel, not green.

"A-Amethyst, you're being a bit too overzealous with your displays of affection!" Peridot protested, hoping in vain her best friend simply overlooked this very glaring visual oddity. "Would you mind releasing me and relinquish your hold on my awesomely-shaped ocular accessory?!"

"Peridot, would you mind telling me what Steven said you lied about earlier?" Amethyst asked in a knowing tone. "He caught on to your eye, didn't he?"

Hastily grabbing her shades out of Amethyst's hands, Peridot disappeared from underneath the quartz and reappeared a few yards away. She was no longer feigning ignorance; her heaving was indicative of her nervousness of being found out.

"Amethyst, this is not a road you want to travel down!" Peridot sternly warned. "This is no business of yours; I expect you will show the same respect you displayed earlier in regard to your agreement to not speak of the issue revolving around Jasper!"

"You can't seriously pretend this is anything like the Jasper problem," Amethyst countered. "Just for playing the pity card, I'll play hardball again: are you even really Peri right now?"

Peridot let out a very frustrated growl in response. "H-how dare you! You, Amethyst, of all gems should never talk to me like this! Have you any idea how much it hurts to be accused–"

"Me of all gems should know when Peri isn't really Peri!" Amethyst countered. "And if I caught on, I bet Steven did too. So what the hell did you do to Steven?!"

"How dare you!" Tears streamed down Peridot's face as she used her willpower to hurl a large rock in Amethyst's direction. "I would never hurt Steven! NEVER! Accuse me of such a crime again and you'll be lucky if you come out of the experience alive long enough to regret your decision!"

Amethyst easily dodged the rock and remained on the defensive. She definitely didn't foresee her innocent friendly venture with Peridot ending up like this. But she couldn't back down now; something was dreadfully wrong with her best friend, and she intended to fix this as best she could.

Of course, the odds were highly stacked against her. Amethyst was on her own in the middle of nowhere, and whether or not Peridot was truly herself at the moment apparently had no bearing on her range of willpower-based abilities.

It was a little sad, in a way. Had the two been pitted against each other just a few weeks ago, Amethyst could have easily dispatched the technician. Sometimes, it was horrifying to realize just how drastically every aspect of life changed in a very short amount of time.

"I guess you would've had to take Bismuth out to really mess with Steven," Amethyst realized. "But how about you show me what they're doing right here, right now so I'll know for a fact you didn't hurt either of 'em? You should be able to show me that much if you've got nothing to hide, right?"

Truthfully, there was nothing to hide in that regard… for the most part, at least. Steven and Bismuth were still conscious and discussing ideas for future rides with Mr. Smiley at Funland. However, there was a certain part of Steven that Peridot absolutely could not risk letting Amethyst see.

Although, she really couldn't kid herself. There was no way for the two of them to leave this Kindergarten on good terms now. Amethyst was on to her. Drastic measures would be needed to restore normality to this situation.

"You're going to have to take my word for it," Peridot sorrowfully responded; more tears spilled down her face. "Amethyst, I don't want to hurt you… b-but you're honestly leaving me no choice…"

"Stop acting like you're not some kinda parasitic monster!" Amethyst cried out. "You're using Peridot's body as your puppet, so you're no frickin' different from White Diamond! Whoever you are, I'm gonna purge you outta my best friend's body if it's the last thing I do!"

Peridot immediately disappeared and reappeared behind Amethyst. She would not dignify this response with words – the technician was furious, but all she could offer was a dead stare as she clutched the quartz on both sides and squeezed her as hard as she could, all the while charging an electric current through her opponent's body.

It wasn't long before Amethyst vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only her gemstone behind.

Following that, Peridot dropped to her knees. After securing the amethyst within a lime green bubble, the younger gem clutched it to her chest as she finally broke down into a fit of sobbing.

"Wh-why did you make me do this to you, Amethyst?!" Peridot bawled out. "Why couldn't you leave well enough alone?! Th-this isn't how I wanted us to end up!"

The technician grit her teeth through her tears as she tried with all her might to comprehend her actions… and what to do from here.

"I acted too early," Peridot wearily realized. "B-but I can't take any of this back… a-and this is your fault!"

The agonized green gem smacked herself in the face.

"Th-this is all on you for making me a persona non grata! You deserve to be blamed for this, b-but I'm not going to sink that low… yet," she growled. "This is on both of you, for reducing me to someone with nothing left to lose! You're gonna find out the hard way later tonight… this is not a problem you can just will away!"

She glanced down to the poor, unfortunate quartz in her arms: the collateral damage from a certain couple's poor conduct and decision-making.

"B-but I'm not going to take this out on your friends," she said in a shaky tone. "Unless they pose a direct threat like Amethyst just did. She's a better friend than you deserve, so I'm going to fix this as best I can… only for her sake and my own."

"Peridot" closed her eyes and concentrated her energy on the bubbled amethyst in her grasp. Soothing green energy was absorbed into the bubble and transferred directly into the gemstone.

"I'm so sorry, Amethyst… I don't deserve to ask for your forgiveness," the gem glumly apologized. "The best I can do is cut and edit this horrific moment between us, for both our sakes."

"Peridot" flinched as she willed for one of the many injectors firmly pinned into the cliff to fall down and crash just a couple of yards away.

"That should be an adequate cover for your poofing," she acknowledged. "Amethyst, I know it's unforgivable of me to mess with your memories… I wouldn't resort to this unless I had no other choice. Please understand there's more at stake here than you realize. I have to protect everyone."

Once the process was complete, "Peridot" winced and brought up a glowing hand to her forehead, covering her own gemstone.

"S-see, Amethyst? I'm subjecting myself to the same punishment!" she cried as fresh tears streamed down her face. "Wh-when we wake up… this moment will have never happened! You'll still have your birthday, a-and… we'll finish "hanging out" the right way."

The alleged technician sighed with resignation as she altered her own memory in the same manner she did to Amethyst's.

"I hope one day you'll forgive me for dragging you into this nonsense, Amethyst. In spite of what happened between us… I don't want to ruin this friendship before it ever started."

The bubble was popped. Seconds after Amethyst's gemstone made a soft landing on the ground, a now-unconscious Peridot fell much more harshly right beside her.

The two would wake up (or reform, in Amethyst's case) a short while later. Both had no recollection of anything that happened after Amethyst's birthday confirmation. Amethyst's memory was specifically altered to erase the moment she took notice to her friend's conspicuous glowing eye.

But the presence of the nearby collapsed injector jogged their doctored memories of Amethyst saving Peridot from getting flattened… at the cost of being flattened herself.

"You really didn't need to put yourself in danger just for my sake," Peridot worriedly expressed. "Honestly, I really need to work on my reaction time; I could have saved us both the trouble if I thought to use my power to protect us."

"Eh, that sounds like something we gotta train you on," Amethyst suggested. "But honestly, dude, don't even start up the blame train again. You'd do the same for me, and in the end, we're both A-OK. I got a real birthday on top of that, so that's all that matters!"

Peridot smiled and nodded to her friend. "Yes, I suppose we've accomplished our mission. Perhaps that fallen injector is a sign that we should vacate the premises and have fun somewhere a little safer… and preferably a bit more sunlight."

"Yeah, this place feels hella depressing after a while," Amethyst agreed. "So you'll get the birthday for my fam figured out later, right?"

"Of course," Peridot gladly assured. "But for now, I'm more than ready to take a break from this abomination known as the Gregorian calendar and the leap years. Shall we hang out elsewhere?"

In the back of Peridot's mind, something still didn't feel right… but she couldn't put her finger on it. Still, she couldn't deny she was eager to leave this dreadful kindergarten.

"Whatever keeps you away from Rabid-Mode Pearl, eh?" Amethyst teased in jest. "You can count on me, dude!"

"I always can." Peridot smiled, reassured that Amethyst always made good on her word to be there in her time of need. "A stroll through Beach City should offer endless possibilities for squandering time. It feels like forever since I've been there, anyway."

Amethyst smirked at this suggestion. Peridot was correct that, much like Steven, she almost entirely neglected Beach City's existence.

"Ooh, this day's gonna be packed. Peri-port us to Beach City, then! Who knows, we might even run into Steven and Bismuth!"

The pair teleported out of the dark, dreary kindergarten and reappeared at the edge of the city limits of Steven's hometown.

"Steven…"

No matter how much Peridot wanted to reconnect and catch up with her friends, her desire to reunite with Steven was stronger than ever.

She didn't stop to think how odd it was to feel that way when she had visited her boyfriend less than an hour ago; it just seemed like common sense to Peridot that she would be this desperate to join with Steven once more.

To be in his loving arms, to kiss and caress the young man… to be one with him.

[ NEXT PHASE: LAPIS & 5XF ]

Chapter Text

In the early hours of dawn, most of the Crystal Gems congregated outside on the coastline just ahead of the beach house that represented the gateway to their true home base, the Crystal Temple. Most were drawn to this specific spot to observe the still-unsolved mystery of how Steven and Peridot ended up mere feet away from the ocean when they last recalled being securely together on the roof of the beach house – without so much as a single mark on the sand that linked the two locations together, and no one seeing or even hearing what should have been a loud crash had the couple truly fallen from such a distance.

Ultimately, the group dispersed; Bismuth and Amethyst paired up with Steven and Peridot respectively to take care of some more lighthearted business. This doubled as a means of therapy for the couple who were naturally worried what happened to them the previous night. Pearl, the only gem who was not part of this informal meeting, had severe grievances of her own that Garnet went out of her way to handle, as the fusion knew Peridot couldn't handle additional stress in her current, fragile state.

However, even Garnet knew she wouldn't be able to keep Pearl away from her co-leader forever. And after learning what Pearl was so riled up about, Garnet ultimately agreed with her longtime teammate that Peridot would have to face this problem once she returned home.

After all that, only Lapis Lazuli and 5XF – Peridot's elder sister (by six seconds) – remained in place on the beach. 5XF intended to spend her time in this spot regardless, and after being told by Garnet how their first refugee needed time to get to know every Crystal Gem, Lapis agreed to take this opportunity to get to know her.

Though Lapis had a fulfilling conversation with her over the phone a few days ago, she had to admit in light of the sibling drama that she unwittingly instigated this morning that a proper face-to-face meeting was in order.

"Just so you know, you're free to ask me things, too," Lapis assured the gem who was nearly identical to her former roommate. "I'll do my best to answer, but… I'll let you know if it's not something I'm ready to talk about yet."

5XF broke her gaze at the ocean to give the gem beside her a curious look. "But I know very little about Earth, let alone the ocean. So I cannot ask–"

"That's your gimmick; not mine," Lapis slyly pointed out. "5XF, you're our guest. It's our responsibility to let you know what's going on around here, so there's no strings attached on my end."

"Then it's unfair of me to–…"

Lapis shook her head. "Listen, it wasn't that long ago when I no different from you: totally lost, didn't know a thing about Earth, didn't even want to stay on Earth at first, and was clueless about what happened over the past few thousand years since I was trapped in a mirror. And when I went back to Homeworld only to be locked away for treason, even though I was never part of any rebellion, I couldn't even recognize my own home. The "home" I knew was long gone – forever. 5XF, the home you know is permanently gone too… only, well, literally. So, I'm going to do for you what my friends did for me: help you in any way I can. Not because I have to; I want to."

5XF looked a bit apprehensive of this sentiment… "If you knew exactly what I put Steven and 5XG through recently, I wonder if you would still feel that way."

Lapis honestly couldn't give her a solid answer there; she had grown to be fiercely protective of Steven and Peridot, both as individuals and a couple. However, Peridot came out of this morning's sibling bickering session worse for it, as her very poor conduct made it obvious to everyone who witnessed the argument that however 5XF wronged her, Peridot was no angel herself.

"Well, I have a feeling Garnet knows what you did," Lapis thoughtfully postulated. "We didn't see you or Sphalerite again after she pulled you two in to talk in private. So, Ruby and Sapphire have been with you all night after Sphalerite defused, but… why would Garnet defuse just to tour our home to you?"

5XF was clearly nervous to dive into this subject so soon… she paused before diverting her focus back to the ocean. "U-um… this ocean has a name, correct? I had a little bit of time to study an atlas of Earth, but there were far too many names to memorize…"

Lapis quietly snorted as she couldn't believe she already forgot 5XF expected specific information in exchange for her answers. "Don't worry too much; I barely know the name of most of these countries. Earth's ocean has a few different names depending on what part of the world we're on: this is the Atlantic Ocean."

"Thank you for clearing that up," 5XF gently replied, bowing her head to Lapis respectfully. "Yes, Garnet knows what I did. She is angry; rightfully so… but she decided to hold off on punishing me until Gypsum is defeated. As for why she defused… there are a couple of reasons. Ruby is the reason I was selected to be the first refugee to be liberated, so of course it was only appropriate that I properly meet her."

"That was nice of her," Lapis remarked. "You don't seem even a little bothered about Garnet being a perma-fusion, come to think of it…"

5XF's posture slumped a bit as her eyes were now drawn to the sand. "After everything that happened since I was first liberated from that bubble… honestly, fusion feels like such a trivial thing to get upset about. I came out learning my home was forever destroyed, the Diamonds I lived to serve no longer exist, this strange new planet teeming with organic life is to be my home from now on, and the gem I spent years avoiding due to her reputation as an overly-ambitious sociopath has become the polar opposite of that due to the influence of a simplistic, unassuming organic Earth native."

Lapis' eyes widened as she took this in. She had to admit, as hard as it was for her to cope with change following her liberation from the mirror, at least back then, Homeworld still existed for her to return to, even if that backfired in the worst possible way. The Diamonds still existed; though they wrongly punished and tortured the terraformer, Lapis couldn't comprehend how much it would have screwed with her mind if she came out of the mirror learning both Homeworld and the Diamond Authority were forever dead and gone.

"And that barely scratches the surface of all the other changes and personal struggles I've contended with," 5XF continued. "So, in light of these life-altering elements… it almost feels like a given that fusion would mean something entirely different here than it did on Homeworld. At the very least, I know what fusion is. I wish I could say as much for Earth… and for the gems living here."

"We're gonna help you understand all of that," Lapis assured. "So, what was the other reason Garnet defused?"

"… I believe that was her attempt to console me," 5XF numbly responded. "I was… sad to no longer have Sphalerite in my presence. I knew it needed to be done, but I feared she may never return… and it seems 5XG confirmed that today."

Lapis was hesitant to press the young gem harder for more details, but… like Amethyst, she too saw the visual indicators that there was more to this bond than her guest was letting on.

"I can tell you really care about her, 5XF," the terraformer softly told her. "And maybe I shouldn't prod, but… can I ask if you two were, um…"

"Water is supposed to be colorless, so why is the ocean blue?"

Well, if 5XF was playing along with her gimmick, it seemed she was surprisingly open to talk about this after all.

"Um, I believe it's based on how light of the sun reflects from it," Lapis recalled. "And the ocean itself has a lot of biological life going on in there. Certain particles will influence the color reflected from that light."

5XF nodded after absorbing this information. "Very good."

She then stared straight at Lapis unflinchingly. "Yes, Sphalerite and I were– are lovers. We became enamored with each other as we worked to find out who we truly were: I had to discard my old life entirely, and Sphalerite hadn't existed long enough to know who she was. We helped each other discover our identities… and following that, we admitted our feelings for each other, as they grew the more we learned about each other and ourselves."

While this was more-or-less the answer Lapis expected, she couldn't help but feel a bit stunned by this revelation.

"S-sounds legit," she admitted, though Lapis honestly was not sure how sound her judgment was on this particular subject. "I just… never thought about a relationship between a gem and a fusion. In my experience, the fusion is a relationship. A-and Sphalerite's honestly no different…"

"While Sphalerite is a living representation of Steven and 5XG's love for each other, she is still her own gem," 5XF asserted. "With her own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. You might say… due to the circumstances, the love between her components is secondary to what Sphalerite truly represents."

"Wait… what?" Lapis couldn't follow this logic. "She literally can't exist without them, you know. You can't just talk like Steven and Peridot aren't integral to who Sphalerite is! Their relationship is healthy, and–"

"I beg to differ."

Lapis found herself silenced by 5XF's dry and bitter tone.

"They do legitimately love each other," 5XF clarified. "Understand I am not belittling their bond… I learned the hard way that underestimating how far they'll go for each other was extremely foolish and short-sighted of me. But… therein lies the problem: Steven and 5XG are so devoted to each other, they've become codependent. If it wasn't completely necessary to have them participate in this mission to neutralize Gypsum, I would recommend not bringing them at all. They'll both be a detriment to your mission, just as I inevitably will."

5XF looked to the yellow crystal embedded into her hard light form, specifically shaped to match the yellow diamond that held the collar of her uniform together; the very representation of what terror she wrought merely by her inability to put her faith in Steven and Peridot.

Lapis kept her eyes on the ocean as she listened to this. While she tried to suppress her emotions, the ocean gem's face visibly twitched.

"That said, I cannot hate their relationship," 5XF humbly admitted. "That would be foolish of me; I never would have found the love of my life without them. However, Steven and 5XG were too excited and fixated on pitching ideas to each other about what abilities Sphalerite should have, rather than taking time to learn who she actually was when they first fused. Sphalerite told me that much herself; she forced herself to defuse until her components could behave and take their fusion seriously."

Lapis let out a wordless huff; she couldn't deny this testimony of how Steven and Peridot handled their first time fusing sounded far too legit to be made up. She could easily picture in her head the couple squabbling about which superpowers their fusion should or shouldn't have, acting like the hyperactive children they truly were rather than partners in sync with each other.

"Sphalerite did not have time to learn a thing about herself," 5XF solemnly told the gem beside her. "And while Steven and 5XG were perfectly in sync with each other the second time they fused… certain circumstances forced them to have, well… little to no say in how Sphalerite operated. It's a very long story to tell in full, Lapis… and from your current expression, I must tell you I do not feel comfortable divulging certain details that I am certain will upset you further."

Being called out for her poor job in suppressing her passive aggression broke the ocean gem's concentration. She didn't notice until now that her concentrated inner rage from hearing 5XF talk actually caused the tides to come in a bit rougher than usual, with a spot in the water directly across from Lapis visibly boiling.

"–Oh, uh…" Lapis actually blushed; very embarrassed to be caught like this. "S-sorry, I just… those two are soft spots for me, 5XF. After the hell I made them live through when I abandoned Earth before all this madness happened… I-I know I really hurt both of them in ways that won't go away with just an apology. Peridot especially. They both suffered so much on our last missions to Homeworld, on top of that. And those two will have to work harder than any of us to ensure Earth's Era 3 doesn't fall apart before it gets off the ground… overnight, their lives drastically changed forever. They've both grown a lot from their experiences, but… I-I'm worried the pressure's going to get to them if they can't catch a break, even when they're trying to get away from all this."

5XF's features softened as she took that into consideration. "I was given a generalized version of this story… how their Diamond heritage factors into their heightened responsibility. But, Lapis… understand that this "true" Era 3 won't be easy for any of us. The refugees will struggle to adapt and understand, just as you all will struggle in guiding us. I would not wish this kind of job on my worst enemy, so I do pity Steven and 5XG for what lies ahead of them. However… that alone is not enough for me to forgive their transgressions. They are knowingly taking Sphalerite away from me, Lapis. Even though they know full well she's the only one who was able to help me understand and appreciate Earth! They are aware she is my inspiration – my "something to live for", as they say on Earth!"

It killed Lapis inside to hear this. She heard it straight from Peridot's mouth: Sphalerite would never come back. She saw how 5XF needed Ruby's help to continue standing after her little sister made that declaration.

And yet, there were so many questions still unanswered…

"Listen, I'm… not exactly one to talk when it comes to relationships," Lapis murmured. "But how are you so sure Sphalerite and you are meant to be? At best, you can only be a part-time couple, but… you two couldn't have known each other for more than couple of days, right? Relationships take time to build; they're not something you can just rush into."

"I know we rushed our relationship," 5XF admitted. "But you just explained why we needed to rush: I feared I may never see Sphalerite again once she defused. I am reliant on Steven and 5XG fusing to even see her again, let alone spend time with her. Sphalerite even appearing when she did, let alone for such a long, continuous period of time… it was an unprecedented event I could not afford to not take advantage of. You'll recall I said earlier that specific circumstances made her a fusion who had little to no input from her components."

Lapis blinked when she was reminded of this detail. That did strike her as odd…

"Oh, right… why did Steven and Peridot leave Sphalerite to her own devices, anyway?" she asked. "I feel like if they were really that against your relationship, they would have defused before anything could really happen."

"The manner in which I wronged Steven and 5XG… it pushed them both to their absolute limit," 5XF explained, very much not looking proud of herself in doing so. "It broke them simultaneously… and they could no longer care for me. However, their shared trauma allowed their bodies to be in perfect harmony with each other, so as a last resort, they fused. As Sphalerite, both would have the strength to take us to safety and watch over me."

Lapis nodded as she uneasily took this in. "So, they finally took their fusion seriously… they both rested their hopes on Sphalerite to finish what they couldn't."

5XF nodded in agreement. "Steven and 5XG did a passable job explaining what happened, but neither of them endeared me to this concept of living as a free gem on Earth. It sounded far too good to be true, and it was impossible for me to take them seriously. They were both far too immature for me to believe they were event competent in their own assigned jobs. Sphalerite, on the other hand… we were both on even ground. I was learning right alongside her, and she had the memories of her components to rest on to give me the answers I needed. Her way of communicating resonated much more strongly with me."

She couldn't help but blush as she recalled those magical moments… "You see, Steven and 5XG were basically asleep the entire time. They needed to, after the torture they endured – but their inability to influence their fusion was possibly the best decision they could have ever made. I never once felt a nagging impression that Sphalerite was acting too much like Steven, or too much like 5XG… or stars forbid, a mix of both's worst traits. Sphalerite truly was her own gem. Even Garnet agreed that my influence on Sphalerite indefinitely eclipsed that of her own components'. Being unconscious for so long is how our relationship developed the way it did… and why it was never interrupted."

"Asleep, but still in sync…" Lapis muttered as she tried to wrap her head around this. "I don't know, 5XF. This sounds a little dangerous… you know, a fusion being so far removed from her own components. I-I'm not saying you're a bad influence, but if Sphalerite's as distant from Steven and Peridot as you say she is, it might be bad news if she does come back. Especially now that Peri went and ran her mouth earlier about not allowing her to exist again…"

5XF couldn't help but frown; she had a feeling before this conversation started that Lapis was going to be inclined to make excuses to justify where her sister and Steven went wrong.

She was far too protective of her beloved fusion to simply allow an ignorant gem to throw her under the bus.

"I cannot say for certain how Sphalerite will behave should she reappear, but I do know she means no harm to any of you," 5XF clearly stated; Lapis could tell by her tone that she was trying the technician's patience. "D-did she at all come off as someone to fear when she introduced herself to all of you last night?!"

"W-we… didn't get to spend much time with her, but not really," Lapis admitted. "I'm just saying, she is part-Peri despite all of this, and your sister's pretty notorious for having very rapid moodswings…"

5XF gave the ocean gem a hard stare. "Based on what I've learned about you, Lapis, I feel you are the last gem to be judgmental of someone based on that specific characteristic."

Lapis recoiled a bit; both annoyed and embarrassed, as she couldn't deny her guest had a point. Still, she did not fully back down.

"Look, I know I'm not one to talk," she grumbled. "But it takes one to know one, 5XF. So trust me, I know an unstable gem when I see one. Remember I lived with this one for a while – and you told me yourself that Peridot wouldn't have been able to function if she didn't make herself forget the most traumatic part of her life."

"You're still projecting 5XG's flaws on to Sphalerite as if she must inherit those traits by virtue of simply being her component," 5XF argued. "But look at this matter realistically, Lapis: see the scenario from Sphalerite's perspective. If you were a fusion and knew your component was hellbent on ensuring you would never exist again, would you not be furious with her?"

"Mmmph…"

Lapis couldn't help but feel a little frustrated; 5XF was easily outpacing her in this logical debate. She felt while that was par for the course, as much as Peridots in general rigidly lived on that principle and glorified it, a matter like this could not (and should not) be looked at with that element exclusively.

"Despite that, Sphalerite would not pose a threat to her components – she is reliant on them to exist, after all. She cannot endanger either of them without endangering herself in the process," 5XF confidently declared. "So we've established Sphalerite bears no ill will towards any of the Crystal Gems – and however much she might rightfully despise her components, she cannot harm them in any way. Sphalerite knows I would be devastated if she were to cease existing, so unlike me, she values her life."

"Why don't you value your life, 5XF?" Lapis quietly asked, trying to mask how horrified she felt to hear that final statement.

5XF sighed and focused back on the ocean; it was the only thing that could truly calm her nerves. "What causes this ocean's tides to shift at certain intervals?"

It had been a while since the refugee's last bargain. In a way, they were handy breaks from a very tense conversation.

"Oh, that's basic stuff for terraformers," Lapis assured her guest in a more positive, friendly tone. "And it sounds silly for anyone who doesn't inherently know this, but any water-based planet with a lunar satellite will have shifting tides. Earth's moon is really close by – in fact, you can still kind of see it in the sky right now."

5XF peered at the sky and indeed saw the faint partial white circle of the moon despite the sun having breached the horizon quite some time ago.

"So I do," she confirmed. "It is awfully close… is there any risk of it colliding with Earth in the future?"

"Nah, it's a pretty stable cycle," Lapis replied. "But with it being so close, its own gravitational pull affects Earth's waters. The moon orbits Earth while rotating along with it, and depending on the time of day, the tide will either come further inland or recede."

5XF nodded… but gradually, a sadness overcame her. "… I do not want a life without Sphalerite. She was the one who finally helped me make sense of this planet… and this new lease on life. Without her, I fear life will no longer make sense to me…"

Hearing this shook Lapis to the core: these sentiments matched perfectly with Peridot's feelings for Steven.

"Sh-she can't approve of you feeling that way if she really loves you," Lapis uttered, sounding short of breath. "Even in a best-case scenario, you wouldn't be able to be with her that often, 5XF."

"I know that," 5XF bitterly replied; her eyes squinting as she tried to hold back tears. "From the start, I knew how challenging it would be to maintain this relationship, but neither of us were deterred. I am a patient gem, Lapis… waiting for her, I can handle. But there's no waiting to be had if I'm outright told she is never permitted to exist again."

"If you want my opinion, I really don't think that's going to stick," Lapis mused. "Peridot tends to get overly dramatic when she's upset, but give her time to cool down, and–"

5XF sharply locked eyes with Lapis just then.

"5XG knows what Sphalerite and I did together while she and Steven were unconscious," she said in a very dark and ominous tone. "For the better part of three days, both were unresponsive and therefore unreachable after they became Sphalerite. She tried to contact her components multiple times, to no avail. But after what I put them through, it made sense that they needed so much time to recover. They were blissfully unaware of how Sphalerite and I got to know each other and ourselves, as well as how we expressed our feelings for each other after we confessed them… but shortly after they returned last night when Sphalerite defused, both regained the memories of their fusion, down to every last detail…"

Lapis found it hard to face 5XF all of a sudden; a heavy, dark blue blush stained her cheeks. The way the younger gem spoke seemed to suggest that this relationship was far more than some precocious puppy love.

"Oh… o-oh no; please don't tell me this is going where I think it's going…" The ocean gem was very uncomfortable to assume the worst, but now that she was in this deep, she couldn't exactly back out of this now.

"I think it is," 5XF flatly stated, though a faint teal blush was also present across her face. "Naturally, Sphalerite and I were equally inexperienced and ignorant, but when a couple has over forty hours to explore–"

"–Excuse me for a moment," a very upset Lapis interrupted as she stood up. "I-I'll be right back… j-just sit tight."

With that, the twitching, staggering terraformer sprouted her watery wings and flew up. She didn't go out too far, but Lapis needed to be where the water was deep enough to fully contain her inevitable emotional outburst.

5XF closely examined the point where Lapis submerged herself. She was not at all comfortable admitting just how intimate she and Sphalerite were, but with Peridot being very liberal with her brutal slut-shaming in public, she figured it was just a matter of time before this aspect of their relationship became common knowledge among the Crystal Gems.

And if it was inevitable that they would find out about it, 5XF vastly preferred her prospective future friends to hear this from her rather than her savagely irate younger sister.

A mass of bubbles rose up from Lapis' point of entry, shortly followed by fierce streams of water firing off in various diagonal directions – thankfully, nothing was shot towards the shoreline, though 5XF couldn't help but worry she was going to eventually get caught in the crossfire.

The streams eventually became chunks of ice that were shot far out enough that they eventually faded out of sight before ever hitting the water. After a minute or so of this, the water eventually calmed. Lapis had finally tired herself of screaming underwater; after surfacing, she let out a heavy sigh before dejectedly flying back over to her seat next to a very wary 5XF.

The technician did not dare speak a word – she would wait for Lapis to permit her to continue, because clearly this was a matter the terraformer took very personally.

"You… so you said… Sphalerite tried contacting them, right?" the elder gem finally asked. "Lots of times?"

The timid 5XF nodded; she was no longer daring enough to barter for ocean information just to give Lapis a response. "I-If you're wondering, Sphalerite did give Steven and 5XG a final chance to interfere in what we intended to do. She didn't just forget about them."

Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Steven and Peridot did eventually regain consciousness, but by that point, their fusion and their charge had been deeply ingrained into their love-making for at least thirty hours. After that much indulgence in each other, both Sphalerite and 5XF completely forgot Steven and Peridot existed. Consequently, the couple's cries not only went unheard, but they were literally left in the dark with no indication of why they were trapped within their own fusion for so long.

It wasn't until Steven and Peridot had the idea to boycott their own fusion by denying her access to their collective memories that they were finally remembered and liberated.

5XF had a feeling Lapis would be better off not knowing about that part of the story. More importantly, 5XF felt she would be better off if the terraformer remained oblivious to that detail.

"What a mess…" Lapis groaned. "I mean, if that's what really happened, I… I hate to say it, 5XF, but I can understand why they wouldn't want to fuse again. I know Sphalerite means a lot to you, but how would you feel if you and Sphalerite became a fusion and you came out of that finding out your fusion did that with another gem?"

"I try not to think about that," 5XF admitted. "I'm not pretending Sphalerite and I did nothing wrong; of course I am aware our actions have traumatized Steven and 5XG. But we… I-I'm very sorry to say this, but were I given the chance to go back in time and change what happened, I…. I wouldn't. I'd do the same thing all over again… b-because I wanted to be able to say I made the most of my time with my beloved."

Lapis wanted to hate the elder Peridot for admitting she had no regrets, but she couldn't hate her for following her heart. Even at Steven and Peridot's expense… the fact that the couple at least tried to give them the opportunity to put a stop to this before it started greatly discouraged the ocean gem from regarding this refugee as the bad guy in this scenario.

"I guess I'm having a hard time understanding how a logical gem like you can be so naïve and unrealistic when it comes to love," Lapis told her after taking a moment to pause and choose her words carefully. "You told me yourself that Peridots never get to experience this kind of love, so how are you so sure Sphalerite is the one? Y-you're moving too quickly!"

"We had to move quickly," a very annoyed 5XF reminded her companion. "I already told you why: with a fusion, we do not have the luxury of time most other couples get. Besides that, I've been under the impression that Steven and 5XG aren't exactly following standard relationship protocol, either. They've not even known each other for a full year, yet they already assume they will be together for eternity. I was outright told one reason I was brought out in the middle of their vacation was to serve as a deterrent for those two nitwits going "too far" with their own intimacy."

Lapis had wondered exactly how far along Peridot and Steven were when it came to their physical relationship. They weren't exactly shy when it came to their PDA. She hoped they wouldn't lose control of themselves and make a mistake, and it seemed they were at least aware of that very real possibility enough to have planned for such an occasion. Now that Lapis knew how long Sphalerite had been around in Steven and Peridot's place, she could safely assume the pair did not go down this same path.

But it must have screwed with their minds something fierce when they learned just how far their fusion went…

"I suppose it isn't fair of me to deem you unreasonable when it comes to your skepticism of my relationship with Sphalerite," 5XF reluctantly acknowledged with a sigh. "5XG admitted she had little to tell me about it since she never personally saw her and would never dare ask you directly, but… I was made aware of Malachite."

Lapis looked away to hide the immediate grimace that seemed to be a reflexive reaction to hearing that particular name.

"Of course, 5XG had several times witnessed your… "relationship" with her escort," 5XF meekly added. "And she could make some educated guesses based on that… in short, I understand you have a rather bad history with… intimate relationships."

"That's one hell of an understatement," Lapis bitterly muttered. "I just moved past that not even two weeks ago; I honestly thought I would never be able to. As much as I hate talking about it… I think I need to, for your sake."

5XF shook her head, now very worried. "Lapis, please don't put yourself through unnecessary torment on my account! I-I understand the basics of your experience, and it's not like this will ever apply to me in a literal sense… Era 2 Peridots were never meant to fuse. Sphalerite and I could not become another Malachite even if we tried."

Lapis looked back to the reserved Peridot beside her, fully curious. "But… Peridot managed to fuse; she's an Era 2, no different from you…"

"Except she is very different from me," 5XF corrected. "Though the traits were dormant, 5XG emerged as a Diamond-Peridot hybrid. She was an exception from Era 2s from the very beginning. Granted, she was very limited prior to her ascension, but over time as she discovered herself, her abilities expanded. It is not simply because I am an Era 2 gem that makes me incompatible for fusion, Lapis – Peridots by design were never meant to fuse. Remember what fusion was exclusively for on Homeworld?"

"For… for combat," Lapis nervously recollected.

"Precisely." 5XF shot the ocean gem a stern look. "Now, consider this: Peridots… were never made for combat. We were made to be technicians with no additional functionality. Era 2s like 5XG and myself were given weapons in our limb enhancers, but those were purely for self-defense purposes. I witnessed memories of 5XG's solo conflicts with the Crystal Gems – I could see plain as day she barely had a clue how to operate her own built-in arsenal. If Homeworld had any stock put into our capabilities as warriors, 5XG would have never needed reinforcements like Jasper or yourself when her mission was escalated."

Lapis had honestly never looked at the situation like this before. Of course, she went out of her way to not think of those dark days as much as possible… but it never occurred to her how much of a non-factor Peridots were in combat scenarios on Homeworld. It was no wonder how even after Peridot discovered her ability to control metal, she struggled to measure up to the rest of the Crystal Gems as a combatant until very recently.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" she softly sympathized. "Have you… ever wanted to…?"

5XF shrugged, not as bothered by the question as Lapis anticipated. "There was no point in thinking about such an impossible prospect when I lived on Homeworld; now… there are so many new concepts I am struggling to comprehend. As I said before, I see no point in getting shaken up over fusion being used as a means outside of what Homeworld intended, as it's a minuscule change in the grand scheme of this transition. That said, while I know what fusion is, I do not understand it well enough to see its appeal."

Lapis found this sentiment a little bizarre, to say the least. "But you're dating one, kind of…"

"My love for Sphalerite has absolutely nothing to do with her being a fusion," 5XF clarified. "When I see Sphalerite, I do not see Steven and 5XG together as one, despite their necessity for her very existence. I see another gem entirely… one with her own personality, her own aspirations, her own likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. And she discovered these integral parts of her identity with my help – just as she helped me discover my own. In a way, you could say we created each other…"

Once again, Lapis was struck with severe déjà vu: Peridot always credited Steven for making her the gem she is today; that he created her true identity and everything she stood for.

She wondered if 5XF was aware of these parallels in their relationships.

"Are you certain you are not still upset because I spoke of Malachite?" 5XF asked, as she grew concerned with Lapis' shocked expressions. "I do apologize for that; it was unnecessary of me to bring that up."

Lapis let out a chuckle and smiled reassuringly at the doppelganger of her former roommate.

"No, I've just… heard this before. Not from you, but… someone else you know. I wasn't sure whether or not to bring that up to you…"

"I beg your pardon…?" 5XF was perplexed by this answer.

"I thought maybe you already knew based on what you were given a crash-course in, but I guess you've had a lot thrown at you in a short amount of time before you could really absorb it," Lapis replied. "Uh, don't hate me for saying this, but… what you just said about Sphalerite creating the current you, as you helped create her… that's like, word-for-word how your sister feels about Steven."

"… oh my stars."

5XF was told about this, but like most of Peridot's praise for Steven, it flew straight over her head when she was told about their love in great detail way back when the pair were still in the everglades. This was well before she even knew about Sphalerite; consequently, the concept of love was still far from 5XF's grasp back then.

Now that she took the time to think back on that idiotic display of Peridot's affection for Steven, what she initially perceived as gibberish suddenly made much more sense in hindsight.

Lapis couldn't help but smirk at the shaken 5XF. "See? There's a clear connection to your relationships. You know how you said life wouldn't make sense to you without Sphalerite? Peri says the exact same thing about Steven all the time."

And 5XF just realized she mocked Peridot for being codependent on Steven, on top of that. But truly… 5XF had to face the facts: she was every bit as codependent on Sphalerite.

"…. Understand that I do not hate you, Lapis," she weakly clarified. "But I cannot help but feel disgusted right now. I–… I cannot deny any of this, so I must acknowledge that in spite of my great efforts to avoid becoming anything like 5XG as I rebuild my identity here on Earth, I… am failing. I'm no better than her, in the end."

"I get why you'd feel you need to stand out," Lapis told her. "But this isn't a competition; I can easily tell you two apart. None of the other Crystal Gems, as far as I've seen, were ever under the impression that you two are indistinguishable. Even now, I can tell you're really different from the Peri I know."

5XF shook her head frantically as she found herself unable to truly calm down. "This is more than a mere desire to be distinct from a gem who greatly resembles me, Lapis! I've detested 5XG since our early Homeworld days, back when she had no sense of morality and would readily shatter her kin to gain footing in Homeworld society! Yes, she is almost completely the opposite of who she once was now, but she's too far off on the other end of the spectrum!"

Lapis was admittedly a bit amused by this and wanted further details. "Care to elaborate? I didn't get to know Peri when she was at her worst, so I guess it makes sense that who she is today would be a major shock to anyone who did."

"I am compelled to blame Steven for this; as much as I want to hold 5XG completely accountable for her behavior, her similarities to her organic partner are not coincidental," 5XF asserted. "5XG was insufferable when I asked her about Steven… her intelligence quotient drops to single-digit values every time he is within her radius or whenever she speaks of him. She ceases almost all rational thought, her voice adopts this utterly infuriating inflection that accentuates her decreased mental acuity, she's even more prone to delusions of grandeur with her loved once than she was back when she thought she could dominate any and all gems on Homeworld, her penchant for logical behaviors and beliefs all but vanish in favor of inferior sentimental variants, she can hardly speak a full sentence without losing composure and ends up giggling like the emotional fool she is…"

This was a far more detailed list than Lapis anticipated; she was a little impressed but could not hold back smiling as 5XF continued listing ways her lovestruck sister pissed her off.

"So, before you met Sphalerite, your take on the "love" thing was about on par with how I've mostly seen it," the ocean gem observed. "And you couldn't stand the thought of ending up like your sister if you happened to fall in love, too."

5XF nodded, pouting over her perceived lost dignity. "Sphalerite told me I didn't act like 5XG at all even while smitten, but now I wonder if she was only saying that to spare my feelings…"

"5XF, the more you obsess over trying to not be like Peridot, the more it's going to end up backfiring," Lapis pointed out. "But for what it's worth, I don't think you're that much like Peridot even after all this."

"You are the one who pointed out the identical parameters of how we regard our relationships with our loved ones," 5XF rebutted. "And you are absolutely right: the nature of how our relationships were founded, as well as our respective codependency on our loved ones… there are no differences whatsoever!"

Lapis was compelled to give 5XF a comforting pat on the shoulder. She admittedly had mixed feelings for this gem, but all the same, Lapis was not deterred from wanting to help this wayward gem find her true purpose in life – a purpose that did not rely on Sphalerite.

"Listen to me: I meant it when I said you aren't really that much like Peri," she insisted. "The fact that I lived under the same roof as her for months should prove that I know what I'm talking about, okay? And I'm telling you, no matter how similar your relationships with your loved ones are, you two are very different. A relationship doesn't define who you are, 5XF! Please tell me Sphalerite taught you that much!"

As she thought back on it… 5XF found that there were multiple occasions during their time together on Millennium Island when the fusion explicitly encouraged her to expand her horizons beyond her love life.

Sphalerite desperately wanted 5XF to make other friends, starting with the Crystal Gems. She knew immediately that she would not be a reliable long-term companion in any sense of the word due to being a fusion who had no chance of becoming a "permanent" variety similar to Garnet.

Sphalerite loved 5XF dearly enough to think ahead – to encourage and empower her partner to continue having a life even when she could not be part of it. Thankfully, after endearing 5XF to the wonders of Earth and helping her embrace this strange new concept called "living for herself", the fusion successfully gave the technician the courage to be proactive again – this time in a much healthier way.

"She did repeatedly insist that I should do my best to befriend you all," 5XF finally replied; she looked forlorn, but her tone was a bit stronger and self-assured than how she physically appeared. "I'll be frank with you, Lapis: I highly doubt I will be able to make peace with Steven or 5XG anytime soon, if at all. They did not deserve what I inflicted upon them, and I do regret my actions against them every day. I intend to atone as best I can for hurting them so deeply… for attempting to take their lives…"

"I was wondering if you actually went that far," Lapis thoughtfully remarked. "And I would be a hypocrite to cast you away because you tried to kill them at one point; between you, me, Bismuth, and Peri herself, I'm beginning to wonder if it's just meant to play out this way for new gems to become Steven's friend."

"Except I do not want to befriend Steven," 5XF corrected. "I talked with him… I was patient and gave him a chance, Lapis. While I don't believe he is as unforgivably abhorrent as 5XG, Steven has many off-putting traits that… after what we all went through together, I simply cannot tolerate."

