Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Something was wrong.

They had won. The Homeworld Gems were routing. They had come outnumbering her forces by hundreds and hundreds of Gems. More soldiers, more equipment, more support. They had every advantage they could, and they had still lost.

Rose should be celebrating. The others WERE celebrating, cheering and throwing each other up in the air in delight as they watched their long-hated enemies run from them. The light cannons fired another volley, and she watched as two Homeworld ships fell to earth. Even the normally conflicted Malachite for once seemed united in their joy of victory.

She had won. After hundreds of years of war, after so much pain and loss, after all she had done…she had finally made it right. She had won.

But there was a terrible feeling that refused to leave her. Something was wrong. Exactly what, she wasn't sure…but she knew she was missing something.

"Whattsa matter Rosie?" Spinel asked cheerfully, springing over to her side.

Rose jumped in surprise, but quickly recovered. "Spinel…" She threw another look at the fleeing gems. How many were being left behind, their gems left in the dirt to be abandoned or reformed as their allies ran? How many would be trampled, cracked or even shattered in the retreat?

Spinel frowned, noticing her distracted state. "Uh…Rosie? Why ain't cha smiling? We did it!" She jumped up into the air with a cheer. "We WON! Those Homeworld jerks are on the run, the earth is free!"

Another cheer rose up at her words, and Rose managed a weak smile for her sake. "Yes, it is. All of you, be proud of yourselves. Today, we have shown Homeworld that the earth is not theirs to destroy…and we have shown them that the Crystal Gems will not bow to them so easily!"

A proper speech could be given later, once the haze of battle had left them all. For now, that uneasy, sinking feeling remained.

She felt a hand lift her up and yelped. She was raised into the air, met with the smiling form of Malachite. "We did it!" She bellowed with a throaty laugh Rose recognized as Jasper's. "We sent those lackey's running!" The grin faded to a light smile, one that was unmistakably Lapis, and when Malachite spoke her voice was softer. "It's over…it's finally over. We're finally…free."

Before Rose had a chance to speak, Spinel snaked her way up Malachite's arm. Her legs turned into springs, and she pushed herself off with a grunt, landing beside Rose in Malachite's palm and snapped off a salute. "Reporting for duty!" The tiny Gem said, doing her best to keep a straight face. "The last of the Homeworld loyalists have stopped fighting and started to run with the rest. The fighting is over, Ma'am!"

Rose smiled. "Thank you, Spinel," She turned again, her eyes looking up into the sky. For a moment, she convinced herself she was imagining things. Just nerves, that's all. They had been fighting so hard, for so long, of course when victory was finally in sight, it would be difficult to believe. Change did not come easily to Gems, even to her, and she had changed more than most. For a moment, she managed to convince herself that everything would be alright, with enough time.

Then she saw movement in the stars. Not the Homeworld ships fleeing…something was moving TOWARDS the earth…

"Something's wrong…" She muttered.

Spinel looked up at her, bouncing up and down obliviously. "Hm?"

There was a flash of white light, and Rose's eyes widened. There was no time to run, no time to shout a warning. All around her, the Crystal Gems were celebrating, ignorant of what was about to happen.

She had no time. She didn't think, doing the first thing that came to her mind and summoning a shield around her, Malachite and Spinel.

Then she shut her eyes, begging that either her shield would hold, or that whatever came next would be quick.

Rose stared blankly across the barren battlefield that moments ago had been a field of victory. She still heard the echoes of cheering in her mind. She could still see the smiling faces of her comrades, the abandoned weapons of fleeing enemies and fallen friends alike.

And she could still see that awful white light every time she closed her eyes.

At her feet, Spinel sat huddled up in a ball, her head hanging down as she held her knees to her chest. She was crying, sobbing endlessly. "You…you said it was going to be different," She sniffed. "You said it was going to be okay. You said I could come back, you said I could help, you said we were going to be okay!"

Rose ignored her, shuffling slowly past the smaller gem. Her legs moved of their own accord, carrying her closer to the battlefield. With a look of horror, she watched. The gems…they were reforming. Rebels and Loyalists alike were coming back…and they were coming back wrong. Twisted. Each and every one unrecognizable from their previous forms, with no distinction made between the Crystal Gems and the Homeworld loyalists.

They acted like frightened beasts, fleeing from the sight of one another and occasionally coming to blows. They crawled, they slithered, they flew…Rose felt something twist inside of her.

This is my fault. That she knew without question. All of this, the rebellion, the battle, whatever it was that the Diamonds had done…it was because of her.

When did it all go so wrong?

She could still remember those first years she spent, when she formed the Crystal Gems. For so long, it was her and Pearl, just the two of them against all of Homeworld. They would strike out here and there, trying to scare Homeworld enough to give up on the colony. It had all felt like just another game back then. Just her, just pearl, alone on earth up against all the rest.

Then they had met Garnet, and it was like a switch was flipped. More and more Gems began to rally to their cause. They stopped being a nuisance, and Homeworld began to take them more seriously. The Crystal Gems weren't a game anymore. It felt like overnight the stakes had gone from fooling around on earth with Pearl, to fighting a war for their lives. But even then, there was a lighter feeling to it all. A hope inside of all of them, uniting them in purpose against the Diamonds.

But things were different now. All around her, the survivors of the war had been changed. Corrupted, somehow. Garnet had been split and captured years ago, and Rose doubted she survived. Pearl had been missing for so long she could only have been shattered. Nothing else would keep her from her side. And Bismuth…

Rose fell to her knees, looking out into the field. "We're all that's left," She said, realizing with a terror it was true. She, Malachite, Spinel…they were the only living gems left on Earth still intact. They were alone…all alone.

"Snowflake!"

Rose started at the unfamiliar voice, before recognizing it as Jaspers. She whirled around in surprise, and found the Quartz trying to reason with one of the corrupted gems. "Snowflake, it's me! We've fought together for hundreds of years! It's been a while since you've seen…me, but you have to remember!" Jasper reached out a hand, and the creature that had once been Snowflake snarled, lashing out. Jasper was thrown back with a grunt of pain, and the creature ran mindlessly in the opposite direction.

Jasper watched in, stunned into silence. Rose couldn't remember her ever looking so scared, so terrified. "She didn't recognize me," Jasper whispered to herself. "It didn't look like she recognized anything."
"I don't think she does," Rose said, and Jasper looked up at her desperately. "I don't know what Homeworld did…but whatever it was, this is the result." She frowned. "Jasper…you unfused. What happened?"

She shook her head. "I don't…I remember we were together. We were laughing. You don't know what it's like, Rose…we're together all the time, but It hurts her. I know it does. I can feel it, I can feel how miserable she is every second we're together. She hates the war, she hates the fighting. I love it, but every second as Malachite I can feel her pain…I know that just like it makes me happy, it hurts her, even if she refuses me when I ask if she needs to unfuse. We never laugh together, Rose, and we were laughing…" She hung her head. "And then we saw the light, and the next thing I remember was seeing her, for the first time in so long."

"Do you know which way she went?" Rose asked softly.

Jasper said nothing, only nodding her head over to her side. Rose's gaze followed hers, and she saw Lapis in the distance standing at the top of a hill, looking down at the battlefield.

"I'll be right back," She promised, but Jasper didn't look like she heard her.

She approached Lapis carefully, but she must have made too much noise. Lapis turned with tears in her eyes, clutching her arm to stop it from shaking. "We were together…for so, so long. I never wanted anything to with this, or your war…but you said it would all work out in the end. We would beat back the Diamonds, carve out a place where we can be free here on earth. No more fighting, no more hurting. So I fused with Jasper, and we did what you said. We were the most powerful Gem under your command, but that didn't matter. We…we caused so much pain…but it didn't matter. I could get through the pain. I could do whatever you asked us to do. I fought against countless Gems at once, pulled ships out of the sky with my powers, cracked and shattered I don't even know how many Gems…and all of it was because you said we would be alright in the end." Lapis looked up at her fearfully. "Did none of that matter? Was it all just for nothing, then? All those years, all that pain…just for this?"

"No," Rose said quickly, placing her hands on Lapis' shoulders. "It wasn't for nothing. Never for nothing. We fought for a world where we could be free, and that was a dream worth fighting for. We knew the risks…"

"But we didn't know about this!" Lapis yelled, tearing herself away. "None of us knew!"

"I'm sorry," Rose apologized. "I…I'm so sorry." She didn't know what else to say. She never wanted Pearl by her side more than she did now.

Lapis breathed heavily, before falling to her knees. After a moment, she began to shake, and Rose realized she was crying.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Spinel finally came over to her side. For once, she looked at the crying Lapis and didn't know what to do. She didn't try to crack a joke, or cheer her up…she only looked up at Rose, desperate for some reassurance.

Jasper made her way over to them as well, and tried reaching out to Lapis. "Hey…" Lapis sucked in a breath, stiffening at her touch, and Jasper quickly pulled away looking dejected, unable to help.

The four of them stood there in silence, watching as the Corrupted Gems dispersed in all directions. It was then Rose realized she never really knew what they were doing. All of it, her whole rebellion…it was all decided on a whim. A childish game taken too far…and now she had to live with the consequences.

Finally, Lapis managed to find the strength to speak. "What…what happened? What are we going to do now?"

"We won," Rose said softly, her eyes not moving from the battlefield. She swallowed dryly. "We won," She repeated. "And we are going to do the same thing we always have. The earth is free, but it is still in danger. Because of our mistakes, our former friends and enemies are roaming the planet, threatening peace and life on earth. This world is our home now…and we have a duty to protect it."

She turned away at last. "We have a duty to them, as well. To protect them from themselves. And most of all…we have a duty to each other. We're the last Gems on planet earth still sane…no matter what, we cannot fail each other. For better or worse, this is our home, and for better or worse, we are all we have left." She held out a hand for Lapis. "We fought so long for peace. For a place to call home. This isn't anything like what we thought…but we owe it to our friends to make the most of it. You know they wouldn't have wanted anything less. Every one of us would have let ourselves be shattered for just one of us to be free. We have to live up to the promise we made to each other when we chose to call ourselves Crystal Gems…"

Lapis took her hand and let her pull her up, and Rose noticed Jasper frowned. "If we don't…" She muttered, mostly to herself.

If we don't, then what do we have left?

Steven sighed, lifting his head up from the counter, glancing over to the warp pad…only to let it fall back down. "Still not back yet," He mumbled.

He knew the missions the Gems went on were important, but still…it felt like they were always gone! Wasn't the whole point of him moving in with them learning to use his powers? How was he supposed to do that if they were gone all the time?

He sighed dramatically, slowly stirring his spoon around his bowl of half-finished cereal. "Oh Captain Calories…at least you'll never leave me alone.

The familiar sound of the warp pad rang out through the house, and Steven immediately jumped out of his seat, any thoughts of Captain Calories left behind at once.

"Guys, you're back!" He cheered, hurrying over to greet the Gems. His smile frowned, however, as they came into sight and stepped off the warp pad. They were all back, none of them looked hurt or anything…but they all looked kind of down. Even Spinel. "Uh…guys?"

Lapis looked up at the sound of his voice and managed a weak smile. "Hello, Steven. Were you waiting for us again?"

"Tch. Of course he was," Jasper scoffed, crossing her arms. "He always does that, when he should be training…"

"But guys!" He moaned dramatically. "How am I supposed to train when you're always going on super cool Gem missions without me?"

"We didn't prepare a thirty-two module course for you just for nothing, you know," Peridot pointed out. The others stared at her, and Steven raised an eyebrow before the smaller Gem reddened, and cleared her throat. "Er…that is to say I didn't prepare such a course for nothing."

"Right…the course…" Steven scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It's a really cool course, and super helpful Peridot…but maybe since you guys are all back now…you can actually train me in person?"

"Maybe later, Steven," Lapis said, her wings forming behind her. "I need to tend to something right now." The Gem signifying her room glowed on the Temple door, opening her room. With a flap of her wings, Lapis flew inside, the door shutting quickly behind her.

"Aw…" Steven pouted, before looking up hopefully, undeterred. "Jasper? You always wanna train, right? Don't you wanna help me kick evil monster butt?" Training with Jasper was usually a lot more…exhausting than with the others, but he was willing to take whatever he could get at this point. And she never passed up a chance to train…

But Jasper seemed strangely hesitant now. Her eyes were still stuck on the Temple door, a frown set on her face. She sighed. "Lapis might have had a point. Maybe tomorrow, Steven."

He blinked in surprise. "Jasper? Is…is everything okay?"

She didn't bother answering him, only hanging her head and entering her own room just as Lapis had moments ago.

He ran over to Peridot, placing his hands on her shoulders frantically. "You want to train, right Peridot? We don't have to leave the house. I'll even listen to you talk about the Kindergarten, and how much soil density impacts Gem growth, and all sorts of other stuff I don't care about! I promise!"

Peridot held a hand on her chin and hummed in thought. "I do find your understanding of Gem growth insufficient…" She sighed, letting her hands fall to her side. "But today isn't really the day for it, Steven. I fear current mood factors would hinder my teaching capabilities."

"But-"

"I'll be in my lab," She said, heading off to her room with a lazy wave. The Temple door snapped shut behind her, and he let himself fall to the ground with a groan.

"What's with everyone today?" He said aloud.

A familiar pink face popped into view above him, staring down curiously. "Hiya Steven!" Spinel greeted. He swore she was just as down looking as the others a second ago. "Watcha doing on the ground?"

He sat up with a sigh. "I was waiting all day for the chance to train with the others…but as soon as they get back, they all go to their rooms. And they're acting really weird." He frowned. "Did something happen on the mission, Spinel?"

"Oh!" She cleared her throat. "Well, there may have been a teensy, weensy little issue…" She inflated her thumb and forefinger, holding them close together for emphasis.

"Did someone get hurt?" He asked in a panic, but Spinel was quick to put him at ease.

"Oh no, nothing like that!" She laughed, before the smile faded away. "The mission went fine, just…afterwards…" She shrugged. "Well, we're all feeling a little down, is all. I don't think the others are in the mood for training today."

Steven's shoulders fell. "But I was so excited…" He mumbled. For once, he was hoping he might actually get to do something fun instead of just sitting around waiting for the Gems to get back. And now, not only would he not get to train, something happened to make the others feel down.

Hm…If only there was a way to cheer them up so they would want to train again…

Steven gasped, an idea coming to him. He stood up quickly, turning around. "Hey, Spinel? You're always down to have some fun, right?"

She immediately perked up. "Course I am!" Her fists grew to the size of watermelons, and she began to bounce on her feet, holding her arms out in a boxers stance. "So? You think you can go a few rounds in the ring with your ole pal Spinel, do ya?"

"Uh…I was thinking more along the lines of doing something fun for the others," Steven said awkwardly.

"Oh," Spinel stopped, frowning. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well…" He placed his hands behind his back, teetering back and forth on the heels of his shoes. "I was just thinking that the others all seem kind of upset about something. Maybe…you and I could help cheer them up?"

Spinel's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Steven, that's an awesome idea!"

He grinned. "I know! Now how to start…" He hummed in thought.

"Lapis?" Spinel suggested.

Steven shook his head. "No way. She's super sad on a normal day, let alone whatever this is. We can't just start with the final boss."

"Jasper?"

"She's way too stubborn," Steven said. "We need to practice a bit before getting to her. Besides, as long as Lapis is in the dumps, Jasper will be too."

Spinel slammed a fist into her palm. "Peridot it is!" She cheered. "She'll have locked herself away in her room like the others…" She grinned mischievously. "But luckily I have spent five thousand years sneaking around every nook and cranny in the Temple. C'mon, I know a way we can reach Peri's room from mine."

Steven gasped. "You mean I get to go in the Temple? That is so cool! I've never been in your room before!"

For a second, he thought Spinel's smile slipped, but he blinked and she looked just as cheery as ever. Must have been imagining things…

"Eh, it's lame in there," Spinel shrugged. "Nothin' special. Why would it be when all the fun's out here?" She extended an arm, wrapping it around him and ruffling his hair.

He giggled, pushing her away with a laugh. "Come on, be serious Spinel! Operation: Cheer up the Gems is officially a go…and Peridot's first up on the list."

Steven was smiling ear to ear as he followed Spinel into her room. This is going to be so much fun!

Alright, so first and foremost, this will not be updated regularly. I already have two fics I am focusing on, and I can't even do that currently, lol.

That said, I do want to continue this story, and I have a few ideas for where to take it. I finished Steven Universe like a week ago, and was surprised by how much I wanted to write for it…so here you go! My first Steven Universe story.

Writing Steven and Spinel was a little weird for me, just because I'm not used to writing such goofy characters. Please bear with me while I try figuring this out…Steven Universe has a really cool blend of comedic and serious storytelling that's hard to nail. I'm trying here, lol.

The premise should be mostly clear from this chapter, but I'm gonna go ahead and summarize anyways. Instead of Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst, it's going to be Lapis, Jasper, Peridot and Spinel who take their place. Now, they ARE going to keep their personalities as they are in canon, with changes acceptable based on how the story changes their character, but they should all be recognizable.

I haven't really read much Steven Universe fanfiction, but I know the idea of a "Mom Swap" like this is popular…which Is why I have a number of twists planned to keep things exciting. Stay tuned…I don't plan to stick to a schedule, but chapters will be released as I finish them. I apologize in advance if there are long waits in between chapters, but this is me warning you all now.

Oh, and I'm happy to answer any questions about the AU that don't veer into spoilers!

Chapter Text

Walking through Spinel's room, Steven couldn't help thinking it was really weird.

Not in the normal sense of weird, like sharks with lasers, or ninja's with machine guns. He had been expecting something more exciting, like funland at the Boardwalk, or a Carnival, or…hm. Something more exciting.

Instead, Spinel's room was a lot more reserved than he was expecting. A large stone courtyard, with well kept shrubbery lining a series of pathways cutting throughout the room, stretching as far as he could see.

He looked up, and his eyes widened as he looked up into the night sky, thousands of stars dotting what should have been the ceiling. "Woah…" He said in awe. "That's so cool! Are we really in space?"

Spinel snorted. "No, silly! Our rooms are basically whatever we want them to be. It just looks like space. Here, I'll show you."

With a hup, she stretched upwards, her legs elongating to lift her up higher and higher into the sky. She looked down, giving Steven a thumbs up and plucked a start out of the sky. She came back down quickly, holding it out for Steven to look at. "See? I can do anything here! Make it look like whatever I want!" She blew on the star, and it turned into dust.

"Awesome…" He whispered reverently, then frowned. "But…why does it look like this? Isn't this a little…" Boring, "...tame for you?"

Spinel laughed him off, but Steven thought there was an edge of nervousness to the sound. "Yeah, well, no place like home, right? Even I gotta have a place to unwind, y'know?"

"Makes sense," Steven agreed. "Now, back to the mission! You said we could get to Peridot's room from here, right?"

Spinel crossed her arms, nodding and smiling smugly. "Oh yeah! We can get to anywhere in the Temple from here!"

Steven frowned. Spinel's room looked kinda empty…just endless pathways and some plants…

His eyes widened. "You've got a warp pad in here? Is that how we get to Peridot?" He started to walk towards the platform, but Spinel grabbed his arm.

"NO!" She yelled, surprising him. She paled, letting go and awkwardly rubbing her arm. "Er…sorry. But the warp pad doesn't work. It's like the stars. Just a part of the room."

"Then what's the point?"

Spinel muttered something he only caught the end of. "...be the same," She mumbled, or something like it. Whatever it was she said, she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We gotta get to Peri's room, right?"

"Yeah! But, uh…how exactly do we do that?"

Spinel grinned. "Like this," She said, and grabbed his arm. She took off running, dragging him down one of the pathways.

"Woahhhh!" Steven couldn't do much more than let himself be pulled around. After the initial surprise left him, he started to laugh. "This is fun!"

After what felt like only seconds, they came to a sudden stop. He stumbled a little before putting out his arms to keep his balance. "Oops…got a little dizzy."

Spinel giggled. "Sorry about that…on the bright side though, we're here!" She jumped up, stretching her hands out in excitement. "Ta-da!"

Steven stared in wonder. Spinel had seemingly brought them to one of the edges of the endless pathways, where the stone paving simply stopped, giving way to the starry sky. "It looks so cool…"

"Yep!" Spinel agreed, then wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, no time like the present! Bombs away!"

"Wait, what do you-ahhh!" Steven yelled as Spinel jumped off the edge of the path, taking them both down. "Spinel, what are you doing?"

"Uh…Steven?" He opened his eyes to find them floating down slowly, one of Spinel's arm's blown up to serve as a Parachute above them.

"Oh, right," He laughed awkwardly, more than a little embarrassed. He cleared his throat. "So when are we gonna reach Peridot's room?"

Spinel rolled her eyes. "Geez, gimme a minute, will ya?" Her arm changed again, and they began to fall a little faster. Slowly, the walls began to change from an endless night sky to a rocky surface more familiar to him.

One of Spinel's fingers stretched around him, coming up to her lips. "Shh!" She hushed him. "We're close now!"

Their feet touched the ground, and Spinel untangled herself from him. The walls had changed again, from stony rock to a clean, sterilized-looking green metal surface. Spinel got down on her hands and knees, gesturing for Steven to do the same. He followed her example, and she shuffled forward, with him following behind.

He didn't have a very good view of Peridot's room, if that's where they really were…but what he could see mostly confused him. The walls were lapping hexagonal panels, some with screens featuring equations and schematics, others blank pieces of the wall. He was about to ask Spinel if she knew what any of it meant, when a voice not belonging to either of them began to speak.

"Log date 9-4420-2," Peridot said, causing them both to freeze. "As expected, the mission proved no great task. The Gem creature was poofed and bubbled without any real issue, though admittedly I was surprised by its durability. Still, it proved no match for the four of us, and Lapis bubbled the monster approximately five minutes and thirty-six seconds after first contact." She paused. "I would end the log here, as that was the end of our mission…but something more eventful happened afterwards."

Peridot's voice changed, beginning to sound more concerned. "We encountered a…door, at the site of the conflict. One familiar to the other Crystal Gems, though I myself didn't recognize it." Her voice fell. "I suppose that's to be expected," She muttered. "It's not as if I was there for…hm. Suffice to say, the others were distressed, Lazuli in particular. Not that it's especially hard to distress Lazuli, but whenever Lapis is upset, so is Jasper, and if both of them are, then Spinel is never far behind. I don't believe I'm immune to, as Steven puts it, 'Feeling down,' either."

Peridot was quiet for a moment. "The others chose to leave without any attempt to force entry. They claimed there was nothing there for us anymore. I privately questioned the wisdom behind such a decision, but I didn't voice my doubts. I hardly have any right to speak on such a matter. Still…I dislike seeing the others in such a state. I worry about Lapis especially…unfortunately, there is little I can do to alleviate their altered mood states. I simply…lack perspective. All I can really do is wait for it to pass. Log end."

Geez. Peridot seemed way more torn up about this than he realized. And hey, she wanted the same thing he did! She wanted the others to be happy again…hm…

"I can work with this…" He whispered, then grinned. "Spinel!"

She turned, frowning at Steven. "Y-yeah?"

"I've got a plan," He whispered. "Follow my lead!" He crawled around the corner, standing up and taking in the sight of Peridot's room.

It looked a lot like some spacey-kind of laboratory, like something out of one of his dad's old sci-fi horror movies. There were more of those panels with equations and diagrams on them, but also rows of tables, every square inch littered with all sorts of junk, ranging from empty phials and microscopes, to a half-empty bag of Chaps.

Steven furrowed his brow, placing his hands on his hips. "So you're the one who stole my Chaps!"

"Buh?" Peridot whipped in surprise, eyes widened. "Steven? What are you doing here? How did you even…?" She trailed off as her eyes fell behind him, and an unamused look crossed her face. "Oh. I should have known you'd have something to do with this. What did I say about sneaking into my lab!"

Spinel giggled innocently. "Not to."

"Exactly!" Peridot hissed. "It's bad enough that you come and go as you please, stealing vital research samples-"

"-samples like my bag of Chaps?" Steven questioned.

Peridot reddened, and cleared her throat. "Yes," She said evenly. "Your bag of Chaps were requisitioned for scientific purposes."

"...isn't that just what you were yelling at Spinel for?" Steven asked.

"It's completely different!" Peridot insisted, stamping a foot on the floor. It was only then Steven noticed that the heart of Peridot's room wasn't anything like the rest of it. Where most of her room resembled a high-tech lab, the closer it got to the center of the room, it began to change. The cold metal floor shifted into lined wooden planks, the hexagonal panels became log walls lined with framed photographs of the Gems and himself, and at the center of it all was a crackling fireplace, beside which was an old-fashioned box tv.

It was…weirdly cozy.

"Okay…" Steven said, going along with Peridot's denial. "I believe you. The Chaps were totally a science thing. But don't worry, we're not here for that!"

Peridot scoffed, crossing her arms. "You shouldn't be here in the first place. This is private! I don't go barging into your room, do I?"

"I don't have a room," Steven reminded her. "I sleep in the loft. Which you barge into all the time when you guys come back from missions."

Peridot opened her mouth, then froze. She raised a finger as if to make a point, but apparently thought better of it, shutting her mouth and lowering her hand. "So, uh…what are you doing here then?"

Steven shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Operation: Cheer up the Gems is a go…He opened his eyes with a determined look, pointing at the tiny green Gem. "Peridot…are you ready for the most amazing, super duper cool, extra fun-filled day in your entire life?"

Peridot blinked. "But I just finished my log, and completed my routine for the day. Why would I go out and do something else after I just recorded the day's events?"

"Uh…cause it's gonna be super-duper extra fun-filled?" Steven suggested hesitantly.

"But then I'd have to make a whole new log," Peridot said. "And then I'd have to further amend my dating system, and the last time I had to do that, it took thirty cycles before I became comfortable with the alteration."

"But…I had a whole thing planned out," Steven whined, falling to his knees. "We were going to go to the boardwalk, and we were gonna win a prize at Funland, and I was gonna take you to the harbor and call it the Peri-dock. Come on, you love naming stuff after yourself!"

"Hm…that does sound quite amusing," Peridot agreed with a mischievous chuckle. It quickly vanished, replaced with a tired expression. "But no, I don't think that would be a good idea today, Steven."

He sniffled dramatically, trying his hardest to look as adorable as he could as he pouted. "But…the Peri-dock…" He said wistfully.

Spinel sprang up in front of him, sliding forward on her knees until she came to a stop in front of Peridot, looking up at her with big, teary eyes as she held her hands together. "Oh, come on Peri…how are we supposed to cheer you up if ya don't wanna hang?"

Peridot stared down at her flatly, and crossed her arms. "Wait…so the entire point of you breaking into my room, invading my privacy, and wanting me to go to the Boardwalk with you was just so you could cheer me up?"

Spinel twisted her head back to share a look with him, and they both turned back to Peridot. "Yes?" They answered in unison, both equally unsure of what to say.

Peridot sighed, shaking her head. "Get out of my room."

The Temple door shut tight behind them, Peridot's Gem flashing briefly before the color left it, leaving them alone in the house.
"Welp," He announced, clapping his hands together. "That was a bust."

Spinel threw a hand over his shoulder, and it stretched until it fell to the floor. "Maybe, but look on the bright side! There's still two moo-ore!" She said in a sing-song voice. "Maybe Jasper will be in a better mood."

Steven frowned. "Yeah. Maybe." He scratched the back of his head. "I…don't suppose you have a way into her room too, do you?"

"Oh, sure I do!" Spinel nodded quickly. "Only…last time I snuck in, she kinda-sorta threatened to throw me to the moon if she caught me in there again, so I'm giving it a few decades before I slip back in that way."

"Hm…" Steven hummed in thought. They were back to square one. How am I supposed to cheer up Jasper if I couldn't even get Peridot to hang out with me? He sighed, shaking his head. "You got anything, Spinel?"

"Well…Jasper's gonna be upset for as long as Lapis is," Spinel said. "So…if we cheer up Lapis, it'll be a double-whammy!"

Steven groaned, sliding to the floor. "We already agreed Lapis is gonna be the hardest, though! If I can't cheer up Peridot, and I can't even try cheering up Jasper, how am I supposed to get Lapis to feel better?"

"Well, you'll never know if we don't give it the good ole Rocker's try!"

Steven snickered. "Spinel! It's called the good old college try!"

Spine shrugged. "Well I dunno. I get all that human junk from your dad." Her eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face. "And as for how…heh. You just leave that to your best buddy Spinel. I think I just came up with an idea to get everyone together, not just Lapis, but Peridot and Jasper too."

"Really?" Steven gasped.

"Oh yeah," Spinel nodded. "Question is…are you ready?"

Steven nodded seriously in affirmation.

"Mmhmm, mmhmm…follow up question: On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you willing to let Lapis get at us?"

"...Wait, what?"

Lapis sat cross-legged on a round dais, surrounded on all sides by water. A solitary stone island in the endless sea that made up her room.

On a normal day, the water was level with the stone, sitting with a calm stillness that helped to keep her grounded. When she wished, she could retreat beneath the waves, where most of her room actually was. She could dive as far as she wished, she could be alone for however long she wanted.

Now, however, she was trying desperately just to get back control of her room. Despite her wishes, the water in her room tended to reflect her own emotions. When she was calm, so was her room. When angered, the waves rose and crashed against each other violently in a vicious turmoil.

But most often, the water was as it was now…pulling gently back and forth against her will, not strongly, or violently, but neither was it calm and still.

Her room was supposed to be her sanctum, the one place in the universe where she could go to be at peace, to feel comfortable…instead, it was the one place in the galaxy where the water refused to obey her wishes.

She knew she could change it on a whim. The room was designed to obey her wishes, if she really wanted to, she could just get rid of the water and redesign. But what would be the point? It wouldn't comfort her at all, only remind her she couldn't keep a hold on her emotions.

She sighed, her shoulders falling, and the water around her shifted as well. "How am I meant to lead the Crystal Gems if I can't even keep my room under control?" She mumbled.

It should never have been her. Why Rose thought it would be a good idea, Lapis had no idea, but here they were. Rose was gone, and she was not. And now she was supposed to take her place.

She knew it was cowardly. She was the leader now, she should be out there, leading, not hiding away in her room. But the mission earlier, the cave the Gem monster had been hiding out in…

…the door.

Lapis shut her eyes, hanging her head. "Pick the battles you can win, Lapis." After today, a little time alone was more than warranted, in her opinion. Tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow she would forget about it, she'd go out and help Steven like he asked, and she would put this whole thing behind them.

Today, though…today she would sit in her room, and remember.

"Lapis!"

She opened her eyes in surprise, and gasped. "Lapis!" The voice yelled again, and this time she recognized it. One of her eyes began to twitch.

"Lapis!" Peridot yelled again, her voice muffled by the water. With a sigh, Lapis held out her hand. In moments, Peridot was propelled from beneath the water, shooting into the sky and landing on the dais beside her with a wet thunk.

Peridot scowled, standing up and crossing her arms. "I hate coming into your room that way," She muttered.

"Then don't," Lapis shrugged. "Just because you're the only one I gave an entrance into my room doesn't mean you need to use it." Especially not when she was trying to be alone.

Peridot reddened. "Right, uh…I did come here for a reason!" She said quickly. "It's the Beach House! Gem Monsters got inside somehow, and Steven-"

"What?" Lapis shot to her feet, eyes widened in fear. "Is Steven alright?"

"He's fine," Peridot said, holding her hands out to placate her. "Spinel's handling it for now. I heard the commotion and went to check what it was, and Spinel asked me to get you and Jasper for backup. It's not a serious threat, but it's certainly a nuisance. And I don't want Steven getting caught in the crossfire by accident."

"Neither do I," Lapis sighed. "Jasper?"

"I went to her first," Peridot confirmed.

"Then there's no time to waste." Lapis grabbed Peridot's elbow, and before she could protest spread out her wings. A door suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leading out of the Temple. With a flap of her wings they were in the air, and with another they were in the Beach House.

Lapis set Peridot down and immediately took stock of the situation.

Just as Peridot had said, the Beach House had a bit of an infestation. Dozens of small, centipedal creatures with pincers were crawling all over, hissing and screeching, spitting some kind of acid.

Lapis saw Spinel standing in front of Steven protectively. She had shapeshifted one of her arms into a giant tennis racket, and was taking swipes at any of the creatures that got to close, swatting them out of the Beach House.

Jasper, on the other hand, was hunting down every one she could find. She stomped on one, poofing it, caught another in her hand and crushed it, and when a third began crawling up the wall beside her, she gave a frustrated roar, summoning her helm and slamming her head against the creature. "Why do these things keep coming?" Jasper growled.

"Something's strange about them…" Peridot frowned, before her eyes widened in realization. She cupped her hands and yelled. "Jasper! The little ones don't have any gems! There must be a mother organism nearby spawning them!"

Jasper grunted in acknowledgement. "Fine. We find the big one and crush her too…got it."

"Wait…" Lapis said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I remember these guys. Rose and I fought them outside of a crashed Homeworld ship centuries ago. Rose bubbled her…why are they free now?"

"Never mind that!" Steven said, running out from behind Spinel. "They're destroying the house! We have to stop them!"

Lapis nodded. "Spinel, get Steven out to safety. We'll find the mother."

A look of panic flashed across Steven's face. "Wait, you can't!"

One of the creatures leapt out at Lapis, and she smacked it away, stomping down and crushing it. "It's not safe here, Steven. Wait this out on the Beach, we'll come and get you once things are clear."

"I don't understand," Peridot said beside her suddenly. "If this is another of the same kind of corruption, shouldn't they have come from outside the temple? Why are they in the Beach House?"

"We can figure that out once Steven's safe, and the Gem Monster's been bubbled!" Lapis snapped, growing irritated.

"You guys-" Steven took a step forward, only for a much larger erupt from the ground in front of him, smashing through the floorboards with a screech. Lapis' eyes widened in fear, but before she could react, the mother slammed into Steven, taking him with her as she tore through the house, making a hole in the wall as she left.

"Steven!" Lapis screamed in a panic. She tried to follow, but a horde of the smaller creatures began to swarm her, preventing her from pursuing.

Steven, She thought one more time desperately, before he vanished from her sight.

He may have made a small mistake.

In his defense, it was born out of entirely pure intentions! Well, mostly pure. He really did want to cheer up the Gems, and if they wanted to train him after, then that would be awesome…but mostly, he just didn't like seeing them upset.

Sneaking into Peridot's room was one thing. It was probably a little much, but Peridot didn't seem seriously bothered. She just didn't want to let him help her for some reason.

But this? He definitely should have considered the plan a bit more before going along with Spinel's idea.

He ducked behind a rock as he just barely missed that…Centipeetle thing's acid spit. His eyes widened as he watched some of the stone melt away just beside his head, and he swallowed nervously.

Definitely not the best of his plans.

When Spinel had suggested it to him, it made a lot more sense in the moment. All they would do is sneak into the heart of the temple, grab one of the Bubbled Gems, and let them loose carefully in the Beach House. The only thing guaranteed to bring all the Gems together was an attack, right? So if a Gem Monster were to suddenly appear in the middle of the Beach House, everyone would come out and team up to fight it, and the battle would take their minds off of whatever it was that got them down in the first place…and if it didn't, at least they would all be together for him to talk to.

What he didn't count on was the Gem Monster literally carrying him away.

He hissed in pain, rubbing his temple where a bump was already beginning to form. "Ah geez…" He mumbled. "They're never gonna let me on a mission now."

Something tingled at his back, and he yelped, jumping forward. When he turned, he found the rock he had been using for cover almost completely disintegrated, the Centipeetle towering over him.

Steven froze in terror, his eyes wide as saucers. "Crap," He squeaked. The Centipeetle screeched, and he closed his eyes instinctively, but before the Centipeetle attacked, he heard a voice call out from the direction of the Beach House.

"STEVEN!"

"Huh?" He opened his eyes in surprise, looking over.

Spinel was bouncing towards them, her legs turned to springs as she leapt across the length of the beach. The Centipeetle roared at her, but Spinel punched the Monster with a giant fist, knocking it back.

"I'm sorry!" Spinel apologized anxiously, keeping her eyes on the Centipeetle who had begun to circle them. "This is all my fault! I shoulda never even suggested messing with one of the Bubbled Gems! Stupid, stupid, Stupid!"

"No!" Steven yelled, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "This is all my fault! I was the one who wanted to cheer the Gems up, just because I was getting bored waiting around at home all day! I should have just been a bit more patient!" And now they might all wind up hurt, or worse, and it would all be because of him.

Spinel leapt up into the air and reared back her fist for another punch, but the Centipeetle was faster. It hissed, smacking Spinel down with its…tail? Butt? Whatever it was, it launched Spinel back into the sand beside Steven forcefully.

"Oof," She landed with a thud, rubbing her head. "I really gotta work on my landing, huh?"

The Centipeetle screeched, and another stream of acid burst from its pincers, right on track to land on Spinel.

Steven didn't have time to think, jumping forward on instinct and throwing himself over Spinel.

"Steven!" She shouted. "You need to be careful, it-" Her voice cut off, but strangely, Steven never felt the acid hit his back. He cracked an eye open and found Spinel staring up at him in wonder. "Steven…your weapon…"

"My what?" He turned around, and his eyes widened. A glowing pink shield had formed above them, the Centipeetle acid dripping down the surface of the shield. "Woah! That's so cool!" He had only a few seconds to appreciate his new ability before the Centipeetle threw its body into the shield, breaking through and throwing them both back into the sand.

Steven stuck out a hand again and again. "Come on, come on, come on!" He said, desperately trying to summon his shield again.

Whatever had happened that let him summon his weapon apparently stopped working, and he didn't have any more time to keep trying. "Spinel…" Steven said, backing away slowly, his eyes transfixed on the Centipeetle as it loomed over them, crawling closer and closer. "I'm sorry I got us into this mess."

Spinel wrapped both arms tightly around him. "I'm sorry I popped the Gem's bubble and freed the Gem Monster."

They held onto each other fearfully, watching helplessly as the Centipeetle approached…until all of a sudden, it stopped, frozen in its tracks.

Steven frowned. That's weird. Was it stuck or something? The Centipeetle had seemed pretty determined to melt them with acid and eat them…and was it just him, or had it gotten a lot darker all of a sudden.

He felt something wet drip onto his shoulder, and slowly, very slowly, He and Spinel both turned around towards the ocean.

A massive wave towered above them, more than twice the size of the Temple. "What did you say about unbubbling a Gem?"

He and Spinel yelped in surprise, turning sheepishly back. "It was all my idea!" Steven said quickly. Despite Lapis's unamused look, he wasn't going to let Spinel take the blame. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to-"

Lapis shook her head. "Not now," She said, and with a flap of her wings she brought herself a little closer, now floating a few dozen feet away from the Centipeetle. Her head turned to the Gem Monster. "As for you…" Lapis scowled. "You hurt Steven," She said simply, those three words sounding at once both like a threat and a curse.

The Centipeetle screeched, but the sound was cut off halfway through. The titanic wall of water came crashing down with immense force, crushing the creature beneath the waves. The water moved, ebbing and flowing as the Centipeetle thrashed, trapped inside. It was hard for Steven to keep sight of the creature, but when the water receded back into the ocean, the Centipeetle wasn't on the beach anymore.

Spinel frowned. "Uh…do you think she got it-"

A beam of water exploded out from the ocean, slamming hard into the side of the temple, making a large crater in the hillside. The water dissipated quickly, and Steven swore he saw something glimmer as it fell.

"Peridot!" Lapis yelled, turning back to the Beach House where the rest of the Crystal Gems were dealing with the smaller creatures, which were now beginning to poof. "Can you go find that things Gem and bubble it? I threw it into the hill!"

He heard the faint sound of Peridot groaning in frustration. "Stop throwing things into the side of the hill with your powers! It makes it really annoying to find later!"

"Is that a yes?" Lapis yelled back.

"...Fine!" Peridot yelled back after a short pause.

Steven let out a sigh of relief. They were all okay. Lapis saved them, no one got hurt…

"Ahem," Lapis cleared her throat, and Steven froze. She was looking at him expectantly, her arms crossed. "You too have some explaining to do…"

Steven laughed nervously. "Does it help if I say it was for a good cause?"

"No," Lapis said bluntly.

He sighed, his shoulders falling. "Yeah, I figured you'd say that."

"What were you thinking?" Jasper roared, and Spinel wilted at the sound of her voice. "Do you think we just bubble Gems for fun? They're dangerous, both to themselves and to others! It's so we can all be safe, and you don't just let one loose, you let one loose with Steven! What if he was hurt worse than he was? We don't know what'll happen to him! We don't know if he can poof and reform, or if…if he just…"

"I thought breaking into my room was going to be the height of your immaturity today, but it seems you managed to impress me," Peridot said, equally unamused.

Steven shifted uncomfortably. "You guys-"

"We knew it was going to be difficult, adjusting to Steven's presence at the Temple," Lapis cut in. "He's still half human, after all. But we accepted that difficulty when we let him move in. It's a responsibility, and we need to be more careful than we have been. I thought you understood that."

"I do!" Spinel insisted, on the verge of tears.

"Guys…" Steven tried to get their attention again, but they kept ignoring him.

"If you did, this wouldn't have happened," Jasper said gruffly.

Lapis glared at her, before turning back to Spinel. "Ignore her. I know you didn't mean to hurt Steven, Spinel, we all know that…and we've all made stupid mistakes before. Jasper's gotten carried away during training sometimes, Peridot can get too nosy when she gets swept up in her research, and I…I know sometimes I don't act like the best leader. Or a leader. It's hard for all of us to adjust to change, but we all have to try."

"I'm sorry," Spinel squeaked, her voice growing smaller. "I…I just wanted to…"

"What?" Jasper frowned. "Why did you cause this whole mess!"

Steven growled in frustration, then stomped his foot on the floor. "She didn't!" He yelled, finally drawing their attention. "You guys keep acting like Spinel was the only one who did something wrong, but this entire thing was my idea! When you came home, something clearly happened on the mission, so I wanted to cheer you all up so I could train. Spinel might have snuck us into Peridot's room, but I was the one who suggested it. She unbubbled the Centipeetle-"

"The what?" Peridot muttered.

"-But I went along with it! I encouraged it!" He scowled. "I can make my own decisions, you know. I can make my own mistakes. Or is it because I'm only half a Gem, that means obviously only Spinel is to blame?"

Lapis's eyes widened. "No, of course not! That's not what we meant at all!"

"Then stop blaming just Spinel!" Steven demanded. "All she wanted to do was help you guys, and help me help you!" He frowned. "This whole time I was so focused on cheering you all up, I didn't think about Spinel, because she seemed normal to me. But she was on the mission with you…whatever you saw, she must have as well. But instead of running away, she's the only one who actually stayed behind with me! And all day she's been trying to help you guys too, only to get yelled at for something that isn't her fault!"

The rest of the Crystal Gems were shocked into silence. Peridot flinched as Jasper looked away guiltily…while Lapis stepped forward, bending down to look Spinel in the eye. "Spinel…" She said gently. "Is that true? Were you really only trying to cheer us up?"

Spinel nodded hesitantly. "You all left so quickly after we got back…nothing good eva' comes outta us being alone for too long. We gotta stick together."

Lapis shut her eyes and sighed, then wrapped her arms around Spinel in a hug. "You're right," She said. "I'm sorry. You know we love you, you're our friend Spinel…but Steven got hurt, and I think we all panicked a little." She let go of Spinel with a smile and stood. "Still, that's not an excuse. Thank you for staying with Steven all day and keeping him safe. I'm sure he would have managed to get himself hurt even worse if he were alone." She paused. "And…you're right. We can't keep hiding ourselves away whenever we get a little uncomfortable. The Crystal Gems are a family, we're all we have. I'm sorry for getting carried away, Spinel."

Peridot cleared her throat. "I too apologize for my hasty assumption," She said awkwardly. "While I still think it's perfectly acceptable to want a bit of privacy…I agree it's not very productive to ignore our problems until they blow up in our face." Her eyes flickered over to the Centipeetle-sized hole in the side of the beach house. "...Sometimes literally."

Jasper sighed. "Sorry," She said, her voice making it clear the act of apologizing felt like pulling teeth. "It's just…Steven was hurt."

"Well yeah, but I'm alright now!" Steven smiled, giving a thumbs up. He gasped, remembering something that had completely slipped his mind. "Guys, I almost forgot! I summoned my weapon!"

"What?" A chorus of voices yelled out in surprise.

Spinel perked up immediately at the memory. "It's true," She said, though weirdly enough, her voice wasn't the normal kind of cheery-happiness…she sounded sad-happy, like when dad talked about mom. "It's a shield…it's her shield."

Jasper picked him up with a chuckle and tossed him into the air. "Hah-hah! What did I tell you? Your weapon would come in time, you just had to wait a little! Now we can really start your training…"

Steven squealed in excitement. "Really? Do you mean it?"

Lapis laughed, but nodded. "I suppose if you're starting to come into your powers, now is the time to begin. It is the whole reason you moved in, after all."

"Well, that and so I could spend more time with you guys," Steven agreed, earning another round of smiles. "Man, I'm so excited to start going on missions!" He could see them now, going to uninhabited islands, and super tall mountain passes, hunting evil monsters across every corner of the world…

"Not so fast," Lapis said, bringing him back to reality. "I'm very proud of you, Steven…not just for summoning your weapon, but for speaking up for Spinel and taking accountability. You were very mature today…"

"I was? Awesome!" He cheered.

"...and with maturity comes consequences," Lapis finished, causing him to frown. "You could have seriously gotten yourself hurt, or the town if that…Centipeetle slipped free…or even one of us, if something went wrong. We can start your training tomorrow, but you're going to help us repair the damage it caused to the house."

"Aw, man!" Steven moaned. "Being mature sucks…"

"I could have grounded you for a thousand years…" Lapis warned.

Steven looked at her in horror. "You could have?"

She nodded with a smile. "Oh yeah." The smile faded, and she sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "But…I think first things first, we have something to do."

Jasper frowned. "We do?"

"It isn't fair that Steven went to so much trouble to cheer us up, and he has no idea what even upset us in the first place," Lapis said. "I think we should take him, show him."

Spinel's eyes widened. "Are you, uh…sure that's a good idea?"

Lapis shrugged. "Why not? We took care of the Gem Monster hiding there. Besides, don't you think it's something he should know about?"

"I suppose…" Spinel murmured.

"Woo-hoo!" Steven cheered. "Field trip!"

It was a short trek from the Warp Pad to the site of the cave where they had fought the Gem Monster. Steven thought it was a little damp the further they went down, but thankfully it wasn't too much of a descent. He could still see the light of the entrance when he looked back by the time Lapis finally came to a stop.

"We're here," She announced solemnly.

Steven ran forward in excitement. "This is so cool! It's…it's…" He frowned. The cave came to an end with a weirdly smooth flat surface, but that was all. "It's a blank wall."

Lapis giggled. "It's more than that, Steven. It's a door."

Steven looked up and down, squinting hard. "Uh…where's the door handle?"

"There isn't one," Lapis said. "It's Gem technology." She gestured around them. "When we dealt with the Gem Monster here, we didn't think much of this place…but then we found this door, and we realized where we were."

"Where?" He asked curiously.

Jasper stepped forward, placing a hand on the…door. "A long, long time ago, this cave used to be an underground entrance that led to a hidden base." She grinned. "The Crystal Gem's first base, long before even Pink Diamond was shattered." She shrugged. "Course, it hadn't been used in centuries even before the war came to an end, so it slipped our minds. Coming here, though…it brought up a few memories, good and bad. Still, we shouldn't have let it get out of hand. You shouldn't have felt the need to try and cheer us up."

Steven shook his head, transfixed by what Jasper said. "I don't mind any of that…this place used to be a Crystal Gem base? We should totally go inside, check it out!" He ran his hands all over the door, looking for some kind of switch. "Come on, there's gotta be a way to open it!"

Jasper laughed at his efforts. "Not gonna open that easy, Steven. I could use my helmet and bang on that all day and not make a dent. Back in those days, secrecy was everything. We made those bases to be tightly defended…"

"Jasper's right," Peridot interjected. "She's got a really thick head. If she can't get in, there's no forcing it open."

"Exactly!" Jasper declared proudly, and Peridot snickered behind her. Jasper frowned. "Wait…"

"Besides," Lapis cut in. "There's not anything in there for us anymore. There hasn't been in a long, long time." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Still, it's a part of our history. Your history. Today, you summoned your mother's shield…your shield. Who knows what kind of things you'll do tomorrow? You're a Gem, Steven, but you're also so much more than that. You're a human as well, and no one in the galaxy knows what you're going to be capable of…but I promise, we're going to find out together. No more running away from each other. Whatever comes next, we'll face it as the Crystal Gems."

He looked up at her, eyes wide. "Do you really mean it? Am I a Crystal Gem now?"

She snorted, then ruffled his hair. "You've always been a Crystal Gem, you dork. Now come on…the house isn't going to fix itself."

For once, Steven didn't protest the idea of having to do chores, skipping cheerfully with Spinel back to the Warp Pad.

Because for all that had gone wrong, they still managed to get one thing right…the Crystal Gems were feeling much better than they had been when they first came back…

…and he knew now that whatever happened next, he wouldn't be alone to deal with it.

He was a Crystal Gem, now. Just like mom, He thought reverently.

And if he or the others had not been so caught up in the excitement of the moment, then perhaps one of them might have noticed that his Gem had begun to glow a faint pink beneath his shirt when he placed his hands on the door to the hidden base.

"Log date 9-4420-2: Addendum," Peridot began, lazily activating the recording function within her room as she settled snugly into the rocking chair beside the fire. "Despite my initial protest to a second log in the same day…I have decided to compromise by making an addition to today's log. Though irritating, I found it prudent given the day's events…" She paused. "Besides, perhaps a little change isn't too bad."

"Immediately after the documentation of my initial log, I was burdened with a pair of intruders," Peridot grumbled. "In hindsight, I know now they only wished to raise my mood levels, but at the time I found the disturbance bothersome. Almost immediately after, Steven and Spinel managed to unbubble one of the Gems within the Temple and make a complete mess out of things!" She sighed. "But, I suppose they aren't entirely to blame."

"When we first found the door leading to what Lapis and the rest confirmed as the Crystal Gems first hidden base, I could tell at once it was having an adverse effect on the others," She said. "Lapis and Jasper reacted even worse than I feared, and Spinel was somehow brought down by the sight of the door. Nothing gets her down…"

She squirmed uncomfortably. "I must confess…I felt…awkward. Like I was the one intruding. The others all grew quiet, no doubt reminiscing on memories of the war, but I never saw the war. What could I do for them?" She scoffed. "Nothing. I was useless. At least Spinel tried to help with Steven…but what did I do? Hide away in my room, just like the others? While I knew Lapis and Jasper were miserable? I couldn't do anything, not when they found the door, not when Steven was hurt, not when Rose died, not even when…" She choked, realizing with horror how emotional she was beginning to sound.

"...Anyways, the day was not a total failure." Her voice perked up, a streak of pride entering her voice. "Steven managed to summon his weapon for the first time today! Of course, I always knew he would, but I'm glad to see how happy it seemed to have made him. He was quite excitable before going to bed." She smiled fondly. "It's…strange, seeing Rose's shield again. I know…we know it isn't her, but it's impossible not to be reminded of her. Still, I know we are all proud of him. The others worry, but I know what it's like, having to live up to certain expectations despite…potentially limiting factors. And hey, I still managed to become a Crystal Gem, didn't I? I know Steven is going to be something amazing, just as I am."

Her eyes flickered over to a photo of her and Lapis trying human takeout food for the first time, taken by Greg a few years after Steven was born. Though the taste of Earth's so-called 'Korean food' haunted her to this day, the memory of Lapis's smile hadn't left her for one moment in the last ten years.

Her shoulders slumped, as she concluded her log. "I just hope that she notices m…us," She muttered sadly, catching herself at the end. "Log end."

Click.

Hopefully this makes up for the shorter first chapter, lol.

Not too much to say in the AN, I'm pretty tired. Still getting a feel for the characters, but I think I'm starting to get it down. As per the last chapter, however, I'm always open to answer questions that don't veer into spoilers!

Chapter Text

"What?" Steven's eyes grew wide in fear, and he fell to his knees. "No…tell me it isn't true! Tell me this is some sick kind of joke!"

Lars rolled his eyes. "Steven, it's just a stupid ice cream."

"Stupid?" Steven shot to his feet. "Cookie Cat is a cultural icon! No other frozen food mascot has ever had such a compelling and intricate backstory! He could have been a multimedia franchise…Cookie Cat can't be getting discontinued!"

"I'm sorry, Steven," Sadie said sadly, placing a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "There's not really anything we can do. If they stop making them and sending them, we can't exactly keep selling them. Everything you see in the freezer there is everything we have left in stock."

Steven pressed his face against the glass and sighed. "Oh, Cookie Cat…the world just doesn't understand your potential. One day, when the world is ready, I know you'll come back. When we need you the most."

"Oh for-if you're gonna buy the dumb cat ice cream, then buy it!" Lars groaned. "Stop getting your breath all over the glass."

Steven took out his wallet and frowned. "Uh…how much will eight dollars get me?"

Sadie laughed. "Steven, you can just take the mini-freezer. You're like our best customer, and you're pretty much the only one who ever ate those things anyway."

He gasped. "Really? Do you mean it?"

"Sure, if it gets you out of here faster," Lars said.

Sadie glared at him. "Lars, quit being a jerk. And yes, Steven, you can take the freezer."

"Awesome!" He pumped a fist in the air victoriously. "I was just supposed to stop by for a quick snack before getting back to training, but this is way cooler!"

He quickly unplugged the freezer, hurrying out of the Big Donut with a wave and a final thank you to Lars and Sadie. "Now…" He muttered to himself. "Just gotta get back to the Temple before the Ice Cream melts."

Thankfully, the Temple wasn't far from the Big Donut, and even unplugging the freezer kept the Ice Cream cool enough for him to get into the Beach House's refrigerator.

He shut the fridge with a satisfied sigh, and nodded to himself. "Pretty good work, if I do say so myself, Steven Universe!" He batted his eyelashes innocently, and acted embarrassed. "Aw, you shouldn't have…"

"Shouldn't have what?"

Steven yelped, jumping in surprise before getting a hold of himself. "Geez, Jasper, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Jasper's eyes widened. "Do we need to go to one of those…hospitals?" Her face scrunched up in disgust.

He quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's just an expression! I just wasn't expecting you, that's all."

"Oh," She said, then frowned. "What are you doing, then? I thought you were going to come right back to training. I've got a bunch of soda bottled with your dodgeball's name on them."

"Sorry about that," He chuckled awkwardly. "There was an emergency! I had to get all this ice cream to safety."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream?"

"Cookie Cat!" Steven said cheerfully. "They're going out of business, so Sadie and Lars said I could take the last of what they had in stock. I put 'em all in the freezer so they never melt. Besides, I thought you wanted to wait for the others so we could start back on training?"

Jasper's shoulders fell, and she looked away from him. "That was the plan…but Spinel's in her room, and that place creeps me out. And Lapis and Peridot went on another mission…alone…again," She said, sounding more defeated with every word.

"That's okay!" Steven said quickly, hoping to keep the mood light. "We can have fun together, just the two of us! I'm sure there's a whole bunch of stuff you can show me without Lapis and the others."

Jasper brightened. "Heh. I can think of a few things…" Her eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face. "Hey, wanna see something cool?"

