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"Don’t trust them, Steven. Goodbye,” and she turns on the hard packed sand, salty water crashing up her ankles like living icicles before diving in, getting as far from those Crystal Gems she can get right in that moment.
Swimming was a sinch; Lapis now in her element with effortless strokes, feeling the ocean sway to and fro around and with her in her journey.
She was free. Finally out of that mirror, done following orders and being bossed around by those rebels.
In small bursts she would roll to her back and stare up where the moon shone on the surface above, letting out bubble-filled sighs that drew fish to swim closer, examining their reflections in her eyes, seeing them in the strange creatures’ own. This was when she’d roll back to shoot forward, brows furrowing into a scowl, reminded again why it took so long for her to get out. And even then, she’s not truly free.
Not until she can fix her gem to fly home, like that’s possible. She hasn’t heard of anything from Homeworld or what the Crystal Gems can offer to help her with that. And she doubts anything from Earth could assist with the predicament.
It just drives her to swim faster, further, deeper. She finally stopped when she couldn’t see her hand infront of her face and the water’s pressure was getting to her gem, threatening to fracture more. So she shoots up, feet kicking below her until she breaks the surface with a gasp, hair clinging to the back of her neck as she looked around before gazing up at the stars.
Homesickness clutched at the hollow of her chest with a cringe, trying with all her might to paddle higher, feeling the water morph around her, building up and up until she was standing on it like a platform. Only a few feet, but it doesn’t bring her any closer, the blue gem reaching up on her tip toes before almost stumbling and looking down at what she made with blank, wide eyes.
Then she gasps, as if struck with an idea, looking back and reaching towards the stars, eyes narrowing as the platform grew higher, wider, some fish swirling underneath.
And it continues, Lapis glancing down every once in awhile to see how much she’s left the surface, air getting colder and there still being miles and miles of blue helping her reach. She is almost hopeful. Maybe Earth has enough ocean to help her reach Home after all.
Eager to get back to what she’s missed for these countless millennia, she continues building her tower, disregarding what use the ocean may have for anyone else.
But the hope flickers away when, just out of reach of the stars and far from the Earth’s atmosphere, her tower ceased going up.
“Wh… what?” She pulls her hands up, as if demanding the water to go higher, and it doesn’t budge. After a second- third try, her hands flop to her sides with an impatient huff, walking with small splish splashes with each step to the edge, looking down to see sandy brown and green of Earth, much different than when she first saw it.
“It can’t possibly be out of water already?” She mumbles to herself at seeing that yes, it is out of water to use, causing her to deflate with a heavy sigh, sitting down in defeat to look soulfully up at the stars, feeling tears well up in her glassy gaze. This feels worse than being locked in that mirror. To just have the stars in her grasp. Home being a hop, skip and a step away, and to just not be able to get there.
Hours are spent up there, just watching, as if wondering what to do next. She’s so close that she can’t go back to Earth. She paces, jumps, reaches her arm back to flinch away at the jagged crack, tugging her hair in futile whimpers.
Why? Why why why WHY? She just wants to go HOME why is that such a loaded thing to ask for?
She was at the brink of getting a migraine when she started hearing voices-
“This is it, Lapis Lazuli is here.”
“I don’t understand! What does she want with the ocean?”
Oh no, it’s them.
Getting back on her feet, Lapis grinds her teeth together, limbs shaking with clenched fists. No. They can’t take her back. Put her back in a bubble. Tell her what to do. Keep her on Earth. No, she is going home, and they (and Steven, since he is one of them) can’t do anything to stop her.
“You shouldn’t be here!” she exclaims, the water tower quaking underneath her feet, carrying her voice miles and miles down.
The next voice is Steven, calling out to her in that authoritative tone; it just makes her sick. To think she would consider him a “friend”. He just cares about the Earth, and not Homeworld or other Gems. How could he? It seemed like he never saw another Gem who wasn’t a traitor before!
She just wants to be alone. Why can’t they just leave her alone?
Shapeshifting the water near the base of the tower to resemble herself, as if a puppet, Lapis gives off another warning: “Go. Away. Before I make you.”
He still tries, bringing up the time she spent together in the mirror, and even does the imitation of Steven screaming before almost getting hit by that truck. Beach Summer Fun buddies… It was probably one of the only times she felt included like an actual Gem while being in that mirror...
But he doesn’t get it! She just wants to be alone, go home. He can’t help her. They can’t help her.
It didn’t have to be this way.
“I said: leave me alone!”