Lapis' eyes widened at this revelation. "W-well… I guess you don't have to like all of us; I'm just surprised. Most gems want to befriend Steven more than anyone else…"

"Then I am an exception to the rule," 5XF deduced. "I understand why he may seem appealing to all of you; he is a very confusing creature, but his overwhelming compassion no doubt endears most gems to him, as they've likely never been cared for in such a way before meeting him. When he took care of an ailing 5XG in the everglades, I finally understood what it was that made her change from an unfeeling machine to… well, what she is now."

These were very astute observations from a gem who was still very new to the Crystal Gems, interpersonal relationships, and the concept of compassion. Lapis couldn't help but be impressed.

"That's… wow." Lapis hardly knew how to describe 5XF's firm grasp of such foreign elements. "You're a fast learner; I'll give you that. Guess that's to be expected of your kind, but… if you can see why other gems are drawn to Steven because of who he is, why are you resisting?"

"Lapis, after what I've done… it would be too soon to foster a positive relationship with Steven regardless," 5XF tiredly explained. "He has openly admitted that he is not ready to forgive me yet, and I have no intention of interfering with his coping mechanisms. Since his return and learning what Sphalerite and I have done… Steven will not even refer to me by name directly. He goes out of his way to mention me only in passing if he cannot avoid my presence; that much, you've seen earlier today."

It seemed hard to believe, but when Lapis took a moment to really think about it, she did find it odd how Steven never once directly spoke to 5XF while she and her sister viciously bickered; particularly when the elder Peridot tried to goad her sibling into killing her on the spot.

"Then just give him some time," Lapis urged. "You said you were patient, 5XF: he's not going to hate you forever."

5XF shook her head; she grit her teeth as she tried to contain a sudden burst of rage and hatred from within the confines of her core.

"Steven's known to care and love indiscriminately," she darkly retorted in a mocking tone. "He gives the impression that he is a friend to all – but no sentient being can truly achieve that. 5XG used to implement a similar approach in her Homeworld days – she would pretend she could be everyone's friend, but in reality, she was no one's friend. I wanted to believe Steven could do the impossible at one point… but last night, he proved he truly does not care for me in the least."

Lapis was not okay with anyone talking about Steven like this. "Wh-where is this coming from?! Just because he's mad at you – rightfully so – somehow that means he doesn't care about you at all?!"

"I cannot divulge the specific details," the stoic 5XF replied. "But there was a very important question Steven should have asked me last night. It would have been nice if 5XG cared enough to ask as well, but I know better than to expect any fair treatment from her. Steven has proved to be a more competent neutral party, and so I had higher expectations from the likes of him. He not only never asked me the question I expected to receive, but his concerns after defusing from Sphalerite were exclusively directed towards 5XG and himself."

"You're… not gonna tell me what that question is, I imagine," Lapis uneasily stated. She had no idea what to make of this scenario; the ocean gem knew Steven as the kind of caring, loving, selfless person who would make sure everyone else was okay before even thinking of tending to himself. The idea that he would neglect 5XF for whatever reason seemed… utterly impossible.

"I am not," 5XF sternly affirmed. "Because should I tell you, I know you will not hesitate to inform Steven so that he will ask me the next time we cross paths. That's basically cheating, Lapis: if Steven truly cares about me at all, he will eventually think to ask me the question himself. However, there was no excuse for him to overlook me entirely last night. If he is truly a forgiving soul as he claims to be, he would not have neglected my wellbeing. If you sincerely want the two of us to become friends one day, you will not interfere, Lapis."

The elder gem heavily disliked everything about this – she hadn't yet caught on to what was being subtly implied, but nonetheless she felt a great sense of dread stemming from this conflict. Still, with great reluctance, she nodded to the Peridot.

"If you feel that strongly about it, then… I'll stay out of it," she promised. "I'm sorry you two couldn't make up… I don't know where I'd be if Steven hadn't been there for me during my lowest points. I-I know it might sound stupid to you, but I'm worried how you'll be able to hang in there if Sphalerite isn't there for you and you can't count on Steven…"

"That's where the rest of you come in," 5XF calmly told the gem next to her. "You heard Garnet: my inability to make peace with Steven and 5XG should not prevent the rest of you from potentially befriending me. I will not force this upon you nor the others, and I will not beg nor emotionally blackmail you. I will let you decide whether or not you sincerely want a gem like me as a friend on my own merit."

The technician let out a shaky sigh as she concluded her mission statement. "I will honor Sphalerite's wishes for me to expand my horizons; I do genuinely wish to befriend the rest of you. Since I never want to be far from where Sphalerite might be, odds are very low I'll ever leave this area even after I am fully acclimated to Earth, Lapis. That's not to say I intend to become a proper Crystal Gem, but I liked Garnet's suggestion of possibly becoming a mediator between your group and the rest of the refugees. If I am not officially affiliated with you all, I may become an asset learning of the refugees' struggles that they may not trust you enough to be forthcoming about."

Lapis let out a small smile; she did genuinely like this idea; it seemed like a fantastic method to quickly foster a trusting relationship with the other refugees.

"That sounds like a perfect job for you," Lapis commended. "We'll need all the help we can get. A-and, well… I guess I could benefit to take what Sphalerite said to heart, too."

5XF curiously peered at Lapis in reaction to this statement. "You could…?"

"For a long time, I neglected every Crystal Gem except Steven," the terraformer explained. "I only gave Peridot a chance because Steven kept insisting. And for a while, those two were the only Crystal Gems I really had anything to do with… I hadn't formally joined the team until much later after I abandoned everyone. For the last couple of Homeworld missions, after Peri took charge, she was insistent on me branching out and befriending the few Crystal Gems that hadn't been captured at that point: Bismuth and Greg. I'm glad she did that, because with Bismuth especially, I grew to be a better gem in the long run. But even now, I haven't had much to do with the core team yet. That's something I intend to fix in the near future."

It was oddly comforting for 5XF to know she wasn't the only socially awkward gem of this bunch.

"I sincerely hope to one day make as much progress as you have," she warmly expressed. "It's very uncomfortable to think back on how often I shunned my fellow gems on Homeworld. I never preyed on them like 5XG regularly had, but it's depressing to acknowledge that as a survival tactic, I basically had to isolate myself from everyone. Those are days I would certainly be more than happy to leave behind me – especially since trying to apply that tactic here on Earth ended up being the catalyst to everything going wrong with Steven and 5XG's vacation."

Finally, Lapis felt at ease in 5XF's presence again. It had been a while since she was able to relax – while the ocean gem expected this particular Peridot to be very layered, she vastly underestimated just how disturbingly dark and troubled the "mature" and "responsible" elder sibling of her old roommate could be.

"5XF, I'd be happy to help you out with that," she offered before letting out an awkward laugh. "G-geez, it's still kind of weird for me to call you that… you're sure you're okay with it?"

"If you find a more fitting alternative, I am open to it," 5XF conceded. "This is yet another part of life that made sense on Homeworld and wasn't worth sparing a second thought for, but the more I spend time on this planet, the more I wonder what it would be like to have a more… personal brand of moniker. It's a nice thought, but it feels like this is something that will take time and effort to determine."

Just then, a particular memory came to mind. "Hm, Lapis… did I not propose you to collaborate with Amethyst on a naming system, since you two seem to inherently have talent in that department?"

"–Oh, shoot," Lapis grumbled. "I did contact Amethyst over the phone not long after I talked to you that day. She was all for the idea, but I haven't spoken to her since then."

"While we have downtime before confronting Gypsum, might I suggest making time to discuss this with Amethyst in further detail?" 5XF proposed. "If you'd like, I can take part in the discussion if you need a refugee's perspective."

The elder Peridot felt so much lighter and eased now that she was talking about something other than Steven, her sister, or her star-crossed lover.

"I'll ask Amethyst how she'd feel about that, but I've got a feeling she'd be completely okay with letting you join in," Lapis happily approved. "It'll be a good opportunity to get better acquainted with her, anyway… for both of us."

5XF's eyes darted to the other side as a light blush spread across her cheeks. "U-um, this feels… very unnatural and awkward to ask, but… d-do you consider me "friend" material, Lapis?"

She tried to hold in in, but Lapis couldn't help but giggle a bit at the question before quickly calming herself, as she knew her initial reaction would only serve to embarrass the refugee further.

"I feel like there's still a lot we need to talk about, 5XF, but right now… yeah, I think we can make this work out. You've got your reasons for having issues with Peri and Steven; I get that, now. I'm still not sure what to make of your relationship with their fusion, but… I-I'm honestly not one to judge. I've already bragged about you a bit to some of the others, actually – believe it or not, even now, I still think you're easier to talk to than your sister."

5XF had a very hard time believing that. "Really?"

"At least I'm talking to the real you," Lapis pointed out. "You're fully honest with me; most of the time I've been with Peri, I've been with a version of her who's been too afraid to talk back to or stand up to me whenever I was being a jerk. The Peri I lived with only said what she figured I'd want to hear and put me on a pedestal when I didn't do anything to earn it. Since I came back after ditching her, she's been really passive-aggressive – mostly because of the mission-related stuff going on that didn't really give us time to work out our problems. Now I'm finding out exactly why Peri never was herself around me – thank you for that, by the way – and when she's ready, we're finally going to settle everything."

"Thank you for being so understanding about that," 5XF timidly expressed. "Even if 5XG took offense to it…"

Lapis offered 5XF a genuine smile. "I'm thankful you've given me time to think over what I need to say to her, 5XF. This conversation has been a long time coming… to be honest, I'm not sure what our relationship's going to be coming out the other end of it. But above all else, I just want Peridot to treat me like she'd treat anyone else. Even if that means she's going to be even more of an obnoxious brat, I'll at least know said brat is staying true to her word about treating everyone equally…"

Of course, she instantly regretted saying that as she saw the skeptical look the other Peridot shot her way and tried to save face.

"–Outside of you, of course!" Lapis quickly amended. "I-I know Peri's been singling you out, and I'm sure that behavior won't miraculously improve anytime soon… sorry."

5XF, after some deliberation, chose to steer the topic away from her sister yet again. "Is it truly just my blunt nature that supposedly makes it easier for you to communicate with me? I've been under the impression that many gems cannot handle the truth, hence most would prefer to converse with a gem who offers only shallow platitudes, even if they're completely fabricated."

"Hm, how to put this…" Lapis was relieved 5XF was invested enough in conversing with her to keep their conversation from completely going off the rails again. "You can be blunt with your honesty, but most of the time, you find a way to still be at least decent about it. And, as I saw this morning, you're really good at controlling your temper."

"Ah…" 5XF could see what the terraformer was trying to communicate now. "You did strike me as a gem who appreciates maturity and good manners."

She wisely held back her sentiment that holding these values in high regard made sense for a gem ranked rather high in Homeworld's caste system. As Lapis' kind was technically on par with the nobility, it made perfect sense that she would relate better to a Peridot whose behavior was much more refined.

"Right; you're subdued and more grounded than the Peridot I'm used to," Lapis agreed. "Plus, no blustering ego. That's something I can appreciate about you, 5XF."

"Thank you for the compliments… I am pleased to have made this relatively easy for you, Lapis," 5XF expressed, though she felt and sounded rather stiff in her delivery. "I honestly get no enjoyment from testing others' patience, so I will do my best to control my curiosity in your presence. There are many questions I could ask you right now, but many of them would needlessly upset or embarrass you – I feel I've more than pushed my luck for what we've discussed today."

Lapis nodded in understanding. "We don't have to cover everything in one sitting. But… there's something about you I'm curious about, if you don't mind me asking."

By this point, 5XF had forgotten her own rule of information bartering and was fully willing to accommodate her fellow gem.

"By all means, Lapis. I welcome your inquiry."

"What got you so fixated on the ocean, anyway?" Lapis asked. "I didn't figure your kind would take an active interest in this sort of thing…"

"I imagine 5XG does not share my enthusiasm for this setting?" 5XF responded with a question, as she was certain the basis for Lapis' question was based on her sister not sharing this particular passion.

"Nope; she doesn't really hang out here often unless it's related to training or a mission," Lapis recalled. "We were pretty far inland when we lived in the barn – Peri took to working on the fields most of the time. Then again…"

The terraformer recoiled a bit as hindsight brought a much harsher perspective to their pastimes. "O-of course, I told her I wanted to take a break from water after the whole Malachite thing… urgh, for all I know, she could have been keeping herself landlocked just to please me!"

"You two really do need to talk," 5XF thoughtfully noted. "For what it's worth, 5XG was not that fascinated with water-based locations. Granted, I've witnessed little of where they vacationed, but she was not that impressed with the everglades, which was very watery. I believe it's safe to assume a setting like the ocean does not hold the same meaning to her as it does for me."

"What did draw you to it?" Lapis asked again. "It's not a big deal or anything; it's just… not at all what I expected any Peridot would be drawn to. Water and technology don't mix, after all."

5XF smiled as she refocused her sights on the ocean ahead of them.

"When I was first let out of my bubble, it was while 5XG and Steven were in the everglades - a domain that is notorious for being a very dangerous environment," she explained. "And it wasn't long before 5XG and I were attacked by alligators – I quickly came to the conclusion that my pair of escorts were little more than buffoons to bring a gem like me out into such a dangerous setting. When our location shifted to the desert, it was honestly no safer. I ended up trapped in a temple while avoiding getting buried by sand… bear in mind these moments were my first impressions of Earth."

Lapis cringed when 5XF emphasized that point. "Oh, crap… okay, yeah. Steven and Peri definitely should have put more thought into this before deciding to let you out…"

"It's comforting to know I'm not alone in that sentiment," 5XF grumbled out, though she let out a sigh of genuine relief.

It truly did endear the technician to Lapis, who proved just then that her bias for her pair of escorts didn't entirely prevent her from seeing where they legitimately messed up.

"When they became Sphalerite, everything changed," the elder Peridot continued; her tone now softened. "Sphalerite even offered me to pick where in the world to go next… though she quickly realized I didn't know Earth well enough to pick any location. I begged her to just take me somewhere peaceful and safe; a place where I could gather my thoughts and not worry about a predator or nature itself imperiling me. Sphalerite said she would do more than that: she would find a peaceful place where I could relax and recover. When she found a place, she would only take me there if I personally approved it. So, I… had control over where we were to go next. And she took me to a most wonderful paradise…"

Lapis was beginning to see how 5XF was charmed by a fusion in the first place; she had no idea what exactly she went through beforehand, but she could tell from the small gem's fragile tone that her time on Earth was hellish on a near constant basis. Sphalerite basically rescued her from danger and gave her the power to choose their next destination; a privilege she was not granted by Steven nor Peridot.

"Let me guess: it had a beach?" Lapis cheekily asked.

"It certainly did," 5XF affirmed, not minding her company's teasing. "A much more beautiful one, in fact… unlike this place, the sand was white. It was much more colorful… but when I first absorbed the scenery when I set foot on that beach, when I saw the ocean ahead of me… for the first time since I was brought to Earth, I felt… calm. Safe. Happy."

"I keep forgetting you lived on a planet with virtually no water all your life," Lapis thoughtfully murmured. "To be surrounded by so much of it on top of that…"

"It was not my first time seeing a watery landscape, of course," 5XF clarified. "The everglades was abundant with water as well, but its appearance did not inspire the feelings that I experienced when I was on the beach. It was more than the sight alone, Lapis: the scent, the natural ambience of the ocean… it was only then that I started to see Earth as a beautiful planet. A place where… I could see why gems would opt to abandon Homeworld to live here."

Lapis couldn't help but smile when she heard this. While the ocean gem herself had ultimately made peace with her natural environment after spending so much time away from it, she became so jaded that it was hard for her to truly appreciate the natural majesty of the ocean's environment.

But it was heartwarming for her to see how an ocean's natural features could not only calm an emotionally and mentally weary gem, but also help her appreciate Earth itself.

"I'm glad you were able to find something to love about this planet," Lapis warmly told her. "Sphalerite was very considerate to give you a place like that to finally relax after what you've been through."

5XF nodded in agreement. "She told me the Crystal Gems' home base had a very similar feature, albeit inferior to where we were at the time. All the same, I'd prefer an inferior beach over none at all, so I am most grateful to be able to come out and observe this scenery whenever I need to."

"Then you're welcome to take a break here whenever you really need one once we all get to work," Lapis assured. "If you want, I can help set up a specific area just for you so you can have more privacy if you'd like. I could even grab Bismuth to whip up a little settlement…"

"Only if you don't have anything else more important going on with your lives," 5XF told her. "I do not wish to interfere with your routine more than I have already, Lapis. The same goes for all of you: there is no need to give me special treatment."

"Well, you are our first Homeworld refugee," Lapis pointed out. "And even if you don't want to become a Crystal Gem, you can bet you'll still be seen as an honorary teammate soon enough. Especially if you take up Garnet's offer and help mediate between us and the other refugees – that alone should earn you a spot you can call your own here."

Just then, a more pertinent thought crossed Lapis' mind. "Where are you even staying right now…? We're just barely getting plans for my room, Peri's room, Bismuth's room, and Connie's future room set in motion. There's no telling when that'll get done… but you should have a place, too."

"I've… never had a "home" like this before, let alone a room of my own," 5XF shyly pointed out. "I understand that higher-caste gems had their own estates, but worker gems like Peridots… we were made to work and nothing more."

Lapis paused as she thought back on the first Homeworld rescue mission. For all the exposition Peridot had to offer as far as her job was concerned… she never once talked about having her own residence.

"B-but, you had shifts," the terraformer pointed out. "Where in the world did you go after your work shift ended…?"

"It depends on certain variables," 5XF calmly told her. "If there was an off-site maintenance assignment not yet fulfilled, we would take the assignment and accomplish it. If a high-performing Peridot was relieved of her shift, there was always a chance she would be assigned to a more advanced-level maintenance job on Homeworld or given an interplanetary mission like 5XG was granted. Otherwise, if our shift ended and no extracurricular assignments were posted, we would simply transfer to another workstation and begin a new shift. Upon completion of that shift, it was usually time for the next shift at the primary station designated to us after we emerged."

Only now did Lapis realize how much she took for granted in her very early Homeworld days…

"Wow… that's... that's really horrible, 5XF," she murmured, still openly horrified. "I'm so sorry…"

"For what?" 5XF inquired. "It isn't as if we knew of how else to live. Having a place to call my own where I do not have to work… that is a very new concept to me, still. I'll take whatever I'm offered as a "room" of sorts; I have no frame of reference to be "picky", so to speak."

Lapis closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm… gonna talk to Bismuth about giving you something, 5XF. You deserve a personal space."

"But by that logic, you would have to give all of the refugees their own room," the elder Peridot pointed out. "Which I can tell immediately by the size of this place is not even remotely large enough to accommodate so many gems…"

"W-we're gonna work on that!" Lapis assured her. "We want every gem to one day be able to go out and forge their own path in life: make their own home, wherever it is on Earth. But you're already working with us in a way most refugees won't, 5XF. So don't act like you don't deserve something for yourself after everything you've gone through."

5XF was still uncertain of this, but… she had to admit, the idea of her own living space was a very appealing one. She certainly got more attached to the tiny vacation home she and Sphalerite dwelled within during the last half of the vacation, and the lovestruck technician was certain she would love to one day share a living space with Sphalerite once more…

"If you truly insist, I will not reject your generosity," she eventually decided. "I will be sure to work as hard as I can with all of you so it will be a certainty that I've truly earned a gift like this. But… Lapis?"

"Hm?"

5XF looked at the taller gem knowingly and chose her words carefully. "I believe it's important we all learn to leave the past where it is, and to not let our regrets from those times dictate how we think, feel, and act. Never forget the mistakes you made, but there is a difference between learning from your mistakes and moving past them… and dwelling on them, letting them affect your mind, compelling you to believe you must make reparations for a nonexistent issue based on said mistakes."

Lapis was struck deeply by these words, but not necessarily in a bad way… mostly, she was a bit stunned how easily this Peridot (who was not the one she lived with for months) could read her.

"It was an educated guess," 5XF preemptively explained for the dumbfounded ocean gem. "But I'll leave it at that if you'd prefer, Lapis. After all, this is a time for making new memories."

"Y-yeah… you're right," a shaky Lapis agreed. "So, how about I give you an underwater tour? I know most gems have a hard time getting around in deep water, so…"

The technician's eyes gleamed with excitement. "That sounds most excellent! You would be the perfect guide to the aquatic world!"

"Figured you'd dig that idea," Lapis smugly stated as her water wings sprouted from her back again. "This is a good time of day to check out what's below: a lot of fish come close to the shore to feed, so there should be a ton of 'em hanging around nearby right now."

The ocean gem offered her hand, which 5XF readily took.

"So long as we don't run into any alligators, I'd love to see more of the oceanic wildlife!" she exclaimed.

For a moment, she was tempted to run off into the water pulling Lapis behind her, but… she thought better of it at the last second. An act like that felt like something more along the lines of what her immature sister would do.

Even Lapis half-expected her arm to be nearly yanked off by an overeager Peridot relative, but was pleasantly surprised when 5XF was more than willing to wait for her friend to take the lead instead.

"Whenever you are ready, I will follow," 5XF confidently told her. "You are the master of this domain, after all."

Lapis let out a chuckle before she finally started to lead 5XF into the water. "See what I mean about you being easier than your sister? Take some pride in that, 5XF. And I swear, one day we'll figure out a name that really suits you."

"Believe me, I already am quite proud of being less of a nuisance," the technician assured. "And I trust you and Amethyst will work well together in not only finding the perfect name for me, but all of the gems migrated from Homeworld."

5XF set her sights on the deeper water ahead. "For now, there are other names I'd like to learn… such as identifying whatever we see once we are fully submerged beneath the oxidane!"

With that, Lapis and 5XF enjoyed the remainder of their time bonding under the sea.

"Peri… we're still on for tonight, right?"

"Could you rephrase the question?" Peridot carefully inquired as she peered at Steven's visage on the screen of her phone. "I thought it went without saying that we would reunite by the end of the day… but what would we be "on" for, exactly?"

"Peridot…" Steven tiredly sighed. "Did something happen? You're the one who proposed what we're "on" for."

The ascended gem looked increasingly nervous and uncertain as she tried to think.

"Um… my memory's been a little fuzzy since that injector fell off the cliff and nearly crushed Amethyst and myself," she admitted. "Which is strange, since I was ultimately not damaged… and yet I evidently passed out at the same time Amethyst was poofed…"

"Amethyst was poofed?!"

"–She's fine now, though!" Peridot assured. "All she was doing was saving me; I honestly need to work on my reaction time with my powers. After all the frightening, life-scarring horrors we've endured, I feel like that should not have shocked me so badly that I would forget my own abilities…"

Steven narrowed his eyes and gave his girlfriend a piercing stare. "Where is Amethyst right now? Where are you, for that matter?"

"Amethyst and I got reacquainted with Beach City after I got her birthday approximated," Peridot meekly reported, not at all liking the look her beloved gave her. "S-speaking of, you should mark your calendar: it's the 29th of February."

"Yeah, yeah…" Steven boredly mumbled while doing as Peridot asked. "Is Amethyst still with you?"

This reaction was an immediate red flag that something was very wrong with the hybrid.

"W-we parted ways after she expressed a desire to stop by that "pizza" place," Peridot told him. "The aroma was much more lovely than I remembered it being, b-but I honestly should resist any temptation to eat as much as I can. It's only going to waste our precious little time before we have to go back to business-as-usual, and…"

Steven's ears perked up as he paid close attention to what Peridot was saying… before letting out a knowing smile. "Peridot, I know you're not much of an eater, but I think now's a perfect time to ease that habit into your routine."

"Seriously, Steven?!" Peridot blushed profusely at the suggestion. "Just how big do you want my butt to get?! Because I'm fairly certain that's why you would insist on making sustenance notorious for human weight gain part of my diet!"

"You only live once, Dot," Steven smugly told her as he popped an oddly-colored donut in his mouth. "Now, show me those pretty eyes of yours."

"–Okay, something's amiss," Peridot grumbled. "Steven, your behavior is highly irregular. You just shrugged off Amethyst's birthday like it was nothing, you're encouraging me to eat, and for some arbitrary reason, you feel I should remove my fantastic ocular accessory at this particular moment?"

Steven facepalmed and let out a heavy sigh before shooting an annoyed look to his concerned significant other.

"You know, it really bums me out that you're not trusting me right now," he muttered. "I split ways with Bismuth so I can see my dad and maybe Connie before I head home, so there aren't any other "witnesses" who are gonna see us right now. I know something funky's going on with your eyes, so you're gonna be a good girlfriend and let me check them out for real now."

Peridot was naturally a bit put-off by Steven's unnatural pushiness, but…

"Nyrrgh… I'm already going to make an enemy out of Pearl yet again the second I come home; the last thing I want is to make an enemy of you, Steven," she said in a resigned tone before removing her shades. "There. Happy?"

Blue and hazel. Steven was not happy.

"Geez, what the hell did you do in that kindergarten?" Steven inquired as his left eye turned pink. "You must've hit your head, or…"

"STEVEN?! Why is one of your eyes pink now?!" Peridot screeched. "Oh, stars! This can't be normal!"

"That's right; look real close at this eye," Steven quietly murmured as his eyes opened fully, locking with his girlfriend's over the phone. "Don't even blink."

Of course, Peridot blinked, then rapidly shook her head. "Wh-what is this, Steven?! Are you even really Steven right now?!"

"You'd know if I was a fake," Steven assured. "Now c'mon, Peri. We've done this hundreds of times before… just keep your focus on me…"

"W-we've never done this over the phone!" Peridot protested. "Because that's nonsensical!"

Her boyfriend's mismatched eyes rolled as he sighed, seemingly conceding defeat. "You're right; this is something we gotta do in person…"

He then glared at Peridot. "Port me over. Now."

The technician was dumbstruck by how Steven spoke to her. "St-Steven, I'm not sure about this. A-are you still mad at me for how I acted this morning…? Because… because if so, I can apologize–"

"Yeah, Peri, what I totally want to hear right now is some half-assed apology you don't really mean because I know those were your real feelings about your sister," Steven sharply cut her off. "Tell you what: prove you're sorry by doing what I tell you to do without asking any more stupid questions."

Tears pricked from the edges of Peridot's own heterochromatic eyes. In many ways, she wanted to say this definitely could not be Steven at all, yet… something about his words compelled her to believe she was just telling herself that to avoid the inevitable guilt that came from facing Steven after the horrible things she said earlier this morning.

"Steven… why are you acting like this…?" Peridot whimpered, trying not to break into full-on crying. "Ever since your eye…"

"This has been going on well before the eye changed," Steven coldly told her. "And it's called a mood swing; something you can't get on my case about, 'cause you're no less guilty of it. What do you think your little tantrum this morning was?"

A mood swing sounded accurate, Peridot had to admit. Still, she had no idea why she felt the need to even keep listening to Steven at this point, let alone feel the need to do as he said. She felt weak in more ways than one, and right now, she had no one else to turn to.

"Peridot, stop screwing around," her boyfriend ordered. "In case you haven't noticed, lives are at stake. We're the two figureheads of Era 3; it's high time we acted like it. So… Port. Me. Over. Now."

"F-Fine! Fine… you win…"

Peridot winced as she willed Steven to disappear from her screen, only to reappear at her side. She dropped her phone, not even thinking to turn it off as she faced Steven in-person; tears now streaming down her face.

"Steven, what's happening to us?! Y-your behavior is–"

Steven grumbled and pulled the shorter gem in for a surprise kiss to quell her sounds. It was brief, but her cries were effectively paused.

"Look, we're alone, but we're technically still in public," he impatiently told her. "You said you didn't want witnesses the next time we met, remember?"

"I…" Peridot, blushing like mad from the kiss, tried to reorder her now-jumbled thoughts. "Right; I think I did say something like that… b-but I did not schedule for us to reunite this soon…"

Steven huffed out a sigh as he tried his hardest not to look completely irritated by his girlfriend's oblivious nature. "Yeah, well plans change!"

He grumbled and scanned the area for any truly isolated spots… a mass of trees caught his eyes, causing Steven to smirk. He took a moment to snatch Peridot's dropped phone to ensure it wouldn't be forgotten by his currently airheaded love interest before pointing towards the trees.

"The woods! Port us to the woods, Peri!"

"Wh-where in the woods?" Peridot nervously asked. "I don't think I've done much, if any real exploring in that general area…"

"Now's a perfect time to learn," Steven urged. "Just look over there and pick a spot; we're wasting time!"

Peridot still didn't like this one bit… but now ruled by her insecurities and reliant on Steven's approval, she ultimately followed his orders and teleported out of Beach City and into a random spot in the forest beyond the city limits.

Immediately as Peridot took in her quiet surroundings filled with lush vegetation, she squeaked out in pain as she felt herself get roughly thrown against the trunk of a large tree.

Steven quickly came in to close the gap between their bodies, and Peridot couldn't help but think how familiar this felt to a certain memory she tried to bury away forever and internally shuddered.

By seeing the abject terror in Peridot's eyes, Steven's harsh expressions softened as he caressed his beloved gem's cheek before taking a couple of steps back.

"S-sorry; that was lame of me," Steven muttered. "Should've known better than to do something like that to you…"

He sounded legitimately remorseful of his actions; that alone immensely relieved Peridot as she moved in to hug him.

"I would never think of you like I would Jasper," she lovingly assured. "Even as frighteningly, uncharacteristically nasty as you've been acting right now, you aren't even remotely on her level. You never will be."

One of Steven's arms looped around Peridot's waist to secure the hug. The other raised up, with Steven's hand settling on Peridot's forehead, right atop her gemstone.

"Good to know," he murmured. "Peri, I need to read your memories real quick. Something isn't adding up here with you…"

"I-it has bothered me that I don't know why I passed out despite that injector never hitting me," Peridot admitted. "I was out almost as long as Amethyst… so read away; maybe you'll catch something I overlooked."

Steven frowned as he got to the alleged "fallen injector" incident. "Hmph… this was a sloppy rush-job of an altered memory. An injector falling from that height would've massively damaged Amethyst's gemstone, Peri. But it was never even cracked. Plus, there's literally no explanation for why you passed out. I'm just seeing a big blank between Amethyst pushing you out of the way and the point where you woke up."

"D-did you just say "altered" memory?" Peridot asked him. "I've never had such abilities before. Granted, I've never tried… there's been no reason to, and I'm certain that sort of practice would raise all sorts of ethical questions you'd get all up in arms about…"

Steven closed his eyes to better concentrate and frowned. "Somehow, you're doing it; this would actually explain how I'm getting those so-called "false positives" in my aura reading. You wouldn't be lying if you legit forgot about whatever you were lying to me about."

"B-believe me, if I could alter my memories, you know there's only one I would be even remotely inclined to edit!" Peridot exclaimed.

"Enough of this," Steven gruffly muttered. "Okay, we're picking up where we left off: keep your eyes on me, Peridot."

Abruptly, Steven rose his girlfriend up so their eyes were truly on level with each other. Fiercely, Steven imposed his piercing gaze as his pink eye started to glow.

Caught off-guard, Peridot found herself unable to look elsewhere. Still, she tried her hardest to resist the strange, hypnotic pull of her boyfriend's eyes.

"S-Steven, clearly… clearly this is a matter we cannot handle on our own," she weakly argued. "We should really consult the others about these issues we keep having…"

"There's someone else we're gonna consult right now," Steven smugly told her. "She'll know better than either of us how to go about fixing our problems…"

Peridot's eyes widened as she caught on to who Steven was implying. "Steven, y-you're out of your mind! We agreed never to–mmmph!"

Steven silenced her with a kiss, though both parties still had their eyes wide open, glued to each other.

However, even enraptured in the throes of passion, Peridot wouldn't completely submit herself to Steven's will.

That would not deter Steven's efforts, unfortunately. "I hate sinkin' this low, Dot," he murmured between kisses. "I just want you to kn-know that…"

He had to play dirtier to truly make Peridot putty in his hands. Said hands pushed the terrified girlfriend's back into the tree again – this time much more gently.

Peridot whimpered helplessly as she felt a hand cup one side of her ass before giving it a very tight squeeze; soon following that was another hand spread over the fabric covering her left breast before it too was gripped so hard, it was sure to leave a welt of some kind.

Tears again spilled freely from her wide-open eyes, but abruptly stopped when Steven added the finishing blow to his girlfriend's stubbornness: lightly grinding his groin against hers.

Peridot gasped out of the kiss she'd been locked into; the shock to her core was enough to neutralize her willful nature just long enough for Steven to finally accomplish what he set out to do in the first place.

With undivided attention given to Steven's eyes and no resistance, Peridot's right eye changed from hazel to glowing green. Only then did Steven relinquish his girlfriend from his clutches.

"–Stars, I needed that," Peridot muttered. "Good call relocating us to a more isolated location; that scene could have been easily misconstrued as something far worse by your town-dwelling acquaintances."

"... What?"

Steven stepped back abruptly; his left eye was still pink, but now he was horrified and confused as to what he was currently seeing.

"Wh-what are we doing all the way out here?" Steven asked, trying not to panic. "Peri, your–!"

He frowned.

"I knew something was up with your eye!" he declared, pointing at her accusingly. "I knew you were lying!"

"Honestly, cut the crap," Peridot boredly stated. "You are the one who did this to me. Stars almighty, this is going to be annoying to explain..."

"How could I…? I don't even remember…" Steven frowned in genuine frustration over his confusion of the situation… until the frown slowly changed into a knowing smile. "… But I do. Damn, this would be easier if we just fused now…"

Now it was Peridot's turn to panic. "Fuse?! Absolutely not! Under no circumstances are we to ever fuse again! I forbid it!"

"That right there – that's why we're both so screwed up now," Steven pointed out. "This is on you, Peridot. You're not only breaking up a couple in love, but you're denying a gem their right to exist over personal BS. This is a crap attitude to have for someone who's advertising herself as someone not like the Diamonds before her."

Peridot's expressions soured as she glared at Steven. "Steven, your inaction over this particular decision makes you no better. That just means you're endorsing your girlfriend's heinous, short-sighted decision without being overt about it. But deep down, I know it: you don't want me back any more than Peridot does. You just think by pretending to be neutral about it that I would absolve you of your culpability, but face it: you can't even make your friends believe your piss-poor lies. What makes you think you could lie to me?"

Steven was back to looking shaken down to his very soul. "… this can't be happening. Fusion isn't supposed to work like this… Sphalerite, whatever you're doing, you need to cut it out! Like, now! This isn't funny!"

"What part of this has ever been funny?" Sphalerite-Peridot mockingly asked him. "Lives are at stake here if I can't get you two to grow the hell up. I'm not out to erase you and Peridot, Steven. I'm asserting my right to exist."

"Hear that, Peridot?" Sphalerite-Steven mockingly called out. "I just wanna exist! I'm not even asking to be a perma-fusion; I just don't want to be permanently gone!"

"I-if that's all you wanted, you could have easily made out a message with your request!" Peridot rebutted. "This is personal; I can only presume you're able to do as much as you have to us because of what you're able to do with our combined powers."

She offered a tearful look to Steven as she heard the words that just left her mouth. "I-I was afraid of this, Steven. Ever since that night when we first fused… I wondered about the risks involved with our powers coming together like this…"

"I-I know," Steven admitted, nodding to his girlfriend and wanting so badly to just cuddle and console her immediately. "I've had the same worries. And now we've got an overpowered fusion. She can do both of our abilities, and she can do them better than we can…"

Sphalerite-Peridot scoffed both at Steven and… technically herself. "And I'm not stupid enough to flat-out tell you how I'm doing this; you aren't getting any hints from me on how to solve your problem, and it's too late for apologies."

"Besides, Peridot, please say you're joking about the "message" thing," Sphalerite-Steven laughed out. "As if you would dignify that request with anything other than a decimation by your own hands! You've made your stance on me obvious; in spite of your changes, you're still a petty grudge-holder, Dot. And an awful sister, to boot."

"I never wanted to be her sibling in the first place!" Peridot screamed. "S-so, what are you going to do now?!"

Steven pulled out his phone in an attempt to call or message someone, but he ended up smacking the phone out of his own hands. He then grunted as he tried to resist, but ultimately failed to stop himself from discarding Peridot's phone as well.

"Nyehehe… Well, you won't be doing that," Sphalerite-Peridot snickered. "Only one thing to do: just like when Amethyst caught my eye, I have to make this little reunion technically never happen. But I suppose for sake of convenience, we will need to fuse to ensure both your collective memories of this moment are wiped clean."

"W-wait, then… crap, are you saying you poofed Amethyst, then screwed up her memory so she'd think it was the injector that crushed her?!" Steven realized, fully horrified. "Oh no, oh no… our fusion's gone full-on supervillain…"

"Oh, stars… she wiped her own memory to ensure I wouldn't remember it, either!" Peridot knew this had to be the case… and she consequently felt horrible knowing her best friend had to suffer because of their fusion.

"Assumptions like that are exactly why there's such a disconnect between the three of us," Sphalerite-Steven scolded. "You're making it out like I enjoyed doing that, but there was no way I could let Amethyst know about what I'm doing here. I never wanted to harm her, but I was left with no other choice! I didn't erase my own memory just to cover this up from you, Peridot; I did it to punish myself! It's no different from what Peridot regularly does with her own worst memories!"

"Except in the end, I had to remember all of the memories I buried away!" Peridot barked back. "You're not going to be any more successful in running away from your problems indefinitely!"

Steven angrily thought over his situation… until a bit of shining hope came to mind. "Sphalerite, just how far do you think you're gonna be able to take this?! Do you seriously think you're gonna get anywhere hijacking our bodies and forcing us to fuse before Garnet gets a glimpse of what you're up to and puts a stop to it?"

"–Oh, thank you for reminding me!" Sphalerite-Peridot happily exclaimed as she approached Steven and hugged him. "I should check to see if my me-specific block on her future vision is still intact."

Peridot was horrified by the words that just left her own mouth. "… oh my stars… do I even want to know how long we've been doing that…?"

"She's covering all her bases," Steven acknowledged, giving a very worried look to his girlfriend. "Peri, I… I don't know what to do. She's two steps ahead of us in every way possible."

"At least you aren't alone in feeling utterly helpless," Peridot sympathetically expressed as the two embraced.

While she thought being in her true love's arms would lessen the blow of this bombshell, she broke into tears as she realized something that only made her feel worse.

"Y-you realize we're only able to do this because she's allowing it, right?" Peridot sniffled.

"... Yeah…" Steven also broke down; tears of his own rolled down his cheeks. "We're equally miserable, equally helpless, equally hopeless… which means…"

In a flash, two beings became one.

"... I'll admit, it kinda sucks that out of the three times you two fused to make me, the two stable times required you both to be traumatized," Sphalerite lamented as she wiped a stray tear from her eyes before collecting both discarded phones and teleporting out of the woods.

She reappeared at the vista of Brooding Hill, looking very determined. After brushing away her windswept hair, she conjured a viewing screen to see where Garnet was and what she was doing presently. She appeared to be in the beach house talking with Pearl.

"Sorry, Peridot… to minimize any chance of you remembering this ever happened, I'm gonna have to send you straight to Pearl," Sphalerite muttered. "She'll give you plenty of other things to be upset about, it looks like… on the plus side, Garnet still can't use her future vision to screw me over. Steven… Connie or your Dad are both good picks to distract you."

After dismissing the screen, the fusion overlooked Beach City below her before letting out a forlorn sigh.

"And how are you holding up, 5XF? I'd love to see you right now, but it's just too early…"

Sphalerite held her hands in the shape of a circle and created a smaller viewing screen to hold in her hands.

There, she saw 5XF enjoying herself underwater with Lapis keeping her safe and happy. In turn, Sphalerite managed a smile.

"Good, good… you're making other friends. I'm so proud of you, 5XF. I promise I'll see you soon."

Steven and Peridot were in a familiar dark space of nothingness; all they had was each other and the strands of light of their respective colors wrapped together to represent the state of their fusion. Both were locked in an embrace as they attempted to comfort each other in the face of an impossible situation.

Neither expected to be trapped in this sadistic prison again less than 24 hours since their liberation.

"I can't believe this… I was so sure she wouldn't be able to control us like this again," Peridot wept.

"I know you're thinking this is all your fault, but you heard her," Steven told his weary girlfriend as soothingly as he could. "I'm every bit as responsible because I supported this. Because for the most part… I actually agree with you. We were playing with fire, making a fusion like her in the first place…"

"If only I could go back in time and slap my past self for all of her insufferable welching over not being able to fuse with you," the technician grumbled. "This, this is just so unfair! All that time I squandered over that specific insecurity, and it wasn't even worth the tears or the frustration!"

Steven shook his head. "Peri, you can't say it was pointless… if we never fused, we never would've made it off Homeworld alive."

"You mean, it wasn't pointless for Chartreuse and Pink 2.0 to fuse," Peridot corrected. "They make the miracle Diamond; we made a monster."

"There was no way we could have known for sure," Steven told her. "The problem is that we've been focused on the experience and not the result. Maybe if we had just taken the whole thing more seriously the first time we fused…"

The forlorn Peridot's head sunk down in shame. "We… really pissed her off back then, didn't we? And it felt like we were on autopilot the next time we fused… we couldn't even enjoy that experience; we slept through most of it."

"And what little we were awake for, we ended up trapped right where we are now," Steven added. "And I don't think blocking her access to our memories is going to work out for us this time."

"Her consciousness must have been dormant within us both since she last defused," Peridot deduced. "On top of that, our own influence on her is virtually nonexistent – we have no real say in what she does anymore."

Steven winced upon hearing that. "Y-yeah… now it's more like we're at her mercy. I can't even begin to wrap my head around how she's pulling this off…"

"I figured your other fusions were not even remotely as problematic," Peridot solemnly said. "I'm sorry, Steven…"

"Peri, don't!" Steven's grip on his girlfriend tightened. "We both screwed up, okay? It's not like the other fusions I've been part of haven't had problems of their own in the past… th-this is just something on an entirely different level, because a fusion should never be able to accomplish something like this to begin with."