Steven nodded, making a sound of agreement. "You know I do."

She gestured for him to follow her to the Warp Pad. "Forget about the bottles…I've got a little place for you to train somewhere else." She stepped onto the pad. "Usually it's just for me, or sometimes one of the others joins in…but you're one of the Crystal Gems too, and now that your powers are coming in, I think it's time to let you in on the fun."

Steven joined her on the Warp Pad, barely able to stop himself from bouncing up and down in excitement. "So what is it? Where are we going?"

Jasper chuckled. "Wait five seconds, will you? Keep still."

He shivered at the familiar tingle of the Warp activating and giggled, feeling himself lift up off of the ground. He stuck by Jasper's side, and within moments felt them exit the warp.

"That was fast," He remarked.

"Come on," Jasper said, grabbing him by the hand and leading him up a flight of stairs. He had a few seconds to take in the sight of marble stone, before they crested the top of the stairs and Jasper finally slowed down.

"Woah…" He murmured, his eyes widening as his breath was taken away from him.

Jasper crossed her arms and smiled. "Welcome to the Sky Arena, Steven."

They were in some kind of huge arena, just like Jasper said. Marble stone was shaded orange by the sun as it began to set, and rows upon rows of empty seats fanned out on either side of them. There were signs of damage, weathered and cracked stone, but none of it took away from the view.

"Are we floating?" He asked excitedly.

"There's a reason it's called the Sky Arena," Jasper laughed. "This place was the sight of more than a few battles back during the war. It's seen better days, sure…but it's out of the way, and it's got a nice view. I like to come here sometimes when I want to unwind, and I don't wanna stay cooped up in my room at the Temple."

"Oh. That's cool." Steven looked around, taking in the sight of the noticeably empty arena. "So uh…what exactly do you do?"

Jasper began walking down the opposite set of stairs leading to the center of the arena, and Steven followed. "First time I came here, It was because I was angry. I may have…let things get a little out of hand. Long story short, not all of the damage to this place came from the war, or from weathering. After that though, I had to be more careful. Despite what Peridot thinks, I don't just break everything I touch whenever I get mad." There was a spiteful tone in her voice when she said Peridot's name, and Steven frowned.

"I don't think she actually thinks that about you," Steven said, confused at why Jasper would be upset. "It's like whenever Lapis pretends to be super annoyed when Peridot or I drag her off to watch Camp Pining Hearts, but she secretly loves it!"

For some reason, Jasper's scowl deepened. "Yeah…she does."

Okay, this is getting really weird. "Do you…wanna watch Camp Pining Hearts with us one of these days?" It had always been him, Peridot, Lapis who liked the show, for the most part. Sometimes Spinel joined in on their watch parties, but he got the sense she was mostly just there for the company.

"I don't care about the…ugh," Jasper shook her head. "We're getting off subject. We're here to train, remember?"

"Yeah, but don't we need something to train with?" He laughed nervously. "I don't really think I'm ready to actually spar with you yet, even if I know you aren't actually gonna try to hurt me."

Jasper chuckled. "Not quite yet," She agreed. "I got something else in mind."

In the center of the arena was a small, green metal ball that Jasper stooped to pick up. She blew on it, brushing some of the dust off and held it out. The ball floated out of her hand, four lighter cylinders floating beneath it. "Activate sparring protocol, drone level one."

The metal ball away from her, its cylinders hanging below unattached to the ball. They look sort of like floating legs, Steven mused. "What's that thing?" He asked.

"A…gift," Jasper admitted reluctantly. "From a friend. For me, it's an exercise. It's pretty pathetic on its own, so I have to be careful not to destroy it. I've only got the one, but It's lasted me a few thousand years so far. It helps me focus…but for you, it should be a good starting point."

"What if I break it?" Steven asked worriedly.

Jasper laughed. "Fat chance. Besides, it's only a stupid toy. If it can't hold up to whatever you can throw at it, then it's useless. Don't feel bad if you do break it, Steven. It's only a tool. Now, stand over there across from the drone."

Steven did as he was instructed, carefully keeping an eye on the drone. It didn't seem all that dangerous, but that didn't really mean anything. He had thought the Centipeetle's were cute before they started spitting acid. "What now?" He asked warily.

"Now's the easy part," Jasper grinned. "In a few seconds, that drone's gonna start shooting. All you have to do is make it stop. Doesn't matter how."

His eyes widened. "Is it…gonna hurt if I get shot?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. It's never hit me before." She smirked. "Guess you should make sure it doesn't hit you either unless you wanna find out."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

A green light blinked from the drone, and Steven yelped. One of it's legs raised, firing off a green beam of light that just narrowly missed his head. It fired again, and he ducked, heading for the first bit of cover he could find.

He dove behind a column, wincing when another beam blasted a chunk of stone out of the column. "Jasper?" He yelled in a panic. "I could really use a hand!"

She scoffed. "Then what was the point of coming out here? You're doing fine, Steven. Keep it up!"

He heard the drone fire again, and a spray of rubble scattered at his feet. I thought this was supposed to be less destructive…

Steven shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "You heard her," He said to himself. "You got this!"

He stepped out from behind the column, stopping only to scoop up a decently-sized chunk of stone that had been shorn off the column, staring down the drone with a determined expression. "Hey!" He yelled, pointing at the floating ball. "Let's see how you like it!" He pulled his arm back and threw the chunk of stone with as much force as he could.

To his surprise, he actually hit the drone dead on! It fell to the ground with a thunk, and Steven could only stare in surprise, before the weight of his victory hit him!

"Woo-hoo!" He cheered, jumping up and throwing both of his hands into the air. "Jasper, did you see me? I got it!"

But when he turned to look at her, Jasper wasn't smiling. Only watching grimly, a deep scowl on her face like something else was on her mind. She grunted, and nodded behind him. He turned again, and took a step back. "Oh crap…"

The drone began to slowly rise back up into the air, sparking with some kind of energy, damaged but still hanging on. It blinked twice, and this time all four of it's arms began to spin, glowing green.

"Jasper!" He yelled again, and threw his hands up in front of him, shutting his eyes in fear. He heard the drone fire and winced…but he never felt himself get hit.

Slowly, he cracked an eye open, then gasped. "My shield!" He laughed. Without even realizing it, he'd managed to summon his weapon just in time to save himself.

"Good," Jasper muttered…but she didn't seem happy about it. "What did I tell you, Steven? You'd be fine. All you needed was a chance to be away from us, without us watching over you…without me watching over you. Just a bit of time apart, and you'll forget you ever needed us in the first place. You'll forget you ever needed me."

"Uh…Jasper?" He was starting to sweat. The shield was getting harder to keep going. The drone fired another blast with all four of its legs, and Steven grunted from the impact.

"All that time together never mattered," Jasper continued, ignoring him. He didn't think she even heard him in the first place. "For so long, we were all we knew…" She said, her voice beginning to crack. "...and the second you got away, you never looked back. I hated it…I felt so empty…but I could understand. You wanted…you would want to be alone, Steven." His name sounded forced. "But I was wrong. It's not us you wanted to be away from…it's me. You get along with the rest just fine. You can pretend everything's just the same…but not with me." She flared her nostrils, breathing heavier in anger. "Am I just too weak, then? Am I not good enough for you? Why can you be with her, but not me?"

Steven froze. "You…you aren't talking about me, are you?" He asked, and Jasper froze.

He had no idea what Jasper was talking about, outside of the fact that it probably had something to do with one of the other gems. If she would just tell me what was wrong…

The drone fired, and this time the blast shattered his shield and threw him back on the ground, landing with an oof.

He scrambled to his feet in a panic. Jasper wasn't helping, and he needed to get rid of this thing quickly. "Come on," He whispered, holding out his hands. "You can do this…" He concentrated as hard as he could, willing his weapon to reappear. "I need my weapon…I need my weapon…"

His eyes widened as his shield began to flicker into sight, finally solidifying. "Hah!" He laughed. "I did it! I actually made my Shield appear on purpose!" The drone blinked twice, and it's arms began to glow again.

"Right," Steven said, refocusing. He took a deep breath, then moved his arms to the side. His shield moved along with them, and with one final yell, Steven threw his arms towards the drone, willing his shield to go flying.

He fell to his knees, exhausted from the effort of summoning two shields so quickly. He sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

Then he heard the drone beep twice, and he froze. "I missed?" He said in disbelief, watching as the drone's arms began to spin in a circle faster and faster. "What do you mean I missed? How do I have better aim with a rock than I do with an actual weapon?"

The drone's arms glowed with a bright green flash of light, and Steven flinched, covering his head…and heard the sound of metal being crunched.

Jasper had grabbed the drone out of the air, crushing it effortlessly. The drone gave one last, weak blink of light, before the legs fell to the floor lifelessly. Jasper let the drone fall out of her hand, and her shoulders fell in turn.

She sighed. "Are you alright, Steven?"

"Uhm…I'm okay," He said, frowning. "Is…is everything alright? I mean…with you?"

Jasper looked down at the crumpled mess of metal, nudging it with her foot. "That Ice cream of yours. How did it feel?"

"Huh?" He blinked in confusion. "Cold, I guess?"

She shook her head. "No…I mean when you found out they stopped making it. What did it feel like?"

"Oh…" Steven hummed in thought. "I guess I felt pretty sad. Cookie Cat's been my favorite Ice Cream for so long…I guess I thought I'd always have it." He shrugged.

"It felt like a part of you," Jasper cut in. "The best part of you. You were together so long you forgot you were ever apart, even as you were reminded every day by the pain you caused. You tried to ignore it because it felt too good anyway, and because she always said it was fine…but it wasn't. And now it's gone, and you're never going to get it back…and you have to watch as…" She paused, catching herself. "...You have to watch as…er…other kids get Ice cream instead?"

Steven sighed. "I'm still not sure what you're talking about, but I don't think the Ice cream analogy is working for you."

Jasper looked away, her shoulders slumping.

Steven cleared his throat. "You didn't let me finish," He said, and Jasper looked at him in confusion. "Like I was saying…I felt sad when I found out they're not gonna make any more Cookie Cat…but I'll get over it eventually. It's not like me being happy depends on an Ice cream sandwich, no matter how good the Ice cream is. And hey…" He shrugged. "Maybe one day they'll start making it again. You never know…but if I just wait around for that to happen, I might be waiting forever. And I'll definitely be way more sad than If I just tried to be happy in other ways…you know?"

Jasper frowned, then snorted. She began to chuckle quietly, then a little louder, until finally she was almost doubling over in a fit of laughter.

"Are you okay?"

Jasper stood up straight, wiping a tear of laughter out of her eye. "You're too smart for a human kid sometimes, Steven. Must be your mother's Gem shining through." She laughed a little more. "I'll be alright," She told him, patting him on the back. She gestured around them. "I really did think this would be good for you. I thought it would be good training with a bit of a higher intensity…" She frowned. "But I should have been more careful. You almost got hurt."

"It did help!" He said quickly. Jasper was just starting to smile again, he didn't want her to feel bad because of him. "Thanks to you, I managed to summon my shield on purpose for the first time!"

Jasper chuckled. "I noticed," She said, and held out her hand for a high five. Steven obliged her, and she put an arm around his back. "You did good today, Steven. A lot better than I did. Now come on…" She said, then paused. After a moment's hesitation, she bent down to pick up the destroyed drone. "...Let's get back home."

Lapis and Peridot were back by the time they warped to the Beach house, and Lapis looked over when they appeared. "Where did you two get off to?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, Jasper just took me out for some training," Steven said casually. "I totally killed it by the way…I summoned my shield on purpose!"

Lapis smiled. "Did you now? I'm impressed…" She looked up at Jasper. "Seems like you know just what to do to draw out his potential. Thanks for taking the time to train him, Jasper…looks like you're a pretty good influence."

Jasper blushed, looking away. "He, uh…turned out not to need too much instruction. He handled himself well."

"I have to concur with Lapis," Peridot agreed. "Steven's been making quite a bit of progress recently, and you've been training with him the most out of all of us, even Spinel." Then Peridot smiled…not a smirk, or a snarky, smug smile, but an actual smile. "Of course, I knew you would be best suited to training him. You have a tendency to be annoyingly determined at times. I'm sure you won't stop until Steven can break open the temple itself with his shield."

Lapis's eyes widened. "Oh, Steven! I almost forgot, Spinel is getting the popcorn ready for movie night. We're back on season two of Camp Pining Hearts tonight…"

Steven gasped. "The Percy sleepwalking arc?"

Lapis nodded. "Yep…although don't think we're gonna finish it in one night, young man," She warned. "It's getting close to your bedtime anyways…" She winked. "...although since you did so well training today, I think I'll forget to check the time at least until episode eight."

"Yes!" Steven pumped a fist into the air in celebration. That meant they'd reach episode seven tonight, and episode seven was awesome. So many emotions, so much drama and heartbreak…

He almost left immediately to get the tv ready, but Lapis stayed a moment longer. "Jasper?" She asked. "You wanna come watch with us? I know you don't really like human television, but it could be fun…" She smiled.

Jasper scratched the back of her head nervously. "Uh…not tonight, sorry. I…have something else I need to do."

Lapis shrugged. "That's okay. We'll catch up later then." Lapis waved her off as Jasper went back into her room, then placed a hand on Steven's back. "Come on, Steven. Spinel should be almost done by now."

Steven let her lead him away, but he looked back with a frown towards the Temple Gate. He was still happy about movie night, of course, but still…he almost wished Jasper had decided to watch with them. He didn't really want her to be alone after what happened at the Sky Arena…

…and he didn't think she wanted to be alone either.

Jasper turned the broken drone over in her hand, inspecting it curiously. She should get rid of it. Just toss it out without a second thought. She knew that was the wise decision. After all, it was broken now. It had served its use well for several thousand years now, but now its worth was gone. It was useless.

And useless things were disposed of.

Still…she held on, looking closer and closer, though for what she had no idea.

"A gift," She murmured, echoing what she had told Steven.

She thought back to the day it was given to her, all those years ago…it had been a few days after she first went to the Sky Arena. She'd left it a mess, turned it into even more of a decrepit ruin than it already was, and all because she couldn't keep a hold of her anger…

And then, to her shock, Peridot had come to her.

They weren't close then. Not yet…she was still too new, in Jasper's eyes, and she still put herself too close to Lapis for her comfort…but Rose had trusted her by then, and so had Jasper, in truth. She may not have liked her back then, but she still accepted her as a Crystal Gem.

Jasper could still see her as clear as the day it happened…Peridot was still more than a little terrified of her back then, mostly sticking to Lapis and Rose's sides…but she had ignored that fear, and came to Jasper while she was still in a rage.

"Er…hello," She greeted nervously.

Jasper growled. "Something you want?" A bit harsher than she meant for it to come out, but though she flinched, Peridot didn't leave.

"I-I noticed you seemed to be experiencing a heightened state of stress for the last several cycles," She stuttered.

"What about it?" Great. The last thing she needed was this little twerp trying to poke and prod her even-

"Here!" Peridot said quickly, shoving her hands in Jasper's face and looking away awkwardly. She cleared her throat. "It's…it's the last of my drones, from when I came here. I want you to have it."

Jasper's eyes widened, taken aback. "But…If that's your last one…why would you give it to me?"

Peridot met her eyes. "My limb enhancers are destroyed. I…I suppose I was only really hanging onto the drone because it let me pretend I'm still the Gem I used to be. But…I'm not. None of us are, or we wouldn't BE here in the first place. I don't have a use for it anymore…but that doesn't mean it's useless. Maybe you can find something to do with it. Use it to train, or something."

Jasper took the drone with a skeptical look. "I could crush this with a pinky. What would I use it to train for?"

She shrugged. "Then maybe use it to train yourself how to hold back?" Peridot looked back towards Rose, who was giving her a thumbs up. "Sorry," She apologized sheepishly. "It was foolish of me. I just thought I could do something to help, and I KNEW it was moronic…but Rose somehow convinced me I should try anyway."

"No, it's…nice," Jasper said awkwardly. "Thanks, Peridot. I might give it a try one of these days." To her surprise, much of her anger had begun to fade.

Peridot smiled. "Good. My drones served me well before coming to earth…I'd hate to see them not put to use."

Jasper turned the broken drone over in her hand, inspecting it closer. She should just get rid of it. She knew she should get rid of it, it was the wise thing to do. It was broken, useless garbage. It had served its purpose for thousands of years, and served it well…but now it was spent. And broken, useless things were thrown away. That's just the way it was.

Still…Jasper turned it over again, frowning.

She shut her eyes and sighed, then placed it on a shelf that carried the rest of the few possessions she had that mattered enough to her to keep safe inside her room.

Just because I don't have a use for it, doesn't mean it's useless, Jasper thought, and an idea came to her.

She had used the drone as a way to test herself for millenia now…a way to teach herself how to hold back, to limit herself. Now she could use it to test herself in a different way. For so long, all she needed to know was how to destroy. Whether for Homeworld or for the Crystal Gems, she was a warrior. She was made to be a warrior.

What better way to challenge herself, than to try and make something for once?

I'll find a way to fix it, She decided. And when I do, I'll give it to Steven. Like Peridot said, if she didn't have a use for it, she may as well give it to someone who does.

With one more smile, Jasper left her room, following the sounds of muffled television until she climbed into Steven's loft, where the others were focused intently on the screen.

"Hey," She greeted awkwardly. "Is, uh…is that offer still open?"

Lapis stared at her in surprise for a moment, before smiling and patting an empty space beside her. "Always," She said warmly, and Jasper smiled back.

Maybe this human television thing isn't so bad.

Despite a few similarities, this isn't actually this fic's version of Sworn to the Sword, lol. I didn't even realize a few of the parallels until I got to the Sky Arena part.

Anyways, more hints in this chapter, though these are less hints and more blunt objects to the face. Steven doesn't have all the pieces, but he isn't an idiot.

Fair warning going forward, the pacing may be…odd. I'm trying to stick to a similar format as the show, but I don't have the patience for like, thirty slice of life episodes with a few plot heavy ones sprinkled in. Don't get me wrong, I love it in the show, but I don't think it translates well.

Anyways…like I said before, I'm happy to answer any questions that don't go into spoilers. Thanks for reading, and I read through all of your comments!

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

"You uh…don't think you've packed enough stuff there, Schtu-ball?" Greg asked.

"Dad, this is serious!" Steven insisted. "This is my first ever mission with the Gems, I need to be prepared for every possibility."

Greg watched silently as Steven shoved a frying pan into the backpack, then raised an eyebrow. "Including an impromptu cook-off?"

"Every. Possibility." Steven echoed with a whisper, his eyes shining.

"I guess it's better to be safe than sorry," Greg shrugged. "But eight water bottles is a little much…"

"Well, Lapis said we're going to the desert, so I wanted to be extra sure I wouldn't get dehydrated."

"You're going to the desert?" Greg exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You didn't say that! I thought your first mission would be like, dusting off some old Gem artifact, or taking down a gem…rabbit monster, or something."

Steven giggled. "Peridot said there's a warp pad right outside the observatory, so we won't even be in the desert desert."

"So why the water?"

"Just in case," Steven said. "Also, I might get thirsty anyway."

Greg sighed in relief, wiping his brow. "Well that's a load off my shoulders. At least you're being responsible about this. And you said the Gems are all going, right?"

Steven nodded, beaming. "Yep! This is a super important mission to explore an ancient Gem structure…it's all hands on deck!" Lapis and Peridot had gone to great lengths to stress the importance of the mission to him beforehand: He needed to take this very seriously…

Greg smiled. "Geez, kiddo, I don't even remember the last time I saw you so excited about something."

"Are you kidding?" Steven exclaimed. "This is my first mission! I've been waiting forever for the Gems to let me come along with them!" He grinned. "I guess all that training finally paid off…and my powers finally coming probably helped too," He admitted. "Jasper's been a lot of help in getting me to summon my shield. I actually managed to summon it twice in a row yesterday!"

Greg laughed. "Is she really?" He asked in amusement. "I'm happy for you, buddy." He chuckled. "Still kinda hard to see Jasper of all people training you…"

Steven frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Well the first time I met her was just after I met your mom," Greg said, and Steven's eyes widened. He loved it whenever Dad would talk about mom.

"After the concert on the beach, right?"

"That's right," Greg nodded. "Your mom was the only one who showed up, but it was the best show I ever put on by a country mile. She left before I could give her a free t-shirt…so I went looking for her. I jumped the fence that used to block the Temple off from the rest of Beach City…and that's when I met the other Gems." Greg smiled. "Jasper threw me right back over the fence thinking I was some vandal, but Rose recognized me and helped me back to my feet. The rest is history."

"You never told me that part before!" Steven exclaimed. "I didn't know you met the other Gems the same night you met mom!"

Greg scratched the back of his head. "I didn't? Huh. Well there's not too much to tell, I'm afraid. They haven't changed all that much, except for Lapis. She used to be…well, maybe not as cheery as Spinel, but she was definitely a lot less stressed. We used to be pretty good pals, if you can believe it."

Steven gasped. "You used to be pals with Lapis? But how?" Lapis was by far the most reserved of the Crystal Gems…at least Peridot and Jasper went out into the boardwalk and the city sometimes. Steven hadn't seen Lapis so much as speak to a human that wasn't him or his dad.

"We just kinda got along," Greg shrugged. "We weren't best buds by any means…but sometimes she needed a place to be alone from the others, and she didn't always want to be cooped up in her room. She never liked being around other humans, so she'd come out to the van whenever I'd be parked near the beach, and she'd sit quietly while I noodled around on the guitar. I let her be in peace and didn't bother her, and we had a good thing going for a while."

Greg laughed as if he just remembered the funniest thing. "You know, a couple of times she actually used her powers to get some fish out of the sea, and I cooked us some food." He paused. "She wasn't the biggest fan of, uh, eating, but I gave her points for trying."

"What happened?" Steven pressed, desperate for answers. How could he have never known his dad and Lapis used to be friends?

"Nothing happened," Greg said, then frowned. "Well…I guess that's not exactly true."

"What?" Steven said urgently. "What was it?"

"Time went on," Greg said simply. "After you were born, I was a single dad who knew nothing about raising a kid. I had to learn a lot, and I didn't have a lot of time for much else when you were younger. And Lapis had her own thing going on too…she had to step into Rose's shoes as the leader of the Crystal Gems."

Steven looked down, growing quiet. "So…is it my fault you guys aren't friends anymore?"

Greg's eyes widened, and he quickly put his hands on Steven's shoulders. "No, of course not Steven! It wasn't anybody's fault, it's just the way these things shake out sometimes. People grow up and change, even Gems…it doesn't have to be a bad thing." He shrugged. "Besides, it isn't like we stopped being friends, really. I still get along great with the Gems…" He frowned. "...although I'm pretty sure Jasper still isn't my biggest fan."

"How come?" He asked curiously.

"Eh…it doesn't really matter," Greg said evasively. He pushed himself off the back of the van, gesturing for Steven to follow. "Like I said, the Gems and I get on fine together. It's not me you need to be worried about…it's you young man."

"It's me?" Steven tilted his head in confusion.

Greg nodded. "Yep. Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" He asked teasingly.

Steven's eyes widened, and he clapped a hand to his forehead. "Crap! The mission! The Gems are gonna leave without me!"

Greg laughed. "I'm sure you'll be fine, buddy. Good luck!" He called as Steven through his backpack over his shoulders and took off running from the beach, back to the Temple. "And remember, be safe!"

"I will!" Steven promised as he ran, not bothering to look back. He needed to hurry before the others left…this was his big day, what would everyone think if he was late?

He was panting by the time he reached the top of the steps, and he threw the door open in a panic, falling to his knees. "Guys?" He breathed heavily. "Are you…all…still here?"

"Uhm…yes?" He looked up, and found Peridot frowning in confusion. "Why are you sweating so heavily?"

Steven stopped to look around, and found the others relaxed inside the Beach House. Spinel was arm wrestling with Jasper, having inflated her hand to twice the size of Jasper's head, but Jasper didn't seem to have any struggle keeping Spinel's arm almost pinned to the table. Lapis sat quietly on the couch, calmly waiting, while Peridot had apparently been pacing back and forth before he entered.

"I needed to get here before you all…left…without me," He said, trailing off as he continued.

Lapis snorted, holding a hand to her mouth. "Steven," She said with a smile. "We can't exactly go on your first mission if you're not here, can we?"

"Sorry," He laughed nervously. "I, uh…guess I got a little swept up in the excitement."

"Well you're here now," Peridot said, snapping her fingers. "Spinel! Jasper! We're ready to leave!"

"Finally!" Jasper exclaimed, slamming Spinel's hand down on the table, and sending her to the floor from the force.

"Wo-oaah!" Spinel's eyes widened as she fell. She was pouting when she stood back up. "Now why'd ya not just do that from the start if you coulda this whole time?" She grumbled.

Jasper shrugged. "Not as funny," She said, and Spinel broke out into a grin.

"Hah! I knew ya had a sense of humor in there somewhere!"

"Alright, alright!" Lapis said, standing up with another snort at their antics. "Steven…" She asked. "Are you all ready to go?"

He nodded, presenting his backpack for the Gems. "As you can see, I came plenty prepared!" He said smugly.

"Oh," Peridot blinked. "It's…a giant cheeseburger."

"What?" Steven shook his head. "No no, it's a cheeseburger backpack! This bad boy's got everything a boy could need for his first mission as a Crystal Gem!" He began counting off with his fingers. "There's a pillow and blanket in case we get stranded, a frying pan with some hot dogs for lunch, wire clippers and a screwdriver, eight bottles of water, my dad's old cassette player he found last tuesday-"

"Right," Peridot interrupted. "I believe we get the idea."

"It's good to see you taking this so seriously," Lapis told him, ruffling his hair. "This is supposed to be a routine mission, nothing too difficult…but remember, out in the field anything can happen…" She warned.

"I know!" Steven said quickly, barely stopping himself from running ahead to the warp pad. He couldn't wait much longer…

Lapis chuckled. "In that case…the Crystal Gems first mission with their newest and cutest member…begins now!"

"Ahem," Spinel cleared her throat loudly, pouting.

Lapis rolled her eyes. "Fine. You're tied for cutest."

"Betta," Spinel said, spinning towards the warp pad with a grin.

Lapis winked at Steven. You're still the cutest, She mouthed silently. Steven winked back and gave her a thumbs up.

Peridot sighed. "Are you done waiting around then?" She tapped her foot on the warp pad impatiently. "We have an important mission here!"

"Coming!" Steven said, hurrying over. Lapis followed at a more leisurely pace, but they were all standing together on the warp pad before long.

He felt the familiar tingle of the warp pad begin to run down his neck, and he grinned from ear to ear.

This is it, Steven, He thought to himself. Don't mess this up.

When his feet touched the ground, and they stepped off of the warp pad, Steven had to block his eyes from the light of the sun. Sweat began forming on his brow, and it felt like his shirt was on fire.

Steven's eyes scanned the horizon, seeing nothing but endless rolling hills of sand as far as the eye could see. The longer he looked, the more it blended together, making it harder and harder to judge the actual distance of the various hills…when he could actually make out where one ended and another began, that was.

"I thought you guys said the observatory was right by the warp pad?" He asked, frowning. He felt a strong pair of hands grasp his shoulders as Jasper picked him up and turned him around, setting him back down.

"Oh," He said flatly, and Spinel giggled.

The observatory was a huge structure, made up of the same kind of rocky material he'd when Jasper had brought him to the Sky Arena. It was a massive circular building, with a dome arching over the entire complex. He couldn't really make out much more than that, unfortunately, given they were so close to the building.

"Welcome to the observatory!" Peridot exclaimed, and Steven sighed. He recognized that voice…he heard it every time Peridot was getting ready to give some lecture on Gem technology or history, usually right before the saturday reruns of Lonely Blade were about to air.

Jasper groaned as Spinel's shoulders slumped, both of them recognizing the tone as well, but Lapis tried to keep their spirits up. "Come on, guys…it's important Steven knows these kinds of things. It's his history too."

"It's pointless history," Jasper argued. "This was a Homeworld structure. Homeworld isn't here anymore. Why does it matter?"

"For one, it relates directly to our mission, which you would know if you read the pamphlet I prepared!" Peridot growled.

"Who makes a pamphlet for a mission?" Jasper scoffed.

"This is a special occasion!" Peridot snapped.

"Which is why we probably shouldn't be arguing with each other," Lapis said, silencing the both of them. "Peridot," She said gently after a moment. "Please continue."

She cleared her throat. "Right…as I was saying, the Observatory is an important structure, a staple of late Era One colonies. It used to serve a twofold purpose during the colonization period…one as an actual observatory, a place of study and research, where any findings of relevance gathered during colonization could be compiled and formatted into reports for Homeworld…and secondly as a place to socialize for higher ranking Gems who found themselves on the surface for whatever reason. Sapphires, Emeralds, the like…"

They came to a stop in front of a large stone door. Lapis placed her hand on the surface and frowned. "Jasper, I don't suppose you could…?"

Jasper grunted, her helm forming around her head. "Back away," She warned, and with a roar slammed her head into the wall. The stone of the door flew inward in massive chunks, giving them an entrance.

Peridot blinked, then adjusted her visor. "Yes, go ahead and smash everything," She said, trying to keep her cool. "It isn't as if this is an important piece of Gem history. By all means, bludgeon your way through, why don't you?"

"It's Homeworld history," Jasper said gruffly. "We weren't exactly fond of that kind of thing back during the war." She grinned cruelly. "Oh wait…"

"Jasper," Lapis warned, more harshly this time. "I think both of you are forgetting the real reason we're all here."

All of their heads turned to Steven, and he chuckled nervously. "Who's, er…excited for the mission?" This is going bad…why did Jasper and Peridot have to fight now of all times?

"I am!" Spinel cheered. "But uh…what exactly is the mission again?"

"Good question," Steven said. "Jasper?"

She shrugged. "Don't ask me. Ask the boss."

He turned to Lapis, who only blinked…before slowly turning to Peridot.

Peridot gave her a flat stare. "Did none of you read the pamphlet?"

"Was never gonna happen," Jasper said simply.

"I forgot!" Spinel added helpfully.

"I meant to," Lapis said apologetically with a wince. "But between the excitement of Steven's first mission, and everything else…"

Peridot sighed. "It's fine. What's seven hours wasted to a Gem anyways? It's not like I took the time to color code the bullet points or anything." She shook her head. "Anyway, the mission is simply to review the status of the observatory. Nothing is supposed to be operational after so long, but we've been to more than a few ruins that shouldn't have a spark of working technology, but somehow the booby-traps work just as well as they did when they were installed. We reach the primary observation deck, we ensure everything is fine, and once we do we can scratch this off the list, and mark it as a mission success."

"Sounds easy enough," Steven said. "Of course, with my specially prepared backpack, it'll be even easier!"

"I'm sure your backpack will be very helpful," Peridot said dismissively, not paying any attention whatsoever. "Now, are we ready to get a move on?"

Steven coughed as they entered the observatory. "Geez, it's musty in here."

"It's been closed off for thousands of years," Peridot reminded him. "I imagine Jasper breaking in the door was the first time this place has had sunlight or new air flow for a very, very long time."

As they walked, Steven's eyes ran across the walls. They looked almost like Peridot's room in the temple, made of a similar material, except where Peridot's walls were covered in interlocking hexagonal patterns, the walls of the observatory were blank and sterile, aside from an occasional mural depicting scenes he didn't recognize.

"So…what exactly did Homeworld observe here?" He asked curiously. "Not just the earth, right?"

"Well, primarily, yes." Peridot said. "Every report and schematic I read never mentioned any other use for the observatory. For that matter, I can't think of what else it would be used for."

Steven shrugged. "Maybe they just wanted to look out into space?"

Peridot snickered. "Steven, we gems are a highly advanced space-faring empire easily capable of interstellar flight. If any gem wanted to look out at the stars, why wouldn't they simply go out and see them up close?"

"Because Homeworld Gems didn't have a choice when or where they were assigned," Lapis said suddenly, speaking up to the surprise of the others. "We were all made for a purpose, and we did our duty to fulfill that purpose without question." She looked down as they walked, lost in memory. "But that doesn't mean we always liked it. We were supposed to, but when you spend so long away from home, so long on an alien planet meant for nothing more than eventual destruction, you begin to miss the stars. That's the real reason the observatories were made. If it were just for studying the earth, or sending reports to Homeworld, other structures like the Lunar Spire would have been more than enough. But the higher placed gems who were stuck assigned to colony worlds and missed the stars needed somewhere to feed the longing for home…so Homeworld quietly sanctioned the construction of observatories under the guise of other purposes."

Peridot blinked in surprise after Lapis finished speaking. "I…never knew that, actually. I'd only read reports of their uses, I didn't know…"

Lapis shrugged. "I guess we all get to learn something new today."

Something whirred in front of them, and Lapis threw an arm out in front of him. "Everybody, look out!"

Jasper summoned her helm, growling. Lights began to flicker on, illuminating the chamber. "We appear to be in the main foyer," Peridot observed after a moment, when it was clear there wasn't any threat.

The others stood down, though Jasper eyed the lights suspiciously. "...let's just hurry up."

A roar caused them to snap their heads down one of the main hallways as it tore through the observatory, echoing in their ears.

Steven swallowed nervously. "Um, guys…?"

"This doesn't make any sense…this place was meant to be abandoned!" Lapis exclaimed.

"Maybe some other Gems were stuck here when the attack came, and wound up trapped inside?" Spinel suggested.
"Hm…" Peridot hummed in thought. "A reasonable supposition. The observatory is above ground, and though airtight, if any gems were in the primary observation deck, the light could have corrupted them through the glass. It should have been reinforced, but not enough to keep out…well, you know."

Lapis shook her head. "That's it, we're going back now. This wasn't the plan."

Steven's eyes widened in fear. "But-"

"We'll take Steven back to the Temple and come back on our own to deal with whatever's here," Lapis continued without missing a beat. "We'll just have to find something else for his first mission."

"Agreed," Peridot nodded. "Who knows what other kinds of threats could be here?"

They weren't serious, were they? This was his first mission, and they were just going to send him back five minutes after they walk in the door?

"Now wait just a minute!" Spinel protested, sticking up for him. "We said we were gonna stick to this, didn't we?"

Jasper grunted. "I'm with her," She said. "Steven needs to learn, the sooner the better."

"That was before we just found out the observatory is occupied," Lapis scowled. "The situation has changed."

"So what?" Steven interrupted, blurting the words out before he realized it. He reddened at his outburst, but continued anyway. "Lapis, didn't you just say before we came here that we can never prepare for everything in a mission?"

She frowned. "Well, yes, but-"

"This is my first mission," Steven pleaded. "How am I ever supposed to learn if you guys just send me home every time at the first sign of danger? What if the next time we run into danger, we're too far from a warp pad, or I don't have the time to get to safety? What if I'm stuck and I don't know what to do in a real emergency?"

"Huh," Peridot scratched the back of her head. "That…is actually a really good point."

Lapis frowned, still unconvinced. "Steven…"

"I promise, I'll be super careful!" He said quickly, clasping his hands together. "But don't you think the best way for me to learn this stuff is when I'm with all of you?"

She sighed. "You need to stay near at least one of us at all times," She relented. "And if we tell you to run, you run."

Steven nodded quickly with a grin. "I will, absolutely!" Yes!

"I'm going to regret this," She muttered, but smiled despite herself. "Come on then. We've still got a long way to go before we reach the main observation deck…and now we have at least one Corrupted Gem to deal with as well."

"It could be worse," Peridot pointed out, as they began to walk down the hallway the roar had echoed down. "The reports I read indicated that during the height of the war, observatories on earth were outfitted with certain defense mechanisms." She snickered. "Just be glad those all must have wasted away centuries ago."

At her words, dozens of panels on the walls beside them parted, and turrets emerged, taking aim.

Lapis sighed, and Jasper growled. "Peridot…"

Spinel snorted. "And I thought I was funny."

"Steven…" Lapis said slowly, her eyes glued to the turrets as they slowly began to glow. "Do you remember when I said to run if we told you to?"

He swallowed nervously. "Er…yeah?"

She grabbed his hand. "Follow us, and do not stop running until we do!"

"You got it-woah!" He let himself be pulled down the hallway as Lapis broke off into a sprint. Behind him he heard the turrets begin to fire, and the rest of the Gems follow behind them, the light from the door Jasper had busted through growing dimmer and dimmer as they ran deeper into the observatory.

He couldn't stop himself grinning despite the danger. He knew it was serious, but come on! They were exploring an ancient gem observatory, running away from turrets shooting at them down a hall they had heard a weird roar.

This was the coolest first mission ever.

The wind was almost knocked out of him as they came to a sudden stop, and Lapis flung the both of them behind an empty fountain. The others were finding places of their own to take cover, following close behind them.
He peeked over the side of the fountain to get a look at where the turrets were, and only managed to see what looked like an endless wall of them snap to his head before he paled, and quickly ducked back down, narrowly missing the turret, and Lapis pulled him closer to her.

"This wasn't how this was supposed to go…" She murmured. "It was supposed to be safe…"

"Hey, it's okay!" He told her, trying to cheer her up. Of all the times to get caught up in her own head, now was definitely one of the worst. They needed the super strong, sometimes scary leader version of Lapis Lazuli right about now. "Like you said, we can never know what's gonna happen on a mission!"

"We're stuck here," She growled in frustration. "There's too many turrets to get up and run to safety without the risk of you getting shot."

"There doesn't seem to be any further down the hall," Steven noticed, looking behind them. "If we can just get there…" His eyes lit up, and he grinned. "I have an idea!"

He pulled himself away from Lapis and stood up. Her eyes flashed fearfully, and she reached out a hand. "Steven, wait-"

"Too late," He said, and the turrets snapped to him again. An instant later they fired, but Steven threw up his hands, and a glowing pink shield appeared in front of him, the turret's energy blasts reflecting harmlessly off the surface.

He laughed at his success. "Did you see that guys? I did it!" He was getting better and better at summoning his shield. Maybe sometime soon, he'd be able to get them to last more than a few seconds…

His face fell. "Oh," He said flatly, as his shield began to flicker under the heavy fire from the turrets. "Right. I knew I was forgetting something." His shield shattered, throwing him back forcefully. He winced, preparing to brace himself before he smacked into the stone floor, but the impact never came as he felt himself caught in a pair of lanky arms. He opened his eyes to find Spinel grinning at him from across the room, her arms lengthened to catch him. She pulled him quickly back towards her.

"It was a good try, Steven!" Lapis yelled encouragingly from the fountain.

Peridot squealed as a turrets blast came a little too close to her. Jasper quickly pulled her back to safety with a hiss of frustration. "How are these stupid things still working anyway? You said this would be safe!"

Peridot frantically scanned the schematics she had prepared for the mission. "It was supposed to be! The fact that the defenses are so well preserved is nothing short of a miracle!"

Jasper grunted. "Pretty crappy miracle."

"Unless you've got a suggestion for getting Steven to safety, please stop complaining," Lapis groaned.

Jasper quickly protested, but Steven lost track of what she was saying. He was still looking at the ground where the turret had just missed Peridot. There was a black mark on the floor, and it was still smoking, but outside of that it didn't look like it had actually damaged the stone.

Hm…he could try to summon his shield again, and it might even work, but he still wouldn't be able to keep it up for long enough to get to safety. But then again…hadn't the turret's energy beams been reflected off of his shield?

He gasped, his eyes widening as the answer came to him. He dropped to one knee, unslinging his backpack and rummaging through one of the many pouches.

Spinel frowned. "Uh…Steven?" She asked, puzzled. "Is now really the best time to be going through that thing?"

"Now is the perfect time!" He grinned, pulling out the frying pan he had packed earlier this morning and raising it up triumphantly. "I told you I came prepared!"

"What's that?"

"Plan B," He said, then stepped out into the open once more, and once more the turrets snapped to him, glowing with energy as they charged. He raised the pan with both hands just as the beams of light fired. He felt the force of the beams hit the pan and run up his arms, making him shiver involuntarily, but other than that the beams bounced off the pan harmlessly.

Steven laughed in amazement that his plan actually worked. Beside him, he could see the Gems were equally surprised. "Is that…Greg's cooking utensil?" Peridot asked.

"I think so," Lapis muttered. "It's working. How is it working?"

"Because with the power of the cheeseburger backpack, I can prepare for anything!" He cheered.

The center of the pan began to dimly glow from the heat of the energy beams, and the edges of the pan were starting to get warm. Steven quickly cleared his throat. "Uh, maybe we should keep going?"

Lapis nodded. "Everyone, keep heading down the hall!"

Steven walked backwards carefully, until finally he escaped the range of the turrets, and he could turn around with a sigh of relief.

Spinel grabbed his hands and spun him around, laughing all the while. "That was awesome!" She giggled. He stumbled a little when she let go of him, dizzy from the spinning, but he managed to keep his balance and give her a shaky thumbs up.

"It was a rather creative solution," Peridot agreed. "Excellent improvisation."

Jasper shrugged. "If it works, it works. And it definitely worked."

"You did great, Steven," Lapis told him with a smile, before looking down the path. They weren't following one large hallway anymore, the path having at some point branched off into a series of winding halls. Before them were three different paths. "Peridot, do you know where we go from here?"

Peridot looked down at the schematics she had carefully prepared, frowning in thought. "There are six routes from here to the observation deck, though all but two of them have defenses along the way, and if our recent troubles just proved anything, it's safe to say they're likely still active." She gestured for them to follow, and chose one of the hallways to walk through.

Peridot crossed the threshold, and a loud clang rang out. Jasper and Spinel quickly ran to her side. "What was that?" Jasper growled, looking around for a threat while hovering around Peridot protectively.

Faster than he could blink, a door slid down forcefully just as Spinel crossed the threshold, separating the three of them from Steven and Lapis.

"Peridot!" He yelled in worry, running over to the door and banging as hard as he could. "Spinel! Jasper! Are you guys okay?"

There was an agonizingly long pause before he received an answer. "We're fine!" The muffled voice of Peridot called from behind the door. "Just a little stuck!"

"Not for long," Jasper said from behind the door, and a second later Steven heard a massive bang as something crashed into the door. It shook from the impact, but held firm, not so much as denting. There was another crash, followed by another, and another. Finally, he heard Jasper scream in frustration. "Come on, you stupid piece of junk!"

"Obviously, that isn't working," Peridot observed. "Steven? Lapis? Can you still hear us?"

Lapis walked over, placing a hand against the door. "We can hear you, Peridot," She said gently. Her eyes were wide, full of worry.

Peridot was quiet for a moment. "Jasper can't get through the door, so we'll just have to keep going. This is the shortest path to the observation deck, thankfully, so we should be fine. But listen carefully…the path straight ahead of you branches off into a few more, all of which have defenses. The path on the right is the longest by far, but it's only one path, and there won't be any turrets or anything like that. Stick to the path, and you should reach the observation deck without too many problems. We'll meet up with you there."

Lapis nodded. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll look out for them," Jasper interrupted. "Don't worry about us. Just get to the observation thingy so we can be done here and go home."

Lapis sighed. "Be safe. We'll see you on the other side." She pulled her hand away from the door, wilting at the loss of contact.

Steven frowned. He hated seeing Lapis like this. Nothing was worse than when she let herself feel down like this…

"H-Hey, it's gonna be alright!" He stuttered, hoping to cheer her up. "We just have to make it to the observation deck! Jasper and Spinel can deal with anything that comes their way, they'll be fine!"

Lapis gave a tired smile. "I know they will, Steven. But that won't stop me from worrying." She pinched his cheek. "Just like you growing up won't stop me worrying about you. You're getting much better at summoning your shield, especially on such short notice."

"But it broke anyway," Steven pointed out. "I barely held it for a few seconds."

"So?" She shrugged. "Not too long ago, you didn't even know if you had powers at all." She bent down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you wanna know something else?"

"...What?" He asked hesitantly.

"You didn't let the shield breaking stop you," She reminded him. "That was some quick thinking, grabbing that…pan thing. It's one thing to be able to use your powers to solve your problems…it's another to use your brains."

Steven laughed. "I think you're starting to spend too much time with Peridot."

Lapis brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and stood, any trace of doubt vanished from her face. "Come on Steven," She said confidently. "We have a mission to finish."

Sometimes it was weird to see how drastically Lapis could change from moment to moment. Sometimes she was just Lapis, the shy, quiet gem who had to be coaxed into a conversation, constantly questioning herself.

And at other times, it was like she was a completely different gem. Much more certain and decisive, not leaning on her teammates, but raising them up, and reminding Steven that she wasn't just Lapis, she was Lapis Lazuli, the leader of the Crystal Gems.

He wasn't entirely sure how or why she could act so differently seemingly at random, but right now he was just glad that she seemed to be more sure of herself at the moment.

The route they had taken to the observation deck was long and empty, just as Peridot had said, giving him plenty of time to think as they walked. He thought back to what his dad had told him before the mission…just how much had Lapis really changed since becoming the leader of the gems?

Was the shy Lapis the real one? Or the confident leader? Or were they both the real her, and there was just some other piece he was missing? Would she be a different person if he was never born, if his mom never died and Lapis never had to step into her shoes?

Would she be a better person if I was never born?

"Steven," Lapis said, snapping him out of his thoughts. When he looked up, she was frowning. "What's wrong?" She asked. "You've been really quiet for the last few minutes."

He blinked. "Oh, nothing. Just…thinking," He said lamely.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "About what?" She questioned.

"Er…well…" He cleared his throat. "My dad told me you two used to be friends a while ago. He said you used to hang out on the beach and catch fish."

"It wasn't that long ago," Lapis said. "Barely what, twelve or thirteen years?"

"That's a long time for humans," Steven reminded her. "But honestly, I was just surprised. I've never even seen you go out into town, much less actually hang out with a human."

"That's because I haven't ever been into town," Lapis said with a shrug. "I used to relax underneath a nice tree where they built the first houses in Beach City, but ever since people started showing up, I've stayed away."

"How come?" He pressed. "Spinel, Peridot, even Jasper come hang out with me at the boardwalk sometimes!" He gasped. "We can go look for your favorite tree and see if it's still there! And if it isn't, we can plant a new tree for you to take naps under!"

Lapis laughed. "Steven, it's fine. I don't need a tree, or anything else. I don't like going into town because I don't like being around so many humans at once. You and Greg are the only ones I've really spoken with for…" She paused in thought for a second. "...two thousand years? Two and a half? I don't remember exactly."

That long? "If you really don't like humans that much, why did you start hanging out with my dad?"

"It's not that I don't like humans," Lapis corrected. "It's that I don't like crowds. Or people I don't know. I didn't know Greg all that well either by then, but Rose did, and I figured if Rose liked him he must be alright. So…sometimes, when I saw him parked out on the beach away from town, and I needed somewhere to be away from the gems…he let me hang out with him."

She smiled at the memory. "Those days were nice. He always left me alone unless I spoke to him first. I…appreciated that. A lot. I would lean up against the side of the van, watching the water from the ocean lap at the sand as the sun set in the distance. Greg always sat away from me, usually on the opposite side fiddling around with that guitar of his. The music was nice, and watching the sea was relaxing. Sometimes we even spoke. About Rose, or human things like movies and rock bands. And of course Rose was happy one of us was warming up to Greg as well. Spinel thought he was funny, but Jasper and Peridot still weren't sure he was a good influence on Rose."

Steven bit his lip, then asked the question that had been at the back of his mind ever since his dad first told him. "If you both liked hanging out with each other so much…then why'd you stop being friends?"

Lapis stopped walking, a look of surprise crossing her face. "I didn't think we had," She said with a frown. "Jasper, Spinel, Peridot, we all like your father. And I only stopped bothering him because we were both so busy. He was trying to take care of you, and I…I had other obligations. Besides, it isn't like I'm never going to hang out with him again. I was just waiting for a time when you were older, and I was less strained."

"So why haven't you?" He asked innocently. "I'm old enough to come live with you guys and go on missions. And you're still definitely busy, but you can't be as busy as you were." He frowned. "My dad said that sometimes people just drift away, and it isn't anyone's fault. It didn't sound like he thought you guys were ever gonna do something like that again."

"I didn't mean…that is, I never intended…it was only supposed to be…" Lapis stammered, struggling to come up with an answer. Finally, she gave up and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Thirteen years…that is a pretty long time for humans, isn't it?" Her voice lowered to a mutter. "How has it been that long?"

Steven opened his mouth to reassure her, but he was cut off by another roar, much louder and much closer than the one they had heard nearer to the entrance. He and Lapis shared a look, and he swallowed nervously. "That's…towards the observation deck, right?"

She nodded slowly, staring down the hall. "It's a one-way path. There's nowhere to go but the deck from here. If that's a corrupted gem, and it has to be a gem, then it's there." She took a deep breath, then strode forward. "Come on," She said. "If the others aren't there already, they're going to need our help."

The entrance to the main observation deck was a simple circular door identical to the one Peridot and the others had been trapped behind, only much larger. Presumably, it slid open in the same way, but at the moment it was closed tight.

Lapis frowned. "There should be a panel nearby…" She murmured to herself, then grinned when she found it embedded in the wall beside them. She gave it a few experimental taps, and her smile vanished when nothing reacted to her touch. "This isn't working," She said flatly. "Of course the turrets work, but the security panels are somehow on the fritz." She groaned. "Stupid Homeworld tech…" She shook her head. "If Peridot were here, she'd be able to get us in."

Steven hummed in thought. "Peridot might not be here…" He said, then grinned. "But I know who is…"

"Who?" Lapis asked.

Steven unslung his backpack and presented it with both hands. "Cheeseburger backpack!" He declared cheerfully.

Lapis smiled at his enthusiasm. "I suppose it's already broken, and your backpack did come in handy last time…" She shrugged. "What the heck? Give it a shot."

Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he reached into his backpack with both of his arms, rummaging around until he felt his fingers close around what he hoped were the screwdriver and clippers he'd packed beforehand. Pulling his hands out, he grinned at the confirmation he'd successfully remembered both tools. "Alright Lapis…time for Cheeseburger backpack to save the day again!"

Lapis snorted, and gestured towards the panel with a hand. "Be my guest," She told him, then added afterwards. "But be careful."

He approached the panel with the screwdriver ready, only to sigh when he realized there wasn't anything for him to unscrew. Right. Super advanced gem technology…they probably have different tools. Still, that didn't mean the screwdriver was useless. He just had to improvise.

Sliding the flat of the screwdriver head between the panel and its cover, he pushed hard against the panel with both hands, prying off the cover with a grunt. He quickly put the screwdriver away, and brought up his clippers.

Inside the panel were dozens of intersecting wires, none of which he could even begin to tell apart, let alone guess at their function. "One of these must control the door," He reasoned. "Just gotta figure out which."

He took a deep breath, then chose a wire at random and readied the clippers. Here goes nothing, he thought, and snipped the wire in two.

A few seconds passed, and Steven decided that one was either a dud, or led to something that didn't work anymore. "Okay…" He muttered to himself. "Onto the next one." He snipped another wire, and immediately a dozen turrets popped out of the wall.

Lapis shrieked in surprise, placing herself in front of Steven. He yelped, and quickly cut the wire beside it, and the turrets retreated back behind the wall.

They both sighed in relief, and Steven raised his clippers to the next wire. "Please be the right one," He groaned. "I don't know if we can take much more of this."

He cut the wire…and the door slid open. He almost jumped up to celebrate, but Lapis quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "The gem, remember?" She whispered.

"Oh right," He whispered back sheepishly. "Sorry."

She smiled and flashed him an okay sign. Good work with the door, She mouthed silently, then gestured for him to follow her.

The first thing he noticed about the observation deck was the ceiling. It was huge, dotted with a pattern of some kind of see-through pane that couldn't have been glass, as nothing looked so much as scratched. It reminded him of a greenhouse, almost, only in the shape of a dome.

A truly massive telescope dominated the center of the chamber, its scope pointed up into the stars. At its base were a circle of computers and screens forming a ring around the telescope. There was another door at the other end of the chamber, presumably the one that led to the path Peridot and the others were taking. The door was still shut tight, which meant either He and Lapis got here first, which didn't make sense as they had the longer route, or the others were held up for some reason.

He almost didn't notice the corrupted gem. The only reason he did was because they moved.

Perched halfway up the telescope was a large gem. They looked almost like a giant, teal gorilla, with a lobster-like claw and leathery wings, as well as a single, cyclopean gem where her eyes should be. It jumped down to the floor, and the impact nearly swept him and Lapis both of their feet.

The gem paced back and forth anxiously, grunting and snorting, and always it would return to look at the screens. Steven squinted, and realized the gem was looking at a security feed of the Observatory.

"She must have been watching us this whole time," He whispered to Lapis. "She saw us on the camera's and that's when she roared." Of course…how many years must she have been trapped here? And all that time, nothing would have ever changed.

That must have been awful. Stuck in the observatory, alone for five thousand years…then all of a sudden, without warning, a bunch of strangers barge in and start causing chaos? He'd be terrified.

She IS terrified, He realized. She was pacing anxiously, clearly on edge.

"I just wish we could help you," He said aloud, only realizing after the words left his mouth that he'd accidentally spoken louder than he intended to. The gem's head snapped towards him and snarled.

"Steven, get back!" Lapis said, and pushed him behind her. The gem charged with a roar and slammed into Lapis, knocking her into one of the walls.

"Lapis!" He cried out, and ran to her side, narrowly avoiding a swipe of the Gem's fist. "Are you okay"

She groaned, holding a hand to her head. "Get to cover," She instructed. "I'll deal with the gem."

"But you're hurt!" Steven protested.

"I'll be fine," She said dismissively. "I just need to keep her busy until the others get here."

"Why not just use your powers?"

"There's only enough water to draw from the air to form my wings, Steven," Lapis pointed out. "And I don't have a weapon of my own. I'll have to fly around, hope I can play keep away long enough to buy time."

"But-" Steven didn't get to finish his sentence, as Lapis pushed him away and summoned her wings. She flew off just as the gem spread her own wings, and launched itself into the air to give chase.

"Water…" He repeated, placing his hand under his chin in thought. "Water…water…"

Steven grinned, snapping his fingers. "I got it!" He exclaimed. He fell to his knees, quickly unslinging his backpack, not bothering to sift around and instead dumping the contents on the floor. He gave it a few good shakes to make sure it was empty, then tossed it to the side.

Five, six, seven…Eight! Eight fresh water bottles, all filled and all screwed tight!

And dad thought eight was going to be overkill…He was totally gonna say 'I told you so' once they got back. First things first though…eight bottles of water wasn't exactly an ocean, but it might be enough to give Lapis an edge.

He glanced over to see how she was doing, and saw her soar over the…gorilla gem? But it had a lobster claw, so maybe it was a lobster gem? Hm…let's go with Lobsterilla.

Lapis narrowly avoided Lobsterilla's pincer, darting quickly to the side. She flew expertly around the telescope, maneuvering her way with a practiced ease. Lobsterilla was everything Lapis was not…large and brutish, where Lapis was small and graceful. Her flight was stilted, with janky movements, where Lapis seemed to swim through the air. It looked like Lapis was completely in her element, and she even let out a quiet laugh…

The moment she did, Lobsterilla twisted in mid-air, slamming Lapis with her fist and sending her crashing back down to the ground. Lobsterilla landed forcefully, slowly making her way to Lapis.

Steven looked away, and one by one unscrewed the caps on all of the water bottles as quickly as he could. Hoping it was enough, he cupped his hands and yelled. "Lapis! I've got some water for you!"

