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Peridot walked down the corridor of cells her head held high and expression emotionless. She looked calm and collected even though internally she was terrified. She stopped walking when she made it to the last cell in the hallway, the cell holding a certain blue haired gem. She’d disabled the camera for that cell before she left the control panel so she didn’t have to worry about Jasper spotting them. Lapis had her legs pulled up to her face and her face covered.
“Lapis.” Peridot said her name quietly like she was talking to an easily scared animal. Lapis looked up at her tears and fear in her eyes, Peridot hated the look and wished she could get rid of it. But she couldn’t all she could do was give some advice to the poor gem.
“Peridot.” Lapis replied moving closer to the cell wall, she reached her hand up to touch it but pulled her hand back again. She wanted to grab Peridot and have one more embrace but she couldn’t. Not now, maybe not ever again even.
“I-I just want to give you some advice.” this was hard for Peridot to say, she wanted to help Lapis true but that didn’t make what she had to say any easier. Lapis brushed some of her tears away with the back of her hand and nodded.
“I’m listening.”
“Please don’t fight them.” her voice had fallen quiet again almost to a whisper. Lapis seemed very confused by this request.
“What? Peridot how can you say something like that? This….. This is…. I-I have to fight them. They’ll kill me if I don’t.” Lapis replied sounding hurt
“No they won’t. They’ll kill you if you do fight, Lapis.” She’d seen it before, prisoners who tried to fight the gems over things like this. The gems weren’t nice, they weren’t good. They weren’t merciful. But maybe if Peridot pulled some strings, if Lapis didn’t fight maybe they could get out of this together.
Lapis narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. How could Peridot tell her not to fight them? Did she want Lapis to be a prisoner her entire life? “Why are you telling me this? What do you like me being a prisoner?” Anger began to raise in her “Or what do you want to see me dead?!” she snapped. Peridot gritted her teeth and couldn’t bring herself to look at Lapis. She was hurt, she was angry but most of all she was scared.
“I’m telling you this because I’m scared, ok?!” Lapis was caught off guard with this response and her anger dwindled down. She leaned a bit closer and noticed Peridot was crying.
“Peri…. I’m sorry.” Lapis apologized even going so far as to use the nickname she had given Peridot all those years back. Peridot tried to sniffle back tears
“It’s…. Just, listen to me Lapis. Do whatever they say. Don’t fight Jasper or any of the Homeworld gems or anyone.” Peridot finally sat down and copied the position she had found Lapis in. She pulled her legs up to her face in an effort to hide her tears. “I want to help you, Lapis. I really do and if you fight them. If you disobey anyone, then I can’t. There’s only so much I can do and right now it all seems so small and dismal. I’m scared. I’m really scared for you and I just want to help you.” Finally Peridot dared to look up and make eye contact with Lapis. Lapis looked completely heartbroken if it was about Peridot’s advice or her current position it was hard to tell. She looked over Peridot’s features looking for anything that might suggest that Peridot was lying but all her features seemed to hold the truth to them. So finally Lapis nodded
“Ok. I-I promise….. But if it doesn’t work…. I want you to know, I’m sorry…. I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” She apologized looking away to the ground. Her eyes darted meeting with Peridot’s she held her hand just above the shield block them. “I know I was gone for a long time but the entire time, I still loved Peri. I always have and I always will.” Peridot lifted her hand and held it in front of Lapis’s. It was the closest they could get but for now it was good enough.
“I love you too, Lapis.” she replied, she was afraid that this would be the last time she would ever get to say that to Lapis. But if it was out then that’s all that would matter, right?