Peridot was at least mildly comforted by Steven's support, but she remained bothered by the same quandary that had her boyfriend stumped.

"We must have fused late last night," she quietly realized. "I still don't remember what happened, but…"

Steven nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking that's what happened, too. She couldn't have had anything to do with 5XF; Sapphire and Ruby were with her the whole time, and I didn't pick up that she lied when she said she had nothing to do with what happened to us. But… I dunno what else she would've done…"

"She may have not been planned to return this soon," the smaller gem postulated. "Because it was sloppy of her to defuse on the beach rather than on the roof; for everything else she's planned so perfectly, this particular misstep stands out."

"Maybe she passed out," Steven thoughtfully speculated. "Our combined exhaustion ended up knocking her out for over half a day last time. And… we really weren't much better off last night…"

Peridot's eyes brightened as she warmly smiled to Steven. "Of course! That must have been the case; despite her influence over us, one aspect she cannot control is stamina! For optimal performance, our powers require us to have ample amounts of stamina. Even your restorative powers deplete stamina, Steven. Our Diamond forms do not suffer those setbacks, but–"

"Sphalerite's not representing Chartreuse Diamond or Pink Diamond 2.0!" Steven finished. "She's representing us! She's got some Diamond power in her, sure, but she's no Iridescent Diamond. So she's not invincible, and we technically have some kind of control over her."

"Unfortunately, this is not a weakness we can exploit if we're unconscious as well," Peridot glumly pointed out. "We really can't do this on our own… we need help."

Steven glared at the dark abyss above him as he gave his partner a comforting squeeze. "On top of that, everything we've learned isn't leaving this place – we're gonna wake up in the real world just as clueless as we were this morning. Sphalerite hasn't been that good with her memory-altering, but it's stalled us all the same, and I'm sure that won't change this time."

"Plus, Sphalerite made sure to target the one gem who would know best how to fix this mess," Peridot added, overwhelmed with sadness. "We can't warn Garnet or anyone else… we have no means to leave hints for ourselves to jog our memories. Sphalerite is inside us whether we're fused or not, Steven! We cannot collaborate in secret!"

"She had to have done something to make it possible for her to share bodies with us," Steven surmised. "That's what's really got me stumped: I know she's using your willpower and my aura to stay conscious in our heads and be able to affect what we say and do, but she's gotta be doing something else to pull that off long-term…"

Peridot thought long and hard on this, considering Steven's observations, but only coming across more questions instead of answers.

"Hm… some of her statements have been a little… odd," she noted. "I've largely overlooked them given their relative irrelevance to this horrific situation, but we can do nothing now except reflect on what's happened… a-and still have each other to, well… admonish ourselves for letting our fusion get out of control."

"But the important thing is we're here for each other, no matter how much we both screwed up," Steven boldly reminded her as his right hand moved to lace his fingers together with his beloved's. "And… I know it's cheesy to say, but as long as we've got each other, we've got a fighting chance. I'm right with you in how hopeless this whole thing feels, but… I'm not gonna give up. The Dot I know isn't giving up, either."

It warmed his heart to see his words managed to bring a sincere smile out of Peridot.

"It's gonna be hard; it'll even feel impossible, but we just came fresh off toppling an empire that's terrorized the galaxy for hundreds of thousands of years and managed to survive a test designed to only let one of us come out of it alive," Steven reminded her. "We might have to risk our lives again to fix this… we might have to do things we're not gonna be proud of when we look back on this…"

That part openly terrified Steven, and it showed. "… I-I'm gonna need you to help me if it comes to that, Peridot. I really, really hope it doesn't, but…"

Peridot offered the boy a calming kiss on the forehead.

"I'll keep you in line," she quietly assured. "Not just because I love you… but it's my duty to make sure we both live, so one day we'll look back on this moment and probably laugh about how we were such immature rookie clods for letting our own fusion go rogue."

Steven smiled and snuggled against the lithe build of his girlfriend. "Mmyeah… that'll be nice. Whatever ends up happening, as long as I'm with you, we can push through this. As much as I wouldn't mind staying fused with you for a really long time one day…"

"… We both know it isn't feasible," Peridot understood. "But if we can't assert ourselves as the dominant force over Sphalerite, she will eventually find a way to make herself a perma-fusion. That… is unacceptable."

The hybrid gave a curious look to his girlfriend. "You said something about Sphalerite saying weird stuff before… can you remember the details?"

"I imagine it was her speaking when she made that comment about encouraging me to start eating," Peridot postulated; Steven readily nodded to confirm her suspicion. "Such an odd sentiment to come out of nowhere. And when "you" guilt-tripped me into teleporting you over to my location during our phone call, for some reason she talked about multiple lives being at stake and referenced Era 3. Now that I'm thinking back on it, the sentiments have no logical connection to each other, nor to what's presently going on."

"Good point," Steven agreed. "The refugees' lives aren't in any danger. The only way that could happen at this point is if Gypsum somehow made it halfway across the world to directly attack us using 5XF as her vessel, but that would've already happened if she could really do that."

"She didn't mention Gypsum at all, either," Peridot added; her suspicion growing. "And she can't be referring to the Crystal Gems as a whole, I imagine…"

Steven's head rested against the blonde mass of Peridot's hair while he did his best to work together with her to figure something – anything out that might at least explain their fusion's motive.

"She's the only one endangering us right now," he acknowledged. "She already poofed Amethyst… if anyone else comes even close to figuring out what's wrong with us, she'll use us to poof them, too."

"And if Papa or Connie catch on, we'll end up erasing their memories all the same," Peridot told him. "The only one she wouldn't dare hurt is 5XF…"

"But 5XF is just one gem," Steven grumbled. "Sphalerite shouldn't really care about anyone else, so why is she acting so concerned for everyone else's lives?"

Peridot huffed in frustration before refocusing her attention on her cherished hybrid. "Certainly she was just feigning her altruism… I'm faintly recalling a moment where she pulled the same crap with Amethyst… even though she was poofed at the time."

That detail intrigued Steven greatly. "Let me see it for myself, Peri. You never know what might end up being a major clue."

"Not that it'll matter once she defuses," Peridot bitterly muttered as she allowed Steven to rest his hand over her gemstone again. "Even if we completely figure this out, we'll forget everything we learned instantaneously."

Steven did not respond as he focused fully on Peridot's foggy memory. He finally saw visuals in place of the blank space on his first viewing.

Peridot (or rather, Sphalerite controlling Peridot's body) looked legitimately horrified by her actions and was panicking. She truly meant it when she said she didn't want her conflict with Amethyst to escalate like this – she didn't want a conflict at all.

Then Steven heard Sphalerite-Peridot's poignant words…

"Amethyst, I know it's unforgivable of me to mess with your memories… I wouldn't resort to this unless I had no other choice. Please understand there's more at stake here than you realize. I have to protect everyone."

Following that, Steven winced as he mentally witnessed Sphalerite-Peridot tearfully subject herself to the same memory-scrambling she inflicted upon the helpless amethyst gemstone.

"… no, Peri. She wasn't pretending," a horrified Steven uttered. "I couldn't detect a single lie, and she's got no reason to lie when Amethyst couldn't hear her or talk back anyway. Sphalerite's got an agenda, and she's being vague about it on purpose."

"It must have been Sphalerite's very first time experiencing these feelings," a shaken Peridot realized. "Since we're both so ingrained into her very being, that must explain why I'm f-feeling just as torn up as she was… e-even though guilt and regret are hardly new experiences for me…"

Steven's features hardened as an epiphany hit him. "You never forget your first, they say… even when you try to make yourself forget it, it'll eventually come back. You'd know that better than anyone, Peri."

Peridot felt immensely choked-up; she knew the "first" (or many "firsts" in her case) Steven referred to.

"S-so, so what's your point?!" she wailed.

"Peridot, I'll admit I'm not sure if my idea's even a good one," Steven told her. "But you risked your life to save us both on a really stupid plan… and it worked. It's time I returned the favor."

The ascended gem squealed out in terror and held Steven close to her.

"No, no, absolutely not! I will not permit you to risk your life!" she cried out. "Please, Steven! Do not–"

"I never said my stupid plan was the same as your stupid plan," Steven teased, ruffling the flustered gem's hair. "Besides, do you really think Sphalerite's gonna let either of us die? She'll have a hard time existing if one of us is dead…"

"O-oh… true enough…" Peridot blushed heavily; embarrassed by her overreaction. "What is your stupid plan, then?"

"You never forget your first," Steven reiterated to his partner before dipping down his head to steal away a kiss for a moment.

Peridot whimpered into the kiss but remained confused. "Th-this is far from a "first", Steven…"

"Yeah…"

Steven gave Peridot a sly look before roughly squeezing his body against hers, eliciting more sweet sounds of pleased excitement.

The pair locked eyes as Steven's forehead pressed against Peridot's gemstone while his hands started to wander.

"But I've got a pretty good idea how we can experience some new "firsts", Dot… only if you're okay with that kind of risk."

Peridot tearfully smiled back at Steven as she pulled her stocky beloved to hover over her prone body lying flat on the featureless dark floor of their internal prison.

"Even if we had anything else to lose from where we are right now, Steven… I would still say yes. Every time."

[ NEXT PHASE: Peridot & Pearl – Steven & Greg – Steven & Connie – Lapis & Amethyst & 5XF – Lapis & Bismuth ]

Chapter Text

"Mmmmmm… stars, that felt so–… so real."

"Oh yeah? Maybe it was…"

Peridot's eyes narrowed at her partner curled up in the sheets beside her. "We are suspended thousands of feet above the stratosphere in a literal bed made of clouds, which is physically impossible. It's not even accurate to call these sheets "clouds", you know – they're supposed to be made of vapor, and all things considered, we're really not that wet despite much of our respective bodies being beneath them."

Steven snickered at this observation. "Like you would've noticed! I'm way better than water when it comes to getting someone wet…"

"I knew you'd opt for the easy retort," Peridot arrogantly huffed. "And my point still stands in regard to our setting."

"Geez, Peri, it's almost like you created me, so of course you'd know what I'm gonna say!" Steven shot back with a louder laugh. "But hey, even if this is fake… you gotta give me props for making you think it was real. Shows how much better we've been getting at this, even though it's been a while since we've spent time together."

Peridot shrunk beneath her covers, trying to hide her blush as she tried to think of a rebuttal, but nothing was coming to her now… her insecurities were making a comeback.

"It's admittedly nonsensical to feel like this, but… things are different this time," she sullenly said. "Last time we were together, I was certain I'd never see the real Steven again. So it made sense that I felt no guilt in our… carnal indulgence. Not that it's… even really happening, but I suppose it's the thought that counts."

"Apparently it counts enough that you're willing to share that moment with the real Steven," mentioned Steven – or rather, Peridot's idealized interpretation of the young man that dwelled within her imagination. "So why feel guilty about doing it now? Heck, I think if you're gonna share any of the intense stuff between us with him, you oughta show him this instead."

"W-we're officially dating now, though!" Peridot squeaked. "That's why this feels like… cheating, somehow. Even though realistically, it isn't…"

"You made me as close to the real Steven as you could," her illusionary boyfriend pointed out. "And it's not like you and Steven should be doing this in real life this soon in the first place. You're just imagining you and the love of your life doing what you can't do in the real world right now… because you really need something to keep your spirit up and your hope alive. You're breaking down, Dot… you gotta defrag."

Peridot grunted, silently conceding defeat as she rolled over in the bed and latched her body against the side of her imaginary Steven.

"That was supposed to be the point of my vacation," she muttered. "And given how abhorrent my behavior was this morning, I can't disagree with your deduction. I am indisputably unstable."

"I think most people would be if they went through the same stuff as you," the made-up Steven sympathized. "There's only so much I can do to really help you out, Peridot…"

"Quality over quantity," Peridot serenely assured him. "Until I can progress this far in my real-life relationship, you're all I have… and I greatly appreciate what you've done for me, Steven. You're my internal paradise."

The dream Steven smiled as he adjusted his position to ease his beloved creator into his arms. "You ever wonder if Steven's got his own version of you he talks to and… does stuff with in his mind?"

"One must certainly exist in some capacity," Peridot thoughtfully mused. "He's admitted to sharing that recurring dream I've had ever since he learned about my version, but I'm uncertain if his interpretation of me constantly has her mind in the gutter like you do…"

"Hey, now – I'm only dirty-minded 'cause you want me to be," Steven teased, ruffling the little gem's hair. "You can't hide anything from me, Peri: we've been doing this for a reason. But I'll admit it feels a little out-of-nowhere… what you've been concerned about, and all."

Peridot peeped down at her figure underneath the "sheets" and blushed before she faced her personal version of Steven again. "I-in all fairness, it's… been fairly easy to forget about. But now that Steven knows about the full extent of a gem's… "features", he's taken an interest to it, and one day I'll have to admit to him I might be utterly defective in that department."

"You really should try a little harder before jumping to that conclusion," the illusionary Steven advised. "I know this is a dream and all, but you've proved to me you've got nothing to be ashamed about."

"It certainly had a unique feel," Peridot recounted. "Somehow… familiar, even though I'm certain Steven and I have yet to go that far in real life. What we just did… it easily eclipsed our past escapades."

The idealized Steven offered his love a warm smile before kissing her gemstone, causing the gem herself to let out a giggle, followed by a relaxed hum.

"This was a first for us," he remarked. "And you never forget your first…"

"Never forget…" Peridot's eyes widened. "Oh… oh, stars. I feel like I've heard that recently… on more than one occasion! But why can't I–…?"

"Steven" gave Peridot a hard look before resuming his loving gaze, nuzzling his nose against hers before licking her cheek. "Dot, trust your instincts, and learn to trust yourself again. I think once you do that, you'll find what you're looking for."

"Y-you're speaking as if you know something I don't!" Peridot proclaimed, grasping the imaginary boy's broad shoulders. "Am I truly forgetting something important?!"

Unfortunately, this Steven sadly shook his head. "If I knew, I would've already told you. All I can do is support you in the way you know the real Steven would."

He licked her cheek again, causing Peridot to cringe.

"Okay, the first time was… borderline somewhat-sweet, somewhat-kinky," she murmured, eyeing the Steven with suspicion. "A second time diminishes the value; I can immediately name at least five superior spots that tongue of yours should be instead, Steven."

"Sorry, Dot," Dream Steven apologized, further saddened. "We're gonna have to pick this up another time. I-If I don't see you again before you and Real Me get together tonight… j-just remember what I suggested earlier about what to show him, okay?"

This advice was followed up with yet another lick to Peridot's cheek, which in turn tried her patience.

"A third time just feels annoying!" Peridot exclaimed, seemingly overlooking the idealized boy's words of wisdom. "If I wanted this, I'd just go snuggle with Pumpkin!"

In that moment, Peridot heard echoes of a familiar yapping gradually growing louder.

"–Wait, Pumpkin…" the technician began to look horrified. "Oh my stars! I've not seen her once since returning home!"

Everything started to fade away; Steven included.

"Time to wake up, Peridot," he said as his own voice developed an echo effect. "I'll be right here waiting for you next time you gotta get away from it all. I love you…"

Peridot felt her cheek licked one final time, but upon finally waking up, she found that the one truly licking her cheek was none other than Pumpkin all along.

"Pumpkin! Oh my stars, I'm so sorry! M-my negligence towards you is absolutely unforgivable!"

She quickly embraced her oddly-colored pet and softly cried as the sentient piece of produce continued to give her affection regardless, though with much more enthusiasm now that her caretaker was finally awake.

"I missed you so much," Peridot wailed as she cradled her hefty pet in her arms as best she could. "You poor thing; you must have thought I abandoned you again…"

She had been told Pumpkin didn't take her absence well back when Peridot was left behind on Homeworld for nearly a week. And she greatly hesitated to embark on her world-hopping vacation with Steven without her pet in tow, but after being apart for so long only to next see her dying, Peridot was much more wary of taking Pumpkin along anywhere even remotely dangerous from now on.

Still, Pumpkin didn't seem to hold anything against her owner; she was readily giving the gem affection regardless of her lengthy absences.

"You're far more forgiving than I deserve," Peridot moped, snuggling Pumpkin and never wanting to let her go again. "Oh, stars… there's no way I'm taking you to Egypt when it's time to confront Gypsum. And then there's Era 3… there's so many ways a mass of confused gems could lead to an untimely tragedy, Pumpkin."

Pumpkin obviously didn't understand such complexities, but she seemed to understand that her owner was not in the best state of mind. She offered a sympathetic whimper in return.

"I'm sorry, Pumpkin… this is not the life I had in mind for us," Peridot lamented. "Unfortunately, our old lives are soon coming to an end… this is the cross we bear, as the Crystal Gems who ended the tyranny of the Diamond Authority. It's up to us to prove we can teach gemkind how to live freely, think for themselves, and make their own decisions. You know how badly I wanted to be special, Pumpkin? I got my wish… and paid a heavy price for it. Unfortunately, it's not possible to be refunded. I have to live with this, just like you have to live with being pink instead of orange from now on."

Pumpkin tilted her head at Peridot before giving her another reassuring lick on the cheek before resting happily in her lap.

"Heh, you're correct – I really should just learn to adapt to the changes," she humbly admitted. "I somehow managed it when I first became stranded on Earth; this time, I'm not the only one having a rough adjustment period. In theory, it should be easier, but…"

She sighed. "I just know it won't. But I should consider myself grateful, in the end. I have a place I can call "home", a loving family, no worries of the Diamonds disrupting our home ever again, a simplistic, foolish human who loves me for who I am…"

Only then did Peridot take a moment to acknowledge her surroundings. They felt all too familiar, and for good reason: Peridot had been asleep in the bathtub of Steven's bathroom. This was literally her "room" – at least until a proper one was built.

"... Then again, it's hard to appreciate what I have when this is at least my third time experiencing a lapse in my memory today," she muttered as she stood up to approach the sink. "What was that expression Steven taught me, again? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence…"

Peridot paused as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the sink. She gently set Pumpkin back down on the floor so she could roam freely. Meanwhile, Peridot approached the sink; eyes stuck on her reflection in the mirror.

"Three times… is enemy action," she recalled. "But... there aren't any enemies left; at least, none that are nearby. Gypsum would be the easy answer, but I doubt a possessed 5XF would have gotten far under so many watchful eyes. Memory didn't really seem to be Gypsum's gimmick, anyway."

With a resigned sigh, Peridot turned on the faucet. Her gaze moved to the stream of running water while she removed her shades. Pooling some cold water into her hands, she splashed her face in hopes of waking up fully… perhaps the sensation would bring to mind one of the many missing details in her memory.

Ultimately, it was a fruitless effort. However, Peridot did feel just slightly unsettled by her own appearance in the mirror – namely, her eyes. Of course, the discomfort could have simply been nothing more than the young gem actually seeing her face without her eyes being obscured by a colored lens. She had seen it before when White Diamond cruelly forced her to accept this newfound aspect of her life, but this was the first time Peridot carefully studied her features without any imposing outside distractions. For so much of her life, her eyes had been protected literally and figuratively by a covering that gave off the illusion that her eye color was uniform.

It also could have been the asymmetry inherent with heterochromia that felt internally nagging. But trivial matters such as this normally would never give Peridot such a sense of dread; one that heightened the longer she studied her features.

Desperate for some form of reassurance, no matter how shallow it was, Peridot turned away from the mirror to face Pumpkin with a pleading glance.

"These feelings I'm currently experiencing… Pumpkin, surely I'm just overthinking all of this, right? This could be nothing more than psychosomatic–…"

Peridot's sentence died off there as she was stunned to find Pumpkin backing away from her; the pet's whines indicating discomfort and fear.

"Pumpkin, what's wrong?!" she cried out while taking a tentative step closer to Pumpkin, only to hear her whines grow louder. Peridot quickly reversed her action. "C-come on, girl, what's this all about? Y-you've remained close in proximity to me since waking me up. A-and you were the one who approached me in the first place!"

Pumpkin recoiled and backed herself into the corner of the bathroom. Her entire form shivered, seemingly terrified of her caretaker.

"–I don't understand," Peridot worriedly muttered. While hesitant to look into the mirror again, she knew she needed to. "I-I'm certain I've shown you my true eye colors during our three-day intermission between Homeworld and the vacation!"

She indeed had and recalled Pumpkin not having an adverse reaction to seeing her naked eyes in the least. However, with the growing number of lapses in her memory in this day alone, Peridot was no longer certain if she could trust her own intuition.

But the advice imparted by her idealized internal Steven remained fresh in her mind: if she was ever going to resolve this memory issue, she needed to stop doubting herself at every turn.

However, Peridot looking back at her reflection did not inspire any form of self-confidence: nothing changed at all. The same blue-and-hazel eyes, and nothing else about her externally was out of place. It obviously couldn't have been her recent diamond addition to her gemstone; that had been a permanent fixture for more than a week now, and Pumpkin seemingly didn't notice (or more likely didn't care about) the alteration.

And, of course, it had been very much in her face while Pumpkin was busy licking Peridot to wake her up minutes ago. That was not the problem. Whatever the issue was, it had to be with her eyes. It was the only variable in this moment.

But no amount of intensive, close-up studying of her eyes yielded any results. Frustration began to build up within the technician, but she held it in and remained as calm as she could before turning to face Pumpkin again.

"Pumpkin, I know I didn't say anything that could have offended you," she told her pet. "Or… inflict fear. Why are you–"

Peridot cut herself off again when she truly paid attention to Pumpkin and found her no longer cowering away from her caretaker. Her smile returned, and she was slowly approaching the very confused gem with minimal hesitation.

"Oh, now it's okay to be near me," she quietly grumbled before smiling sweetly to her beloved pet. "See, Pumpkin? There's nothing to fear."

She knelt with open arms to welcome Pumpkin back into a loving embrace. While Pumpkin gladly hopped into her arms, one shared loving gaze between the two abruptly made her yelp in distress and scramble out of Peridot's hold, retreating to the corner once again.

"Wh-what did I do now?!" Peridot growled in frustration, though she was quick to cool her temper when she found her outbursts only exacerbated Pumpkin's fearful reactions. "Pumpkin, this isn't funny… I really need to know if there's something wrong with me. Your behavior suggests this is something sporadic, but I need more than that to make a proper assessment!"

She stood to approach Pumpkin once more but stumbled away when she heard Pumpkin growl at her: a clear warning sign that she needed to stay away.

Whether it was a symptom of the mysterious problem or stress brought on from this situation, Peridot felt an incoming migraine and winced in pain. The ascended gem was again compelled to check her physical appearance in the mirror, but still saw nothing out of the ordinary.

An idea for a test came to mind as Peridot decided to once more don her shades. With her heterochromia masked, she turned to face Pumpkin to see how she would react now.

As suspected, Pumpkin's aggressive defensive nature disappeared. She still looked uncertain of how to regard her owner, but no longer cowered in fear.

"You're still guarded, but you don't seem as certain that I am a threat," Peridot observed. She quickly glanced back to the mirror, but her appearance remained the same. "Okay, let's add another layer to this experiment…"

Peridot willed more mirrors of varying sizes to appear and hover around the pair in multiple angles.

"There: now, short of you having some kind of exclusive, supernatural "Pumpkin vision", I should be able to see precisely what you're seeing," she explained, quite proud of herself for coming up with this idea. "So, Pumpkin… do we have a problem now?"

She removed her shades once more. It was a bit unsettling to suddenly be faced with multiple reflections of herself through the mirrors, but the genuine article simply huffed and brushed the feeling aside. So far, her eyes remained normal – Pumpkin's behavior further mellowed out and followed suit.

While this was relieving to see, it didn't expose the problem at all. With no idea of how to trigger whatever upset Pumpkin, Peridot slowly felt the frustration overwhelm her. In that moment, she thought her best chance to expose her problem was to succumb to her urges to throw a tantrum over this.

However, before she even got a word out, the startling sound of the bathroom door opening not only shocked Peridot into losing her composure, but she completely lost all concentration.

"GYAAAAAH!"

Garnet flinched slightly to see Peridot kneeled on the floor with various mirrors falling against the tiling, shattering on impact. This naturally spooked Pumpkin fiercely, prompting her to cry and scamper out of the bathroom beneath the fusion's feet as soon as possible.

"Pardon the interruption," she calmly apologized. "I could see you were busy in here, but I did not count on giving yourself thirty-five years of bad luck being the winning outcome."

"Wh-WHAT?! What do you mean I gave myself that many years of bad luck?!" Peridot cried out, aghast at the hundreds of glass shards now scattered across the bathroom floor.

"It's just a human superstition," Garnet warmly assured. "Breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck, and you had no less than five. Don't put too much stock into it; I was merely… "messing" with you."

Peridot grumbled and stood up. While mildly embarrassed, she allowed Garnet to pick her up to safely move her out of the path of the massive floor hazard she inadvertently made and set her down in the hallway.

"Garnet, is there something wrong with my eyes?" she urgently asked. "Pumpkin's been fearful of me off-and-on since I took these off to wash my face."

Peridot gestured to the shades in her hand; her bare eyes begging her co-leader for any meaningful input.

"That is very peculiar behavior for her," Garnet admitted. "But I see nothing wrong with your eyes, Peridot. What makes you so certain that is what Pumpkin has a problem with?"

"Because it's the only variable in this situation!" Peridot adamantly responded. "She was just fine being near me until I washed my face. Ever since then, she's been going back and forth on wanting to be around me or wanting to flee! She even growled at me when I approached her at one point; she's never behaved like this before, Garnet!"

Garnet nodded. "It may be more of a problem with Pumpkin rather than yourself, Peridot… her own life has drastically changed, and while it is by no means your fault, you have been absent from her life far longer than what she's likely used to. Your sporadic appearances between your lengthy absences have likely confused her."

"You really don't think it's got anything to do with me personally?" Peridot asked, sounding desperate for real answers. "I've been having trouble remembering parts of today, just like how I'm unable to remember what happened last night! I don't even remember how I got here, Garnet! I could have sworn I was last in Beach City making an effort to avoid going home!"

"I recall you came home of your own volition," Garnet told her. "You said you needed a nap in the bathroom and would settle everything once you've had ample rest."

Peridot shook her head, growing increasingly worried. "I don't remember doing any of that…"

Garnet bent down to pat Peridot on the back. "You have experienced a lot of trauma as of late… but we are here to help you and Steven work through this, Peridot. It is paramount that you both are at the peak of mental, physical, and emotional health before we progress into the future. We will not go on without you; that much, I hope you do remember."

"I… of course I do," Peridot nervously uttered as she stared down at the shades she held delicately in her hands. "It… kills my pride brutally to admit this, but especially with these recent memory lapses, I'm not certain how reliable my own word is, Garnet. I know I need to trust myself, but when problems like this arise, how can I in all good conscience…?"

Garnet offered Peridot a hug; one she had no idea she truly needed until now, and quickly reciprocated.

"You've made mistakes, and you will make several more in your lifespan – just like the rest of us," Garnet softly said. "We are all imperfect creatures in the end, but our capacity to grow and flourish increases every time we learn from our many mistakes. That is how one becomes a better gem, but you should already know that better than most, Peridot. Remember how far you've come already from who you used to be – and never forget you would never have made it to where you are now had you lacked faith in yourself."

The fusion had a solid point: Peridot was the gem who experienced one of the most radical changes one could ever have. Steven teaching her how to forgive herself for her horrific past actions and to move past them to focus on the future was the key to every Crystal Gem still being alive at this point.

"I'll… keep that in mind," Peridot weakly assured; her eyes glued to the floor. "I just can't shake this feeling, Garnet… that something's wrong with me. P-Pumpkin used to not mind my eyes, but now they terrify her…"

"Peridot, do not be ashamed of your appearance," Garnet warmly advised, bending down while removing her own shades to reveal her trio of heterochromatic eyes. "I understand it has been difficult for you to embrace your new role in life, but do not let that deter you from embracing who you are."

"I respect the sentiment," Peridot told the fusion, managing a small smile. "All the same, I'd prefer not to draw the wrong kind of attention with eyes like ours…"

As she lifted up her shades to put them on, Garnet intercepted with her own eyewear, placing them atop her co-lead's and positioning it carefully. Peridot was confused and silently glanced to Garnet; her gesture inquisitive.

"Did you notice what our accessories create then they are put together?" Garnet playfully asked while she took hold of Peridot's shades and flipped them upside-down. "Does it not look familiar?"

Peridot studied the shape and soon recognized it; her smile grew wider and more sincere as she internally fought off tears of joy threatening to come out. "Oh my stars! They actually make a star!"

"A star indeed." Garnet affirmed with a broad smile. "But it can only maintain this shape so long as they are united – Peridot, I foresee you making several potential mistakes as a leader, but as I told you before on Homeworld, I am by no means flawless, either. By working together, however… the star that represents our team will remain strong in spite of its flaws; we will support each other, no matter what."

"I'll do my best to work with you rather than against you when it comes to these problems," Peridot promised. "And I'll need to iron out my own problems before I can be relied on to resolve the issues of other gems…"

Garnet merely shrugged as she put her shades back on. "Some gems are better at counseling than others; they do not necessarily have to be a leader to own that role. Bismuth is a natural, as is Greg."

"Mm, true," Peridot agreed; her eyes also covered up once more. "And perhaps I am still in need of therapy… I feel awful for how I behaved this morning, Garnet."

"You've come to that conclusion sooner than I expected," Garnet calmly commended. "But that's a good thing. I believe you and Steven both are in need of some special therapy; however, that's a matter to be discussed later. I understand you are in a vulnerable position right now, Peridot, and I do not enjoy asking this of you, but I need to confirm you will be able to handle a certain situation without resorting to using your powers to flee from it."

Peridot was understandably wary of what Garnet implied, but hesitantly nodded to her. "I'm… certain I'll deeply regret agreeing to this, but you've got justifications behind a request like this, surely…"

Garnet nodded and ceased the hugging and other pleasantries.

"As co-leader of the Crystal Gems, I must know for certain you will stay true to your word," Garnet told her in a much sterner tone. "Do you, Peridot, solemnly swear as the co-leader of the Crystal Gems to cooperate with what I ask of you, and remain a gem of your word regardless of any temptation for you to behave otherwise?"

Peridot found her sense of dread make an overwhelming comeback. She tried her best to hold it down, determined to trust Garnet unconditionally.

"I do… solemnly swear, that is," she responded; her tone fairly even and steady so far. "I will resist my usual vices inherent with my new abilities; that is the surefire method of confirming I am in control of the power, rather than the other way around."

Garnet nodded with approval. "Good answer, but do not become too overconfident. Many times, you will feel tempted to give in, but this test you're about to undergo will prove your resolve, should you resist the urge to run away."

Peridot nodded in acknowledgement of this. "Are there any other specific restrictions?"

"So we're clear, this is what I expect from you: you will not use your powers to vacate this house, nor will you hide. You will not use them to sabotage anything in this household or anyone, human or gem alike. You will not use your powers to harm anyone in this household, nor will you neutralize them. You will not use your powers to distort the truth, nor will you use them to exert your will on other living beings to do your bidding. Are we understood, Peridot?"

"I, uh… feel like a lot of these policies go without saying," Peridot remarked as she cringed a bit. "B-but yes, yes. Understood and acknowledged. I will not run away nor manipulate anything to facilitate an escape. What exactly is the test, now?"

Garnet's strict act faded as she sighed. "I tried to defend you, Peridot… but I could only do so much. It's time you explained your deplorable actions."

"My deplorable… what?" Peridot was legitimately confused; it didn't help she already had memory issues, so she worried what awful thing she must have done and forgotten about…

Only to go silent as a certain Crystal Gem exited her room from the temple and directly approached Peridot with a certain lime-colored bubble in tow.

"Thank you for laying down the law, Garnet. This will make my job infinitely easier."

"I will leave you two to sort this out, then," Garnet decided, wasting no time to bow out. "Depending on how you conduct yourselves, I may or may not have to check in to make sure you both come out of this in one piece. Pearl, I expect you to be on your best behavior as well."

"Of course, of course," Pearl boredly assured. "Honestly, don't insinuate I'm on her level of maturity; I'm the one in the right here, after all."

"There is such a thing as being a sore winner," Garnet pointed out. "In any case, the floor is yours, Pearl."

Peridot grunted in frustration and reached out to Garnet, only to realize there was no point in begging for her to stay.

She was going to have to face Pearl sooner or later. Peridot only wished she was better prepared mentally; it was a given this conflict would push the ascended gem to her absolute limits.

As Garnet entered her room, she was mildly surprised to see a guest still lingering about.

"5XF… there was a chance you would still be here, but most of my visions predicted you would have already taken off with some new friends of yours," she expressed with a thoughtful stare. "Is everything going well?"

"I, er… can leave if that's what you're trying to communicate," 5XF meekly offered, quick to pick herself up off the ground and putting away the book she had been reading for a while. "I'm certain I've worn out my welcome in here by this point…"

Garnet shook her head and rested a hand over 5XF's shoulder. "Not at all: you are welcome to spend as much time here as you wish. I simply assumed you would have met with Amethyst by now."

"Lapis set out to retrieve her from the human settlement, but I've yet to hear back from either of them," 5XF reported. "I may be getting to know Amethyst with Lapis still being in my company; apparently Lapis has been putting off her own task in befriending Amethyst, and we decided it would be optimal for all three of us to spend time together."

"It seems you did well to earn Lapis' trust," Garnet commended with a smile. "That is no easy feat to achieve with a gem like her."

5XF nodded in agreement, though she was a bit less certain how much of her success was truly her own. "I want to think my striking resemblance to her former roommate did not have anything to do with my success, but that's a rather naïve sentiment… still, I've been honest with her about what I've put Steven and 5XG through, and surprisingly she still wants to give me a chance."

"Like I said, Lapis can be… tricky to befriend," Garnet reiterated. "Just getting your foot in the proverbial door is a challenge, and you should not feel any coincidental ties to her other friends diminishes your achievement. You've reached the point where your own efforts will matter the most, but I have faith you'll do well."

"I'm fairly certain she isn't one I'll seek relationship advice from at any point, but I'm fairly confident I can maintain our friendship despite that," 5XF assured. "I was thinking of perhaps getting to know Pearl better while I wait for Lapis to return with Amethyst, but between her time speaking with you and being in her room for so long, it's been a challenge to determine her availability."

"Ah, so you've been waiting here until Pearl becomes available or Lapis returns," Garnet understood. "Well, the good news is that Pearl recently vacated her room. Unfortunately, this is not a good time to approach her."

5XF had a feeling she knew why that was the case. "She finally cornered 5XG, I presume."

Garnet stiffly nodded. "She claims to not remember coming home voluntarily, which is a cause for concern… I'll soon try to get in contact with Steven just to ensure he is not suffering similar symptoms. Whatever their problem is, we should be able to control it before it gets out of hand. But right now, while Peridot is here, it's best for her to sort out her issues with Pearl before their animosity festers any longer. I want to believe she has a justifiable explanation for what she did…"

"What did 5XG do that has angered Pearl so severely, if you don't mind me asking?" 5XF inquired.

"Perhaps you should see for yourself," Garnet suggested after a brief moment of consideration. "Covertly, that is. There is a terrible mess in the bathroom that should be cleaned up as soon as possible. However, our resident housekeeper will be busy with your sister for a while. The bathroom is in close proximity to their current location, so simply keep to yourself as you clean in Pearl's place, and you will find out all that you wish to know."

5XF, the gem notorious for her insatiable curiosity, found the offer almost impossible to pass up. However, she gave the fusion a skeptical glance as a pertinent question came to mind.

"If you provide me the means to clean said mess, I can handle that," she assured her much taller fellow gem. "But why are you encouraging me to eavesdrop? Especially when one of the intended targets is the same one who wanted me shattered for doing precisely that just a few days ago?"

"That is a bad habit of yours that we will work on when the time is right," Garnet assured. "But this is no time to be secretive from each other when we're in the midst of preparing for a dangerous battle, as well as managing a new society for gemkind. The Crystal Gems must be a cohesive unit when the time for the true Era 3 to commence. And to be honest, 5XF… I've seen multiple possible resolutions to this particular conflict where you are needed."

5XF couldn't help but recoil from this statement. "A-are you serious?! How in the world do I have any stake in whatever Pearl and 5XG are fighting about?"

"Think of it as a little test of your own," Garnet proposed. "I should not spoil too much, but I will say this is an opportunity for you to redeem yourself in your sister's eyes. The key to your involvement revolves around a certain bubbled gem in Pearl's possession."

Based on what Peridot had shown 5XF of her life story, as well as what was gathered while eavesdropping that night when Peridot confessed to Steven what happened to her on the most traumatic day of her life, the elder technician had a feeling she knew who would be the key to the conflict between her sister and Pearl.

She soon realized just how quickly this conflict could degenerate into something much worse if Pearl kept pushing Peridot to a critical breaking point.

"You will be a more efficient means of determining whether or not my intervention will truly be needed," Garnet added. "I honestly do not want to have to break them up and end this before the two are able to meet halfway, but I will if the two prove they cannot work this out among themselves. Can I count on you to know when to make that call, 5XF?"

"I–… am not declining the offer," 5XF uneasily clarified. "I just want to know why you're entrusting such an important job like this to someone like me. If you show me how to clean a mess like this and offer a remote means of communication, I will do this, Garnet. But I… I'll be distracted, asking myself why a responsibility such as this has been granted to me if you can't give me an answer."

Garnet smiled as she provided a broom and dustpan for the little gem, as well as what looked like a walkie-talkie.

"I will be happy to demonstrate how to perform your task," she responded. "And here is a simple and safe means of communicating with me from afar. 5XF, I already explained how your presence may provide crucial damage control that will prevent Pearl and Peridot's relationship from becoming unsalvageable. You feign indifference, but I know you have no desire to constantly be at odds with your sister and hope to reach a middle ground one day; your potential role, should it be needed, could become the foundation of what will finally bring peace between you two."

5XF decided to focus on the objects she had been granted rather than the fusion as she spoke in that moment. She honestly had no desire to confirm nor deny these points.

"Beyond that, I hope you will see this as a preview of what to expect should you become a mediator between the Homeworld refugees and the Crystal Gems," Garnet warmly expressed. "This is a little different, but should you get involved, you will become the mediator between your sister and Pearl by default. It's important you truly experience what it means to be a mediator before you become one for millions of wayward gems, 5XF."

Now the fusion's motivation made much more sense. Of course, the way she talked made it feel like an inevitability that 5XF would end up involved in this debacle that had nothing to do with her rather than a possibility.

Then again, if 5XF's suspicions were right, she already felt it would only be a matter of time before she'd be compelled to run in to her sister's defense. It seemed ludicrous, especially considering the awful way Peridot treated her earlier in the day… but 5XF wanted to believe a selfless action like this may eventually reward her. Perhaps Sphalerite would be allowed to exist again…

Of course, there was always the possibility that Peridot would not be grateful for her sister's efforts and not offer her any sort of reprieve. Perhaps this might not be enough to properly mend the relationship.

Scratch that: this definitely wouldn't be enough to mend Peridot and 5XF's shattered relationship. On top of that, 5XF risked making an enemy of Pearl – she was aware of the animosity shared between her little sister and Rose Quartz's right-hand gem, largely stemming from their rivalry as fellow engineers as well as Peridot being rather unsubtle about dating the hybrid Pearl was basically a surrogate mother for.

5XF wanted dearly to avoid repeating her sister's mistakes with any of the Crystal Gems; befriending Lapis the way she had gave her hope that she could indeed avoid living in her sister's shadow. But by coming to Peridot's defense, 5XF risked her only chance of making a good first impression on Pearl. A selfless action might result in her being hated by both parties.

The elder Peridot quietly groaned as she tried to shake that possibility out of her head. The daunting possibility of losing so much without gaining anything or even fixing the problem started to hang over her, but Garnet seemed to notice her internal struggle as she bent down to offer 5XF a hug.

"5XF, you can always say no," the fusion reminded her. "You are under no obligation to be part of this. I see you too are thinking of how many ways this could end in a disaster… remember that there is no shame in being pragmatic. Should you turn this offer down, know that you are not disappointing me; I will not think less of you."

While that was reassuring, 5XF was not so sure she could forgive herself if she turned her back on this opportunity and left her sister to suffer. She already had a disadvantage in being mentally compromised, and the possibility of having a faulty memory was the bane of every Peridot's existence. Forgetfulness was a trait some unfortunate Peridots on Homeworld adopted, and how they were ultimately handled was no different from how a Peridot with crippled limbs was dealt with.

However awfully Peridot treated her, 5XF could see she was truly suffering right now… and much of that was her fault. It was still a shock for the elder Peridot to see her young, formerly sociopathic kin become so vulnerable and flawed. More and more, she regretted ever listening to Gypsum in the first place.

"I appreciate that," 5XF tiredly replied at last. "But that won't stop me from thinking less of myself if I back down now. The more I consider the variables of this conflict… the more I feel it's my duty to be on standby. I-I'm going to let 5XG handle her own business as best she can, but if Pearl starts to play dirty…"

"Just remember she won't mean to," Garnet reminded her. "As much as they don't get along, Pearl does care for Peridot. She does not want to intentionally harm her."

5XF felt her drive to be part of this grow overwhelmingly strong; subconsciously, her hands formed into fists.

"I understand I am risking the chance to establish a healthy rapport with Pearl if I need to step in," she told the fusion. "And I desperately wanted to avoid doing anything to risk my relationship with Pearl becoming a retread of 5XG's – so I intend to be as impartial as I can, in hopes that I do not further tarnish my reputation. It… it would be fantastic if they don't need either of us to intervene, but…"

"Hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Garnet advised. She tried not to make it obvious, but she too longed for a best-case scenario that looked increasingly less and less likely the more she and 5XF considered the details and the reality of an already tenuous relationship.

5XF nodded to Garnet. "I'll keep in touch. The longer we put this off, the more likely we'll both be too late to salvage this if it already devolved into all-out war."