Lapis rose to her feet slowly with a groan, one hand clutching her stomach. She looked up shakily, and her eyes widened when they landed on the water bottles. Not stopping to question how he had them, she quickly pulled the water out, bringing it to her and forming a shield just as Lobsterilla slammed her claw down.

Lapis grunted from the effort, but stood firm. She pulled the water back, then formed it into the shape of a mace. Her wings appeared behind her once more, and with a roar Lapis took flight, swinging the water mace with both hands across Lobsterilla's face.

The Corrupted Gem staggered back, but Lapis didn't let up, delivering blow after blow, pushing Lobsterilla further and further back.

Behind him, he heard the hiss of a door sliding open and turned. Jasper ran in with a panicked look on her face, Peridot and Spinel following close behind. "Stupid rubble got in our way," She growled. "What happened? Are you two okay? Is Lapis-"

"We're fine," Steven reassured her, then turned back to watch the fight. "Lapis is kicking Lobsterilla's butt!"

"Lobster-what?" Peridot questioned, but Steven wasn't listening. He watched as Lapis dominated the fight. Her water wasn't just a mace now, it changed constantly from form to form. She would push Lobsterilla with a formless wave, then make a hammer or mace to strike at her directly, or form a rope and pull, sending her off balance, all the while darting around Lobsterilla.

Steven watched as Lobsterilla's movements became slower, more sluggish, until finally Lapis landed back on the ground. With one last, weakened roar, Lobsterilla tried to charge her. Without missing a beat, the water formed a spear, and with a flick of her hand Lapis sent it flying through Lobsterilla's gem, poofing her.

Lapis fell to her knees, breathing heavily from the effort. "Well that sucked."

"Lapis!" Jasper marched over quickly. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head groggily. "No, I'm fine. It's really nothing to be worried ab-ahh!" Lapis yelped as Jasper picked her up, holding her gingerly in her arms. She laughed in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you," Jasper grunted. "You couldn't stand."

Lapis snorted, and playfully swatted Jasper's arm. "I would be able to if you gave me more than five seconds. I just finished a fight. Here, let me…" Lapis pushed herself out of Jasper's arms, smoothing out her dress.

Peridot ignored the two of them, walking over and stooping down to pick up Lobsterilla's gem. She bubbled her and sent it away without a second thought, then turned to the two of them. "So what happened after we were separated?"

Lapis shrugged. "Not too much. Things were boring until we got to the door." She grinned. "Steven got it open with the help of his backpack. He also used it to save me…he had a bunch of water bottles packed in there that he opened up. I might have been seriously hurt otherwise."

Peridot blinked in surprise. "That backpack wasn't just a one-off thing?" She shook her head. "Huh. It's certainly unorthodox, but I suppose if it proved effective, I can hardly argue with the results."

"Sounds like ya did pretty well for yourself!" Spinel congratulated.

Lapis nodded in agreement. "Steven, you did amazing for your first mission. You should be proud of yourself…you handled yourself well even when you were scared."

Steven blushed at so much praise. "So does this mean I get to come on more missions?" He asked nervously.

Lapis laughed. "Of course it does!"

"Ahem," Peridot cleared her throat. "Perhaps we can go ahead and at least actually finish his first mission before we start planning any further outings?"

Jasper nodded. "We're here," She said. "This is your part."

"Naturally," Peridot said, cracking her knuckles. "You clods would be lost without me if you tried to do this yourselves." She made her way over to one of the computer screens at the base of the telescope. "Now then…all we have to do is deactivate the defenses, retrieve a few readings, double check this place is actually empty, and…" Peridot stopped, frowning.

"Is something wrong?" Steven asked.

She shook her head. "No. Not…wrong. Just weird."

Lapis tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The observatory was built for observing space and earth," Peridot explained. "I don't think I need to explore the purpose of the telescope…but observatories also usually kept a handful of drones on standby to go out into the colony and take readings of far off locations."

"Okay," Jasper shrugged. "What's so weird about that?"

"Nothing," Peridot answered. "What's weird is that the coordinates set for the drone's last mission match those of the first crystal gem base we found a few weeks ago."

"But those coordinates would have been set thousands of years ago, at the end of the war," Spinel said.

"Exactly," Peridot agreed. "It looks like Homeworld found the base."

Lapis sighed. "So what? That was our first base, it had been abandoned for centuries by the time the war came to an end. If Homeworld was poking around there, they were wasting their time." She glanced up, taking one more look at the stars above them before looking back. "Alright. Let's get ready to head home before too long. I'm exhausted, and I'm sure Steven's getting tired."

"Sounds good to me," Jasper said. "Today was a lot more annoying than it was supposed to be."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Spinel jumped into the air, raising her hand. "Can we look through the telescope for a little while? Please?"

Lapis smile. "Of course. That was half the reason we came here." She looked past Spinel. "Steven, you can use the telescope as well whenever you like before we go home!"

"I will!" He called back, then turned to Peridot, who was still frowning over the screen as the others crowded around the telescope. First, though, he should check in with Peridot.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Just going over the readings," Peridot said. "The coordinates don't make any sense."

"Lapis said that if Homeworld found their old base, they would only have been wasting their time," Steven said.

Peridot shook her head. "Maybe…I could simply be overthinking things. I mean, this is all thousands of years in the past…even if there was something interesting here, it's not as if there are any Homeworld gems left to finish whatever work was started here. But all twenty of the observatories drones being dispatched to an apparently abandoned base? It just doesn't make sense. Homeworld wouldn't waste resources like that unless they are certain there's something of use. I would know."

"It doesn't have to make sense!" Steven smiled. "Come on…we got what we came here for. How about we look at the stars for a little while then head home? We can forget about all of this weird drone stuff. I'm sure Lapis was right and they just found an old base, mistaking it for a current one."

"...That is the most likely scenario," Peridot admitted reluctantly, then smiled. "I suppose looking up at the stars with all of you does sound rather enjoyable…"

With a laugh, Steven grabbed her arm, dragging her off to the telescope.

They stayed at the observatory much longer than they probably should have, and by the time they got back home, Steven nearly passed out the second he fell into bed.

"Good night, Steven," He heard Lapis whisper as he drifted off to sleep. "We're all very proud of what you did today. Your mother would be even prouder."

His eyes fluttering shut, a faint smile crossed his face as he felt himself lulled closer into unconsciousness.

Mom…he thought wistfully, but he didn't have a chance to finish the thought before sleep claimed him.

Greg yawned quietly as he strummed a chord, humming along to a tune. He frowned at the sound. It was wrong…he fiddled with one of the tuning pegs, then strummed again and grinned. "Much better," He said to himself.

He leaned back against the van, playing to himself as the sun rose over the beach. Every now and again he would look up to the temple, looking for Steven to come running out of the Beach House excitedly.

Yesterday had been his first mission, and he had gotten back late. The gems had told him everything went well and nobody was hurt, but nothing more than that. No doubt Steven would want to tell him everything the second he got out of bed…

He heard something land softly beside him, and a voice spoke softly before he could turn his head. "Hello, Greg."

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked up. "Lapis?" He frowned. "If you're looking for Steven, he hasn't come out yet. He should still be asleep in the temple, unless he's playing hide and seek."

Lapis shook his head. "No, I know he's still asleep. I was looking for you, actually."

"Huh? Uhm…sure. What's up?" He asked, puzzled.

She looked out towards the water, clenching and unclenching her fist. "I…" She cleared her throat. "The mission went well. Steven did fantastic. Even after things got a little messy, he did well. That backpack of his came in real handy. It was clever of him to pack a lot of extra water."

Greg laughed. "I knew he was going to be awesome." He frowned, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I'll have to act surprised when he tells me that part, though."

Lapis frowned. "Why?"

"Steven's going to want to talk about the mission as soon as he gets out of bed," Greg said. "That's why I'm here. And I can't let him know I got a little spoiled about what happened…"

Laps winced. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "Of course Steven would want to tell you as soon as possible. I should have known that. Now I've gone and ruined his fun…" She took a step back. "I'm sorry," She said again. "This…this was a mistake. I shouldn't have come out here."

"Hey, it's fine!" Greg said, standing up and holding out a hand to reassure her. "I'm a dad, I'm basically a master of acting surprised for Steven's sake. You know how many movies he's seen and wanted to tell me about that I've had to act like I haven't watched them a thousand times? Besides, you barely told me anything." He frowned. "Is…everything okay?"

Lapis lowered her head, facing away from him towards the sea, her dress rippling in the wind. "I…spoke with Steven during the mission," She said reluctantly. "We were separated from the others for a short while. He told me that you spoke with him yesterday about how the two of us used to be closer. He asked me why we weren't anymore."

Greg blinked. "It's no big deal. I told him, things change sometimes. If you're worried that he thinks we hate each other or something, don't be. He understands now sometimes people get closer as time goes on, and sometimes they don't."

"But I don't understand!" Lapis blurted. "I…I didn't realize it had been so long. I never meant for it to be so long. I liked having somewhere to go and peacefully relax without being alone. I never thought we stopped being friends…I didn't even know you thought that."

Greg's eyes widened in surprise. She came out here to hang out, he realized. Used to be, he would have realized that as soon as she landed, but thirteen years was a long time…

He cleared his throat, then sat back down, strumming a few chords. "I never thought we stopped being friends," He said. "Just…changed, is all. And we have. You're not the same gem you were back when we met. And I'm definitely not the same human. Still…that isn't a bad thing."

Lapis was silent, and Greg frowned, trying to think of how to fix things. This was probably the only chance he would have…

An idea came to him, and he began to play a familiar tune. I don't think I've played this since before Stevn was born, he thought as the notes rang out from his guitar.

Lapis perked up at the sound, and turned with a puzzled look. "Greg? Is that…?"

He flashed a grin. "Kerry Moonbeam's still your favorite, right?" He asked.

She smiled lightly, unable to resist. "Ground control, to Major Tom," She sang along.

"Ground control, to Major Tom," He sang back, and Lapis snorted, before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"I haven't heard that song in years," She said in between laughs.

"Tell you what," Greg said. "Steven probably won't be up for another hour or two. If you want…how about you sit out here with me and we can go through the old classics? Same deal as always, of course. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, and you can be alone on the other side of the van."

Lapis shook her head, smiling. "I don't think I like that deal anymore."

His face fell. "You…you don't?"

"Nah," Lapis said. "Like you said, I'm not the same gem I used to be…" She walked over, sitting down beside Greg. "...And what kind of friend would I be if we didn't use the time to catch up a little after so long?"

He laughed awkwardly. "It's not like we haven't seen each other or spoken in the last thirteen years, Lapis."

"No," Lapis agreed. "But this is different. We don't need to worry about Steven, or anything else. We can just…relax, for a little while. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Greg smiled, and began to play. "Yeah," He said quietly as Lapis leaned back against the van. "It does."

Well this is a lot longer than I intended it to be.

Very important chapter here, between the insight to Lapis and the hints at what's to come. Still a lot of setup, of course, but I still think this is a really good chapter. The friendship between Lapis and Greg sort of surprised me when I came up with the idea, but it makes a lot of sense I think, in the context of the story.

Anyways, same things apply as always. Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment! I read through them all. I'm always happy to answer any questions that don't veer into spoilers.

Chapter Text

Peridot scowled. For nearly three days tremors had been occurring throughout Beach City and the surrounding area. At first she had assumed it only to be an innocent phenomena, the result of some natural happening.

But they were far too frequent, far too consistent to be normal. She had lived in Beach City for centuries, and this…this was something new.

She would have investigated sooner had she not been absorbed in her own research. Ever since they cleared out the observatory, something had been bothering her, taking hold in the back of her mind and refusing to let go.

Records showed that Homeworld had found the original Crystal Gem base, and apparently dispatched drones to the location close to the end of the war…but to what end? From what Lapis had told her, it was well known the Crystal Gems had abandoned any pretense of a single stronghold not long into the war, electing for a more guerilla approach.

If it were a single drone sent to scout ahead or search for intelligence or resources left behind, she would understand easily enough. But every drone held within the Observatory? She had seen the logs. Their directives were set to combat parameters. Whatever they were expecting to find, they were investing quite a lot.

And Homeworld did not waste their resources.

But try as she might, she couldn't puzzle out a reason why. She was beginning to suspect that if she really wanted to know, she'd need to go back to the base…but she wasn't quite willing to go so far just yet. It was still only a curiosity to her, a mild distraction, not something that would warrant going so far out of her way to maybe glean an answer.

Well, not yet anyhow.

Maybe these tremors were just what she needed. A chance to take her mind off things, put it to a different use. Maybe she was just getting tunnel vision, and some time away from the problem was just what she needed to solve it.

Lapis was already waiting on the beach when the next tremor struck. Peridot yelped in surprise, stumbling forward and nearly falling on her face. Before she realized she was even slipping, she felt something catch her, then slowly pull her back until her footing was steady.

A pair of water-formed hands withdrew from behind her, slithering back into the ocean where Lapis had pulled them from. Lapis gave her a small smile. "Careful now. What would Steven say if you manage to get yourself hurt?"
"I was fine!" She protested.

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "Were you now?" She shrugged. "If you say so." She frowned. "These tremors…it feels like they're getting worse,"

"They are!" Peridot said quickly, eager to show her knowledge of the subject. She relished any chance she got to try and impress Lapis. "The tremors have been increasing in both strength and frequency. What's more, they don't have a consistent origin point. Whatever's causing it seems to be on the move, which means…"

Lapis grimaced. "It must be a gem."

"It's POSSIBLE," Peridot emphasized. "It could just as easily be some odd human device."

Lapis snorted. "And it could just as easily be someone other than Spinel pouring water colouring into my room." She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry. Jumping to conclusions isn't any way to solve this…you're right. This could be a coincidence. It might even be natural. Still…I'd say this is enough to warrant looking into."

Peridot's eyes glimmered with excitement. "Then…we're going to go searching for the source?"

Lapis nodded. "I'll go get the others. It's most likely in the sea still, right?"

"Correct."

"Good," Lapis said. "I'll take Spinel and Jasper, and we'll search the ocean just off the coast. Stick to the beach with Steven, make sure nothing tries to attack the temple or the city."

Her face fell. "You…want me to stay behind?"

"Of course," Lapis said, not noticing her disappointment. "If there's really a Gem in the sea causing these tremors, we need to take care of it fast, before it gets further out of hand. That means a fight."

Her eye twitched in irritation. "Which naturally means I should stay out of it,"

"Exactly!" Lapis grinned, and Peridot had to stop herself from groaning. She reminded herself that Lapis genuinely didn't realize what she was saying. "Peridot…somebody needs to stay behind and protect the town on the off chance the Gem gets past us. More importantly…someone needs to stay with Steven. I'm trusting you with this, alright?"

Despite her frustration, she couldn't fight the sense of pride building up inside at her words. "I understand," She said, nodding. "I'll keep Steven out of danger. We'll keep an eye out for anything unusual."

Lapis sighed in relief. "Thank you, Peridot. I knew I could count on you."

Lapis turned away, and though the urge to argue welled up inside her, Peridot couldn't muster enough anger to act on it.

Stars, she was pathetic. A few words of praise, and that was all it took for her to do as Lapis asked.

Peridot shook her head, sighing. The day Lapis realized just how much power she really held over her was a day Peridot both looked forward to and remained terrified of in equal measure. For the moment, however, she resigned herself to muttering angrily to herself as she trekked back to the Temple. Lapis was already gone, but that was fine. It gave her time to think.

For that matter, she would have plenty of time to think…after all, she and Steven would be stuck monitoring the beach.

Peridot sighed, her shoulders slumping out of boredom. Great, she thought bitterly. Just great. Lapis and the others were searching the ocean, possibly in danger, and she was stuck on the beach because the others thought she was useless in a fight.

Some things never changed, no matter how much time passed. Still…it could be worse. At least it gave her a chance to enjoy Steven's company. Well, it would if he weren't so distracted, that was.

For the fifth time in three minutes, Peridot caught Steven glancing off towards the distance and frowned. They were supposed to be patrolling the beach for any signs of seismic activity. This was a mission, not the time or the place for Steven to get distracted. And yet…

There was a girl sitting beneath the shadow of a small cliff, calmly reading a book. Peridot couldn't see anything unusual about her from where they were standing, but for some reason Steven seemed fixated on her.

Hmm…she shook her head, deciding not to think too much about it. The important part was that he was distracted, and even if it was unlikely they would encounter any trouble, they still needed to remain alert. "Steven?"

He jumped in surprise. "Yep!" He said quickly in a high-pitched voice. "That's me! Good-old Steven!"

She frowned. "You're speaking unusually," she observed. "Perspirating heavily as well…does this have something to do with that girl?"

His eyes widened fearfully. "What? No, of course not-"

"Do you think she has something to do with the earthquakes?" Peridot scowled, taking a step towards her. It seemed unlikely, but perhaps Steven has some insight she lacked. He was an actual human, after all. Perhaps he noticed something strange about this other one.

Steven pulled her back quickly. "No, I told you! She has nothing to do with anything!" He seemed quite insistent.

"Then why have you been staring at her for the last fifteen minutes while we're supposed to be looking for any gems that might be causing trouble?" She asked pointedly, crossing her arms.

"W-What? I haven't been staring at anybody!" Steven protested. "I was looking at the rocks!"

Peridot blinked, opening her mouth to answer him…then promptly shut it. "If you insist," She shrugged, unwilling to argue the point. She hummed in thought. "Then again…now that I think about it, we should probably do something. It would be unwise to let a human roam the beach when a Gem is potentially lurking around. She may get hurt."

"Wait!" Steven said quickly, and Peridot narrowed her eyes. He really is acting very strange…

"...Yes?" She gestured for him to continue.

"W-What if…um…well, what if she saw something?" Steven suggested. "Y-Yeah! Maybe she saw a Gem monster! She could help us!"

"Hm…" Peridot nodded. "A practical consideration. Very well…we shall interrogate the human girl!"

She began to walk towards the girl, but to her annoyance Steven pulled her back once again. "Is something wrong, Steven?" She asked impatiently. Why was he going through so much effort to hinder her?

He shook his head fervently, reddening. "No, nothing's wrong!" He laughed nervously. "Just…wait here a second! I need to get something from the house." He ran back towards the Temple, stopping halfway to turn and shout back to her. "And don't do anything weird! I'll be right back!" He disappeared over the top of the hill, leaving her alone on the beach except for the strange girl.

She frowned. "Weird?" She muttered to herself, crossing her arms. "I'm not weird. Why would he think I would ever do anything weird?"

If anything, he had been the one acting weird all day. He seemed so nervous, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of why. He had remained surprisingly composed during his first mission, both from what Lapis had told her, and what she had seen herself. Even before that, when he and Spinel caused that mess with the malformed Nepherite…he hadn't seemed all that worried until things truly got out of hand.

So far, all they had done was walk up and down the beach, while she took a few quick notes each time one of the tremors struck. Nothing exciting or overwhelming whatsoever.

But what could possibly explain his strange behaviour?

Unbidden, her eyes drifted over to the girl sitting beneath the cliff. A gear began to turn in the back of her head, understanding just beginning to dawn on her when she heard Steven running back down to her.

Peridot turned her head, and when she saw him again he was clutching an odd looking glowing hoop. He looked just as nervous as before, but something was…different, now. He looked more determined. He looked…well, she thought he looked like…it was so familiar to her, but it couldn't be…

"Oh Stars," She whispered, her eyes widening behind her visor as Steven slowed down, nervously sneaking a look at the girl as he walked over to Peridot.

Steven liked a girl.

What was she going to do? She wasn't prepared for this! Greg was supposed to be the one to deal with this kind of thing, or at least Lapis. Even Spinel would have a better idea of what to do! But…but her? What was she supposed to do, she couldn't even-"

"Peridot?" Steven said in a small, quiet voice. "Um…I'm back now."

"Abort!" She hissed, running past him and taking cover behind the nearest rock sizable enough to give her cover. She sighed in relief, shutting her eyes. Yes. Yes, this was much better. Retreat, take stock of the situation, formulate a plan…she could do that. She was good at that.

A voice suddenly appeared beside her. "Peridot?"

"Ahh!" She yelped, before quickly realizing it was only Steven again.

"Sorry," He apologized with a wince, and Peridot dragged him down behind the rock with her.

"Stay quiet," She ordered, then let him go to resume her tactical reevaluation. Her breathing slowed, and she felt herself calm somewhat.

"Peridot…" Steven groaned beside her quietly, peeking over the rock before quickly ducking back down. "I told you not to do anything weird! What the heck is this?"

"This…this…" She cleared her throat. "Circumstances have changed. We must approach this carefully."

"Approach what carefully?"

She narrowed her eyes, looking at him pointedly. "Steven…" She said. "...You've been acting odd all afternoon. You don't…like that girl, do you?"

Immediately, he blushed. "I like everybody!" He said defensively, refusing to meet her eyes. "I just think she might know something about the gem, that's all! It's for the mission!"

"Right…" Peridot said flatly, unimpressed. "And the mission dictates that you fetch some weird glowing band from the Beach House?"

He swallowed nervously. "Y-Yes."

"And it also dictates that you keep staring at her every few minutes?"

He scowled. "I wasn't staring!" He insisted. "I was just…trying to figure out how to say hi."

"Hi," Peridot imitated. "There. Problem solved."

Steven grunted in frustration, crossing his arms. "You don't get it!"

Her expression softened, watching his anger. She sighed. Yes, Steven, I do. That was sort of the problem. "Look…" She said. "I…believe you," She may as well humor him. "I'm sure this is all just for the mission. But you also want to make a good first impression, don't you?"

Steven hesitated, then nodded shyly.

Peridot stood up, brushing the sand off of her. She could do this. She was a Crystal Gem! More to the point, Steven was under her supervision. She didn't need Greg, or Lapis, or anybody else for this…she could give him perfectly sound advice all on her own! She could be a role model…

…because you're so good at romance, A voice snarked quietly in the back of her head. She chose to ignore it.

She paused, taking a second to consider what to tell him. You need to let her see you at your best, She thought, running through the conversation in her mind. Maybe she has other friends. Maybe they're smarter than you, stronger than you, funnier than you, taller than you. You need to stand out, otherwise she'll just forget about you. She'll just…

Her thoughts trailed off as she noticed Steven staring expectantly at her, waiting for her advice. He trusted her to help him, while she…

Ugh. She was turning this into something it wasn't. The two of them are children, it's not like any of this is half as serious as she's making it out to be.

It isn't about you.

She swallowed nervously. Because that's what it had become, hadn't it? For a few minutes, she had placed herself in Steven's shoes, trying to tell him to do what she wished she would have done, instead of helping him properly.

Steven was not her. This…girl was not Lapis. And she could be mature enough to recognize that. She could be mature enough to be there for Steven.

"Look, Steven," Peridot sighed. "Forget about making an impression. Forget about trying to say the right thing, and whatever else you're stressing yourself out about. Just go out there and talk to her." Ironic, coming from her…but Steven didn't need to make the same mistakes she did.

He looked at her fearfully. "But what if I say the wrong thing? What if she thinks I'm weird, and doesn't want to be my friend?"

She snorted. "You are weird. You're a half gem, half human hybrid who has a bunch of strange cat ice cream bars in our freezer." She shrugged. "So what? You're Steven Universe. There isn't any other human on earth half as interesting as you, and if this girl doesn't have the capacity to recognize that, it's a failing on her end, not yours."

Perhaps she was treating this a tad more dramatically than the situation warranted, but Steven seemed legitimately concerned, and it felt good to be relied on. He looked at her uncertainly. "So…what do I do, then?"

"Easy," Peridot scoffed. "You go up to her, and you say hi. And then you go from there." It all sounded so simple, when she put it into words for him. She heard the words coming from her mouth, but to her they sounded like a completely different Gem.

In her mind…she sounded like Lapis.

Apparently, it was enough to reassure Steven. He gave her a shaky smile, then took a deep breath and stood up. "Alright…just go up to her, and say hi," He repeated.

She nodded. "Correct." She gave him an encouraging push before slinking back behind the rock. "Now go already!" She whispered hurriedly. "And good luck!"

Peridot watched for a moment as he slowly worked up the courage to approach the girl. When she was satisfied he was going to actually introduce himself, she breathed out a sigh of relief and slid back down to the ground.

This was way out of her league. Who was she to be giving Steven advice about this sort of thing? Hmph…where was Greg when you needed him?

Still, at least it seemed to turn out well. Maybe she was overreacting and he really did only want to make a friend. She knew human children were stranger than the adults. Perhaps she had simply been mistaken.

Peridot looked out into the water, half expecting Lapis to emerge from beneath the waves. They had been gone for an oddly long time…it was possible they'd simply found nothing, but Peridot doubted that. More likely than not, Lapis got distracted. She loved being in the water, and going beneath the ocean, or retreating beneath the waves in her room were among the few times Peridot got to see her genuinely, unapologetically happy.

And she was missing it.

Be happy for her, She chided herself. It's more important that she's having a good time than it is that you're there for it. It wasn't like she never got to see Lapis in her element.
Peridot went on missions alone with Lapis more than any of the others, and she was the only one Lapis gave an entrance to her room. She prided herself on the trust Lapis placed in her…but sometimes, she wished she could just come out and tell her that she-

"Ah!" Peridot jumped up at the sound of a scream, just as the ground began to tremble. She fell back down from the earthquake with a curse, and quickly scrambled back to her feet.

"Steven!" She yelled in a panic scurrying out from behind the rock. "Are you okay? Did that human do anything? Did…did…?" She trailed off, her eyes widening as she took in the sight in front of her.

From what she saw, it appeared the tremors knocked free a few rocks sitting on the cliff the girl had been sitting beneath. She could see some of them scattered around…but right under where they would have fallen, Steven and the girl were held in a large, pink bubble.

"Oh my stars…" Peridot said in awe.

Steven stood up with a groan, rubbing his head. "We're fine!" He answered her, then his eyes widened and he looked down at the girl. "You are fine, right?" He asked, offering a hand.

The girl nodded, taking his hand and helping herself out. "Yeah, I'm okay. But…what happened?"

"Oh, I'm magic," Steven answered. "Or half magic, at least. On my mom's side. My name's Steven, by the way."

"Connie," the girl answered, then frowned. "But wait…does that mean you're doing this?"

He shrugged. "Apparently. Unless Peridot is."

Both of them turned to look at her expectantly, and she blinked in surprise. "Me? Are you kidding? I can't do anything like this!" She grinned. "It's another one of your powers, Steven, it must be." She gasped. "I can study this!"

She hurried over to the bubble, poking and prodding it. "Hm…mildly flexible, but firm." She picked up one of the pointier looking rocks, and jabbed hard at the bubble. Her hand bounced back harmlessly, the rock flying free behind her. "Much stronger than the bubbles we use for gems. I wonder how airtight it is…is the air stale in there?"

Steven and Connie shared an odd look, and then she answered her. "Um…I don't think so?"

Peridot nodded, deep in thought. "Then again, it was just formed," She murmured. "It may take a while for the air to run out, or it might not at all. I wonder if it can form its own internal atmosphere…?"

"I'm sure we can figure out how it works later, but can you help us get rid of it?" Steven asked nervously.

"No!" Peridot supplied cheerfully.

"What?" The two of them shouted.

"Steven, it's your bubble," She reminded him. "If I couldn't pop it with a rock, I doubt there's much else I could do to free you two. Jasper or Lapis, maybe, but they aren't here. You're just going to have to focus, and make it go away."

"Just focus," Steven echoed, nodding to himself. "Okay. I can do that." He shut his eyes, holding his hands out. "Bubble…go away! Disappear! Leave us alone!" He cracked an eye open, and sighed when nothing happened. "Yeah, this isn't going to work."

"Then…then what are we going to do?" Connie asked fearfully. "If you can't get us out, are we going to be stuck here forever?"

"No!" Steven said quickly. "I'll get us out of here, I promise!"

Peridot glanced over to the Temple. Maybe she couldn't get them out herself…but if Lapis and the others were back, she could enlist their help. If nothing else, it was better than standing around uselessly. "You two, stay right here. I'm going back to the Temple."

Connie's eyes widened. "You're leaving us?"

"I'll be right back!" She promised. "I'm just going to see if the others are back yet. Steven, make sure nothing happens to the human."

"You got it!" Steven grinned, as a puzzled look crossed Connie's face.

"Why did you say that like you aren't humans?"

"She isn't," Steven answered helpfully. "But I am!" He said quickly. "Er…half-human."

Connie blinked. "Oh. That's what you meant by half magic, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's all well and good," Peridot said dismissively. "You can tell her about all that stuff while I go back to the Temple. Just stay here, will you?"

"We'll stay!" Steven promised. Peridot gave him a skeptical look, but turned to go back to the Temple. She couldn't really afford to doubt them at the moment.

Besides, she'd only be gone a few minutes. How much trouble could the two of them get into?

Lapis lost herself in the water.

She soared above the others, who trekked irritably along the ocean floor. They weren't far from the coast, still searching the reef, but for the moment she let herself swim above the others with a grin, shooting through the water just as fast as she cut through the air.

She could feel everything. The movements of fish and other creatures, the pull of the current, the shifting of the tides. Jasper trudging along the floor irritably, with Spinel skipping behind her. She felt it all through the water more clearly than she could if she were staring at them on land.

Lapis was completely and utterly in her element. This…this was what she was made for.

And yet, for all that she felt, she couldn't sense anything that could be causing the tremors.

They hadn't stopped since they began searching. Every now and again, the sea floor would tremble, kicking up clouds of dust and blinding Spinel and Jasper, forcing them to swim back up to get their bearings. Lapis giggled at their discomfort.

She knew it wasn't the most mature of her…but for once, she let herself forget her responsibilities. She could forget that she had to fill Rose's shoes, she could forget the crushing weight that hounded her constantly. In the water, she was weightless. In the water, she didn't have to lead. In the water, she was free. And she so rarely got to be free of late.

Sure, there was always her room, but it wasn't the same. The water there was a fabrication. If she wanted her room to be a desert, it would be, and if she wanted it to be a forest, it would be that too. Her room was nice, yes, one of the few places she could let herself relax even a little…but she had designed it to reflect her mood. The water would not move to her wishes unless she was perfectly calm. Anything less than that, and her powers were useless.

It felt like a good idea at the time. She still thought it was. It let her always know how she felt, even when she wanted to ignore it. It helped her manage her moods, and she could use that to help her make decisions. It felt like the mature thing to do. The kind of thing a leader would do.

All it usually wound up accomplishing was further feeding her anxiety. Her room was supposed to be her sanctuary, and instead it mostly served to either irritate her, or if she were in a bad mood it tended to amplify it.

The ocean was different. Despite living on the beach, so close to the shore, she never found much time to actually go into the water. But when she did…

Well. She had a tendency to get a little carried away.

It felt so good…so freeing…

But she had a duty. She wasn't there to enjoy herself. She was there for a purpose, a mission.

With a look of mourning, she opened her eyes, slowly pulling herself back in, intentionally cutting off her sense of awareness in the water. She needed to focus.

Jasper and Spinel were motioning for her to come down. She frowned, but swam towards them, using the water to propel herself. In seconds she was on the sea floor beside them. Spinel quickly made a flurry of hand gestures, none of which made any sort of sense to Lapis. After several minutes of this, Jasper rolled her eyes, and pointed further out into the sea.

Her eyes followed Jasper's direction, until she saw a strange, translucent, almost worm-like creature slithering around the water at the edge of her vision. A quick glance confirmed it was a gem, and Lapis scowled.

She shouldn't have missed that. She opened herself up again, letting the water act as her senses…and felt nothing where the Gem was swimming.

A suspicious look crossed her face. That wasn't right, not in the slightest. She could feel Spinel and Jasper in the water, but not this gem?

She wished Peridot were here. She'd have an answer for this. She always did. She'd say that the gem was emitting some sort of electric interference, or their powers masked themself somehow, or something like that which probably made a lot more sense.

Leaving Peridot behind left her feeling blind…more than any of the others, Lapis enjoyed her company. They had gone on countless missions together, just the two of them. Peridot would always have whatever information was relevant to the situation, ready to advise her in a flash, and Lapis's powers could handle pretty much any threat on her own.

She loved them, and more often than not was glad to have them beside her, but Spinel could be…overwhelming at times, and Jasper left her feeling far too complicated. But with Peridot, she felt confident in a way she rarely ever did. The two of them worked well together as a team, and she wished she had come along…but they were going up against an unknown gem that could cause earthquakes, and the idea of Peridot getting hurt was worse than the lack of her company.

She gestured for Spinel and Jasper to fall in behind her. She waited, watching carefully as the gem drifted along in the water. It didn't seem to realize there was any threat yet.

Lapis smiled softly. Good.

She shot forward forcefully, clearing the distance between her and the gem in seconds. She held out her leg, kicking with all her might. The gem thrashed wildly, it's screeches turning to gurgles in the water. With a thought, she willed the water to hurry Spinel and Jasper over, where they joined the fight.

She needed to be careful with her powers. It was easy to get carried away, and she didn't want to shatter the gem. She certainly didn't want to harm Jasper or Spinel.

Lapis stuck to the sidelines, letting Jasper and Spinel hold its attention. She kept the gem from fleeing, thickening the water wherever it tried to swim away, occasionally swatting it back into Jasper's grasp. She pulled Spinel out of the way from the smack of its tail, pushed Jasper forward when there was an opening. It was a familiar routine, one they had honed together over millennia.

It was not a perfect routine.

It was her fault, she knew it the second it happened. Being in the water gave her a false sense of security. It made her feel better than she really was. It distracted her, made her slip up. The gem caught her in the stomach with its tail in a sudden strike, sending her flying down to the sea floor with a thud.

Jasper and Spinel instantly turned to her in worry, and the worm seized its chance. It struck at the both of them before they could react, sending them flying off in opposite directions, and leaving all three of them scattered.

Fuming, Lapis rose with a scowl. Who did this gem think she was? Those were her friends. This was her element, her planet. The water moved with her anger, beginning a slow, powerful swirl around all of them.

The gem screeched again, trying to flee, but Lapis was already ahead of her. The water was moving far too fast.

She let the feeling of strength flow through her. She felt powerful. Unstoppable. All the earth's water was hers to command, every drop. She could fling this malformed gem into space with a thought. She could send it deep into the depths until the pressure shatters her gem. She could do anything, anything at all…

She caught a flash of pink out of the corner of her eye, and frowned. Spinel was stretching towards her, trying to reach out. Lapis resisted the urge to growl. Couldn't she see that she was busy? Why was she trying to-

Lapis gasped, her eyes widening. Jasper and Spinel were getting caught up in the tempest, thrown about the maelstrom along with the corrupted gem. In an instant, she let go, covering her mouth with her hands.

I'm sorry, She wanted to say as they slowly recovered from the shock.

She saw the gem dive down and cursed herself for letting things get out of hand. She tried to give chase, but another tremor struck, kicking up a cloud of dust from the sea floor and obscuring the gem's escape.

Anger flashed across her face, anger at herself. She'd let it get away because she couldn't stay in control. She was supposed to be a leader, she was supposed to stay in control…

Her fists clenched, and she wanted nothing more than to empty out the sea and literally flush the corrupted gem out.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to find Jasper giving her a sympathetic look. Beside her, Spinel gave her a smile, flashing an okay symbol.

Lapis shut her eyes, letting her shoulders fall. They're okay, She told herself. You didn't hurt them.

There would be time to feel sorry for herself later. Right now, they had a mission to finish.

Last she had seen, the gem was swimming back towards the reef, closer to the shore. If they moved fast enough, they should be able to catch it before it finds a hiding spot.

And hopefully, they would catch it before it decides to flee from them on the beach.

Steven looked up, squinting his eyes. He just barely made out the form of the worm-gem thingy passing over the crevice their bubble had fallen into. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"See? It'll leave us alone, it just wants to eat the bright stuff."

Connie pulled her knees closer to her chest, clearly not believing him.

Steven sighed. Of course she didn't believe him. This was his fault, wasn't it? He had been the one who took them into town when Peridot took too long to come back. Connie was getting worried about being stuck in the bubble, and…and he wanted to free her himself. He wanted to show her he had everything under control.

Lars and Sadie couldn't help. Nothing else they tried seemed to help. They got Onion to shoot the bubble with a harpoon, and all that did was send them flying down to the bottom of the ocean!

He took a deep breath. It's alright, He thought. You can still fix this, Steven. "L-Look, I know things seem kind of rough right now, but it's gonna be okay-"

"It's not okay!" Connie blurted out, her voice cracking.

Steven's eyes widened, but Connie didn't give him a chance to speak. "You keep saying that, but you have no idea what you're doing! Now we'e going to suffocate, or-or starve to death, and only my parents are going to notice because no one else cares about me!"

He saw tears beginning to form in her eyes as she lowered her head. "I'm going to disappear without ever making a single friend…" She choked up, crying as she began to shake.

It hurt him, watching her cry. An idea came to him, and he out his hand in his pocket, taking out the glowing bracelet he'd taken from the beach house and holding it out. "We can be friends," He told her with a smile. She lifted her head up, looking at him in surprise. "I saw you at the Boardwalk Parade last year. You dropped your bracelet. I picked it up, but then I couldn't find you. I placed it in the freezer so it would last longer, in case I ever saw you again."

She looked at him hesitantly for a moment, until recognition lit up her face. "Oh! You were the kid on the car wash float." She giggled. "You had soap bubbles in your hair."

His face heated up, and he laughed awkwardly. "I was supposed to be a scrub brush." His smile faded, and he slid the bracelet on Connie's wrist. "I'm sorry, Connie. If I had found you and given you your bracelet back then, none of this would have happened in the first place, and you wouldn't be stuck in this bubble with me now."

Connie blushed. "No, it's okay, really. I'm having fun." She smiled. "This is the most exciting day I've ever had in my life. Thank you, Steven."

They laughed together, and she smiled as she met his eyes. They sat there for a moment, smiling quietly, staring at each other at the bottom of the sea. It was nice. Calming, almost. He was beginning to understand why lapis liked the water so much…

And then the bubble popped.

Peridot grumbled, storming out of the beach house. This was getting ridiculous! Lapis and the others had been gone for far too long for everything to have gone as expected. What was holding them up?

It was a simple mission, or so she had assumed. Just swim around for a little while until they found whatever was causing the tremors and put a stop to it, then come back. Except they never came back, and they never stopped the tremors, either. They still came, just when she was beginning to think they had come to an end.

Urgh. It didn't concern her. Lapis had it covered. Jasper had it covered. All she needed to do was look after Steven, and that human girl Connie. She just had to make sure they were both safe and sound, and really, how hard could it be? They were stuck in a bubble. They literally couldn't be any safer if they tried, unless they went out of their way to cause trouble.

But no. She had told them to stay put, so everything should be fine. They should be right where she left them, and she could fill them in on the news, and start figuring out a way to get them out of the bubble, and…and…

And they weren't there.

Panic flashed across her face, and she ran her hands through her hair. "Oh stars!" She yelped, hyperventilating. "Where are they?" She was gone for half an hour searching the Temple, what could have happened?

Alright…stop and think for a moment. Steven was impatient at the best of times. And he seemed eager to impress Connie, and reassure her. Most likely he didn't want to wait, and decided to find a way to free the two of them himself.

And if Steven was the one who led them, he would go into town for help.

Great. Now she had to search the entire town for two children in a magic pink bubble. What would Lapis think if she found out? She had one responsibility, keep Steven and anyone else on the beach safe, and this is what happens!

She was in the middle of deciding to check the car wash or the big donut first, when she heard something breach the water, followed quickly by two loud gasps of air.

Peridot turned immediately, and breathed a sigh of relief. Steven and Connie were okay…and better, they were free of the bubble!

Steven began to laugh all of a sudden, and for a moment, Peridot let herself relax.

Not a second later, something much larger broke the surface. Her eyes widened as some kind of Gem Monster shot up into the air and fell back down, creating a large wave that sent Steven and Connie hurdling towards the shore.

"Get to the Temple!" She screeched as she ran towards the beach, heedless of the danger.

Steven stumbled onto solid ground, helping Connie to her feet. "Peridot!" He yelled. "Where are the others!"

"I don't know!" Her eyes frantically glanced over to the gem, which was quickly closing in on them. "Just go to the Temple and wait for them. I'll try and lead the gem off." There wasn't much she could do, but if she could at least distract it and give the children a chance to escape, she would be satisfied.

"But-"

"No but's!" She shouted, giving Steven a push towards the Temple before running the opposite direction. "Hey! Stupid gem monster! Over here!" She jumped up in the air, waving furiously trying to get its attention.

It shifted what appeared to be its head towards the sound of her voice, but seemed disinterested. It turned away from her, and chased after Steven and Connie with a screech.

"No!" Peridot cried out. She watched helplessly as the worm-shaped gem barreled down the beach in pursuit. She heard Steven yell something to Connie, but couldn't make it out. He took something from her, and she recognized the glowing band he had gotten from the beach house. They split apart, Steven heading towards the bottom of a pier while Connie hid behind a rock.

Her eyes widened in realization as the gem went after Steven with a renewed vigor. "The bracelet," She muttered. "It's attracted to light." Steven must have realized the same thing, and taken it from Connie to keep the attention on him.

Clever, but dangerous. Peridot ran after them, trying to think of anything she could use to draw the gem's attention, but nothing came to mind. If she still had her drones…

Steven reached the pier, darting between the support legs. She watched as he wove a path around the pillars, and slowly it dawned on her what he was doing.

The gem pursued Steven mindlessly, wrapping itself around the pillars as it focused on Steven with a single-minded obsession. Steven looked terrified, but he managed to stay composed long enough to tie up the gem with it's own body.

At last, Steven ran out from under the pier and fell to his knees in exhaustion. The gem tried to attack, but caught itself on it's own body. It screeched in frustration, slowly inching forward…but the pressure was too much. The parts of it's body wrapped around the pillars squeezed too tightly, snapping the wooden supports and bringing the pier down on top of the gem, and poofing her.

A weight lifted off her shoulders, and she nearly lost her footing. "Oh stars," She breathed out a sigh in relief.

Steven and Connie were chatting excitedly by the time she caught up with them. "That was awesome!" Connie laughed.

"No!" Peridot interrupted. "That was not awesome! That was terrifying! What do you two think you were doing? I explicitly requested you remained where you were!"

Steven shifted nervously. "Well…you were taking a while, and I didn't want Connie to be uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable is better than hurt, Steven," Peridot huffed, crossing her arms. "You might have been okay, but the human could have been seriously hurt."

"But I wasn't!" Connie said with a grin. "He saved us both! Steven was incredible!"

"I was?" Steven asked in surprise.

Connie nodded sheepishly, and Peridot froze. There was something familiar about her reaction that she couldn't put a finger on. Before she could put her thoughts into words, she heard a voice call out from behind them.

"Are you okay?" Peridot turned to find Lapis emerging from the water, Jasper and Spinel behind her. A pair of wings formed behind her, and she quickly flew over. "Peridot? Steven? What happened?" She frowned, noticing Connie. "And…who is this?"

Connie opened her mouth, but Steven answered her first. "This is Connie!" He introduced cheerfully. "She's a new friend of mine."

Connie's eyes widened, and Lapis blinked. "Oh. That's…nice." She glanced over to the ruined pier. "But…what happened here?"

"We found the gem that was causing those tremors," Peridot sighed.

Lapis froze. "Were any of you hurt?"

"No!" Connie said quickly, grinning. "Steven saved all of us!"

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "Did he now?" She said, smiling mischievously.

Steven blushed as Connie rambled on. Peridot slowly walked away as the two of them filled in Lapis and the others on what happened, retrieving the corrupted worm monster's gem and quickly bubbling it.
She looked back at Connie and Steven, looking closer at the two of them. Connie had seemed very reserved, very shy when they first approached her. Now she was speaking with so much energy, every word full of enthusiasm and admiration.

Peridot knew then why she had felt something familiar when Connie spoke.

She glanced over to Lapis, and a smile crossed her face despite herself. Of course it was familiar. Hadn't she lived through the very same thing?

Someone else had saved her, once. And ever since, Peridot had felt that same admiration, that same awe, that same love that she recognized in Connie.

She turned back to the Temple, leaving them alone for the moment. There would be plenty of time to lecture Steven later.

For now, she knew they would be alright.

Bit of a stranger one this time. This chapter especially was difficult for a few reasons. I actually wound up completely rewriting this like, three times. It's a teeny bit of filler, but also necessary, and I think the insight it gives to Lapis and Peridot definitely justifies its existence.

Basically, this chapter needed to happen one way or another. Connie needed to be introduced, and Steven needed to unlock his bubble…but the problem was how. I didn't want to wait too long and keep Connie out of the story, but the earlier it was, the less options I had to make things more creative. I also loathed the idea of just retreading canon.

In the end, I settled on what you read here. Bubble Buddies happens essentially the same as in canon, with the exception of Peridot's brief interference, but for the most part Steven and Connie's sections remain exactly the same. Which is exactly why Steven only has a small pov this chapter…we know what happens, for the most part, and for those who don't the important bits can be extrapolated, but his conversation with Connie was too important to leave out entirely.

I'm still not sure I'm 100% pleased with the chapter, but I feel this is the best I can do for this particular version of it, and I didn't want to get stuck in a rut of constantly rewriting the chapter and never posting it.

In the end, I think using this chapter as a further insight to Lapis and Peridot was a solid substitute. Especially considering in a couple chapters, the first big arc is gonna kick off in a big way. I've been hinting a little bit at it, nothing too major, but unless things change, either the next chapter or the chapter after it will begin the end of this first arc, and bring us to what I would consider the equivalent of Ocean Gem (by which I mean the arc will end with it, there's still a few more chapters to go). I'm very excited…

Thank you all for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment down below! I always love seeing people excited for my stories.

Chapter Text

Jasper scowled.

Urgh…this was a waste of her time. Even now, rebels fought against the rule of Pink Diamond, sowing chaos all across the colony. Gems were shattered, precious facilities dismantled, and where was she?

Was she in the heat of battle, charging the front lines to tear the mutinous gems from Rose Quartz and her mad, defective Pearl? Was she by her Diamond's side, ensuring no traitor would dare draw a sword to her luminous presence? No. Of course not.

It infuriated her. Her cut was perfect, her might and skill in battle beyond reproach. She could be Pink Diamond's greatest champion, if she were given the chance.

But no. Instead she was here, waiting by the Galaxy Warp Pad, assigned by her own Diamond to play babysitter to some upper crust brat who probably couldn't tell one end of a sword from the other.

Whoever her new charge was, she was apparently important enough to have HER assigned as a mere bodyguard…but not important enough for anyone else to bother to show up. A squad of Amethyst guards protected the Warp Pad from the rebel's, and two Peridot's remained to maintain the Warp, but she alone was there to receive her assignment.

Who was it, anyway? She tried to recall what that Agate had told her…a Lapis Lazuli, she thought. Yes, she was certain of it.

Though why a Lapis would be summoned to the middle of a warzone, she couldn't say. They were terraformers, powerful yes, but unskilled. They were practically civilians, hardly fit for the battlefield.

"It isn't for you to question," She muttered to herself. She had her orders, her purpose was to follow them. It was doubt and uncertainty that allowed treasonous elements to sprout up and create those rebel Crystal Gems.

She knew her place. She was a warrior, nothing more or less. She had her orders, and she intended to see them through. Then maybe…maybe she would be allowed to return to her Diamond's side.

Jasper hadn't seen Pink Diamond in nearly ten years. The longer the war drew on, the less ANY of the court saw her. Doubtless the chaos the rebels were creating demanded her personal attention. Something only a Diamond could tend to. That had to be it. It was the only reasonable explanation for her absences growing more and more frequent.

Of course, that didn't stop certain aspects of her court from whispering behind her back. Some said Pink couldn't handle the strain the war was putting on her. That she wasn't ready, that she couldn't handle her own colony yet. That she hid away on her Palanquin somewhere with her Pearl, where no one could find her for months at a time.

Tch. Those same cowards never said a word to her face, though. It disgusted her that members of Pink Diamond's own court could doubt her. Worthless, treasonous defects, every one of them. In time they could be dealt with…but for now, there was a war to win.

Finally, the Warp Pad flashed brilliantly. A few seconds passed, and Jasper saw the shape of a gem begin to form, and a much smaller gem walked out of the light.

She was much smaller than Jasper. She looked much like any other Lapis Lazuli she had ever seen, nothing all that remarkable about her. There was a nervousness about her, along with a tinge of awe.

The Lapis looked around in wonder, slowly stepping off the platform. "This is the earth…" She said to herself. "It's so…alive," She remarked, noticing the trees in the distance yet to be harvested.

The Lapis turned, finally taking notice of Jasper's presence and froze. They held each other's gaze for a moment, before all of a sudden Lapis smiled.

Jasper blinked, taken aback. Why? Why would she bother smiling at her? They were both there because of duty, nothing else. What could she possibly have to smile at?

"Hello," the Lapis greeted cheerfully. "You must be my escort."

Jasper bristled at the blunt description, but nodded nonetheless. "Her radiance, Pink Diamond, has requested that I see to your safety." Or the Agate who spoke for her did, at any rate. "Rebels plague this colony for the time being…I have been assigned as your protector." It galled her just to speak the words.
"The elegant Blue Diamond has gifted my services to Pink Diamond," the Lapis said, then frowned. "I'm…not really sure what she means by that. All she said was that Pink asked for the presence of a Lapis."

Jasper almost slipped into a scowl. She spoke too flippantly…referring to Pink Diamond so informally…urgh. If she were a less precious gem…

"I'm sure all will be made clear," She said through gritted teeth. "Once we reach the Lunar Spire." She'd been instructed to bring the Lapis to the center of Homeworld's foothold on Earth.

The Lapis's face lit up in excitement. "Are you going to show me around the planet, then?"

"No," Jasper answered bluntly. "It's too dangerous to waste time while a war's going on."

The Lapis wilted. "Oh…I was hoping to see a little before my mission began."

Jasper frowned. "Why bother? You're probably going to destroy most of it once the rebels have been dealt with anyway." That was the purpose of a Lapis.

For some reason, the Lapis seemed disheartened. "I know," She said quietly. "That's why I wanted a chance to see beforehand."

Jasper wasn't quite sure what to say. This Lapis confused her…the sooner they reached the Lunar Spire, the better. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck with this one. If all went well, a few hours from now she'd be safe and sound, ready to report to the Morganite in command, and she would never have to see this Lapis again.

She didn't think she could bear being stuck with her for much longer.

"We should go," Jasper said. "We're expected."

The Lapis nodded. "Well…this is your planet. Feel free to show me the-"

A shout rang out from across the platform, and Jasper immediately spun around, pulling the Lapis close behind her as she summoned her helm.

She turned just in time to spot a sword coming out of the back of one of the Amethysts. The Amethyst froze, staring down in shock, before she disappeared and her gem clattered to the floor.

Where she stood, a single Pearl gave a flourish of her twin swords, grinning smugly. "Greetings, ignorant servants of the diabolical Pink Diamond!" Jasper shivered in rage at the sheer gall. "We are the Crystal Gems! The time of your tyrannical grasp on this planet is at an end! You are not wanted here! Leave this planet at once…or be removed."

So…she wanted a fight, did she? One Pearl, and her lackey's, up against a Jasper with a perfect cut?

Jasper grinned.

"Ha! I win!" Spinel jumped up into the air with a cheer. "Woo-hoo!"

Steven groaned, setting the controller down on his bed. "Come on Lonely Blade…why must you fail me in my time of need?"

Spinel stuck out her tongue and blew. "Don't blame the game for the player, Steven. Face it, you lost!" She jumped up on his bed, striking a victorious pose. "Quiver in fear, Steven Universe…" She said in a low, gravelly voice. "...for none can stand against the might of…the Evil Janitor!"

"He's a boss character," Steven complained. "It's basically cheating."

Spinel shrugged. "Hey, you let me pick him. Can't just change your mind now that you lost."

Steven grinned. "Fine, you win this time. But I'm gonna kick your butt in the rematch!"

"Oh ho ho!" Spinel chuckled. "Is that right? Well ya better bring your a-game, Steve-o, cause I ain't goin easy on ya!"

"I'll bring my A-plus game"! He declared, trying to keep a serious face. He managed for nearly three seconds, before the two of them broke out into a fit of laughter.

He sat back down with a sigh. "I guess I need to practice more than I thought." He frowned. "But what about you? How'd you get so good? Do you have video games in your room?" It wouldn't surprise him. Out of all the Crystal Gems, Spinel tended to spend the most time among humans, usually by tagging along with him.

Spinel shook her head. "Nah. You've seen pretty much everything there is to see about my room."

"Wait…so that's all there is?" He asked. "Just a big empty garden?"

"Yep."

"It doesn't ever change?"

"Nope."

Steven frowned. That didn't sound like Spinel at all. She was always so cheery, constantly looking for games to play. She got bored easily. Why would she keep her room exactly the same?

"Okay…" He said slowly. "Well if you don't play video games unless it's with me, then what do you do in your free time?" It only just occurred to him he'd never learned what she did when she wasn't around him, or one of the other gems.

"Nothing." Spinel answered with a smile.

Steven blinked. "Nothing?" He questioned after a moment of disbelief. "There's no way you don't do anything."

"Well…I mostly just stand around in the Garden," Spinel said. "I stand still and wait."

"For what?"

"Nothing, really," Spinel shrugged. "Not anymore. I just…wait. Either for you or the other gems to get back, or for me to be needed for a mission. Or just for something to happen."

"And you…like it?" He asked skeptically. He couldn't imagine Spinel standing still for five minutes, much less for hours and hours at a time.

"Oh yeah!" Spinel nodded cheerfully. "It's actually pretty calming." She paused. "Usually," She added, and he thought something flashed across her face for an instant, but he couldn't tell what.

"Don't you ever get bored?"

Spinel giggled. "Why would I get bored, silly? I've got you and the gems!"

Steven frowned, but couldn't think of any real argument. Still…there was something he couldn't shake off. Did she really just…not do anything unless he or one of the gems were around? That sounded almost sad. Didn't she have anything she liked doing on her own? Everyone needed their own hobbies.

A loud growl from the center of the Beach House drew their attention, and the two of them shared a look. Without a word, they got out of bed as one, slowly making their way to the main room.

Jasper was pacing furiously, stomping back and forth. "This is ridiculous," She muttered. "Gone all day without a word…where is she?!"

"Jasper?" Steven asked hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

Jasper froze, almost stumbling at the sound of his voice. "Steven?" She shook her head. "Right…you must have heard me."

"Ya weren't exactly being quiet," Spinel pointed out.

Jasper scowled, but didn't argue. "It's Lapis," She said, the anger fading away, replaced with worry. "She left this morning on a mission. I told her not to go alone, but she insisted she could handle it."

"I mean…can't she?" Steven asked.

"Yeah," Spinel agreed. "Lapis ain't exactly a pushover. Unless she's going to the middle of a desert, I can't really think of too much she can't handle herself. Besides, she's the boss lady. Wouldn't she know best if she can handle a fight or not?"

Jasper growled. "We're a team. Maybe Lapis is confident, but what if there's something she doesn't know about? What if something happened?"

"Don't you think you're being just a teensy-weensy bit…you know…" Spinel put her hands behind her back, whistling as she avoided Jasper's eyes. "...dramatic?"

"Dramatic?" Jasper hissed. "You-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the familiar sound of the Warp Pad activating, a bright beam of light rising from the pad. It faded, and Lapis nearly stumbled, catching herself and keeping her balance.

"Lapis!" Jasper exclaimed, her anger vanishing in a moment. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Lapis took a shaky step forward, her eyes wide. She blinked, shaking her head, which was slightly tinged and smoking. "Sorry," She apologized. "That was a bit more…taxing than I thought it was gonna be. But yeah, I'm okay." She grinned, holding out her prize. "And I managed to get back the Earth Beetle!"

She walked over to a terrarium Steven hadn't noticed sitting on a table, and carefully placed the beetle within. "There! Now all that's left to do is get the Heaven Beetle back from the Sky Spire, and we'll be set!" She sounded unusually cheery.

"Hang on a second," Jasper interrupted. "What do you mean it was more taxing than you thought?"

"Oh," Lapis shrugged. "There were a few gems I hadn't been expecting. Got the jump on me before I realized they were there, but it all worked out in the end. Even the lava was only annoying. I already bubbled them, so you don't need to worry about them."

"Them? I'm worried about you!" Jasper said. "What if you were poofed? Or if your Gem was cracked? Or worse?"

Lapis frowned. "None of that happened. No use getting upset over what if's."

"There is if you think you're just gonna march right back out to the Sky Spire on your own!" Jasper insisted.

Lapis rolled her eyes. "The Sky Spire is much safer."

"You thought getting the Earth Beetle would be safe too," Jasper countered.

Steven shot a nervous look towards Spinel. "Why are they arguing?" He whispered.

"They get like this whenever Lapis goes out on her own," Spinel whispered back. "It's a whole thing. You just gotta let them work things out."

"This is stupid," Lapis said. "I'm fine."

"You could've been hurt. You could still be hurt."

"We are Crystal Gem warriors," Lapis said. "Warriors, Jasper. That means that yes, from time to time, we put ourselves in danger. This isn't anything new."

"That doesn't mean you should just rush into danger like you're looking to get shattered!" Jasper yelled in frustration. "You're our leader. That doesn't mean you go off and handle everything on your own, it means you lead us!"

Lapis looked angry at her, and for a moment Steven was worried they were just going to keep arguing and arguing. Finally, Lapis shut her eyes, sighing. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "I didn't mean to go alone, I was going to bring Peridot with me. But she's busy in her lab, so I-"

"Of course she is," Jasper crossed her arms, scowling. "She still won't let go about that nonsense she found at the observatory?"

"No," Lapis said. "She insists there's something there, and I didn't want to argue with her about it."

"But arguing with me is fine," Jasper muttered.

Lapis's eyes widened. "Jasper-"

"It doesn't matter," Jasper cut her off. "Just…if you're going to get the Heaven Beetle, don't go alone. I know you have a way into Peridot's room. Barge in and grab her if you want. Take me with you. Take Spinel if you don't want me coming with, but take someone." Her expression softened. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"...Of course you can come with me," Lapis said with a sigh. "I didn't want to worry you." She smiled weakly, turning to him and Spinel. "The two of you should come along as well. It's vital we get the Heaven Beetle back to their counterpart as soon as possible."

Jasper's shoulders loosened as she let out a deep breath. "Thanks," She muttered, and Lapis smiled more confidently this time.

"You're right," She told her. "We are a team. And besides…" Her smile widened to a rare grin. "...I need my escort for such a dangerous mission, don't I?"

Jasper rolled her eyes. "As long as you're listening to sense." She walked over to the warp pad, crossing her arms and waiting for the rest of them to join her.

"I'll be right back," Lapis promised as the Temple door opened to her room. "Just have to put the Earth Beetle somewhere safe."

Spinel breathed out a sigh of relief as the Temple door shut. "I hate when they get like that," She muttered. "I swear, sometimes I think it'd be better if they just formed Malachite again. It'd be better than all the friggin' arguing."

Steven frowned. "What's a Malachite?"

Spinel tilted her head in confusion. "What's a…? You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" He asked, now concerned. "Is something wrong?"

Spinel shook her head. "Nah, just…I kinda thought someone woulda' told you about fusion before."

"What are you two muttering about?" Jasper interrupted with a curious look.

Spinel's eyes widened. "Nothing important-"

"Oh, Spinel was just telling me about fusion," Steven said at the same time. Jasper froze, and beside him Spinel covered her face with her hand, shaking her head. "Uh…did I say something?"

Jasper blinked, breaking the trance. "No," Sha said, much more gruffly than she had before. "There's no reason you shouldn't know what fusion is. It's a natural part of being a gem." Despite what she said, it sounded as if every word were being physically pulled out of her.

"Look, we can just leave this till later," Spinel said nervously. "When Steven's a little older."

"No," Jasper said, stepping off the Warp Pad. She came to a stop in front of him, then sighed, and knelt. "Gems…we're made of light. Constructs made by our gems to give us a semi-physical form."

"Well I know that," Steven said. "You guys can shapeshift, bubble gems, you don't need to eat or sleep, or do a bunch of other stuff, and you've got all kinds of cool powers!"

Jasper nodded. "And one of those powers would be fusion."

"But what is fusion?" He asked.

"Fusion is when two gems break down their physical forms to merge with one another, creating a single being," Jasper explained. Her voice was…surprisingly gentle. "It's an expression of deep trust and love, where two gems give everything to one another to create something new. Not quite one, or the other, but someone entirely unique." Jasper sounded unusually passionate about it. "We take aspects of each other, physical and otherwise to create someone bigger than both of us, literally and figuratively."

"Woah…like a giant woman?" Steven's eyes shone in excitement. "That sounds so cool! So what, is Malachite a fusion?"

Jasper flinched, then shot a dark look at Spinel. "What did you tell him?"

She put her hands up quickly. "Hey, I didn't say nothin'!" She defended. "Just said her name, and he got curious."

Jasper sighed in exasperation, shaking her head. "Yes, Steven, Malachite's a fusion," She answered him. "She…she was who we created when Lapis and I fused."

He gasped. "What? You and Lapis? That must have been awesome!"

Jasper smiled fondly. "It was," She agreed. "Together, we were unstoppable. The most powerful Crystal Gem under the command of Rose Quartz. No gem of Homeworld could stand before us. We made a mess of their soldiers, ripped their ships out of the sky as they tried to run from us. We were beautiful…together for a thousand years, much, much longer than any other gem in history. Well, outside of Garnet, but even she was split apart eventually."

"What happened?" Steven asked, eager to hear more.

Jasper shut her eyes, and stood up. "Lapis and I fused to repay Rose for what she did for us. We fused for the war." She turned away from him. "After the war...Lapis didn't want to stay fused. And that was that."

"Wait, what? Come on, that can't be it, that's lame!" He complained. "Malachite sounds so cool! Have none of you guys ever fused after the war?"

"Oh no, we fuse all the time!" Spinel piped in helpfully. "Well, whenever we need to, that is. It's just Lapis who doesn't fuse with Jasper anymore. She isn't the biggest fan of fusing in general, but she didn't really have a problem with fusing with Rose, or me and the others. Just Jasper."

"Spinel," Jasper growled. "Remember what I said about chucking you into space?"

She squeaked, stepping back. "Right…gotcha."

"But…why doesn't she want to fuse with Jasper?" Steven asked. None of it made sense. Why would she not want to be someone as cool as Malachite if she was willing to fuse with his mom, and the others?

"It doesn't matter," Jasper insisted. "Just…let's leave it at that for now, alright? Please?"

"Leave what alone?" Lapis asked, emerging from the Temple.

"Spinel and Jasper were just telling me about fusion," Steven answered, and once more Spinel covered her face with her hand, while Jasper winced. He frowned. Why don't they want to talk about fusion?

Lapis's eyes widened. "Oh…" She said, her voice growing much higher. "...fusion. Right. We…probably should have told you about that by now, huh?"

He shrugged. "It's alright. But why don't you guys fuse more often? I've never even heard about it before today!"

Lapis scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Look, fusion is…it's complicated. It means something different to different gems. Besides, we don't normally fuse unless there's a reason, and most of the time we can handle things on our own." She cleared her throat, changing the subject. "Anyway…are we all ready to go? We can't wait much longer. The Beetles need to be in harmony."

"Yes," Jasper growled before he or Spinel could say anything else. She grabbed both of their arms, dragging them back to the Warp Pad.

Lapis joined happily, relieved to have the subject changed. "Alright everyone…it should be a nice, relaxing trek to the top of the Sky Spire. Still, like Jasper said…anything can happen. Steven, Spinel…be on your guard."

He nodded with a grin, and Spinel gave a thumbs up. "You got it, boss!" She added cheerfully.

Lapis nodded, and Steven felt himself slowly lift into the air as the Warp Pad activated. He giggled at the tickling sensation, and in moments they were travelling through the warp.

As the light transported them, he found himself wondering why Jasper and Lapis didn't want him talking to Lapis about fusion. Sure, she seemed a little awkward, but she wasn't mad or anything. And didn't they all agree it was important for him to know about fusion?

Did all the gems fuse with each other? From what Spinel said, it sounded like that was the case. What were the other fusions like? Were they as cool as Malachite? And why didn't Lapis and Jasper like creating Malachite anymore? It couldn't just be what Jasper said.

And could he fuse too?

The light began to fade, and he felt his feet touch the ground. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, then froze when he saw where they were. "Woah…" He looked in awe around them, taking in the view. From what he could see, it looked like they were on a chain of floating islands high among the clouds. "This place is awesome!"

Lapis smiled. "You should have seen it in its heyday."

"You've been here before?" He asked, hungry to hear more.

"Countless times," Lapis reminisced. "I never got a chance to visit before joining the Crystal Gems, but when we captured the Spire we used it as a sort of…in between place. When we weren't on the run, or on our way to a battle, it gave us a chance to relax. For a time, at least."

Spinel frowned. "I don't remember-"

"Oh, this was before your time," Lapis waved her off dismissively, staring off at the center island fondly. "Do you remember, Jasper? Rose insisted we come here after the raid on the Prime Kindergarten, she wouldn't take no for an answer." She giggled. "I can't believe she sent Pearl to babysit us, just so we wouldn't slip off and try to get back to the fight."

"I…remember," Jasper said awkwardly. She seemed unsure of what to say. "Pearl was as miserable as we were until Garnet convinced us to relax. We didn't manage to cheer her up until-"

"-Until we picked her up and started juggling her," Lapis snorted at the memory, trying hard to keep herself from breaking out into laughter. "The most feared of the Crystal Gems after Rose, even more so than us, and we were tossing her between all four of our arms!" Lapis giggled. "She got us back, though. Stupid Holo-Pearl…that's got to be cheating in snowball fights."

Steven's eyes lit up in excitement. "Did you say four arms?"

Lapis nodded. "We had four arms as Malachite, and four eyes, and four legs. That's how fusion works…sometimes. It isn't exact, but usually it combines physical features of the gems who compose it."

"Can I see?" He asked innocently.

Lapis froze, tensing immediately. All traces of calm vanished from her face, and Jasper quickly stepped in between them. "Steven, I don't think that's a good idea…"

"But why not?" He pressed. Why wouldn't anyone tell him why? He was a Crystal Gem, wasn't he? They had even said so! So why were they still keeping things from him?

"Fusing is usually only for important situations," Jasper repeated. "And there has to be absolute trust and unity between the gems fusing. It's difficult at the best of times."

"You said it didn't used to be!" Steven argued. "You used to be fused all the time!"

Spinel laughed nervously, tugging on his arm. "Hey, uh, I really don't think it's that big a deal, Steven. If ya wanna see fusion, I can show you what it's like one of these days with one of the others. Let's just get the beetle back first, alright?"

He looked around frantically, then gasped and pointed when something began to rustle in the bushes in front of them. "Look, over there! Something possibly super dangerous! You guys should fuse into Malachite and save us!"

Lapis gave him a tired look, and flicked her hand. A stream of water snaked its way into the bushes, pulling out a surprised looking mountain goat with leaves still in its mouth. "Steven, it's a goat."

He blinked. "It could be a magical goat," He argued. "What if we have only seconds before it kills us all?" He hid behind her for emphasis.

Lapis rolled her eyes, and let the water dissipate. "What happened to taking missions seriously, Steven?"

Steven slumped, trudging over to the goat. "Alright then," He sighed dramatically, doing his best to pout. "I guess we'll just carry on with the mission…just like this…without getting to see a giant woman."

He noticed Jasper slowly reach out to place a hand on Lapis's shoulder in comfort, but Lapis flinched away in reflex. Her eyes widened. "Jasper! I'm sorry, I-"

"It's fine," Jasper grunted, walking past them all. "The beetle, remember? Let's just get this over with."

"Hey, wait up!" Steven hurried over to catch up to her. "I have so many questions! Like, when you fuse do one of you control one leg, and the other controls the other? And how is walking with four legs? Do you guys argue with each other a lot?"

"Steven, focus," Lapis chastised.

"I can't help it!" He protested. "Fusion sounds so cool! I just don't get why you wouldn't want to fuse whenever you can!"

Lapis shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Steven, I know fusion sounds new and exciting to you. And that's a good thing! I'm glad you're excited about your gem side…but fusion doesn't mean the same thing for everyone. Jasper and I were fused for a thousand years, during the single worst time period in gem history. We…I have a lot of bad memories from that time. And when we fuse…Malachite has those memories too. And Malachite gets angry, and when she gets angry…" Her fingers twitched, nearly clenching tight before falling loose at her side. "We're a family, Steven. Jasper, Spinel, Peridot and I…we argue sometimes, and we have our issues from time to time, but every one of us would drop everything to help each other, no matter what. Jasper and I…we're family, but we aren't good together when we fuse. Malachite isn't the sort of gem who plays games in a beach house with twelve-year old kids. She isn't the sort of gem to protect the city, or bubble Corrupted Gems and send them somewhere safe. And she isn't the kind of gem who would seek out the Geode Beetles just to reunite them. Malachite is a warrior. Possibly the greatest warrior in all of gem-kind after the diamonds, but still just a warrior."

"But that isn't true!" Steven said. "Weren't you just talking about how you came here before because mom made you relax? You have good memories of Malachite too!"

"Yes, Steven, I do," She sighed. "And I'm sure Jasper does as well. And while I'll always treasure them, they don't erase the bad." She shook her head. "Come on, we've wasted too much time already. We'll talk about this later."

Steven's shoulders fell mournfully as the others carried on. He sighed heavily. "I'm never going to get to see a giant woman at this rate…"

The goat walked past him, bleating. "Oh, do you wanna come along too?" He paused to decide on a name. "I think I'll call you…Steven Jr.!" Steven Jr. bleated happily, and he sighed. "At least someone's having a good time…"

Hm…an idea came to him. Obviously Malachite couldn't be all bad…Lapis even admitted they had fun times together before! Maybe if he could help her and Jasper remember that, they might come together to fuse!

He thought for a moment, then took a deep breath, and began to sing as they made their way towards the spire.

"All I wanna do…is see you turn into, a giant woman, a giant woman! All I wanna be, is someone who gets to see, a giant woman."

Jasper looked back at him strangely, and Spinel gave him an encouraging thumbs up. Lapis kept moving forward, but Steven wasn't discouraged. "All I wanna do…is help you turn into…a giant woman, a giant woman! All I wanna be, is someone who gets to see, a giant woman."

Jasper rolled her eyes, but Spinel laughed and started clapping along in tune as they drew closer to the spire. He grinned, and kept going. "Oh, I know it'll be great, and I just can't wait! To see the person you are together…if you give it a chance, you can do a huge dance because you are a giant woman."

Lapis looked back for a moment and frowned, but didn't say anything. When she turned back around, he swore she met Jasper's eyes for a moment and smiled. "You might even like…being together, and if you don't it won't last forever! But if it were me, I'd really wanna be, a giant woman, a giant woman!"

"All I wanna do…is see you turn into, a giant woman…"

He frowned, coming to the end of his song. Neither Jasper or Lapis showed any more signs of opening up, but Spinel patted him on the back. "Hey, it was a good try!" She encouraged. "Gotta start somewhere, right?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but Steven Jr. suddenly darted out in front of them, bleating wildly. "Hey!" He called out. "Get back here! Don't make me ground you!" Steven Jr. paid him no more mind than Jasper and Lapis did, jumping over a series of small floating platforms and finally reaching the central floating island that housed the spire. The goat took off running, ascending the stairs.

Steven hurried over to follow, but felt a strong hand pull him back. "Not so fast," Jasper warned. "You aren't a goat, Steven. Hopping across those platforms won't be so simple."

His eyes lit up in excitement, and he took the chance. "You're completely right!" He agreed, much to her confusion. "You and Lapis should form Malachite and carry me across!"

Jasper sighed in exasperation. "Steven, there's a thousand other ways we could get you across."

"But none of them would be as cool!" He protested. "Please? I just want to meet her…"

"Lapis said no," Jasper told him sternly. "She's the leader, and she decides what goes. That's final, Steven."

He opened his mouth to answer her, but stopped, his eyes widening as he came to a sudden realization. Jasper didn't just look angry…she looked frustrated.

She wants to fuse with Lapis, he realized. She wants to bring out Malachite as much as I do. But then why didn't she try to convince Lapis? Why did she seem so dead set on keeping Malachite away?

"Alright, alright, no need for everyone to get all mixed up in a fuss!" Spinel cut in, placing herself between him and Jasper with a nervous laugh. "Let's all just wind it back a bit, alrighty? Here, Steven…" She took hold of him, and with a hup stretched herself over the gap between where they were standing and the central Island.

"S-See?" She said, grunting from the strain. "None of us need to argue, none of us need to fight…we can just go along and finish the mission, just like we always-woah!" Stretching so far ahead while her legs stayed on the edge of the former Island set her off balance, and she stumbled.

Steven yelled out in a panic, feeling himself fall through the air and slip between the gaps of the floating platforms. His heart leaped in his chest, and he felt himself go weightless.

"Steven!" Jasper dove over the edge without a second thought, barreling down and catching him in her grasp, holding him tight to his chest. A second later they stopped falling, and when he looked up he saw a thin rope of water wrapped around Jasper's leg, leading back up to the Island.

He breathed a sigh of relief as they were hauled back up to solid ground. The effort of stretching herself across the gap had tangled Spinel in a mess of her limbs, and he watched as she slowly unraveled herself.

Steven laughed. "You guys were awesome together! Why don't you do stuff like that more often?"

"We don't need to fuse to work together, Steven," Jasper said, seeing right through him. "We've done just fine for five thousand years."

"Well, there were a couple occasions…" Spinel said, but quickly shut her mouth when Jasper shot her a look.

"We're here," Lapis said, her voice much quieter than it had been earlier. She seemed distant, withdrawn, and Steven frowned. Was something wrong? "We just have to climb these stairs, and we'll reach the Heaven Beetle."

"Then we better get started!" Spinel leapt forward, skipping up the steps two at a time.

Jasper sighed, rolling her head. "Hey, slow down! We're not all running up the stairs!"

It was a good thing too. From a distance it didn't look too bad, but actually climbing the stairs themselves was agony. He didn't keep track of how long it actually took to reach the top, but by the time they finished their ascent, he was sweating heavily. "My legs feel like they're going to fall off…" He complained, then suddenly his eyes widened.

"Steven Jr.!" He cheered. "My beautiful son!" He ran over, his previous exhaustion completely forgotten. "Don't go running off like that again, young man!"

Steven Jr. bleated at him, walking away, and it was then Steven noticed the structure at the center of the Spire's peak. "Hey, look, it's a tiny temple!" Weirdly tiny, actually, but then it was Beetle sized, wasn't it?

"Right where you said it would be," Jasper grunted, nodding at Lapis. "Good. That makes this easy at least."

Steven bent over, peering through a window in the small temple. He giggled. "There's a tiny beetle bedroom! And a tiny beetle bookshelf, and beetle bongos!"

Spinel butted in from the side, frowning as she peered in as well. "But uh…where's the Beetle?"

Jasper hissed. "What do you mean where's the Beetle?"

"I mean it's gone!" Spinel told her.

"It can't be gone!" Jasper exclaimed. "It wouldn't have just left…would it?" She didn't sound so sure.

"Well whatever it did, it ain't here now!" Spinel huffed, crossing her arms.

"Then find it!" Jasper growled.

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Spinel scowled. "I'm the only one trying to keep us all from losing our minds here! You think it's fun watchin' you and Lapis dance around the elephant in the room?"

"Don't act like you have any idea what you're talking about…" Jasper warned.

"I'm the only one who knows what I'm talkin' about!" Spinel yelled in exasperation. "Five thousand years I've had to watch you two! Rosie and I, and Peridot too when she got here. We ain't blind, you know. I get you didn't exactly have a great time during the war, but guess what, none of us did! Now the two of you are hurting each other, and worse, you're hurting Steven!"

Steven swallowed dryly at the sound of his name. "Guys, I think we should-"

"There's nothing wrong between Lapis and I!" Jasper insisted. "I'm fine. She's fine. You're the one who had to bring up Malachite in front of Steven and cause this whole mess!"

"Ignoring your problems doesn't make ya fine, Jasper!" Spinel shouted back. "And what, were we just supposed to never mention the fact that you two were fused for a thousand years to Steven? That's kinda important!"

Steven turned away, running over to Lapis, who hadn't said a word since reaching the top, only stared blankly at Jasper and Spinel as they argued. He pulled on her arm. "Lapis, please, you have to get them to stop!"

"It was nice, here," She murmured, as if she were in a haze. "We'd finally gotten Pearl to warm up to us. It was the first time in two hundred years we stopped to think about something other than fighting…and we realized there could be something more. We didn't want it to stop, but Homeworld came to take the Spire back, and we had to flee."

Steven let go, worried. "...Lapis?"

If she heard him, she didn't show any sign of it. "We tried to tell ourselves we only stayed together to fight, but that was a lie by then. The Spire showed us it could be different, but…but it hurt too much." Her voice began to shake. "We hurt…so, so many gems. We caused so much destruction, and worse…I liked it," She whispered fearfully. "I felt powerful. Confident. I felt like I was needed, like I was special, and I was…but for all the wrong reasons." She shut her eyes. "A thousand years of endless war spent as someone that isn't you…and that someone was more feared and more loved than you ever were."

"I'm sorry!" Steven said tearfully. "I didn't know what Malachite meant to you! I'm sorry, forget I ever mentioned her, but please, make Jasper and Spinel stop arguing!" This was all his fault…Lapis had told him Malachite brought bad memories for her. Why couldn't he have just listened to her from the start?

A loud screech tore through the air and drove them all to silence, as a massive birdlike creature erupted from the lake with a flap of it's wings. In a heartbeat it swooped down, swallowing Steven Jr. in a single bite.

His eyes widened. "My son!" He whispered.

"Grr…get to cover!" Jasper ordered, grabbing Spinel and running for a small passage behind the Heaven Beetle's temple. Steven quickly grabbed Lapis's arm and followed suit, making it into the structure just as the monster snapped its jaws behind them.

It stuck its beak through, chomping uselessly as it tried to get at them. Once it realized they were safe, it flew away, and a moment later the roof began to shake as it started driving its beak into the roof.

"Great," Jasper spat. "It's got us trapped. How are we supposed to get at it from here?"

Steven's eyes drifted to the outside, where the small lake the monster had emerged from surrounded the temple. "Lapis, can you…"

She gasped, finally snapping out of her trance. She raised a shaky hand, and a stream of water slowly rose, before falling back down and slipping out of her control. "I…I can't…" She stepped away from them, her eyes wide. "Stop…" She whispered fearfully. "Don't make me…"

Jasper's face fell at Lapis's reaction. She reached out a hand to comfort her. "Lapis, listen to me…it's Jasper. It's gonna be okay, alright? I made you a promise…do you remember? All those years ago in the woods by the stream? You remember my promise, don't you?"

Lapis flinched away from her. "I don't want to bring her out!" She hissed.

A look of pure heartbreak flashed across Jasper's face as she pulled her hand away. "Of course not…" Jasper told her. "I would never make you…in five thousand years, Lapis, I've never made you…"

"This is all my fault!" Steven said, breathing heavily. "I should have just listened to you and Lapis, I should have-"

"We should have told you about fusion before this," Jasper said, cutting him off. "And we should have told you about Malachite. You have a right to know both, so something just like this wouldn't happen." She sighed. "It was so much easier to ignore for so long…we're good at that, you know. Ignoring whatever we don't like thinking about. And now look where it's brought us?"

"We have to do something!" Steven exclaimed. "That bird already ate Steven Jr.! If we don't find a way to fight back, it's gonna get through the roof!" He gasped. "What if it wants to eat Steven Sr. next?"

Just then, the roof caved in above him, and time slowed down.

He had just long enough to see a look of panic forming on Spinel and Jasper's faces as he looked up. He saw a flash of pink as he stared up into the bird-monsters maw, and then nothing but pitch black as it shut its beak tightly, trapping him inside.

"Steven!"

Steven opened his eyes and almost threw up.

He was inside of the bird-monster…the ground, the walls, the ceiling, all of it was made up of the red innards of the creature. All around him was littered with mountains of junk, and at the far end of his vision…

"Steven Jr.!" He exclaimed, running over in excitement. "You're okay!" The goat ignored him, going back to chewing on something shiny he couldn't quite make out. "How can you eat at a time like this?" He admonished, then stopped, his eyes widening.

"Hey…is that the Heaven Beetle?" It was! Right between Steven Jr.'s teeth! "Let me see it…" He said, trying to grab it out of his mouth. Steven Jr. pulled away, holding on tight, and Steven scowled, tightening his grip. "Come on! Just be a good goat and give me the magic bug!"

His foot slipped on the mountain of junk, and the two of them slid down in the mini-avalanche it created. Steven rose to his feet, and with a grin realized he now held the Heaven Beetle in his hand. "Ha-ha! I got it"!

Something bumped into him, and he saw Steven Jr. try to reach up with his head and take the beetle back. "Hey! No! Bad goat! You're no son of mine!"

Without warning, a giant hand burst through beneath them stretching out and grasping at the air. Steven shrieked, quickly crawling back as another hand emerged, grabbing Steven Jr. and pulling him out. Two more hands quickly appeared, and Steven yelled in fear. A moment later he felt the ground beneath him disappear as the bird-monster was poofed, and for half a second he was falling through the air again…

…and then he wasn't. He was caught by two arms he only had enough time to notice he didn't recognize, before they hit the ground. Whoever was carrying him rolled, breaking the fall, and he finally had a chance to look up.

A gem was holding him, but much larger than even Jasper. Shades of deep red were scattered across her dark skin, and her white hair was choppy, cut short. There was a sly, almost cruel grin spreading across her face as her eyes remained trained on the sky above them.

His eyes widened, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. "M-Malachite?" He wondered aloud, and for a moment he actually thought he was meeting her…

…until his eyes lowered, and he noticed with a start this gem had only two legs, where Malachite was supposed to have four. But…but if this isn't Malachite, then-

Above them, where the bird-monster had been poofed, dozens of gems began to reform into a flock of much smaller bird creatures. Those must have been kept inside the big one…

They screeched, and the gem leapt backwards, sliding down the stairs back down the Sky Spire. They neared the bottom, and the gem kicked off, launching them over the floating platforms he had nearly fallen off earlier.

The gem set him down, and reached one of her four arms up, towards the gem on her nose…a gem he recognized as Jasper's. "Stay put, sugar," She said, shocking him with her voice as she pulled out a flail from her gem. Her voice was surprisingly deep, but where Jasper's voice was serious, this gem sounded almost…playful. Like she was enjoying this.

Above them, where the bird-monster had been poofed, dozens of gems began to reform into a flock of much smaller bird creatures. Those must have been kept inside the big one…

They screeched, a horde of them diving towards the gem, but she remained unfazed. If anything, her grin widened. She began spinning her flail, going faster and faster as the monsters got nearer. At the last second, she stopped, and the force sent the tip of her flail flying outwards, and a bright light filled the sky as an explosion erupted from the flail, incinerating the flock.

The gem giggled lightly. "Now ain't that a light show?" She said, in what to him sounded like a sweet southern drawl.

He looked up in wonder at the gem, before shyly stepping back. "Do you…know who I am?" He asked nervously.

The gem paused, then gave him a light smile. "All you wanna do…is see me turn into…"

Steven gasped. "Giant woman…" He whispered in awe.

Lapis had recovered by the time they returned, though she was strangely even quieter than before. She didn't look twice at the new gem accompanying them, and all the way back to the Warp Pad didn't make a sound.

He was worried about her, but the last time he tried prying was what got them into this mess, so he decided against questioning her about it.

"Home, sweet home!" He sighed as they warped back into the beach house. "And once again, we make it back home safe, mission accomplished!"

The new gem gasped at his words. "The beetle!" She exclaimed, and an explosion of light split her apart, Jasper and Spinel falling to the ground where she once stood.

"Crap!" Spinel's eyes shot open in fear. "We forgot about the beetle?"

Jasper groaned, rubbing her head. "We? You're the one who got distracted during the fight! If you weren't treating it like a game…"

Spinel snorted. "Oh please, you know you liked it."

"Guys, it's okay!" He said quickly, producing the Heaven Beetle from his pocket. "Look, I found the beetle in that gem's stomach! It's all okay! Everything worked out fine."

"No it didn't," Lapis said quietly, and all three of them snapped their heads toward her. "Steven, that gem ate you, right in front of our eyes. I couldn't control the water to fight back. I couldn't…I couldn't even bring myself to form Malachite. Not when you were in danger, not the one time I should have been able to push through and do what needed to be done…I couldn't. If Jasper and Spinel hadn't fused to form Setonite, you could have been seriously hurt, or worse. And all because I couldn't act like a leader."

"Lapis-" Jasper tried to interject.

"I can't…" Lapis stepped back, wiping a tear out of her eye. "Why did she have to pick me?" She muttered bitterly as the Temple door opened, and she fled into her room."

"Lapis!" Jasper tried to pull her back, but the door had already shut. She banged a fist against the door in frustration, then sighed. "Thank you, Spinel," She said in a defeated voice. "For fusing with me. At least we managed to spare her, but…" She shook her head. "Good job on holding onto the beetle, Steven. The mission would have been a bust otherwise." With that, the Temple door opened again, and Jasper walked through.

"No, wait!" He protested. "I…I got the beetle! Nobody was hurt, that means…that means we won, right? The mission…the mission was a success."

Spinel managed a weak smile. "Aw, they just need some time is all. Don't worry about them. We've all been through worse and come out the other side a-okay. And hey," She pointed a finger at them. "This wasn't cuz a' you, alright? Remember that. This has all been boiling up a long time. It's happened before, and it'll happen again." She kissed him on the cheek and ruffled his hair. "I'll see ya in the morning, alright? It's getting late."

Steven watched wordlessly as Spinel entered her own room, leaving him alone in the house, with no one but the beetle to keep him company.

"But…but I thought we won," He mumbled, crossing his legs as he sat down.

Suddenly, he heard the Temple door open and his eyes lit up. He jumped to his feet, turning around and hoping that they had changed their mind…only to find Peridot grinning back at him.

"I knew it!" She cheered, jumping up into the air. "I knew it! You all thought I was crazy, but I'm not crazy, you're all crazy! It's only paranoia if you're wrong, and I was most definitely not wrong!" She laughed maniacally, and Steven frowned.

"Uh…what are you talking about?"

Peridot grinned. "The observatory! The Crystal Gem base! I was right, Steven, I told you something was fishy!"

He blinked in surprise. "What is it?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"Oh, nothing much…" Peridot said smugly. "Just irrefutable evidence that whatever Homeworld was looking for at the first Crystal Gem Base, they found." Her grin widened. "And that's not all…there's a drone that's still active inside the base right now!"

Oh, he thought lamely, cupping the Heaven Beetle in his hands.

I guess it's better than waiting around for the others.

I know this is pretty much a translation of Giant Woman to suit the story, but I DID say certain important episodes would remain somewhat similar while still changing to fit the story. And even then, as I'm sure you can tell from Jasper and Lapis's scenes, this was a VERY important chapter.

And with that ending, we're officially kicking off the first major arc of the story!

It's late, so I won't type out too much, but I hope you all enjoyed! And I hope you're excited for the next few chapters…

Chapter Text

"You remember my promise, don't you?"

She could have laughed at that. Did she remember…of course she remembered! How could she ever forget? Six thousand years, and she could remember every word as if it were yesterday. She remembered the smell of the stream, the sound of the water flowing past them, and the creaking of the trees in the wind.

She remembered how panicked the two of them were, fleeing together on an unfamiliar world, surrounded by enemies. Well…unfamiliar for her, at least. Jasper knew where she was, and she knew how to help her.

But she had needed help herself, hadn't she? And still, she had made that promise…

Did Jasper truly think she had forgotten? Six thousand years, and the moment was still etched inside of her memory, never fading for a moment. Not during the worst days as Malachite. Not in those awful first years after the war, when they had all felt so terribly, totally alone.

And not when Rose died, either.

All around her, the water of her room rose and crashed, whirling about in a maelstrom the likes of which the real waters of earth had not seen in thousands of years. Thunder cracked, deafeningly loud, and the small stone pad on the surface of the water, normally dry even on her worst days, was soaking wet.

Lapis held her hands to her head, nearly pulling her hair out and she curled herself up, trying desperately to make it stop and seize back control of her room. She was panting heavily, her breath hitching every few seconds.

She followed the steps Rose had taught her. She tried to shut her eyes, and envision her room as she wanted it, a calm, still pool of water stretching as far as the eye could see, with the sun setting just above the horizon, but every time she shut her eyes all she could see was that awful white light.

She tried to take slow, deep breaths, but every time she did the thunder cracked above her, making her jump. The only reason she couldn't tell if she was crying yet was that she was already drenched head to toe in water.

Lapis screamed out in frustration, and her room responded in kind, drowning out the sound with the roar of the storm. She felt helpless, useless, incapable of even managing her own room.

Her eyes closed once more, but instead of the light, something else came to the forefront of her mind, every bit as awful. The stone caving in from the roof, Steven slowly looking up in fear, the maw of the gem closing shut around him.

Steven had been eaten by a gem. He could have been hurt, he could have died…and what had she done? Sit on the sidelines, just as uselessly as she was now?

Yes, sure, Steven had stirred up old memories in his curiosity about fusion. And returning to the Sky Spire certainly didn't help things, but that was no excuse. She couldn't control her powers. She couldn't bring herself to fuse with Jasper, even when she needed to.

And all because she was lost in the past.

Urgh. It was supposed to be different. She was the leader now, she had a responsibility to the others. What she felt…what she remembered…none of that had any bearing on now. She needed to be there for the others. She needed to be strong enough to push down and ignore her own failings. What if next time they weren't so lucky?

She couldn't keep carrying on like this. Six thousand years…it should have been long enough to forget. She shouldn't still have the war hanging over her head. Spinel was fine, outside of a few…quirks. Jasper's only concerns seemed to lie with her. Rose always seemed so glad just to have them…so why couldn't she be the same?

Why was it the others all seemed to move on so easily? She'd spent millenia living in regret of what they did. It should have been enough.

She held herself, clutching tightly as she shut her eyes. "Steven," She muttered, unable to hear her voice over the sound of the storm. "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. I should have been better."

But she wasn't better. She wasn't Rose, and she never would be. Why…why did Rose ever think it was a good idea to put her in charge? What did she see in her that made her decide she would be able to fill her shoes?

She wasn't a leader. She was barely a fighter, one who coasted by on her powers more than anything else, and now she couldn't even reliably do that. So why her? Why couldn't she figure it out?

Lapis sighed, hanging her head. Why can't I just get it right?

Steven's phone rang just as he was debating whether to pack two flashlights or three, causing him to jump in surprise before quickly fishing it out and answering the call. "Hello?"

"Hi Steven!" A shy voice answered from the other end. "Er…it's Connie."

Immediately, his face lit up in delight. "Connie! It's good to hear from you! Is…everything okay?" The second the words left his mouth, he winced. Now she's gonna think you think something's wrong…just act cool.

"Yeah, I was actually calling to tell you!" Her initial uneasiness had begun to wear off, and she started to sound more excited. "I asked my dad, and he said I can come into town over the weekend! I should be back in Beach City Saturday."

"Saturday…" He murmured with a frown. "Aw, that's still not until the day after tomorrow!"

Connie laughed. "That just gives you time to figure out what we're gonna do, right?"

"Hey, yeah, you're right!" He realized with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll come up with something awesome! I think I have an idea-"

"Steven!" Peridot yelled from across the house. "What's taking so long? We need to hurry up and get moving! I don't want to go another hour without figuring out this whole mess!"

He reddened in embarrassment, and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," He apologized. "Peridot's a little…excited at a mission we're about to go on." He grinned. "I'll see you Saturday, right?"

"Right!" Connie confirmed, then laughed. "Goodbye, Steven. Oh, and stay safe!"

"Will do!" He told her, and hung up with a smile.

"Steven!" Peridot's voice called out again, snapping him back to reality and reminding him of what he had been doing in the first place. "One second!" He shouted back, frantically zipping up his backpack. He was about to sling it over his shoulders, when his eyes widened in surprise.

"I completely forgot!" He gasped, rushing over to his bed. He picked up the Heaven Beetle gingerly, slowly making his way out of the loft and back to the main room. "Peridot, can you open the Temple Door? I have to put the Heaven Beetle with the Earth Beetle."

She rolled her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently. "It really can't wait?"

"Of course not!" He frowned. "What if the Earth Beetle gets lonely?"

Peridot sighed, but opened the Temple anyway. "That'll take you to the chamber where we keep the bubbled gems."

With a hurried thank you, Steven crossed the threshold, walking quickly but carefully, so as not to accidentally drop the Heaven Beetle. "It's alright," He cooed as they walked. "I got you. It's okay."

It wasn't hard to find what he was looking for. Lapis had decided it was good enough to place the Earth Beetle in a terrarium set gently on the ground while they went to retrieve its counterpart.

Steven lifted the top, then gently placed the Heaven Beetle beside the Earth Beetle. "There you are," He grinned, picking up the terrarium. "Now you guys won't have to be alone. You'll have each other." His smile faltered briefly, slipping away, but he quickly shook his head and ignored it. After a moment of concentration, the terrarium was enveloped in a pink bubble, and floated up to join the countless others hovering around the chamber.

Not wanting to wait any longer, he ran back out of the Temple, eager to get on with their mission. He hadn't actually thought Peridot's worrying over what they found at the observatory was going to actually lead to anything, but now that it had, he found himself every bit as excited as she was.

He emerged from the Temple sweating from the heat of the main chamber. "Alright," He panted, placing his hands on his knees. "I'm ready!"

Peridot grinned, grabbing his arm and hauling him onto the warp pad. "Excellent!" She declared. "The time of my glorious vindication is drawing near…" She frowned. "Though…are you sure the others aren't able to come?"

Steven shook his head. "They all went back to their rooms." Again. "It's just gonna be us, unless you want to wait for them."

"Hm. I was looking forward to rubbing it in their faces." Peridot looked conflicted, but eventually shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't much matter. We took care of the Corrupted Gems surrounding the base last time we went. And it's been sealed shut since before the end of the war…statistically, the odds of us running into any actual danger are astronomical."

"In that case, what are we waiting for?" He said quickly. The sooner they were out of the house, the sooner he had something to distract him.

And the sooner he could stop thinking about their disastrous trip to the Sky Spire.

Peridot grinned. "Nothing at all!" She exclaimed, and beneath them the warp pad began to shine.

Steven shut his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Please let everything be normal again when we get back, he begged.

The woods just outside the cave were exactly as Steven remembered them…but something felt different this time. It was dark out, and the shadows cast an eerie mood on the short walk from the warp pad to the mouth of the cave. He frowned, walking quickly while sticking close to Peridot's side.

"So…how exactly did you figure out there was something here?" He asked.

Peridot giggled in glee. "Why I'm glad you asked, Steven!" He winced at his mistake, but it was too late. Peridot was on a tirade now. "I knew Homeworld wouldn't bother sending all of their drones without a very good reason…and while I don't know what they were looking for yet, I know they found it, and I know there's still a drone inside."

"But how?" He asked again. If she was going to explain no matter what, she may as well explain the important parts.

"...I went back to the observatory," She admitted sheepishly. "Alone." Before he could get a word in to protest, she quickly explained. "But only to get a better look at the logs! There were automated transmissions, unsent reports, a digital trail all surrounding what should have been nothing more than an abandoned base."

"You managed to read the reports then?"

"Er…no," Peridot cleared her throat. "They were written in a code I didn't recognize, and I didn't want to waste the time it would take to break them. Thankfully though, only the important parts were encoded. Things like combat parameters, destination coordinates, prime directives, basically anything involving the drone's programming…all of that was uncoded and fairly simple to read. I couldn't figure out what exactly Homeworld was looking for, but I could fill in some of the blanks."

"Really?" He blinked in surprise.

Peridot nodded, grinning. "Easily! The drones were armed for a fight, and with how many were sent, they were expecting some serious resistance. They were sent early into the war, but still a few hundred years after the base had been abandoned...a picture began to form, if a spotty one."

Her voice took a lecturing tone. "Now, Steven, if they were expecting a serious confrontation, it could only mean they were looking for the Crystal Gems."

"Yeah, but I thought you guys said Homeworld knew it was abandoned the first time we went to the observatory?" Steven reminded her.

"According to Jasper and Lapis, yes," Peridot confirmed. "Spinel and I hadn't joined the Crystal Gems at that point, but I'm sure the two of them know what they're talking about." Her grin widened. "Which makes it all the more interesting they were expecting a fight if no one was supposed to be there, doesn't it?"

Steven frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"I think that, for whatever reason, a rogue cell of the Crystal Gems returned to the base," Peridot revealed. "They had to have been rogue, if Lapis and Jasper had no knowledge of it. Maybe they went back for supplies behind Rose's back, or maybe there's something else. Whatever it was, they didn't tell Rose or anyone else. Somehow, Homeworld caught wind of it and saw an opportunity to wipe out a sizable force of Crystal Gems."

"How do you know there were more than one?"

Peridot scoffed. "If you saw the firepower Homeworld sent, you'd understand. The only possible way Homeworld would bother sending so much against a single gem would be if it were Malachite or Rose on their own. No, it had to have been a group. However!" She held a finger out in front of her, stopping them both in their tracks about halfway down the cave. "All of this is just conjecture. Extremely well thought out, and most likely highly accurate, but still only guesswork. I needed proof before I felt it was worth trying to search…" She looked at him expectantly, then frowned. "Well? Aren't you going to ask what I found?"

"Uh…what did you find?"

"Excellent query!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "Despite my best efforts, I had failed to find sufficient evidence to justify coming out here to the base. And then it hit me…a solution so deceitfully simple, it slipped right past me entirely!"

He sighed. "I'm guessing you want me to ask you what it was?" Peridot nodded eagerly, and he rolled his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I scanned for it," Peridot said.

Steven frowned. "You…scanned for it?"

"From my lab," She elaborated.

"Wait, Spinel said that your rooms could come up with whatever you wanted, but none of it was real?" Steven recalled. "Like…a warp pad made by your room wouldn't actually work."

Peridot nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean everything in our rooms is conjured up. Lapis keeps all kinds of stuff under the water in her room, and I think Jasper's got a bookshelf with a few memento's. Spinel is the exception rather than the rule, Steven."

"Well what about you?"

"Most of my room is scuttled from my ship, along with a few…personal touches I added on my own," Peridot admitted.

His eyes lit up in genuine excitement. "You have a ship?"

"Had," Peridot corrected. "How do you think I got here?"

"Uh…through the warp?"

She snorted. "Please. The warp technology here on earth is primitive and half in ruins, though at least that latter part is intentional. No, I tried to warp here, but I wound up needing to come back the long way."

"Woah," Steven's eyes shone in wonder at the revelation that Peridot had a ship. "How did your ship-"

"Irrelevant," She cut him off before he could ask. "I'll tell you some other day. For now, all that you need to know is that by the time the Temple was first being constructed, it was practically inoperable. I salvaged what parts of it I could, incorporated it into my room, and ditched the rest at the bottom of the ocean. Now, can I please get back to explaining my genius?"

Steven nodded, and Peridot continued. "Obviously, earth is littered with old Gem technology. It's impossible to decipher what's what…but I already knew where the base was. All I needed to do was check and see if there was an active signal matching one of the other Homeworld drones in the area…and lo and behold, there was!"

"So there's an active drone somewhere in the base that's been sealed shut since before the war came to an end?" Steven summarized.

"Exactly," Peridot nodded. "If we can get in and find it, I can access the drone's camera directly, but only if it's still intact. This way, we can find out for certain what Homeworld was looking for! Hidden codewords in reports might be able to lie, but video evidence is irrefutable!"

"Sweet!" They came to a stop in front of a familiar smooth wall. They'd reached the door, and with it, their first obstacle. "You've got an idea to open the door then, right?"

"Naturally," Peridot said, showing him a small, circular device. "With this, I can hopefully calibrate the door to trick it into thinking it's unlocked." She affixed the device to the smooth surface of the door, and pressed a few buttons.

Steven nodded. "Cool! How long do you think it'll take?"

"Oh, not long at all," Peridot assured him. "If we're lucky, we should make it back in time for your breakfast."

His face fell, and his eyes widened. "We're going to be here all night?"

"And a good portion of tomorrow morning, yes," Peridot answered. "But think of it this way…we'll have all that time to excite ourselves with meaningless predictions of what we might find inside!"

Steven groaned, putting his back to the wall and sliding down to the ground. It wasn't quite what he had in mind when Peridot said they were going on a mission…

Still better than being stuck alone at home, he thought to himself.

"I thought I'd find you somewhere along the beach. Just a little further than I imagined."

Lapis froze at the sound of Rose's voice. Her toes dug deeper into the sand, and she held herself tighter, hoping vainly that if she ignored her, then she would simply go away and leave her alone.

Of course, Rose would never do such a thing, and so her hopes were quickly dashed. "I spoke with Greg," She continued. "He said you told him you would see him a few hours ago but never showed up. He's worried about you."

"You can see that I'm fine," She said hesitantly. She was reluctant to break the silence, but she didn't want Greg to worry. It wasn't his fault, not really. "Tell him that."

"Lapis, you are very far from fine," Rose told her, dropping any pretense.

She growled. "And how would you know that?"

"You're my friend," Rose said. "I know you."

"If you were my friend, you wouldn't go through with this…this craziness!" She yelled, failing to hold herself back. She had fled further down the beach hoping to avoid just this sort of confrontation, but if Rose had come here seeking it out she'd give it to her. "Friends don't abandon each other. They don't spit in the face of six thousand years of history!"

She rose to her feet, turning towards Rose furiously with tears in her eyes. "After everything we've all done for you…what we went through, what we suffered. All of it was so we could live free, together…and now, now you want to just give it all up? You want to kill your-"

"No," Rose said sternly, silencing Lapis. She shut her eyes, and took a deep breath before continuing. "Lapis…I knew this was going to be hard. For all of you. Believe me, it wasn't easy for me either. You have a right to be upset. You have a right to be angry with me, but don't ever think I'm trying to abandon you. I'm certainly not trying to kill myself."

"But that's what you're doing, isn't it?" She bit back spitefully. "You…you're going to be gone. You're going to become someone completely different, and you won't ever come back. What else would you call that?"

Rose smiled. "Life," She answered simply. "I'm going to have a child, Lapis!"

"Lovely," She muttered. "You'll leave us with a gross, crying mess before dying."

Rose sighed. "You know what this means to me. After everything we went through, I have an opportunity to actually create something…someone. I don't want to leave you, or the others. And I don't take what you and Jasper, and the others did for me for granted, not for one moment. This…this is a choice. My choice. The same way Peridot chose to abandon Homeworld for us. The same way you chose to stay unfused from Jasper. This is what I want, Lapis."

Lapis turned, hanging her head as she fought desperately to keep herself from crying further. Her tears fell silently, and for a long time the two of them simply stood there, until finally she spoke. "You…you really want this? You want…a child?"

Rose smiled at her, just as she had all those years ago, in the woods by the stream. "More than anything in the world."

Lapis swallowed dryly, a hollow pit forming in her stomach. "Then…I can't really stop you, can I? This is your choice to make."

"I don't want to go with things ending like this," Rose said. "It's selfish of me, but I don't want to die with you hating me."

"I don't hate you, Rose," She sighed in frustration. "If I hated you, this would be so much easier. I can't…I don't want to see you go."

"I know," Rose said, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into a hug. "But it's going to be okay. I promise. You'll have the others, you'll have Greg, you'll have the baby…you won't be alone, and I know that together you can all get through anything." She pulled back with a smile. "We've made it this long, haven't we?"

"We've gotten this far because of you," Lapis told her. "Without you…we'll be lost."

"I know," Rose repeated, then took another careful breath. "Which is why someone is going to have to take my place."

Lapis froze, that hollow feeling in her stomach beginning to grow. "...what do you mean?" She asked slowly.

Rose let go, turning towards the water as she played absently with her hands. "The Crystal Gems need a leader," She said. "To keep you all together. Jasper doesn't have the right temperament. Spinel doesn't have the right attitude, and I suspect she'll have her own…issues to deal with after I'm gone. Peridot doesn't have the right attitude OR temperament."

Lapis frowned. "So what, we're just supposed to fall apart?" If none of them could step up to become the next leader…

"No," Rose said sadly, turning back to her. "The others won't work. But that doesn't mean there isn't someone who can lead them."

Lapis's eyes widened, and she took a step back on instinct. "You…you can't be serious."

"I'm sorry," Rose apologized. "I don't have any right to ask this of you, but you're the only one I CAN ask."

"This is ridiculous!" She protested. "How could I possibly be a better leader than the others? Jasper's braver than I am, Peridot could come up with better plans than I could…"

Rose only smiled. "I've always thought it was so cute how you can't see it…"

"See what?"

Rose shook her head. "Nothing. But as for Jasper and Peridot…one would never follow the other, but both would follow you."

She scoffed. "That's it then? That's your reasoning?"

"Of course not," Rose denied.

"Then what could possibly drive you to such a stupid decision?" She demanded. "I…I can't lead. I don't like fighting. I hate ordering anyone around, I'm not brave, or-or sure of myself like you are! I haven't spoken to a human outside of Greg for thousands of years. I'm not like you, Rose!" She choked back a sob. "I'm nothing like you…"

Rose took her hands, pulling her close. "Nobody is perfect, Lapis. Not you, and certainly not me. But do you want to know something?" She grinned. "Everything you just said is exactly why only you can take my place."

Lapis looked at her, baffled. "How…?"

"It won't be easy," Rose told her. "It's hard. Harder than I ever imagined it would be trying to keep the peace. It's a balancing act, and not just at home, either. On missions you have to constantly be alert, not just for the enemy, but to make sure the others are careful as well. You have to be understanding, but firm. Confident, but able to adapt and admit when you are wrong."

"I'm none of those things," She whispered in a terrified voice.

"But you can be," Rose smiled. "I know you can be, Lapis. You are so much more than you think you are…and not so different from me as you think."

"I…I…"

"I can't make you," Rose said. "No more than you can make me change my mind about having a child. But if you don't do this, the Crystal Gems won't ever be the same again. Jasper, Spinel, Peridot…they are going to need you, Lapis."

"What about me?" She hissed. "Do you think I'll just be fine without someone? Who am I supposed to look to?"

"The same ones I do," Rose said.

"Who?" Lapis demanded an answer.

"You," Rose said, stopping her in her tracks. "And Jasper. And Peridot. And Spinel, and yes, even Greg. Everyone I love, and everyone who counts on me. Being a leader isn't about being better than someone, or braver, or stronger, or smarter. It's about a lot of things. Being there for the people who need you. Lifting them up when they need it, and letting them get there on their own when they have to. They look up to you, but you will look up to all of them. You will never be alone, Lapis, none of you will be…you will all be there for each other."

"It…it's the only way to keep us together?" She asked nervously.

"It is," Rose confirmed sadly.

Lapis sighed. "Then I don't have much of a choice, do I?" She shook her head. "I…I guess I have to. I don't want to…but somebody does."

Rose laughed. "See? You're already talking like a leader." Her smile faded some. "There is something you should know, though. It isn't bad, not necessarily, but I don't want you to be caught by surprise."

Lapis frowned. "What is it?"

"None of it ever really gets any easier," Rose told her. "You're going to question every decision you ever make. Blame yourself for every mistake, and every victory you'll think the others achieved on their own. You aren't always going to get it right. Sometimes, not often but sometimes, you'll feel isolated from the others. Apart, because you're the leader. And other times, they'll be so reliant on you it gets suffocating. None of that ever goes away…but it's okay. Because every time you see them smile, or take pride in a successful mission, or anything else like that, you'll remember it's always worth it. We aren't just a team. We're friends, family." Rose grinned. "Oh, and one more secret…"

She leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You don't always have to be their leader, not all of the time. Sometimes…sometimes you can just be their friend."

Lapis took a shaky breath, nodding. "I…I understand."

Rose giggled. "It's going to be alright, Lapis. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think you could step into my shoes."

She flinched at the reminder that Rose was going to be leaving. She…she was really going to die. The idea of going on without her…of their lives with Rose absent…it seemed impossible to her. "I don't want you to go," She confessed, her breath hitching.

Rose looked at her mournfully. "I know," She said again. "And I'm sorry. But you'll get through this. And with your help, the others will too." She brought her in for another hug, one Lapis returned eagerly.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do," Lapis said, holding her tightly.

"Neither did I," Rose said with a smile. "Isn't that exciting?"

Lapis breathed slowly, the grasp she had around herself loosening ever so slightly. Her eyes were still shut tight, her forehead pressed to the floor of the stone pad…but something had changed.

With a start, she realized the thunder had faded. Hesitantly, she raised herself up, and the scent of the sea brought a soothing calm to her mind. Goosebumps ran down her spine, and she quickly opened her eyes.

The storm was gone. Oh sure, the water still escaped her control, and the waves were a touch more violent than they should be, but all in all it was still only a little worse than it was on a calm day.

"I'm…I'm still here," She murmured. "I'm okay."

In the moment, she had felt like her whole world was crashing, falling down around her…but she had made it through. It was awful, but it was over. And she was still there.

The memory of her conversation with Rose had brought a sense of clarity. She wasn't supposed to always get it right. She couldn't. And she couldn't stop herself from feeling how she did…going back to the Sky Spire, dredging up her old memories as Malachite…it had put her off balance, messed with her control of her powers. Steven had almost been hurt…but he wasn't. Jasper and Spinel had been there to make up for her, and it had all turned out okay in the end.

She had thought that was a mistake, that the two of them having to fuse was a failing on her part. But it wasn't, really. That's what a team was for…even if she was the leader, she wasn't perfect. Just as she was there for them whenever they needed a hand, they were there for her.

She didn't feel guilty anymore, not about Steven. Only relieved he hadn't been harmed, and more resolved than before to keep him safe.

No, instead there was only a sinking feeling in her core. An emptiness, almost.

Why couldn't she just forget Malachite? Why did it still haunt her so much, after so long? She wasn't blind. She knew how much it frustrated Jasper being apart, even if she would never say anything. Jasper still blamed herself for her unwillingness to fuse, no matter how many times Lapis told her that wasn't the case.

How many of her problems could be solved if she could simply let go of the past…?

She sighed, shutting her eyes. "If only it were that easy…" She muttered.