"One quick demonstration with the broom, and you'll be on your way," Garnet assured before letting out a bit of a cheeky smile. "Just to make sure you don't emulate your sister trying to figure this out on your own – it will make quite a bit of noise, after all."

The elder Peridot glanced at the broom in her hand and blushed with mild embarrassment as she refocused her sights back on Garnet. "Um… I guess you're implying the rod part of this device is not what cleans the floor, then…"

Garnet couldn't help but let out a laugh at that.

"Ha-ha! Oh, my… you two certainly did form from the same rock."

[ NEXT PHASES:  Peridot & Pearl – Steven & Greg  – Lapis & Amethyst ]

Chapter Text

There are times when even the most optimistic souls must face reality and admit that not everyone is meant to get along with one another.

Even on their best days, they lack chemistry. They lack cohesion. And in the end, it's ultimately crueler to force two incompatible people to get along than to simply let them coexist and go on with their lives separately.

Peridot sincerely hoped Steven would come to understand and accept that one day. She personally accepted this fact of life long ago – for all the friends she made on Earth, one gem stubbornly resisted her infectious charm. While they were able to cooperate, and perhaps even loosely see each other as friends, Peridot knew if they weren't both associated with a large group of gems they were respectively much closer to, they'd very likely never have anything to do with each other at all.

Pearl knew this, too. When Peridot started dating her "baby boy", that made her all the more disinclined to reach out and improve their relations. No matter how much Peridot changed, Pearl would never truly believe she was good enough for Steven.

Then again… in all fairness, no one short of Connie would have earned Pearl's undying support in that regard.

In times like this, however, Pearl could no longer ignore Peridot. She was not content to merely "coexist" with her.

With the technician's poor attempts to hide the abject fear written all over her face, Pearl's piercing glare intensified as her eyes narrowed.

"Do you know where I found this bubbled gem, Peridot?"

Peridot hated it when Pearl acted like this; asking rhetorical questions to bask in her self-righteous glory when her victim states the obvious.

Instead, Peridot opted for outrage. "You were snooping around in my room just trying to find some way to implicate me, weren't you?!"

"First of all, I'm asking the questions here," Pearl sharply declared. "Secondly, it is not your room: we merely allowed you back into Steven's bathroom out of the kindness of our hearts. At best, we're loaning you that space. Third point: I was not snooping – I regularly clean this house to keep it from looking like Amethyst's room. The bathroom happens to be where I do the most cleaning because of the importance of regularly maintaining its pristine condition for Steven's sake."

Gritting her teeth and focusing her gaze to the floor, Peridot couldn't help but feel frustrated when Pearl actually made perfectly logical points. There was no way she could spin this story to make her look bad…

"So, imagine my surprise when I found this stuffed in the bathtub underneath your mattress," Pearl smugly stated. "You know we had a strict policy about where we were to store the Homeworld refugees, Peridot. It's important we don't lose any of them – especially a refugee who is currently healthy!"

"I know…" Peridot numbly murmured; she looked like she'd rather shatter than talk about this any further.

However, Pearl had no intention of granting her that mercy. "Since I know you're far too intelligent to "forget" where we store the healthy refugees, I can only come to the conclusion that you hid this in the bathroom so that it wouldn't be found. You know which gem is in this bubble, and you don't want her free."

Despite their tenuous relationship, Pearl proved to have more in common with Peridot than simply her aptitude for mechanical engineering – she could be equally verbose and hammy as well.

"Fine, you got me," Peridot loudly blurted out while bowing her head. She tried to shield her eyes from the taller gem as she confessed her sins. "I violated standard procedure; I had my reasons, but they do not excuse my actions. Just get her out of my sight and put her in with the healthy group – you can sentence me to whatever punishment you deem fit."

Pearl eyed the young gem curiously. "Any punishment, you say?"

Peridot briefly rose her head to shoot a fierce glare at her fellow gem. "Terminating my relationship with Steven is not a valid punishment, just so we're clear."

Once she boldly made that point, Peridot's posture resumed its usual slump with her head lowered towards the floor.

"Peridot, I'm getting the impression you don't regret what you've done at all," a suspicious Pearl remarked. "You haven't even apologized."

"Because there's no point," Peridot shot back. "If I said it, you'd know right away my apology was insincere. Why waste time when I'm clearly not sorry, while I lack the ability to convince you otherwise?"

"An attitude like that would imply you're not above pulling something like this in the future," Pearl snidely countered. "Or that you've hidden away more than one gem based on a petty personal grudge."

Peridot was quick to bury that notion. "I only hid one, and you found her, okay?! Y-you wouldn't understand my feelings, Pearl. Don't bother trying… we've been through this before."

"I imagine we have," Pearl bitterly agreed as she shifted her gaze towards the gem inside the bubble. "This is a fellow Pearl; a healthy, yellow one. Considering your stance on me, and knowing you're acquainted with another Pearl of this color…"

"Yes, that's Yellow Diamond's Pearl," Peridot confirmed; her composure crumbling quickly as she faced Pearl again. "The same one we used as a skeleton key on Homeworld. My… former manager."

Pearl shot another piercing glare at Peridot just then. "Indeed: the same Pearl you've openly wished to keep as a bubbled "trophy", as I recall! After everything you've learned, you would still talk about a Pearl that way, even though you of all gems should know better than to belittle those at the bottom of the caste!"

"If I still wanted her as a trophy, I wouldn't have kept her under my bed!" Peridot shouted back. "You display trophies, Pearl! I'm not belittling her because she's a Pearl like you, okay?! That isn't why I hate her!"

"Oh, so you admit you hate her," Pearl acknowledged; seemingly amused to have dragged that confession out of her rival so quickly. "And not because she's a Pearl like me, while being your direct superior? You're trying to claim it didn't humiliate you to have to answer to a Pearl, even one who represented your Diamond? Because what you confessed to me in your little video message implies otherwise!"

So badly Peridot wanted to put an end to this conversation and just teleport somewhere else. However, her sorrow grew as the technician had to remind herself she promised Garnet she wouldn't use her powers for any reason in this confrontation.

"Pearl… I-I'm going to respectfully ask you to not force me to elaborate," she requested; her tone becoming shaky. "My h-history… with her…"

She pointed to the bubble. "There's… much more to it. So much more. And I don't want to talk about any of it. Not again."

"You're saying I should just take your word for it," Pearl assumed, not buying into Peridot's legitimate anguish. "Perhaps most Pearls would be more than happy to accommodate your request, but I'm not like most Pearls, Peridot. You seem to forget you've already admitted to committing what would be considered a crime in our Era 3: not a good look for you, considering you're supposed to be a major representative of the Crystal Gems."

While Garnet helped rebuild Peridot's self-confidence, Pearl's statement made it all shatter into pieces again. Peridot fell to her knees, utterly distraught.

"You aren't garnering any pity from me," Pearl coldly scoffed. "Stop acting so pathetic and defeated; all I did was catch you acting like the same little criminal you were when you first landed here on Earth. I just exposed your hypocrisy: you claim you want all gems to have a fresh start on Earth and to have an equal opportunity to make a new first impression, good or bad. Yet I've heard you've viciously denied your own sister this treatment, and now you're going out of your way to ensure Yellow Pearl never gets a second chance at all."

No matter how callous Pearl behaved, she was still objectively in the right. Peridot knew that, and it internally tore her to shreds. While she had perfectly understandable reasons for her poor behavior, this was a time when Peridot's cold hard logical viewpoint became a double-edged sword. In the past, she wouldn't tolerate excuses from anyone who acted illogically regardless of their emotional investment in whatever caused their behavior.

Consequently, Peridot was destined to be every bit as hard on herself in that regard. It didn't help that the few times she allowed herself to be overly emotional (or simply couldn't suppress her emotions given the circumstances) always resulted in something catastrophic, especially in recent times.

Succumbing to the grief of Pumpkin's death caused Peridot to nearly rip Homeworld apart before the natural causes that imminently doomed the planet could finish the job. It was easy to see why Peridot would associate sentimentality with destruction: in this instance, not a planet, but everything she worked for. Era 3 on Earth, the millions of refugees from Homeworld who still had no idea what happened or why… even the Crystal Gems as a team.

In times like this, Peridot wondered in earnest why and how Garnet saw any aptitude of a leader within her. She was fairly certain no leader worth their salt would have crumbled this easily just for being rightfully called out on their bad behavior.

"I already told you, this charade of yours isn't going to yield the results you want!" Pearl shouted, startling the kneeling gem, which caused her to nearly jump and stumble… then fall on her back. "Do you honestly have nothing to say for yourself, Peridot?!"

Peridot couldn't help but wince (knowing this was going to make Pearl think she still was stubbornly bargaining for pity); most of the responses that came to mind were more and more excuses… and a single plea, which she ultimately opted for.

"P-Pearl, I already asked you not to make me talk about this," she cautiously reminded her elder. "You… you made it clear you don't want to hear me make excuses. I already admitted to you I've done wrong and will accept an appropriate punishment for my actions. What more could you want from me?! Do you need me to explicitly state that you're right and I'm wrong?! Will that satisfy you?!"

"Don't turn this around and make it about me!" Pearl shot back, agitated with what she perceived was more of Peridot's usual defiant attitude. "I want to know what made you think your behavior is even remotely acceptable!"

"I don't believe it's acceptable behavior!" Peridot cried out. "Stars, you won't even believe me when I'm admitting to being in the wrong! I know you tend to hear only what you want to hear, but it's difficult for me to even give you that when you refuse to be specific about what you want from me!"

Pearl's eyes narrowed once more; naturally, she did not buy into her fellow gem's genuine anguish even now.

"I want the truth," she stiffly clarified. "Because I want to know what it was in that twisted mind of yours that drove you to this relapse of falling back into your old bad habits. I need to know, especially from one of my supposed leaders, when to expect another crime by your hands. You may officially on Garnet's level of authority, but know you will never be my leader. If you close yourself off from your teammates, that will not inspire us to believe in you! I have severe doubt not only in your integrity, Peridot, but your competence as well!"

"… Fair enough…" Peridot bit her lip, fighting back tears as she made it back on her feet. "I'd… I'd be more surprised if you didn't think I was a lousy authority figure who can't do anything right. Never mind that my plan to save everyone on Homeworld the first time around did in fact save you all… myself notwithstanding."

Pearl stood firm but couldn't resist the slightest flinch at the reminder that Peridot, while not entirely through her own efforts alone, definitely earned the majority of the credit for that particular mission. Even she couldn't resist feeling utterly heartbroken when Peridot ended up being left behind on Homeworld.

"We risked everything to bring you back," Pearl said in a much softer, somber tone. It almost sounded like she was holding back on spilling tears herself. "Despite going out of your way to insist we not bother, trying to convince us you weren't worth the effort… no one spared even a second to consider it. Even I immediately dismissed your order, Peridot. Not once did I entertain the notion of leaving you to die. When we figured out you were experimented on by the Diamonds… that didn't change a thing, even though I know every gem with your condition met a tragic end where several gems became collateral damage."

Peridot didn't expect to hear Pearl admit she was that upset over her rival not making it off Homeworld. It made her feel somewhat better, but she knew it was only a matter of time before Pearl resumed running her down.

"I appreciate the sentiment," Peridot murmured; her eyes unable to meet Pearl's. "And I'm grateful you all ignored my order. I'm not afraid to admit I'm wrong at times, Pearl. I've made bad calls in the past… and I'm sure I'll make more in Era 3 once it launches. We're all going to make mistakes – even Garnet – because this is a learning experience for everybody. Barring that, we're all flawed individuals, Pearl. No amount of authority makes one immune to screwing up or poor decision-making."

"True enough," Pearl conceded. "But you're downplaying your own flaws, Peridot. There is a difference between occasionally screwing something up and repeatedly making bad decisions in tandem with improper conduct. Which one describes you most accurately right now, Peridot?"

"The latter, obviously," Peridot bitterly replied. "And I'm not going to bother with excuses. I know that isn't what you're after – but any explanation you're expecting out of me is just going to be that: an excuse. I don't know if you've noticed, but Steven and I had a rather abysmal vacation during the latter half of last week. We're going to explain everything in due course, but right now, we both desperately need some reprieve from what we've recently suffered. And I sincerely hope Steven is having better luck than me in that endeavor; I'm currently suffering from a faulty memory over the course of this day, Pearl. So understand that your brutal interrogation is doing nothing but provoking sheer agitation; a continued assault will almost assuredly trigger a nervous breakdown. I'm supposed to be recuperating – this is anything but."

Pearl let out an annoyed huff before stepping away from Peridot and started to pace around the living room to gather her thoughts. Peridot wasn't sure what the elder gem had in mind, but she stood her ground and patiently awaited Pearl's response. Deep down, she hoped Pearl would relent on her questioning…

"The truth will set you free, Peridot. If you can give me that, you'll be free to relax and recover from whatever danger you put yourself and Steven in."

… Of course, the pragmatic, realistic side of Peridot knew better than to bank on that outcome.

"Wow, thanks for assuming whatever happened to us was entirely my fault," Peridot snidely remarked. "I never would have guessed you of all gems would come to a conclusion that results in me taking full responsibility for circumstances beyond everyone's control."

Pearl shot a dark glare at Peridot just then. "So, you're insinuating that Steven is to blame for whatever happened to you in Egypt? What a loving sentiment from the alleged girlfr–"

"We're all at fault for what happened in Egypt!" Peridot snapped. "Steven and I are equally at fault for failing to earn 5XF's trust; 5XF is at fault for being a world-class clod for running away in a desert, thinking she could make it on her own without us! It was her stupid idiot actions that have forced us to delay Era 3 again due to getting involved with a corrupted gem! We are all to blame, Pearl!"

Pearl grunted, flustered and annoyed with Peridot's renewed resolve to stand up for herself.

"But the fact remains you are culpable for your own misfortune, even if the fault does not solely lie within you," she said with a sneer. "And if you want the right to recover on my watch, you're going to explain to me why you attempted to keep Yellow Pearl forever imprisoned."

"Why do you care so much?!" Peridot barked out. "Just because she's a Pearl like you?! Because you think you can link this to how I treated you in the past and claim I'm still just as prejudiced against your kind like I used to be?!"

"I thought I made it clear at the beginning: you committed the crime, Peridot," Pearl coldly reminded the young gem. "You've admitted as much; as such, you will not be asking questions. At the very least, you don't get that privilege until you answer mine."

Peridot felt her body reflexively shudder; she hugged herself, trying to contain it, but the technician knew she would be unable to fully quell her body's telltale signs that she was being pushed to the brink – mentally and emotionally.

So badly, she wanted to avoid telling Pearl exactly why she was so compelled to contradict everything she stood for by denying this specific bubbled gem the right to start anew. Peridot knew it was wrong; that it was unfair of her to treat Yellow Pearl this way. But every time she saw that gemstone, the traumatic memories flooded her mind and threatened to completely overwhelm her.

As time passed, Peridot's thoughts were eaten up by the reminders of the day she tried to bury away forever. It didn't help that she already went through this story with Amethyst earlier in the day – though that at least Peridot was willing to do for a good cause. She would have to go over this again with Lapis later for similar reasons. And this morning, she was horrified to find out her own sister eavesdropped without her consent to learn about the most traumatic moment of her life.

She was done sharing this story to anyone else. As much as she respected and trusted Garnet, Peridot had no desire to let her in on the secret. Bismuth was also a close and beloved friend, but Peridot didn't see any reason to burden her with the knowledge – while burdening herself for sharing it again. Greg and Connie… Peridot felt they'd both be better off remaining oblivious as well.

Pearl, however…

While there was a begrudging respect, a common ground between the two gems, and the ability to work together if they truly needed to, Peridot and Pearl were very distant acquaintances at best. They were truly only brought together by their common link through their other friends.

Pearl understood the junior gem much better now since receiving her message when Peridot was presumed dead (though ultimately just captured). And yet, the two were still unable to see eye-to-eye. Ever since Peridot and Steven got together, Pearl had entirely given up on even thinking of trying to connect with her better… at least, until the relationship itself crashed and burned, which Pearl honestly believed would be the inevitable outcome.

She at least had the decency to keep that sentiment to herself. However, her expressions alone told Peridot very quickly that she would never be seen as "good enough" for Steven in her eyes.

"Pearl… I implore you to not force me to beg," Peridot weakly pleaded. "I cannot tell you why. Some stories are… better left untold."

"That would be a valid point if you truly hadn't told the story," Pearl ruthlessly countered. "But you've already shared it with a few select gems, haven't you? Don't you think it strikes others as suspicious when you start playing favorites, Peridot? Of course, I can't imagine Steven knows this dirty little secret. He'd never stay with someone who acts so–"

"Steven's the one who made me share the story in the first place!" Peridot screeched, not wanting to hear another word from Pearl after a slight like that. "And I admitted to him that I hid Yellow Pearl away! Guess what: he didn't even react! By telling him everything, I traumatized Steven just as much as I traumatized myself for recounting it! So don't you dare trivialize our relationship based on my questionable actions, Pearl!"

Pearl was stunned, taking this all in. She could tell Peridot wasn't lying when she revealed that Steven didn't say a single word about her crime. She couldn't comprehend it; Steven was a loving boy who cared for everything and everyone. Just how badly was he traumatized to overlook such a heinous act?

"No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't keep this part of my life buried and forgotten forever," Peridot sorrowfully admitted. "However, that doesn't mean it should be a constant reference to my life! I will not be defined by that moment, and ultimately, it's none of your business! I shared this story with those whom I care for the most; more importantly, those who have a stake in what played out during that part of my life."

Peridot glared at Pearl and pointed to her.

"They are the only ones who need to know – don't perceive them as "privileged" just because I told them and not you, Pearl. Consider yourself fortunate that you can live your life not knowing how the most traumatic day of my life panned out! You're not going to achieve any form of enlightenment: it is a sad, miserable story where everyone involved is either an unrepentant monster, an unfeeling clod, or a gem one hairline fracture away from being internally shattered!"

Now Pearl was the one who had a hard time keeping her eyes on Peridot; her gaze refocused on her bubbled kin.

"In case you've forgotten, Pearl, you're the one we're counting on to cure the countless amounts of sick gems we have stockpiled all over the temple," Peridot more calmly followed up; however, she still had a harsh and strict tone, indicating how much Pearl had backed her against the proverbial wall.

"Curing the corrupted, curing the pallified… endeavors that could take years, decades – even centuries now that we no longer have the four Diamonds to provide for us. But if anyone can find an alternative method, it's you. And what would be truly awful of me is to weigh down your mind with my dramatic nonsense that would only hinder your progress… and in turn, hinder the millions of ill gems who deserve a new, free life just as much as their healthy counterparts."

Finally, Pearl visibly softened. For the first time, Peridot's words registered to her as something a responsible gem should say; what a leader would say.

"I asked you, Peridot… to not make this about me," she stated in a calm, yet shaky tone. "But you're correct: I'm going to be very busy from here on out, finding cures for two conditions that are otherwise impossible to treat. It's very important that I focus on determining which methods are viable and discard any that fail to yield the results we seek. Distractions will hinder my progress…"

Subconsciously, her grip tightened on the bubble.

"… And we can't be having that. All I can do is think about the cure now. Narrow down the endless possibilities as much as I can… then keep trying, until I crack the proverbial code or the end of time itself."

Peridot took notice to these subtle cues. She took a moment to regain some composure and managed to keep her focus on the elder gem again.

"Pearl… you're not doing this alone," she gently assured. "Whenever we're not getting the refugees adjusted to Earth, we'll come to see you and help however we can. There are plenty of Crystal Gems besides you who have sick friends they can't wait to cure and reunite with; it's not like they aren't invested in this."

"Of course I'm not alone," Pearl affirmed in a faux-cheerful demeanor. "But isn't it just the funniest thing, how this is my only duty? The rest of you will be out and about, running all sorts of errands for these refugees, and I'll be holed up in my room thinking about nothing but the cure!"

"Y-you know… it doesn't have to be that way, Pearl," Peridot told her; genuinely worried for her teammate's well-being. "If you feel that strongly about it, we can schedule a course for you to teach the refugees. I-I mean, who better than you to teach them proper Earth manners and crap, right?"

It was a thoughtful gesture, and Peridot was certain this was a real vulnerability Pearl had been dealing with. This was the first time she had shown any sign of discontent with her role in Earth's Era 3 – thankfully, this was a good time to take issue with it. If any gem had issues with the responsibilities they were saddled with in this never-ending operation, it was best to deal with them before the launch.

However, Pearl realized this wasn't what she went to great lengths to corner Peridot for. She shot an annoyed glare to the technician as her features began to reharden.

"This is not supposed to be about me!" Pearl hollered. "You are the one on trial here!"

"This is not a trial," Peridot flatly cut in. "This is a lecture and you know it. That's all you ever bring to the proverbial table, Pearl."

Pearl took a few steps forward towards Peridot, towering over her post-ascended form. "There you go again, running your mouth as if that will help your case. I suppose I have no right to force you to explain why you did this to Yellow Diamond's Pearl – though I highly suspect you're over-dramatizing it, as you often do."

"Well, apparently I can't lie to save my life," Peridot snidely shot back. "So if I did overstate anything, you would have noticed by now, correct?"

This was a very good point, but Pearl brushed that aside and refocused her anger towards the rival engineer.

"You said you would accept an appropriate punishment," Pearl pointed out. "Since you pleaded guilty, I expect you'll go along with your punishment without question."

"Within reason," Peridot loudly clarified. "I already told you that ending my relationship with Steven is not within those parameters!"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do recall that. I believe what I have in mind is perfectly within reason, considering the nature of your crime."

She held out the bubbled gemstone of Yellow Pearl.

"Yellow Pearl is to be released, and you will explain everything she needs to know about her new life on Earth."

Just like that, Peridot froze; the trauma abruptly flooded back in and dominated all other thoughts in the gem's mind. These words struck fear into her very soul.

"Oh, and you will owe her an apology for attempting to hide her away and denying her a chance at a new life," Pearl added; completely unfazed by how abruptly Peridot lost all composure.

After all, she had been an emotional mess for the majority of this conflict. This was nothing new… on the surface, at least.

But internally, Peridot panicked more than ever before.

While she had dealt with Yellow Pearl's presence with relative ease during their last encounter on Homeworld, there were a couple of important variables to consider.

First and foremost, this occurred before Peridot unearthed that traumatic repressed memory. All but Lapis' sacrifice was mentally buried with the intent of never resurfacing, so Peridot never would have associated her former manager with a traumatic moment she didn't even recall at the time.

Secondly, Peridot was supremely sedated. As drugged as she was, Peridot was hardly herself until she accomplished her mission in her old workstation. Not just from the influence of the drugs, but from her old, sociopathic Homeworld persona resurfacing as a personal defense mechanism. It was the only way Peridot was able to shake off being beaten within an inch of her life and watching the offending gem shatter into pieces all over her. No amount of trauma would pierce through that psychotic armor.

"P-please don't…" Peridot begged, though her voice was down to a whisper at this point. "Don't… don't do this to me!"

Though the technician's eyes were bugged out while she devolved into pure hyperventilating, Pearl saw no reason to take these triggered indicators seriously.

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," Pearl scolded. She reached up into her glowing gemstone and pulled out a needle, then proceeded to angle it appropriately in the bubble's direction. "You haven't once fooled me with your repeated attempts at emotional blackmail, and it's not saving you now. Show me you have at least a shred of dignity, Peridot: you consented to this, so for once in your life, live up to your arrogant bluffing!"

"Don't let her out!" Peridot screeched; tears now streamed down her face. "P-Pearl, you have no clue how badly this will affect my psyche if she's out and about! Y-you shouldn't be trivializing the freaking refugees and putting them through trauma just to prove a point to me! You're–… you are regarding Yellow Pearl as a means to punish me rather than an individual!"

The last couple of statements made Pearl pause; apparently, this didn't once cross her mind. Of course, being almost obsessively hellbent on punishing Peridot consequently made Pearl blind to the implications and consequences of her actions beyond that single motivation.

Except… Pearl remembered just then why she was so upset to find Yellow Pearl hidden away. She had been missing for several days, after all. She didn't want to release Yellow Pearl prematurely just to punish Peridot – and despite the several times the tiny technician demanded for Pearl's ulterior motives (or rather, if she even had any), she was never given an answer.

Similar to Peridot, Pearl felt her other motives were none of Peridot's business. Especially after finding out the young gem was responsible for Yellow Pearl's disappearance. Now Pearl had a justifiable excuse to not explain anything to Peridot; for fear that her prejudiced, Pearl-hating self would sabotage her efforts out of spite.

"Tell me, Pearl, how does that make you any better than me when I talked about her like she was my personal trophy?!" Peridot angrily cried out. "You're objectifying your own kind just to get back at me; how does that not strike you as short-sighted and petty?!"

"How many times do I have to remind you that you don't have the right to ask me any questions?!" Pearl barked back; now very defensive and offended to see that even in her most vulnerable state, Peridot still dared to challenge her. "You won't open up to me, so don't expect me to extend the same courtesy to you! And don't you dare assume I'm doing this just to punish you, you little brat! The world does not revolve around the "Great and Lovable" Peridot, shockingly enough!"

The insults were relatively easy to weather – mostly because Peridot had long known Pearl always had a low opinion of her, so none of her harsh admonishments were anything she didn't already anticipate. And Peridot's stance on Pearl was very similar, which made statements like this far less powerful than they were intended to be.

However, Pearl's stubborn refusal to explain anything on her end was nothing short of frustrating. She was stonewalling Peridot until the latter relented and shared her traumatic experience. It was not a fair exchange, no matter how Pearl worded her motives.

"After all that, you're still insisting I burden you with that stupid story?!" Peridot said in sheer, dumbfounded disbelief. "This is by no means an equal exchange! Pearl, this is a Homeworld refugee you're using as a bargaining chip! If you have any other ulterior motives in prematurely releasing her, I deserve to know! Regardless of your sentiments, I am your superior and it's my duty to inquire my teammates when they're about to do something incredibly stupid! You just can't…"

Despite not needing to breathe, Peridot felt so short of breath right now and consequently was incredibly fatigued. This was a highly worrying symptom when the technician had just woken up from a nap not even half an hour ago. Still, she winced and powered through it: this was not the time to show any more weakness in Pearl's presence than she had already.

"You can't withhold this kind of information from me, Pearl!" she finally continued. "It isn't personal and inconsequential to our mission like the information I'm refusing to grant you; it's the opposite! You're insulting your fellow Pearl there by insinuating this!"

It seemed some percentage of Peridot's speech got through to Pearl. For a few moments, she remained still with her bubbled yellow kin in one hand and the other holding the pin mere inches away.

Pearl could no longer deny she was being more immature than the most immature gem on the team at this point; she had no intention of demeaning Yellow Diamond's Pearl, but that was exactly what she ended up doing. She had lost sight of what was important by stubbornly insisting that Peridot share a part of her life she was incredibly uncomfortable to reveal to just anyone – hell, she was uncomfortable sharing the story even to her best friends and boyfriend. Pearl was being nothing short of insensitive at this point to hold critical mission-relevant plans hostage over such a delicate matter.

Like Peridot before her, Pearl realized she needed to get over herself and focus on what was important.

"Fine, Peridot. If you so insist… I'll tell you what I'm trying to accomplish with this; I assure you this is for the good of the team and for Era 3."

Peridot huffed out a sigh of relief. Even for all her paranoia of how badly this confrontation with Pearl would go down, this was still far more painful than she anticipated. And she was ecstatic to finally be past the point of hostilities, though Peridot lacked the energy to even show it.

"After you explain yourself to Yellow Pearl and apologize for your actions," Pearl bitterly added, punctuating her amendment with a loud POP!

The pastel-hued pearl fell to the floor as Peridot looked on, frozen with shock and terror.

Seconds later, the gemstone glowed and floated up – a stream of hard light emanated from it and began to take on a very familiarly-shaped silhouette.

With that, Peridot was no longer frozen stiff; however, she was back to becoming a quivering, hyperventilating mess. She couldn't even form words in her mind, much less speak a single coherent word of admonishment to the now-stoic Pearl, who calmly watched her fellow gem reform.

That was the breaking point: Peridot could no longer handle this. She warned Pearl time and time again not to do this, only for her pleas to go ignored.

While she swore to Garnet that she'd not use her powers to escape, manipulate, or harm anybody in the house, that didn't mean Peridot was above escaping the old-fashioned way.

Peridot could only do what she knew worked before when she felt this threatened and trapped: retreat to the bathroom.

After slamming the door behind her and locking it accordingly, Peridot slumped against it – trying her hardest to come down from her panic attack. She continued to hyperventilate, sweat, and shiver while anticipating some imminent angry door-knocking any second now.

Thankfully, it didn't happen. Not yet, at least.

It took every last ounce of willpower to resist teleporting to the other end of the world after Pearl popped that bubble. The temptation to still do so remained, as it quickly became apparent that Peridot barricading herself in this location would only serve as a very short-term solution delaying the inevitable.

Keeping in mind the oath she had sworn to her co-lead, Peridot quickly found herself very short on options. But, while she wasn't being actively pursued (it was likely that Pearl didn't anticipate her rival literally running away from this imposed duty – in doing so, now she was stuck having to welcome Yellow Pearl to Earth and answer her kin's initial line of questioning), this was the time to go over her ordeal and how to approach it.

Calling Steven (or anyone else, honestly) first came to mind, but Peridot ultimately opted not to resort to that just yet. While she had no way to know for sure until she contacted him, the weary gem had a very strong intuition telling her Steven was likely sharing many of her symptoms. He already shared Peridot's inability to recall how they ended up on the beach this morning when they had allegedly been on the beach house roof all night; it was highly probable Steven too suffered a second spell in the middle of the day just as she had.

Besides that, they were supposed to be spending this part of the day going their separate ways and catching up with the friends they neglected over the past week. She didn't mind helping him and Bismuth in Funland earlier, but even then she made a point to linger as little as possible for Amethyst's sake.

And now that she thought back on the words exchanged between herself and Pearl… only then did Peridot realize how badly sharing her story had shaken Steven up; by all rights, he should have admonished her when she brutally admitted to hiding Yellow Pearl away without even the slightest trace of remorse. There was just as good a chance that Steven would make this worse for Peridot by wholeheartedly agreeing with Pearl if he was reminded about this misdeed, and possibly insist to his girlfriend to face a punishment that he might believe she deserves – even if Peridot still personally believed this was a very disproportionate retribution.

Most of Peridot's other companions were too far away to be of any real help, and there was no guarantee any of them would take her side on this, either. While Garnet was close by, there was no doubt in Peridot's mind that she wouldn't be helpful in the least – the fusion made it clear where she stood on this matter by taking preventative measures to ensure Peridot would ultimately face justice.

She at least seemed aware that Pearl would take this too far, but by not stepping in to stop Yellow Pearl's bubble from being popped, that only told Peridot that Garnet believed this was what she deserved.

Perhaps it didn't help Peridot's case that Garnet was like Pearl in that she remained unaware of the co-leader's recently-resurfaced inner trauma; Peridot remembered just then that she did run her mouth about not sharing that story to anyone else if she could help it. She honestly did believe Garnet was better off not knowing, however – out of everyone who remained, she would have been the top contender if Peridot had to share her story with one more person.

But like Pearl, Garnet had no personal stake in the matter. Not like Amethyst, who needed to be made aware that not even a cure from corruption would suddenly make Jasper a redeemed gem. Her investment in helping Jasper just as Steven helped Peridot and Lapis made Peridot realize she was only putting her best friend in danger if she didn't let her know precisely how low Jasper was willing to sink to assert her dominance in any situation. And to have any hopes in fostering a friendship with Lapis, Amethyst needed to be made aware just how badly she could forever ruin that opportunity with her Jasper fixation.

Lapis was there at the time – she had to carry the knowledge of that horrific day the entire time Peridot made herself forget it. There was no way for the ocean gem to not know about it; but it was going to have to be reviewed soon regardless, since it retroactively made Peridot's friendship with Lapis become founded by two gems who were never on the same page.

Even without the eavesdropping, 5XF had suspected her sister withheld this incident based on her own logical, deductive reasoning. In hindsight, Peridot had to admit was probably for the best 5XF learned the full truth even if she had done so without her consent – without that, 5XF would presume the incident was much worse than it actually was and risk spreading misinformation that could become very damaging down the line.

And of course, she and Steven were the reason Peridot remembered this ever happened to her at all. Steven wasn't taking "no" for an answer – rightfully so, since the couple agreed there should no longer be secrets between them. It was ultimately the right call; Peridot learned she needed to come to terms with her past demons properly when she regained her memories as a Homeworld sociopath since refugees would be throwing that on her on a daily basis once the new Era 3 started. She couldn't truly move on from her past by burying it and pretending it never happened; ultimately, these were very important and valuable life lessons. And it wasn't just for her benefit: Peridot wouldn't get very far with guiding her own kin if she feigned ignorance of their very justified negative sentiments towards her.

But that was it. Nothing would be gained and no one else would benefit from the knowledge in any way by telling anyone else.

Steven's loving support helped Peridot come to terms with her conflicting feelings on the matter; she knew now there was nothing she could have done to change the situation. She had no way to fully resist Jasper; the fact Peridot managed to even partially suppress her temptation to fully succumb to the abuse was nothing short of miraculous. And since Peridot had been assaulted before even knowing or understanding what was really happening to her, she no longer saw reason to blame herself for not fully resisting or avoiding an escalation like this entirely.

While she couldn't help but continue to feel guilty that Lapis unwittingly sacrificed herself to preserve what little remained of her own sanity and self-awareness, Peridot understood it was completely out of her hands. Even if she had been the gem she was now back then, Peridot lacked the authority, ability, and the right to prevent Jasper from doing anything to Lapis. Even attempting to step in would have been grounds for Jasper to shatter Peridot immediately based on Homeworld law.

The only part of that guilt Peridot could honestly hang on to, even slightly, was the fact that there were moments when Jasper was absent and Peridot could have offered her informant some sympathy, or at the very least appreciation for taking the punishment originally meant for her. It ultimately wouldn't have made that much of a difference even if she had, but it would lessen Peridot's guilt at least a small amount.

Peridot had to remember during those rare opportunities that she was in something of a purgatory regarding her own identity. She was no longer the amoral opportunist she spent most of her life being; at the same time, Peridot was a far cry from who she ended up becoming now. The technician could barely wrap her head around who exactly she even was between her worst and best days; realistically, she did not have the emotional capability to offer Lapis any kind of meaningful support back then.

And by the time Peridot could have made up for that when they reunited after their liberation from Jasper and Homeworld's grasp, she had made herself fully forget all but the single detail of Lapis saving the technician from something significant.

All of this just further reinforced how uncomfortable it was going to be for Peridot to talk to Lapis about this in the near future. She hadn't lost her resolve, but she was beginning to doubt if she'd be in any condition to talk to Lapis anytime soon if she couldn't rest her mind and just have a casual conversation with someone that didn't inflict so much pain, regret, and guilt.

She couldn't even achieve that much with Amethyst; granted, it was largely a much-appreciated reprieve of an outing. It was just greatly hampered with unexpectedly sharing that moment with Amethyst and consequently risking her own well-being.

… On that note, Peridot remembered Amethyst's proposal to revisit Pink Diamond's Zoo and how immensely worried the quartz was for her kin. She made sure to jot down a reminder on her phone to consult with Garnet regarding Amethyst's proposal. After burdening her with that daunting backstory, Peridot felt she owed it to her best friend to fight for her – especially once she was able to rationalize this unorthodox request.

The door continued to remain undisturbed; Peridot could tell by closely listening that neither Pearl were anywhere near the vicinity. It seemed rather suspect; all the same, Peridot was in no position to waste time wondering why when she should be thinking about how to handle her current situation.

Only then did Peridot notice an odd detail to the bathroom floor: it was spotless. That shouldn't be the case as far as she knew: several mirrors were dropped and broken mere inches away from where Peridot sat. Pearl couldn't have cleaned this; she came from her room in the temple on the opposite end of the house after the consultation with Garnet. Both team leaders remained right next to the bathroom up until that point. That mess very much remained on the floor by the time Pearl and Peridot confronted each other.

Two other objects caught Peridot's eye just then: a dustpan filled to the brim with glass shards, and a broom resting against the wall beside it.

So, someone had been in here cleaning while she and Pearl argued… at that point, Peridot realized that meant someone else was nearby during that exchange and likely overheard it. She grew suspicious…

"Sorry to blow your cover like this, but you really should show yourself now. She's had time to think this over – now, it's your turn to help, if you so choose."

That was Garnet's voice, though there was some kind of distortion to it. Peridot's head snapped in the direction of the hamper: there, she found none other than a very disgusted 5XF emerge from the pile of dirty laundry holding a communicator.

"Of course," Peridot angrily spat. "Who else would eavesdrop on yet another confidential conversation of mine other than the nosiest Peridot I know? Why am I even surprised anymore?"

"You already knew Garnet was remotely monitoring this," 5XF grunted as she carefully climbed out of the hamper. "By definition, nothing was being said in confidence, by virtue of no one trusting either of you to work this out among yourselves."

This wasn't her first time being trapped and surrounded by filthy human laundry: 5XF suffered the same conditions when the Light Peridot condemned her to a specific pocket dimension for a "time-out" during the Gypsum incident.

"That doesn't give you an excuse to snoop around!" Peridot asserted. "You're making me regret that I ever felt bad for wanting you shattered for doing that last time; all you're doing is justifying my anger, 5XF!"

"I was asked to come here to clear out the mess in this room since Pearl was preoccupied," 5XF calmly explained. "Garnet, I assume you foresaw 5XG retreating to this location?"

"It did happen in the majority of the potential timelines," Garnet replied over the receiver. "The least I could do was help make sure your sister didn't cut her feet on the way in."

Peridot couldn't help but be amused by this. "Seriously, 5XF? You did Pearl-work?"

"Considering the situation, now is not a good time to start demeaning Pearls," 5XF sharply reminded her. "I was told my presence could minimize the damage this conflict could bring about…"

"Then you should have stepped in sooner," Peridot grumbled. "It's too late now: Yellow Pearl's been let out! Now I have to deal with her, even though that's the last thing I wanted to ever do!"

"I wanted to interfere!" 5XF claimed. "I heard everything, 5XG. Believe it or not, I'm on your side here: Pearl shouldn't have resorted to this just because you won't tell her about certain personal issues."

Peridot scoffed at this; she wouldn't for a second believe her kin would help her for any reason. Especially not after how they clashed this morning. "That's rich, coming from you!"

"Lapis already knew about the incident by virtue of being there when it happened, 5XG," 5XF stiffly reminded her. "You can't pretend this is the same scenario. As you said, the information Pearl's trying to acquire from you is strictly on a need-to-know basis. Lapis meets the need-to-know credentials; Pearl does not. And…"

Reluctantly, the elder Peridot sighed. "Garnet, you don't meet them, either. Please do not take offense."

"None taken," Garnet softly assured over the communicator. "While it was wrong of Peridot to hide a healthy refugee, it is also wrong of Pearl to extort unnecessary information from her in exchange for very crucial, necessary information on her end. And I explicitly told her not to release Yellow Pearl…"

"Then why didn't either of you stop her sooner?!" Peridot angrily inquired. "I did everything I could to talk her out of it, but my word means less than nothing to her!"

"And I'm proud of you for how you conducted yourself, Peridot," Garnet commended from afar. "I saw how hard it was for you to maintain your composure, but you made me proud when you made Pearl realize she was behaving no better than you – you helped Pearl understand that her actions are harmful to the team and Era 3."

5XF nodded in agreement. "Listen, I know we're not on good terms and my word probably means to you as much as yours means to Pearl, but I cannot overlook how much effort you've put into trying to make this work out. You've gone out of your way to be accommodating, mature, and reasonable – it isn't your fault that Pearl refuses to compromise."

While Peridot felt herself partially comforted by this praise (even 5XF's, surprisingly), she couldn't get her mind off the fact that her failure to compromise caused a major problem and she wasn't getting the answers she needed.

"She's acting out because of me," Peridot quietly reminded them. "So in a way, this is still my fault. However, I still want to know why neither of you stepped in and put a stop to this! It's too late to fix this now!"

"Like I said, I wanted to," 5XF insisted. "Garnet told me to hold back: apparently, I'm of more use to you if Yellow Pearl is let out."

"Additionally, Pearl does have a motive for releasing Yellow Pearl prematurely," Garnet revealed. "One that goes beyond simply punishing you, Peridot. You've rightfully demanded that reason and Pearl will not give it to you. I have a vague idea what her true motive is…"

"Then tell me!" Peridot urged. "I've done all I can, Garnet!"

After a brief moment of silence, Garnet's voice came through the communicator once more. "Peridot, you should soundproof this bathroom. Just in case."

Peridot wondered why she hadn't done that sooner, but… then she remembered the reason. "I vowed to not use my powers for trickery, Garnet…"

"Pearl has escalated this issue," Garnet asserted. "Enough to warrant these preventative measures. I expect you to continue refraining on using your powers, Peridot; I know this has been very hard for you. But you have my blessing to use them to ensure our privacy. We need to plan our next move carefully, without either Pearl overhearing us."

This was a perfectly sensible decision, and officially having Garnet's blessing, Peridot quickly concentrated and soon invoked a barrier covering the entire bathroom that would make the outside world deaf to whatever went on within.

"For the record, I'm proud of you for remembering your vows before agreeing to my request," Garnet added. "You're doing an excellent job."

Peridot managed to smile at this, but soon resumed her worried default appearance when she glanced to the communicator in 5XF's hand. "Thank you. Now, can you tell me what Pearl's deal is, letting Yellow Pearl out at a time like this? You said you didn't want her released, but you let her do it anyway…"

"Peridot, let me first ask you this: do you want to be at odds with Pearl forever? One wrong turn, and that very well may be the end result of your relationship."

5XF quietly gulped at the question. She had spoken with Garnet enough before Peridot's arrival to have an idea of where this was going, but it made her very nervous…

"I don't want to be enemies with anyone anymore!" Peridot cried out, before her features soured and her gaze shifted from the communicator to the gem holding it. "5XF notwithstanding, of course…"

"Of course." 5XF rolled her eyes; she should have figured even going out of her way to help wouldn't make a difference to her little sister.

"Then you need to get through to her on your own," Garnet urged. "Failure can be devastating, but it also breeds success if you have the strength to get up and try again. And you are one of the most stubborn gems I've ever seen in my life, Peridot. It isn't like you to give up."

Peridot felt guilty for a moment… but then she glared at the receiver. "I know a lost cause when I see one, Garnet! And you know for a fact she can't stand that I'm dating Steven; that alone will prevent Pearl from ever truly listening to me."

"You already got her to listen a few times," Garnet pointed out. "She just made sure to downplay it, because Pearl can be quite stubborn, herself."

"5XG, if you rely on third-party sources to get your information on Pearl, how will Pearl ever trust you enough to open up?" 5XF inquired. "That's why Garnet hasn't given you the answer: if you confront Pearl with that information before she's told you, she'll know you got it from Garnet. That would compel her to never confide anything to you."

While it felt insultingly hypocritical that 5XF of all people would tell her this, Peridot couldn't overlook her point.

"She… she has Yellow Diamond's Pearl out now, though," Peridot pointed out. "I–… I can't deal with her and Pearl at the same time, Garnet!"

"That's why I'm here," 5XF confidently told her. "I know why that particular Pearl's presence bothers you so deeply, 5XG. She's a direct threat to what you're trying to keep to yourself… so I implore you, let me come out and back you up."

Peridot was baffled to hear this, to say the least. "Eh–? 5XF, what is your motive? You literally have no reason to help me; you absolutely should not have any desire whatsoever to back me up in this! Laughing at my misfortune; that I can see. Helping? Please forgive me if I don't buy into your trap."

"Do not mock me as if you aren't in dire need of assistance," 5XF bitterly shot back. "I promised I would atone for what I did wrong. This alone won't redeem me, but I strongly feel this is the right thing to do, 5XG. Pearl is treating you unfairly, I don't want her to force that story out of you, and now you'll return to that confrontation outnumbered if I don't come along! You just admitted you are incapable of handling both Pearls at once, 5XG!"

Peridot crossed her arms and pouted. "Then why is Garnet not electing to back me up?"

"I know too much," Garnet replied. "Like 5XF said, associating yourself with me will make Pearl believe we are colluding against her. You must be very careful with your choice of words when you go back out there, Peridot. But you've done an excellent job so far in conducting yourself; all you need to do is place a little trust in your sister."

"Yeah, because that's easy to do when she betrayed me in one of the most heinous ways one can be betrayed," Peridot dryly retorted. "Seriously, "doing the right thing" is a very weak reason…"

"5XG, I stand to gain very little from helping you here, and I have much to lose," 5XF asserted. "I very much wanted to avoid my potential friendship with Pearl becoming anything like yours. I am going out of my way to conduct myself in a manner that ensures there will always be a clear distinction between us. But I'm squandering my only chance to make a good first impression with Pearl by helping you – it's a sacrifice that greatly pains me to make. If I don't play my role correctly, there's a high probability I'll come out of this with both you and Pearl despising me."

As would be expected from the stubborn Peridot, the younger of the pair certainly had no intention of making amends with 5XF simply because she decided to help her out evening the odds in a dreadful situation. Even with her elder sister explicitly spelling out that she had next to no incentive to risk so much other than her past guilt compelling her to atone for her many sins, Peridot had a very hard time fully trusting she would help more than be a hindrance.

"Peridot, you too have gone out of your way to do what you thought was right in the past," Garnet reminded her. "When you stood to lose far more than what you'd gain; you easily could have sold us out to Yellow Diamond, settled for her approval of your work, and safely flee from Earth before the Cluster destroyed it. It wasn't long before then that you were willing to kidnap Steven just to escape Earth and return to Homeworld – but in that moment, it no longer sat well with you to prioritize your own needs. You behaved illogically, because you learned there was more to life than simply living for yourself."

"Which I had not learned at the time I acted on my own," 5XF followed up. "And caused so much grief for both Steven and yourself. I didn't learn the value of trusting others and putting their needs above my own until after that, but… let me make something clear, 5XG: I still don't like you. No more than you like me."

While Garnet's recapping made Peridot feel increasingly vulnerable, she couldn't deny she and even her sister were making sense. When 5XF spoke up, Peridot finally looked to her with some degree of neutrality rather than stubborn skepticism.

"I honestly don't know if we'll ever be able to regard each other as individuals that do not despise one another," 5XF sadly admitted. "I'm no more ready to forgive you than either you or Steven are ready to forgive me. Despite that, I'm still making the effort to reach out and befriend the rest of the Crystal Gems; I've already achieved that goal with a couple of them. So trust me when I say the last thing I want to do is throw away my chance to befriend Pearl for your sake. But… I'm doing it, anyway."

"For the sake of doing the "right" thing?" Peridot asked in earnest. She looked like she almost wanted to believe 5XF. "Even after I told you explicitly Sphalerite will never return? Because even if you do prove to be helpful here, don't think that will be enough to change my mind."

5XF sighed; that was the last thing she wanted to hear from Peridot. It only made it that much harder for her to put so much on the line for her little sister's sake, but…

"I… I never told you or Steven this before, but… I think it's time I admitted it now," she sullenly decided. "My compulsion to do the right thing; to atone for how I wronged you… Sphalerite did not inspire me to feel that way. I-it took me a while to truly accept it, but… the moment you stabbed your own gemstone to end your duel to the death with Steven and save the other Steven from strangulation…"

Peridot's eyes widened at this; she did remember just then how utterly upset she made 5XF by doing that. Not because she found a loophole in her diabolical plan; 5XF was legitimately horrified to see her sister actually put her life on the line to save Steven from imminent death. When the dark Steven nursed her back to health, she was shocked to see 5XF also by her side, blubbering while making pointless attempts to save face by berating Steven for saving the one he was assigned to kill. Yet in the same breath, she sincerely wanted to know if Peridot was going to be okay.

She even demanded that Peridot never pull a stunt like that again.

"Y-you don't need to explain further," she numbly assured. "I knew you weren't faking how much my actions upset you."

"There's a little more to it," 5XF shyly pointed out. "This much, you wouldn't have noticed… because you were preoccupied with Steven for a while after your two halves were reunited, but before you fused."

Peridot couldn't deny that she didn't register 5XF's existence at all once she was her full self again. With the reassembled Steven by her side, both quickly became overwhelmed as their minds and bodies adapted to what they separately suffered, and neither could think of doing anything except embracing each other and crying over their experiences.

"I watched you both… how quickly you broke down after becoming full beings again," 5XF mumbled. "By that point, I expected to feel satisfaction and vindication. Because while you both survived my trap, I still made you each pay a heavy price for what you put me through. So logically, I should have at least seen your mutual agony as a consolation prize. But… instead, I felt like a monster. Watching the two of you suffer that way… it made me hate myself, 5XG."

"Your ability to experience that kind of guilt all on your own," Garnet thoughtfully remarked over the communicator. "Along with feeling disgust with yourself over your actions… 5XF, that alone proves you are no monster. However heinous your actions were, you quickly understood that revenge was not the answer when you saw the results for yourself. To be able to comprehend that on your own… Peridot, what does that tell you?"

Peridot knew Garnet prompted her to finish the thought on purpose. She winced and bit her lip, as it killed her already mutilated pride to admit it, but… "… That she isn't inherently evil, nor beyond redemption. In some twisted way, she cares about Steven and I. And I suppose, given her firsthand experience with how empty enacting vengeance made 5XF feel, that would logically compel her to make amends or generally prioritize jumping on any opportunity where she can perform good deeds."

"Even if said deed forces me to sacrifice something of significance," 5XF sullenly added. "In this case, my chance to make a good first impression on Pearl. I would not throw that opportunity away unless I had a very compelling reason – past guilt aside, I genuinely take issue with how Pearl treats you, 5XG. That presently bothers me far more than how we feel about each other. And since I know precisely why Yellow Pearl's release has you rightfully shaken, I know how to handle her."

"Another reason why she's the superior candidate to accompany you over myself," Garnet noted. "She can stall Yellow Pearl in ways I cannot. This is the only way you'll be able to focus on Pearl and force the truth out of her, Peridot."

5XF nodded in agreement. "While your own personal life remains known only by those who need to."

Pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation, Peridot let out a sigh of defeat. "I'll at least concede that in your case, since you pieced the situation together before you eavesdropped, it was important you knew the full extent of the truth. I imagine you assumed the worst-case scenario beforehand, correct?"

"Of course," 5XF affirmed. "I've kept tabs on other Peridots in your position beforehand; I had no reason to believe your case would end any differently. I'm legitimately relieved it ultimately did."

Peridot could at least appreciate 5XF was going out of her way to use vague, broad terms so as not to clue Garnet in on the story.

"Right, then. I'll officially give you a pass," Peridot decided, albeit with great reluctance. "I'd rather you know the truth rather than potentially spread misinformation in the future. That said, I will not be lenient should you maintain your spying habit from this point going forward. Are we understood?"

5XF nodded; she was visibly relieved that Peridot was finally giving her some leeway. It wouldn't bring Sphalerite back, but it was a start to mending relations.

"I know I'm asking much of you even after settling that, but can you trust me to back you up now?" she asked the younger Peridot. "As long as we remain in here, we're inadvertently giving Yellow Pearl time to run her mouth about you, 5XG…"

That snapped Peridot back into business mode. She glanced at the communicator one final time. "Garnet, now's the time to inform me of any crucial details you've neglected to mention. We're minimally prepared, so any additional information would be greatly appreciated."

"I believe you're both as ready as you'll ever be," Garnet remarked. "5XF, it would not be wise to bring this device with you – leave it in here. There's nothing more I can offer either of you; you understand what is at stake here far better than I do. Peridot, your chances for a good outcome have just increased significantly by you and 5XF putting your differences aside. I recommend approaching with this mindset: prove that two Peridots who dislike each other can cooperate as a team and overcome two Pearls who have a great deal of shared history together."

5XF smirked at the fusion's last statement. "Well, just because it's a lot of shared history doesn't necessarily mean they like each other…"

Even Peridot managed to smile as she nodded in agreement.

"We'll be sure to exploit that if we reach a stalemate," she assured. "Thank you very much, Garnet. I'm sorry this fell apart to the point where you needed to involve yourself at all…"

"The important thing is that we reach a positive resolution," Garnet reminded her co-lead. "Odds were very low of you two achieving that on your own to begin with; hence why I took precautionary measures immediately and recruited 5XF in case it came to this. But do not apologize, Peridot: as I told you before, you did everything you could. Yellow Pearl's inclusion is what truly made this impossible for you to do on your own. But it's important a leader knows when to accept help when they truly need it. No matter how much you may think you're better off without them…"

Peridot looked to 5XF in that moment. She was certain Garnet was referring to her, but remained uncertain of putting any amount of trust in her sister; let alone this much. 5XF proved to visibly show she felt no less awkward about this temporary truce. All she could offer Peridot was a shrug and a forced smile.

"Fair enough," Peridot calmly conceded. "We'll not let you down, Garnet."

"Thanks again, Garnet," 5XF spoke to the communicator. "We'll see you soon."

The elder Peridot tossed the communicator back into the hamper and turned to face Peridot with a look of resolution.

"Ready to get this over with?" 5XF calmly asked.

"Stars, yes," Peridot grumbled. "Having not one, but two Pearls to deal with – both being pests in their own right – and my only means of support is you of all gems. You do realize this still isn't going to bring Sphalerite back, correct?"

"You've been very clear about that a few times already," 5XF tiredly pointed out. "And yet I am no less invested in assisting you. That should count for something."

Peridot couldn't deny that; 5XF never once asked for anything in return for offering to help. Now that it was made very clear to her that the elder sister was driven to atone for her misdeeds – much like she herself had been ever since aligning with the Crystal Gems – she could no longer brush off her kin.

Especially when her only alternative was to deal with both Pearls by herself.

"We'll see if you're a gem of your word soon enough," Peridot acknowledged as she reached for the door. "Let's go."

"–No, no, I'm not tricking you, dear. This really is where the current Pink Diamond lives now."

"Forgive me if I find that utterly unbelievable. A rustic, primitive dwelling like this is hardly worthy of the lowest of our own kind; the notion that a Diamond would willingly reside here is nonsensical!"

"W-well, Pink Diamond was always sort of the "odd one out" of the Authority, you know… did Yellow Diamond ever maintain an exhibit of organic beings for the sake of preserving the species?"

"Of course not! That's utterly nonsensical and a waste of valuable resources! Not to mention an intrusive, needless responsibility just to keep organic filth alive due to their pathetic needs to survive."

"But Pink had one – it's still operational to this day, in fact. My point is that Pink is a little… different from the other Diamonds; historically, she always has been. And you've seen Steven enough to know he takes after her in several ways; especially the oddities."

"Honestly, it's still impossible for me to see him as Pink Diamond. He lacks the grace, the regality, the poise – what makes a Diamond… well, a Diamond! How can you live with yourself, allowing your Diamond to become such a disgrace?"

"Okay, I'm just gonna make one thing clear here: any future derogatory statements directed at Steven is grounds for going back into the bubble where you belong. I have returned, so let us resume where we left off, Pearl."

Both Pearls turned their heads to see a very cross Peridot approach them. All traces of her previous insecurities and anxiety vanished. 5XF walked alongside her, perfectly willing to let her sister do the talking until her intervention was needed. However, she too wore a very serious expression on her face to indicate the consequences of Pearl escalating this conflict the way she had.

"Oh, so you came back after all," Pearl remarked, clearly annoyed. "I admit I didn't expect that. But that means you're prepared to face your punishment, I presume?"

"Only after I get the information I need from you," Peridot insisted as she alone approached Pearl. "If you have a motive for prematurely releasing Yellow Pearl beyond this "punishment" nonsense, I deserve to know now."

Pearl was a bit unnerved to see Peridot's unwavering resolve; the utter lack of hesitation in her tone that was a perennial feature when they last butted heads. Only then did she take notice to the extra Peridot in the room who seemed more interested in eyeing Yellow Pearl.

"Is that 5XF?" Pearl asked. "Why in the world did you drag her into this?"

"I dragged myself into this, thank you," 5XF corrected. "I'm sincerely sorry this is how we have to properly meet each other, Pearl. I wished to have a more casual way of getting to know you, but now that you've released Yellow Diamond's Pearl, my presence is necessary. I only hope I don't offend you to the point that we can't get to know each other at a more appropriate time."

Pearl sighed in exasperation. "Well, points for having the manners your sister has always lacked. Still, what is this? Leveling out the playing field?"

"I prefer to call it damage control," 5XF insisted. "But by definition, I suppose that's an accurate assessment. 5XG would be cornered by two Pearls; both of which she has history with. My presence makes both sides of this conflict equal."

"Did you just say 5XG?" Yellow Pearl gasped out, both angered and horrified. "By that, do you mean…?"

5XF gave a pointed look to the shorter Pearl. "From Facet-2F5L, yes. I am from the same facet: emerged from the hole directly above 5XG's six seconds prior to her emergence."

"Fantastic, a very close relative," Yellow Pearl grumbled. "So, this degenerate is 5XG… you look different from before."

Peridot turned around to fiercely lock eyes with her former manager. In that moment, Yellow Pearl recoiled from the intensity… and she took notice to the most jarring change of the technician's features.

"Wh-what is that trinket on your gemstone?!" Yellow Pearl wailed. "You cannot possibly be the same 5XG that I–"

"Much has happened since I fried my old workstation and everyone in it, including you," Peridot smugly shot back before refocusing on the Pearl she disliked less. "I imagine you've been stalling her with utter nonsense in hopes that I would return and fill her in on the important details."

That was indeed what Pearl was doing – doing whatever she could to avoid the questions she should have answered before anything else. She wanted Peridot to uphold this responsibility, after all. She didn't bank on Peridot running out when she did, and consequently was stuck keeping her fellow Pearl at bay until she could find a way to force Peridot back.

"That is your punishment that you consented to," Pearl asserted in a shaky tone.

"I consented to no such thing!" Peridot protested. "I told you time and time again to not let her out of the bubble – there is literally no reason for her to be brought back before the rest of the Homeworld refugees, Pearl!"

Yellow Pearl, while seething at Peridot's gloating over defeating her, paid close attention to the terms being used and kept the context in mind. "Wait… Homeworld refugees?"

"I have my reasons!" Pearl stubbornly declared. "But there's no use in arguing semantics now, Peridot: Yellow Diamond's Pearl is out and about. You know better than to poof her again, so uphold your duty as one of the true leading figures of the new Era 3 – give her the fresh start you tried to deny her."

Much as Peridot hated to admit it, Pearl had a point. No matter how stupid and irresponsible it was of her to release Yellow Pearl despite the repeated orders to not do that, it was pointless to harp on why Pearl shouldn't have done it. The fact remained that her former manager was released, conscious, and very confused.

Regardless of what she had put Peridot through before, she needed guidance.

"5XG? Leading Era 3?" Yellow Pearl couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh my stars, that's a fantastic joke if I've ever heard one! She should be in no state to be in charge of anything; I made sure to snuff out that pretentious arrogance of 5XG's when I assigned her to that–"

Peridot's composure quickly faltered when it became apparent that Yellow Pearl was going to say too much as she feared, but…

"Pardon me, Pearl of Yellow Diamond," 5XF interjected. "I expected to see you blubbering when we first came out. See, I hoped that Pearl would have covered the basics of our current situation and why you are isolated in this foreign residence without your Diamond."

"I've been told this was allegedly Pink Diamond's current residence," Yellow Pearl responded; her tone indicative that she really wasn't buying that excuse. "Nothing more. Why in the world would you expect the Pearl of a Diamond to act so inelegantly, 5XF?"

"Because Yellow Diamond is dead."

5XF's blunt delivery of this news shocked everyone in the room.

However, the elder Peridot barely registered the reactions of anyone besides the Pearl she directly addressed.

Yellow Pearl was shocked to find tears immediately well up in her eyes. "Wh-… wha–… –NO!"

She viciously glared at 5XF as her tears began to spill. "You are lying! The Diamonds are indestructible! Invincible, even!"

"If that was true, none of you would have ever believed Pink Diamond died," 5XF stiffly countered. "I figured you couldn't handle the truth, but sooner or later you'll have to accept it. That, and the fact that Homeworld itself no longer exists."

"WHAT?!"

Pearl helplessly extended her arm out to the pair, though she was too far away to physically do anything while Peridot was borderline cornering her against the wall. "5XF, this isn't the way to–"

She sympathized with her fellow Pearl; she could tell her yellow counterpart knew deep down it had to be true, but she wasn't about to accept that so quickly. However, she was taken aback when 5XF cut her off.

"It was necessary," the Peridot calmly insisted. "She was about to speak of inexcusably horrible actions that we're all better off not hearing about. Consequently, since you were negligent in your duty to tell your fellow Pearl the truth until we arrived, this is how she will receive the news."

She offered a knowing smile to Peridot, who reflected the gesture to silently communicate how grateful she was to keep Yellow Pearl quiet.

"B-because it's Peridot's duty to break this news to the refugees – and certainly not like that!" Pearl protested.

The fact that Pearl was not refuting any of this only further proved to her yellow counterpart that this was the life she faced now: no Homeworld, and no Yellow Diamond. She was terrified to ask what else she lost, and consequently covered her face with her hands while quietly bawling.

"It's the duty of every Crystal Gem to help these refugees," Peridot rebutted. "Which includes you: I'm certain Garnet will back me up on that. No matter how tied up you are with finding cures for ailments, if you are available and faced with a new refugee, it's your responsibility to inform them of the changes to their lives and how to cope from there."

She pointed to the sobbing Yellow Pearl on the couch. "You intentionally held off on that duty just to force me to do it, even though I repeatedly told you not to let this gem out of her bubble. You know she and I have a bad history with each other, yet you insisted on involving me with her because you were hoping to get certain unauthorized information from our exchange."

Pearl found herself frozen in the face of this accusation. The worried look on her face made it obvious that she knew she had been caught.

"I admitted I was wrong to hide her," Peridot sternly told her. "I know you don't want excuses, so I was considerate enough to not waste your time. I conceded to her being stored with the other healthy refugees, but that wasn't enough for you, Pearl. You cannot stand that I'm readily taking responsibility, so you're determined to twist this simple issue until you find a way to break me! In what way can you call that proper conduct?! I'd really love to know!"

Honestly, Pearl thought she had fully broken Peridot the moment she first fled the scene. By coming back, she erroneously believed her diminutive teammate was admitting total defeat… but apparently, she was not bluffing when 5XF said her presence was to even the odds.

In just a few brief sentences, 5XF turned Yellow Pearl into a hysterical, sobbing mess with her harsh methods of breaking news. It was evident to her that 5XF knew what she wanted to know, based on her justification for her behavior…

However, Pearl was not so foolhardy to believe she could coax the truth from the elder Peridot. 5XF made it very clear whose side she stood with: her utter lack of hesitation to emotionally tear Yellow Pearl asunder showed how far she was willing to go to prove her point.

"Gonna be insubordinate about this, I see," Peridot flatly remarked, looking every bit as unimpressed as she spoke. "I'm going out of my way to not sink to your level, Pearl, but you're really forcing my hand. You can't withhold your intentions for a Homeworld refugee simply because I will not divulge certain details of my personal life."

"How can you two be so blasé?!" Pearl barked back. "Yellow Pearl is beside herself with grief right now, and you honestly would rather interrogate me rather than take care of a poor refugee?!"

"Pearl, this could have been avoided entirely if you simply did your job rather than orchestrate this complex set-up to force me to interact with her," Peridot boredly pointed out. "Or, even better: not prematurely release her from her bubble in the first place. You are the one who escalated this situation – I wouldn't have brought 5XF out otherwise if you kept this matter between the two of us. But you went and directly involved your own sentient bargaining chip, so this is on you and you alone."

5XF nodded in agreement. "This is precisely why I insisted on getting involved, Pearl. Yellow Diamond's Pearl has no more business being here than I do. But you forced her into this for your own personal gain, so by all rights, this is your responsibility. Did you even seek approval from Garnet before you did this?"

She knew she hadn't, obviously – Garnet made it very clear to both Peridots that she explicitly asked Pearl not to resort to this.

"Good point, 5XF," Peridot slyly commended while her focus did not stray from Pearl. "It's bad enough you went against my direct order, Pearl. But I have a very hard time believing the leader you actually respect sanctioned this. If you don't have her blessing, then you really don't have a proverbial leg to stand on."

Pearl could only loudly grunt in frustration; so quickly, this entire scenario fell out of her grasp and now she was at her own victim's mercy.

"I'll take your silence as a negative, then," Peridot understood with a smile. "Ah, if only you could just as easily accept your defeat. You'll only make this worse for yourself if you flee, after all."

"I–I'd never do that!" Pearl growled. "Don't talk like I'm on the same level as you, you little brat! I'm not going to abandon a fellow Pearl!"

5XF was not even remotely moved by this sentiment. Then again, solidarity in specific types of gems was not something she ever really saw put into practice on Homeworld.

"Yet you're not so committed to assure she will be initiated into Earth society properly," she brought up. "5XG, I recommend applying another layer of pressure. Even with no ammunition left, Pearl has no intention of becoming compliant with you."

Peridot's eyes narrowed at Pearl in that moment. "Well, Pearl? As much as I tend to disagree with my kin, I'm finding it very difficult seeing any faulty in her logic right now. Will you prove her wrong and explain your actions now? Or are you going to force my hand yet again?"

So badly Pearl wanted Garnet to come to her rescue and break this up. It was utterly twisted how the tables turned the way they did and an element of normalcy could finally restore balance; however, she knew that would likely be more of a curse than a blessing. Garnet did not approve of what she ultimately did back when it was still just a concept in her mind; the fusion would have no reason to endorse her actions, let alone force Peridot to stand down.

"For the record, I'm certain these imperiled looks of yours are genuine," Peridot dispassionately pointed out. "However, you had this coming: you came after me with full intent of forcing me into the same position you're in currently. The only difference is my retaliation is fully justified, as is my demand for your motive. So let it be known we're only going to make this harder for you if you give us no other choice. We've got better things to do today than bicker with you, Pearl."

Pearl could barely withstand much more of this. Peridot had very much backed her against the wall; her eyes constantly glaring at in her rival's direction. She was still too far away from the grieving Yellow Pearl, whom she grew increasingly concerned for as 5XF seemed to have something else in mind for her. It hurt deeply that Yellow Pearl ended up suffering like this on her account, but it was still easier for the taller Pearl to stomach if she could just keep pretending this was entirely Peridot's fault.

Much like a trapped wild animal, Pearl's metaphorical claws finally came out in light of Peridot's newest spiel of taunting and threats.

With a frustrated scream, she slapped Peridot hard across the face. Part of her immediately regretted the action; 5XF was visibly shocked to witness it, and Peridot certainly didn't expect it as she was sent reeling.

"That… has been a long time coming for you," Pearl said between breaths. Like her younger teammate, she was in the early stages of a panic attack. "You're forcing my hand as well!"

5XF cringed when she saw Peridot look back to her; her left cheek had the faintest teal outline of a hand-shaped imprint to show how much force went into the hit. However, upon seeing her narrow-eyed sister nod, she took that as a cue to start doing her part in scaling up the pressure.

Yellow Pearl's crying was interrupted by the sharp crack of Pearl's hand slapping Peridot's face, which got her attention. Still miserable, she just watched on in confusion. Still not much of an upgrade from where she was a moment ago, but it was hard for her to feel any worse than she had already.

Of course, 5XF was there to see if that truly was the case. "Ah, Pearl of Yellow Diamond: pardon my carelessness. I neglected to mention that Blue Diamond is also no longer among us. Like Yellow, she was unceremoniously murdered about a week prior to Homeworld's destruction."

"B-but–! How can that be?!" Yellow Pearl wailed as the tears flowed freshly once more.

Pearl visibly twitched to see her fellow kin's pain. "5XF, that's enough!"

"Clearly, it isn't," Peridot muttered as she rubbed her cheek. "Because you're still finding time to scold us instead of saying anything useful…"

5XF ignored Pearl entirely and answered the yellow variant's question. "Oh, simple: both Blue and Yellow were absorbed by White Diamond. Tragic ending, really. And not to be outdone, White too is deceased – by her own hand. And it turns out she's directly responsible for Homeworld's destruction, on top of that. So if there's anyone else you're wondering about, know if they're dead now, it's probably White Diamond's fault."

"... Oh… stars…" Yellow Diamond felt faint hearing this.

She actually had a very easy time believing this bit: since she was the one who taught Peridot the concept of pallification, it went without saying that she was witness to hundreds upon thousands of cases where gems were afflicted with White's disease.

And naturally, White was the only one who could inflict such a condition on other gems. Even the act of it spreading from one pallified gem to another was a result of White's direct influence.

"Peridot, you need to tell your sister to put an end to this!" Pearl urged. "Stop attacking Yellow Diamond's Pearl just to get to me! Is this what you call the moral high ground in your society?!"

It was genuinely upsetting her to see Yellow Pearl emotionally tortured like this. This was not even remotely what Pearl had in mind when it came breaking the news to the former Pearl of a Diamond.

All the same, Peridot by no means enjoyed putting any gem through pain like this; not even the one who purposefully condemned her to be an aggressive quartz's sex toy. But, admittedly, Yellow Pearl's role in that part of Peridot's life did make it much easier for her to opt for a route that she only would have been comfortable with doing during her Homeworld sociopath days.

"You have the power to stop this, Pearl," Peridot stiffly reminded her elder. "You know I'm not asking for much at all; by resisting, you're every bit as responsible for Yellow Pearl's agony. You've lost control of this situation quite some time ago, and you'd do well to accept it."

"S-so, you're saying Blue Diamond's Pearl is also–?!"

Everyone looked to the seated Pearl who sobbed out her inquiry; it pained her too much to even finish the sentence.

"Uh…" 5XF was at a loss here; she had no idea whatever became of Blue Pearl, as she never once came up in any of the multitude of stories she learned while adapting to life on Earth. She glanced over to her sister. "Hold that thought. 5XG?"

Peridot looked similarly puzzled.

"Um… good question," she murmured. "I don't recall once seeing her at all on Homeworld. I mean, logistically, her odds aren't very good, unfortunately…"

5XF reluctantly nodded in agreement. "At best, she's probably pallified, right?"

"Very few gems we rescued from Homeworld evaded pallification for one reason or another," Peridot confirmed. "Over 90% of the remaining population has been afflicted with the condition. Even within that minority, even fewer of the healthy ones are gems other than Peridots like us. Unfortunately, pallification is honestly a best-case scenario for her, awful as that sounds… but also highly unlikely."

The elder Peridot wasn't certain she liked where this was going. "You… have reason to believe she didn't survive at all, you're saying?"

Peridot sighed; she didn't expect to delve into even more depressing territory, but it seemed Yellow Pearl seemed to care deeply for her Blue counterpart. And indeed, the same Pearl who once was her direct superior was looking to her with sheer desperation.

"I do," she sighed. "Unlike the other Diamonds, Steven was actually able to win over Blue. He successfully appealed to her better nature; to such an extent that none of us would be alive right now if Blue Diamond hadn't sacrificed her life to keep White Diamond at bay when we were trapped on a bridge."

"Ooh, right… I recall that," 5XF acknowledged with a flinch. "So, you're saying…?"

Peridot sadly nodded. "Blue Pearl was among the most prolific of Blue Diamond's court, as the Pearls of Diamonds often are. Bear in mind that unlike Blue Diamond, ours was too cowardly to act against White. Blue Diamond openly rebelled, and if I've learned anything about White Diamond's true nature during my extended period as her hostage, it's that she's far too egotistical to not exact petty vengeance on any gem who dares to defy her for any reason… even a fellow Diamond. And when she's already taken out Blue Diamond and was left to run her entire court in her place for a week before the others came to rescue me…"

"... Right… Blue's court would have been the prime recipients of White's residual rage over the fact that Blue dared to stand up for herself," 5XF realized. "Especially if they were so loyal that they would mourn for the loss of their Diamond or dare to question White supplanting her out of nowhere."

"She loved Blue Diamond so," Yellow Pearl quietly wailed. "She would have, without hesitation, mourned for her Diamond's loss and resist having to suddenly serve the one who murdered her… even another Diamond."

"I wish we could offer a more concrete answer," Peridot expressed with genuine regret. "You avoided a fate like that because of your role in how the Crystal Gems got around Homeworld. I had the foresight to send you back here to Earth once we reached a point where your gemstone's services were no longer needed during our first trip. So you were spared not only from White Diamond's wrath that she likely spread to the remains of Yellow's court as well, but the planet-wide pallid effect that has caused the vast majority of our refugees to become infected.

"That is what saved me?!" Yellow Pearl was still upset, but now disgusted on top of that. "The fact that you deceived and poofed me to use as a skeleton key?!"

Peridot's regret quickly faded into a bored stare. "I know, right? Were it up to me, I'd definitely rather have Blue Pearl over you. Steven told me she's much easier to converse and get along with."

"I imagine we won't know her true fate for quite some time, unfortunately," 5XF realized. "Odds aside, we won't be releasing any pallified refugees until they're cured. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to identify her gemstone even if we filtered out everything besides the pearls."

Peridot sadly nodded. "Pearls are fairly common gems, much like we are. And under the effects of pallification, they'll all take on a white or gray appearance depending on their true coloration. Still, there's no distinction between a pallified gem and one that's naturally white or gray."

"Doesn't that mean there's a very high chance you all erroneously categorized healthy refugees that happen to be naturally those colors?" 5XF rightfully pointed out.

"I assure you, that has crossed our minds," Peridot assured while rolling her eyes. "Unfortunately, we have no idea what will happen to a pallified gem should they be released now that White Diamond has self-terminated. They're functionally dead unless she directly influences their actions. We have no idea how to restore a gem's conscious mind once White forcefully evicts it – the more I ponder on that, the more impossible it feels."

5XF completely agreed that realistically, the odds of the afflicted gems ever regaining their agency were slim to nil now that White was completely out of the picture.

"Still, what's the worst that could happen if you let them out?" she inquired. "In a vegetative state, they should be nothing but harmless…"

"But we don't know that for sure," Peridot asserted. "White forced multiple pallids to fuse to become her proxies, which played a large role in why she was so problematic for us to defeat. Once the Crystal Gems were able to finally dispatch the proxies, one horrifying detail was made apparent: even if a proxy is neutralized by poofing – which is nonlethal to any other gem, fusion or not – every gem that was involved in the proxy's creation will shatter automatically."

5XF was visibly very bothered by that detail. "O-oh. So… they couldn't be saved, no matter what?"

Peridot sadly shook her head. "Steven and I had all remaining Homeworld gems bubbled and sent to Earth before the proxies were taken out. If there was anything left in those gems to save, they would have ended up here and we never would have had to contend with any of the proxies in the first place. The fact that they remained on Homeworld after the mass exodus and would shatter even with the mildest means of neutralization are telltale indicators that they were officially beyond saving."

"Unfortunately, your assessments are correct," Yellow Pearl meekly confirmed while wiping her eyes. "White Diamond used her proxies to keep an eye on all of Homeworld remotely, and they were rather cumbersome to create. Long ago, she knew how much of a setback it would be for so many gems to scatter about if a proxy dispersed the normal way through poofing. Some gems knew the ugly truth behind the proxies, but were deterred from ever trying to liberate all the gems within it once White added that stipulation."

"I believe I see the reasoning behind your hesitation to risk releasing a pallified gem now that White's gone," 5XF uncomfortably muttered. "There's a chance it too will instantly shatter as a consequence of the host's own shattering…"

Peridot sighed and bowed her head. "Yeah. Steven feels bad enough having to let so many gems be shattered through the proxies alone; so, we're making an honest effort to avoid that happening to anyone else. Even if it's at the expense of delaying the release of healthy gems who just happen to be the same color..."

"D-do I even want to know what happened to White's Pearl?!" Yellow Pearl cried out. "A-am I truly the only one left of all Diamond-owned Pearls?!"

"Well, I actually know for certain what ended up happening to White Pearl," Peridot neutrally stated as she glanced to the quivering Pearl. "While Blue Diamond sacrificed herself to keep White busy, her Pearl continued to block our only exit and was not distracted by what her Diamond had to contend with. Unfortunately, to ensure Blue's sacrifice was not made in vain and to prevent being pursued once we escaped White's line of sight, White's Pearl had to be… executed."

"Specifically, she was frozen in ice and then knocked off the roof of a terminal," 5XF specified, though even she looked squeamish in doing so. "You probably know better than I do how steep a drop that is to the metropolis at the bottom. She had no ability to defend herself or break her fall in her state at the time, so factor in terminal velocity…"

Yellow Pearl wept again; neither Peridot could honestly bring themselves to be harsh on her after all this. No matter what she had done in the past, it was heartbreaking to see her faced with the pain and sorrow as she was forever burdened with the knowledge that she truly was on her own with nothing left of the life she had for so long.

"S-so, that's it," she cried. "I am the last of the Diamond's Pearls! With no Diamonds left and no Homeworld! I have nothing left!"

Begrudgingly, Peridot was compelled to offer some support for her former manager. The more she watched Yellow Pearl suffer the wretched, ugly truth of reality, the more she realized how much worse this was going to be handling hundreds of gems going through this exact same process all at once.

"L-look, I know it's not that much of a consolation, but you're not as alone as you think you are," Peridot numbly stated. She couldn't quite bring herself to sound as supportive as she wanted…

"Indeed," 5XF hastily agreed. "While odds are very low that Blue Pearl survived, there's still a chance she's just pallified. Granted, until we find a cure, she's functionally dead regardless, but at least there remains a possibility that she can be saved one day. A-and Pearl herself still technically counts as Pink Diamond's, even if Pink isn't the Pink you remember anymore."

By mentioning Pearl, Peridot suddenly realized the taller of the pair in this room had been eerily quiet for a while. When she looked in her teammate's direction to ask about this, Peridot stumbled back in shock to find Pearl had entirely vacated the room.

"W-wait, when did Pearl just up and leave?!" she cried out. "She just said she had no intention of pulling a "me"! How did she even do that without any of us noticing!?"

5XF was just as surprised to realize this. "Um… good point. Were we really that invested in talking to the Pearl of Yellow Diamond that she could leave the premises right under our noses?"

Yellow Pearl didn't seem to really care, however. "… How am I to live without the Diamonds? My entire life's purpose vanished with them…"

While it didn't sit well with either Peridot to abruptly shift topics like this when Pearl's sudden absence was very concerning, the younger of the pair suspected this might have been her scheme to force them to do her job. She was certainly spiteful enough to have such a motivation.

With a resigned sigh, Peridot looked back to Yellow Pearl. Much as she wanted nothing to do with this gem, she knew she needed to prevent her bias from influencing her decisions and actions. She was insistent that all gems are supported and given a chance to start anew, no matter how awful they were as Homeworld gems.

It was time Peridot proved she could practice what she preached. There was no better gem to prove her commitment to Era 3 than Yellow Pearl, unfortunately.

"For what it's worth, the Diamonds are not completely eradicated," she gently told her former manager. "The Diamond Authority is finished, however. The remaining Diamonds are not continuing that regime, but they will be here to help you adjust to your new life on Earth. Don't think of them as your overlords anymore – they are now and forever will be nothing more than your teachers and guides who will help you and every other Homeworld refugee learn to live for yourself."

"Why do you insult my intelligence by speaking in plural?!" Yellow Pearl bawled. "Only one remains, and he barely even qualifies as a Diamond! He is spoken for by another Pearl regardless, so–"

Peridot shook her head. "There is another. Not exactly a pure, naturally-made kind, but you should know that at the very least, a part of White and especially Yellow Diamond live on in her. But like I said, even if Steven was the only Diamond left, that doesn't mean all is lost for you."

"It's going to be incredibly difficult to adapt to this new mindset at first," 5XF supplied. "Pearls on Homeworld were made to be servants to higher gems, but here on Earth… you can have a life without being tethered to another gem. From here on out, the caste system is null and void: gems like myself, 5XG, and yourself are on equal footing with the quartzes and even the Diamonds themselves. Our rights are universally shared."

She'd loathe to admit it, but Peridot did greatly appreciate her sister being so readily helpful beyond pressuring Pearl. Especially since she had such an awful history with Yellow Pearl, Peridot direly needed someone by her side if she had to guide this particular gem.

"How utterly absurd!" Yellow Pearl, unsurprisingly, was quick to dismiss this notion. "You fools will never run an empire like that! And I demand to know who this "other" Diamond is; if one truly existed, I would know about it!"

"We're not running an empire," Peridot asserted. "This life will be absolutely nothing like what you had before. In time, you'll come to appreciate that. As far as the "other" Diamond is concerned… honestly, you have more than enough to digest with what we've already told you. You especially are not ready to meet the other Diamond yet. But soon enough, you'll see her. That much is a promise."

5XF couldn't help but find herself amused with the prospect. As much as she disliked her little sister, she couldn't help but feel immensely disgusted by Yellow Pearl's actions – it bothered her far more than she cared to admit. But she was very eager to see the Pearl's reaction once the time came for her to learn about the new Diamond and who she truly was.

The prospect felt almost as cathartic for her as it did for Peridot.

"We do have another commitment to fulfill before we can properly launch Era 3," 5XF informed the tiny Pearl. "In all honesty, you weren't meant to come out until after Earth's Era 3 commenced. So please be patient with the Crystal Gems while they figure out how to adjust to your premature release."

"What else can I really do?" Yellow Pearl croaked as she slumped against the couch. "I no longer have anything to live for…"

That statement made 5XF flinch hard; it hit far too close to home for her. Peridot immediately took notice to this, and naturally, it didn't take long for her to see the connection.

It was her fault that 5XF no longer truly valued her own life, after all. For the first time, Peridot felt the pangs of regret and guilt of her actions… even if she still believed her sentiments were ultimately justified.

"Our mission is to help you and all other gems in your position find that "something to live for" on Earth," Peridot boldly told her.

She briefly looked to 5XF after this statement; the elder Peridot caught her sister's stare and silently understood it wasn't just Yellow Pearl who was being addressed in that moment.

"And I vow that you'll all learn to value your lives and embrace your individuality," Peridot added; her tone now more emotional. "No matter how much I might despise some of you for what you've done in the past, our primary focus is the here-and-now with the end goal of giving all gemkind a future – one where you can truly live your lives on your own terms, do things you always thought of trying out but couldn't because of Homeworld's oppressive society. You're all getting a chance to start anew, regardless of who you were and what you did in the past. That is the true Era 3."

5XF bowed her head and turned away; she was unexpectedly blown away by the statement, as she felt a warm sensation within her core and genuine hope that everything truly would work out in the end for everyone.

That there truly was life beyond Homeworld (and in her case, even Sphalerite); a peaceful society where all gems were equal and could live freely suddenly sounded much more feasible than it did when Steven and Peridot first pitched the concept to her a few days ago.

"I… almost want to believe that," Yellow Pearl sorrowfully murmured. "If only it wasn't such a naïve and unrealistic concept…"

"We're giving you a chance to make a new life for yourself," Peridot reminded her. "The least you can do is give us a chance to help you achieve that."

5XF couldn't bring herself to speak at this point; her conscience wouldn't allow her to pressure Yellow Pearl when she herself shared the exact same sentiments when she was first initiated.

"A life without serving my Diamond," Yellow Pearl cried out in disgust. "A life where I no longer have Blue Pearl's company… I was such a fool, dismissing her and not appreciating her company like I should have!"

"Learn from your mistakes and move on," Peridot sharply replied. "Make new friends, and this time appreciate them. That's what Blue Pearl would want you to do."