Opening her eyes, she glanced around her room, satisfied with the state of it. It had served its purpose…even if it was worse than usual, she had mostly managed to reign herself in. Staying in her room wouldn't accomplish anything further…she ought to check on Steven.

Leaving through the Temple Door, she was surprised to find it was dark out, and more surprised to find Steven wasn't in his bed. "He must be at a friend's house," She concluded. He had mentioned something about that Connie girl, hadn't he? Or was she supposed to be coming here?

Regardless, he wasn't there. On a whim, she went to the door, glancing out the window. She hesitated, staring down at the beach longingly for a moment before finally deciding to open the door. She could pass the time for a little while on the beach.

She needed some time to think.

I hadn't intended on splitting this into two chapters, but it became sort of necessary. Unfortunately, that means this chapter is mostly setup, but I think Lapis's sections make up for it, as well as builds tension. Don't worry, I'm mostly finished with the next one, so you won't be waiting very long.

As promised, the first major arc has begun! Technically I would consider the last chapter the beginning, but the arc is all dealing with the fallout of the disastrous visit to the Sky Spire, and the chain of events it sparks.

I would say there's maybe five more chapters planned until the end of the arc, unless something changes. I'm super excited, especially for some of the later chapters. I wonder if anyone will guess what this is all leading up to?

Thank you all for reading, of course, and please make sure to leave a review or a comment! I read through all of them, and I really do appreciate each one.

Chapter Text

"Welp, I concede," Peridot shrugged, stepping away from the door.

Steven's eyes widened, and he shot to his feet. "Wait, what? You said you could get the door open!"

"Evidently I was mistaken," She said bluntly.

"Then what was the last three hours for?" He protested. She'd been fiddling with that device forever while he sat there bored out of his mind…there was no way it was all for nothing.

"My calibrator doesn't recognize the signal's emanating from the door," Peridot said. "Frankly, the technology is just too old. If it were something comparatively simpler, like a drone or a control panel, it wouldn't be a problem…but this door was designed to withstand an attack from homeworld, and its security systems show it. I've got nothing."

"But…but the mission!" It couldn't be all over just like that! What were they supposed to do, just head back to the Beach House?

He didn't want to go back home. Not now, at least.

"We'll go back and see if we can't find something with enough firepower to break down the door," Peridot told him. "Believe me, I don't want to wait any more than you do, but there isn't much more we can do at the moment." She hummed in thought, beginning to walk away. "Hm…I wonder whatever happened to your mothers light cannon?"

Steven's heart sank, and he turned towards the door with a heavy sigh. "Come on…" He murmured, placing a hand on the smooth surface. "Just open…" he pleaded. They didn't even need to stay long, just long enough for Lapis and the others to go back to normal. He was the one who messed things up in the first place…maybe by staying away for a little while, it'll fix itself.

To his shock, he heard a low rumbling from the other side of the door. He took a startled step back, his eyes widening in surprise. "Ah!" He yelped. "What did I do?"

"Steven?" Peridot quickly ran over, pulling him back. "Are you alright? What…" She gasped, watching in awe as the door slowly slid open, a cloud of dust shaking free after being sealed for millenia. "Steven, your gem!"

"Huh?" He looked down, and was surprised to find his gem glowing. "But…I didn't use any of my powers?"

"Of course!" Peridot snapped her fingers. "I should have seen it!"

"Seen what?"

"Your gem!" Peridot exclaimed. "It's your mothers! We're so used to exploring old Homeworld structures…this was a Crystal Gem base! With how tight Lapis and Jasper has said security used to be, Rose was probably the only Gem the door was keyed to open for. Which means, naturally, it's keyed to open for you as well."

Steven laughed. "Awesome!" It would have been nice to know that before waiting three hours for nothing, but hey, better late than never. He turned back to the door, which was now open, and leading to a dark corridor he could only dimly make out the edges of. From what little he could see, the interior didn't look all that different from the observatory, a blend of metal, stone, and mosaic pictures depicting scenes he didn't recognize going across the walls.

He swallowed nervously, suddenly hesitant. "I guess…we just go in now?"

Peridot frowned, but nodded. "There shouldn't be anything dangerous," She said, though it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him. "This place has been sealed off for a very, very long time."

"Y-Yeah," Steven nodded, trying to sound confident as he agreed with her. "Just a walk in the park." He gulped. "A dark, creepy, super mysterious and ancient park with a mystery we don't know the answer to."

"Exactly." Peridot cleared her throat, taking a nervous step forward. "Well then…I suppose there isn't any point in meandering." She tapped her forehead, and a light shone out from her gem. "Are you ready, Steven?"

He swallowed nervously, and nodded. "Totally," He said, just as a draft came down the cave, sending a shiver up his spine. He took another step towards Peridot.

Peridot took a deep breath. "Alright…time to find out what secrets you have. Mysterious Homeworld drone…here we come."

Grabbing his hand, the two of them stepped through the door.

Just like the observatory, Steven was awestruck by the base, from the mosaics on the wall to the very fact that they were walking in the first base of the Crystal Gems. Jasper and Lapis used to live here. Mom used to live here. It was exciting for him…

…unlike the observatory, however, that excitement was undercut by a foreboding feeling. There was something wrong, something he couldn't put a finger on.

The base seemed older than the observatory. Which was silly, they were probably built around the same time…if anything, the observatory was most likely older. Maybe it was the less sterile construction of the base, maybe it was the fact that it was more hidden, but the further they went into the base, the greater the feeling that they didn't belong there grew.

At least Peridot seemed excited. After her initial hesitation wore off, she was quickly enthralled by the novelty, gushing over the architecture and everything else she saw.

"Oh! Steven, over here, look quickly!" She was practically hopping up and down, pointing down a hallway. "I think we found one of the main chambers!" She took off running, and Steven's eyes widened.

"Hey, wait for me!" He called out, trailing behind her. "It might be dangerous! Peridot!"

By the time he had caught up with her, she had come to a stop, silently turning her head around the chamber, a look of awe on her face. "Peridot?" He frowned. "You really shouldn't run off like that. You know Lapis would get mad if something…" He trailed off, his gaze following hers. "Woah…"

Peridot was right, they were definitely in one of the main chambers. They had to be by the size of it. The light from Peridot's gem wasn't enough to properly illuminate the room, but it was enough. The room was vast, but weirdly empty.

"I wonder…" Peridot frowned, turning her head, and with it the light, towards the other end of the room. Unlike the rest of the chamber, a large raised platform stood out in the otherwise empty room.

"It looks like some kind of stage…" Steven observed.

"I think it is," Peridot agreed, nodding. "Yes…we must be in some sort of assembly hall. Rose would have needed a place to address the Crystal Gems as a group. I'm sure if Lapis or Jasper were here, they would confirm my hypothesis…" She snickered. "Thankfully, we don't need them. My genius is self-evident."

"Mom used to give speeches from here?"

"Almost certainly," Peridot answered absently, now turning her attention to more of the mosaics.

Steven took a careful step towards the stage. He tried to picture his mom standing there, looking out over a crowd of gems. She was giving a speech, telling everyone they had to fight back against Homeworld to save the earth. Lapis and Jasper were by her side…or, no, it would be Malachite back then. And she would probably be too big to fit on the stage…

It was just his mom, then. Still, the crowd was cheering for her. Her words had struck a chord with them, inspired them. He tried to picture in his mind what she would say. What could she tell an army of gems to get them to fight against everything they ever knew to save a planet that wasn't their own?

He wanted so badly to know. He could see her in his mind, he could watch her lips move…but he couldn't hear what she said. He couldn't hear her words.

His shoulders slumped, and he lowered his head in disappointment. Of course he couldn't…how could he?

He didn't even know the sound of her voice. He barely knew what she looked like. And everything else he knew about her came from someone else.

The image in his mind wavered, and slowly disappeared. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, as nearly as soon as it did, he heard Peridot gasp behind him.

"Steven!" She whispered in excitement. "Get over here!"

"Huh?" He turned around in alarm. "Is something wrong?"

Peridot waved him over, not bothering to look back at him. She was busy staring up at something, though what it was he couldn't tell. "Hurry, look!"

Frowning, he obeyed. He tried to follow where Peridot was looking, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "I don't get it," He confessed. "Am I missing something? All I see are a bunch of those mosaics." Which wasn't a big help when he didn't recognize any of them.

"Look closer," Peridot urged. "They're not like the other ones. They don't just depict scenes…"

Steven sighed, but did as he was asked. Even with Peridot's light, the room was still dim, but after a few moments he realized what he was trying to show her. His eyes widened. "Those…those are carvings of gems!"

Peridot squealed in delight. "I know! And not just any gems! Here…" She put her arm around his shoulder, pointing at an image of a tall gem with two massive gauntlets. "There's Garnet! The first fusion between two gems of a different type, and one of Rose's first warriors. She was captured near the end of the war and shattered, but she inspired countless gems to discover fusion for themselves. She even helped Lapis and Jasper decide to become Malachite."

His eyes shone in wonder. "That's so cool!"

"Isn't it?" Peridot grinned, then pointed further down the wall. "And over there! Larimar, Snowflake Obsidian, Bismuth…these aren't just Crystal Gems, these are legends! Heroes!"

"Where do you think Lapis and Jasper are?" Steven asked. "They were around back then, right? Shouldn't they be up here?"

But Peridot didn't answer him. He turned, and found her staring silently at the image of a titanic green gem, with four legs, four arms, four eyes and a mane of white air. The symbol of a star was covering her right eye like a birthmark…and he realized with a start Lapis and Jasper both had similar markings over their right eyes, ones he always thought were just a part of them. He only saw her for a second before Peridot turned away, clearing her throat.

Steven blinked. "Was that Mala-?"

"It's nothing," Peridot insisted, and shifted the light lower, beneath the green gem, where the small forms of two familiar gems could be found. "See? They're right there."

Steven laughed, running over to the wall and placing a hand on the image of Lapis. "This is so weird," He giggled. "It's ancient, but…it's them. I mean, I know gems can get super old, but seeing it like this is just really…"

"...strange," Peridot agreed. She was quiet for a moment. "They're both smiling," She noted, oddly quiet. "I suppose that isn't all that unusual, but from how they talk about the war…

The carving of Lapis began to glow blue, and Steven screamed, stepping back. "What the heck is that?" Beside her, Jasper's carving glowed orange.

"Steven, It's your Gem again!" Peridot told him frantically, pulling him back. "I don't know what you did, but we need to-"

Lapis and Jasper appeared in front of them, cutting Peridot off and freezing the two of them in place. They were holograms, both made out of a blue light. For a few moments, they were frozen still. Then, without warning, they burst into life.

Jasper sighed, crossing her arms. "This is stupid," She said. "Why are we even bothering with this?"

Lapis giggled. "It isn't stupid, silly. Rose said it was important, and we agreed, didn't we?"

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but-"

"Come on…" Lapis pleaded. "It'll be super quick, I promise!"

"I just…I don't like being like this," Jasper said, gesturing at herself. "I don't like being apart."

"Neither do I," Lapis agreed. "It feels…wrong. But don't worry, we'll be back to feeling ourselves in a minute. Now can we please just get this over with?"

Jasper tried to keep an angry face, but gave up after a few seconds, giggling alongside Lapis.

Jasper. Was giggling. Steven shared a look with Peridot, who was equally bewildered. "Fine," Jasper agreed. "You're welcome to get us started."

Lapis cleared her throat, then grinned. "Hi there! My name is Lapis Lazuli! I came here to earth not very long ago so I could…well, I'm a Lapis Lazuli. I came here to do what Lapis Lazuli's USUALLY do. I've been to dozens of other worlds before, doing the same thing over and over, but it always bothered me. So many worlds, so full of life…it all felt so pointless, you know?" She shrugged. "But that's the way it was. It's what I was designed for, and I never thought it was possible to be anything else."

Lapis smiled, leaning her head on Jasper's arm. "Then I came to earth, and I met a certain someone who showed me I could be someone else. Someone better."

Jasper froze, blushing, but Lapis carried on. "It was a bit of a…rocky start," She admitted. "But eventually, we came around to the idea of joining Rose. Not long after, we fused for the first time, and we've been together as Malachite ever since." Lapis winked at Jasper. "And I wouldn't give it up for the world."

Steven had no idea what he was even watching anymore. "What's happening?"

"Hush!" Peridot quickly shushed him. "Pay attention!"

"Come on, I already went, now you go!" Lapis nudged Jasper.

"Urgh, do I have to?"

Lapis crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow playfully. "If you don't, I'll call Pearl over and tell her you aren't listening to Rose, after we promised we would."

Jasper winced. "Alright, alright! Jeez…" She shook her head. "My name is Jasper. I'm a Jasper. There. Now can we fuse again already?"

"Nuh-uh," Lapis shook her head. "Gotta give me a little more than that."

Jasper sighed. "I was a warrior in Pink Diamond's court. Her best warrior…I was utterly loyal, my cut was perfect, my will unbreakable…"

"Your humbleness legendary…" Lapis muttered under her breath with a mischievous smirk.

"...But I went unrecognized for a long time, unable to serve my Diamond in the way I thought I should serve her. One day, I was assigned to escort one of Blue Diamond's court to my superior. I was made Lapis's bodyguard."

Steven froze, and beside him Peridot's eyes widened. "I never knew that…"

"Things got complicated fast," Jasper said vaguely. "I protected her, but it wasn't enough. We were-" Her voice cut off in a haze of static, and Steven winced, covering his ears.

"The recording!" Peridot exclaimed. "Its age must have corrupted it."

Jasper's image stabilized, and her voice returned to normal. "-and after that, we swore to follow Rose in thanks for what she did."

"What?" Steven asked, desperate to know. "What did she do for you?"

"Like Lapis said, we fused together as Malachite not long after, and ever since we've been paying back Homeworld, one fight at a time." Jasper finished. "Now, FINALLY, are we done yet?"

Lapis snorted. "You big dork…yes, we're done." Lapis poked Jasper's nose and smiled. "You did great."

"I just don't see the point," Jasper said.

"You did when we were Malachite," Lapis pointed out.

"That's different," Jasper protested, but Lapis cut her off.

"It's for the future," Lapis said with a smile. "Whatever else happens to us, no matter who wins or loses, there will always be someone to remember us, and everyone else."

"Maybe we'll be gone, or separated. Maybe some of our friends won't be around. Maybe none of us will be. But whoever comes here will find these recordings…and here, now, in this moment, we'll always just be us. And there will be someone who can remember us."

Jasper smiled, looking down at Lapis with a look of adoration. Wordlessly, she took her in her arms, and pulled her close. Lapis grinned up at her, and a second later they flickered out of existence, once more leaving Steven and Peridot alone in the chamber.

"...What was that?" He asked again, still stunned.

"They're so different," Peridot said, almost in a whisper. "So happy. I don't think I've ever seen Lapis and Jasper like that before. Never. They look so free…so happy together."

"Uhm…Peridot?"

She didn't answer for a moment, her eyes lingering on the empty space where the holograms had disappeared. Finally she shook her head. "Right. Sorry. That was a recording, obviously. Going off of what Lapis said, it was likely meant to preserve their history in the event of…er…in case something bad happened. I imagine all of the carvings in this room are similar recordings from the gems they depict." Peridot turned her light to the other mosaics. "But look…nearly all of them are cracked and busted, damaged in some way. Lapis and Jasper's recording was the most intact, and even that had some serious interference. I doubt we'll get anything out of it."

Her shoulders fell. "All this history…first-hand accounts from the very gems that freed this planet, and all lost to time. Unable to achieve the one thing they were made for…just rotting away here, forgotten."

Steven winced at the harshness of her words. "Well, let's take a look! Maybe there's another that's mostly intact!"

Sighing, Peridot finally moved away from Lapis and Jasper's carvings. "Unlikely," She said bluntly. "But we may as well give it a shot."

Steven followed Peridot's light as it moved from carving to carving, his smile falling further. Peridot had been right, Lapis and Jasper's recording had been by far the most intact.

Slowly, her light moved closer to the stage, until suddenly it illuminated the platform…and the wall behind it.

Steven froze, his eyes widening in shock.

Mom, He thought, looking at a massive carving that quite obviously depicted Rose Quartz. A carving that was, as far as he could tell, in perfect condition.

His eyes drifted down, and to his surprise, there was another carving beside her. Though it was much smaller, it was also the only other one on the entire wall besides his mom's. Unlike his mom's, it was just as damaged as the others, though he could make out the image of a small, thin gem with peach-pink hair, and a pointy nose. A sword was held at her side. "Hey Peridot…who is that?"

"That must be Pearl," Peridot assumed, with no small amount of awe in her voice. "The Pearl."

"Who was she?"

"The first Crystal Gem, alongside Rose," Peridot said. "Her closest companion, and a master swordfighter. The two of them terrorized Pink Diamond's soldiers for years before the war even properly began. She went missing early into the war, probably not long after this base was abandoned."

Steven climbed up onto the stage with a grunt of exertion. Quickly brushing the dust off himself, he walked over to the carving and curiously placed a hand on Pearl's image.

Like before, a hologram appeared of a small, thin gem with a pointy nose and a sword by her side. "Really now, this is absurd…" She protested to someone out of view. "Wasn't the entire point of all this so we could leave Homeworld behind? Why bother dredging up the past? Especially…ours. What are we going to do if the wrong gem…oh, stop it with the eyes. Fine." She rolled her eyes and sighed, but continued. "My name is Pearl," She introduced herself with a bow. "I serve Rose Quartz in all things." An uncomfortable look crossed her face, as if she was unsure of whether or not she should say more, but a hand placed itself upon her shoulder. Pearl looked up at the unseen gem and smiled, before clearing her throat. "Yes…very well then, If you insist. But mark my words, this is a bad idea. I…I suppose I don't really serve her…I fight beside Rose Quartz as a Crystal Gem. I have for centuries, but before that, I belonged to-"

Her voice cut off, turning into a blaring static, far worse than Jasper's interference was. Her image shook, flickering in and out before vanishing completely.

"Aw man, why'd it have to cut out now?" He complained. "She…she was a friend of my mom's, wasn't she?"

"Her best friend," Peridot nodded. "Rose talked about her all the time. Lapis and Jasper said that Rose became a lot more withdrawn after she went missing. She didn't start reaching out again until Spinel came along."

Steven sighed. There was still so much he didn't know about his mom…she had a best friend he had never known about, or never heard about before. "I'm sorry, Pearl," He whispered. "I wish I could have met you." Her and the rest of the gems his mom had known. So much of her life was a mystery to him.

Now he knew the voice of a gem he had never met, but he didn't even know what his own mother sounded like.

Steven blinked, an idea popping into his head. Lapis and Jasper's recording had been mostly intact, despite some damage. Pearl's had been seriously damaged, but at least managed to play a few seconds.

But Rose's image was completely unblemished…it should work perfectly, but even if it didn't there was no way it wouldn't at least play a couple seconds. That's all he needed. Just a few seconds…long enough to hear her voice.

Behind him, Peridot hummed in thought. "It's strange," She remarked. "Pearl's recording was much more severely damaged than Lapis and Jaspers. For that matter, it looks worse than any of the other recordings, and by quite a large margin. But Rose's mural is right beside her, and the image is untouched? Not so much as a scratch?"

"Maybe it works," Steven said, running his hand over the stone carving of his mother. "Come on…" He whispered to himself. "Activate! Play! Work!"

"It doesn't make any sense," Peridot said to herself as he tried desperately to get the recording to play. "The damage doesn't seem to emanate from any particular direction. It seems almost random, except for the fact that all of the recordings are damaged."

"I don't get it," Steven said to himself. "Why won't it work?" The only recording in the chamber without so much as a scratch…and it wouldn't even try to play.

Then he saw it. On Lapis and Jasper's recording, there were two stones where their gems were in real life that had glowed and played the recording. With Pearl, the stone on her forehead had provided the source for her message.

But for Rose, on her stomach where her gem was supposed to be, was an empty, hollow space. No gem, no light, no recording. Only an ancient, untouched carving.

"Steven…" Peridot said suddenly, her voice much tighter than before. "Steven, step away from the carving."

"It won't work…" He said, frowning. "It isn't fair! Why is hers the only one missing her recording?"

"Steven, step back now!" Peridot hissed. "Something is seriously wrong here."

"Yeah, I know," He grumbled.

"Steven, I mean it," Peridot said seriously. "Think for a moment. Every carving in this chamber is destroyed…but only the carvings. Not the floor, or the ceiling, or the walls. And the mosaics outside of this chamber are untouched."

"So?"

"So, this place has been sealed for thousands of years!" Peridot said frantically. "I should have realized it sooner…there's no wind here, no possible way for any structural damage to occur, no source for erosion. And gem technology doesn't decay so easily, especially when it isn't exposed to the elements. Don't you realize what I'm saying? The carvings didn't just happen to malfunction. Someone destroyed them!"

A shudder ran up his spine, and he quickly turned around just in time to find a floating metal ball rising up behind Peridot. His eyes widened in fear. "Um…Peridot? I think I found the drone."

"Huh?" Peridot began to turn, but by then the drone was already preparing to fire.

Steven had just enough time to summon his shield before the drone fired at him. The force of the blast shattered his shield, sending him slamming back into the wall with a grunt, the air knocked out of his lungs.

"Steven!" Peridot was already running towards him as the floating cylinders beneath the ball began to spin again. She grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "Hurry! Down the hall and deeper into the base!" She pulled him with her as they ran.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked, throwing a look over his shoulder, where the drone was giving chase. "We don't know what else is down here!"

Peridot growled. "Well we know that thing is right behind us, and I don't think it wants to chat. Do you have a better idea?"

Steven didn't answer, letting her guide him as they ran. The base seemed to go on and on, endlessly repeating halls that were beginning to make him dizzy.

Finally, they turned a sharp corner, and turned again immediately into an opened room. Peridot quickly shut the door, leaving it cracked just enough for them to see the drone pass them by.

He let out a sigh of relief. "That was close."

Peridot scowled. "Yes, too close. Where did it come from? It certainly wasn't in the chamber when we entered."

"Maybe messing with the recordings drew it to us?" He suggested.

"Maybe." Peridot didn't sound convinced. "Nevertheless, we found the drone. This is what we came here for."

Steven blinked, confused for a moment before he remembered that yes, the drone was the whole reason they came back to the base in the first place. He'd been so caught up in the recordings, and trying to get his mom's to work, he'd nearly forgotten.

Of course, there was one problem…

"What exactly are we supposed to do now?" He asked with a frown. "It shattered my shield in one blast."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "We came here for answers, Steven. We are going to get them."

"Okay…" He said slowly. "But how? That drone looks exactly like the one Jasper had, but way bigger, and I couldn't even take on that one."

Peridot blinked in surprise. "Jasper? She…she still has that old thing?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Not the point," He said quickly, changing the subject. He didn't know whether or not the others knew Jasper had used a drone to help him with his training, and he didn't want to get her in trouble if they didn't. "I don't think we can take it down, Peridot."

"Of course we can," She growled. "It's a stupid machine set to the most basic of extermination protocols. It's dangerous in the way an infant with a flamethrower is dangerous. We simply have to outsmart it."

"But-"

"I am not leaving until I get my answers!" Peridot snapped. "Do you have any idea what the past few weeks have been like Steven? I knew there was something wrong here, I knew it from the second I saw those records at the Observatory. And did a single one of them listen to me for even a second?" There was hurt in her voice, and anger. "No. Of course not. This is what I do! I gather information, I form hypotheses, I tell the others what they need to know so they have the best possible chance of success. And none of that means anything when they ignore me and act like I'm crazy!"

Steven's eyes widened. "Peridot…"

"Weeks of this," She grumbled, putting her hands behind her back as she began to pace back and forth. "I don't understand. They couldn't just take my word for it? Why can't they trust me? Why do I have to keep showing them again and again? Haven't I done enough to earn a bit of respect?"

She growled in frustration. "It's always been like this. They treat me like I have no idea what I'm talking about…Jasper and Spinel, and their perfect cuts. I can't go back yet, Steven. Don't you get it? If we go back empty-handed, it'll just prove them right! I refuse to let that happen. This was supposed to be my chance to finally show them all." She looked away. "This was my chance to finally show her…"

Steven swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he had to say something. "Peridot, I don't think any of them think any less of you…"

"Of course they do," She scoffed. "They don't say it, but it's obvious all the same. Lapis, Jasper, Spinel…Rose. They all fought together in the war. Those faces you saw out there on the carvings? To them, they were friends. To me, those were gems I learned about as war criminals, and then later learned about again them as legendary heroes. But never as peers. The others have that…I don't. I'm the outsider. The only one who came into the universe with the war as a part of history instead of something I lived through." She clenched her fist, struggling to hold back her tears. "I'm the only one that came out wrong…" She muttered bitterly.

Peridot shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I can't change any of that. But I can show them none of it matters. If I can just figure out what happened here, it'll show them that I was right. I can prove myself, they'll see I can make up for being defective. We just have to get that drone's data and see what it recorded. Or failing that, try and figure out what it came searching for here in the first place."

Steven looked at Peridot in concern. Her words were starting to scare him…she didn't really think the others hated her, did she? Or thought she was defective?

No, he decided. It was probably like Jasper was that day in the Sky Arena. She was angry, and she was hurt, and she was lashing out. And right now, he didn't really blame her. She was right after all…there was something here, and they had all ignored her.

But he also knew that drone was way more of a problem than Peridot was willing to admit. She wasn't a fighter, and he could barely control his powers. There was no way they were taking that thing in a fight.

He opened his mouth to tell her as much, but just as he did a light shone through the crack of the door.

They both froze, staring in terror as the light grew. The seconds passed like hours as it drew nearer, and nearer…and passed them by, heading back the way they had come from.

Once more, he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Peridot, I know you're upset, but what are we going to do? I'm really worried here."

She frowned, biting her lip. "We'll be careful," She decided. "We won't just charge in like a pair of clods. No, we'll take our time, but we have to get that drone, and we have to get it intact."

"But how?" He pressed her for an answer.

"We simply need to disable it," Peridot insisted. "A strong enough electro-shock should do the trick. That tech is so ancient, even a jolt from human technology would probably fry its circuits…while preserving its more delicate systems, of course."

"Cool!" Finally some good news….Peridot had a plan! "But…what are we going to shock it with? Got any ideas?"

Peridot scoffed. "Of course I do, Steven. I told you, this is what I do. First, let's just observe the drone, try and spot any patterns."

He gave her a nervous look. "Are you sure about this?"

Peridot nodded. "Trust me," She said, her eyes almost begging him.

Steven sighed, but nodded back. "Alright," he told her. "I trust you."

Yet again, I'm splitting up this chapter after not expecting that I would need to. Really, I didn't mean for this to get so long, and to be honest it's fairly close to being done…just, still too much I think for a single chapter. Therefore, this mini arc-inside-an-arc will now be three chapters instead of two.

But yeah, a lot of big hints in this chapter, and we haven't even gotten to the good part of the overall arc yet. The idea for the recordings came to me as I was writing them, but it ties in VERY neatly for another part of this arc I hadn't figured out yet.

AO3 is currently down, so I'm going to upload there in the morning, once the issue is presumably fixed.

I'm always happy to answer comments, but I won't spoil too much about the actual plot here, except for one hint…keep in mind that all the information from the characters in the story are based on information THEY have. That doesn't necessarily mean it's correct information.

That little tidbit doesn't relate to THIS arc necessarily, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Oh, and FYI, the wait for the next chapter may be a bit longer, both because this chapter was already mostly written, and because I want to upload the next chapter of WAYDTM, my other Steven Universe fic first.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment or a review! I read through them all, and I really do appreciate it!

Chapter Text

Jasper held the remnants of the broken drone in her hand, frowning at the useless lump of metal.

For weeks now, ever since she crushed it while training with Steven, she'd been making an unfamiliar effort to try and understand its inner workings, in the apparently vain hopes of repairing it. She was never the best with Homeworld technology, but it was ancient, she didn't think it could be all that difficult…even if it was designed well after Homeworld had abandoned the earth.

It quickly became apparent she was in over her head. She couldn't begin to understand the stupid thing, and the only thing she'd managed to accomplish was make herself angrier and more frustrated, which hadn't done much to help anyone.

She sighed, turning it over in her hand and giving it one last inspection, before gently placing it back on her shelf.

She was still determined to figure out how to make it work…eventually. If only it were as easy as it sounded. Something needed to change though, she wasn't blind to that. She needed a new approach. As it was now, she wasn't anywhere close to figuring out how to fix it.

Jasper gritted her teeth, clenching a fist in anger. Nothing new there. When had she ever been able to fix anything in her life?

No, that wasn't her purpose. She was a warrior, a fighter. She destroyed, she didn't create, or fix.

She couldn't fix that stupid drone. And it wasn't like she could just make herself a new one either, not alone.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection looking back at her in the drone's metal. She saw herself, and the half-star mark covering her right eye, and a scowl crossed her face. She hated looking at that thing. All it ever did was remind her she was only half of what she was. Lapis had a matching mark covering her eye, yes, but that was different. She could be someone else without Malachite. Someone better. All she was good for was muscle.

Still…five thousand years apart, and in all the time not once did she think about moving her mark somewhere else while reforming. Even stranger, neither did Lapis. Maybe that was why. Maybe she thought that, somewhere, because she kept her half of Malachite's star, a part of Lapis wanted to be together again.

And then she would remember what Lapis was like, those first few years after the war. She would remember the months spent locked in her room, the skittish flinching whenever someone went near her, the absolute refusal to fuse with anyone, not just her. It had taken a long time for Lapis to get comfortable around her again, and even longer to get comfortable around the others. No, if there was a reason Lapis kept her mark, it was as a reminder, not a wish.

If nothing else, she could at least be grateful Lapis had turned to her first after the war. Even after everything, she still felt safest with her.

Jasper sighed, walking towards the exit. Sitting in her room wouldn't do anything. She couldn't change the past, but she didn't have to live in it either. At least, that's what Rose had told her…

…but Rose is gone, isn't she?

Ugh. It would get better, eventually, she knew that. Already some days were better than others. Sometimes, it almost felt like she wasn't missing a part of herself. Sometimes, she almost felt whole.

It was easier with Rose. Lapis wasn't as stressed, and for the most part stuck closer to her. They might not have fused anymore, but being near her helped. Being able to be there for her helped. She didn't use to argue with Peridot as much either, and on the worst days, Spinel was always there for them…and when she wasn't, Rose was.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, leaving her room and stepping into the beach house. She needed to check on Steven and Lapis. After the Sky Spire, and Lapis's reaction, Jasper had been more than a little worried. Lapis always had a tendency to blame herself, and while her room usually helped, letting her stew on it for too long never did any of them any good. And who knew how Steven took the whole thing? What if he started to blame himself too? That was the last thing they needed…

Jasper frowned as her eyes fell on Steven's bed. It was empty. A quick glance towards the windows confirmed that the sun had set…Steven should be in bed by now.

Hm…I think I remember something about that Connie girl calling. Was she coming over here, or was he visiting her? She couldn't remember.

She almost went back into the Temple to search for Lapis, but something pulled her to the windows. She crossed the length of the house, her footsteps thudding loudly on the floor, and the corner of her mouth tightened when she peered out over the beach.

Lapis sat at the edge of the water. She didn't…seem upset. If anything, she looked calm, which was a good thing…but Jasper still didn't feel right just leaving her alone out there. Lapis needs her space, she knew that. She also knew that Lapis hated being alone, but the last thing she needed to do was go down there and interrupt her, not when she was part of the reason she had shut herself in her room in the first place.

Although…there was another option. Someone who could find a middle ground, someone who could be there for her without overwhelming her.

Jasper sighed in resignation. It's for Lapis's sake…

Strangely, Lapis wasn't all that surprised when she heard the crunching of the sand beneath the van's wheels. The familiar screech of the engine as it crawled to a stop behind her drew a tired breath from her.

She heard the door open and shut, and without bothering to look behind her greeted her visitor. "Hey, Greg."

"...Hey, Lapis," He answered after a moment's hesitation. He was nervous, which meant this wasn't going to be a conversation she wanted to have. "Mind if I, uh…take a seat?"

Lapis weighed her options. She could always just refuse, and knowing Greg he'd actually listen to her, and leave her be without a word. She didn't have to tell him anything, not about Steven, not about why she was out here in the first place. Not a thing.

She sighed, waving him over. "Go ahead," She told him, and a moment later he was sitting down beside her with a groan. "How'd you know to come here anyway?"

"Oh, Jasper came and got me," Greg answered.

Her eyes widened. "Jasper?" Now that caught her off guard. She got along with Greg well enough, but she certainly wasn't the most fond of him.

"Yep," Greg nodded with a chuckle. "Just showed up at the car wash and told me to come here. She practically shoved me into the van."

"You know you don't have to come here just because she told you to, right?"

He scoffed. "Please. I came here cause it sounded like she was worried about you, and I wanted to see if everything was okay. That's what friends are for, after all." She didn't answer him, and after a few seconds of awkward silence, he cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that something happened?"

Once again, she felt the urge to simply lie. To play it off like it wasn't a big deal. She could even rationalize it as a good thing. No use making Greg worry more than he already did, right?

"Yes," She croaked, her voice oddly sore. "Something happened. Or-or didn't happen, I guess, or…" She sighed. "I don't know."

"Hey, it's alright," Greg told her gently. "You can take a minute if you need it."

She shook her head. "No, It's better to just get it over with." She paused for a moment. "We had a mission earlier today. To the Sky Spire, an old Gem structure. It was supposed to be simple, a nice stroll through some old ruins with maybe a few gems we'd need to take care of. And it was, or it would have been, but…"

Lapis brought her legs closer to her chest. "Spinel and Jasper were talking to Steven beforehand about fusion," She said. "They were talking to him about Malachite."

Greg's eyes widened. "Oh." He didn't know much about Gems, but he knew a lot about her, at least compared to the others. She'd spent hours talking to him about her fears and her doubts, back before Rose passed. He didn't know many details, but he knew about Malachite, and what she meant to her. "I'm sure he didn't mean to-"

"I know he didn't," Lapis said quickly. "He kept asking me questions because he was curious. It wasn't his fault, he has a right to know. And it wasn't Spinel or Jasper's fault either, not really…they tried to keep the details from him, they only wanted to teach him about fusion. We should have done that sooner anyway…but still, he was curious. He kept asking, and asking, and asking, and I know it wasn't anybody's fault, but that doesn't mean it didn't have an effect."

"What happened?"

"Being back at the Sky Spire…it brought back memories," Lapis continued. "Of Malachite. At first they were pleasant…I remember being happy there. It was one of the first times after fusing that I…that we could exist without anyone expecting us to fight, at least for a little while. But Steven…he wanted to see Malachite. He wanted to meet her. I tried to spare the worst of it from him, but that just meant he didn't realize how much his questions were affecting me. I kept thinking about what would happen if we did fuse, and I was scared Steven would get hurt. I started to remember the other times. When we weren't at the Sky Spire, when we weren't at peace. When I was Rose's champion, her greatest warrior…"

A shiver ran up her spine at the memory. "Oh, you should have seen me, Greg. I could have drowned the earth if I wanted too. I ripped Homeworld ships out of the sky as they fled from me, I laid waste to hordes of gems. I crushed injectors while laughing in glee, I shattered gems who tortured and killed my friends. I wasn't…I wasn't like this. I wasn't scared, I didn't doubt. I wasn't weak, I was strong!"

"You…you mean we, right?" Greg asked, sounding almost fearful. "As in you and Jasper?"

Lapis blinked in surprise, realizing that somewhere in the middle of her recollection, she had stood up. "...Right," She nodded after a moment. "We." She wasn't Malachite. She was Lapis Lazuli.

She sat back down, trying to ignore how quickly she forgot herself. "Anyway…all the while we made our way up the spire, I kept remembering. And Steven kept asking, and asking…" She paused. "We reached the top, and we were attacked by a gem. Nothing unusual, nothing we shouldn't have been prepared for. A little stronger than they were probably expecting, but nothing we couldn't handle…not normally."

Her hands clenched tightly around her arms. "There was a pool of water. They were expecting me to fight back, and I tried, but I couldn't feel the water. I wasn't…I wasn't there, I wasn't myself. It felt like I was back in the Sky Spire, all those years ago…like I was her and me at the same time. I tried, but I couldn't control my powers. We were cornered, and Steven asked us to fuse again, except that time, there was actually a reason. We should have fused. It's not…it isn't like I can't if we have to. It's happened before, since we came apart, but…I couldn't. Not then. I felt something rising up, rooting me to the ground. I froze, and the gem was still pounding on the roof. I didn't want to become Malachite again, but Steven was looking up at me, and he was so excited…"

Her voice caught in her throat. "And…and then the gem broke through, and it took Steven away."

"It what?" Greg exclaimed. "Is Steven alright? What happened?"

"He's fine," She told him to assuage his fears. "But not because of me. I watched it take him, but even then I still couldn't fuse with Jasper. Instead, she and Spinel had to save Steven." She scowled, the memory of her cowardice leaving her bitter. "He could have been hurt, or worse, and I still couldn't bring myself to form Malachite, even for a moment. What if…what if…"

She trailed off, unable to give voice to that awful thought. He's alright. He's okay, he's safe.

In spite of her.

Lapis felt Greg's arm around her shoulder, patting her on the back, and she realized with a start she was crying. "Lapis, it's okay-"

"No it isn't"! She tore herself away from him, tears trailing down her face. "Steven could have been hurt, and I couldn't help him! You-you shouldn't be trying to comfort me, you should be yelling at me! Why aren't you angry?"

"What is that going to solve?" He asked, and she froze.

"I…well…but I-" She stammered, struggling to come up with an answer. "Shouldn't you be upset?"

Greg sighed. "Of course I'm upset, Lapis. I'm upset every time I hear Steven's gone on another mission. I'm upset every time he finds out he has some new power. I was upset when he went to live at the Temple, even if he's only a few minutes drive away. It's part of being a dad, I'm always gonna worry about him."

"But he almost-"

"I know," Greg said, cutting her off. "You think it was easy for me, letting him go on missions with you guys? I didn't sleep for two days after that whole observatory thing."

"Then how are you so calm?" She demanded. She needed to know how he could be so calm and collected, when she was a mess.

He laughed at her. "Calm? Are you kidding me? Didn't you just hear what I said?"

She blinked. "But…you aren't-"

"Lapis, I'm not going to yell at you," He said, rolling his eyes. "That doesn't mean I don't worry, though. How do you think I feel every time you guys go off on some mission? I have to stay here, going through my day like normal, while in the back of my head I'm freaking out about Steven getting hurt. And the worst part is, I know I can't help him. Parents are supposed to be there for their kids, but all I can really do is be there to talk to him if he needs it…same goes for you."

"Then…you are mad?" She asked, confused.

Greg sighed. "Alright, let's try it a different way…" He paused for a moment. "Do you know why I let Steven go on missions, even if it does freak me out a little…er, a lot? Or why I built the Beach House in the first place, or why I'm not mad at you or the other gems?"

"No," She growled in frustration. "If I did, this wouldn't be a problem!"

"Because he needs to," Greg said. "I wasn't really prepared for being a dad, but I did the best I could. And I like to think I'm doing pretty alright…but there's some things I just can't help him with." He shifted uncomfortably. "I mean…there's an entire side of him I don't really know the first thing about. I never got mixed up in Gem stuff. Do you have any idea how scary it was whenever his gem started to glow? I had no idea if he was going to pull a giant sword out of his stomach, or blow up, or-or what. And even now, it feels like every week he finds out some new thing he can do, something I'd never be able to help him with. I've done the best I can to teach about all the human stuff, but he needs to learn about his gem half too. What if he winds up getting himself hurt because he doesn't understand his powers? What if a gem attacks, and he doesn't know how to defend himself?"

He sighed. "He needs to train with you guys, and go on missions, and all that other gem stuff I don't understand, even if it scares the crap out of me sometimes." He smiled. "And you want to know something else?"

"...what?" She asked hesitantly.

"No matter how much I worry, I know he's in the safest hands he can be in," Greg said.

"What if he was hurt?"

"He wasn't, though," Greg said.

"Only because of Jasper and Spinel!" Lapis protested.

"So?" Greg shrugged. "That's why you guys are a team, isn't it? If one of you messes up, the others step in. It's not your fault, Lapis. No one's perfect all of the time, and seriously, nobody would blame you for what happened."

"I…I know," She whispered, hanging her head. "I know they wouldn't." That what made it so much worse.

"Lapis, I know that you wouldn't let anything happen to Steven," Greg said, and before she could argue with him, he quickly continued. "Not you, and not any of the gems either. Sure, you make mistakes sometimes, but everyone does. Myself included. You think I was a perfect dad?" He laughed. "But the thing is, I know you and the gems would do anything for Steven. You guys are family. If he's with you, at least he's around someone who knows about gem stuff if his powers start acting up. I wasn't kidding when I said being with you and the gems is the safest place he can be right now. If something happens, you guys are there for him. He needs to learn about his gem side too, and I know you guys will do whatever you have to just to keep him safe. Don't beat yourself up for something like this. I know what Malachite means to you, and I don't blame you for losing control for a minute. What's important is that the others were there to help. Everything really is okay, Lapis. It's not your fault."

She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes. He was right. She knew he was…but still, a part of her felt guilty all the same. "I think…I think I just need some time, is all," She said. "I know," She continued before he could cut in. "I…I know I shouldn't blame myself. And I don't really think I do, anymore. The whole thing's just left me upset, is all. I'll be fine before too long."

Greg looked at her skeptically. "You sure?"

Lapis nodded. "I promise," She told him honestly. "I've got the others too, anyway. Give me a little bit, and I'll be back to normal."

"If you say so," He said, standing up with another groan. "I still think you should talk to Steven. The others too…I'm sure they're all worried about you."

She nodded once more. "I will," She told him. "In the morning. I think I'll watch the water for a little while longer."

"Alright then," Greg said. "If you need some company, you know where to find me."

Lapis waved him off, thanking him as he got back in the van.

Greg was right, of course. The others too. It wasn't her fault, not really. Everyone made mistakes.

It was different for her. She was supposed to be the leader. She was supposed to be strong enough to make up for the others' mistakes, not the other way around!

Rose's words echoed in the back of her mind. You will never be alone, Lapis, none of you will be…you will all be there for each other.

Her anger and frustration faded, and a sigh left her lips. "That's easy to say when you left us…" She muttered to herself. "You don't have to worry about any of this anymore." Even as she said the words, she knew she didn't really believe them. She was irritated, that was all.

The others depend on you, She told herself. Steven needs you. The others too. Maybe Rose chose wrong, or maybe she didn't. It doesn't matter, because she still chose you in the end. Whether or not you're the right gem to lead them is irrelevant. Because if you aren't, then you have to become the right gem.

For Steven's sake. For the others. For herself.

Who knows? Maybe one day she'd even get it right.

Peridot led the two of them back the way they came, towards the main chamber. They crouched, picking their way through slowly and carefully, eyes wide and ears open for any hint they were coming up on the drone.

Before too long, they found themselves back at the main chamber, peering in from the hallway they had fled down. He almost stood, wanting to go back to his mother's mural, but Peridot pulled him down by his shoulder silently, shaking her head and pointing off into the distance.

He turned, and at the very edge of his vision, he saw the drone. "We'll stay here for a moment," She said. "Don't do anything…just watch."

Steven frowned, looking back at the mosaic of his mother longingly. He wanted desperately to see if he could get her recording to work. She had to have one, all the others did! He could finally see her outside of old pictures…he could see her moving, talking, maybe even hear her laughing…he would hear her voice, too.

But Peridot was right. The drone was the bigger issue to deal with at the moment, so he turned his attention to the problem at hand.

They sat near the doorway watching, ready to bolt at a moment's notice if the drone took notice of them.

Thankfully, it never did. In fact, it was weird how passive it had suddenly become. Instead of aggressively searching for them like he thought it would be, the drone had taken to calmly and routinely patrolling the borders of the recording room, drifting from one corner to the next.

They watched it make the same circuit following the exact same path, at the exact same speed for so long he felt his legs start to fall asleep. It didn't look threatening, or like it was really doing anything in particular. Just…patrolling.

Had this been what the drone had done for over five thousand years? Drifting around an empty base? It seemed kind of…boring.

Just when he thought he might actually fall asleep if they waited any longer, Peridot tapped his shoulder. "Next time it gets to the opposite end of the room, we start moving," She whispered. "Go slow, like we were before. By the time we reach the other end, the drone will be exactly six feet from where we are now, too far to do anything even if it suddenly spots us. Once we're out of this chamber, we can just retrace our steps back to the exit."

Steven frowned, looking nervously at the drone. It was nearly at the door they had first entered the chamber through. "I thought we weren't going home until we got the drone?"

"We need firepower for that," Peridot said. "We know the entrance to the base functions, there must be a power source close to it. If I can find it, I can charge up the calibrator I tried to use to open the door. After that, it's just a matter of sticking it onto the drone, and then we're done!"

He opened his mouth to ask another question, but never got the chance. Peridot grabbed his hand, pulling him along just as the drone passed the first door, leading him carefully along the wall opposite to the drone.

His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute, and every few seconds he looked nervously across the room. It was far enough he could only barely make out the drone, and there was no way it was going to see them now if it hadn't yet…but that didn't help his nerves one bit.

Once they reached the door, Peridot gave up any pretense of stealth, running down the hall as he chased after. Within a minute they had almost made it back to the door.

"Hey, look up ahead!" He said, grinning as he pointed towards the entrance. "I think I can see the cave from here…"

"Excellent!" Peridot exclaimed. "Now all we have to do is find the power source. It shouldn't be hard. It must be emitting some soft sort of light…"

"Like that?" He said, gesturing towards a small, twinkling light in the distance. It was too far to make out exactly, but it seemed to suit her description.

"Yes! That's perfect!" Peridot cheered. "Now all that's left to do is-"

The light moved, and Peridot froze in her tracks.

Stevne came to a halt beside her, his eyes shooting open. He blinked, hoping it was only a trick of the light, but no. The small, glowing light was steadily moving towards them. Another appeared behind it, and another, and another.

Steven took a step back, sweating. "Hey, uh…P-Peridot? Gem power sources aren't supposed to do that, are they?"

Trembling, Peridot shook her head. She took a deep breath, and with a wince tapped the gem on her forehead.

A green light shone down the hall, and Steven saw at least half a dozen corrupted gems pushing their way through the entrance from the cave, and he thought he spotted more behind them.

"I…I thought you and the gems cleared them all out the last time you guys came here?" He asked nervously.

"We did," Peridot said, her eyes glued to the growing horde. "There…there shouldn't be anymore. Although…I suppose some could have slipped by us, and if there were others nearby, us opening the base could have drawn them back here."

The gem closest to them suddenly growled, a low, guttural sound.

That was enough for Peridot, who shrieked. "Crap!" She yelled, turning around and dragging Steven with her, the two of them running right back down the way they came from.

Back and forth, back and forth…ugh. He was going to get dizzy.

He didn't have a chance to look behind him to see how far they were, but he didn't need to. He could hear their pursuers clear enough, and he knew if they slowed for even a moment they would catch up.

Stumbling back into the main chamber, his eyes widened as they came face to face with the drone. "Oh no," he whispered fearfully. "We forgot!"

"No we didn't," Peridot said quickly, pulling his arm and tugging him to the side just as the drone fired.

The blast went past them, hitting one of the corrupted gems and sending them flying into the others. Peridot snickered at the sight. "I knew it!" She laughed. "What did I tell you? Basic extermination protocols…this old tech is powerful, but simple. It can't tell the difference between us and the corrupted gems."

More gems began to pile into the chamber as the drone rose higher in the air, firing seemingly at random. He felt Peridot tug on his arm again, nodding back towards the other side of the room. "Come on," she said. "This is our chance."

"For what?" He asked nervously, watching the fight. One of the gems with a snake-like body slithered up the body of another, larger gem, trying to scratch at the drone, just barely out of reach.

"Going back to the entrance is obviously out of the question," Peridot said. "Which means if we want some sort of power source we'll need to head deeper into the base."

"We tried that already!"

"Please, we turned a few corners and came right back," She snorted. "This base is huge. We haven't even breached the lower levels yet." Her face turned pleading. "Steven, that one drone isn't going to last much longer against all of those gems. It can hold its own for now, but it'll be overpowered soon, and with it, all of its data will be lost. We have to hurry, or all of this will be a waste."

Steven bit his lip, torn. "But…what do we do about the gems? We can't just leave them here."

"We can figure that out once the drone is taken care of," Peridot promised. "If we have to, we can come back with the others. We just need to get the drone first."

Steven sighed, allowing her to lead him away. "Alright," He agreed. "Let's go."

I swear, I have a REALLY good reason for splitting up the chapter again, lol.

If you read my other Steven Universe fic, What are you doing to Me?, then you would know that my laptop is messed up and I have to send it in to get repaired, meaning I won't have anything to write with for up to a week possibly.

Now, I had planned on finishing the chapter within two or three days and uploading before I had to send it, but to my surprise the shipping materials arrived early, and are already here, hence the reason I'm uploading this on the same day as A Shattered Mind, which I would normally never do.

I didn't want to go so long without updating, but I didn't want to hastily tack on the ending of Steven and Peridot's adventure and wind up making it sloppy, so I'm going to use it for the beginning of the next chapter. Besides, already this chapter is basically full-length, although I am worried that the Lapis section is a little too long. That might just be my own criticism, let me know what you think!

Chapter Text

Slipping away as the corrupted gems tried in vain to attack the drone wasn't too difficult. He wasn't sure how long it would take before they managed to take it out, or the drone managed to take them out, but for the moment it provided a distraction while he and Peridot retraced their steps to the other end of the room, past his mother's mosaic, and once more heading back down the halls they had first fled the drone from.

Peridot had been right, it seemed. In the moment, it had felt like the two of them were running forever before they tucked away in that hidden room, waiting for the drone to pass them, but in reality it was a couple of turns away, barely a couple minutes walk.

He frowned in thought as they passed the room they had only a few minutes ago taken shelter in. "Hey, Peridot…how far does this place go anyway?"

She shrugged. "I've got no clue," She said, and his eyes widened. "I didn't exactly have a map of this place on hand. I suppose I could have asked Lapis and Jasper, but er…" She trailed off awkwardly.

Steven sighed. Right. She wanted to do this herself. "Okay…do we at least know where we're going?"

"Not…exactly," Peridot admitted. "Still, navigating our way shouldn't be too difficult. We seem to be traveling along a main hall of some sort. Go down it long enough and we're bound to find something."

He hummed in thought. "Did Jasper and Lapis really never talk about this place? Or mom?" He added.

"Not really," Peridot said. "I knew it existed of course, but they rarely spoke much about the war outside of old friends, and general events." She paused. "Rose used to visit me in my lab sometimes. She would tell me about how things used to be before the war. Lapis and Jasper didn't like talking about it, and Spinel avoided the matter for their sake, but I think Rose knew I was curious. That I…felt...left out," She said, struggling awkwardly to get the words out. She shook her head with a sigh. "Anyway, no, I never knew much about this place in particular. Never really thought about it, to be honest, at least not before we ran into it. Although…"

He perked up in curiosity. "What?"

"I didn't ask Lapis and Jasper about the base directly, but they did mention a few things the first time we stumbled upon it," Peridot explained. "Most of it was just reminiscing, but they mentioned Rose kept a portion of the base off-limits. Nobody else ever knew what was in there, whether it was an armoury or some sort of private chamber for Rose. All they knew was that it was important enough that only Rose was allowed entry. Even Pearl only ever went in alongside Rose, never alone."

Steven frowned. "Why would she keep it a secret from the others? Didn't she trust them?"

"I wasn't there," She reminded him. "And besides, who knows? If it was Rose, I'm sure she had a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why it was kept a secret. She was our leader, Steven. Sometimes that means keeping things from the rest of us for the greater good."

That didn't sit right with him. Maybe…maybe for some of them, he could see why she might keep it closely-guarded, in case of a spy, but surely there were at least a few gems she trusted fully? She couldn't have kept secrets from everyone.

They went on further, mostly in silence. They moved slowly, cautious of any possible traps. Every now and again, he looked back to make sure they weren't being followed, but for the moment at least they were alone.

Most of the base was similar to what they had already seen, with the only exception being that there didn't seem to be any more mosaics or carvings. Otherwise it was mostly the same material that made up the observatory.

As they walked, his mind drifted to the earlier events of the day. The mission, the Sky Spire, the gem monster that had eaten him…

And the horrified look on Lapis's face when they got back home.

He shuddered at the memory. He should have listened to her when she said no the first time. He was just so excited…the way Jasper and Spinel explained fusion and Malachite sounded amazing. The idea that anyone wouldn't want to fuse seemed impossible. It sounded magical.

Steven lowered his head, frowning. Everything seemed to be going so wrong recently. Freeing the Centipeetle with Spinel, Jasper's drone getting destroyed, both he and Connie winding up trapped inside of a bubble he didn't even know he had… he'd upset Lapis, worse than before. He'd never seen her look like that, not once in his life. And then there was Peridot…

He wished he knew how to fix things. He knew he could get everything to go back to normal, if he could just figure out what he was supposed to do to make it all right again.

It'll be fine, He told himself. Lapis was upset, but she always got better. And he'd make sure to apologize, and never, ever talk to her about Malachite again. Not if it made her like…that. Jasper would feel better soon too, and once he and Peridot got back with the drone, she'd be able to show the others she was right.

Steven sighed. He didn't think being a Crystal Gem would wind up being so complicated…

At least Spinel seemed normal.

It was a few minutes after they had slipped outside of the main chamber that they happened upon another room. Unlike the last, it was small, the hallway opening up only a little to differentiate it. It was barren, no marking of any kind, and at the other end of the room was a single door beside a panel of some sort.

"Jackpot!" Periot exclaimed, hurrying over to the panel. "It still works!" She laughed. "Incredible…this should have short-circuited millenia ago."

Steven glanced behind them nervously. "So can we use that to charge your taser-thingy?"

Peridot scowled. "It is not a taser-thingy, it is a highly advanced multi-use calibrator, a marvel of Homeworld technology. It isn't something they just hand out to every Peridot, you know!"

"But can we charge it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Give me a moment…" Her fingers flew across the panel, and slowly a frown grew on her face. "Oh. I didn't realize…Hm. That complicates matters quite a bit. Of all the paths to take..."

Steven tilted his head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"The panel works, but we can't access its power source from this side of the door," Peridot explained. "We'll have to go beyond the door. It shouldn't be very far inside, and it'll take only a moment to charge the calibrator…but we have to go in all the same."

"So I open up the door and we charge it, easy peasy," He shrugged. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that according to the panel, the door leads to the lower levels," Peridot revealed, and Steven felt his stomach drop.

He shook his head, clearing his throat nervously. "Th-that's fine," He said after a moment's hesitation. "I have mom's gem, and she was the only one allowed in, right? I should be able to open it no problem."

"Just…be careful, Steven," Peridot warned, stepping away from the panel. "I have no idea what Rose kept in here, but I doubt it's something we want to encounter on top of everything else. We'll just charge the calibrator, and get out as soon as we can."

He nodded, stepping up to the door. He took a deep breath, and after a brief pause, he placed his hand to the door.

And nothing happened.

Steven blinked in surprise, looking down. His gem wasn't glowing like it was before. Frowning, he tapped his hand to the surface again. "I don't understand," He said when the result was the same as the first. "Why isn't it working?" His gem had worked on everything else so far! The entrance to the base, the recordings in the carvings…

His eyes widened in realization. But not with my mom's! And didn't her mosaic seem to be missing something where her gem was?