Yellow Pearl shook her head as she wiped away her tears. "How could I ever?!"

Just then, Pearl reappeared in the living room, coming from the temple gate. In her hands was another bubbled gem. Unlike most, this particular bubble was colored royal blue.

"Oh, there you are," Peridot snidely remarked with a glare. "I'm sorry, but refresh my memory: did you not say you were not going to flee the scene like I did, Pearl?"

Pearl, in turn, reflected the glare right back to her teammate.

"You're about to get the answers you've been hounding me for," she darkly replied. "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut."

While Pearl's attitude continued to grate on Peridot, the technician for once complied with the request. 5XF didn't need to be asked… at least, until she noticed something odd about the bubbled gem.

"U-um, not to interject, but there seems to be an extra object bubbled within that gem," 5XF pointed out. "That… shouldn't ever really happen, right?"

Pearl tiredly smiled at 5XF. "We're all about to find out that mystery. I know the last thing either of you want me to do is release another refugee, but considering the circumstances, I think you'll both understand why I'm doing this.

Peridot was alarmed to hear Pearl declare this with zero hesitation, but the bubble was popped before she could admonish her teammate for making yet another rash and irresponsible decision.

Inside the bubble was a gem that appeared to be white, which was already a cause for alarm as the two Peridots backed away. However, they stopped in their tracks as the gemstone's light emitted a very familiar form that made the seated Yellow Pearl's eyes grow wide with amazement and disbelief.

Right before their eyes, the one who reformed from that gemstone was none other than Blue Pearl herself.

Naturally, she was extremely confused as she registered her surroundings and speechless, but squeaked with joy as Yellow Pearl immediately hopped off the couch to embrace her long-time companion.

"You're alive!" Yellow Pearl cried with pure joy. "Oh my stars, this is a miracle! I was so certain you were forever lost!"

Blue Pearl was understandably a bit overwhelmed; her fellow Pearl was never this emotional around her before. Not once in the several thousand years they've known each other.

"O-oh my, are you really the same Yellow Pearl?" she giggled. "I-I'm honestly flattered, but…"

Both Peridots were mentally blown away. They were each so certain Blue Pearl's odds of survival were microscopic on an atomic level – even her chances of merely being pallified. However, she not only made it out with her life, but was healthy on top of that!

Peridot quickly stepped over to approach the pair 5XF was quick to follow. Both were immensely curious how this passive little Pearl managed to overcome the staggering odds against her.

"S-sorry to interrupt this," Peridot preemptively apologized. "I assure you, all will be explained to you soon. I just need to know, honestly… what happened to you? What do you last remember?"

"Any details would help immensely!" 5XF excitedly added. "You have no idea how fortunate you are to still be among us with your health intact."

Blue Pearl tilted her head while her yellow counterpart continued to hug and cry tears of happiness over her shoulder to take notice to the pair of very inquisitive Peridots eagerly awaiting her words.

"O-oh, you mean… what was going on prior to my poofing, right?" Blue Pearl inquired; both Peridots immediately nodded in affirmation. "Goodness, that was… rather terrifying, actually."

"Take your time," Pearl kindly urged. She too was eager to hear this, but remained far more composed than the younger gems in her company.

Blue Pearl nodded to her taller kin. "Thank you. U-um, it's rather tricky to explain… my Diamond, she behaved very… out-of-the-ordinary. I knew better than to question it, but she seemed especially weighed down with some form of grief relating to Pink Diamond. It seemed she reached some sort of epiphany; she often paced about and spoke to herself about how foolish she had apparently been… how inexcusable her behavior was, along with Yellow and White Diamond's."

Peridot looked to Pearl and whispered to her. "Safe to presume this is taking place after Steven's talk with her?"

Pearl nodded. "Either just before, or shortly after your team arrived on Homeworld."

"A short time later, after briefly leaving her chamber, my Diamond returned," Blue Pearl continued. "But now she was highly distressed. She confided to me and her most trusted court members that she had liberated Steven and fellow human Connie from the imprisonment tower. They left her sight after she provided food and clothing for them, but she looked so happy, as she knew they were at least free."

Pearl smiled, but deep down felt an overwhelming depression weigh down her soul. Knowing what would happen to Blue Diamond in the end made her fate all the sadder.

"So, she made sure you all knew the truth of how the Diamonds mistreated Pink," Peridot gently acknowledged. "That was very considerate of her…"

"All court members in attendance fully supported their Diamond's newfound sentiments," Blue Pearl added; the fondness in her tone started to fade into sadness from this point on. "But some were bold enough to ask our Diamond if that would result in severe consequences for betraying the Authority. And Blue Diamond was honest with us… sh-she admitted that while she did not regret her actions, she did regret that we all would suffer the consequences of her actions. We assured our Diamond she did the right thing and that we would gladly put our lives on the line to defend her. However… Blue Diamond refused to entertain the notion. She insisted that it was not right for us to face punishment for a crime we did not commit, even if we did endorse it."

Peridot's eyes were cast to the floor, struck with shock and disbelief. "The very moment she helped Steven and Connie, she knew that alone was going to get her executed…"

"The way she spoke to us implied as much," Blue Pearl agreed as her smile disappeared. "She told us that her destiny was to spend her last moments alive supporting the Diamond she shunned for so long, along with all who associated with the outcast. Our Diamond was determined to help Pink flee Homeworld for good. However, she made it clear that she would make the effort to spare us all from becoming collateral damage before fulfilling said destiny. And so, with a heartfelt farewell, she started to poof and bubble the members of her court, one-by-one…"

"Were… were you the last?" Pearl asked in a hushed tone.

Meekly, Blue Pearl nodded. "For the first time in my life, I spoke against my own Diamond, but it was out of genuine love and concern! I–… I did not want to lose her. My Diamond did not punish me for speaking out of turn, however; I've seen her shatter other gems for saying far less in the past. However, with me… she smiled, and she apologized. She expressed that if there was a way for us all to stay together, she would be well underway with that endeavor."

This was hard even for 5XF to listen to. None of the Crystal Gems save for Steven and Connie spent any real amount of time with the Diamond who gave her life for them, so she came off as little more than a footnote in the long, storied tale of how the Crystal Gems toppled the Diamond Authority's mighty empire.

Now, she saw just how significant Blue Diamond was… and in a way, 5XF wondered if her life would have been at least a little more bearable had she been part of Blue's court.

"My Diamond… she loved me, and she truly meant it when I saw her tears. I had never in my life cried as hard as I did in that moment – as much as I did not want to believe it, my Diamond ensured that this would be the last time we'd be together… and I swore to her – I vowed to preserve her memory in any way I could. I even promised I would draw her every day to ensure her legacy never fades!"

Yellow Pearl, who had been hugging her blue counterpart for much of this tale, just then noticed the item on the floor that came with Blue's bubbled gemstone. She knelt down and picked it up… and immediately recognized it.

"She… she bubbled you with your sketchpad," Yellow Pearl realized as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "Stars almighty…"

Blue Pearl turned to face the three taller gems. "Yes, she did. And before her final farewell, she promised she would keep me hidden as best she could. I believe there was a hidden compartment under the floor in her chamber. She admitted there was a strong chance many among her court may be discovered no matter how well she hid them, but she was determined to ensure I wouldn't be one of them. I… remember nothing after being poofed, of course. But I presume there I remained… until I regained consciousness… ah, wherever this is."

5XF wiped a tear from her eye as she looked to her sister. "She was brought here to Earth by the combined efforts of yourself and Steven, I presume?"

"She must have been," Peridot agreed; her tone shaky from the very depressing tale. "We never went anywhere near Blue Diamond's quarters on either Homeworld mission. But… oh, stars, this makes Blue's fate even more depressing – I didn't even know that was possible!"

"So… my Diamond fulfilled her destiny as she intended," Blue Pearl solemnly acknowledged. "If I had to lose her… I should at least be grateful it was the way she intended to go out!"

She abruptly burst into tears on the spot, and Yellow Pearl was quick to comfort her. She then glared to the other three gems in attendance.

"If you haven't noticed, sh-she's a bit more sensitive than I am," Yellow Pearl sniffled. "Will you kindly give us some space for a moment? I won't let you treat her the way you heathens did to me!"

"Y-you're right," 5XF shakily agreed, now feeling massively guilty for how she dropped those truth bombs earlier. "Take all the time you need…"

She forgot in that moment she wasn't actually a Crystal Gem and therefore had no authority. She nervously looked to Peridot and Pearl for approval. "R-right…?"

Thankfully, both gems endorsed 5XF's motion.

"When you two are ready, just seek out your fellow Pearl and she will answer everything you need to know," Peridot assured the pair of diminutive Pearls. "Until then, we'll leave you in peace. Pearl, would you kindly show them to your room?"

"–W-wait just a darn minute," Pearl stammered. "Just what are you–"

Peridot glared furiously at Pearl. "Pearl will help you both settle in. And the best place for privacy is in her room… right, Pearl?"

Something about the look in the technician's eyes struck a new kind of fear deep in Pearl's core. Most likely, it was the pure rage she invoked from dragging out this conflict so long, but she was suddenly no longer inclined to argue with Peridot over this.

"... Fine… you two, please follow me," Pearl conceded before approaching her fellow Pearls and leading them to her room in the temple.

There, she left them to grieve and find solace in each other's company until they were ready to learn more about their role in the true Era 3.

"So… this was your motive all along," Peridot cynically declared when Pearl returned to the living room. "You found Blue Pearl's gemstone, then knowing she'd want Yellow Pearl's company, you were upset when you couldn't find her bubble… until you did, underneath my mattress. Mystery solved?"

"Mystery solved," Pearl affirmed, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps I was hasty releasing Yellow Pearl when I did, but now that I had… I knew I needed to let out Blue Pearl to keep her company and give her support. They're both Pearls who just lost their Diamonds, after all."

"Which is why you slipped out while we were distracted," 5XF understood. "Pearl, believe me when I say I still want a chance to get to know you better and possibly foster a friendship, but in all honesty…? What. The. HELL?"

"Seriously!" Peridot agreed… and she was still dumbfounded that she was continuing to agree with her loathed sibling. "There was no reason whatsoever for you to hold back on telling me about this! You'd better believe I'm gonna really enjoy discussing your stupidity with Garnet in the near future!"

Pearl knew after all this, she was coming out of the conflict worse for wear. And she was not looking forward having to justify her actions to Garnet. She vastly underestimated how well Peridot could keep up with her, and she was under no delusion that Garnet would be any easier to persuade.

"Listen… Pearl, I want to believe you were hellbent on learning about my personal ordeals for at least partially noble reasons," Peridot reluctantly told her. "Maybe you thought you could help support me. Stars knows I've been all over the place since… ugh, take your pick. Since Homeworld, since the vacation… since we met…"

"I did want to help you," Pearl sincerely stated. "Your behavior left me with the impression that my help simply wasn't good enough for you, and I was determined to prove you wrong! But… I took it too far."

Peridot sighed and shook her head. "It's not that your help isn't good enough, Pearl: it simply isn't necessary. I've gotten all the help I needed from the ones who needed to know the most. Anything beyond that is overkill, because the last thing I want is to be constantly reminded of my trauma, Pearl. In the future, your help may become objectively superior to others' for another problem I end up having. But I'll let you know whether or not it's truly necessary, Pearl. As a teammate, you need to trust me. You also need to cut it out with these ridiculous means of punishing me!"

5XF nodded in agreement. "There's really no getting around the fact that you used Homeworld refugees to extort irrelevant information from 5XG. While I feel a little bad for being so harsh on Yellow Pearl, that was ultimately on your hands for needlessly escalating the situation in the first place."

"And I believe enduring your interrogation is more than enough punishment for my wrongdoing in hiding Yellow Pearl in the first place," Peridot decided. "If you have an issue with that, take it up with Garnet. Unless you have more to say, I propose we resume our harmless method of learning to coexist while dealing with each other at nothing more than a bare minimum requirement. Savvy?"

Pearl closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. "Very well. I agree there's nothing more to be gained from attempting to communicate with each other today. 5XF… give me some time, but eventually, there will be no hard feelings between us. Then you and I can get to know each other without your wretched sister's presence."

"I appreciate it," 5XF assured. "I apologize for my ruthlessness; I promise to conduct myself better next time."

"You're still much more courteous than Peridot after all this; I'll give you that," Pearl tiredly remarked.

"So we're all good," Peridot acknowledged. "Pearl, this goes without saying, but helping the former Diamonds' Pearls adjust to this world and new life is your duty. You let them out – against both mine and Garnet's orders, no less – it's only fair you clean up the mess you made."

Pearl's hands balled up into fists as her form visibly shook to control her anger, but she ultimately held it in and nodded to her superior. "I suppose I can't argue that. I'd best keep an eye on them, then…"

"You really should," Peridot agreed as she silently gestured for Pearl to return to her room. "Until next time, Pearl."

With a huff and some almost-inaudible grumbling that sounded vaguely like a slur, Pearl finally left the twin Peridots alone in the living room, returning to her own domain to oversee the newest refugees.

A brief moment of silence passed as the two struggled to figure out what to do or say now.

Finally, Peridot made her way back towards the bathroom and gestured for 5XF to follow her, surprisingly.

Intrigued, 5XF followed her sister without complaint.

"Er… 5XG? Do you really need to lock the door…?"

Peridot blinked at recognized what she had just done. "… Oh. Wow. Why did I lock it…?"

"Are… you going to be okay?" 5XF uneasily inquired. "That was brutal to get through, but I don't regret helping you, for what it's worth. There's no way you would have made it out there on your own. Yellow Pearl couldn't wait to rub that moment in your face…"

"Thank you so much for putting a stop to that; I mean it," Peridot honestly told her. "You have my utmost gratitude… and bonus points for making Yellow Pearl cry. I really needed that in my life."

That statement rubbed 5XF the wrong way just a bit… all the same, she was massively elated to receive genuine positive sentiments from her sister. In a way, 5XF felt she could finally understand her a little better.

"And don't worry about me; memory lapses aside, I'm just fine," Peridot assured. "However, I'd feel terrible to lead you on after what you've done for me…"

5XF's smile died right there, and she knew what her sister was trying to communicate. "R-right; I understand. Sphalerite is still banned. But I told you before that I expected nothing in return for my assistance. I'm a gem of my word now, 5XG. Your commendation is more than enough…"

Peridot gave her sister a sly look. "But is it really?"

The look did not sit right with 5XF at all, and she recoiled from the gesture. "U-um! Yes, it truly is! You can stop doing that, now!"

Abruptly, Peridot's expression shifted to clueless. "W-wait, what did I do…?"

5XF's features hardened; given what her sister had just brought up a moment ago, she had good reason to suspect she was bearing witness to a probable symptom for her sister's memory issues.

"You're forgetting why you locked the door moments after locking it," 5XF recalled. "You seem oblivious to the fact that you just said something in a very unsettling manner…"

Right on cue, Peridot fell to her knees as she grasped her head in apparent pain. As notoriously bad as Peridot was at faking anything, it didn't take 5XF long to deduce this was legitimate.

"Stars almighty, what is going on with you?!" 5XF worriedly complained as she approached her sister and knelt to meet her at eye level. She bent over to examine her fellow gem's features, but nothing seemed out of place. "D-do I need to call for Pearl?! She's the gem with medical expertise, right?"

"For the love of stars, do not call Pearl in here," Peridot darkly muttered. "5XF, just… please keep it quiet. This will pass soon."

"H-how often has this been happening to you, 5XG?" 5XF quietly wailed. "Stop trying to pass this off as a minor irritation!"

5XF had all the more reason to panic when Peridot suddenly embraced her.

Especially when said embrace was not of the platonic variety.

A teal gradient tinged poor 5XF's cheeks as her mind raced through her options on how to handle this, but Peridot was applying pressure in certain key areas that completely derailed her train of thought.

With every passing second, the elder Peridot couldn't help but feel there was a strange familiarity to how she was being held…

"5XG, I-I don't know if this is your twisted idea of humor or what, but this is highly inappropriate," 5XF hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, come on. You're supposed to be quick on the uptake! Do you really believe your sister would ever hold you like this?"

Something was so close to adding up, but the solution still eluded 5XF. "I… I honestly don't know what to believe anymore… this day has been nothing short of pure madness."

Peridot hummed thoughtfully before easing her grip. "Okay, fair enough. I'll make this easy for you, then: take a very close look at my eyes."

If 5XF had a literal heart, it would have been racing a mile a minute. After a single uncertain glance, Peridot gently grabbed her sister's wrist and raised it up until her fingers were beneath her shades. With a simple flick, it all finally came together.

"I-I've seen your naked eyes before, 5XG," she whispered in pure disbelief. "Your right eye is supposed to be hazel – when did it turn green?!"

"You know someone else who has a right eye colored like this," Peridot smugly pointed out. "Come on, now. Do I need to bring up the fact that Steven's been contending with an on-again, off-again pink left eye?"

5XF froze in that moment, absorbing that information… before new tears began to well up in her eyes. "N-no, this… this is utterly impossible…"

Choking out a gasp, 5XF abruptly interlaced her fingers between her fellow Peridot's and drew her in close. "… Sphalerite?!"

Sphalerite-Peridot let out a cheeky grin in response. "Okay, I guess the concept is so insane that it'll even baffle the smartest of gems, but I'm overjoyed you've finally reached that conclusion. How are you holding up, my love?"

"Oh, stars! I thought I might never see you again!" 5XF sobbed against her lover. "How on Earth are you even pulling this off with just 5XG?!"

Sphalerite-Peridot made sure to soundproof the bathroom by that point. Now that the conflict with Pearl had concluded, using her willpower was fair game once more.

"Let's just say a certain set of circumstances have enabled me to use Peridot's and Steven's combined powers to invent a… waystone, of sorts."

5XF rose a brow at the Peridot before her. "And what is that, exactly? I already feel dumber for not knowing…"

"Oh, don't," Sphalerite-Peridot lovingly assured as she raised her thumb to caress her girlfriend's cheek. "It's a rather abstract concept that even your sister didn't know about until she arrived on Earth. Alternatively known as lodestones, they are basically… well, magnets. With a waystone, I effectively have something of a central hub I can inhabit when my components are no longer fused. I also have this set up within Steven, so if you ever see his left eye turn pink, that means I'm active."

"Fascinating," 5XF remarked. "But… don't you stand a great risk of getting caught with such an obvious tell…?"

"Well, it is why I've been more active within Peridot opposed to Steven," Sphalerite-Peridot admitted as she gestured to her shades on the floor. "Of course, under certain lighting conditions, the initial glow, or the glow that occurs when utilizing my powers can give me away even in this form. However, I'm very efficient with damage control in the event that someone catches on. So long as I can wipe or alter their memories, I could, in theory, keep this up for a very long time."

The love of 5XF's life just admitted to being the cause of Peridot's memory lapses that had been a great source of her distress throughout the day. It was safe to assume she was equally responsible for Steven's memory issues earlier in the morning.

This… did not sit well with 5XF in the least.

"Sphalerite, please don't think of me as insensitive or ungrateful, but your components have been miserable today due to having issues with their memory," she calmly explained. "How can you sound so nonchalant when you're admitting to screwing with their minds?"

"I appreciate your concern for them, because stars knows they certainly don't deserve it," Sphalerite-Peridot bitterly muttered. "They not only want to wipe me from existence, but they continue to treat you like dirt."

This brought up a pertinent question… "J-just how much were you in control of 5XG during that confrontation?!"

"Virtually no control at all, actually," Sphalerite-Peridot replied, sounding a bit surprised by her own answer. "I certainly wanted no part in that hot mess. I only started coming back when we returned here… I intended to lock the door to prevent anyone from walking in on us like this. You could see how easily some would get the wrong idea…"

5XF hadn't quite gotten over that discomfort just yet. Without the green eye, the attitude, and the loving gestures, this form of Sphalerite was truly still her sister – even in voice.

"So… it truly was 5XG who was expressing gratitude," she acknowledged; very relieved. "We just might be able to make amends after all…"

"Uh, look, I understand it's kinda weird that I'm taking on your sister's likeness," Sphalerite-Peridot muttered. "But you're making this no less awkward harping on your sister when I'm right here."

"O-oh!" 5XF blushed with embarrassment. She felt she should have realized sooner how disrespectful her behavior was, but she couldn't help being mentally stuck on the fact that she and Peridot actually managed to work together as a team without imploding at any point.

"I-I'm so sorry," she hurriedly apologized. "Th-this is all so surreal, and following the insanity that preceded it, I… I'm sorry. Is this what it feels like when you dream? The lines between fiction and reality feel so… blurred right now."

Sphalerite-Peridot smiled genuinely at her beloved. "I'd say you're getting close to the experience without actually dreaming, yes. As much as I'd love to stretch those boundaries further with you with that oh-so tempting mattress just a few feet away from us…"

"I-I'd prefer you be your whole self, if that's okay with you," 5XF expressed with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I just… even kissing you like this just feels…"

"Wrong? I get it." Sphalerite-Peridot looked a bit pouty regardless. "I can wait. So can you; don't believe for a second I won't return just because my components said so, 5XF."

5XF was equal parts ecstatic as she was concerned to hear this. "Oh, stars… are you really capable of maintaining full control over Steven and 5XG? Especially to force them to fuse?"

Sphalerite-Peridot shot her girlfriend a knowing smirk. "I've already pulled it off twice. I didn't get very far last night – especially since Ruby and Sapphire were flanking both sides of you the entire time. I ended up losing energy quickly and passed out on the beach before I could make it back to the roof."

Well, that was one mystery solved… albeit, only for 5XF. While Peridot and Steven reached the same conclusion, their memories had since been wiped, putting both back at square one.

"I managed myself a bit better a few hours ago," Sphalerite-Peridot boasted. "My components had found me out, so fusing was the safest way to ensure I could erase that moment from both their lives. I sent Peridot here, as I knew Pearl would serve as a fine distraction from her most recent memory failure. Steven was sent to his father for the same purpose."

"... I see." 5XF couldn't help but feel deeply troubled by this knowledge.

She knew Sphalerite was justified to feel nothing short of contempt for her components after sentencing her to existential purgatory; 5XF herself primarily hated her former escorts for that very reason presently. However, she couldn't help but think back to when she talked with Garnet prior to her decision to help her little sister out against her better judgment.

Sphalerite's components were not the only ones affected by the fusion's rebellious activities at this point. Garnet was very worried; everyone who witnessed Peridot and Steven's anguish at the crack of dawn were equally worried for their troubled friends. 5XF was now sitting on knowledge that could ease their concerns… or more realistically, worry them further and ultimately lead to Sphalerite truly being erased from existence.

It was not a position she enjoyed being situated in. Everything about this relationship was so much simpler when all she had to worry about was Sphalerite and herself…

But those days were firmly in the past.

"Before I defused last time, I made sure to check up on you," a chipper Sphalerite-Peridot mentioned, which snapped 5XF out of her daze.

"O-oh, you did?! Really…? What, uh… did you see?"

"I saw you making friends," Sphalerite-Peridot warmly commended. "Lapis was touring you under the ocean and showing you all the living creatures who reside in that environment. You really looked to be enjoying yourself… and I want you to know I'm proud of you for branching out and opening yourself up to others."

5XF found herself pulled into another hug, but at least it was a more wholesome gesture of affection, opposed to how she was "handled" in their first reunion hug. "I'm, uh… glad you're happy for me. None of them will ever be you, of course, but… you were right: it does feel good to connect with others. I've yet to find my calling in my life independent of you, of course…"

"You'll find it," Sphalerite-Peridot assured. "Just don't ever give up on that, okay? Even with this trick, I can only be with you for so long, 5XF. You need others in your life than just your girlfriend, I'm sorry to say. But I have faith you'll be the first Homeworld refugee who graduates from our program. Kinda helps that you've had a bit a headstart, but you've been working hard and making the most of your time. You're a brilliant gem… don't let anyone make you think otherwise."

Sentiments like this were much easier for 5XF to take. She would forge her own path in life one day. She hummed happily and melted in her girlfriend's embrace.

Sphalerite-Peridot was more than happy to maintain the embrace and silently enjoy each other's company in this unexpected reunion.

Admittedly, she would have preferred something a little more "active", but she understood the psychological ramifications of engaging in certain relations while her poor girlfriend had to look at the face of one of her loathed components. As such she was content to remain like this until it was time for them to go their separate ways.

However, slowly but surely, guilt started to seep back into 5XF's mind. A persistent nagging feeling kept insisting that everything about this reunion was wrong and she should feel wrong for indulging in it at Peridot's expense.

The fact that they just recently managed to set their differences aside and work together (something 5XF never would have imagined was possible as recently as this morning) made the guilt sting doubly hard. She didn't want to clue Sphalerite in on her conflicting feelings, but… she also had no desire to sell her out to the Crystal Gems, regardless of whether or not it was the right thing to do.

But the fact she just went out of her way to help Peridot, who mere hours ago proclaimed she wished she could shatter her sister, with nothing to gain and much to lose, with only the burning desire to "do the right thing" compelling 5XF to go against her better judgment… suddenly, that motivation meant so much more to the elder Peridot than it used to.

In a way, she felt she gained something in that endeavor in the long run, oddly enough.

"... 5XF, if you aren't busy… how would you like to properly reunite later tonight?"

5XF's eyes widened at the prospect. "A-are you serious?! What'll happen to you if you happen to get caught?!"

"Well, the memory-altering has been a reliable failsafe thus far," Sphalerite-Peridot mused. "Alternatively, we could just warp to another isolated location like Millennium Island if you're that concerned. We'll just need to keep in mind we can't embark on a marathon like we did before, of course…"

It was so tempting, yet 5XF couldn't shake this bad feeling that came about the moment her girlfriend made the proposal.

"Well, I… I don't currently have any plans for the night," she warily admitted. "I'd certainly love to be with you again after all the agonizing I've gone through today thinking I'd never see you again."

"If anything comes up between now and then, no hard feelings," Sphalerite assured. "I'm not gonna come between you and your friends, 5XF. Now that I have a secure way of ensuring I'll keep existing in spite of Steven and Peridot's intentions, there's no need for pressure!"

5XF nervously smiled and nodded in agreement. "I-I should probably get going, then. I'm expecting Lapis to return with Amethyst very soon. I'm about to see how well I get on with 5XG's best friend, heh…"

"Well, to her credit, she held back on trashing you to Amethyst earlier today because she wanted to give you a fair chance to make a good impression on Amethyst on your own merit," Sphalerite-Peridot begrudgingly muttered. "So you won't have to worry about any bias influencing Amethyst's perception of you. I'm sure you'll do well."

It genuinely shocked 5XF to hear this. Even apart, despite her behavior at the start of the day, Peridot truly was going out of her way to live up to her word and give all refugees a fair and equal chance to make their own first impression.

Unfortunately, she felt even more torn about how she was letting this same gem suffer horribly just so she could see her girlfriend.

"Wow… she must really feel bad about wanting me shattered this morning," 5XF chuckled. "Anyway, thank you so much for the support, Sphalerite. I'll make sure not to let you down, okay?"

Sphalerite-Peridot smiled sweetly in response. "Just do whatever you can; whether you succeed or fail, I'll be proud of you for trying your best."

"Um… this is weird to say, but are you going to be okay?" 5XF asked after relinquishing her hold on her beloved gem, but before heading to the door. "5XG looked to be in a lot of pain before you took over; I'm worried for her health as much as yours, Sphalerite."

"Worry not!" Sphalerite-Peridot confidently assured. "I've been very careful setting this up. It's not just myself and my components to consider at this point by doing this, after all. Everyone is safe."

"... Good to know!" 5XF remarked with a quick nod as she unlocked the door. "All the same, take care! See you later!"

She immediately vacated the bathroom and rushed out of the beach house.

Amethyst and Lapis weren't around yet, but that was actually to 5XF's advantage: she needed a moment to herself to process everything that just happened over the past hour or so.

"Oh stars, oh stars, oh– AH!"

Like sister, like sister: 5XF ended up tripping, but thankfully the mound of sand she landed into greatly cushioned her fall.

"Damn you, 5XG! Why did you have to choose now of all times to become a halfway-decent gem?!" she cried out as she pounded her fists on the sand.

"You just turned an easy choice into an impossible moral conundrum!"

[ NEXT PHASES: Steven & Greg – Lapis & Amethyst ]

Chapter Text

The clouds in the sky gave way to various small beams of sunshine peeking through the seams. The thick fog below started to clear up, but only in one specific, concentrated area.

As the mist evaporated, a mass of flowers came into view. It soon became apparent this was not a natural gathering, however… instead, it seemed like an elaborate bed entirely made from pastel-colored flowers.

Relaxing against this "bed" was a very satisfied Steven; bare-chested with his similarly bare left arm bent to support his head as he smiled up at the sky.

"Must you be so on-the-nose with your symbolism, Steven? If I wasn't programmed to be unconditionally devoted and attracted to you, I might be tempted to challenge your right to smile so smugly when you know for a fact your genuine article would rightfully call this a cringe-worthy experience."

Steven couldn't help but smile wider as his right arm reached over to scoop up his partner; all the while, his eyes remained skybound.

He quietly chuckled when he heard familiar, enamored squealing as he once more felt a small, warm body attach itself to his side.

"I'll give you the aesthetics," Steven calmly conceded. "This is pretty cheesy and totally unrealistic… but once I see my Peridot beckoning me over with those eyes, I kinda just devote most of my imagination to what we end up doing together. Our setting's kinda secondary in the grand scheme of things, wouldn't you agree?"

"Fine, I suppose I'll give you that. It's a no-brainer choosing between a weak setting with an amazing experience and a more developed setting with a mediocre experience. I'm certain the real Peridot feels the same way."

"I'm sure she does," Steven serenely assured before he leaned over to kiss his version of Peridot down her neck. "Or she will, once we really get that far…"

The imaginary Peridot, a bit more modestly covered underneath the flower bed, couldn't resist whimpering at her lover's continued showing of affection so soon after they both peaked. This Peridot's hair was visibly frazzled as a result of their intense prior activities.

"Oh, stars, Steven… even gems need small breaks between these sessions," she whined. "A-and as much as I loathe to cut this short, I feel it's pertinent to remind you that this is in fact a dream. Do you have any idea where you even are in the real world? Because it feels to me like it's just a bit early for us to be doing this…"

Steven relented his affectionate assault, but he looked a little annoyed by his self-made interpretation of his girlfriend's attitude. "If there was something wrong, why didn't you bring it up before we started this? It's a little late to be regretting this now, Dot."

"Oh, please don't misunderstand," the dream Peridot urged. "I would never regret this. This is the kind of affection I live for, Steven. But… the fact remains that you have a very intelligent, logical, pragmatic girlfriend who's naturally inclined to question everything. I'm asking you these questions because I can tell there's something not quite right about this scenario… and I care enough about you to put my own desires aside to assist you. I'm representing your critical thinking right now, Steven."

"So you're… going out of your way to take care of me, even if it interrupts our fun," Steven reluctantly understood. "Sorry, Peridot. I'm kind of new at this…"

The imaginary Peridot offered a reassuring smile to Steven. "Well, you're learning by example. Who knows how long the real me has had that idealized interpretation of you around? Either way, it's good timing for you to have someone like me. I know recent events have made you rather… antsy. The last thing you two need to do is repeat your fusion's mistake."

Even without her name being directly dropped, Steven felt frozen and stunned just thinking about Sphalerite…

"Sorry to bring her up," the pseudo-Peridot apologized. "I know she's a touchy subject… and a source of imminent dread that you're doing everything in your power to not think about. With the current Gypsum problem, I understand putting it off for now, but… Steven, you can't keep this buried forever."

"Wh-where's this coming from?!" Steven cried out. "I thought you wanted me to wake up!"

Dream Peridot nodded in agreement. "You should wake up. Because for all you know, you could be sleeping in a location that will quickly make you regret ever having this wet dream. I'm just giving you advice that you may find incredibly useful in the near future. You and Peridot both are suffering from something… and it's had an adverse effect on your mental states. You know there's only one probable cause for why you're simultaneously suffering with identical symptoms."

Steven panicked briefly as he took a peek underneath his sheet of flowers and quietly grunted in embarrassment.

"Geez, now I'm afraid to wake up," he grumbled. "If the real me's perfectly synced up with my body, then it's too late to stop that worst-case scenario. At least with you, I can just let go and enjoy myself. I can do whatever to you, you can do whatever to me, and there's nothing to be scared about…"

"You've, um… been fixated on the latter part of that, I've noticed," the dream gem told him. "Not that I mind, of course… but don't you think there's a reason, beyond the obvious one, why Peridot has been reluctant to talk to you about that prospect?"

Steven simply smiled and shrugged before he rolled partially over the doppelganger of his love.

"So maybe she's shy or insecure about it," he acknowledged. "She oughta know it's not gonna matter to me. All I know is that it's… well, kind of a fascinating thing for me. And if it feels as good in real life as it does here…"

"It won't," Dream Peridot flatly assured. "Not for the first few times, at least. Also, try not to take this the wrong way, but whenever you two start getting this intimate, I… strongly urge you to get on a diet if you prefer to be on top regardless of which activity you end up doing."

This was not something Steven anticipated to hear from his idealized beloved. "Uh, are you implying…?"

"I assure you, what I'm about to say is no exaggeration: you feel at least twenty pounds heavier since our last, er… liaison. You'll likely flatten your poor girlfriend if your aggression towards her is anywhere close to how aggressive you've been to me."

"Have I really been that forceful…?" Steven looked worried to hear that. "Man, that doesn't sound like me at all…"

"As if, perhaps, you aren't as in control of your body as you believe yourself to be," the false Peridot cryptically stated. "Steven, I'm always going to be here if you need to relieve some stress. Stars knows you must have plenty to spare after what you and Peridot endured. However, I should not be your sanctuary; sooner or later, you must face your problems head-on. Isn't that what you taught Peridot?"

Steven's dream girlfriend brought up a very valid point. It was one that pained Steven to recall.

"Yeah… I did. But after this morning, I'm starting to regret that big time," he fearfully admitted. "I don't know why, but I feel so worried about her… even though she really couldn't be any safer with Amethyst around. For some reason, I can't shake this feeling…"

"Either trust your instincts or consider perhaps you two have become a bit codependent," Dream Peridot stiffly advised. "And that this is a side-effect of being separated for so long."

"Why does it feel like it hasn't been as long as it's been, though?" Steven wondered out loud. "I don't think it has anything to do with you; I've just got this feeling that this isn't separation anxiety at all. Codependency's more like the other way around, isn't it? Where it feels like it's been longer than it really has since we were last together?"

Dream Peridot nodded. "You've ruled out one possibility, then. So you know what you need to do."

"Can I trust my instincts, though?" Steven asked her. "I don't even remember what happened to us last night. What are the odds that I'm gonna wake up and not remember how I got to wherever I am and why I fell asleep again?"

"Hm… I believe there's something you should ask yourself," Dream Peridot mused. "In regard to your reason for being asleep right now: can you feel the true Peridot nearby? You two had plans tonight, as I recall… given the nature of your "plans", she ought to be by your side. You have the power to feel her presence, even subconsciously."

Steven's eyes brightened up at this. "That's a perfect idea!"

His smile faded after feeling out for his girlfriend's particular aura… and wherever she presently was, it certainly was not by his side.

"Oh, geez… she must be miles away," he groaned. "She's not with me! So that probably means…"

Dream Peridot bowed her head in resignation. "You should wake up and figure out why you are where you are and how. I doubt you'll find all those answers right away, but you need to start somewhere. I'm certain you'd rather have another round with me, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't prefer that as well…"

"Like you said, you're here for me anytime," Steven reminded his creation as he patted her on the shoulder. "I'm not looking forward to any of this. I feel like I should know what's going on already, but all I'm doing is drawing a blank! And that's just–"

"Horrendously unfair," Dream Peridot agreed. "But you won't learn anything by staying here, Steven. Your inexcusably stereotypical paradise will still be here when you return, as will I."

"By all means, do some redecorating while I'm out," Steven muttered as his fondness for their setting steadily dropped. "This really is pretty lame…"

All the same, he couldn't resist embracing his imaginary lover and gifting her with an intimate farewell kiss.

"I love you, Dream-Dot. Thanks for everything… I owe you one."

Dream Peridot smirked as her beloved creator vanished back into the real world. "You clod… you created me. Everything I do is because I eternally owe you."

Steven's subconscious was right to alert him to wake up before his dream got even raunchier: he found himself in the back of a very familiar van.

"… Right… I was on my way to see Dad after touring Bismuth around," he quietly recalled. "And… that's all I got. Great."

The entire journey from Point A to Point B was nothing more than a blank in Steven's memory. While he was alone in the van for the moment, Steven quickly realized Greg already knew where he was: it was highly unlikely Steven simply climbed into the van, grabbed a blanket, and took a nap without seeking his father out first.

The hybrid soon noticed a bottle of water was prepared for him as well, so it seemed more likely that Greg tucked in his son personally and made sure a source of hydration was within reaching distance if Steven happened to wake up while he was absent. Given the lack of details his recollection provided, it seemed quite probable that Steven might have passed out soon after reaching his father.

While the van doors were closed, it didn't take Steven long to notice it couldn't have been any later than the early afternoon, which added another unfortunate layer to this annoying mystery. Steven didn't recall feeling horribly fatigued after he parted ways with Bismuth.

Granted, he did recall having a rather heavy and emotionally taxing conversation with the blacksmith, but it was one that was a long time coming. And in the end, the pair resolved their differences and lingering doubts between each other. He still had energy to spare after that talk, since Steven recalled he and Bismuth went over certain ideas with Mr. Smiley to improve Funland.

And then he remembered Peridot was briefly there at Funland… but that was to assist in making a new strength-testing machine. She didn't linger for long after accomplishing that task, but Steven couldn't help smiling as he recalled his girlfriend made sure not to leave before showering him with affection and teases for their time together promised at nightfall.

Although, as Steven took a swig of his bottle, he frowned when he recalled that he believed to catch Peridot lying to his face, only to find her being entirely truthful when she denied the accusation. They still parted on good terms, but it never sat well with the hybrid knowing his powers could produce "false positives" … supposedly.

Steven vaguely recalled discovering a distressing detail about himself shortly after they parted, but the memory faded out just as the teen ran inside the house of mirrors. He didn't remember what he found there, if there was anything to even find.

Subconsciously, Steven found himself quickly chugging down the bottle of water, as there was a particular aftertaste lingering in his mouth. He didn't recall eating anything other than Lars' new donuts (though he made sure to eat an abundant amount of them) – and while Steven couldn't begin to identify the very unique flavor in his mouth, he at least knew it wasn't the kind of flavor a sugary confectionery would leave behind.

The inconsistencies wrought by his faulty memory were seriously beginning to pile up. Steven took out his phone; now that he had a lapse in his memory for the second time today and consequently couldn't connect the dots with these new inconsistencies to his state of being, he thought it would be wise to record his findings. In case this happened again – and Steven had a strong feeling it would – he would at least have a handy frame of reference to refresh his memory at least partially.

Still, he couldn't help but feel weary at the prospect. In many ways, Steven felt as if his own body was playing tricks on him. While this was far from the first time he's contended with his body and mind not being on the same page, this somehow seemed a little… different.

For once, this had nothing to do with his late mother.

After some consideration, Steven added some of the details his imaginary Peridot brought up to the list; particularly the weight gain. He did feel quite bloated, but that would be the expected result of shoving multitudes of donuts down his throat. Especially since he'd been suffering from a near-empty stomach since returning from the vacation.

And just like that, Sphalerite came to mind again… and Steven felt himself internally shudder just thinking about the fusion.

While he couldn't recall his and Peridot's fusion having much to do with anything since she willingly defused and set them free, just thinking about her now struck fear in Steven's heart.

But why would thinking of Sphalerite invoke such negative emotions? The nausea, disappointment, and frustration Steven felt made sense: her sins were still fresh in his mind and he still couldn't bring himself to fully take in the memories of what his fusion did past a certain point. But Sphalerite was legitimately horrified that she inadvertently kept her own components trapped and helpless due to her inattentiveness – she should not bear any ill will towards her components.

And then Steven remembered Peridot loudly declaring to all in attendance this morning that Sphalerite would never be formed again. While he didn't disagree with his girlfriend's wishes in the least, it made him realize that he and Peridot did give their fusion a reason to antagonize them.

They gave Sphalerite the strongest reason possible to see her components as enemies; any fusion would feel the same way.

Yet… how would that matter? No matter how bitter a fusion felt, they lacked the ability to exist in any way, shape or form if their components were not merged together. Sphalerite couldn't influence anything now, surely… but Steven continued to quiver at the thought of her.

This felt like more than paranoia to him. Back when he and Peridot first fused, both came to realize that their powers combined could bring about travesties just as easily as they could bless the world. And given the great deal of traumatic events he and Peridot recently went through together, Steven was highly familiar with this feeling.

He was mentally associating Sphalerite with post-traumatic stress. Granted, that was understandable after her memories were absorbed into him and the horrific things his fusion did behind his back definitely warranted said stress, however…

… Steven couldn't piece together why yet, but he was associating Sphalerite with trauma in ways beyond that. The dream Peridot didn't hesitate to bring her up as a potential symptom of his problem, though of course she was vague about it. Like Peridot's idealized version of Steven, his idealized girlfriend's knowledge was limited to his own. However, she seemed to represent a form of his intuition; a part of him that strongly suspected the cause of this myriad of problems but lacked the solid proof to be certain. Therefore, it could only remain as a hunch; a very strong one, but until Steven could find actual evidence linked to his suspicions, it couldn't evolve past a hypothesis.

Still, he finished jotting down his findings on his phone's notepad function and made sure to save it. Part of Steven wanted to make a physical copy of this just to ensure that he'd never lose it for any reason if or when he lost his memory again, but that would have to wait until after Steven properly got his bearings.

He cringed as he moved around and felt a certain immediate discomfort; with great hesitance, Steven peeked underneath his blanket before recoiling at his findings and groaning with frustration.

Luckily, through the van's windows, Steven caught sight of a familiar sign nearby.

"Well, I'm in the right place to erase this kind of evidence," Steven said with a sigh. "Assuming I can pull it off without Dad catching me…"

Either way, it was time to leave the safety of his father's van and face the world.

When he exited out from the back of the van, Steven froze as he almost immediately noticed he was not alone.

A very familiar car was parked nearby the van, and yet another familiar face that Steven hadn't seen in a long time immediately looked in his direction.

"Hey. Have a good nap?"

Steven wasn't sure if he should be relieved that a calm, mellow figure like Sour Cream was the one who spotted him, or if he should be endlessly embarrassed that the coolest dude ever probably noticed the conspicuous stains on his blanket and jeans.

"H-hey, Sour Cream… uh…" the poor hybrid stammered, too shocked to finish his sentence.

"It's cool," he softly assured. "Growth spurts are crazy like that; we've all been there. Need me to cover for your dad?"

Sour Cream gestured over to the hose he was currently using to wash his car.

That was exactly what Steven needed; he was beyond grateful to so quickly find a solution to his current issue. Before agreeing, Steven took out his phone and stored it in the van. He made sure it was positioned just so it wouldn't be at risk being in a potential splash zone.

"I'd really appreciate that," Steven graciously expressed. "Uh, where is Dad, if you're doing that…?"

Sour Cream looked ahead. "Not far; Mom came by and they're catching up. Guess a lot happened, because your old man's talking about spaceships and planets blowing up. Either that, or he saw one rad movie."

"It's definitely the first one," Steven nervously assured. "Uh, h-how about you remind me to get together with you and the cool kids and I'll catch you all up on what's been happening since Garnet's wedding? 'Cause you all deserve to know ahead of time that life in Beach City's gonna get even weirder pretty soon…"

Sour Cream just smiled and shrugged. "We can arrange that if you want. Just don't think you owe us an explanation for everything, man. We get it."

He smirked and gestured to the running hose in his hand again. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," a resigned Steven confirmed. "I owe you one, Sour Cream."

Sour Cream shrugged. "Nah. It's not every day I get an excuse to do this sorta thing; that's kinda rewarding itself."

With that, the blonde turned his hose on Steven and doused him along with his balled-up blanket.

Steven shivered as he quickly became drenched in cold water; thankfully, considering it was almost June, the weather very nicely balanced this out with the sun beams keeping Steven from suffering immediate hypothermia. He also made the effort to keep quiet, though a few hushed yelps escaped his lips from the intensity of the water pressure and its temperature.

In less than a minute, Steven was thoroughly soaked along with the blanket. The conspicuous stains were no longer visible. As a side-bonus, getting the equivalent of a cold shower ensured that Steven wouldn't have any lingering embarrassments related to said stains.

"Sour Cream, just where are you aiming? You're not paying to clean Greg's van."

Sour Cream simply smiled and maintained his mellow attitude as he waved to his mother. "It's cool, Mom. The kid just told me he was overdue for a shower and I obliged him."

"The 'kid'…? Wait, did you just hose down Steven?!" Vidalia looked appalled.

"Wait, you're saying Steven woke up?!" Greg followed up, visibly panicked.

Steven finally came out of hiding and confidently displayed his drenched form to the adults, trying to ignore his own shivering. "Like Sour Cream said, I asked for this! Your son did me a favor, Vidalia. And hey, Dad!"

"Geez Louise, Steven!" Greg was quick to rush over and tend to his son. "You felt like you were running a fever when you got here! I get why you'd want this, but you'll probably end up even sicker now!"

"Fifty-fifty odds it was just a heat stroke," Vidalia flatly reminded the man. "In which case, the boys made the right call. Guess it couldn't hurt to err on the side of caution, though."

The fact that Steven didn't remember ever once feeling feverish or overheated was a major cause for concern, but he tried his best to suppress that.

"I promise I'm feeling a lot better already," the hybrid assured. "I, uh, hate to interrupt you guys catching up…"

Greg shook his head. "Don't even, Schtu-ball. You and me are majorly overdue on catching up. I'm pretty much done telling Vidalia about our awesome space adventures, anyway."

Vidalia rolled her eyes and smirked. "Whether it's actually true or the Universes are the most overactive imaginers around, you're passing up on a cash-cow IP with a story like that, Greg. All the same, congrats, Steven. There's no shame in being a late bloomer, but you're well on your way to being a looker just like your dad used to."

Steven blushed and reflexively scratched the back of his head in reaction to the unexpected praise. "Hah, thanks, Vidalia. You're, uh… looking good yourself…?"

Vidalia chuckled at the awkward sentiment. "Oh, no need to blow smoke. Aside from that donut shop boy turning pink and Sadie's new rocker look, nobody else here is any different from how we were when you did your space fun. Good to see puberty isn't turning you into a little monster, at least. That puts you well ahead most of your peers already."

"You really make it sound like I dodged a bullet there," Steven nervously chuckled. "But really, I mean it: it's awesome to see you again. Sorry we've all been kinda… absent these last few weeks. I'll make sure to remind Amethyst to hit you up if she hasn't already, 'cause we're about to get really busy again soon."

Greg, meanwhile, took out his wallet and pulled out a modest handful of cash. He seemed fearful when he looked in Vidalia's direction, but with one gulp, the former rock star powered through his nervous tendencies.

"Vidalia, believe me when I say I feel like a monster asking you to go back to where you had that awful, soul-sucking first job of yours," Greg stammered as he held the money out to offer his longtime friend. "But could you please do me a solid and take Steven's clothes and the blanket to the laundromat real quick? I-I mean, keep the change and everything and use the cheapest settings for all I care!"

Vidalia simply sighed with amusement as she accepted the money. "Still a dramatic dope as always, huh? Let me guess: you don't have much in the way of back-up clothes since your boy bloomed?"

Greg sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Heh. Am I that transparent?"

"S-sorry, Dad," Steven apologized. "I forgot I took the few things that fit me now when I left for the vacation."

"Yeah, I actually started looking for some new duds to fit your new look last week," Greg admitted. "But I forgot I've got no clue what your actual size is now, and man, the refund process can be a nightmare sometimes…"

Steven smiled reassuringly at his father. "I get it, Dad; this is on me. Once you get some free time, maybe we can hang out and take care of that – I'm definitely ready to try out some new looks."

"You'd best fetch one of your old rags in the meantime, Greg," Vidalia suggested. "I don't mind taking care of this so long as I don't have to see your kid run around in his birthday suit. Pretty sure that'll scare away any would-be customers, anyway."

Interestingly, Sour Cream silently shrugged at his mother's statement. Perhaps a sight like streaking was mundane compared to what else he'd witnessed in his life.

"Y-yeah, good call," Greg agreed as he headed over to his office. "Let's go, Steven. You can catch up with everybody later."

Steven nodded, fully understanding his father's motives. He smiled and waved at Sour Cream one last time, then extended the same courtesy to Vidalia before his father ushered him into the building.

Greg was thoughtful enough to offer Steven a fresh towel and a new blanket as the latter peeled off his over-saturated garments that would be handed off to Vidalia.

Steven sighed wistfully; for once, he wished Peridot was around right now for reasons other than companionship. She was the one responsible for Steven having any clothes that fit him at all, as it was a simple feat even in her base form to will Steven's garments to adjust to his new proportions.

It would actually be more cost-effective to simply have Peridot invoke alterations to Steven's entire wardrobe rather than paying for new full ensembles. But with the hybrid's body and voice finally matching his age (along with being forced to grow up far too quickly due to how his life played out since going to Homeworld), Steven felt compelled to finally look the part of a maturing young man.

A major aspect of looking the part was having his wardrobe reflect his newfound maturity.

In the meantime, Steven had to make do with one of his father's classic shirts. It actually wasn't too different from what he usually wore, as there was a bright yellow star in the center – the shirt itself just happened to be black.

Since Greg's collection of pants were far too wide at the waist to fit his son, he was basically stuck with an over-sized t-shirt and some boxers. It was definitely better than nothing, but Steven was beyond grateful his father had a spare blanket to keep warm in.

While Greg handled the exchange with Vidalia and helped Sour Cream finish washing his car, Steven thought long and hard over how much he should unload on Greg when it came to his problems.

He was the one who managed to calm a hysterical Steven down from his impulsive drive to rescue Peridot ASAP after he finally watched the video she made. Had Steven lucked out and hit the right buttons in the proper sequence, he very easily could have fully hijacked the Crystal Gems' spaceship. Even if Steven miraculously piloted the craft all the way back to Homeworld (considering he had no clue how to fly a spaceship), it would have been nothing short of a suicide mission.

Perhaps a father's touch would offer some clarity to Steven's plight that a gem simply could not offer.

Oddly enough, Steven thought of Sphalerite again. While it never crossed his mind any time when he was part of any other fusion – even Stevonnie, who did directly meet Greg at one point – now he wondered how his and Peridot's fusion would have seen Greg.

Perhaps it was due to Peridot's own newly-formed bond with Greg; they were more than teammates by this point. Greg was regarding her as an inevitable daughter-in-law already, and especially now that Peridot had taken to calling him "Papa", it made Steven wonder if Sphalerite too would see Greg as a father-figure to seek guidance from.

Logically, Steven tried to tell himself to stop thinking about such impossible things if he and Peridot were never going to fuse again, anyway. However, his intuition remained steadfast in the belief that Sphalerite's time was far from over.

It seemed like a terrible idea to even entertain the notion of letting Greg know about what Sphalerite had put her own components through. However, Steven felt compelled to let someone with a human touch examine the situation and offer their viewpoint. He was far less comfortable confessing something like this to the likes of Connie.

Steven could no longer deny his hormonal tendencies were catching up to him as well. Though he and Peridot had no way to stop their fusion from her marathon of debauchery, they themselves remained untainted.

… Though it certainly didn't feel that way. Erotic dreams were becoming far more frequent for Steven nowadays, and he knew Peridot wasn't faring much better in that regard. If they hadn't released 5XF at all during their vacation, there was a very good chance both would have worn down their ability to resist their impulsive desires and end up just like their refugee and their fusion by the end of the week.

Surprisingly, the more Steven thought about it, the more it made sense to talk with Greg about these topics at least to some degree. Steven couldn't deny many of his newfound instinctive impulses were coming from his human side. On top of that, male puberty had quite a few differences from female puberty – so that already put Connie out of the running in relating to those particular issues. Greg was honestly the only candidate remaining.

And considering the imminent commitments of the Crystal Gems, Steven knew he needed to use what remained of his free time wisely. No matter how uncomfortable it was going to be, the son of Pink Diamond had to suck it up and deal… the ability to do that would be a testament to how much he truly matured.

"Okay, It's a Wash is officially on an extended break," Greg announced as he finally returned. "Because I'm pretty sure it's gonna take more than half an hour to catch up, and I'm not letting a silly thing like work come between us this time."

Despite his attempts to resist, tears welled up in his eyes as he ended his arms out, inviting Steven for a much-needed hug. "Welcome home, Schtu-ball. Sorry I couldn't stay awake for when you got back last night…"

"Dad!"

Steven surprisingly found himself clinging tightly to his father as tears of his own flowed freely. "Geez, don't apologize to me! It was almost midnight by the time we got back, and even that was totally out of my hands!"

Greg smiled as he calmly patted his son's head. "I heard you and Peridot finally got to make your own fusion. I would've loved to meet her."

Hearing that only made Steven cry harder. Greg awkwardly continued to console his son, now a bit on edge. He honestly didn't expect to trigger poor Steven so quickly.

"Uh… sorry. Sore topic…?"

"Y-yeah, but I need to tell you about her anyway," Steven muttered through his sniffles. "B-because I'm not sure if you'll ever get to really meet her, Dad. I'm sorry…"

Greg let out a resigned sigh. "Steven, just don't force yourself if you're not ready. I've gotten some texts from a few of your friends who don't know much more than me, but they seem pretty sure your vacation caused a lot of problems…"

Steven reluctantly nodded, content to remain in his father's embrace as he vented his sorrow. "W-we're gonna let everyone know what exactly happened once we get some more rest; it got bad enough that we're gonna have to go back to one of the locations we visited because we ran into a really dangerous corrupted gem. We need to make sure she won't be a threat to our Era 3 program, so…"

"Ooh… yikes. That bad, huh?" Greg was compelled to hug Steven again. "I'm sorry you two had such a hectic week… you both really needed this vacation more than anyone."

"That's why Garnet kinda extended it," Steven glumly noted. "The corrupted gem was only part of what made our vacation go horribly wrong. Don't get me wrong; the first half was really great. I've got pictures to prove it. Thursday is when it all went downhill…"

Greg nodded in understanding. "Steven, you're a big boy now. If you're not ready to tell me everything yet, rest assured that I get it. But I'm getting a feeling there might be some things I should hear about, being your dad and all."

It amazed Steven sometimes how in-tune his father could be with him.

"Y… yeah; that's actually what I was thinking about just a minute ago," Steven told him. "Because some really weird stuff has been going on since we got back. I don't really feel like myself, and… Dad, don't panic, but I need to be honest: I remember setting off to come visit you, but… I don't remember anything after that. If I said something to you before I took my nap, then I need you to tell me whatever it was I said. 'Cause I'm drawing blank after blank here."

This was not what Greg expected to hear, and he couldn't hide how frazzled he was to learn about it.

"O-oh… oh. Memory loss. Yeah, that's… that's a problem." Greg tried to collect himself so he could give Steven the answers he needed. "W-well, you looked really sleepy when you showed up. You couldn't even keep one eye open; you were that out of it."

Something about that statement struck Steven deeply. His intuition screamed at him that part of the statement was a major clue.

"D-did I say anything weird…?"

"Well… I hate to say it, but you sounded kinda delirious," Greg admitted. "The way you talked, it was like you barely knew us. Vidalia and Sour Cream were already here when you arrived, and they agreed something wasn't right with you. When you started talking about how happy you were to "meet" me, that's when we figured out you were either running a fever or were really overheated. We ushered you into the van to get some rest and hoped you'd be a little more, uh, normal after that…"

Steven immediately thought of that particular curiosity he had in mind shortly before Greg came in.

"S-so, I guess I'm better off now than I was when I came in, but I've just lost my memory in another way…"

"It's bad no matter how you slice it, but better that you're just forgetting a little chunk of the day instead of your entire life, Steven," Greg pointed out. "I was ready to call up Garnet if you woke up and still acted like you were seeing your dad for the first time."

"Still, that means it's the second time today where I can't remember something I should really be aware of," Steven told him. "I woke up this morning on the beach, Dad. I should have been on the roof with Peridot, but we both woke up just a few feet away from the shoreline. Neither of us have a clue how we ended up there."

Greg recoiled from what he imagined could have caused that. "Cripes almighty, that's some distance you both got! How the heck did you fall off and not get hurt?! How did no one find out about this until morning?!"

"That's the thing: no one heard us crash from a fall like that, and there's no points of impact or any kind of trail in the sand that would normally show up if we really fell off and tumbled that far out," the hybrid specified. "The only real explanation is that Peridot subconsciously teleported us, but she doesn't remember doing that or falling asleep, which is what ended up happening to her, anyway. She's got the same memory issues I'm having, Dad – for all I know, she's suffering from another one right now, just like I am!"

Now Greg could see what was truly troubling his son. Though he still only had a mere fraction of the story…

"Have you checked in on her?" he cautiously asked. "If you're both having the exact same problem, wouldn't it make sense for you to figure this out together?"

"We decided to spend today going our separate ways so we could catch up with you guys," Steven solemnly said. "We didn't get a chance to really see anyone other than Garnet when we came back last night, so we're making up for lost time since you guys couldn't contact us for half a week…"

"How could I forget that?!" an exasperated Greg grumbled. "Peridot was insistent that I call her every day because I'm the one who took care of Pumpkin during the vacation, and the last few days I couldn't even reach her or you! The last one from your group I even got to speak to was that other Peridot, the refugee…"

Steven felt numb as he prepared himself to delve into some very familiarly uncomfortable territory. "5XF. Yeah, she… she was a big reason why the last half of our vacation fell apart. A-and I can't believe I'm saying this, let alone still feel it, but… I can't forgive her. I'm just not ready yet."

Greg was stunned to hear this.

"My son… not forgiving someone. Am I the one dreaming now?!"

"I promise, one day I will," Steven bitterly assured him. "But right now, I… can't. And part of me doesn't really want to tell you why, because I don't want you taking whatever you feel after hearing what she did out on her."

"Son, I know I'm not exactly the embodiment of pacifism like you or your mom," Greg admitted. "But I'm not gonna go after a little gem, okay? I promise I'll stay away if it's really that much of a challenge, but I need to know what she did to you… and Peridot."

Steven sighed; he trusted his father's self-restraint, but this would be one hell of a test for the man. He felt guilty imposing that on Greg, but it was likely crueler to keep him in the dark until he ended up finding out through someone else.

"I'll tell you about what she did to us independently later," Steven assured. "That's the stuff I'm gonna save for when Peri and me tell everybody what we're gonna be doing about the corrupted gem. And honestly, that's not even the unforgivable part of what 5XF did to us, anyway."

"–I hate to ask, but how much is this going to upset me, Schtu-ball?"

Steven's half-lidded eyes bore straight into his father's. "You… might wanna get a pillow to scream into."

Greg was mortified. Eyes wide open, he relinquished his hold on Steven and stood up straight.

"I'll get two. Just to be on the safe side."

It was wise of Greg Universe to bring an extra pillow: one simply wasn't enough to properly muffle his screams of frustration and anger once he learned why exactly his son and Peridot couldn't be reached for the last four days of the vacation… and why he missed out on welcoming the pair back last night.

Steven silently sat and let his father get the rage out of his system. While unnerved at first how surprisingly loud Greg could bellow out his cries, he figured it made sense that his literal father would take this kind of news harder than anyone else. Granted, very few knew the truth by this point. Garnet was livid, but still maintained her self-control with little difficulty and remained her usual calm and cool self.

And while he wasn't yet aware of it, Lapis also learned about the horrific truth of what went on during the quiet period. Luckily, she had an ocean right next to her to vent her rage out through, just like Greg had his pillows. She remained heavily unnerved and irritated for her friends' sake, but 5XF managed to meet halfway with her well enough to actually foster a friendship despite that. A tenuous one, granted, but miraculous nonetheless as Lapis was not a gem known to look past issues like that in most cases.

It was going to be… morbidly interesting to see how the rest of the Crystal Gems would take this news. And yes, Steven knew it was necessary for the team to know of a detail that normally should be handled with the same level of care and scrutiny as Peridot's traumatic first encounter with Jasper.

But this event was literally the reason why Peridot and Steven had no intention of fusing to becoming Sphalerite again. And there were some other circumstances that made this incident more of a necessity for everyone to be aware of…

Steven really didn't like thinking about those particular reasons, though.

Not only could they not be disproven at this point in time, but… the more Steven thought about the evidence he gathered, the more said reasons became credible probable causes.

By the time Steven finally caught a glimpse of his father's face uncovered by the pillows, he could tell the man had very similar immediate concerns on his mind.

"Remember, I told you me and Peridot had no way to stop that," Steven mumbled, though he could not hide the shame written all over his face. "And because Sphalerite's her own gem who's way more independent from her components than any other fusion I've seen, I wanna think her actions don't represent us…"

"Trust me; I'm not mad at either of you," a very tired Greg sighed while he rested his face against the palm of his hand. "You said you were both too traumatized to carry out your assignment after what 5XF did to you earlier, and given your history with most of the gems you've made friends with – including Peridot – I'm assuming that involved 5XF at least trying to kill one or both of you."

Steven nodded. "Yep. I figured I'd take that kind of thing in stride better since it's happened so many times, but 5XF went the extra mile to be sadistic with us. But like I said, that much I can forgive her for; it's not even entirely her fault. What she did with Sphalerite, though… i-it'd be one thing if Sphalerite was just some other gem, I guess, but…"

"I'm with you," Greg assured. "I guess I really will have to keep my distance from the new gem for a while, because there's no way I'm gonna be able to look past that once I see her."

"Do you… think what Sphalerite did makes me and Peri just like her, though?" Steven asked with overwhelming concern. "That we're both…?"

"What?! No!" Greg was quick to shake his head and make dismissive gestures. "You made it clear neither of you had any part of that, and while I don't really know that much about fusion, I wanna think that means you should both still be physically, um… "pure"…"

Given what Steven had been dreaming about (and having a good idea that Peridot's imagination was no cleaner after the few occasions he either witnessed her imagination or linked their minds together), he couldn't help but look incredibly doubtful about that word. Much to his chagrin, Greg caught the gesture.

"Look, I've been in your shoes before, Steven," Greg asserted. "I guess we're overdue to talk about that growth spurt of yours. Puberty's bad enough for regular guys who grow slowly over time – your body went from "kid" to "mid-teens" in less than a day. Is it really permanent this time?"

Steven reluctantly nodded. "It definitely feels permanent. Considering what we all went through and what responsibilities I'm gonna be upholding soon, it makes sense that my body finally put its foot down and told me it's time to grow up."

"Makes sense," Greg agreed. "I don't envy your position at all, son. But once I saw you finally looking your age, I figured it was just a matter of time before you started really thinking like a teenager. Much as I've been dreading this day, I know that for once this is the kind of thing no gem can really teach you, Steven. So if you've got questions over certain, uh, things… let's just say you're way better off asking me instead of… y'know, Pearl."

Steven couldn't help but let out an awkward smile. "Yeah, I already kinda imagined her either being really grossed out or thinking I'm possessed."

"Garnet's future vision isn't going to be a good substitute for teaching you, and I doubt Amethyst is gonna have anything to offer but dirty jokes and deliberately bad advice," Greg groaned. "So please, just come to me when you have… y'know, guy things you need to know about, okay? Being a human dude is one thing I know for sure I'm at an expert in."

"Hah, can't argue with that," Steven chuckled. He was glad his instincts were in full agreement with this. "Thanks, Dad. I promise it's no easier for me to even talk about this stuff… I mean, the stuff I dream about lately makes me feel dirty enough."

"I figured that's why you got Sour Cream to hose you down," Greg pointed out with a smirk, much to Steven's shock. "I told you, Schtu-ball: I've been there and done that hundreds of times in my life. I was already past this phase when I met your mom, you know. But the urges you get never really go away, sorry to say. It's all part of being a grown-up human."

Despite the assurances, Steven couldn't suppress his blushing over being found out why he convinced a friend to douse him in cold water.

"If you can keep your urges in your dreams, you're already a way better man than me," Greg added as he leaned over to ruffle Steven's messy mop. "And better than every other guy I know. But containing those urges is no different from bottling up your anger or depression, Steven: do it too much, and it'll overflow and seep into reality at the worst possible time."

A very apt description, considering the state Steven woke up in.

"I didn't realize it worked like that," the stunned hybrid muttered. "So suppressing the urge is really just delaying it. But if it's not right to act on what your body wants with someone just because you want it, then…"

"You've probably already been there without realizing it, but that's what the middle of the road is for," Greg awkwardly explained. "Where you, uh… take care of those urges while you're awake, but you keep it to just yourself. There's plenty of, um, substitutes for a partner, but…"

Steven's blush deepened. "I, uh… I think I get what you mean, Dad. Geez, that's gonna be awkward."

"Puberty's diabolical for a reason," a resigned Greg admitted. "Over time, you'll learn how to suppress those urges better and find the right time to handle them, 'cause it's gonna happen a lot. Considering what you just had to suffer, I'd say you're already really good with self-restraint. You just need to remember not to totally ignore your needs – and honestly, Steven, that applies to way more than just your hormones."

"Huh?" Steven was caught off-guard by that final statement.

"You're a very caring and selfless person, Steven," Greg warmly stated. "You always have been, but there's been plenty of times where you've exhausted yourself because you're ignoring your health. And you might want to think about fixing that quirk of yours, because I've noticed a certain someone falling into the exact same pattern lately…"

Steven's eyes widened at the implication. "No way… you can't be talking about Peridot!"

"She nearly collapsed from exhaustion on her first day as a Crystal Gems leader, Schtu-ball," Greg humorously pointed out. "Sometimes, I think she's onto something when she claims you're the one who created the gem she is today. I can tell a lot of her mannerisms come straight from you. Didn't you ever notice that?"

It was hard to believe, but Steven really hadn't considered this. While he believed Peridot always meant every word of what she said to him, sometimes it often seemed she didn't truly understand certain things she said.

But then Steven thought back on older times, when Peridot was a sworn enemy of the Crystal Gems who had no qualms about killing any of them to please her Diamond.

He remembered a moment where Peridot taunted him with a facial gesture where she pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue: said gesture was a perfect replication of one Steven himself offered Peridot earlier.

In the early days of Peridot's reformation, she adopted "Wow, thanks!" that eventually became a catchphrase of hers. Her choice of words were a perfect reflection of how Steven taught her how to thank people.

Even in fairly recent times, such as shortly before Ruby and Sapphire's wedding, Peridot flat-out admitted to Steven that her approach with Lapis when it came to befriending her and being her roommate was a deliberate replication of how Steven approached Peridot herself. Everything Peridot did for Lapis back then, she was following Steven's example to the letter.

With the newly-revealed layer of Peridot behaving this way due to a strong feeling of indebtment towards Lapis during a certain incident the day they met, that only further proved how Peridot could often imitate Steven to a fault.

"Guess you're noticing it now," Greg thoughtfully remarked. "You know, a lot of babies – humans and animals alike – replicate the behavior of who they first see, which is usually the mom. They imprint their influence on their young right from the start, and that never really goes away once they've decided who to follow."

Steven could not help but feel very uncomfortable with that. "Uh… are you trying to say I somehow became Peridot's mom?"

"Wha–? Of course not!" Greg laughed out, though he clearly looked embarrassed at what he was implying. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to make it come off so weird. Of course Peridot doesn't see you as a mom – she barely has a concept of what those are. Except maybe she's understanding that better now with Pumpkin; she really acts like an overprotective mom with that little one…"

As Steven thought harder about Peridot's many heartfelt sentiments, he started to understand where his father was coming from.

"I think I get it. Peridot started out with barely any concept of being her own gem," he carefully recalled. "And Homeworld society was so brutal that it encouraged her to be sadistic and cruel; certain stuff happened so that she lost a lot of what made her really bad by the time she met us face-to-face, but she was still really mean and didn't understand what it meant to really live for herself. She still never experienced any real kindness or love until we finally captured her."

"Until you introduced her to it," Greg followed up. "She was stuck in a position where she couldn't hold on to much of her old life anymore. And over time, she threw away the life she used to have, but doing that put her back to where she was in the beginning. And you, more than anyone else, invested your time in helping her learn how to live a new life. She told me it took her a long time to learn how to trust the other gems, but there was something about you that drew her in pretty fast."

Steven nodded and looked up to his father. "So I kinda ended up… leaving that imprint on her without realizing it. She was copying things I did even before we defeated her."

"That's why she sees you as the one who "created" who she is today," Greg assured. "She's definitely no clone of you, at least, but she has her moments of Steven-isms. So no, you're not her "mom" – but you were definitely her inspiration. You're the one who gave her a reason to keep living even after she lost so much, Steven. Don't ever forget that."

While Steven was compelled to hug his father (that was happily reciprocated), he couldn't help being bothered about why these statements felt so familiar; as if he heard them before…

Then he remembered the confrontation between the Peridot twins from hours ago.

By all rights, he should have come between the two the moment 5XF deliberately baited Peridot to shatter her. In his heart, he knew 5XF spoke the truth in that his presence alone would prevent Peridot from acting on her desires regardless of how powerful she was, but Steven couldn't help being disappointed in himself for not taking action sooner.

5XF outright declared that her life was forfeit and not worth living now that her worst fear was "confirmed" – of course, Steven knew she was referring to the banning of Sphalerite.

But only now did Steven come to realize 5XF's sentiments for Sphalerite were identical to Peridot's feelings for him.

While he could argue the legitimacy of the elder Peridot's statements (by virtue that her sentiments were founded on a lover she'd only known for a few days at best), the aura that emanated from 5XF's declaration was very powerful. Steven could only interpret this as 5XF earnestly believing in her own hyperbolic feelings.

And though Steven couldn't stomach going through most of Sphalerite's memories past a certain point, he had taken the time to review the events of how she and 5XF came together in the first place.

He tried to ignore it at first, but it was impossible to deny the disturbing amount of ways the infancy of 5XF's and Sphalerite's relationship paralleled his much more established (but still fast-paced) bond with Peridot.

It was actually a little deeper on their end; while Steven inadvertently learned much from Peridot as he taught her about Earth life (especially after she took on a leadership role and left a serious lasting impression on him after a certain conversation on a particular bridge on Homeworld…), his identity was well established prior to meeting the troubled technician.

Much of the changes Steven experienced as a result of Peridot's influence were very recent and still fresh in his memory.

However, 5XF was equally responsible for helping Sphalerite build her identity just as the fusion herself was integral for the refugee Peridot's eventual discovery of the gem she truly was – the gem that Homeworld society mercilessly suppressed for years.

Despite Steven's anger towards both parties for their actions, he couldn't help but be fascinated how a fusion who hadn't existed long enough to have an identity (thanks to her overly-excited immature components being more invested in what she could do versus who she was) managed to help a gem who had to entirely discard her old life just as her little sister did and revert to becoming a blank slate. Two gems with virtually no identity and very limited means to find themselves managed to overcome the odds – they achieved a vital goal in their respective lives, and they did so by working together.

It was a touching story once Steven managed to filter out what happened after that moment. By no means did he believe that excused their behavior, but he was able to understand now that despite the very rushed nature of the relationship (and inherently knowing fusions of the non-permanent variety basically lived on borrowed time every time they appeared), there was a solid foundation to it.

At last, it made sense to Steven why they fell in love. It even made sense why this relationship was ridiculously fast-paced and rushed.

But he still couldn't forgive either of them; Steven simply was not ready for that yet. And if Sphalerite was to never exist again, he doubted there ever would be peace between himself, 5XF, and Peridot. That much was completely understandable; for once, Steven could accept a gem having zero interest in befriending him.

Still, the hybrid could not shake the feelings of guilt brought on by the shared traits of his own relationship with Peridot. Her elder sister not only credited Sphalerite for "creating" her true self but could not make sense of life itself without her.

While she would have to learn how to have a life independent of Sphalerite even if the fusion hadn't been banned, Steven knew why he felt a certain unpleasant heaviness in his heart by going out of his way to keep the two separated.

But regardless of the dense pressure brought on by this guilt, Steven remained strong with his convictions.

"You don't need to keep holding everything down for my sake," Greg finally said, interrupting Steven's train of thought. "I can tell you've got a lot on your mind, Schtu-ball."

"I-I was just… thinking about some things," Steven nervously murmured. "5XF and Sphalerite… even though their relationship was so rushed, and I can't accept what they ended up doing, how they fell in love isn't that different from Peri and me, in the end. I know it sounds stupid that I feel bad for punishing a gem who deserves it, but…"

Greg smiled in return. "You're not being stupid, Steven: you're just a very compassionate soul, just like your mother. It's the burden you bear for caring for everyone and everything; you can't make everyone happy, and usually even the best decisions end up hurting someone down the line. Besides that, I feel like there's… other things you should probably be worrying about first…"

An uncertain Steven blinked in reaction to this before tilting his head in his father's direction. "Uh, I guess you're talking about Gypsum…"

Greg shook his head. "I mean the problems you and Peridot are having right now. And I really don't wanna bring up some of the other concerns I'm having now that you told me what those two did, but…"

Steven swore he felt all the blood drain away from his face as he realized what his father was trying to say.

"I, uh… I really wish I could say there's no need to worry about it," he uttered in a shaky tone. "I mean, I'd think even if it happened to Sphalerite, it would've been phased out of existence out once she defused."

"That's what makes sense to me," Greg agreed. "But the way gems are, you know… it usually doesn't fit the mold of what we on Earth think makes logical sense."

Steven reluctantly agreed with a slow nod. "Right. I'm the only case of a gem-human hybrid, so it's not like we have much else to go by. Peri and 5XF confirmed that there's never been a recorded case of a fusion getting pregnant, so we've got literally no frame of reference for how that's supposed to work."

"So you have talked about this," Greg acknowledged with intrigue. "I figured you've all just been hush-hush about this until now…"

"Me and Peri were pretty quick to ask about it after we realized what they did, actually," Steven uneasily explained. "Apparently, gems can naturally reproduce even though it's been illegal for most of Homeworld's history. The reasons gems can do it at all was basically the Diamonds' panic button in case some catastrophe wiped out a big chunk of their population all at once. It's happened before, so…"

"Huh, the more you know…" Greg muttered. "So, it's not just limited to your mom…"

Steven shrugged in response. "It's really hard to figure out where it differs with hybrids and fusions. Since Sphalerite is a hybrid and a fusion, that makes her a really unique case. And there's no telling what she's capable of with my powers and Peri's combined; for all we know, she could totally bend the rules of reality to keep whatever she conceived safe even if she defused. But I seriously can't imagine how she'd pull that off, Dad. Not without risking the…"

His voice died right there. Steven didn't want to finish that sentence.

"None of the other gems had any insight on this, I'm guessing?" Greg asked, now increasingly worried.

"N-no… I asked Garnet if defusing cancelled it out, but even she admitted there was no way to tell for sure," Steven reluctantly answered. "W-we haven't told anyone else about this yet; it's just gonna cause a lot of panic when we've got bigger things to worry about, and no one else is gonna know what to do anyway. I didn't want to worry you, Dad, but I thought… well, you deserve to know more than anyone, and unlike the gems, you've got a human perspective."

He blushed in embarrassment after a particular thought crossed his mind. "I mean, technically Connie's got that too and her mom's a doctor, but I really don't want to get into that with her. And I know you've all been avoiding doctors for me all my life, so there's no point banking on them to handle hybrids that'd be even less human than me, anyway…"

It legitimately surprised Greg that he and Garnet were the only ones who currently were made aware of the potential situation. There were so many unknown variables swarming this issue that no one could even begin to decipher – and with no frame of reference, a worst-case scenario would force all parties to blindly stumble along and pray they don't mess something up. It would be a perpetual case of walking on eggshells.

"I appreciate you trusting me with this kind of info," Greg softly commended. "And since I'm well-known for my discretion as a Crystal Gems therapist, you can trust me to keep this stuff to myself. But… Schtu-ball, I'm sorry: I can't just ignore this and hope for the best. You need to find a way to be sure you and Peridot aren't suffering the consequences of your fusion's mistake. Because… geez, I don't wanna say this, but these problems you've been having lately…"

"A-are you saying they're actual pregnancy symptoms?!" Steven cried out; deep down, he suspected it, but he never wanted to give any more credence to the theory.

Greg made sure to give his son a reassuring hug; the poor boy's body started to shiver at that point.

"I can't say for sure, Steven," he sadly admitted. "But while Rose carried you in her tummy, she did have a tendency to be even more forgetful than usual. I did plenty of research on the symptoms back in the day, and… memory loss is a legitimate pregnancy symptom. Especially early on."

The hybrid felt like he wanted to just drop dead in that moment, but Greg would not let him fall.

"Dad… I-I just can't believe it," Steven cried as he clung to his father. "It's not supposed to even happen to a guy like me! How the heck could I carry anything to term?!"

"You're the Diamond of Life now, aren't you?" Greg solemnly reminded his son, which made the latter feel ill. "If you can revive the dead with your tears and give life to produce with your spit, son… then…"

"Crap… n-no, I can't–!" Steven was at a loss for words, because his father was absolutely right. "A-and what about Peri?! If she's suffering the same symptoms as me at the same time…"

Greg nodded in agreement. "We need to find a way to get you both checked out so we can find out for sure what's really going on. Actually, that's not quite enough…"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Steven's eyes were bugged out; the young man was openly terrified to hear what else needed to be done.

But Greg was surprised to hear this from his son, of all people. "Steven, how could you forget?! It takes two to tango – I thought you already knew 5XF would need to be checked out, too!"

Just like that, Steven felt the air grow cold around him. Everything seemed to go dark; it almost felt as if his heart stopped when he finally realized something about himself that he could never accept.

Not once did Steven ask 5XF how she was doing after finding out what happened. It was only common sense that she was highly likely to be in the same boat as Steven and Peridot if the worst-case scenario turned out to be true for both parties.

In fact, since no fusion shenanigans were involved with 5XF, she stood a higher chance of being pregnant than any of them.

And yet, the entire time Steven and Peridot worried themselves sick over the potential ramifications of their fusion's actions, they both completely neglected the miserable refugee in the corner who was likely just as worried for her own well-being.

Miserable as Steven had been, at least he had support and a shoulder to cry on. 5XF, to his knowledge, was left to wallow in her misery alone over this. She no longer had a lover to be supported by. While she and Sphalerite were equally responsible for this disaster, poor 5XF had to bear the full brunt of the blame in Sphalerite's absence.

No matter how angry Steven was at her, he normally would have never let that cloud is judgment so badly to completely ignore the offending gem's arguably bigger problem. He wasn't the type to let his anger towards certain people affect his behavior to the point of utterly dismissing their own plights.

He was considerate enough to heal White Diamond's wounds after she attempted to murder his father… and successfully murdered Pumpkin.

Yet he couldn't be bothered to at least check in on 5XF to make sure her much-more-likely conception wasn't killing her.

"I-I… am a terrible person…"

"Steven!" Greg was quick to hug his son again. "No, you're not! Don't forget your fusion caused all this; not you! There was no way you and Peridot could have seen it ending up like this!"

While that much was true, Steven remained utterly morose.

"I-I need to talk to 5XF and apologize," he uttered. "I ignored her…"

Greg was shocked to hear his boy speaking in monotone. "Steven, I told you the memory issues are probably just a symptom…"

Steven shook his head, but his dead-eyed stare remained intact. "I took the time to heal White Diamond after she nearly killed you, Dad. She didn't deserve it, but I still gave her that care and attention. I did that, but I couldn't just ask 5XF if she needed any help. She's had to deal with this all alone…"

Now the elder man started to see the problem.

"Well, you can find her and settle that when you head home, okay?" Greg suggested, trying his hardest to remain positive. "Though knowing what I know now, I'm not sure you should be out and about walking… at least until we're sure what's going on with you and Peridot."

"I-I don't wanna inconvenience you, Dad," Steven muttered. "But I can see why you're not gonna take "no" for an answer…"

"You're darn right," Greg asserted. "I can't overstate how mad I'm gonna be if it turns out your fusion's making you two do her work, but… in the end, I guess since she's still half-you, then whatever hybrids she'd have would technically be… my grandkids…"

The former musician gulped at the thought.

"Now you see why I've been doing my best to not think about this," Steven sadly remarked. "Between Gypsum and Era 3, the last thing we need right now is… this."

"Steven, I'm not even kidding: if either you or Peridot end up expecting, I don't want either of you going out to battle – especially in the heart of the Sahara!" Greg mandated in a strict tone he very rarely utilized. "Same goes for 5XF. Even if this is a really bad time for babies, that's no excuse to put their lives at risk on top of your own!"

It seemed inevitable that it would come to this… that was another reason why Steven didn't like dwelling on this subject.

"5XF has to be there, Dad," Steven softly told him. "She has the crystal that's got Gypsum's conscious mind inside. And considering she's able to corrupt gems internally, it might be all the more reason to get that mission over with as soon as possible to get that crystal out of her!"

"What, is there really no other way to force it out?!" the exasperated Greg inquired.

To his chagrin, Steven nodded. "5XF agreed to a binding contract with Gypsum; that crystal's not gonna come out until we poof that corrupted gem."

A certain word horrified Greg just then.

"Uh, Steven… not to worry you even more, but say if Peridot or her sister were pregnant…" Greg cringed as he forced himself to finish his thought. "And either of them gets poofed. What happens to…?"

"… I seriously don't wanna find out," an equally terrified Steven muttered. "Geez… we really need to find a way to confirm this."

Greg carefully thought over their options. "It'd be hard to get our hands on one, but an ultrasound is a reliable method… honestly, Steven, I was thinking you of all people would know, considering the nature of your power."

Steven was the Diamond of Life, after all. Would he really be living up to that role if he couldn't detect the presence of new life in his own body?

"I've never really thought about using my power like that before," Steven numbly admitted. "I figured it'd be obvious right away if another living being was growing inside of me, but…"

"Hm…. These would be the first hybrids since you came around," Greg mused. "And a different kind of hybrid, on top of that. They'd be what, a quarter-human?"

"Just an eighth, actually," Steven corrected. "Any fusion between me and a gem is gonna be a quarter-human. Since these would be Sphalerite's kids and not mine and Peridot's…"

Greg sighed and looked wearily up at the ceiling. "I keep forgetting that. What a mess…"

"If there's anything to find; they might not be developed enough to have their own aura," the hybrid mused. "Or they could just be dormant stones since they're just barely human to begin with. In any case, if me and Peri are carrying anything, it's Sphalerite's doing and there's no telling what she could have done to make it impossible for me to detect them. Because I'm not sensing anything right now…"

"What about other symptoms?" Greg suggested. "Or is it just lapses in your memory that you and Peridot are dealing with?"

As Steven pondered on that, sudden thoughts of events that happened previously or very familiar phrases flashed through his mind…

"I'll take one of each kind of the Off-Color Donuts."

"That's a friggin' truckload, even for you!"

"Uh…" Steven winced as certain scenes he didn't recall suddenly flooded into his subconscious mind.

"W-we parted ways after she expressed a desire to stop by that "pizza" place. The aroma was much more lovely than I remembered it being, b-but I honestly should resist any temptation to eat as much as I can."

"Peridot, I know you're not much of an eater, but I think now's a perfect time to ease that habit into your routine."

It felt so real, even if the dialogue was very unnatural and awkward. But then Steven remembered what his idealized girlfriend in his dream mentioned…

"I assure you, what I'm about to say is no exaggeration: you feel at least twenty pounds heavier since our last, er… liaison."