"Peridot," He said slowly. "What if the door doesn't work?"

"Almost impossible," She dismissed immediately. "It runs on lower tech than a human electrical grid. If everything else so far has worked, there's no reason that this door should be any different."

"I just thought…my mom's carving looked like it had been messed with," He said. "It was missing the tiny little gem that the other recordings had."

"Hm…" Peridot hummed in thought. "Interesting. Nothing about this entire trip has made much sense. A Homeworld drone is somehow still active inside of a Crystal Gem base. Everything remains untouched except for a series of recordings inside of a single chamber, in which every recording was damaged beyond recovery…all except for Rose's, which seems to have been taken. But by who? And for what purpose? If it were taken by Homeworld, it should have been logged at the observatory, but who else would bother?"

She nodded to herself. "I think you may be on the right track, Steven. I doubt the door is broken…but sabotaged?" She frowned. "The prospect is seeming more and more likely..."

"But why would someone do that?"

"That's just the thing," Peridot said. "None of this makes sense from a logical perspective. There has to be something we're missing. Something that makes it all fit together nice and neat. And I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with whoever or whatever those Homeworld drones were sent after."

"Do you…still think it might have been other Crystal Gems going behind mom's back?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure," Peridot confessed. "It would explain a number of factors, but some of the others remain a mystery. If they weren't acting in secret, then why sabotage the base? But if they were traitors, why would Homeworld be targeting them?" She shook her head. "This would all be so simple if we just knew what the drone was after…"

Peridot remained fixated on the panel, trying in vain to see if she couldn't find a way to get the door open. As she grumbled, her fingers flying across the screen, Steven watched on hesitantly. He was growing less and less certain that coming here in the first place was a good idea.

Sure, Peridot had been obsessing over it ever since their first trip to the observatory, but between the drone, and the corrupted gems, and Peridot's growing fixation on getting to the bottom of whatever was going on, the whole thing seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

Honestly…he'd rather just go back home at this point. It was the middle of night, and he was getting tired. Maybe by the time he got to bed and woke up, Lapis would have come out of her room, and everything would be okay again.

It had to be better than this.

Lost in thought, Steven didn't notice the low whirring sound slowly approaching, growing from a tiny buzz to a more steady thrum. He didn't notice the flash of a shadow out of the corner of his eye as something moved behind him.

He did, however, notice the familiar sound of the drone's arms spinning as it prepared to fire at him.

His eyes widened, and on instinct he leapt forward. Without any time to think, without any time to look behind him and see for himself, he grabbed Peridot and shut his eyes, and a second later a familiar pink bubble surrounded the two of them.

Just as it closed, he heard the sound of the drone's beam firing, and the force of it sent the bubble flying back, bouncing into the door to the lower levels and jostling them around.

Steven sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of his head as his vision focused. The drone hovered in front of them, idling in the air. He scrambled to his feet fearfully. "What's it doing?" He asked in a panic.

Peridot winced, sitting up. "I think it's surprised it didn't get us," She guessed. "It's probably thinking about its next move, and I guarantee you that within a few seconds it will come to the conclusion that shooting the bubble until it pops is what it decides on, if its programming is the same as the drones I'm used to."

His eyes widened. "We have to go!"

"No, wait," Peridot said.

Steven rolled his eyes. "I get you want to take down the drone, but I really don't think we should-"

"No, seriously, look!" She pointed back towards the drone, and Steven turned his head.

He froze as he watched the corrupted gems from before slowly creep into the room behind the drone. "Oh crap…" He muttered, trying to roll the bubble backwards and hitting the wall.

Peridot hissed. "I was hoping they'd keep themselves distracted for at least a little longer. The drone must have decided to go after us instead, and those clods chased after it."

"What do we do?" He asked hurriedly.

"I'm not sure," Peridot said. "Just…hang on a minute."

The drone hovered, and slowly its arms began to spin again. Before it got the chance to fire, one of the gems leapt up and took a swipe at the drone, knocking it to the side. It fell a few feet, before rising up again and turning its attention to the gems.

"No!" Peridot yelled. "Steven, they can't destroy the drone! We'll never be able to get access to its recordings if it's just a broken hunk of metal! Can you drop your bubble?"

"I…I think so," He said with a frown. "But I don't think that's a really good idea right now." What seemed to be the last of the corrupted gems piled into the room. There were over a dozen of them, and for the moment their attention was on the drone.

Peridot muttered beside him, going through all sorts of different plans he wasn't paying attention to. His focus was on the fight. None of the gems were large enough to reach the drone, and none of them could fly, but they were beginning to adapt. The room wasn't all that large, and a few were trying to jump up and push themselves off the wall to reach the drone. It wouldn't be long before they managed to take it out.

The drone finally managed to fire a beam, but the gems were too quick, even in the crowded space. The shot hit the empty wall, blowing off chunks of stone. One of the corrupted gems grabbed a few of the larger chunks and began tossing them at the drone, but Steven stared at the ruined wall, gears starting to turn in the back of his head.

His eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath as he realized what they needed to do.

"Peridot," He said, snapping her out of her rant. "I have an idea."

She frowned. "What are you-"

"I need to drop the bubble," He told her. "Only for a few seconds."

"Are you insane?" Peridot threw her hands up in the air. "Unless you suddenly got much better at controlling your powers, we aren't going to fight our way out of this." She turned to the horde of corrupted gems, and muttered under her breath. "Even if you did, I doubt it would help."

He shook his head. "We don't have to fight them. You just have to trust me."

Peridot bit her lip. "...alright," She sighed. "I trust you."

Steven nodded. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he dropped the bubble.

At first, nothing happened. Neither the drone nor the gems took any notice of him, which was perfect. He made use of the few seconds he had and made sure he was standing right in front of the door to the lower levels.

He cupped his hands to the sides of his mouth, and yelled as loud as he could. "Hey, drone thingy! Over here!"

The drone turned towards him sluggishly, sparking from the damage it had already received. It raised itself higher into the air, scraping the ceiling and slowly, his arms began to spin once more.

Steven stayed still, his heart racing as the arms spun faster and faster. He waited, and waited, and waited…he had to time it almost perfectly.

Finally, a beam of light burst from the arms and Steven shut his eyes, leaping to the side. He heard Peridot shout, and felt himself hit the stone floor. He scrambled forwards and leapt to his feet, looking behind him.

Where the door once was only a moment ago, the drone's blast had turned it into little more than rubble, a dark opening leading into the lower levels behind it.

He grinned at his success, only to realize he'd only half-won. The drone stayed in the air, struggling to get another shot off as the gems constantly leapt up into the air, messing with its aim. And the gems were too distracted with the drone to notice the new opening.

Standing up before he could talk himself out of it, he ran for the shattered door and stepped through the threshold.

The first thing he felt was the air. It felt colder, staler. A nasty feeling came over him, one that made him sure he was not welcome here.

It was dark, too. Much, much darker than any other part of the base so far. He could barely make out a few dozen feet ahead of him. From the little he could see, it seemed similar to the rest of the base…

Only, much more colorful. The floor was a pink stone, where the rest of the base was more sterile and subdued in design. He strained his eyes, trying to look further in but couldn't make out much else. He wanted so badly to run ahead and explore. He wanted to know what his mom kept in here, he wanted to know why only she was allowed in, and why she kept it a secret from everyone else.

But he didn't have the time. He had a mission to finish, didn't he?

His gem glowed, and a moment later his shield appeared in his hand. He grinned, proud of himself for summoning it so quickly. "Alright…" He said to himself, turning around and stepping forward. "I just have to hit one of them. Get one's attention, and the others will follow, and the drone will follow them. Easy peasy."

Steven took a deep breath, and with a grunt of exertion tossed the shield as hard as he could into the crowd. It smacked one of the gems in the jaw, and with a growl it turned towards him. It creeped forward, wading through the gems and drawing closer and closer.

He swallowed dryly, and raised the bubble back around him just as the gem gave a roar. It ran forward, charging as the others finally took notice and followed behind. The first gem slammed into his bubble, knocking him back forcefully deeper in, and he only managed to see the rest of the gems break out into a fight amongst each other before he fell to the ground.

When the bubble finally came to a stop, he placed a hand to his head, groaning. He wasn't hurt, but all the rolling around had made him dizzy.

Eventually, he managed to blink away the blurriness in his eyes, and he raised his head.

He could make out the light coming from the doorway at the edge of his vision. There were a bunch of moving shapes, shifting all in front of him, and it took him a second to realize it was the gems. They had all passed through the door, fighting with each other as they entered the lower levels.

Next to the door, on the opposite side of where the panel would be on the other side, he saw Peridot hunched over the floor, beside a small glowing light. She must have found the power source, then.

His eyes scanned for the drone, and he found it…on the other side of the gems, jerking around in the air, firing wildly.

Steven frowned. He wasn't able to get to it from here, not without getting through all of the other gems. He needed to get to Peridot first, come up with a plan.

The urge to just turn around and go deeper into the lower levels sprang up again, but he pushed it down. Sticking to the other end of the wall, as far from the fighting as he could get, he dropped his bubble and ran towards Peridot.

She stood up just as he reached her, holding the calibrator she had used before, only now it was glowing. "Steven!" She exclaimed. "Are you okay? I saw you go flying…"

He nodded. "I'm fine! But what are we going to do about the drone?"

Peridot frowned, staring up at the drone. It still fired seemingly at random into the crowd of gems, but its movements were slowing more and more. It was clearly damaged, and if they wanted to retrieve it before it was destroyed, they needed to do so soon.
But how? They still had no way of making it through all of the corrupted gems.

Peridot clenched her fingers around the calibrator in her hand. "We're so close," She said, her voice painfully desperate. "I have the calibrator, the drone's right there…"

"Maybe…maybe I can try getting the gem's attention?" He suggested. "Toss my shield in the crowd again, summon my bubble, and run off into the lower levels. You can get the drone as it's trying to catch up."

"While you charge off into a mysterious chamber we know literally nothing about?" Peridot scoffed. "Steven, even if you can summon both your shield and your bubble again so soon after already summoning them, once those gems catch up to you they will get through. They'll tear you apart."

"I-I'll figure something out," He stuttered. "Don't worry about me. You still need to prove you were right to the others, don't you? You need the drone."

"Yes…" Peridot said, her gaze hovering on the drone for a moment longer, before finally lowering her head with a sigh. "...but not that badly. I'm sorry. Thank you for trying, Steven, but maybe…maybe I wasn't completely right, and maybe they weren't completely wrong. I've spent so much time obsessing over this, we nearly got seriously hurt. We still could get hurt. There's no way to get the drone safely from here. Believe me, you have no idea how much I want to get to the bottom of this…but sometimes…sometimes It's better to just cut your losses and know when to say enough is enough."

Steven let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, relieved at Peridot's words. "But what are we going to do about them?" He nodded towards the fight. "We can't just leave them here like this. They might get out and escape back to wherever they came from before we come back with the gems. Or they might just chase us as soon as we try to leave."

"Do you think you could get the drone's attention one last time?" She asked.

Steven frowned. "Yeah, but I thought-"

"I'm not trying to get it with the calibrator," Peridot cut him off. "There's no way it would work…but I have an idea." She pointed to a spot on the ceiling. "See that scratch right there? When I tell you to, summon your shield and focus the center of it right on that scratch. Got it?"

He nodded, and Peridot led the both of them back, just outside the ruined door. "Whenever you're ready, Steven."

Steeling himself one more time, he called out to the drone. "You missed me!" He taunted, waving his hands in the air wildly. "Over here! Come on, you're so close! I'm all squishy and human, you only have to hit me once!"

The drone turned towards him, sparking again as its arms began to spin like clockwork. He felt a twinge of sadness for the machine, even though it was trying to kill him. It was only following its programming, and its programming was so simple it didn't really have any choice but to attack whatever target had its attention at the moment.

"Steven, now!" Peridot yelled, snapping him out of his momentary distraction.

He blinked in surprise, and threw up his shield on instinct, quickly trying to line up the center with the scratch Peridot had pointed out. Just as he did, the drone's beam hit his shield, sending a jolt up his arms and pushing him back.

The beam itself, however, reflected back and shot upwards, hitting the top of the already damaged doorway. With an explosive blast, a mountain of rubble came tumbling down, cutting off the lower levels from the rest of the base and separating it, the gems, and the drone from himself and Peridot.

He breathed a sigh of relief as his shield faded. "We did it," He laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe that worked…Peridot?"

Peridot was frowning, staring down at the now useless calibrator in her hand. "I could have solved everything," She said. "I could have figured out what the drones were after, who destroyed the recordings, what was in the lower levels…all of it. I could have shown the others I was right." She sighed, letting the calibrator slip from her fingers and fall to the ground. "I suppose it's better this way. Who knows what might have happened if we tried to keep going?"

Steven hummed in thought, and wrapped his arms around Peridot, who yelped in surprise. "I know you were right," He told her. "Even if none of the others do. Besides, we can tell them what happened, can't we?"

She shook her head. "It wasn't just that, I wanted to prove I could figure it all out…"

"I know you could have if we got the drone," Steven said. "And I'm sure they'll know it too. You were awesome! I mean, none of the others would ever have even realized something was wrong, and you didn't just do that, you managed to track it to here and get us as far as we did."

"Your gem got us as far as we did," She reminded him.

"And I would never have come back if you didn't bring me," He pointed out. "And even if we didn't solve everything…we aren't going back empty-handed. We got to see something neither of us ever thought we would." He smiled. "We got to see a little of the Crystal Gems' old life. What they used to be. Plus, we got to see Lapis and Jasper…" His grin widened. "...and we got to see Jasper giggling!"

Peridot snickered. "I guess you're right…" She sighed, then ruffled his hair. "Come on, Steven. It's late, you need to get in bed." She paused. "And thank you for coming along. It…isn't always easy, confiding in the others. They don't understand what it's like, not really. Not being there for the war, not always being able to fight, not being…" She shifted uncomfortably. "...different. I know they don't mean to leave me out, and they don't…but there are some things it's just impossible for me to understand. I wasn't there."

"Well, neither was I," Steven said. "But that doesn't make us any less Crystal Gems."

Peridot smiled weakly. "I know. Now come on, Steven. Let's get you home."

They retraced their steps through the base in silence, but it wasn't unsettling or awkward like it was when they first entered. It was more…content, than anything.

They passed Rose's mosaic, and for a moment, Steven regretted not going deeper into the lower levels. He would never see his mom's recording, or find out who destroyed the other recordings and took hers. He was just as in the dark as Peridot.

Another moment passed, and Steven smiled again. He decided all of that was okay, because in the end, all that mattered was that he and Peridot were alright.

Everything else came second.

Peridot sighed, letting out a tired breath. Steven had settled into bed almost as soon as he laid down. He must have been exhausted, but then, it was rather late after all. For humans, that is.

Looking out the window, she had seen Lapis sitting by the water on the beach, but Peridot didn't go out to disturb her. If she was already out of her room, that was a good sign, and she didn't want to startle her while she was recuperating.

"Peridot?"

She jumped at the sound of Jasper's voice, and turned around with a scowl. "Was that necessary?"

"Sorry," She apologized, and Peridot blinked in surprise.

"...sorry?" She echoed in disbelief. "Are you apologizing to me?"

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Knock it off with that." She glanced over to the sleeping form of Steven. "I thought he was off with that friend of his?"

Peridot paused, then shook her head. "He went with me on a mission. It went well, all things considered."

Jasper grunted. "As long as you're both safe." She sighed. "Look, I…have a favor to ask."

She raised an eyebrow. "You? Have a favor to ask me?" She repeated.

"Yes," Jasper growled, reddening in embarrassment. "Just…here." She held out her hand, revealing the broken remains of a drone, not unlike the one she and Steven had been chasing after not long ago, only much smaller in size.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "Steven mentioned something, but I didn't actually think you held onto it all these years…"

"Well, I did," Jasper said irritably. "And…I need your help." She coughed awkwardly. "I've kept it in pretty good condition, but it was damaged not long ago by accident. I…I wanted to try fixing it up, and give it to Steven, but I'm not really…suited for it."

Peridot frowned in disappointment. "So you want me to fix it for you?" Great. Four thousand years, and she was still just a glorified mechanic.

"No!" Jasper said quickly. "I just…I don't know the first thing about how any of it works. I want to do it for myself. I need to do it myself, but I…I need someone to point me in the right direction. You're way better at this stuff than I am."

I'm…better than her? A jolt of shock ran up her at the frank admission. She never thought to hear those words from Jasper of all people…

Not a mechanic, She thought to herself. A teacher.

A small smile spread across her face. "I…yes," She said, getting a hold of herself. "I can show you some of the principles. Of course, we'll need somewhere I can properly demonstrate the basics to you. Here, just follow me to my lab…"

Surprise! I didn't expect to be able to squeeze out one more chapter, but I was unexpectedly delayed in sending out my laptop. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say not to expect any more surprises. My laptop is most definitely going out tomorrow, although I'll still be able to reply to comments on my phone. Still, glad I managed to get this out!

This is the end of Peridot and Steven's little quest, but NOT the end of the arc. The next two chapters are going to deal with something I've been dying to get to for a while (and something I know a lot of you are excited for), while the next two chapters after THAT deal with the climax of everything I've been building towards so far. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that we aren't done with the base and leave it at that.

Thank you all for reading, and please, if you're enjoying the story then let me know what you think! I love reading through everyone's comments and reviews, and seeing the theories people come up with. It's my favorite part of uploading!

Chapter Text

Steven yawned as he sat up in bed, rubbing bleary eyes as he blinked away the grogginess of sleep. For a few brief seconds, he could grasp scattered images of his dreams, slipping away. He saw himself back in the lower levels, but there was something else, something about the dream that was putting him off, something he could almost notice. Like there was something there that wasn't before…or something he didn't notice before.

The sun hit his eyes, and he looked away with a wince, and all traces of his dream were forgotten.

He got out of bed with a smile, eager to start out the new day. Sure, yesterday had been a little…rough, but altogether he liked to think it ended pretty well. Peridot had finally stopped worrying over what she found at the observatory, and they had even gotten to see a bit of the past. A glimpse into how Jasper and Lapis were before they met them.

It was weird. They looked the same, but they were so happy, so playful. Nothing at all like he thought they would be, given how they talked about that time. Could Malachite really be all that bad, if she was made by them when they were like that?

Immediately, he pushed the thought out of his mind, shaking his head. He'd learned his lesson…asking about Malachite was what led to the mess at the Sky Spire. Starting now, he would be careful not to bring her up in front of Lapis anymore…she obviously didn't want to talk about it.

He got out of bed, stretching briefly and walking out into the main house, scratching the back of his head…and froze.

Lapis was there. Sitting idly on the couch, seemingly peaceful.

That…was weird. Very weird. Usually when Lapis got like she did yesterday, it took at least a few days for things to go back to normal. Had she already moved past yesterday's incident? Or was she just trying to power through it?

Lapis noticed him standing there and smiled. "Good morning, Steven," She greeted, then widened her eyes. "Oh! Did you want breakfast? Gimme a second, I think I remember what Greg showed me when he introduced bacon and eggs to your mom…"

"No!" He yelled quickly, then winced. "I mean…it's fine, really! I can make my own breakfast. Thanks though." He hadn't actually tried Lapis's cooking yet, but if the best she could think of was a meal she watched dad prepare from before he was born, he figured it was probably safer to make something for himself.

"Sorry," Lapis apologized sheepishly. "I don't really do the cooking…I only really eat sometimes when you or your dad do."

"It's okay," He told her. "I've been able to make my own food for a while now." He paused, debating for a moment whether or not he should ask her. After a brief argument with himself, he caved.

Steven cleared his throat nervously. "So, uh…how are you?"

Lapis gave him a tired smile. "Better," She answered, and strangely, it reassured him more than if she would have just said she was fine. It felt more honest. "I spent some time on the beach last night. Spoke with Greg." She bit her lip worryingly. "By the way, I was meaning to talk to you…"

He frowned. "About what?"

"...about Malachite," Lapis said after a moment, and Stevens' eyes widened. "I think it would be good for you-"

"I needed to talk to you too!" He blurted, desperately trying to change the subject.

Lapis blinked, then frowned. "Um…okay. Is something wrong?"

Steven laughed nervously. "What? No, of course not, why would you say that?"

She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Steven-"

"We should go out into town!" He said quickly, then kicked himself mentally. Really? That's the best you got?

Lapis stared at him blankly. "You mean you want to go into town?"

"Er…no," He said. It was better than nothing, and if this was the best distraction he could come up with, so be it. "I…I was just thinking it might be a good way to take our minds off things! You know…grab a donut, walk around town. Maybe we can even find your favorite tree again!"

"Steven, I told you that was years ago," Lapis said. "I doubt it's still there. Besides, I don't really do humans all that well. You and your father are the only ones I've spoken to in millennia."

"That's not true!" Steven protested. "You spoke to Connie once!"

"My mistake," Lapis said flatly, unimpressed. "I've spoken to three humans instead of two."

"That's still progress!" Steven pointed out. "Before dad, you spoke to no humans for a long time, and now you've talked to three in only like, a decade. Why not go and take things up a notch?"

"I don't like crowds," Lapis said. "I don't like people I don't know. And I have absolutely no interest in going into town, Steven."

"Really?" He asked. "I mean…you've protected the city since it was founded, right? Spinel comes with me all the time, Jasper and Peridot go out once in a while, I know Mom did too…have you really never wanted to see some of what you're protecting?"

Doubt flashed across Lapis's face, and Steven saw his opportunity. "We don't have to do anything crazy. We can always go back if you get really uncomfortable. I just wanted to spend the day with you after, you know…yesterday." There. He wasn't even lying now…he really did want to spend the day with her.

He saw her waver, and finally Lapis sighed. "Alright," She relented. "I'll…try and go with you into town. But don't expect it to all work out the way you think it will!" She added quickly.

Steven grinned, jumping up with a cheer. "Awesome!" He laughed, all of his previous nervousness gone. He had wanted to show Lapis around Beach City forever…maybe this would work out after all. He could show her the boardwalk, his friends, the Big Donut…this would be the perfect thing to take their minds off of yesterday!

Lapis frowned. "Steven…what are you planning?"

"Only the greatest tour of Beach City in the entire history of the town!" He answered smugly. "We're gonna go everywhere! I can show you all the best hangout spots, Introduce you to everyone…ooh! We can go to Funland!"

Lapis sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

The two of them stood on the outskirts of town. "Well?" Steven asked excitedly. "Are you ready?"

Lapis still looked uncertain, but nodded. "I guess if we're going to do this, we're going to do this. Where to first?"

Steven cleared his throat. "Okay, so the plan is to find your old favorite tree-"

"-If it even still exists," Lapis added.

"-and to show you around town a little," Steven carried on. "I've already got Funland scheduled down for later in the day, and since we're so close I figured we should start with the Big Donut, and wrap back around to the Boardwalk later. Barb and Jamie are still on their routes I think, and the Fryman's are closed for a family holiday. But, the Pizza's are still open, so for lunch we can pay them a visit!"

"I think I understood half of those words," Lapis said flatly. "I thought Pizza's were a food, not a family?"

Steven giggled. "They're both! Don't worry, you're gonna love them! First though…" He clapped his hands together in excitement. "Donut time!"

He had to stop himself from skipping as they walked into town. It was still early enough that not many people were around, which was perfect. He wanted to ease Lapis into this…going out of her comfort zone would be an understatement, and he didn't want to ruin the experience for her by overwhelming her.

He didn't think for a second this was how the day was going to turn out, but he certainly wasn't complaining about it either. How could he pass up the chance to finally introduce Lapis to everybody?

In the back of his mind, he had wanted this for a while. Lapis and the gems were his family…and he wanted his friends to know all of his family, not just Spinel, and occasionally Jasper and Peridot. And vice versa, he wanted Lapis to meet all of his friends.

"So…" He drawled slowly as they walked. "What do you think so far?"

Lapis frowned, looking around. "The city is weird. I've seen pictures, of course…Rose took plenty, and you take even more. But in person, it looks both bigger and smaller than I thought it would be, if that makes sense."

"Sorta," Steven agreed. "Seeing the city and living it are two totally different things." He grinned. "Just be glad it's not a real one like Empire City."

Lapis snorted. "I'm not intimidated by a big city, Steven. If you wanted to see a real city, imagine some of the ones on Homeworld." She shook her head. "Just…I'm not used to this kind of locale on earth, is all."

"It's cool though, right?"

She made a face. "The pictures also made it seem much cleaner," She said. "The streets and sidewalks are all cracked and misshapen, I think I saw a stray cat a few minutes ago, there's trash everywhere, and is that…gum? Stuck to the ground?"

He winced. "Yeah…some people can be jerks," He admitted. "But don't worry! We'll get to the fun stuff soon!" His eyes widened as the familiar sight of the Big Donut came into view. "Like right now!"

"This is where those friends of yours work, isn't it? Boris and Sandy?"

"Lars and Sadie," Steven corrected. "But yeah! Come on, they're gonna be super excited to meet-" He cut himself off, freezing in place as his words caught up with him.

Sadie and Lars were awesome, but sometimes Lars…well, sometimes people thought he was trying to be rude and that put some people off. He didn't want to accidentally upset Lapis so soon into their day…maybe he should go ahead and make sure Lars knew to watch what he said for a few minutes.

"Actually, do you wanna stay here for a minute?" He asked. "I didn't tell them we were coming over, and I don't want you to surprise them or anything."

Lapis shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine with me," She said, leaning up against a wall and crossing her arms. After a moment, she frowned. "Steven, there's a human coming over here."

He turned to follow where she was looking, and saw Jamie walking their way, waving at Steven. He must have only just started his route. Steven grinned. "This is perfect! You can practice talking to another human one on one before we pop in on Sadie and Lars!"

"Steven," She said quickly. "Steven, this wasn't the deal!"

"You got this!" He cheered her on, already walking towards the Big Donut. "That's Jamie the mailman, he's super nice!"

"Steven!" Lapis whispered in a panicked voice. "I swear, If you leave me here-"

"Can't hear you, having too much fun planning our awesome day together!" He called back, pushing the door open and walking inside.

"Morning Steven," Sadie greeted, as Lars grunted beside her, eyes glued to his phone. "The usual today?"

He shook his head. "Today is going to be everything but usual, Sadie!"

"Oh, great," Lars rolled his eyes and sighed. "Because a normal day would be too much to ask once in a while."

"What do you have in mind, Steven?" Sadie asked curiously.

"I've got a plus one today," He told them, almost bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Is it that girl you were stuck in a bubble with?" Sadie asked. "Or is Spinel coming with you today?"

Lars shuddered. "No! Absolutely not! She's banned, remember? The scary one and the tiny one too! We can't afford another incident like the last time!"

Sadie gave him a sad look. "Sorry Steven, but Lars kinda has a point this time. Spinel's banned for at least another few weeks."

"For life!" Lars insisted.

"Another few weeks," Sadie said. "I can still get you a donut for her though, so long as she promises not to walk in the door." She frowned. "Or the vents."

Steven shook his head. "It's not Connie, and it's not one of the Gems. At least, not one of the gems you've met," He grinned. "I convinced Lapis to come into town!"

"Not another one…" Lars groaned, and Sadie's eyebrows perked up in interest.

"I thought you said she didn't talk to a lot of people?"

"She doesn't, which is why I came in here first," Steven said. "It's her first time actually in Beach City, so I wanted to make it special for her." He held his hands together. "Please give her a good first impression!" He begged. "She sort of had a bad day yesterday, and it was sort of my fault, and I really, really, really need to make it up to her!"

"Are you kidding?" Lars blurted. "Look, I don't care what you or your weirdo alien moms do, but keep it outside of the store, please!"

"Lars, you don't give a crap about what happens to the store," Sadie said in an exasperated voice. "And the gems are important to Steven. Is it really so hard to do your job and be nice to a customer for a few minutes?"

He huffed, and crossed his arms. "I can be perfectly civil. It's the crazy magic ladies I'm worried about…"

Sadie sighed, and managed to give him a smile. "Don't worry, Steven. We'll be on our best behaviour." She glared at Lars. "Won't we?" She asked through gritted teeth.

Lars flinched and looked away. "I said yeah, geez!"

Steven grinned. "Awesome! Gimme one second, I'll be right back!"

He hurried back out the door and found Jamie smiling, chatting with Lapis. Her back was pressed against the wall, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Steven frowned. "Guessing it didn't go quite as well as I was hoping…" How could she have a hard time talking to Jamie? He was one of the most easygoing people in town!

"-don't think I've ever seen you around," He heard Jamie say. "But you're with Steven, and, you know…blue, so I'm guessing you're one of those gems, right? Like Spinel?"

Lapis didn't answer, only staring blankly at Jamie, not moving an inch. Steven had a sneaking suspicion she thought that if she stayed still, he'd just go away.

He sighed. "Hi, Jamie."

Lapis immediately snapped her head towards him. "Do something!" She hissed.

"This is Lapis," He introduced. "She's one of the other gems, yeah. I'm showing her around town today, and you're the first person we've run into!"

Jamie blinked in surprise. "Oh!"

"Steven!"

His eyes widened. "Right, sorry." He cleared his throat. "Lapis, this is Jamie the mailman. Now that I've introduced you two, you can say hi!"

Lapis looked at him desperately, pleading with her eyes.

Steven crossed his arms. "Come on, please? You promised you'd try!"

Lapis hesitated, but finally sighed. Her hand clenched and unclenched nervously, and she struggled to look Jamie in the eye. "Er…hello…human. Your…hat is nice."

Jamie beamed. "Why thank you! It's part of the post office's uniform, but I've got plenty more at home with my costumes!"

Lapis looked strangely at Steven. "Why does he have costumes?" She whispered over to him, despite Jamie standing clearly within earshot.

"Well…" Steven said expectantly. "Maybe you should ask him?"

Lapis winced, but turned back to Jamie and groaned. "Why…why do you have costumes?"

Jamie's eyes shone in excitement. "I'm so glad you asked! For you see, while day to day I deliver the mail to the fair people of Beach City, my true passion lies with another venture…"

Lapis raised an eyebrow in concern. "And that is…?"

"The noble pursuit of acting!" Jamie declared cheerfully, raising a fist up into the air.

Lapis paused for a moment, before turning to Steven. "I talked to the human. I'm going to go to the donut store now." With that she left, walking towards the Big Donut.

"Sorry Jamie," He apologized sheepishly. "She's still getting used to the whole other people thing."

"Hey, it's no worry!" Jamie waved him off. "I've got a busy day ahead of me anyway. Oh, and if you or your friends ever need some extra hats, I've got quite a few I'm looking to offload." His smile fell. "Turns out buying a crap-load of custom-designed costumes for the Beach City Theatre Group when you're the only member of said theatre group is a…less than sound investment."

"I will!" Steven waved as he ran to catch up to Lapis, reaching her just as she opened the door to the Big Donut.

"Hi again, Steven!" Sadie greeted, this time putting on her practiced customer service voice he'd heard her use with new customers. "And you must be Lapis! Steven and Spinel have told us so much about you!"

Lapis frowned. "Spinel comes here?"

"Well yeah," Steven said. "Where else are we supposed to get our morning donuts?"

She shook her head. "I just didn't know she ate that much human food. I always thought I ate the most out of the gems."

"Nah, Spinel loves anything with sugar in it," Steven told her. "It doesn't do anything for her, but the idea that it's supposed to makes her act way more hyper."

"And volatile," Lars chimed in.

Lapis stepped forward, taking in the sight as she looked around the donut shop. She moved slowly, absorbing as much as she could until she reached the counter. She looked through the glass, holding her hand beneath her chin. "Which ones are the good ones?"

"All of them," Steven said.

"None of them," Lars said at the same time.

Sadie sighed. "There's all kinds of different flavors, it really depends on your taste. What kind of food do you normally like?"

Lapis hummed in thought. "Last time I ate was when Greg grilled hot dogs a few weeks ago. Let's see…there was that time Steven brought home that strange candy and insisted I tried it…" She smiled. "...come to think of it, I think Rose did something like that as well once. Only it was with a seashell instead of food. It tasted surprisingly good."

Steven nodded, furrowing his brow in concentration. "Do you guys have seashell-flavor donuts?"

"What? What kind of a store sells-ow!" Lars hissed in pain as Sadie smiled pleasantly at Lapis.

"I'm afraid we don't have anything quite like that…but we do have blueberry donuts. It's a little on the nose, but you've gotta start somewhere."

"Why not?" Lapis shrugged, then looked down at him. "How about you, Steven?"

"Hm…I think I'll play it safe today. Chocolate with a cinnamon top and strawberry sprinkles."

"No problem," Sadie said, already grabbing a bag for the two of them.

"Then I believe that's everything we need," Lapis said, and Lars sighed in relief.

"Thank god she seems normal," Lars muttered. "I don't think the store would survive another Spinel."

Lapis frowned. "What exactly does that-"

"And here are your donuts!" Sadie interrupted, laughing nervously. "Don't worry about the cost, it's on the house. Since, you know, it's your first time in town, and you're a first time customer and everything."

"That's kind of you," Lapis said. "But what did the boy mean about Spinel?"

Sadie's eyes widened. "Ignore him, he doesn't know what he's-"

"Wel, you gotta admit, she's a little crazy," Lars shrugged. "Last time she was here, she almost burned the place down. And if she isn't causing trouble here, she's chasing me around town with Steven, or messing around at the Boardwalk, or some other crap. It's nice to see at least one of you've got your head screwed on right."

A dark look crossed Lapis's face. "I don't think there's anything wrong with Spinel," She said in a very cold voice. Steven swallowed nervously. "Her head is perfectly fine."

Lars held up his hands innocently, not taking it seriously. "Hey, I never said anything was wrong with her! Just saying, once in a while she could maybe stand to learn a little bit about how to act in public…"

Sadie winced, and Lapis stood up straight, her scowl deepening. "I was led to believe good manners were expected in public."

Lars grinned. "Exactly! So you get it!"

Lapis opened her mouth to reply, but Steven pulled on her arm. "Hey Lapis, I think we should go to the next stop. We've got a lot of ground to cover if we wanna find your tree."

"But he-"

"Here, there's a park not far from here we can check," He said, already pulling her towards the door. "Bye Sadie, bye Lars! Thanks for the free donuts!"

Lapis looked irritated as he dragged her outside, and she wrenched her arm away with a grunt. "Why did you let that boy talk about Spinel like that?"

"That's just Lars," Steven said dismissively. "He comes off as mean some of the time, but that's just how he is."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "That isn't an excuse. Spinel isn't even human! I don't go around telling humans they shouldn't eat because it makes us uncomfortable, do I?"

"You don't go around telling humans anything," Steven reminded her. "Look, let's just focus on the bright side. You talked to Lars and Sadie! And you weren't all weird and awkward like you were with Jamie!"

"I did?" Lapis frowned, then widened her eyes in realization. "I did…" She said, surprising herself. "But…it wasn't really any different from talking to you or Greg."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Steven laughed. "Humans and Gems aren't really that different." He frowned. "Okay, they are, but not as different as you think sometimes. You might not understand everything about them, like you and Lars…and they might not understand everything about you…like Lars and Spinel. But I'm a human and a gem, and I do a pretty good job of living with both in my life." He grinned. "Now come on!" He cheered, holding out the bag. "Take your donut, and get ready, it's gotta be in the park! Super old tree, here we come!"

Lapis smiled, taking her donut out of the bag. "Alright, Steven," She chuckled. "Let's go find my tree."

The park was a bust.

So was the town square, and the library, the pond Steven led them to, and half a dozen other locations scattered around town. It didn't matter where they went, they found no trace of the tree.

Steven did ask her if she would even remember what it looked like after so long…after all, it would have grown quite a bit in the time since Beach City's founding. He didn't understand, not really. Before she had taken Rose's place, her room was only a room. She hadn't tied the waters inside to her emotions, she hadn't had any need to. So when she needed a place to get away from the Temple, and the other gems, she had gone to the tree. She would know it when she saw it.

A part of her didn't mind. She wasn't really concerned about finding it, that was more for Steven's enjoyment. He seemed to just want an excuse to show her around town, and she was happy to indulge him. He looked like he was having fun, even if the day's adventure had started off a little rocky.

She still wasn't happy about that Lars boy and what he said, but Steven knew more about humans than she did. Maybe he was right. She didn't want to dwell on it, and besides, the rest of the day had gone much smoother.

The park had been a pleasant diversion. It gave her a chance to breathe, to enjoy being in the town without the feeling of suffocation. She had a sneaking suspicion that was why Steven brought them there first, and she had to admit it worked. When they went back out into town, she had mellowed out quite a bit.

Once in a while somebody who knew Steven would come up and…talk to them. Although strangely, it wasn't anywhere near as hard as it had been that first time with the mailman. It helped that she could simply let Steven handle most of the talking, though at his insistence she did at least try to hold a conversation. She'd even managed it a few times!

To her surprise, she wasn't hating it as much as she thought she would. Going around town…it was actually a little fun, if she was being honest with herself. Sure, once in a while she received strange looks, but for the most part it was nice. It had been so long since she had been in a proper city, and even if it wasn't a Gem settlement, it brought up older, better memories.

Which only reminded her of the real reason they were there in the first place.

She wasn't blind. Steven was trying to cheer her up after yesterday at the Sky Spire. She had tried to tell him not to worry, tried to tell him she was putting it behind her, but he'd caught her up in this little sidetrip before she got a chance. She saw the look on his face as soon as she tried to bring up Malachite. He didn't want to talk about her, and she didn't blame him, the way she'd reacted.

It was immature. He was only curious, he hadn't meant to do any harm, and he had a right to know regardless. Only now the shoe was on the other foot, and she wanted to explain things to him, while he tried desperately to avoid the subject.

This is so much harder than I thought it would be…

"-And here we are!" Steven said excitedly, gesturing in front of them with a smile. "Dad's car wash!"

Her eyebrows raised briefly in surprise. "...I didn't realize we were going to see Greg," Lapis said.

"Of course we are!" Steven said. "It's your first time in town, we had to pay him a visit! He's gonna be so confused!" Steven giggled in delight, and a small smile crossed her face at his infectious joy.

Steven was right, of course. Greg sat outside the car wash, reclining in a chair sitting out front. He noticed Steven first and broke out into a smile, but when he realized she was there too his face twisted in confusion.

"Lapis?" He blurted out in surprise. "What the he…heck are you doing here? I thought you didn't come into town?"

"Steven talked me into it," She admitted. "Today has been…interesting so far."

"It's been awesome!" Steven cheered. "We got donuts, and went to the park, and she's been doing super good too! She's even talked to a few people!"

"Has she now?" Greg asked skeptically.

"I…yes," Lapis said, lowering her head. Just not the one I've been trying to speak to all day. Ugh. She really needed to stop indulging Steven so much.

Greg frowned, noticing her discomfort. "Hey Steve-O, mind doing me a favor? You left one of your little guy figures in the van, I've been meaning to bring it over to you but I keep forgetting. You might wanna nab it before I forget again."

Steven gasped. "Not my guys!" He ran off towards Greg's van, out of earshot and leaving the two of them alone.

"I gave it back to him a week ago," Greg told her. "So we've got until he remembers that to talk. What's eating you?"

Her eyes widened. "I don't know what you're-"

"Come on, I know you!" He frowned. "Well, sorta. I know enough to know something's wrong, at least. You know Steven wouldn't wanna drag you around town if it was really making you uncomfortable, right?"

Lapis shook her head. "No, I know…it isn't that." She sighed. "Last night, you told me I should talk to him. And I tried, really, I did…but now he's the one who keeps avoiding me, changing the subject before I get a chance to bring it up. I don't blame him, after yesterday…but he deserves to know about Malachite. And he needs to know it wasn't his fault."

Greg groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, it's tough sometimes, isn't it? Steven's an easier kid to talk to than most, but that doesn't mean it's always a walk in the park."

She frowned. "But…we were just walking in the park?"

Greg rolled his eyes and chuckled. "An expression. Means sometimes it's harder than you're used to."

"I just don't know what to do!" The words burst out before she had a chance to stop herself. "I need to talk to him, but he won't listen, and he's been dragging me around town so I've been distracted…it's nice, much nicer than I thought it would be, but why won't he just let me explain things to him?"

He shrugged. "Raising a kid isn't easy, Lapis."

Her shoulders fell. "What do I do?" She whispered.

Greg scratched the back of his head and frowned. "I don't think I can really help you with that," He said, much to her disappointment. "But tell you what…you've spent all day running around somewhere completely unfamiliar. How about you take a breather for a few minutes?" He nodded behind her. "There's a small dock not too far. Sit for a few minutes, take in the view."

"I think I might just do that," Lapis said, sighing in relief. "Thanks, Greg."

"Eh, don't mention it," He waved her off. "I'll take care of Steven."

She could do this. She survived the war, she survived Homeworld, she survived six thousand years on this planet…she could talk to a twelve-year old boy, no problem.

But…maybe she would take Greg up on his offer first.

Steven frowned as he rummaged around the van. He found old t-shirts, CD's, a few rolled up band posters and scattered water bottles, but nothing resembling one of his guys. Had dad just been mistaken? He hoped so. The idea that one of his guys might be missing…he shuddered.

His thoughts turned to Lapis, and he smiled. So far, outside of Lars…things had actually been going pretty smoothly! She was enjoying herself, at least it seemed like it. And there was still so much left to do…by the time they got back to the Temple, Malachite would be the last thing on her mind.

Wait, the Temple…

Steven groaned, raising a hand to his forehead. His dad had found one of his guys, but he had brought it back to him already! I guess I should probably be relieved…

He climbed out of the van, watching his step. "Hey dad!" He called, shutting the back door of the van with a thud. "Good news, you already…" He trailed off, his head following Lapis as she walked off towards the beach.

He frowned, and opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but he stopped himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his dad gesturing for him to follow her, and held a finger to his lips.

I…should follow her quietly?

That sounded sort of like stalking, but if his dad thought it was a good idea, there was probably a reason for it. He nodded back to him, and gave a thumbs up, waiting for Lapis to get a little further before following her.

She didn't go far. Just down to a small little dock across the road. A worried look crossed his face. But I thought she was having fun? Was he doing something wrong?

He moved a little faster to catch up with her, reaching the dock just as she sat down at the end, her legs dangling over the water as she leaned against a pole. He stood there silently for a moment, not sure of what else he was supposed to do. Just as he was considering calling out to her, he heard her sigh.

"It's okay, Steven," Lapis said. "I'm not running off anywhere. And you aren't in trouble."

Steven stepped forward hesitantly. "So, um…what's going on then?"

She was quiet for a long time, leaving nothing but the sound of the ocean. After a while, she stood back up, turning towards him. "Steven, It was really nice of you to show me around all day," She said, and he beamed at the compliment. "But I haven't forgotten this morning. We still need to talk about Malachite."

His smile fell, and his eyes shot open in worry. "N-No, really, it's okay! I don't even care anymore, seriously! Besides, we still have so much left to do! We haven't even found your tree, and at the very least we still have to go to funland. We-"

"Steven," Lapis said gently, cutting him off. "If you're worried about me…reacting poorly, then don't be. Yesterday I was caught off guard. It wasn't your fault…more like a perfect storm of a bunch of bad stuff all coming together, and I didn't handle it the way I should have. I'm sorry, Steven." She took a deep breath. "But it's okay. Today's different, better, I'm better. And I know you want answers, so…ask away."
"I…" He shifted uncomfortably, rubbing his arm. "I just wanted to see Malachite," He said nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't really realize how much you hated her."

Lapis looked at him strangely, then laughed. She walked past him slowly, a small smile on her face, and his eyes widened. Water was seeping through the wood of the dock, rising up through the floorboards. Small tendrils slowly rose up in the air, coming together. A hand formed, which Lapis took, lacing her fingers with her own. Before long, the rest of a body began to take shape. Arms, legs, a torso…he couldn't make out many details, but the water-person was big, larger than Lapis.

Her other hand came to a rest on the water-person's shoulder, and she began to move slowly side to side. Steven's eyes widened. She's dancing, He realized, just as the head finally took shape, and a large mane of hair was formed out of the water.

It was Jasper. Lapis was dancing with a fake Jasper made out of water.

"I don't hate Malachite," Lapis said. "I miss her. You haven't fused, Steven, you don't know what it's like. There's nothing half so wonderful in the world. It's easy to get angry at her, for what we did later…but it's impossible to forget those first years. Jasper and I, we were discovering something, someone completely new. It was like…it was like meeting a new friend, and wanting to learn everything about them, but that friend is also you. Even without that, just being her made us feel so much better. Stronger."

Lapis leaned her head against not-Japser's chest and shut her eyes, smiling contently. "I felt safe with her. I was scared, caught in the middle of a war on a planet I knew nothing about, but Jasper was there with me. I'd have been lost without her…and when we were Malachite, we were never apart. I was never lost. I miss that feeling, Steven, I miss it so much…"

"But…but if it started out so good, then what happened?" He asked before he could stop himself. She said it was okay. She said I could ask.

Lapis sighed, and after a moment stepped away from the not-Jasper. The water dissipated, losing all shape and falling back down to the ground with a splash. "That's a long story," Lapis said, sitting back down at the edge of the dock.

Steven winced. "You're right," He said. "I shouldn't have asked. We still-"

"I said it's a long story," Lapis said, cutting him off. "I didn't say I wouldn't tell it to you." She patted the ground beside her, and his eyes lit up. He hurried over, sitting down next to her, almost shaking in excitement.

"Jasper was the very first thing I laid eyes on when I first came to earth," Lapis began. She waved her hand, and beneath them he saw images begin to form in the water. He could make out the shape of a warp pad, and two figures unmistakable as Lapis and Jasper. "I was different back then. I loved exploring new planets, and the earth was something I had never seen before. Jasper was just as grumpy, she just served Pink Diamond instead of Rose."

Steven chuckled, but something still made him uncomfortable. He remembered the recording from the base, the one he still hadn't told Lapis about. "Lapis…are you sure you want to tell me all of this?"

Lapis smiled at him. "Of course I am, Steven. I just wish I told you sooner." She cleared her throat. "Now, listen up. The whole thing began almost as soon as Jasper and I met. We shared maybe a few words before we came under attack. I was too shocked to do anything, of course, but Jasper acted quicker than I ever saw any gem move…"

I am very annoyed.

I got my laptop back in worse condition than it was in when it arrived. Long story short, they were idiots who refused to do anything without a serial number, which wasn't on the sticker, and instead of opening up the computer to get it, or even calling me, they just sent it back. So I had to call a bunch of people to figure out the problem, get the serial number, and now I have to send it back, AGAIN.

Thankfully, I had a few days to write this chapter, though I do apologize if it seems rushed. I think it's good, or I wouldn't post it in the first place, but if there's a few mistakes here or there, I do apologize. I am a little strapped for time, however.

So, with this comes Lapis and Jasper's backstory. Originally I was gonna cover it in one chapter, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next two chapters are all backstory. I know a LOT of people have been interested in Malachite/Lapis/Jasper, and believe me, I'm right there with you.

The next handful of chapters are what I've been building up to this entire fic, and I want to get to write them SO BAD…unfortunately, it'll have to wait. Not long, but still.

Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter! By all means, feel free to leave a comment, I love reading through everyone's thoughts, and what they think is going to happen!

Here's hoping my laptop gets fixed before I go crazy, lol.

Chapter Text

"Earth was something new to me. I'd been to other planets before, of course. It came with the nature of what I did. You have to understand, Steven, gems…well, the Crystal Gems aren't the best representation of what gems are like on Homeworld. Each and every one of us was made for a specific function. Jaspers and Quartzes were soldiers, Peridot's were technicians and engineers. And Lapis Lazuli's…"

The image in the water faltered at her pause, and Steven looked up at her in worry. "Lapis?"

She took a careful breath. She had promised herself she would tell him. "We destroyed worlds," She said, and his eyes widened. "We're terraformers. We use our powers to clear forests, level mountains, sink anything Homeworld doesn't want. We set up a colony, make it ripe for Homeworld to come in and get as many resources as they want with the least amount of effort."

There was a tense silence before Steven spoke again. "Did…did you ever…?"

"Yes," She said, wincing. "Plenty of times. I would go from world to world, doing my duty. It was different then, Steven. You have no idea the impact your mother had…before her, none of us ever considered we were ABLE to do anything outside of what we were made for. I…I didn't like it. I wanted to see every inch of the worlds I was sent to, every one seemed like a new adventure. So much pointless destruction…it made me uncomfortable, I hated it…but to me, there wasn't anything else. Literally, I couldn't wrap my head around the idea there could be. Because if I did, if I thought for a moment there was something more to existence than my function…well, Homeworld didn't like it when gems got those sort of ideas. And I had heard stories…"

She waited for him to respond. A part of her was terrified he would look at her in fear, or run away. A part of her was scared he might start to hate her.

She was being ridiculous, of course. It was Steven.

"What was it like?" He asked her, nothing in his voice except curiosity. No fear, no disgust. "Before coming here? Did you have friends?"

Lapis shook her head. "Life was different before earth…hazy, almost. I remember it, of course. Springing out of my hole on Homeworld. I had superiors. I reported directly to a Pyrope, and on a few rare occasions I was in the presence of Blue Diamond herself…but I didn't have friends. We didn't have lives of our own in the way you think of them. We had our duties, and we saw to them. It was only during the months I was allowed to be alone while I worked that I started to doubt. When you don't have anything to do but think, you start to have doubts, even if you're whole existence you're taught not to. Or maybe it was just me. I'm not sure, but all I know is that by the time I came to earth, it was wearing on me. I was tired of going from planet to planet, destroying every bit of organic life we came across. I thought some of it was pretty. I thought some of it was worth saving…even if I could never act on it, or even tell anyone."

"My Diamond sent me to earth personally," She said. "It was the only time she ever directly spoke to me. Earth was Pink's colony, but she didn't have the service of a Lapis on hand. I was sent to help. For a few moments, I was taken in by the sight of a new world, like I always was. The earth is beautiful, Steven, even by the standards of other worlds I've seen…" She smiled fondly as another memory came to her. "Of course, I was…distracted almost immediately."

By someone much better than a silly old planet.

The light of the warp dimmed away, and she took a step forward, her bare feet meeting the cold stone of the platform.

Her eyes were wide with wonder, taking in the sights of a new world. Earth, She thought to herself absently. That's what it was called. It was surprisingly peaceful, for a world meant to be in open revolt.

"This is the earth," She murmured to herself absently. "It's so…alive." She lost herself for a moment, looking all around. It looked like they were on the top of a mountain, and she could make out the shape of trees bristling in the wind far beneath them. The snow fell around her, the wind cutting through her hair. She felt overwhelmed…

And then her eyes fell on the gem in front of her, and she froze.

She was a Jasper, but not like any she had ever seen before. She was huge, and cast an intimidating figure over her own, much smaller form. But strangely, she didn't feel the slightest bit off put. There was something about her that felt safe. Something that kept her still.

A smile grew across her face, and she smiled. "Hello!" She greeted cheerfully. "You must be my escort!"

The Jasper stiffened at that, but nodded. "Her radiance, Pink Diamond, has requested that I see to your safety," She said in a formal tone. "Rebels plague this colony for the time being…I have been assigned as your protector." The words were stilted, like they were a struggle to get out.

Right, this is an official meeting thing. I should probably act more formal…She cleared her throat, putting on her best court voice. "The elegant Blue Diamond has gifted my services to Pink Diamond," She frowned after that. "I'm…not really sure what she means by that. All she said was that Pink asked for the presence of a Lapis."

Jasper's expression soured, and she had the distinct impression she had said something wrong. "I'm sure all will be made clear," Jasper said through gritted teeth. "At the Lunar Spire."

Her face lit up in excitement. "Are you going to show me around the planet, then?" The little she had already seen had enchanted her. Oh, what she would give to have a proper tour of Earth…

"No," Jasper said bluntly, catching her off guard. "It's too dangerous to waste time with a war going on."

Her shoulders fell. "Oh," She said in a small voice. "I was hoping to see a little before my mission began."

Jasper grunted. "Why bother? You're probably going to destroy most of it once the rebels have been dealt with anyway."

"I know," She said, sighing in disappointment. "That's why I wanted to see beforehand." She should have known better. It was always the same, wasn't it? Why would she be given a chance this time?

After an awkward silence, Jasper spoke again. "We should go. We're expected."

Recovering herself, Lapis nodded. "Well…this is your planet," She pointed out. "Feel free to show me the-"

A loud shout rang out from across the platform, and immediately Jasper spun around, shoving her back protectively. At the other end of the platform, an Amethyst stood frozen, staring down in shock at the sword coming out of her chest.

The sword was drawn back, and the Amethyst poofed, her gem clattering to the ground. A Pearl stepped forward, flourishing her swords with a smug grin. "Greetings, ignorant servants of the diabolical Pink Diamond!" She began dramatically. Lapis noticed Jasper's fists clench. "We are the Crystal Gems! The time of your tyrannical grasp on this planet is at an end! You are not wanted here! Leave this planet at once…or be removed."

Lapis stepped back fearfully, watching as other rebels slowly approached. Her eyes darted around frantically in fear, the urge to turn and run overwhelming. But Jasper…Jasper wasn't scared. In fact, Lapis realized with a start that she was grinning at the renegade Pearl's challenge.

"You want a fight?" She scoffed. "A Pearl wants to pick a fight with me? If this is the best Rose Quartz can muster, It's a wonder you haven't been squashed like the bugs you are yet."

"Would you care for a lesson then?" The Pearl taunted, leveling a sword at Jasper. "I can show you just why we've survived as long as we have…"

A war-helm appeared on Jasper's head, and she bent her knees, ready to charge. "Oh, it'd be my pleasure."

"Jasper!" Lapis hissed fearfully, glancing around them. "There's too many!" From what she could see, the Crystal Gems had completely taken the warp pads. Already the Amethyst guards were being bubbled, and more and more Crystal Gems made their presence known. She saw a Bismut, a Larimar, some sort of Garnet…but one who was a fusion. Her face twisted in equal parts terror and disgust.

Jasper grunted irritably. "There are rebels right in front of us. It's our duty as loyal gems to punish them for their treason."

Her breathing quickened as the circle of gems closed tighter. "Aren't you supposed to get me to the Lunar Spire? How am I supposed to get there if we're captured and shattered by traitors?"

"I can handle myself," Jasper refuted.

"But I can't!" Lapis yelled. "I don't know how to fight!"

"We're surrounded by water," Jasper snarked, never taking her eyes off the Pearl. "I'm sure you can think of something."

"But…I can't," She whispered fearfully. That wasn't…that wasn't her role. Quartzes fight. Rubies guard. Lapis Lazuli's shaped worlds. The very idea of using her powers to…to attack a gem…it felt wrong. Like the Garnet fusion by the Pearls side…she couldn't fight.

"...useless," Jasper muttered, shaking her head.

In front of them, the Pearl frowned, lowering her sword. "They're going to run," She said, and Lapis froze. "Keep them away from the Warps. Remember, the Lapis is the priority, the Jasper is an obstacle.

She barely had the time to register the Pearl's words before Jasper was turning, hauling her back to her feet. "If you won't fight, then run!" She hissed, and this time Lapis listened.