"Steven…?" Greg could tell his son was experiencing some kind of discomfort.

"Um, there might be some others," Steven reluctantly said. "I really wanted to think it was just because I wasn't able to eat the entire time I was stuck as Sphalerite during the last half of the vacation, but I've had one voracious appetite today. A-and I can't say for sure, but I think Peridot might be getting cravings… a-at least, she's implying that she might want to start eating… I think."

"Hm…" Greg nodded. "That's a typical symptom, but like you said, it could just be a coincidence. That's a long time to go without food…"

"I-I should find a scale and weigh myself, too," Steven added. "If there are living things inside me, I should be way heavier than normal."

Greg agreed with this as well, but remained uncertain. "Except I haven't ever picked you up or weighed you since you grew into that new body, so I've got no frame of reference for what's "normal" for you now. Still, if a scale says you're grossly overweight when you're clearly not…"

Steven nodded; as open as he'd been with his father, he was not comfortable admitting that idea came from him aggressively squashing his idealized girlfriend into a flower mattress.

"How about moodswings?" the single parent suggested. "That was definitely a symptom that plagued your mother… and me, by extension."

Greg couldn't help but sigh both in fondness for those times, as well as relief for how glad he was that part of his life was over.

"Yeah, Peri, what I totally want to hear right now is some half-assed apology you don't really mean because I know those were your real feelings about your sister. Tell you what: prove you're sorry by doing what I tell you to do without asking any more stupid questions."

"Steven… why are you acting like this…?"

"It's called a moodswing; something you can't get on my case about, 'cause you're no less guilty of it. What do you think your little tantrum this morning was?"

It sent a chill down Steven's spine to hear those words echo in his head. He couldn't believe he ever spoke so coldly to a clearly-imperiled Peridot. He wondered if, perhaps, that was a reason why he couldn't remember when this exchange occurred. He certainly wasn't that antagonistic towards Peridot during her brief stay in Funland earlier.

"I'd… say Peri had a pretty big one this morning," Steven numbly confirmed. "And I don't know why, but I'm starting to remember parts of conversations with her that I don't remember having before. I don't wanna believe they actually happened, because if they did, then I've been a huge jerk to her today…"

Greg suddenly bore a very stern expression towards his son.

"I-it's not like I meant to… I-I think…" Steven honestly couldn't tell up from down at this point, and it quickly distressed him. "You know that's not really me, Dad…"

"I'm getting a feeling I'm really meeting you for the first time."

Greg's tone was surprisingly dark and serious all of a sudden.

"D-Dad? What're you–?"

"That's the same eye you wouldn't open when you first got here."

Steven froze, as he immediately knew what his father implied.

"L-Look, the pink eye thing isn't that big a deal!" he weakly argued. "I swear it's just Mom's way of saying hi; it's definitely not a telltale sign of Sphalerite taking over this body!"

Steven's hands covered his mouth immediately, but it was too late.

Greg's stern features faltered into weary exasperation for a moment. "For crying out loud! That was a shot in the dark and I was praying you'd call my bluff – not prove me right!"

After a brief instance of the true Steven's abject horror, he began to look sour as a new host suppressed the boy's consciousness.

"Should've figured I'd be no better at this than my components… I'm getting sloppy."

Even though he had caught Sphalerite red-handed, Greg was at a loss for what to do from here. All he knew was that he needed answers, desperately.

"Okay, enough games!" he urged. "If you've been listening to this conversation at all, you should know this is no time to mess around with my son just because you can!"

"Oh, I know that far better than either of you," Sphalerite-Steven grimly assured. "And don't bother asking me how I'm pulling this off: I may suck at lying, but I'm not stupid enough to give you any ammunition to use in potentially expelling me."

"Right now, I don't really care about the how!" Greg angrily declared. "It'll fly right over my head, anyway. I wanna know why!"

Sphalerite-Steven's eyes narrowed at the man. "At first, it was for their safety. But now that my components are dead-set on preventing my existence, it's doubled as a means to teach them a lesson."

"Sphalerite, enough with the pronoun game!" the heavily agitated Greg cried out. "Whose safety are you talking about?!"

While it was highly tempting for the fractured fusion to simply erase Greg's memories here and now (and given that they were isolated, this was the perfect opportunity to do so) to avoid this conversation, Sphalerite-Steven could not bring himself to handle this the way his other half had with Amethyst.

Though he couldn't be poofed, it still would have been a simple task for Sphalerite-Steven to tamper with his memories after knocking him unconscious. However, Steven's earlier curiosities about how Sphalerite would regard Greg Universe were quite astute.

In a way, despite Sphalerite being her own gem, she couldn't completely disregard the gems who were vital in her creation. In turn, Greg himself was just as vital a component for Steven's very existence. Added with the bond developed between Peridot and Greg that gave the former a father-figure she never had before, Sphalerite was unable to disregard this man and treat him like a stranger.

And Greg was correct: biologically speaking, any offspring from her would be loosely related to him; no less so than if Steven and Peridot produced offspring.

However, what held back Sphalerite's urges the most was quite simple: she was no less ignorant of how to handle herself in this particular situation than anyone else. While she knew a great deal more of what was really going on, this was still an unprecedented event where Sphalerite had no way of knowing how to properly take care of herself. Much as she tried to tell herself she could manage well enough on her own, the fusion finally took a good, long look at herself and the horrendous mess she caused.

It probably helped that this part of Sphalerite was in Steven's body; the part of her residing in Peridot would no doubt passively adopt her extremely stubborn and egotistical delusions that she didn't need anyone's help. However, within Steven's humble self, the fusion felt her component's urge to stop and reevaluate the situation. In the presence of Greg, along with actively being faced with the issue of pregnancy for the first time, Sphalerite-Steven felt a strong urge to seek help from others.

Combined with perceiving Greg as something of a father-figure Sphalerite felt a desperate need for, the fusion ultimately decided to be forward and honest with the man… without resorting to drastic measures to keep him quiet.

This was more than simply seeking a father's advice, after all: Sphalerite finally admitted to herself that she needed to stop shouldering this burden alone and pretending she had this situation completely under control. It was not only risking her own health (and her components' by proxy), but she was ashamed to realize this late in the game that 5XF had been almost entirely ignored as well.

"You said you were good about being discrete," Sphalerite-Steven numbly pointed out. "So, until the time is right… I'd really appreciate keeping what I'm about to tell you to yourself, okay?"

While he honestly felt this was no matter to be secretive about, Greg reluctantly nodded in response to the request. "I can do that… so long as I can trust you to know better than me when that "right time" is. Because there's no excuse for you covering this up the way you have been."

Sphalerite-Steven was highly tempted to tell Greg he didn't know the half of it, given what she'd already done today to cover her tracks… but they had stalled enough. And it would only strengthen the growing animosity between the two, which would make it all the harder for this pair to truly cooperate. It was time to come forward.

"I know… I've been awful about this," Sphalerite-Steven admitted. "So… try your best to stay seated, okay? This is pretty heavy stuff I've been withholding."

Greg looked down at the two pillows resting on his lap. "Well, at least I'm prepared for this."

"All three of us are currently pregnant: Steven and Peridot are surrogates, carrying five gemling hybrids respectively while 5XF is carrying at least twice as many on her own; possibly more. Since they've only been conceived a couple of days ago, it isn't physically apparent since they're just beginning to develop. However if the rate the geodes are growing remains consistent, we'll all be showing within a week or two…"

Given the way this conversation had been going, Greg knew deep down his worst fears would be confirmed. He did not, however, anticipate his poor son and girlfriend to be burdened with far more than one lifeform growing within them. He nearly slid off his chair as the shock settled in, but caught himself before entirely falling off.

"H-holy cow… you're both carrying quintuplets?!" It was horrifying for Greg to acknowledge this. "A-and you're saying the other Peridot's dealing with even more than that?!"

"It's more accurate to say mine are decuplets split between my components," Sphalerite-Steven corrected. "And I haven't had enough time alone with 5XF to quantify how many she's carrying, but I'm feeling a lot of unique aura signatures within her. Steven can't sense them on his own because I've been using the majority of my power to shield them from outside influences. It's similar to how gemstones can be put in stasis within a bubble, only my "bubbles" still facilitate the geodes' growth from within so that they don't stagnate."

More and more, Greg dreaded ever demanding to hear the truth: he did not feel ready to handle it at all.

"I can't wrap my head around this: you actually made Steven and Peridot suffer for your mistake," he said in sheer disbelief. "Are you honestly expecting them to go through the whole "virgin birth" thing?!"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," Sphalerite-Steven glumly admitted. "But I had to do this: I didn't want to take a chance on my babies being zapped out of existence once I defused if I did nothing to protect them! If there was a way to preserve them without making Steven and Peridot surrogate parents, I would've done it! But this is new territory for everyone, okay?!"

"That doesn't make it right to force Steven and Peridot to live with the consequences of your actions!" Greg asserted. "Have you forgotten they're just kids themselves?! Didn't you think that you're probably putting their lives in danger with this stunt of yours?!"

Sphalerite-Steven shot a fierce glare at Greg just then. "Are you implying I should just let my children die?! Because that's the last thing I'd ever expect to hear a father say!"

The implication deeply stung for Greg; if he was being honest with himself, he'd prefer these children not to exist period. Even if the Crystal Gems didn't have so many long-term commitments ahead of them, he would still rightfully believe his son and Peridot were light-years away from being ready for parenthood – even indirectly.

It was hard enough for him to be powerless to save them from their overwhelming destinies as Era's 3 leading figures when it was painfully obvious that neither of them were truly ready for it. Greg couldn't stand having to be little more than a subpar means of support for Steven and Peridot's inevitable struggles in their future roles; both had just survived nearly every conceivable form of hell one could live through in a very short amount of time.

Not only had Steven and Peridot suffered multiple accounts of scar-inducing trauma in the form of torture, fear, anxiety, rage, and hopelessness (just to name a few), the pair would bear the brunt of the pain inherent with running Era 3 on Earth, which was basically a life-long commitment. The millions of refugees they were tasked to care for wouldn't care about what all they suffered through just to ensure they'd have the opportunity to continue living after Homeworld's destruction – it was a sad fact of life that bothered Greg endlessly.

Although he was a Crystal Gem now, Greg barely had a role in Era 3. Granted, he was saddled with outside commitments that greatly impeded his ability to be readily available, but the man still felt like he should be doing more for these gems that he played a role in rescuing from their dying planet. If it could ease Steven and Peridot's burdens even slightly, he would more than happily risk his own health and take on more than he could handle.

But sadly, that was not the example he should be setting for his overworked son. Greg just lectured Steven on the importance of not putting too much on his plate a few minutes ago, after all.

While Sphalerite-Steven was understandably looking furious with the man, Greg had no intention of giving her too much leeway.

"Sphalerite… I'd never ask that of you," Greg calmly assured. "I wouldn't ask that of anyone. But… be honest with me here: did you seriously mean to have kids? This early on?"

"I feel like any answer I give will piss you off," Sphalerite-Steven grumbled. "If I didn't mean to conceive, then I'm just reckless and irresponsible, as well as being horrible for making my components suffer for my "mistakes"."

Greg frowned at the fusion. "Oh, I can think you're all of those things even if you meant to have kids. And honestly, I think you did do this on purpose, knowing full well you'd end up getting yourself and 5XF pregnant."

Sphalerite-Steven immediately recoiled while glaring back at the older man. "A-and what makes you so sure about something like that?!"

"Well, I admit I can't speak for your partner," Greg admitted. "But you're acting like someone who was banking on this outcome: I've known a lot of people over the years who've dealt with having kids when they least expected to, and they've had to completely rearrange their lives and make a lot of sacrifices they weren't ready to go through. The look on Steven's face when we talked about this matches up with a parent who's not ready yet to be a parent: but you…"

The partial fusion grimaced; it was a foregone conclusion that the single father would know these tells by heart, and there was nothing he could do to throw the man off.

"You've been busy," Greg pointed out. "And most people in your shoes wouldn't be so sure whether or not they'd want to keep a baby they weren't prepared to raise. But you've been going out of your way to make sure those kids of yours stay perfectly protected as best you know how, since this whole situation is something that's never happened before. There's no guidelines to follow for your specific kind of pregnancy: you're just lucky enough to have the power to manipulate the world around you to accommodate for events like this. But someone who didn't plan for kids would at least look a little guilty for forcing two innocent people to become your surrogates!"

The temptation to forcibly shut the old man up burned at this point. But in her fractured state while devoting so much of her power to keep her young protected, Sphalerite couldn't resist her component's influence nearly as well as she could in her full form. Steven's consciousness had been thrown into a familiar dark room since Sphalerite fully took over, but since he knew who was left to deal with the rebellious fusion in his absence, the young man was determined do whatever he could to keep Sphalerite from hurting his father.

So while Sphalerite-Steven was backed into a corner, he could not bring himself to lash out in retaliation.

"Y-you seriously think those two are that innocent?!" he cried out. "You wouldn't be so sure about that if you knew what kind of filth they've dreamed about doing to each other!"

"Come on, how much of my talk with Steven did you really listen to?" Greg asked with an incredulous glance. "He's already admitted that much to me, Sphalerite! And I'll tell you what I told him: that's normal for his age!"

"He and Peridot wanted to make sure I never exist again before they knew about this!" Sphalerite-Steven hollered, seething with rage. "How good-hearted can either of them be if they're gonna sentence a fusion to purgatory after one little mistake?!"

Greg wasn't buying into this at all. "Well, first of all, this is far from a little mistake: what you did is going to have lifelong consequences for both of them. They're both scared out of their minds, and they should be! If this happened to me, I'd be losing my freakin' mind, Sphalerite! Even if they got lucky and you didn't conceive, they'd be scarred for life knowing you used their bodies the way you did!"

"I'm not arguing that what I did wasn't a bad thing," Sphalerite-Steven insisted. "But I don't think it warrants the fusion equivalent of a death sentence! You keep forgetting that it's not just me who'd suffer from that: 5XF would be devastated if she could never see me again! Do you have any idea how impossible it'll be for her to raise so many kids without me there to help?!"

"Oh, I've got a real good idea what that kind of life is like," Greg countered with a very grim tone. "And yeah, plenty of times it felt impossible. But just because she wouldn't have you doesn't mean she'll be all alone."

The fusion was shocked with disbelief at having forgotten something Steven himself knew all too well: Greg didn't have Rose by his side after Steven was born. Even worse, the Crystal Gems further complicated the incident. Certain members were dead-set on Greg having nothing to do with his own son – and Greg was certainly not behind the idea of his only son being largely left in the hands of a trio of gems who were even more ignorant than himself when it came to knowing how to take care of a baby. However, the two sides had to meet halfway in the end: Greg was clueless how to handle a partial gem just as Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst were unable to comprehend the needs of Steven's human side.

In the end, both sides needed to work together to ensure Steven's survival. While neither side was by any means perfect in how they ultimately raised Steven, it was miraculous that he managed survive as long as he had. The fences were just recently mended between Greg and the Crystal Gems after Peridot declared him to be an official part of the group.

"But I want to make something clear, Sphalerite," Greg sternly dictated. "Unless I know for sure one parent is gonna be dangerous for their baby's health, I'm not going to split up a family. You need to prove to me that you can be responsible: as a fellow parent, I respect that you've done this much to keep your babies safe. But also as a fellow parent, know that I can't let you put my son's life in danger over this. Same goes for Peridot: they aren't ready to be surrogates, but you're making them both suffer the consequences of your actions anyway. And you know full well what you did wasn't a mistake, Sphalerite."

"I'd be more than happy to suffer these consequences," Sphalerite-Steven explained. "But unless I directly take control of my components, it's not up to me whether or not that happens. Even if Steven and Peridot figure this out, they won't fuse just because of that. Those stubborn idiots would rather suffer through this than give me the satisfaction of existing again!"

"That's why you did this on purpose, isn't it?" Greg accused, trying to hide how horrified he felt to finally realize this. "You knew your time was always gonna be limited because of what you are: I'm guessing you love 5XF enough to actually go this far. You knew Steven and Peridot would never agree to be a perma-fusion like Garnet. And you knew even if they wanted to, they couldn't because of their Era 3 duties."

Sphalerite-Steven's hands balled into fists as he tried to control his rage. The fusion's misguided desires for fatherly advice backfired very harshly: while Greg was a very mellow, easy-going man with the open-mindedness and patience most kids would kill for their own parents to have, even he had his limits.

Because of his lax and unassuming nature, Sphalerite erroneously assumed Greg would just dole out the sought-after fatherly advice and ultimately serve nothing more than a passive, supportive role just as he performed as a Crystal Gems teammate.

However, the fusion made a grave mistake underestimating the former rockstar.

"There was only one way you could get any leverage in being a perma-fusion," Greg darkly pointed out. "If you got pregnant, you'd have to stick around for a long time. By holding your own kids hostage, you could keep Steven and Peridot fused for a long, long time. At least, that's what you thought at the time… but for whatever reason, you ended up defusing last night."

While the maternal part of Sphalerite continued to feel no remorse for her actions, being within the guilt-prone Steven forced the partial fusion to spill tears. Sphalerite-Steven's gaze moved to the floor as Greg rightfully pointed out exactly what made the fusion so diabolical in nature.

"I'll reserve judgment on how much 5XF should be blamed for that motivation," Greg offered. "Because her ending up pregnant wouldn't be enough justification to keep you around unlike your case; I actually believe you two really love each other. But I've got no way of knowing how 5XF feels about any of this or if she's in on the plan at all…"

"She isn't," Sphalerite-Steven quickly insisted; his watery eyes shining to highlight his desperation. "I'm sure she knows she's pregnant, but only by virtue of common sense: Peridots by nature are far better carriers than seeders, and we were doing this for the better part of two consecutive days. I've given her strong hints that I'm carrying her children, but she has no idea that Steven and Peridot are acting as surrogates."

"Are you worried she's not going to approve of what you did?" a concerned Greg inquired. "I imagine most partners wouldn't be okay with that, but I barely know this gem… heck, even after all this, I still feel like I barely know you, Sphalerite!"

The partial fusion flinched at this piercing question. Especially now that 5XF's world was finally expanding as she started to let other gems into her life, Sphalerite did worry that even her beloved partner would find her actions despicable regardless of her motivation.

"Y-you need to remember that 5XF is still new to this way of life," Sphalerite-Steven weakly replied. "I'm the one who convinced her to embrace her ability to make her own decisions and be herself – something Steven and Peridot failed to do. W-we haven't been together long, but we've become integral parts of each others' identity."

He wiped away his tears before continuing, "That being said, now that 5XF is expanding her horizons and will eventually find her purpose on this world that doesn't rely on my existence… yes, I fear she won't take it well when I tell her how I'm really pulling this off."

"And how about 5XF's own health?" Greg asked in a softer tone. "You said she's carrying a lot of little babies, didn't you? H-how normal is that for a gem?"

Sphalerite-Steven looked increasingly miserable as he shook his head. "I have no idea! It's been illegal for gems to reproduce for hundreds of thousands of years; Mom is the only case we know of–…"

The partial fusion's sentence died off as the boy was overcome with shock. While Sphalerite sought for a father-figure in Greg (and now deeply regretted it), she didn't expect to even subconsciously regard Pink Diamond or her better-known alter-ego as her mother. However, it made just as much sense as seeing Greg as a father…

"Steven…?" Greg too was surprised to hear the fusion speak more like his son. "Steven, are you back?"

Sphalerite-Steven's eyes squinted shut as he grunted and tried to stabilize himself mentally. Steven's mentality was indeed seeping into her own much more easily than anticipated. While Sphalerite didn't plan on remaining active past this conversation, she needed to maintain control for just a while longer.

"It's… it's easier for him to fight my influence when I'm fragmented," Sphalerite-Steven shakily explained; he opened his eyes to reveal the left remained pink, though it seemed to be more of a subdued shade now. "I-I promise I'll let him come back soon, but he can't give you the answers you need…"

The fractured fusion seemed unsure how to even directly address Greg; it felt equally awkward to be on a first-name basis with the man as it did to straight-up call him "Dad".

"I guess you've got a point," Greg conceded. "Because I gotta tell you something: a human being pregnant with that many babies is almost unheard of. I've been told Peridots are durable, but I can't help but feel like it's gonna be really dangerous for any gem to deliver that many babies at once. Especially if they're not really built to handle that kinda weight. And while I haven't seen 5XF, I imagine she can't be that different from the tiny little Peridot I know…"

Sphalerite-Steven bowed his head in shame. "Y-yeah; she's basically the same size as Peridot before she ascended. No matter how durable she is, it's gonna be a nightmare for her to carry all those gems to term. I tried to give them the same protection that Steven and Peridot's share have, but my power's spread pretty thin like this – and since 5XF isn't a component, it's harder for me to constantly exert my will on her while doing the same to Steven and Peridot. You have no idea how much energy it takes to keep this up…"

Something clicked with Greg just then. "I-is that why Steven and Peridot are passing out and losing their memory?"

"It's largely my fault, yes," Sphalerite-Steven bitterly admitted. "But like you said, it's also a symptom of pregnancy. If I was fused properly, this would be much less of a hassle. I could focus more of my efforts on keeping 5XF healthy if I didn't have to constantly micromanage my components…"

Greg's eyes narrowed at that statement. "So, it's another convenient excuse for you to stay fused as long as possible: not only are you putting your own kids on the line over this, but you're doing the exact same thing to the gem you love more than anything!"

Just like that, Sphalerite-Steven reached an epiphany in the worst possible way: he stared into nothingness with his eyes wide open as his mind slowly processed the scathing truth.

"Sphalerite, I'm getting the impression a lot of your plan hinged on you staying fused," a suspicious Greg added. "So what happened? It looks like that fell apart almost right away."

Sphalerite-Steven shook his head; eyes still glazed over as he numbly spoke. "When I came back home last night… I honestly thought Steven and Peridot were still asleep. But then I started having trouble remembering things: Garnet told me that my components had been awake for hours and they've been trapped within me. I couldn't hear them any more than they could hear me. The only way they could communicate with me was to completely cut off my ability to access their memories, leaving me with what little I knew about anything on my own."

Greg thought over what Steven had told him earlier; this indeed matched up with his own testimony.

"Right… Steven said the only way he and Peridot could make their voices heard was to boycott you," he recalled. "So in that condition, I guess your hands were tied."

Sphalerite-Steven nodded. "I actually felt awful that I ended up putting them through that; I had no idea they had been conscious and trapped inside me, let alone for at least ten hours. This happened before they agreed to never fuse again, s-so… I suppose that incident factored into it. B-but I swear I didn't mean to keep them prisoner like that!"

"I believe you," Greg assured, though his tone didn't come off as reassuring in the least. "You really didn't think this through, huh? You wanted to stay fused as long as possible, but you didn't stop to think that no matter how long Steven and Peridot were asleep in you, eventually they were gonna wake up and want out!"

Fresh tears spilled from the partial fusion's eyes. "I was stupid enough to hope that maybe they'd know I was pregnant, and… just know that for the greater good, they should stay fused. But I underestimated just how much I kept them both in the dark, even when they were still fused…"

Unsurprisingly, this revelation really didn't endear Greg to the fusion as much as the latter hoped.

"You were hoping to guilt them into staying fused," he pointed out. "Instead, you felt guilty for going too far: they couldn't agree to something they didn't know about, and the fact that they've been trapped for hours while you ignored them… oh, not to mention you couldn't stay fused anyway since they sabotaged your ability to think straight…"

"Okay, I get it! I'm a horrible, awful person!" Sphalerite-Steven cried out. "I'm selfish and short-sighted: I'm owning up to that! Are you happy now?!"

Greg, however, was far from happy. "How can you even say that?! You schemed to keep my son and Peridot locked inside you forever by using your own kids as leverage, Sphalerite! And when you didn't get your way, you forced them to carry your burden and you're still going out of your way to control them every chance you get! The only way you can live with your own consequences is by having Steven and Peridot fuse, which was your goal this entire time!"

Sphalerite-Steven was at a loss for words, because his would-be father-figure was absolutely right. Everything Sphalerite did was through the motivation of selfish desires.

She was thoughtlessly gambling the lives of her own children, as well as 5XF and her own unborn gemlings.

And when Steven and Peridot vowed to never fuse again, Sphalerite didn't hesitate to retaliate by any means necessary. While she was partially driven by maternal instinct, she was also vindictive. She was by far the dirtiest player of this game.

"I'm glad you're finally taking the time to reflect on just how awful you are!" Greg remarked. "Sphalerite, it's time to end this war you're waging on the people you couldn't exist without! This isn't just about you and the gem you love anymore, if you haven't noticed! You need to make sure 5XF stays healthy – the same goes for the rest of you! Do you have any idea what all this stress can do to unborn babies, Sphalerite?! Do you even realize that miscarriages are a thing?!"

Now that Sphalerite-Steven really thought about it, he was surprised none of them had miscarried already after the abundant loads of stress and trauma all three of them had endured today.

"I… I can make Steven forget this," Sphalerite-Steven offered in a shaky tone. "I can… spare him this pain just a little while longer… m-my other half can do that for Perid–"

"This is not something you can keep putting off, Sphalerite!" Greg screamed out with rage. "Listen: I'm holding up my end of the bargain. Outside of Garnet, Peridot, and 5XF, I'm not gonna say a word about this to anybody. One thing you're right about is that it won't help anything to tell the other gems when they'll have no idea what to do while you all have major things going on. They're all gonna need to know eventually, but right now we need to make a real plan for all of you. We have to decide what's the best way to go about this… and which form you should take."

Sphalerite-Steven was little more than a slumped-over heap of misery now; he couldn't justify his own actions… and he soon remembered the reason why he hadn't simply erased Greg's memories in the first place: this matter was beyond the fusion's means alone.

"It's a rough decision, isn't it?" he sorrowfully pointed out. "Either you keep Steven and Peridot out and make them suffer being virgin surrogates… or you let my full self resume my duties at the cost of Steven and Peridot's ability to exist as separate individuals for several months."

"Don't remind me," Greg mumbled as he openly wept at the thought of this very sadistic crossroad.

"We need to get rid of Gypsum as soon as possible, too," the gloomy fractured fusion added. "Until 5XF is liberated from that crystal, I won't be able to rest – her geodes are highly susceptible to internal corruption… b-but we have to confront Gypsum directly in order to remove the crystal. She has to be with us when we take her down. As will your son and Peridot."

Greg continued to be firmly against this idea. "Nuh-uh! No! Unacceptable! You are not taking your kids out in an environment like that!"

"Dad, I'm already protecting my kids with a barrier that even a Diamond's power can't even sense, let alone penetrate!" Sphalerite-Steven barked back… and was promptly shocked that he ended up referring to Greg as a father after all. "You seriously think with all the crazy crap I've been pulling off with my abilities that I can't keep the babies safe?!"

"Are you seriously telling me you have to be part of this in your condition?!" Greg argued back. "You can't just wait until your kids are born and then take down the gem halfway across the world?!"

Sphalerite-Steven glared at Greg intensely. "I told you already: 5XF is stuck with Gypsum's crystal until we defeat her! Her own babies are sharing a space with that thing! She's in a bad enough position as it is with how many she's carrying, Dad – I'm not gonna just sit here and pray that nothing happens! I'm gonna be proactive and make sure Gypsum doesn't do anything to 5XF or her babies! Wouldn't you do the same?!"

While Sphalerite proved to be rather underhanded, Greg couldn't deny one thing: the fusion did earnestly care for her offspring as well as 5XF's.

"Fine," Greg relented, though he was clearly uncomfortable giving in to this. "I'm holding you responsible if anything happens to them, Sphalerite. Heck, you're pretty much responsible for all of this, anyway. Even if you take care of that corrupted gem, there's still Era 3…"

"We'll need to consult with Garnet about that," Sphalerite-Steven admitted. "I… think I proved that trying to work this out on my own is just gonna make a bigger mess."

"You think?!" Greg was surprised he hadn't succumbed to cardiac arrest at this point. He was not ready for this… but to be fair, no one would be ready to deal with an incident of this magnitude.

This massively uncomfortable conversation was put on hold by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Must be Vidalia," Greg figured, sounding utterly exhausted. "With your– well, Steven's clothes. I'm gonna take care of that. Sphalerite… I think we're done here."

Sphalerite-Steven looked a bit let down to hear that. "We are, huh…"

"For now," Greg amended. "Let Steven come back, and for Pete's sake, don't erase his memory again! You did this to him, and he deserves to know. If you really care about those kids he's carrying for you, you'd better let him know so he can start taking care of them."

As he made his way to the door, Greg shot a final stern glance back to the fusion possessing his son.

"You oughta know he'll at least do whatever he can to preserve a life… no matter how much it's ruining his."

Sphalerite-Steven was beside himself with grief. On top of that, the fractured fusion could feel Steven's soul actively fighting to regain control of his body, so Sphalerite was on borrowed time.

This was not the kind of result Sphalerite was hoping for by being open and honest with Greg. In many ways, she knew she probably deserved worse than what she got, but now she was overwhelmed. The man she looked to for fatherly advice was correct, but she remained shell-shocked by being forced to face the facts about herself.

Greg was absolutely right: Sphalerite was self-centered, self-serving, devious, underhanded, manipulative… she began to wonder if she truly had any good qualities to begin with.

She wanted to believe 5XF would shower her with proclamations of them, but in many ways, the fusion knew in her heart that she had used her own lover (as well as their children) as a tool to further her own agenda. Just the same as she used her own components and everyone who was unfortunate enough to get near her.

More than anything, Sphalerite could not forgive herself for dragging 5XF down to her level. While the refugee adamantly assured her love that she would gladly endure pregnancy if it came to that, 5XF obviously was not of sound mind when she made that proclamation. In the throes of passion, she'd agree to just about anything.

But neither of them anticipated just how excessive and dangerous such a risk could become. With complete disregard for the past and future during the time they made love, Sphalerite didn't once think how badly this would devastate Steven and Peridot's lives until it was too late.

Suddenly, their determination to never fuse again made so much more sense.

Unfortunately, Sphalerite knew that giving up on existing was not an option: she was not only accountable for 5XF's well-being, but countless unborn hybrids. Despite feeling like utter garbage and not even remotely worthy of the Crystal Gem alignment, she knew the last thing she needed to do was embrace just how evil she felt in this moment.

And yet, a terrible thought crossed her mind…

Sphalerite-Steven's entire body shivered before becoming still – and in seconds, his entire form shifted to appear as pink as his left eye.

"So I know how not to go about broaching this subject now… I… I could redo this, and–"

"Sphalerite, screwing with my mind is one thing. But if you mess with Dad's, I'm never forgiving that no matter how sorry you end up feeling about it later."

Sphalerite-Steven's vision suddenly went all-white as the form of the true Steven appeared before her.

"Steven–?! How are you even…?"

Steven steadily glared down at his counterpart.

"I'll just follow your example and not give away my trade secrets. Dad told you to let me take back control of my body, Sphalerite. If you go behind his back and erase his memory of this whole conversation, you're done. I know you think you're beyond redemption right now because you're finally realizing just how badly you screwed everyone over, but it's not too late to turn yourself around."

Sphalerite-Steven, angered by this, shapeshifted to properly resemble the fusion herself, albeit entirely pink-hued.

"Yeah, you're a great judge of character, aren't you?!" Sphalerite barked back. "Just like how you thought White Diamond could turn herself around… right before she nearly blew up every single one of you behind your back!"

"You're not even close to being in White Diamond's league, Sphalerite. Give me a break. You're just a fusion gone rogue, and that's on me and Peri. That much, I'll own up to. But now that we all know what's really going on here, we need to work together. Like you said before, this situation is bigger than us! Am I upset that you made me a surrogate for half of your kids? Of course I am! But I'm not gonna take it out on them, Sphalerite. Mom said all life is precious and worth protecting, remember? And what is more precious and needs protection than life that hasn't even had the chance to truly be alive yet, Sphalerite?"

Much to Sphalerite's chagrin, tears began to spill down her cheeks. "I used them, Steven… I used my own kids to function as waystones so that you and Peridot couldn't get rid of me! I was supposed to turn down 5XF when she first confessed her feelings, because I knew immediately that getting involved with her would only bring her pain down the road! And now look at what I did to her!"

"Oh, I agree you screwed up big time in every way possible. But so far, you haven't done anything you can't make amends for. Even with 5XF… I can't look down on you for following your heart, no matter how it ended up. We can make this work, Sphalerite. But you have to trust us. You need to stop pretending you can handle this on your own just because you're stupidly overpowered! You can't keep using your powers to make us forget every single time you slipped up just to cover your sorry butt! That's not fixing the problem!"

"What if Peridot was right?" Sphalerite asked him. "What if I shouldn't exist at all? Don't act like you disagree with her, Steven!"

"She didn't know what you've been trying to cover up all this time, you know. But I think it's high time we told her, Sphalerite. You're gonna need all the help you can get to pull yourself and 5XF through this, okay? I know me and Peri let you down before, so let's try and make up with each other, okay? I can't stand seeing one of my own fusions as an enemy… and no matter how low you feel, Sphalerite, you're not evil. Just take my hand, okay? I promise we're gonna fix this."

Steven extended his hand out to Sphalerite, who seemed frozen with indecision.

"Look, I get why you're hesitating, but if you stop and think about everyone besides yourself in your life, this shouldn't be a hard choice. You've been doing what you're doing for them, right?"

Sphalerite started to extend her hand to reach out and touch Steven's.

"You back to normal now, Schtu-ball? I've got some nice warm clothes ready to… what the–?!"

Severely startled, Sphalerite extended her other hand out towards Greg while looking in his direction with a scowl.

"What is–?! Sphalerite, is that what you really look like or something?! Where's Steven?!"

He truly hadn't seen any pictures of Sphalerite yet, so Greg was understandably on edge. The fact that she appeared to be charging an attack in his direction was also a valid reason for that feeling.

It also seemed Steven was only present in Sphalerite's mind, as Greg clearly couldn't see him and only saw the awkward image of the fusion extending her hand out into nothingness. And also in a conspicuous shade of pink, on top of that.

"Sphalerite, DON'T. He's just shocked. Don't you dare attack him!"

Sphalerite grimaced at Steven. "He's already made up his mind about me, Steven! He'd be happier if I never existed! What can I salvage from that?!"

Greg was naturally confused. "Steven isn't here… you're the only one who can bring him back, Sphalerite! I asked you nicely, so can I please have my son back?!"

"I'm not gonna say it again, Sphalerite: take my hand, and leave my dad alone! I know what you're thinking… and I know you can be better than this."

Could she, though? Sphalerite honestly wasn't sure anymore.

But now, the fusion herself was left at a crossroad.

With her right hand, she could join with Steven and work towards righting her wrongs, mending relations, and providing for her family. But also face the fact that she has been awful to nearly everyone around her and reveal herself as the wolf in sheep's clothing.

With her left hand, she could effectively start all over again, only this time know what to say and how to act. She could find a better way to solve her problems. Find a way to take care of everyone without the soul-crushing guilt burdening every moment of her existence.

Alternatively, just accept that Steven is once again blindly assuming all evil people can be good if they try hard enough. Sphalerite's vast and versatile powers were spread far and wide in an attempt to salvage that possibility… but perhaps it was time she cut her losses.

Black or white? Left or white?

Decisions, decisions.

[ NEXT PHASE: Lapis & Amethyst ]

Chapter Text

Crystal Gem Lapis Lazuli, a gem notorious for being regarded as drama incarnate, surprisingly had been enjoying a day with very minimal dramatics. What little she witnessed had almost nothing to do with her directly.

While Lapis took solace in that, she knew an ominous doom cloud made of drama loomed over her: the imminent talk she and Peridot were overdue to have.

As the terraformer enjoyed an aerial view of Beach City while keeping an eye out for a certain someone, a peculiar sight was spotted in the corner of her eye.

Lapis paused her flight and turned around to get a better look. While the day had largely been very beautiful, temperate, and sunny, a literal ominous storm cloud was on the horizon.

Beach City would soon become a very gloomy sight, not unlike a pair of drama-heavy situations in progress as Lapis flew across the settlement.

"Hmm…" Lapis blinked as she saw a flash – for a split-second, her eyes caught a bolt of lightning surge from the oncoming storm front. "Yeah, I'd better find Amethyst soon. I'm just asking to get poofed if I stay up here for much longer."

It was impossible for Lapis to not think of that embarrassing moment during a certain battle on Homeworld when she let her grief-induced blinding rage over losing Blue Diamond control her every thought and action. That temper of hers led to Lapis being the only gem to get poofed in said battle… by White Diamond, who shamelessly paraded about in Blue Diamond's lifeless body as she overwhelmed the ocean gem with merciless electrocution.

She grunted at the thought; it never did Lapis any good to dwell on the past for too long, so she made the effort to look forward. "It's hard enough trying to find her when I've got an aerial view, though. It'll be impossible to find her on foot…"

The ocean gem couldn't help but be reminded of her imminent appointment with her former roommate as the mass of dark clouds closed in. However, Lapis quickly shook off that feeling of dread that always came with this thought since 5XF informed her of what needed to be done. She didn't have time to mope over issues she had no control over.

"Guess this is a sign that I really do need to start branching out to the other gems," she muttered in resignation. "I have no idea where Amethyst likes to hang out and I can barely work a phone to save my life. Ugh… why did I ever think this would be a quick in-and-out?"

Lapis, like many of her fellow gems, very rarely had much of anything to do with Beach City itself. She was likely second only to Bismuth in how utterly alien this new home of hers still was after all this time.

Consequently, while Lapis came across many new and vaguely familiar faces during her search for Amethyst, she didn't linger in their presence long enough beyond offering a wave or a terse greeting. And the ocean gem rightly suspected she was going to have to start learning more about Beach City's citizens in order to be a proper instructor in Earth's iteration of Era 3.

But… one step at a time: that was always how Lapis approached new experiences. Even now, she could easily get overwhelmed and bail out on trying new things if too many tasks were thrown upon her all at once.

Thankfully, Lapis finally caught a break when she swept over Funland and spotted some familiar faces. Or rather, one familiar face and one highly conspicuous giant mallet in a familiar shade of purple.

"I forgot that wily quartz was a shapeshifting master," Lapis muttered, rolling her eyes. "No wonder I couldn't find her. Note to self: look for suspicious purple things the next time I look for this joker."

The terraformer made haste soaring down to gracefully land right beside her fellow gems on the spot. Until her feet hit the ground, neither gem even noticed the ocean gem had been observing them.

"Well, if it ain't our moody terraformin' meep-morper!" Bismuth greeted. "Not gonna lie: I'm surprised to see you here, Lapis!"

"Eh, to be fair, I'm surprised to see me here, too," Lapis played along with a smirk. "You look like you've been busy, Bismuth."

She was quick to turn her attention to the quartz she set out to find in the first place. "A-and… uh, nice to see you too, Amethyst. What's with the hammer look?"

"Laaaaa-haaaaps!" Amethyst hooted in celebration while maintaining her odd form. "Dang, is the world ending already? You, here in Funland?"

Lapis briefly took a gander over to the sky; the storm was well on its way, but it hadn't reached the city limits or even the beach house yet.

"Well, I guess it's possible the apocalypse is right around the corner," Lapis said in jest. "There's a pretty nasty storm headed right our way. Guess that means I heralded the End of Days – my bad, everybody."

All three gems shared a laugh at the terraformer's dry wit.

"Ah well, 'least we're here together to ride out the Rapture, or whatever y'all call that on Earth," Bismuth chuckled. "Anyway, you're right about the busy part, Lapis! And Ammy here is shaped like a mallet, not a hammer."

"Yeah, I'm tryin' to break this new strength machine Bismuth built because she busted up the old one," Amethyst explained. "But man, I can't even put a dent in this thing. Mr. Smiley owes you big time for this, Biz: if you're gonna make the whole park this sturdy, nothing's ever gonna break down again!"

Lapis was amused to hear of this new development. "Oh, so you've taken up a job, Bismuth?"

"More like a side-project whenever I'm not swamped with Era 3 work," Bismuth corrected with a wink. "I've been bombarded with ideas and inspiration since Steven took me here this morning; I just can't help myself!"

It genuinely pleased Lapis to see Bismuth adjusting so well to a new environment; many times, the blacksmith confided to her that she'd been nervous about fitting in with Beach City's residents in addition to adjusting with the overall progression of technology since her time.

"Well, congrats on the progress," Lapis commended. "I knew you'd be a perfect fit in a human environment, Bismuth. That infectious charm definitely isn't exclusive to gems."

"Ain't that right!" Amethyst concurred as she morphed back into her default form. "Everyone who's come around us wants to chat her up. I totally didn't think a day would come when some other gem out-does me in social skills!"

"Amethyst, I saw plenty of humans of all shapes an' sizes chattin' you up, too," Bismuth mischievously pointed out. "Did you forget you've been givin' me pointers on this subject since we crossed paths?"

Lapis felt something felt a little off about this picture… and in that moment, she immediately identified it. "Oh, uh… weren't you two being guided around by Steven and Peridot? I haven't caught sight of either one of them and I've flown over this whole city at least twice…"

"Oh, Steven's done more than enough for me today," Bismuth assured. "He remembered a while back that he hadn't seen or contacted Greg since he got home last night, so we decided to split. There's a lot for me to do here to keep busy without him."

"Me and Peri figured out my birthday hours ago," Amethyst casually confirmed. "Uh, I guess with you two, Earth's dating system or whatever might not be that relevant to you yet, but it's February 29th."

Lapis shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not sure I know what a "February" is. But… good job on the birthday, I guess…?"

"I'm sure once we settle in and have to adhere to a real schedule, we'll get very acquainted with this planet's calendar in no time at all," Bismuth confidently stated.

"Eh, you're definitely gonna be super familiar with it by the time my birthday rolls around," Amethyst muttered with complete certainty. "Because February's well over half a year away from now. Lots of time to plan, but man… that's a long wait."