Lapis almost ran back to the Galaxy warp, but the way was barred. The Bismuth she had seen before must have circled around them while she was arguing with Jasper. "Nuh uh," The Bismuth grinned. "You got bad things coming your way if you think we're just gonna let you destroy our home, upper-crust rat." Her arm shifted into the shape of a hammer, and Jasper had to yank her arm to get her to move.

"Here, this way!" They ran, Lapis letting Jasper lead them as the Crystal Gems sprang into action.

"Don't let them escape!" Pearl shouted. "We can't let the Lapis-"

Even as the Pearl was barking orders, Jasper was pulling them both to another Warp pad. In seconds they were consumed by the light, and all else faded away.

Lapis gasped as they stumbled back into reality, falling down to the ground and landing with an oof.

She groaned, crawling back to her feet. "Where…where are we?"

"Away from them," Jasper said, rising to her feet without much difficulty. "Which is good enough." She paused, taking a moment to look around.

From what Lapis could tell, they were in the middle of some kind of forest. All around them, the ground was caked in white, as small, tiny flakes fell down from the sky. Her eyes widened in wonder at the sight, taken by the beauty. "What is this stuff?" She asked, staring up into the sky in delight.

Jasper frowned. "Snow. It happens on earth."

"It hasn't happened in any world I've ever been to," She said, then giggled as she held out her hand and let a few flakes fall into her palm. "I think I like it."

Jasper grunted. "Then you can enjoy it once you're at the Lunar Spire. I know where we are, vaguely." She looked back at the Warp pad. "I'm not going back through there, and the longer we stay, the sooner they'll figure out where we warped to. There's another Warp not too far from here. We need to go now."

Before she had a chance to protest, Jasper grabbed her arm, and they were once again running.

As they ran, a sickly feeling came over Lapis. The rush of excitement began to wear off, and the fear was setting back in. If…if Jasper hadn't been there, what would have happened to her if the Crystal Gems got their hands on her? And where were they going to go to now? There were only the two of them, and the Crystal Gems had the Galaxy Warp. Not for long, of course, Homeworld would drive them off the moment they learned of it, but they only needed to hold as long as it took to find her and Jasper.

She wasn't sure how long they ran for, but by the time they stopped the light had begun to fade. Jasper looked up at the darkening sky with a scowl. "We need to hide. Too much risk traveling at night."

"Wouldn't it be better to keep going?" Lapis asked. "If we get to the other Warp, we can get to the Lunar Spire. And it'll be night for the Crystal Gems too, right?"

Jasper shook her head. "The difference is those traitors are used to slinking around in the dark like cowards. No, we need to wait it out."

Lapis frowned, but didn't argue. She didn't really have much of a choice in trusting Jasper…and she'd gotten them this far, hadn't she?"

Lapis followed Jasper to a small cave. Her escort held a hand out, gesturing her to stay while she went in. A few minutes later she returned, apparently satisfied, and the two of them took shelter in the cave.

Sitting together in the dark as the sun set, and the dark set in, Lapis finally had a chance to think. Hours ago, she had been ready to accept her newest post, one more world destroyed by her hand. A day ago she had been in the presence of Blue Diamond herself. And now everything was in chaos.

The renegade Pearl's words echoed in her mind, and a shudder ran down her back. "They were after me," She said, horrified by how close she had come to capture. "They knew I would be there. How could they possibly-"

"It doesn't matter," Jasper said gruffly, cutting her off. "That's not our job to know. Once we get to the Lunar Spire, someone else can figure it out, but we need to get there first."

"I…I suppose I should thank you," Lapis said after a moment.

"Why?"

She blinked in surprise. "Well…for rescuing me, of course."

"It was my assignment," Japser said. "I've been ordered to ensure you reach the Lunar Spire safely." Her voice tightened, and her fists clenched. "I have not failed my Diamond before, and I won't fail her now."

Lapis smiled. "If it's any consolation, you certainly aren't. If you hadn't been here, the Crystal Gems would have gotten me without a problem…you make a great guard."

She'd meant it as a compliment, but Jasper's expression soured at her words. "I'm not a guard," She said bitterly.

Her eyes widened. "I-I only meant-"

"I shouldn't be here in the first place," Jasper said. "I should be out there, bringing the fight to those rebels, not running away to hide in some cave, babysitting a gem who won't even fight back."

"I can't-"

"This isn't what I was made for," Jasper hissed, filled with much more vitriol. Lapis froze, suddenly realizing she was completely alone with Jasper. "My cut is perfect. I'm a warrior, not some low-rate escort. A squad of Rubies should have been sent to guard you, not me."

Lapis swallowed nervously. "A squad of Rubies wouldn't have been able to save me."

Jasper was silent for a moment, and finally her scowl softened at her words. She sighed, leaning back against the wall. "We're going to get to the Spire," She said. "I'll make sure of it."

Not wanting to make her angrier, Lapis stayed quiet. She wasn't sure what was going to happen to them. If the Crystal Gems would catch them, if they could make it to the Lunar Spire, or…or if Jasper would just leave her behind.

She tried to push all of it out of her mind. For now, she was only happy to be alive and free. And even if Jasper hated the fact…Lapis couldn't forget that she was alive and free because of her.

"Geez," Steven said, taking a deep breath. "Jasper sounds grumpier than I've ever seen her before."

Lapis snickered. "Oh, you have no idea, Steven. If you think she's a bit prickly now, it was nothing compared to when we met."

Steven frowned. "It's weird though. She looked so much happier back then, she was even giggling!"

Lapis paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Steven…what are you talking about?"

His eyes widened, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Crap…"

She sighed. "Steven, I won't be upset with you. Just tell me what happened." What did he mean she looked happier…how could he have seen her?

"Well…yesterday, after we got back from the Sky Spire and everyone…er…left…Peridot came out of her lab," Steven said. "She finally made sense of what she found at the observatory."

"She did?" Lapis asked in surprise. "And she actually…found something?"

Steven nodded excitedly. "Yeah, she was awesome! She managed to track the drones and everything!" He cleared his throat. "You should ask her about when you see her. It was super cool, and she was really proud…"

"I will," Lapis promised. If Peridot really did find something, she needed to know. "But I don't understand. What does that have to do with Jasper?"

"Well…the drone she tracked was actually back inside the base you guys found a while back," Steven said. "And we…may have been able to get inside."

"You got back inside the base?" Lapis sputtered, stunned. "But…how? That door has been sealed for millenia!"

"It opened for me," Steven said. "I think it's because I have mom's gem?"

"Because you have…?" Lapis nodded to herself. "I should have thought of that. What happened after?"

"We went in looking for the drone, and we did find it…but there were some corrupted gems still around the area that were drawn into the base when we opened it. Long story short, we managed to trap the drone and the gems in the lower levels, but we had to seal it off before we could get any information off the drone."

"That's a shame," Lapis sighed. "But the important part is you're both safe." Thank goodness Peridot was with Steven. "But again…Jasper?"

Steven reddened. "Sorry, I got distracted. But, um…before we ran into the drone, we found this huge room with a bunch of mosaics." The gears began to turn in her head, until finally it clicked.

"Oh stars, please don't tell me…" Lapis groaned, shrinking in embarrassment.

"We found out there were a bunch of recordings," Steven continued. "Most of them were ruined, including mom's…but yours and Jasper's was mostly intact."

She winced, beginning to blush. "Those things were so tacky. I can't believe I let Rose talk me into them."

"It sounded like you were the one who talked Jasper into it," Steven pointed out.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Lapis laughed. "It was a good idea at the time. Rose came up with it. Everything was so much more exciting back then. It was before the reality of the war really set in…we were all swept up in the idea of creating a new home, we didn't stop to think about what it would take to make it. Rose wanted something to show the new recruits, to teach them the real history of the Crystal Gems. We all went and made our own recordings privately, recorded our whole story, and Rose had them stored away, not to be accessed until after the war. We abandoned the base not long after that, and we never went back for them, so there went that idea." She shook her head. "I can't believe ours was the only one still intact. Of all the rotten luck…"

Steven pouted. "But I thought it was really sweet! You and Jasper were so different!"

"Like I said, it was still early in the war," Lapis shrugged. "Everyone changed the longer it drew on."

"If it helps, your recording was still pretty messed up," Steven said. "Peridot and I only really caught the beginning, and the very end. Everyone else's was even worse." He looked away, towards the water. "I wanted to see mom's…but the recording was gone. Her mural was still there, though. It wasn't even touched, and hers was the biggest there!"

Lapis grinned. "Oh, she hated that!"

"She did?"

Lapis nodded. "She wanted them all to be the same size. Your mom hated it whenever someone put her on a pedestal, but Bismuth insisted." She hummed in thought. "Maybe that's why Rose never went back for the recordings?"

"So what happened?" Steven interrupted, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I know you and Jasper wound up super close, but from the way you've been telling me you guys met, it started out awful."

"It kind of did," Lapis admitted. "I mean, I…well, I thought pretty highly of her almost immediately." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, clearing her throat. "But she was upset at the whole situation. It took her a bit longer to warm up to me."

"Did it happen at the Lunar Spire?" He asked.

"Oh, we never made it to the Lunar spire."

"What?" He exclaimed. "But you said it was close to where you guys warped to?"

"It was, but the Crystal Gems got there first," Lapis said. "Our plans changed, and we wound up spending a lot more time in those woods than we expected. We had to hide from the Crystal Gems while still trying to find another warp. We spent a few weeks like that, running around. It was terrifying in hindsight, but in the moment I just felt…free. I was exploring a brand new planet, but this time I wasn't destroying it. Not yet at least. I could take in the sights, enjoy the feeling of snow, and the warm sun."

"What about Jasper?"

Lapis smiled. "She tried to act tough, but I could tell it was affecting her too. After that night in the cave, she'd been a little less hostile. It was new for her too. The Earth was her home, but I don't think she ever stopped to really get to know it. Always orders, orders, orders with her, at least back then. We…spent more time than we probably should have experiencing it all. She still at least tried to stick to the mission, but I was getting more and more swept up in everything." She paused. "Then, naturally, the Crystal Gems found us."

Lapis bent down, picking a small blue flower from the ground with a smile. Not many flowers grew around snow-covered woods she and Jasper had been hiding in. Not from what she had been able to see over the last few weeks, at least.

She wanted to give it to Jasper as a thank you. Without her, she'd have been caught weeks ago. But Jasper had been relentless in covering their tracks, and so far they'd managed to elude the Crystal Gems. They still weren't able to reach a warp pad, but for the moment they didn't need to.

It was honestly…kind of nice. Just her and Jasper, alone in the woods with no orders from their superiors, no expectations outside of reaching the Lunar Spire, which was still a long way off, and all sorts of new experiences. From the snow, to the pretty blue flower, to the strange little hopping creatures she saw swimming in a stream the other day. Big and small, everything she came across was a new wonder. A part of her hoped it would last a little longer, though she knew even thinking it was bordering on treason. They needed to reach the Lunar Spire and make their report the moment they were able.

But for now, at least, all they could do was wait.

She picked her way through the woods with a practiced ease as she navigated back to the cave they were hiding out in. So much was still unfamiliar, but the immediate area surrounding their temporary shelter was well known to her by now.

Jasper looked up when she entered the cave and frowned. "You shouldn't go out alone."

"You could always come with me…" Lapis suggested, only to be met with a scoff.

"We shouldn't be going out in the first place."

"How are we supposed to know if we're still being pursued if we don't look for signs?" Lapis asked.

"So that's what you were doing?" Jasper said flatly, not entertaining the idea for a moment.

Lapis didn't see the point in lying and grinned. "Of course not." She held out her hand, offering the flower. "I found this," She said.

Jasper scowled. "You risked your safety and our shelter…for a flower?"

"A blue flower," Lapis corrected. "It's for you."

Jasper blinked, staring down at the flower like it might suddenly come to life and shatter her. "...for me?" She echoed. "And why would I ever want a flower?"

Lapis shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to thank you," She said. "I…I listen, you know. I haven't forgotten what you said. I know you don't want this, that you never wanted to guard me…but you saved my life. You still are. I know it doesn't really mean anything, but I wanted to give this to you. So you can remember me once we get to the Lunar Spire." She bit her lip, before continuing. "And…I was thinking once I got there…I could talk to someone. Tell them all you've done. Maybe I can get you back in the fight properly. It would be the least I could do."

Her eyes widened. "You…would do that? Why?"

"I just told you," She laughed. "You saved my life!"

"I'm only following orders," Jasper pointed out.

Lapis shifted awkwardly. "Still. It doesn't change what you did."

Jasper looked at the flower for a moment, then slowly took it from her. "Thank you," She said stiffly, clearly uncomfortable.

Sitting there, the urge came upon her to ask Jasper to stay. To keep protecting her once they got to the Lunar Spire. She'd actually grown to enjoy her company, with all her overprotective gruffness. And even if she was still a little grouchy, she could tell Jasper was mellowing out as well, at least a little. She didn't want to part ways.

It was stupid. Jasper hated protecting her…what would asking her accomplish?

But then, what would it hurt?

A tightness formed in her chest, and it took her longer than she cared to admit to work up the courage to speak. "Jasper," She began nervously. "I…I was thinking, once we get back to somewhere loyal to Homeworld-"

She never got a chance to finish her sentence. Halfway through Jasper sat up quickly, her eyes suddenly alert. "Quiet," She said. "Do you hear that?"

Lapis frowned. "Hear what?"

Jasper growled, rising to her feet and grabbing Lapis's arm. "We have to go. Now."

"Wait-"

Jasper pulled her along, leading them back out of the cave. As soon as they surfaced, Lapis heard it. Footsteps and chattering voices, quiet but all around them. They were still somewhat distant, but they were getting closer. And fast.

"They found us," Jasper hissed. "We need to leave."

In the blink of an eye, they were running again. So much running. She'd never run from someone before coming to Earth. Never had to fear other gems outside of disappointing a superior. Her life had been flipped upside down from the moment she stepped off that Warp Pad, but strangely she couldn't bring herself to complain. Something stopped her, though she couldn't say what.

Around them, she heard the gems closing in. Their flight had drawn the attention of their pursuers, and shouted voices rang throughout the woods from all sides. Lapis let it all slide away, choosing only to focus on Jasper. She would get them to safety. She would protect her. Everything else was just a distraction.

But the voices grew louder, and she couldn't ignore them any longer. A dark, sinking feeling was forming in her core, and she couldn't shake a sense of unease.

The unease turned to fear when Jasper stopped running.

"We're never going to outpace them," She said, coming to a stop at the edge of a stream. "Too many of them, and too fast. We have to fight."

"I-"

"I know!" Jasper shouted, and Lapis flinched. To her shock, Jasper sighed, speaking in a much gentler voice. "I…I know you can't fight," She said. "Leave that to me. I'll take care of them. Just make sure you stay away from them. And If I tell you to run, you run. Follow the river downstream."

"But what if they catch me?" She asked fearfully. "If I run while you're still fighting, I'll be alone. And if they chase after me-"

"They won't," Jasper cut in.

"But what if-"

"That won't happen," Jasper repeated, more forcefully. She turned to face her. "I told you I would keep you safe, didn't I? Listen to me. We're going to get to the Lunar Spire. And I promise you, I won't let you get hurt. I swear it, and I am not a gem who goes back on her word. For as long as I can, I'll keep you safe."

Lapis looked at her, eyes wide at her words. "Jasper…"

Before she could go on, the first of the Crystal Gems broke through the tree line. Jasper turned and pushed her back, summoning her helmet. She charged the traitors with a roar, stopping them before they could get much closer. She bludgeoned the first gem to reach her, a Bismuth that stumbled back from the force of the blow. She regained her footing quickly, and in moments it devolved into a brutal brawl between her and Jasper.

Lapis was frozen, her feet rooted to the ground as she looked on in terror, begging for Jasper to win quickly. She hated watching on like this, powerless to act. She wanted to do something, she wanted to help, but…

…but she couldn't. Her eyes fell onto the stream even as a voice whispered in her head. "No," She muttered aloud, shaking her head. "No, I can't. It isn't my place." She wasn't a fighter. She couldn't be a fighter, she was a Lapis Lazuli. She had her role.

"Don't run," A voice said from behind her, and she yelped, turning quickly. The Pearl from before held one hand out in a placating gesture, the other grasping a sword that hung pointed toward the ground. "Listen to me, we don't have to fight. We only need you to come with us, and-"

Lapis yelled again, stepping back. "Lapis!" Jasper shouted, turning towards her, and Lapis's eyes widened.

"Jasper, no, behind you!" The Bismuth she was fighting was already pulling back her fist, forming it into the shape of a hammer. Jasper tried to turn back around, but it was too late. For one horrible second, Lapis could only watch.

The Bismuth's strike hit dead on as Jasper turned, and Lapis heard a sickening crack.

Jasper was thrown back by the force of the blow, landing not far from her feet. Lapis looked in horror, her mouth falling open in shock. A single, jagged crack ran down the length of Jasper's gem.

"Now listen," The Pearl said, wincing. "This is unfortunate, but-"

She never finished her sentence. A wave of water crashed into her with as much force as she had ever summoned before, throwing her far into the woods. The Bismuth's eyes widened. "Oh, crap."

With a look of fury, Lapis summoned a hand from the river, grasping the Bismuth and pulling her close as a pair of wings formed behind her back, lifting her up into the air. "Leave…us…ALONE!" Lapis roared, throwing the Bismuth as far as she could. She fell back to the ground as the rest of the Crystal Gems tried to close the distance, but with a wave of her hand, a dome of water isolated her and Jasper, keeping them safe from any interference.

She bent down, placing a shaky hand on Jasper's chest.

"Run," Jasper said, hissing through the pain. "Before they rally."

Lapis nodded. "Come on then," She said, helping Jasper to her feet.

She tried to protest. "You need to move quickly. My…my gem…" She sounded as if she were in a haze, her words slurring in disbelief.

"It's alright," Lapis said gently. "I'll carry you."

"I…I…" Jasper slumped, and Lapis knew she couldn't hear a word she said. With a small smile, she rose into the air with Jasper.

"It's going to be okay," Lapis said, breaking through the dome and soaring over the treetops. "You aren't the only one who can make a promise. You've kept me protected me this long. You've kept me safe…let me return the favor."

It was the least she could do.

Bad news: They couldn't repair my laptop.

Good news: Considering you're reading this chapter in the first place, I managed to get a replacement. They refunded me the money, and I got the same laptop as before, though it was on sale so I picked up a couple of comic books as well. I had to set everything back up again, which was a pain, but it's over.

I was surprised by how much I still have to go for Jasper/Lapis's backstory. It may wind up being three chapters after all if I wanna get to the Malachite stuff, which I absolutely do. The next chapter of WAYDTM is unfortunately going to have to wait a little bit, I'm afraid.

Thank you all for reading, and please leave a comment with your thoughts on the chapter! I read through them all, and it really does mean a lot.

Chapter Text

"What?" Steven exclaimed, his eyes popping out of his skull. "What happened next? Was Jasper okay? Did she-"

"Steven," Lapis said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. Breathe. Think for a second. You've known Jasper your whole life, right?"

"Right," Steven said with a frown. She could see he was still anxious though.

"And in all that time, her gem has been perfectly fine, right?"

"Yeah," Steven agreed. "But-"

"So that means everything turned out okay, doesn't it?"

He sighed. "I guess. But you said her gem was cracked, and I know that's really scary…"

"It was," Lapis nodded. "Think about how scary it was for us."

Steven shuddered. "But how did you guys get away? I thought you said you couldn't fight back then."

Lapis grinned. "Another of Homeworld's little lies we all believed. It's funny…for as awful as it was, that day is one of my fondest memories."

Steven looked up at her like she'd grown a second head. "It is?"

She nodded. "That was the day everything changed. Before, sure, I had doubts even if I didn't want to admit it. When I was with Jasper, hiding away in the woods, a part of me wanted to stay with her there until the whole war blew over. But when Jasper's gem was cracked…I didn't have any time to think. I acted on instinct. They hurt her…so I hurt them." She paused. "For my entire life, I had a single purpose. I couldn't conceive of the idea of using my powers to fight. But when I protected Jasper…it was like a switch flipped. It proved to me that day that everything Homeworld told us was a lie. Because deep down, when it really mattered, I used my powers to protect her without even thinking. Because we weren't just tools fit for one role, we were alive. It was…exhilarating."

She thought her explanation would put him at ease, but if anything he looked more troubled. Lapis frowned. "What's wrong?"

Steven shook his head. "It's nothing."

She crossed her arms. "Steven…"

His shoulders slumped. "Sorry. It's just…these were the Crystal Gems, right?" Lapis froze. "But they hurt you. They attacked you and Jasper, they cracked her gem, scared you into fighting back."

"Steven, it isn't that simple-" She tried to explain.

"This was still early on in the war, right?" He asked. "This was mom's army. But you hadn't done anything wrong, and they still went after you. Does…does that make them bad people? Does that make mom-"

"No," She said quickly, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly. "Steven, don't think for a second your mother or any of the gems were just trying to hurt us out of cruelty or anything else like that. This was a war, Steven, for the survival of the planet earth, and the freedom of the Crystal Gems. The fact is Jasper and I were enemies, and if we had gone on to the Lunar Spire like we planned, we would have served Pink Diamond. Maybe things would have gone differently. Maybe Rose would have lost. They were just trying to protect themselves…" She smiled, ruffling his hair. "...and besides, you don't know why they were even there in the first place. I haven't finished my story, you know?"

He giggled, sorting his hair out. "Sorry. You can keep going, now."

"Right then…" Lapis cleared her throat. "After Jasper's gem was cracked, we had to flee. I managed to fly us far enough away to buy us some time, but I had no idea where the nearest warp was, and Jasper was too hurt to really move much. Not that it stopped her from trying, but after I tied her up in rope made from a stream's water for the seventh time to keep her from going out, she got the message."

"That was the first time I had to really step outside of what I was used to. This time I had to take care of Jasper while she couldn't. As far as I knew the gems were still searching for us, and we had nowhere to go. Jasper was much quieter, but I thought it was because of her injury." Lapis frowned. "And it was, in a way…I just didn't think about what it really meant for her."

How far were they? She thought she saw tracks as she flew through the woods, careful not to breach the treetops and risk getting spotted, but she could just as easily have been mistaken. Or perhaps they belonged to one of the planet's natives?

She hated not knowing. The Crystal Gems were near, they had to be, but so far Lapis hadn't found a sign of them. Was she not looking hard enough? Or were she and Jasper truly safe for the moment?

She dismissed the possibility out of hand. Even if they were safe, better to assume they weren't. No reason she should let her guard down, especially when so much was at stake. Jasper was counting on her.

Her feet touched the ground, and she let her wings fall away from her as she stepped through the waterfall and into their shelter.

Jasper lay where she left her, resting on a small bed of leaves. Lapis doubted it did much to comfort her, but it was the best she was able to do at the moment. She walked over to her side, kneeling down and smiling sadly. She brushed a strand of hair behind Jasper's ear, trying to avoid looking at her gem. "How are you?"

Jasper's eyes fluttered open, hazy but conscious. "I…hrr. Where are we?" She slurred.

"Safe," Lapis told her. "Safe as we can be. I've been looking for a Warp, but I can't find anything, and I'm trying not to draw anyone's attention." She placed her hands in her lap, trying her best to look cheerful. "You don't have to worry about a thing. It's all going to be okay…I'll keep us safe, just like you did. I'll find us a Warp, I'll get us to the Lunar Spire, and once we're there, someone from Homeworld can…can help us."

Jasper's expression soured, and she turned away silently. Lapis frowned. "I mean it," She said. "I…I know I said I couldn't do it, but it's different now. I know I can get us there, trust me. The Crystal Gems-"

"I don't give a damn about the Crystal Gems," Jasper said harshly. She leaned up with a groan. "You don't have any idea what this means, do you?"

Lapis blinked. "I know you're hurt, but we only need to make it back."

Jasper scoffed. "Of course you don't understand. It never mattered how you came out, so long as you weren't defective. You're a Lapis Lazuli. You were always meant to be one of Homeworld's precious gems. I'm just a Quartz, a Jasper. If I had been like any of the others, I would have been just another soldier in the line." Her fist clenched tightly. "But I was different. My cut was perfect. I was so much stronger than the others, so much better. I was destined for great things. I could have risen so high…I could have been my Diamond's champion. Her prized soldier. I could have torn Rose Quartz's gem from her wretched form and crushed it in my fist."

"There might be someone who can heal you at Homeworld," Lapis said nervously. "You still can!"

"No I can't!" Jasper roared, and Lapis yelped. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the crack in her gem grow at Jasper's outburst. The Quartz fell back, hissing in pain as she held a hand to her head. "I…can't!" She growled. "Not anymore! My gem is cracked. You can't possibly understand. I was perfect! My entire life, everything I've done and everything I could be…it was because I was perfect." Jasper looked up, and Lapis saw tears streaming down her face. "If…I can't be perfect anymore, what am I? I'm no different from any other Jasper. Worse, I'm defective now. It doesn't matter even if there is a way to heal me…it will never change what happened. I'll always bear the shame. My entire existence is ruined. I can't go back to Homeworld…there's no place for me there. I'm defective. Off-color."

Lapis sucked in a breath, and a part of her wanted to run. But she had grown used to Jasper's outbursts now…and she could see how much she was hurting. "Any other Jasper couldn't have saved me," She said. "I don't think the fact your Gem was cracked is a shame. All it does is show me what I already know. That you're still better than every other Jasper out there." She paused, then slowly reached out a hand. "I promise, I'll find a way to heal you. I don't care what it takes. We can go back to Homeworld, and I won't ever say a word you were hurt in the first place, I swear it."

"It isn't…isn't the same," She slurred. Her hand glowed white, and when the light faded two more fingers appeared on her left hand. "Can't go back. I'll…I'll know."

"We'll figure it out," Lapis promised, rising to her feet. "First, let's focus on you getting healed."

And if afterwards Jasper still can't go back…

Hm. They'll figure it out.

Jasper was getting worse.

More and more she found herself heading out from their shelter, searching…for what, she wasn't sure anymore. Even if she found a Warp Pad…Jasper was right. They couldn't just go back to Homeworld, not with how Jasper was now. And Lapis wasn't going to leave her behind.

But what could she do? She had no way to heal Jasper. She wasn't even sure there was a way…Homeworld likely had the ability, but would they use it on a Quartz? Unlikely. And she doubted anything on Earth would be able to help.

Still, she searched, hoping she might find something. And every time she returned, Jasper's condition had worsened. One arm was almost a foot longer than the other, and hanging loosely. Her speech was garbled, sometimes coherent, and at others it sounded like she was talking backwards. Though Lapis had told her not to strain herself, the crack in her gem was still growing, and Lapis had no idea what to do.

This feeling of uselessness was killing her. She had made a promise. She needed to do something. And she needed to do it fast. The Crystal Gems were drawing near. She was sure of it now…tracks that even she couldn't mistake as belonging to anything but a gem, voices she had heard in the distance but remained too scared to seek out. They were close. And if they stayed hidden behind the waterfall, they would be found.

They had nowhere to go. They didn't even have the Lunar Spire as a distant goal…not until Jasper was healed, at the very least. But they couldn't stay either.

She took a deep breath, before finally making her decision. "Jasper," She said gently. "We have to go."

Jasper shuddered, rising slowly. "Og neht," She said, her voice twisted and warbled. "Evom ylerab nac I."

"You know I don't understand a word you're saying, right?" Lapis asked even as she bent down, taking Jasper's good arm and wrapping it around her neck for support. "Just come with me to the entrance. I can make a stretcher or something for you from the water, but you should stretch your legs first."

"Gninetsil t'nera uoy!" Jasper shouted. "Em Evael! Toidi, uoy pleh ot gniyrt m'I!" Her head twitched, and her right eyes split in two. "Argh! Just get out of here then! I'll stay!"

"I'm going to assume whatever you've been saying has been just as ridiculous," Lapis guessed. "You're coming with me."

"Lapis…" She growled.

"Jasper," Lapis said, more forcefully. "You made me a promise, remember?" Jasper froze. "You promised to keep me safe. You can't do that sitting here alone, can you? Are you just going to let me wander around your planet all alone?"

"You'd have better odds of making it to a Warp," Jasper bit back.

"You promised," Lapis reminded her. "And I'm going to hold you to that promise." She began to walk, helping Jasper. "We're not going looking for a Warp Pad, not yet. I'm going to find a way to heal you, and THEN we'll go. Together."

Jasper scowled, but wisely chose not to argue further. Lapis wasn't going to take any sort of refusal for an answer…they'd come this far, they'd finish it together or not at all.

Treading back out into the unfamiliar world…Lapis felt a pit begin to form in her stomach.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," She muttered under her breath.

It was a mistake to ever leave.

They should have just stayed behind the waterfall. Maybe it would have been okay. There was a chance, however slim, that maybe they would have remained hidden. She didn't really believe they would have, but it would've been better than this.

There at least, they had some kind of certainty. They would either be found, or they wouldn't be, and they didn't have to worry about anything else. They didn't have to hide their tracks as they searched in vain for something they didn't even know existed. She didn't have to be careful not to worsen Jasper's condition. She didn't have to strain her ears, jumping at every noise in the woods, terrified that either the Crystal Gems or Homeworld had found them.

And if nothing else, it was at least comfortable. It would have been better to die there than out here.

Lapis cast a nervous look down at Jasper. She thought it would be okay. That they would only be looking a short while, and somehow, some way, they would find something to help her. Miracles had happened before. She should have never escaped the Crystal Gem's first attack. Certainly not when they caught up. The simple fact they had made it this far was a testament to their luck…

But it seemed they were out of miracles. For all her caution, she couldn't prevent Jasper's crack from growing. Every exertion, every sudden movement now seemed to deepen the fissure. Dozens of tiny, branching cracks now ran along the surface, and it had progressed so much quicker than Lapis had thought it would.

Jasper couldn't move anymore, couldn't speak. She was barely conscious. They had landed beside a river out of necessity…any further flying, and Lapis was worried Jasper's gem might…might…

Lapis swallowed, choosing not to dwell on that thought. There was still a chance. There was still hope. There had to be.

The Crystal Gems were closing in on them. She knew that too, as surely as she knew how desperate their circumstances were. Closer and closer, and she couldn't keep running, not anymore.

Not for the first time, she wondered how it ever came to this. She had come to earth at the behest of the Diamonds themselves…and within minutes been thrust into sudden chaos. Surrounded by enemies, all alone…and she wasn't even sure she wanted to go back to Homeworld anymore.

No…she knew she didn't. A part of her did, at least. For all the madness her life had become, it was the most alive she had ever felt. The most free. Here on earth, with Jasper…she had no responsibility. No role defined for her before she even came into existence. She could simply…be. Together with Jasper, her only friend, if she could even call her that.

Except now Jasper was getting worse. And she was running out of options. And for all Lapis had tried to convince herself everything would turn out okay…she was running out of options.

Footsteps rustled in the bushes behind her, and her eyes widened in fear. For a few awful seconds, she cursed herself for letting her guard down. She didn't have the time to mope, she needed to make sure they weren't discovered!

"...telling you, at this point it simply isn't worth the effort," A familiar voice said, drawing closer. "We can't afford to spend so much time in the same area," The Pearl who had led the attack said. "They're not much of a threat anymore, and even if the Lapis does cause trouble, we'll risk worse trying to hunt her down now rather than later, when we can regroup and plan accordingly."

"No," A new voice said, surprisingly gentle, and full of warmth. "You said Bismuth cracked the Jasper?"

"Yes, but-"

"That wasn't how this was supposed to go," The new voice groaned. "We need to fix this, Pearl. Before they get back to Homeworld's forces. If we're lucky, we might be able to talk some sense into-"

Two figures passed through the leaves, stepping into the clearing. One she already recognized, the Pearl from before…but the other was new. She was huge, almost certainly a Quartz like Jasper, only Pink. Instead of some sort of battle raiment, she wore a simple dress, and bore a sword on her hip.

Her eyes locked with the new gem, both of them staring at each other in a moment of startled speechlessness.

The Pearl took a careful step back, summoning her swords from her gem. "Rose, it's them!"

Lapis shook her head, stepping back as she came to her senses. "Rose?" She hissed. "You're Rose Quartz!" The first traitor, the architect of this whole mess. The only reason all of this happened in the first place.

She raised a hand, feeling the currents of the river bend to her will. She wouldn't let them take her. She wouldn't let them take Jasper, and if they won't leave them alone, then she would make sure they wouldn't be able to follow them anymore.

"Wait!" Rose said quickly, holding a hand out. "We're not here for a fight!"

Lapis blinked, her grip on the water faltering. "...You aren't?"

"We're not?" Pearl said, equally surprised.

"Here," Rose said, taking her sword and tossing it to the side, still in its scabbard. "Pearl, put them away."

"Rose, they're dangerous!" Pearl protested.

"They're scared," Rose countered. "Aren't they?"

Lapis steeled herself, trying her best to seem brave. "Stay back!" She warned, feeling the waters behind her once more begin to churn. "You aren't touching her!"

Rose glanced down at Jasper, and at once a look of profound grief fell upon her face. "Stars," She breathed under her breath. "She's nearly shattered. You didn't tell me it was this bad, Pearl."

"It wasn't," Pearl murmured, unsettled by the sight. "It was a clean crack. I saw it."

"Running for our lives puts a certain amount of stress on something like that," Lapis snarled. "Now leave!"

"You poor thing," Rose said mournfully, her eyes glued to Jasper. "You must be in agony."

"I-I said step away!" Lapis warned, trembling. "You won't hurt her!"

Rose looked up in surprise. "Hurt her? Why would I want to hurt her?"

"But…you're traitors," Lapis sputtered. "Rebels. We're still loyal to Homeworld." Nominally, at least.

Rose sighed. "That's no excuse for cruelty. There's so much I regret. We may be at war, and yes, there may be some things we can't avoid…that doesn't mean we have to become monsters."

Pearl's eyes widened. "Rose, you aren't thinking of…?"

"It's our fault she's like this in the first place," Rose said. "The least we can do is help."

"They're the enemy!"

"They're gems," Rose said. "Loyalists or no, they've come a long way, and suffered much. If we simply leave them here, we won't be any better than Homeworld. We will not stoop to their level, Pearl, I won't let us." She looked down at Lapis. "Please, let us help you," She implored.

"Help us?" She could have laughed. "You tried to kill me. You've almost killed Jasper. I'm going to tell you one more time…leave now, or I swear I'll make sure you can never threaten us again!"

Rose frowned. "Kill you? We never tried to kill you."

"Oh for the love of…" Pearl shook her head. "She doesn't know that! If you're going to try and convince her to go through with this, at least try to do it right!"

"Go through with what?" Lapis asked hesitantly, still wary.

Pearl gave her an exasperated look. "You want to heal your Jasper, yes?"

"Of course!"

"Homeworld will never do it themselves," Pearl said. "Not on a mere Jasper, no matter how perfect her cut may be. At best she'll be permitted to throw herself at the enemy until she's shattered from the simple exertion."

"You can't possibly know that…" Lapis said, though her voice wavered with uncertainty.

"Yes, I do," Pearl said sadly. "Much better than you do. You can go and find a Warp Pad, and take yourselves to wherever it is you're going, and in doing so you can doom Jasper to an unpleasant end…or you can let Rose help you."

"How is she supposed to fix what you did?" Lapis snapped angrily.

"She's the only gem on earth who can," Pearl grinned. "Don't tell me you haven't heard the stories? How Rose Quartz heals her soldiers?"

Lapis froze. "But…I thought those were just stories." Propaganda.

Rose shook her head. "Not quite."

"Her tears can heal any gem from any injury, save for shattering," Pearl said. "She can save Jasper's life."

She can…? "And why would you do that?" She snarled back. "After everything you've done?"

"Please, we never meant for this to happen," Rose said, taking a step forward. "We learned a Lapis Lazuli was coming to earth, and I sent Pearl to take you to me, safely," She stressed. "No one was meant to be hurt. A few guards poofed, but not much more than that. You have to understand how a Lapis would change things. We couldn't let you have free reign to destroy our home."

"So you'd just keep me bubbled until Homeworld crushed you?" She scoffed in disbelief. This was how they tried to convince her?

Rose shook her head. "I'd hoped to explain things to you, make you understand. This world is special."

"And if I said no?" She countered. "What then? What if you couldn't convince me?"

Rose paused, then frowned. "I don't think I would have to," She said honestly. "You already are, aren't you?"

"I…what?"

"This place," Rose said. "This planet. It's special. You can tell, can't you? Like we did."

"Special," Lapis spat. She could have laughed. She'd been running for her life from the second she stepped foot on earth. Cut off from Homeworld forces, hunted, alone in an unfamiliar place, with no one but Jasper to protect her, to keep her company.

But as angry as she was, she couldn't bring herself to disagree with Rose. For every moment of fear, there was one of wonder. From her first sight of snow, to those beautiful blue flowers. From the strange songs on the birds fluttering between the trees, to the first time she had opened her eyes stepping off the Galaxy Warp, drinking in the view.

It wasn't just the planet, either. It was what it meant. Travelling with Jasper, hiding with her. It was the closest she had ever come to living her fantasies, of a life where she didn't destroy all she touched. Where she stepped outside of her duty.

For a moment…for a moment, she had entertained the idea of simply staying there. Alone with Jasper, hidden in the woods, unbothered by either rebels or Homeworld. Living out their lives on earth, free of any obligation, any expectations. It was only a dream…

…wasn't it?

"You understand," Rose said again, bringing her out of her thoughts. "The Crystal Gems never wanted a war. We wanted a home. We don't hurt gems out of cruelty. We don't do it at all if we can help it, but we're at war. You though…you aren't our enemy. And even if you were…" Rose glanced down at Jasper. "...that wouldn't change me wanting to help. So please, for the sake of your friend…let me help you both."

Lapis didn't remotely trust Rose. She wanted nothing more than to flee into the river, ferrying her and Jasper to safety. Only…she wasn't sure Jasper would even survive the effort. She had been searching, and searching, and searching for some way to heal her, and so far had come up with nothing.

But now things had changed. Rose was here, and Rose could heal Jasper. A traitor. A rebel who had brought an entire colony into upheaval, who was responsible for all the trouble that had plagued her since coming to earth. If she could even heal Jasper, as she claimed, then they really would never be able to go back to Homeworld. Not after being healed by Rose Quartz, leader of the Crystal Gems.

But if she refused…Jasper would die. Long before they ever made it to Homeworld, and in the miraculous chance that they did, she would doubtless be left for dead by her superiors anyways.

Lapis swallowed nervously, before stepping back, letting her hold on the river go as the water resumed its normal flow. "Do it," She said, regretting the words even as they left her mouth. "I don't care what you have to do, just…heal her. Please," She begged.

With her permission granted, Rose finally bridged the distance between them, kneeling down beside Jasper. For the first time since setting her down beside the river, Jasper began to move, and after a moment Lapis realized she was trying to attack Rose.

It wasn't much of an attempt…Jasper seemed to barely be conscious, let alone have much control over her malformed limbs. "This will be easier if she doesn't try to fight it," Rose said.

Lapis nodded shakily. "It's alright," She whispered, her voice cracking having to watch her like this. "It's okay. I'm sorry, but this is the only way I can help you." The arm that was mostly still functioning twitched, inching uselessly towards Rose. "Please," Lapis begged, tears forming in her eyes. "You don't have to trust her, but please…trust me."

Mercifully, Jasper relented, and Rose lowered her head, taking Jasper's hand in her own. "You've been through so much," She said again. "It isn't fair, that you should suffer. Not like this."

Lapis caught sight of Rose's face, and her eyes widened in surprise. The grief in her words was genuine. Rose…Rose hated this. Hated what this war was doing, not just to her own soldiers, but to the two of them as well. Enemies.

There was only a moment for her to reflect on the impossibility of Rose's compassion. Tears formed in Rose's eyes, and Lapis watched with bated breath as one fell down her cheek, so slow it seemed the breadth of her life could have passed in the time it took to fall.

But fall it finally did. She saw herself for the briefest sliver of a second reflected in the water. She saw herself filled with fear and hope all at once…and then the moment was gone, and the tear fell on Jasper's gem.

At once the gem began to glow, and Lapis took a step back in wonder. She watched as Jasper's form fluctuated, at first thrashing wildly in glowing light before slowly a familiar form began to take shape. The light faded, and she watched Jasper sit up with a groan…her gem intact, without so much as a scratch on the surface.

"Jasper," Lapis breathed out in relief, launching herself forward and wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight. "You're okay."

"Gah!" Jasper exclaimed. "Get off me, or you're gonna finish the job and crack my gem all over again!"

She quickly pulled away, grinning madly as Jasper pushed herself back to her feet. In an instant she stiffened, once more reminding Lapis that she was a soldier first. She moved quickly, placing herself between Lapis and Rose with a growl. "Get back, traitor," She warned.

"Such gratitude," Pearl snarked. "I can see why you saved her."

"Pearl," Rose chided, even as Lapis placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder.

"Jasper," She said gently. "Rose saved you."

"A traitor," Jasper spat. "A traitor saved me. Do you have any idea what she's done? What do you think will happen when Homeworld learns the arch-rebel saved me? Better to have let me die with honour." Spite, and something resembling sorrow crossed her face. "I can never go back to Homeworld. To my Diamond." Her rage returned with a vicious scowl. "Because of her," She hissed, clenching her fist.

"No," Lapis said quickly. "Because of me. I asked her to heal you, Jasper, so if you want to be angry, be angry with me."

Jasper blinked in surprise. "What? N-No, I'd never blame you…"

"Then don't blame her either," Lapis said. "I asked her to heal you. It was the only way, and I couldn't…I couldn't watch you…"

Jasper took a deep breath, and Lapis felt a weight lift off her shoulders as her fist unclenched. "Then…what now?" She glanced over to Rose and Pearl. "If you ask me not to fight them, I won't," Jasper said. "As…maddening as that sounds. But if we can't go back to Homeworld, what do we do? We can't just stay here forever. We'll be found eventually."

She opened her mouth to answer, but faltered. Jasper was right. Even if Rose let them be, which seemed to be the case if she bothered to heal Jasper, Homeworld would still stumble upon them sooner or later. It had been far too long since they had reported in, and they would demand answers. An investigation would be opened, the truth would almost certainly come out, and everything would come crashing down.

"You could always come with us," Rose suggested, breaking the silence.

For a moment, none of them said anything. Herself, Pearl, Jasper, all of them only looked at Rose in confusion, then quiet awe at exactly what she was suggesting.

"You dare suggest I'd turn traitor?" Jasper growled.

"Rose, you can't seriously still be expecting to go through with this, are you?" Pearl said. "They clearly want nothing to do with us, and I'm of a mind to agree."

"Look, thank you for helping Jasper," Lapis said. "Really. But we aren't like you. We're not traitors, we're not rebels." If anything, they were more like…exiles. Self-imposed, but it was better than what Homeworld would do to them if they went back. "We don't want anything to do with your war, and we certainly aren't going to fight Homeworld for you."

Rose laughed. "Oh, I'm not asking you to join the Crystal Gems."

"You aren't?" All three of them asked in unison.

"No, you've made your feelings quite clear," Rose said. "And I wouldn't want you to get hurt anyways. But Lapis…I wasn't just saying all that earlier. Earth is special. We want to make it a home for the Crystal Gems…but look at the two of you. Through no fault of your own, you've been rendered without any allies and without any shelter."

"And why is that?" Jasper snarled rhetorically.

Rose nodded. "I ordered Pearl and the others to capture Lapis, yes. What else was I supposed to do? Tell me honestly you wouldn't have terraformed this world if I hadn't acted."

Lapis was silent, and Rose continued. "I couldn't let that happen…but I never meant for it all to get so out of hand. I'm sorry it did, and so as recompense…why not come with us? You won't have to fight," She said before they could protest. "We won't make you. Don't run off and don't try to betray us to Homeworld…that's all I would ask of you, and I would promise the Crystal Gems protection. You've both seen the wonders this world can bring. If you truly have nowhere else to go…why not say yes?"

Jasper scoffed. "Ridiculous," She said, though Lapis was unusually quiet. Jasper quickly turned to her in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're seriously considering this?"

"What else are we supposed to do?" Lapis argued. "You said it yourself, we can't stay. And I doubt the two of us can hide from Homeworld forever."

"Earth is a large planet…" Jasper reminded her.

"...And Homeworld is larger, with far more resources," Lapis countered. "And our disappearances won't go unnoticed. They will find us if we're on our own…if we really don't have to fight, why not take her offer?"

"Beacause they're traitors!" Jasper yelled. "Their every word is dipped in poison! We can't trust them!"

"They saved you."

"Probably just for this moment!" Jasper said. "Maybe Rose wanted to get on our good sides so we'd fall to our knees and beg her to let us serve her. I've heard about what happens to the gems she heals."

"Oh please," Pearl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "If you're insinuating Rose's tears compels gems to serve her, then the very fact that you're arguing her proves you wrong."

"Maybe that's just what you want me to think," Jasper said petulantly.

"Jasper, at least try to consider-"

"No!" She roared, shocking Lapis. "Not when so much is at stake!"

"You listened to me when I asked you to let Rose heal you," Lapis yelled back in frustration. "Why can't you do the same now?"

"Because I didn't care if Rose tried to hurt me!" Jasper shouted. "Whether she betrayed me or not didn't matter, but I won't risk trusting her when you're the one who could get hurt!"

Lapis froze, and Jasper seemed to realize what she said, taking a step back. "I just…I made a promise," She said. "And I intend to keep it."

"Jasper," Lapis said slowly. "You have no idea how grateful I am for everything you've done. But right now, we don't have any path forward. We can stay here, hiding away in caves and thickets until Homeworld finds us. Maybe it'll be a few weeks, maybe a few months or years, maybe even a century or two. But they will find us…or, we can go with Rose. And maybe they'll find us there too, and maybe we'll be shattered just for associating with them…but maybe, some way, some how…maybe it goes right for us. And maybe…you and I can make this planet a home."

For a long time Jasper held her gaze, and for a long time Lapis waited desperately for an answer. Finally, Jasper sighed, hanging her head down. "This is a terrible idea."

Lapis grinned. "The worst," She agreed.

"This is probably going to get us killed."

"Almost certainly," Lapis nodded.

Jasper paused, before looking back at Rose and Pearl. "We aren't fighting in your doomed little war," She said. "And as soon as a better option comes along, we're taking it. But…if this is really what she wants…" She sighed once again. "...then we'll go with you."

Pearl groaned, and Rose beamed in excitement. "Wonderful! There's a warp not too far from here, though after that we're going to need to be more careful. We can't just use them whenever we want, and before long Homeworld's going to catch on we've taken the Warps in this sector. Oh, this is going to be so much fun! A real adventure, the two of you will see! Just you wait…" Without giving them a second to speak, she darted back into the wood, and…was she skipping? Lapis was sure she was.

"Is she…always like that?" Lapis asked with a strange look on her face.

Pearl sighed. "You have no idea," She muttered. "Though to her credit, she's gotten much more mature. She used to lack a certain restraint."

"She's certainly…something," Lapis remarked. She had no idea what to make of the famed traitor. That was the gem who led the rebellion? The one who had caused so much chaos, who had fearlessly faced down Homeworld's greatest warriors, and given even the Diamonds trouble?

"Isn't she?" Pearl smiled dreamily, before following in Rose's footsteps. "Come on, we travel fast. And Rose tends to get ahead of herself when she's excited. We're going to need to hurry if we wish to catch up."

Jasper shook her head as Pearl disappeared after Rose. "I already regret saying yes. Nothing good can possibly come out of this mess."

"I wouldn't say that," Lapis teased, a playful mood coming over her. The worst was behind them, she was sure of it. Jasper was healed, they had a plan, a place to go…even if things weren't quite back to normal, maybe they could find some sort of new normal.

Besides, if Rose could have a little fun, why couldn't she?

"Wanna see how fast I can fly?" Lapis asked, and Jasper's eyes widened.

"No," She said at once. "What if someone sees you?"

Lapis shrugged. "Well that would just be awful, wouldn't it? Hm…" She pretended to hum in thought. "If only there were someone to catch up and pluck me out of the sky?"

"Lapis…" Jasper warned.

She grinned, a pair of wings forming behind her back. Jasper took a careful step forward. "Don't you even think about it…"

"Thinking about it," Lapis said. "Doing it." She leapt into the air, laughing as Jasper cursed beneath her. She broke through the treeline, and with a flap of her wings she was soaring in the direction Rose had gone.

She didn't know what would come next. She didn't know if it would be awful, or wonderful, if they would find a home like she hoped, or if Jasper would be proven right, and all of this would be for nothing.

But in the moment, Lapis found she didn't care. All that mattered was that she and Jasper were together, free, safe.

And she honestly couldn't care less about anything else.

So yeah, gonna be a three part backstory. Next chapter we get to the Malachite stuff! And after that will come the climax of this first arc, and the chapters I have been building up to this entire story so far. I am very excited, and I hope you guys are too!

Thank you everyone who's reading along, and if you enjoy the story, then please leave a comment! It really does make me smile whenever I get an email saying someone left a comment, and I love seeing everyone's thoughts on how the story's progressing. There's no better feeling as a fanfic writer, in my opinion.

Chapter Text

Steven frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. If you and Jasper couldn't go back to Homeworld, and you were going with mom anyways, why didn't you just join the Crystal Gems?"

"It wasn't such an easy choice back then," Lapis said. "Gems…don't like change. And we had gone through quite a bit in practically no time at all for us. We knew we couldn't go back, but neither of us really wanted to call ourselves traitors just yet. And besides, it wasn't our fight. Sticking with Rose was the best chance to stay alive and safe, or at least it seemed like it at the time."

"So then when did you join?"

"Not too much later," Lapis laughed. "But it took some time to get used to. Living around the Crystal Gems was so different to our lives before. They didn't care about your cut, or what gem you were, or what you were before with Homeworld. Everyone respected Rose, of course, and a few of the veterans as well, but even then there wasn't much of a division between any of them. It was like one big family more than an army."

She paused. "We were outsiders at first. We were right there with them, but still apart, strangers looking in on the life they'd carved out for themselves. We didn't trust them, and they didn't trust us." A smile tugged at her lips. "But Rose was nothing if not stubborn, and she always had to meddle."

"Mom did?"

"Oh yeah," She chuckled. "She always pushed the others to try and reach out to us. She'd take the time to chat, or at least try to in between Jasper's not-so-subtle threats. It took…longer than I'd like to admit before we began to loosen up around them."

"How did it happen?" Steven asked. "Did mom finally convince you the Crystal Gems were the good guys?"

"It wasn't some big moment," Lapis shook her head. "It was so many different things, all building up to the slow realization that we were wrong. We'd stayed with Rose because we didn't have any other option, and in the back of our heads I think Jasper and I were planning to cut and run as soon as we found somewhere safe to wait out the war…but the moment never came, and eventually we realized that somewhere was with the Crystal Gems. Your mom had a part to play in that, yes, but so many others did as well. Garnet showed us what fusion could mean, that it was a way to live, and not just a weapon. Biggs helped us adjust to a life without our former expectations, while Pearl helped us find a new responsibility to fight for. There's so much I want to tell you about, Steven…I want to tell you about every one of them, and everything they did for Jasper and I."

She smiled softly. "I'm getting distracted, though. The entire point of telling you all this was so I could talk to you about Malachite."

Steven winced. "It's okay, I'm enjoying the story! In fact, why don't you keep talking about everything you did with the gems? There's so much I don't know, I'd love to hear it all!"

"And I would love to tell you, Steven, but if you think you're going to weasel out of this, think again," Lapis laughed, ruffling his hair playfully. "Really, I promise you it's okay. I don't mind telling you…I need to tell you. We ought to have had this conversation a while ago, but…" She shrugged. "...it was easier to put it off."

She smiled. "Now go ahead and ask the question I can clearly see you begging to ask."

"What was it that made you and Jasper fuse for the first time?" Steven blurted, then widened his eyes. "Um…sorry."

Lapis rolled her eyes. "I told you, It's okay." She hummed in thought. "Now…the first time we fused…oh, now that was something special. By then it had been long enough we were getting used to being around the Crystal Gems, but it was all still very new to us, and it didn't happen all at once. It took a long time for us to even get comfortable with the idea of that kind of fusion, but while we'd at least accepted your mother was genuine in wanting to help us, we still weren't convinced the Crystal Gem's fight was our own…"

"What are they doing?" Jasper grunted.

Lapis looked up, glancing over to where the Crystal Gems had made camp for the night. Though they weren't all that far, she and Jasper still stayed near the edge of the encampment, careful not to keep too close. Unfortunately, they weren't far enough to escape everything. "I think they're…singing?"

"Why?" Jasper shook her head. "Rose said when the sun sets she's taking most of them to raid one of Homeworld's bases. They should be strategizing, preparing for battle, not…singing." Her face twisted in disgust.

Lapis shrugged. "Who knows why?" In truth, she wasn't quite as bothered as Jasper was. The music was a pleasant distraction from their constant worries. Few sang on Homeworld, and only at certain courtly functions. A Pearl ordered to entertain her master, or something else of the sort. The songs the Crystal Gems sang were nothing like those on Homeworld. They were messy, rough ballads made up seemingly on the fly, interrupted every few seconds with fits of laughter. It didn't seem like the song was what was important, so much as the act of just being together.

It seemed more like a celebration. Of what, she had no idea, but she had never seen a group of gems so happy to simply be around each other.

Jasper groaned, banging her head against the back of the tree. "Just make them stop already."

"I can't," Lapis told her. "We're the guests here, not them."

"Then they're terrible hosts," Jasper said gruffly. "You'd think they'd shut up sooner or later."

"They're not trying to kill us, so that makes them better hosts than anyone else on the planet," She pointed out. Jasper only grunted at that, still clearly unhappy. Lapis decided to let her stew for a while, irritated with her attitude. It wasn't like she was much happier to be there, but the two of them were in it together for the long haul, for better or worse. There was no need to get snippy with her.

Besides, her mind was elsewhere at the moment.

She watched the gems as they sang, but her focus was on a few in particular. Not Rose or her Pearl, or even the Bismuth who had nearly shattered Jasper with a lucky blow.

She was watching the fusions.

She knew some had flocked to the traitors, but there were more than she was expecting. And they were so…open. Flaunting about without a care in the world, letting the whole world see their existence like it was nothing, like it wasn't an abomination.

Lapis hummed in thought. "Then again," She muttered to herself, low enough Jasper wouldn't hear. "I'm pretty sure we'd be considered abominations at this point as well." Traitors at the very least.

But for all she watched, she couldn't make sense of it. Why did they stay fused? If it were only for that day, she might understand. It would be wise to prepare for the raid, and if they were willing to resort to such methods then fine, but so far she had seen a Garnet, an Agate, and half a dozen others stay in almost a permanent state of fusion.

Try as she may, any answer eluded her. They weren't assigned as permanent lookouts for their encampments, they didn't seem to be protecting Rose or any of the others as a guard. They were just…living. As themselves.

Lapis shut her eyes, thinking back to her time with Homeworld. Once, long ago, while terraforming a planet in the midst of being colonized by Blue Diamond, she had reported directly to a Hessonite with a detachment of Ruby guards. There had never been any threat while she was there, but she had seen them training with fusion a number of times. To her, it always seemed so clinical, a tool more than a state of being. If she were being completely honest with herself, it looked almost uncomfortable, and it gave her no small amount of relief to be told Lapis Lazuli's were perfectly capable of going about their work alone. They worked in teams only rarely, and never would there be any purpose to fusion. And since cross-gem fusion was supposed to be impossible, she had always thought fusion an odd quirk of gem anatomy, one she would thankfully never have to experience.

Yet here on earth, the word impossible was evidently seen as a notion meant to be challenged. From rebel gems, to unnatural fusion, to that sweet, strange snow she had never seen before. She wasn't sure whether it was something that fascinated her with earth, or something that repulsed her.

"You can ask, you know."

Her eyes shot open and a gasp escaped her lips as she jumped up in surprise. The Garnet had come over to her and Jasper, looking down at her with her arms crossed.

Jasper took a step forward. "Back away from her, fusion," She growled.

Garnet only shrugged. "If she wants me to. I was only letting her know she didn't have to keep her questions to herself."

"What questions?" Jasper scoffed. "Trust me, we've got no interest in whatever nonsense you and your rebel friends have got going on."

"You had enough of an interest to tag along," Garnet pointed out.

"We didn't have a choice!"

"Jasper," Lapis said gently. "It's alright. Don't let her goad you." She glared at the fusion. "Leave her be. And what are you talking about, keeping my questions to myself?"

"The ones you're itching to ask me," Garnet said. "Me, or one of the other fusions."

Immediately, her eyes widened. "You…you can't-"

"No, I'm not reading your mind," Garnet said. "But I'm a fusion of a Ruby and a Sapphire. I can see the future, and for the past three hours I've been bombarded with visions of you asking me your questions." She paused. "I got tired of waiting."

Jasper looked at her, brow furrowed in concern. "Lapis?"

She winced under her scrutiny. "Well so what if I have questions?" She defended herself. "They're just…fusing! All the time! It doesn't make any sense! You can't tell me you haven't wondered why?"

"They rebelled against Homeworld," Jasper said simply. "They're clearly insane."

"We aren't, you know," Garnet chimed in. "Insane."

"Then what are you?" Lapis blurted before she could stop herself. "Why are you just…like that?" Wasn't it uncomfortable? Didn't it disturb the other Crystal Gems?

"Because I have no reason and no desire to be anything else," Garnet said. "I'm me. And I'm happy."

"You're not you, you're barely even a gem," Jasper growled. "You're a fusion, a weapon."

"You were a Jasper," Garnet countered. "Homeworld would have called you nothing more than a weapon."

"Yeah, and I won't deny it," Jasper said, taking a step towards the fusion. "Difference is, I know what I am. I don't delude myself into thinking otherwise."

"If you say so," Garnet shrugged, and turned back to her. "You don't have to, if you don't want to. But my offer stands."

Jasper scoffed. "You're really going to entertain this?"

"It's not like we've got anything better to do," Lapis said bitterly. "We're stuck here trailing after a bunch of rebels. We can't go home. We may as well try and make the best of it, and if we're going to do that, I'd rather find out why they force themselves to sit through constantly fusing at the very least."

Garnet tilted her head. "You keep talking like that. Like fusion is something to be endured."

"Isn't it?" Lapis frowned. "I've always thought it uncomfortable. Like…like it was suffocating."

Garnet laughed, a surprisingly light sound in contrast to her normally stoic demeanor. "Suffocating," She echoed. "That's a new one. I didn't even see you say that."

Lapis furrowed her brow angrily. Was she mocking her? "If it isn't suffocating, then tell me already. That was the point of this, wasn't it? You trying to convince us you're not some freak?"

"In part," Garnet admitted. "But also because you've looked miserable ever since you came with us."

"Of course we're miserable," Jasper growled. "We're effectively exiled from Homeworld, I was nearly shattered, and now we're stuck with a band of rebels. Now we're ALL freaks."

"Then you're in good company, aren't you?" Garnet said. "If I am, after all, a freak."

Lapis snorted before she could stop herself, quickly slamming a hand over her mouth. "What?" She said defensively after Jasper scowled. "It was funny."

"You're wrong on both counts, by the way," Garnet interrupted. "None of us are freaks, not me, not the Crystal Gems, and not you two either. And fusion isn't suffocating. It's the opposite. Liberating, refreshing. Freeing."

"You're chained to another gem and stuffed into one form," Lapis said. "How is that liberating?"

"Because it's not anything like two gems sharing a form," Garnet said. "More like…one gem, one being. But with both of you perfectly in harmony as well. Two gems, and a new gem, altogether at once."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jasper said.

"Love doesn't make any sense," Garnet shrugged.

"What does fusion have to do with love?" Jasper scoffed.

"Everything, if you're doing it right," Garnet said. "Otherwise, it's just as you said. It's a tool, a weapon, nothing more. But that's not how fusion's supposed to be. It's a relationship personified. A friend, a partner, a mentor, a student…a protector. It can be anything. Fusion is a way to express all of the complicated feelings that come with relationships of any sort in a way that transcends words alone. It's a completely new state of existing."

"Then…you're…together?" Lapis asked hesitantly. "Not stuck to the other gem, or forced together, but actually…working together?"

"Ideally," Garnet said, nodding. "But sometimes fusions don't work out that way. It depends on the strength of the bond between the gems. But when it's done right…" Garnet grinned. "It's the best thing in the universe. That's why I don't unfuse. Why would I? Ruby and Sapphire have no reason to be apart. They can exist together as me, and as me they can be so much more than they could be apart, but I can also be myself."

"It sounds ridiculous," Jasper said dismissively.

"It sounds…warm," Lapis said awkwardly, struggling to find the right word. How many years did she spend alone, going about her work on countless alien worlds? She thought she had grown accustomed to the empty feeling, to the loneliness…but earth had changed that. She'd never felt so content as she had since meeting Jasper, even with everything else the planet had brought.

She always thought fusion was something to avoid, something that would chain her down. And maybe it could be…but maybe it could be something more. Something truly special, something that could make her even happier. Maybe…maybe she wouldn't have to be lonely anymore. Not ever again.

If it were with the right gem, of course.

Garnet stood up, brushing the dirt off of her. "Well, that's fusion."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "That's it? That's what's supposed to convince us what you're doing is okay?'

"Yes," Garnet said flatly.

Jasper must have taken her brief answer the wrong way, because she stepped quickly in front of Garnet. "And what makes you think that?" She snarled threateningly.

"Simple. Go ahead and tell me it isn't," She challenged.

"Of course it isn't!" Jasper sputtered in disbelief. "Gems were never meant to fuse like that! With other gems! Why would someone ever want to give themselves to another gem? To…to become someone else. Someone…" She trailed off, suddenly sounding much less sure of herself.

"...Someone better," Lapis finished for her.

"No," Garnet said quickly. "Not better. Someone new. Ruby and Sapphire are every bit as important as me." She paused. "A little less awesome. And much dorkier. But just as important."

Jasper looked ready to argue, but Lapis held up a hand, asking her to hold off. "Leave her be," She asked. "She hasn't done anything but talk to us. At least it's better than glaring and expecting us to run back to Homeworld like some of the others." She was quiet for a moment, stewing in thought. "Who cares what she is, or what she's doing? It isn't our problem anymore. We're all rebels now…" She turned a flower over in her hands, picking at the petals. "...we're all freaks." They may as well learn to live with it.

"Hm. For the record, you're still wrong," Garnet said. "Homeworld are the ones who force us into our roles, never giving us a choice, never letting any of us take a step out of line, no matter how wrong it feels, no matter how much we want something else. All we are here are free."

She turned away, heading back to the center of their camp. "And you're wrong about something else too."

"What?" Lapis asked.

"You still have a home," She said. "All you have to do is ask, and you'll have a place here with us."

She left them, with Jasper shaking her head. "Can you believe her?"

Yes, a voice inside of her said honestly. "Maybe she has a point," Lapis offered. "We did everything right, followed Homeworld's way, and look where it brought us."

"Where they brought us," Jasper corrected.

Lapis only shrugged, not willing to continue the argument. The truth was, she wasn't as…on edge as she was before. Even if she was a fusion, Garnet seemed…alright. Maybe the Crystal Gems weren't so bad. Rose was strangely kind, wasn't she? For the leader of a band of rebels. Maybe some of the others were okay.

Of course, she'd never know sitting at the edge of a camp.

On impulse, she pushed herself back to her feet, letting the flower fall from her hands. Jasper frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Going to talk to them," Lapis said, then hummed in thought. "No, actually. That's probably too much. But if we're going to be stuck here, I'm not going to be forced to sit away from the actually comfortable part of camp." And who knew? Maybe she WOULD wind up talking to a traitor. The idea was exhilarating. She wondered what it might be like, what would even drive someone to betray Homeworld?

A part of her wondered how close their story might be to hers.

"You can't be serious," Jasper groaned.

"Sure I am."

"I am NOT letting you go off on your own into the middle of a bunch of traitors!"

"Then you're just going to have to come with me, aren't you?" She teased.

Jasper tried to argue, but Lapis was already turning away. Only a few steps later, she heard a heavier pair of footsteps begin to follow her. "One of these days you're going to get us shattered, for real this time," She growled.

Lapis only grinned, carrying on as Garnet looked up at them drawing closer. "Figured you'd come," She said, patting a space on the log she was sitting on. "I saved you a seat."

"Garnet seems super nice," Steven observed, yawning. I suppose it is getting late for him, isn't it?

She smiled fondly at the memory of her old friend. "Garnet was very nice. One of the kindest gems I ever knew. Which is especially remarkable since we weren't exactly the, er…nicest to her in return. Not at first, at least. That sort of fusion was still new to us, and we hadn't quite broken out of Homeworld's way of thinking yet."

"But she got through to you, didn't she?" Steven murmured, resting his head on her shoulder. She fought the urge to ruffle his hair and answered him.

"Yes, she did," She nodded. "It didn't fix everything, not at once. And we were still determined not to be a part of their fight, but…after that, Jasper and I spent more time with the Crystal Gems. They stopped being our enemies, and we began to see them as friends. Or I did, at least. Jasper pretended to still loathe them, but even she was starting to warm up to them. It wasn't easy, being on our own, and even if we wouldn't admit it, it was nice to have others around us."

"What…" Steven stifled another yawn into his fist. "What changed then? If you were still so scared of fusing, and you still didn't want to fight, what made you join the Crystal Gems?"

Lapis took a deep breath. "Well…the war hadn't properly broken out yet. We didn't quite understand exactly what was at stake, what we were fighting for, what we could lose. As time went on, Rose's raids became bigger in scale. More daring, more dangerous. We were getting worried that hiding might not be an option for much longer, and a part of me was scared we might not be able to avoid the fight forever."

She sighed. "I really hated being right."

"Where is she?" Jasper growled in frustration. "They've been gone for days!"

"It was a big raid," Lapis said. "We knew they might have to be careful, and that means taking their time."

"They've never been gone this long," Jasper huffed.

"They've never raided a Kindergarten before, either," She pointed out. "They knew this could happen. So did we."

"Difference is they're idiots," She said stubbornly. "You know Rose. She'd have gone through with it even if it was too dangerous. Even if it put her at risk."

"Pearl's with her," Lapis reasoned. "She won't let anything happen to Rose."

Jasper laughed. "Right. Because a Pearl is going to keep a Quartz safe."

"Enough, you two," Garnet said, crossing her arms. To her surprise, it worked. Both she and Jasper stopped at once, looking meekly down at her words. "Working ourselves up like this isn't going to help Rose, or us. Right now, all we can do is wait, and form a plan for if they don't show up. We'll only act if we have to."

"While we wait, they could be in trouble!" Jasper protested.

"And if we rush in without any more information, I can see it going bad for us in a number of ways." Garnet tilted her head. "Besides, you said this wasn't your fight. You said the two of you weren't rebels."

Jasper reddened, crossing her arms with a grunt. "We aren't," She clarified. "But…Rose is responsible for us having somewhere to stay. If something happens to her, it's bad for us."

A smile tugged at the corner of Garnet's lips. "Right. I'm sure that's all."

Jasper narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what you think you're implying…"

Garnet shrugged. "Nothing. Just that the two of you have gotten a lot friendlier with Rose. I think you've started to pick up that she isn't as awful as Homeworld makes her out to be."

Jasper's nostrils flared. "Make no mistake, you're ALL traitors," She hissed.

"And so are we," Lapis cut in before it could escalate. Arguing wasn't going to help anyone, Garnet was at least right about that. "Not by choice, but we're still traitors in the eyes of Homeworld. And Rose…Rose is…" A friend. "...an ally. One who had been kind to us. Garnet has been too, and none of us want Rose to get caught, so let's listen to the advice of the only one of us who can see the future and wait."

"I don't know what's happened," Garnet reminded her. "I don't see everything at once, and never anything for certain. There are countless possibilities, a thousand futures."

"So where just supposed to sit here and do nothing?" Jasper yelled in frustration.

"You say that like you want to get involved," Garnet noted. "But I must be mistaken. You said you'd have no part in our fight."

"We won't!" Jasper insisted. "But we…" She swallowed awkwardly. "Rose is the one who…we need somewhere…" She trailed off, sputtering as she tried to come up with an answer.

Lapis had a good feeling Jasper didn't have one. Neither did she, but she knew exactly how Jasper felt. She felt the same way, after all. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the war. All they wanted was a place where they could be safe, somewhere they could call home, or at least somewhere to hide until they FOUND a home. The Crystal Gems meant nothing to them, not as a group at least.

But…but Rose…she was different. She'd healed Jasper, apologized for Bismuth almost shattering her, gave the two of them a place to stay, all without expecting anything from them. She made them feel welcome. So had Garnet, and a number of others. Even Pearl's insistence that they had no place being there lessened with time.

The Crystal Gem's war wasn't theirs…but the idea of leaving Rose to be captured didn't sit well with Lapis. And she was certain Jasper felt much the same.

"We'll wait," Garnet finally said. "And we'll see."

A nervous feeling crept up Lapis's back, but she nodded along with Jasper. They'd go along with Garnet's suggestion. She only hoped they wouldn't wind up regretting it.

She may not have future vision, but she had an awful sense that they had made a mistake.

She should have trusted her gut.

"GO AHEAD AND TRY!" Jasper roared over the sounds of battle, gripping an Amethyst by the throat and squeezing until she poofed. "LAY ONE FINGER ON HER, AND I'll SHATTER EVERY ONE OF YOU MYSELF!"

Lapis winced as something crashed above her, and she fell to her knees, her hands shooting up to cover her ears. She shut her eyes, begging for it to just be over.

Jasper stood above her, fighting off any gem that came near. The ground around them was littered with gems, glimmering in the dirt as marks of how long that battle had gone on. It had all happened so quickly…

They had waited, just as they promised. And Rose returned, thank the stars, with not one gem missing from their party. They had been celebrating their victory, singing and dancing as she and Jasper retreated to the edge of camp, silently relieved, all the while refusing to admit they were ever worried in the first place. Lapis had been content to simply sit and listen, happy that the sense of foreboding she had felt was only a feeling.

Of course, she just had to be proven wrong.

The raid had gone well, yes. Production on the Gamma Kindergarten had been set back at least a decade, and they'd even made off with a few new recruits.

But they had been careless. The recruits weren't used to traveling like rebels, and couldn't cover their tracks in the way Rose and the veterans who had accompanied her could. They were followed, and not by one or two scouting parties, but by a force three times the size of their camp. Battle had broken out within hours of Rose's return, and every second since had been a frantic fight for survival.

She'd been useless, of course. Frozen still at the sight of gems fighting gems, all the while Jasper kept her safe from harm, the same as ever.

She was furious with herself. Why couldn't she fight? Why couldn't she protect herself, protect Jasper? She'd done it before. She had the power, so why couldn't she just bring herself to fight back?

Why was she so weak?

"Garnet, to me!" Rose's voice rang out, cutting clearly through the melody of battle. "You and Pearl get rid of that airship! We'll never make it to a warp if they have eyes in the air!"

"Little busy!" Garnet said, and Lapis heard her grunt, the sound of her gauntlets slamming into something hard following quickly.

She lifted her head, opening her eyes with a shaky breath, and meeting the gaze of a Homeworld gem. The Agate scowled, raising a hand. "The Lapis, get her! She belongs to Pink Diamond."

Jasper's head snapped towards the Agate, a wicked look entering her eyes. "Touch her," She said, terrifyingly quiet. "Go ahead." Her shoulders lifted up and down in heavy breaths, and she began to shake. "Any one of you bastards tries to touch her, AND I'LL SEND YOUR GEMS BACK TO THE DIAMONDS IN SHARDS!"

A few Amethysts looked at her in horror, their eyes flickering to her feet, and the dozens of poofed gems littered around them. They kept their distance, stepping back even as the Agate berated them, ordering them to charge. Their terror of Jasper kept them away, but it wouldn't last for long. Lapis knew it wouldn't. There were too many of them, and they could only last so long.

She couldn't even put up a fight.

She turned towards the Crystal Gems. Garnet was alone, fighting her way towards her friends. A group of them had huddled together, forming a circle of resistance. Lapis saw other circles scattered around, all kept separate by what seemed like a horde of Homeworld gems, keeping the rebels isolated. Outside of Garnet, only two groups stood alone. Her and Jasper, of course, still trapped at the edge of camp…and Rose and Pearl.

They stood on a hill, fighting shoulder to shoulder in perfect concert. Rose fought with her sword and shield, keeping away any who tried to crest the top. Her guard fought more fiercely than Lapis thought any Pearl ever could, her swords moving almost quicker than she could see, a hurricane of blades slicing through any that tried to get to Rose.

The Crystal Gems were fighting hard, but they were outnumbered. The pockets of resistance were growing smaller and smaller, and Lapis knew they couldn't last long.

Something changed, then. Something that baffled her. Rose threw her shield, sending a Topaz tumbling down and knocking down the gems climbing behind her, and buying a few seconds of peace.

Rose didn't take the chance to run, to rally her troops, to mount one last desperate charge…to Lapis's shock, Pearl sheathed her swords in her gem, and without a word between them, the two began to dance.

It was fast, but no less passionate. Pearl twirled, caught by Rose, who threw her up into the air. When she came down, Rose caught her gently, and in the same motion dipped Pearl. A bright light began to emanate from the two of them, Lapis had to look away with a wince at the flash of white. She blinked, her vision returning, and her eyes widened. Where once there had been two gems, only one now stood at the summit of the hill. Taller than both, with four eyes and two gems, a mane of blond hair flowing down her back.

A fusion, Lapis realized, equal parts entranced and horrified.

The new gem leapt into action, summoning Rose's shield and fighting back with a renewed vigor. All across the battlefield, it seemed every gem's attention was now on the fusion causing havoc in Homeworld's lines, rallying the Crystal Gems.

Even the Agate that had only moments ago been trying to capture her.

With a start, Lapis realized no one was coming after her, or even looking their way. Rose and Pearl's fusion had forced all of Homeworld's forces to rush toward the gem, hell bent on stopping her path of destruction.

Jasper must have realized the same, taking a step back with a look of surprise. "They're just…leaving us alone?"

"We aren't the threat anymore," Lapis said, nodding towards the fusion. "They are."

"We could leave," Jasper said, and Lapis froze. Jasper stiffened, apparently surprising even herself with her words.

"We…could," Lapis said slowly, and it dawned on her that Jasper was right. This was the moment they had been waiting for, wasn't it? Homeworld was distracted. They didn't have long, but she knew without a doubt she and Jasper could escape. They were already at the edge of camp, and it wasn't far to the nearest warp. They'd be alone, back to square one, but they'd be safe enough for the moment, and they'd have time to think on their next steps. At the very least, they wouldn't be in the middle of a battlefield.

And there was nothing keeping them there. They weren't Crystal Gems, and they didn't owe them anything either. Rose had healed Jasper, but they were responsible for cracking her gem in the first place. Any debts either of them might have had were paid. And they had always intended to leave eventually, hadn't they?

But…something stopped her. Rose hadn't needed to heal Jasper, not really. One of her soldiers had cracked her, sure, but they were enemies. It was war. And after, she certainly didn't need to give them a place to stay. No more than Garnet had needed to welcome them, or any of the others.

Were they really going to run? Just to wind up back where they were before meeting Rose? On the run with nowhere to go, no plan, no allies? She didn't want that. She was tired of being alone. She was tired of running. She was tired of being weak. She wanted to belong.

She wanted a home.

And all at once, everything clicked together in place. The Crystal Gems…they were fighting for a home. That was all. A place they could be free, a place they could belong. The very same thing she had been desperately searching for ever since everything went wrong. She would never have to obey Homeworld again. She would never have to destroy another world. She could even save one! A world that, for all the pain it had brought, had also given her the best times of her life.

Her first memory of snow. The pretty blue flowers she had picked for Jasper. The Crystal Gems, though she didn't quite trust them, she had found their company unexpectedly pleasant.

And of course, the earth had given her the greatest gift of all. It had given her Jasper.

She couldn't leave. She couldn't go back to running, to being alone. Not ever again. And Rose, Garnet, the Crystal Gems…she couldn't leave them either. Weeks of living with them, traveling with them, and she had somehow managed to grow fond of them.

Rose and Pearl's fusion had renewed the fighting, but already the tide was turning back in Homeworld's favor. All they had done was buy a little time…if she and Jasper left, the Crystal Gems would be destroyed.

"Come on," Jasper said shakily, and Lapis knew a part of her didn't want to leave either. "We need to go. Before…before they turn their attention back to us."

Lapis shook her head, rising slowly to her feet. "No," She said. "I'm staying."

Jasper's eyes widened. "The hell are you talking about? Of course we aren't staying. Now come one, we need to hurry…"

"No," Lapis said again, more forcefully this time. "If you want to leave, then leave. We aren't…we aren't Homeworld anymore. I can't order you. I wouldn't. But I'm not leaving them to die."

"They're traitors!" Jasper hissed. "Weeks ago they'd have killed us!"

"I know," Lapis said, her voice cracking in fear. This…this was real. She was doing this. "But it's different now. Everything's different now, and I don't know what to do…but I know I can't leave."

Jasper growled in frustration, turning to her. "What do you think we can do?" She demanded. "You think us getting killed is going to make a difference? I can't fight them all off on my own, and you can't fight!"

"No…" Lapis took a deep breath as Garnet's words came back to her. The image of Rose and Pearl atop the hill stayed in her mind. The fusion charging back into battle, rallying the rebels. "...but we don't have to. Someone else can. Someone different. Someone new."

Jasper looked at her in complete confusion. "What are you talking about."

"Fuse with me," Lapis said, the words escaping her with almost a gasp.

Jasper's face twisted in horror. "What?"

"You can't fight them all off, you said it yourself," Lapis said. "And I…I can't fight them at all. Not other gems, I…I just can't." A part of her realized what she was saying was insane. A part of her was clawing at the back of her mind, begging her to stop. "But I have the power. I know I do. Alone we can't do much, but together…" She swallowed nervously, trepidation and excitement rising inside of her in equal measure. "You can fight. I can give you the power to win. We can become someone new. I won't be weak. And we…we won't be alone. We'll be together."

"We can't!" Jasper protested. "We aren't like them! We aren't…"

Lapis smiled, placing her arms around Jasper's neck. "We're all freaks, remember?" She knew Jasper well enough to know what she was thinking. She pulled her closer, resting her head on Jasper's chest. "But if we're going to be traitors, and if we're going to be freaks, we may as well commit, right? And if I have to be a freak…there's no one I'd rather be one with."

"...I made a promise," Jasper said after a long pause. "I'm not leaving you."

Lapis pulled away, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Then…are we really doing this?"

Jasper nodded. "It feels insane."

"It is," Lapis grinned. "But it also feels right."

"There's no going back after this," Jasper warned."

"There wasn't before."

"But if we do this, we can't pretend we aren't a part of it anymore," Jasper pointed out. "No sitting on the sidelines. No hiding away. We'll be rebels. We'll be Crystal Gems."

"I don't think I hate the idea as much as I did," Lapis confessed. "Whatever else happens, we'll have a home. And we'll have each other. And that's enough for me."

Jasper didn't say another word. Only took her hand, stepping back and holding her gaze. Another moment passed, and they began to dance.

It was awkward. Stilted. Lapis stepped on Jasper's foot and nearly fell, but she was there to catch her. Neither of them quite knew what they were doing, and Lapis was sure they looked like fools. Every second they danced, she grew more convinced they were doing it wrong.

Until finally, she stopped caring. Her nerves left her, and a smile spread across her face. She didn't care they were in the middle of a battle. She didn't care their lives were at stake. They were dancing, they were free. She was swept up in the moment, nothing in the universe existed except for her and Jasper, dancing and smiling. She didn't want it to ever end. She wanted to stay like that, to stay together…

A white light began to glow, and Lapis felt her form begin to break down…and something else begin to merge with it.

And then her wish was granted.

Her first sensation was sound.

The sound of battle, all around her. Sword clashing against sword, shrieks of agony mixed with cries of battle. She was born in a field of war, and she knew without hesitation she belonged.

She opened her eyes, and her first sight was one of fear. Crystal Gems and Homeworld alike, all looked up at her in wonder and awe, and no small amount of terror. With a detatched sense of curiosity, she looked down. She noted she was much larger than the others, even the fusions. Four legs, four arms, four eyes.

For a moment, only a moment, there was a split inside her mind. She winced as she felt a sensation of disgust and another of empowerment, warring with each other.

'This isn't right…' Jasper's voice thought.

'It's what needs to be done,' Lapis answered. 'Now let's do this. Together.'

The split was mended, and her mind was one again. She wasn't them, she was herself. She felt them there. She WAS them…but also, she wasn't. She was their will, but she was her's as well. She was Jasper, she was Lapis…

But more importantly, in that moment…

…she was Malachite.

Her first steps were a leap, and she rose into the air, drawing water from the air and the soil, and two massive wings formed behind her. She flapped them, the force flattening the trees around her and sending shockwaves to the ground below. She rose higher and higher into the air, and finally she looked down.

And then she felt her power. She saw Homeworld's forces, and she saw the Crystal Gems. She felt the water around her, she felt her own strength, and she knew in an instant the battle was already won.

She frowned, and once more her voice became two. "This means war," She said, affecting a husky tone. "We won't just be exiles. We'll be traitors. And…we won't be apart, will we? I can feel us. Feel our strength. If we fight, I won't fight handicapped. We'll have to stay fused, won't we?"

"Yes," She said to herself, her voice growing lighter. "But not for Homeworld. For OUR home. For Rose. For us. I'm okay with that…are you?"

She nodded, and with a wince, she felt herself come together again. It was…difficult, staying focused. It was still too new, too strange for her.

But there would be time to sort that all out later. Right now, she had something to deal with.

Malachite roared in fury, falling to the ground and beginning her war on Homeworld.

Steven giggled quietly. "You saved mom," He said sleepily, his words slurring together. His eyes were shut, and Lapis knew he was almost asleep. "That's…" He yawned. "That's so cool!"

"Mmhmm," Lapis nodded. "I saved her more than once, and she saved me even more."

"So that's how you and Jasper joined the Gems," Steven summarized. "It sounds so cute."

She blinked. "Excuse me?" She failed to see exactly what about a story riddled with near death experiences about the most destrutctive war the planet had ever seen was cute.

"You and Jasper," Steven said. "You kept trying to protect each other. It even got you to fuse, even though you hated it."

She snorted. "I didn't hate it, I'd never even tried it before. I was scared of it. There's a difference."

"Mm," Steven said, cuddling up to her. "Well I'm glad you did. And I'm glad you two helped Mom. You guys are awesome…I wouldn't want to grow up without you. You, and dad, and the others. You're the best family ever."

She froze at his words, something jumping inside of her. "That's…very sweet," She said, blinking away a tear. She didn't know what was affecting her, but it felt…strange. And not in a bad way.

"I know you don't wanna," He said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "And I know it won't be for a while. But I wish I could meet her. Just once. She sounds so awesome."

"Maybe someday," Lapis said reluctantly. She had no intention of actually doing so, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him no. Not after that.

She sighed, looking down at the boy falling asleep in her lap. The entire point of this conversation had been to tell him about Malachite, to warn him about how dangerous she was. Sure, she sounded cool to him now because she was still in the early years. It had taken time for the trials of war to wear her down into something unrecognizable, something wild and dangerous. She'd only just gotten to the first time they fused…

She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. What am I even doing? Steven was a child. He didn't need to know every awful thing that happened during the war. So what if he was a little naive about Malachite? Let him be! He was still only a kid, after all. There was plenty of time to tell him. Some other day she'd finish the story. But it didn't have to be today. Today, he could go to sleep with a smile, and the memory of a pleasant story.

She picked him up gracefully, and after a silent thank you to Greg as she passed him, they walked through the town back to the Temple.

Lapis was deliberate in choosing not to fly. A part of her didn't want to disturb Steven, but mostly she was curious. She had started the day not caring much about how it would go, but now she wondered if she really could find her tree. It was silly that all of this sprang from such a stupid excuse, but even so.

She didn't see how she would be able to find it. She and Steven had searched all day before going to the car wash, and they'd found nothing while actively looking. She was simply keeping her eyes open on her way back home, she didn't actually expect to find anything.

She stopped in her tracks not far from the Big Donut, freezing as her eyes widened. She had no idea how they missed it the first time. It wasn't in a park, or on public grounds, but what looked to be someone's backyard. It was ancient, towering over the house beside it, and though it had aged, Lapis knew it in an instant, thhe sight unmistakable.

Steven stirred in her arms. "I'm really sorry we didn't get to find your tree," He mumbled. "I'm glad we got to have fun, though." He squirmed. "You did have fun, right?"

She stared up at the tree for a moment longer before answering. "Of course I had fun," She told him with a smile. She paused, before continuing. "It is a shame about the tree," She agreed. "I guess that just means we'll have to come back another day to find it, won't we?"

"Do you mean it?" Steven asked. "Really?"

"Really," She nodded, turning away from the tree and carrying on towards the Temple. "Some other day. Now come on, young man. It's past your bedtime. You need to get some sleep if you're gonna have any more adventures, you know."

Steven didn't answer, and she felt him slacken in her arms. She smiled to herself, content.

I hope this never ends.

Something had changed. Something was different. Something was new.

That was impossible, of course. She knew every inch of the halls she was trapped in, down to the feeling. She could navigate perfectly in total darkness, and had done just that countless times. Sometimes SHE changed…she hid inside her gem, or clawed at the walls until her physical form broke down and she had to reform. She cut uselessly at the walls first to mark the passing of time, then to draw for entertainment, then finally out of desperation to change SOMETHING. It never did, and a thousand years into her imprisonment, she grew bored of such things.

She wandered the empty halls. Always dreaming, even when awake. Always remembering, even as her memories slipped so far out of her mind as to almost fade away completely…almost, but never fully. She still remembered the war. Why she came here. She remembered why she fought, why she suffered, and she was satisfied. She remembered Malachite, Garnet, Bismuth…

…Rose.

But for all that she wandered, and for all that she remembered, nothing else ever changed. Nothing she didn't cause herself. It was impossible.

But even so, something had changed now.

First it had only been noise. She'd been too far to reach the source in time to learn what caused it, only hearing a deep rumbling sound from the other end of the complex. She'd been so stunned by the noise it had taken her nearly twenty minutes to realize it wasn't in her head.

She'd rushed over in the direction of the noise as quickly as she could, but she had tarried for far too long. All that she could find was what seemed to be a collapsed portion of the wall, one of the cursed drones responsible for the whole mess…and of course, the creatures.

She didn't know what they were, not exactly…but they were some sort of gem. They came in all shapes and sizes, all monstrous. So far she'd kept her distance, observing them with a quiet, disgusted interest.

They were beasts more than anything, not true gems. Were they some sort of weapons made by the diamonds? A new cut? Something worse?

She had no idea, and no way of getting answers seeing as how they barely seemed to possess a will of their own.

The collapsed wall where they had made their entrance was impassable. It was a cruel joke at her expense…thousands upon thousands of years, and FINALLY a chance for her to escape…snatched away from her because she had been too shocked to act.

She'd tried. Stars, how she had tried, clawing at the rock, using her sword as a lever, even…even shapeshifting at one point…to no avail. She was as completely trapped as she had always been…only now she was no longer alone.

Anger filled her as she watched one of the creatures slither past her, ignorant of her presence. They had been free…lived their lives, seen the stars and the sun, seen the earth…and now they came to break her isolation. The first company she'd had in millennia, and no way to communicate.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Rose…what would Rose want? What would she do?

These creatures were clearly suffering. From time to time they would throw themselves at the walls, moaning and groaning as they scratched uselessly in an attempt to free themselves. Not that anything ever came of it, of course.

She could let them suffer. Even if they repulsed her, they were still something new. A change…and hadn't she been begging for such a change for years now? She wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

But no. That would be selfish, it would be CRUEL…and what would Rose think?

The monsters could poof her, shatter her…but they could not bubble her. They couldn't send her away to freedom…but that didn't mean she could not bubble them. She would be alone again, in her quiet, eternal solitude. She might even go mad this time.

But they wouldn't. They would be safe and numb inside of a bubble, and most importantly they would be away from here. It was the right thing to do.

With a sigh, she dropped to the floor, drawing her swords from her gem. The creature turned at once with a hiss, slithering across the floor with a screech. It was fast, but she'd had nothing else to do for the last five and a half thousand years outside of practicing her swordplay against herself.

She was faster. She was much, much faster.

A step to the side, and a single thrust with both of her swords, and the creature was poofed, its gem falling to the ground with a clink. She knelt, picking it up gently, folding her hands around the gem.

The question was, where would she send it? Normally bubbled gems were sent to wherever the gem who created the bubble thought of as home…but she hadn't had any other home than these cursed tunnels for a long, long time. Who knew where it would wind up going? Who knew if it would even work? She would need something else to use as a focus. She would need…

A thought came to her, and she paused. "Oh," She said quietly, and briefly noted to herself it was the first word she had formed with her lips in several centuries. "That may work."

It was unlikely. It had been so, so long, and though she clung desperately to the hope she was still alive, there was no certainty.

Still…the thought tempted her. Rose was the most important part of her life. If she could send the bubble anywhere, it would be to her.

And…and maybe, if she were still alive, if she saw the bubble and recognized it as hers…

No. She had given up any thought of rescue long ago. She had brought herself here so Rose could carry on the war, and if she won…then she had already spent far too long without her. Whatever peace the Crystal Gems had bought, they deserved to live it out untroubled. Besides, Rose had no way of knowing where she was. All she could do now was one last small act of good, and she would have to be pleased with that. "Here goes nothing," She muttered, and enveloped the gem inside of a bubble. She gave it a nervous tap, and it disappeared.

She waited for a moment. Then a few more, looking around and expecting the bubble to pop up right beside her. It never did.

A small smile crossed her face. "It worked," She laughed, surprising herself. What would Rose think, when the bubble appeared in front of her? She must think it impossible…oh goodness, what if she frightened her?

The sound of more creatures howling in the distance shook her from her thoughts, and she quickly ran the opposite direction. There were more than a few of the creatures that had intruded on her prison, and bubbling them all would take some time.

Still, she would see it done. It's what Rose would have wanted.

And maybe…it was impossible, she knew, but maybe…she allowed herself to pretend that Rose recognized her bubble, after so many years. She let herself pretend that Rose understood, that she was still alive, that she had spent so many years imprisoned for her…

And as she fled, feeling excitement for the first time in millennia…she let herself pretend that Rose would find her.

And she smiled.

Steven groaned, stretching in his bed. He couldn't quite remember his dream. Something about Malachite, he thought…no wait, that was Lapis. She had been telling him a story, and he had fallen asleep after…but that was at the car wash.

She must have brought me home.

Part of him wanted to go back to bed. He was still tired, and his blankets were so warm…

His stomach rumbled, and he let out another groan. It's probably for the best, He thought, kicking his blankets away from him. If I start sleeping in, I might miss a mission!

With a yawn, he opened his eyes and blinked. He laid there, staring up for several seconds before he realized something was wrong.

He was staring up at a bubbled gem.

That wasn't the weirdest thing in the world. It should have gone into the temple, though. That's where they always went. And who was on a mission, anyways? They could have gone while he was asleep, but he blinked, rubbing his eyes and looking closer at the bubble, curiosity urging him to figure it out.

He blinked again, and realized with a start he didn't recognize the color. Spinel's bubble's were a dark magenta, Lapis's blue, Jasper's orange, Peridot's green. He'd only bubble a couple gems, but he and his mother's bubbles were both a very specific shade of pink. He knew it by sight, he'd been staring at the gem in his stomach ever since he was born. The bubble floating above his head wasn't any of those colors. It was peach-pink.

Two thoughts ran through his head. There were five gems on earth who could bubble other gems. And this bubble didn't belong to any of them.

The grogginess of sleep slowly wore off, and Steven's eyes widened at the realization.

And then he screamed.

I've been waiting to get to this part for a while!

Fun fact, that epilogue was written I think either the chapter of, or the chapter right before Peridot and Steven go out on their little adventure. It's just been sitting in another doc for ages. There is actually one other segment I've written out of order, featuring Spinel, but that one won't show up for a fairly long time.

So, yeah, this is what everything's been building up to. The next few chapters are going to conclude this first arc, and provide a pretty major shakeup. To the one dude who guessed it in a comment…congrats!

The only thing is I was rather disappointed I didn't get to go more in depth into Malachite, and the second half of the war as she gets used to being together, then being her own person very, very briefly, before getting further and further disillusioned with the war as it drags on. On the one hand, that was the point of Lapis and Steven's conversation, but on the other, I think this works better. Both because it lets me save that stuff for later, and because it's sort of in character for Steven and Lapis to struggle communicating. Specifically Lapis, lol. She's making progress, but baby steps.

Plus, there was so much I had to fit in. I had to go from the end of last chapter, to Lapis and Jasper getting comfortable both with the Crystal Gems and the idea of fusion in general, to them actually forming Malachite for the first time. All of that, AND I was deadset on the section with Lapis finding the tree and pretending she didn't for Steven's sake, and of course the epilogue. There just wasn't much time to properly give the rest of Malachite's story justice without another chapter, and it's dragged on enough already, I think. Not to mention that, for some reason, this was the hardest chapter to write to date. Genuinely, it was BRUTAL for me to get through, but I'm glad I finally did.

I hope everyone's enjoying the story, and if you wanna share your thoughts, by all means feel free to leave a comment! I love reading through them all!

Chapter Text

Steven stumbled out of bed, frantically crawling away, yelling all the while. He pressed himself against the wall, eyes wide and breathing hard as he stared fearfully up at the bubble, which sat floating right where he left it, hovering just above where he had been sleeping only seconds ago.

"Steven?" He heard Peridot ask worriedly. "What was that? Is everything okay?"

The familiar sound of the Temple door opening was followed by another voice, equally concerned. "Did someone get hurt?" Spinel shouted from across the Beach House. "Do I gotta beat something up?"

"Guys, get in here quick!" Steven said, not taking his eyes off the bubbled gem for a second. "Something really weird is going on!"

Peridot sighed, and a pair of small plodding footsteps followed soon after. "I swear, if this is another nightmare about that absurd show with the crying food, I'm going to throw that stupid tv into the…" She trailed off as she entered his room, immediately freezing in place and staring up at the bubble. "...ocean." She shook her head in disbelief. "That's impossible!"

"I know!" Steven whispered frantically. "What the heck is going on?"

"Peri? Steve-o?" Spinel chuckled nervously. "Neither of you actually got hurt, did you? You're starting to worry me."

"Just get over here!" Peridot yelled, and in seconds Spinel was walking into his loft with a frown.

She came to a halt right beside Peridot, every bit as in shock as the two of them. They stood like that for longer than he cared to admit, staring in silence at something that shouldn't exist. What felt like hours later, but couldn't have been more than five or six minutes at the most, Peridot finally broke the silence.

"...I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this," She reasoned.

"What explanation?" Spinel exclaimed. "None of us can make bubbles like that!"

"W-Well maybe it's a fusion!" Peridot suggested. "Could Setonite have…?"

Spinel shook her head. "Setonite's bubbles are black. And I'm pretty sure I'd know if I bubbled a gem and sent it to Steven. Besides, Jasper and Lapis have been gone since Lapis got back last night. It's not one of their bubbles, and it obviously isn't Malachites, for more reasons than I care to count."

"That's just not possible!" Peridot screeched. "It's a logical fault! There are five beings on the planet that are even capable of making bubbles. It's none of ours, and not one of our fusions. This…this…this doesn't make any sense!"

A second bubble popped into existence right in front of Steven, and all three of them yelped, jumping back in surprise.

Peridot took a careful step forward, inspecting the new bubble with eyes of wonder. "It was just made," She noted. "But…how?"

"It ain't from any gem I've ever seen before," Spinel shrugged. "At least…I don't think so. Something about it does seem familiar, though."

Peridot whipped around, grabbing Spinel's arms. "What? Focus on that feeling, what exactly seems familiar?"

Spinel's eyes widened. "Hey, cut it out! I just said it kinda looked familiar, I don't know from what!"

'Well figure it out!" Peridot demanded, shaking Spinel. "Don't you realize what this means? There's another gem out there capable of making a bubble, and they know about Steven! None of us clearly have any leads, so when you say it's familiar to you, I need you to do better than that!"

"I don't know!" Spinel yelled again. "It's just…pink, that's all. Made me think of…" Her eyes flickered over to Steven. "...well, you know."

Peridot blinked. "Again. That's impossible. That isn't even her-their color."

"I know!" Spinel sighed in exasperation. "All I said was it reminded me of her, that's all!"

"Hm…" Peridot stepped closer to the bubbled gem. "Though…now that you mention it, there is something familiar about it."

"There is?" He and Spinel asked at the same time.

"Yes…" Peridot nodded to herself. "...but it isn't something Spinel should have recognized. Steven, come here, take a closer look. I require a second opinion to validate my analysis."

"Um…okay?" He shuffled over awkwardly, squinting through the bubble to get a better look. "It's a gem." Was she expecting something more?

"Yes, but look at it," Peridot said. "Look at the composition. I know you aren't a certified Kindergartner, but you have to recognize the aberrant protrusions?"

"I don't know about all that," Steven said, but even as the words escaped him, a flicker of recognition shot through his mind. "Wait…those aren't…?"

"The corrupted gems from the base!" Peridot nodded excitedly. "The ones we trapped beneath the lower levels!"

That didn't make any sense. They were literally trapped beneath the earth, and only days ago at that. "But we sealed them in the lower levels," He frowned. "We brought down a bunch of rubble over the entrance. No one could even get to them, let alone bubble them unless they dug their way through, or…or…" His eyes widened, and a shiver ran down his spine.

"...or they were already in the lower levels," Peridot finished for him. A tense silence filled the air as all three stood wondering just what all of this meant.

It couldn't be that. It couldn't. Maybe there was some sort of gem technology that could explain this. Some sort of drone inside the lower levels that might have attacked the corrupted gems and bubbled them?

Another bubble appeared out of thin air, and the three of them jumped back in surprise with a shout. Barely seconds later, the doorbell rang, and they quickly turned around with another yelp.

"Intruders!" Peridot hissed."Prepare for an imminent assault!" Spinel nodded grimly, growing both of her fists.

He almost summoned his shield, until a memory jumped out at him and he gasped. "Wait, stop!" Steven waved his hands, running in front of them. "It's not an intruder, It's Connie!"

They both frowned at that, sharing a look of confusion before turning back to him. "Connie?" Spinel asked.

"That human?" Peridot made a face. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"It's Saturday!" He blurted. "I completely forgot she was in town! She was going to come over today, and we were going to hang out, but um…things sort of got out of hand after the mission to get the Heaven Beetle." How could he forget? He'd been so excited!

It could be worse, He reasoned. Spinel and Peridot could still be in attack mode.

Peridot cleared her throat, brushing herself off, and Spinel hid her hands behind her back quietly whistling as she refused to meet anyone's eyes. "We…may be the slightest bit on edge," Peridot admitted. "This…situation with the bubble-" Another appeared in front of Steven, earning a flinch from Peridot. "-bubbles," She corrected through gritted teeth. "Has made us all somewhat uneasy. If we're to formulate a response, we need to act on pure facts, not emotional outbursts tainted with personal bias. So let's go over what we know."

"Er…could I get Connie first?" He asked sheepishly. "I don't really want to leave her out on the porch."

Peridot stared at him. "We are contemplating a possible enemy gem here on earth, one we know nothing about, and one who at the very least knows about you…but sure. Go grab your friend first."

"'Kay-thanks-berightback!" He called as he rushed out of the loft, hurrying over to the door as quickly as he could. What if Connie thought he was keeping her waiting? He didn't want her to think he was ignoring her on her first trip back to Beach City in weeks!

Steven only just managed to avoid slamming into the door, screeching to a halt and taking a few seconds to catch his breath. He counted to three in his head, then opened the door with a smile to greet his newest friend. "Hey Connie! Sorry for the wait, I kind of had a thing going on."

She looked at him curiously. "Oh? What kind of-?"Two new bubbles appeared between them, one after the other. Steven flinched, and Connie jumped back, almost dropping her glasses.

Steven sighed, his shoulders slumping. "That kind of thing," He said glumly. "Bubbled gems have been showing up around me ever since I woke up."

"Like…your bubbles?" Connie asked.

"Not the one we were stuck in!" He said quickly. "At least…not quite like that. That was more of a protective thing. I think it had more to do with my mom's powers than normal gem stuff. These kinds of bubbles anyone can do. Any gem, that is…only we have no idea who's doing it."

"Well, it's sort of pink, isn't it?" Connie noticed, raising a finger to poke the bubble. "Wasn't the bubble you put the gem that attacked us pink?"

His eyes widened, and he grabbed her hand before she could pop the bubble. "Wait!" He called out, pulling her arm away. "If you break the bubble, the gem'll reform and start attacking! And…no, it's not my bubble. Mine's a different shade of pink, and I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was the one bubbling the gems." Probably. His powers did act weird, even for a gem.

"Is…this a bad time?" She asked, looking behind him, where Peridot stood scowling with her arms crossed, Spinel waving behind her with encouragement. "I'm gonna be in town for a few days, I can always come back later."

"No, it's totally fine!" He reassured her, laughing nervously. The last thing he wanted was to drive her away. "Come on in, we were just talking about what we're gonna do."

"Are we finally ready to get back to the matter at hand?" Peridot said as they joined her. "This is serious, you know."

"I know!" He agreed, fervently nodding his head. "Totally serious!" He scrambled quickly to come up with an excuse. "Besides, um…human's usually think it's rude to ignore them at the door."

Peridot sighed. "Very well. I suppose there's really no reason for her not to be here. As I was saying before we were interrupted, our first step is to figure out what we know for sure." She began counting off her fingers. "The bubbled gems seem to be identical to the ones that attacked us at the old Crystal Gem base. We could pop them and wait for the gems to reform to be sure, but that's needlessly dangerous, and I'm reasonably certain we're correct."

"So whoever or whatever bubbled them is in the lower levels?" He asked.

Peridot frowned. "I…don't see an alternative. Which means either someone got through the rubble we brought down, which is impossible as they wouldn't be able to enter without Steven's gem, or they were already inside. We also know the bubbles don't belong to any of us, and there's no gem technology on earth capable of bubbling a gem on its own."

"So what, we gotta pop by the old base and check it out?" Spinel frowned. "That sounds sorta dangerous."

"Naturally. Unfortunately, we can't afford to wait until Lapis and Jasper get back. The Bubbles are appearing more and more freq-" A bubble popped into existence, causing another round of surprised yelps, and Peridot's scowl deepened. "Case in point," She said through gritted teeth. "We can't wait. It might be more dangerous if we do…maybe whoever's doing this has a way to track their bubbles. And if they know about Steven…"

"So no waiting," Spinel nodded, then grinned. "Alrighty then! This is starting to sound like fun!"

"There still remains a number of obstacles," Peridot reminded her. "We need to get through the rubble leading to the lower levels first and foremost."

Spinel hummed in thought. "Hm…you think maybe Ceylonite could lend a hand?" Excitement sparkled in her eyes. "Or four?"

Peridot shook her head. "Perhaps once we get through the rubble. It may be dangerous, after all, and she'll be better equipped to keep Steven safe…but Ceylonite alone wouldn't be able to get through."

Connie leaned in to whisper in his ear. "What's a Ceylonite?"

"I think she's another fusion," He whispered back excitedly. Connie frowned, and Steven realized Connie didn't know about fusion.

"So how do we get through then?" Spinel asked.

"I'm not sure," Peridot sighed. "I wonder…whatever happened to Rose's Light Cannon?"

Steven blinked in surprise. "Mom's what?"

"It's like a big ole' cannon that shoots light!" Spinel mimed an explosion with her hands, making a booming sound with her mouth. "Pretty self explanatory. Looks freaking awesome though, and it packs a punch! Or…it did I guess." She scratched the back of her head in thought. "We have to find it first. Hey, didn't Greg pack away a bunch of Rose's stuff after Steven was born?"

Peridot snorted, crossing her arms. "You really think Rose trusted Greg with the Light Cannon? No offense, Steven, but your father isn't really suited to handling anything gem related."

"It might be worth asking at least, right?" Steven suggested. "We need a way back into the lower levels." And while they were out…maybe he could show Connie a little bit more of Beach City.

"Lacking any better alternative," Peridot groaned. "Then yes. I suppose we should go see Greg."

Steven shot his hands up in the air with a cheer. "Mission time! Come on, Connie, I'll show you the car wash my dad owns!"

Connie's eyes widened, and she pointed to herself. "You want…me to come along?"

"Well…yeah," He shrugged. "Didn't you come over so we could hang out?"

"Yes, but isn't this gem stuff?" She asked nervously. "Should I really be around for this?"

"Why not? We're only going to see if my dad knows about mom's cannon thing."

"I guess that's not so bad," Connie frowned. "I had to convince my mom to let me even come in the first place."

Another bubble appeared, though by now it didn't do much more than get them to blink. "If we're going to go, we need to go now," Peridot said, already heading for the door. "Preferably before the Temple gets flooded with bubbles."

"This is going to be great!" Steven grinned as they followed her out the door. "We get to go out into town and do gem stuff!" And he had been worried Connie might get bored when she came to visit.

"It does sound exciting," Connie said, beginning to smile. "Is this how your life is every day?"

"The bubbles appearing out of nowhere, no," Steven said. "Weird magic stuff is sort of the norm, though."

Her smile widened. "I think I'm really starting to like Beach City."

"Nearly there," Jasper grunted, smacking a frond out of her face. She hated going through jungles. The mugginess wasn't an issue for gems, but it was just so cramped. Everywhere she turned, a vine or leaf, or one of a million disgusting insects and other creatures bumped into, crawled over, or otherwise slowed her down.

Lapis, for her part, never seemed to mind. Being able to fly over the treetops whenever she likes probably helps. "I'm surprised we never picked up the energy signature before," Lapis remarked, skipping past her with a smile. Jasper almost raised an eyebrow. She seems…brighter than usual. It was nice seeing her like that.

It was getting far too rare lately.

"It's a small battery in a ruined Homeworld ship," Jasper pointed out, choosing not to dwell on unpleasant thoughts. "I doubt it's managing to power any of the major systems, but it needs to be shut down. It could attract Corrupted Gems."

"Then we'll take care of it," Lapis shrugged. Thunder cracked above their heads, and seconds later she heard the sound of raindrops pattering on the leaves above them. Lapis cracked a grin, looking up between the leaves. "This planet," She said, shaking her head with a laugh. "Doesn't matter how many years go by, it always manages to surprise me."

Jasper allowed herself a small smile. "You're starting to sound like Rose now."

"Must come with being the leader," Lapis's grin widened.

"Something's made you happy," Jasper remarked, unable to keep herself from blurting it out. "Are you alright?"

Lapis crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You notice I'm happy, and the first thing you ask is if something is wrong?" She teased playfully. "I'm not sure whether I should be offended or not. You know I can be happy just for the sake of being happy, right?"

Jasper immediately reddened. "I only meant-"

"I know what you meant," Lapis said, laughing as she turned back around, following the path. "And to answer your question, no, nothing's wrong. In fact, I'm feeling a lot better lately." She paused. "I spoke with Steven while we were out in town. About a lot of stuff, but mostly about Malachite."

Jasper's eyes widened, but Lapis continued. "Not about what happened…later. Only the beginning. He still wants to meet her someday, but he doesn't understand." Lapis laced her hands behind her back, humming cheerfully. "But I realized he doesn't need to. Ever since the mess with the Heaven Beetle, I was driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to explain everything to him, to make sure he understood everything, I didn't think for a second that I didn't need to. He's a kid, Jasper, and I'm still figuring out the whole leader thing myself. Who cares if he has the wrong idea about Malachite? Let him have fun for a little while. He knows something at least, and that's good enough. Besides…it was nice, remembering those early years. I forgot we had some good times back then."

"We did," She agreed stiffly. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.

She could handle being apart. She didn't like it. A part of her always felt empty, longing to be together again. A part of her felt wrong, like she was never enough, but she had grown used to the separation over the millennia. She told herself it was for Lapis's sake, and that had always been enough. She knew how much Malachite hurt Lapis, and no matter what she wanted, she wouldn't subject Lapis to that again.

But times like these…when Lapis wasn't holding herself down, when she was smiling, when she was happy, and not just for the sake of it, but when she admitted she didn't hate it all. That there was a time when they were together, when they were happy…

It made her hopeful. A useless, impossible hope she knew would never come to anything. And that's what made her bitter.

She bumped into something suddenly, and stepped back in surprise. Lapis had come to a stop, turning around and looking at her in concern. "Now I'm worried about you," She said with a frown. "Jasper? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She insisted.

Lapis looked skeptical. "You don't sound like it. I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

A part of her wanted to snap back at her, to air out all of her grievances. To let her know how she truly felt. She could feel her anger boiling, coming to a head…

…and she breathed, letting it out. What was she getting angry for? This wasn't anything new. Not anything she hadn't already been dealing with for millenia. Lapis was happy, genuinely happy, who was she to ruin that for her?

She managed a weak smile. "No, you didn't. I'm fine. Now come on, that battery isn't going to shut itself down."

Lapis spared her one final doubting look, but accepted her words with a shrug and turned back around, leading them onwards to the Homeworld ship.

She knew she could be angry sometimes. More upset than maybe she should be. She knew she spent too much time mourning what they'd had…

But not always. Sometimes, Lapis was right. They could just be happy for the sake of it.

Today is a good day, she decided then and there. She didn't care about yesterday, or tomorrow, or anything else. Today was going to be a good day, and that was that.

Jasper followed Lapis with a smile. Even if it weren't how she would have liked…it was nice to have this time together.

Mr. Universe lifted the door to the storage unit with a groan, and a small pile of mismatched junk came tumbling out. Connie stepped back with a frown. Must have been piled against the door…

"This is where I keep all of your mom's old stuff," Mr. Universe said to Steven. "If I have that cannon of hers, it's gonna be in here."

"How exactly are we supposed to find it?" She asked, kicking a baseball helmet that had rolled in front of her. How much stuff does Steven's dad have?

"Simple," Peridot said. "You and Steven are still in the human's developing stages. Your smaller height should grant you access to the inner depths of Greg's garbage heap."

"Storage unit," Mr. Universe corrected.

"Yes, that's what I said," Peridot waved him off lazily. "Spinel can help you. You'll need some way to get the cannon out anyways."

"Um…aren't you coming too?" Steven asked. "We're all sort of the same size."

Peridot's eye twitched in irritation. "I am not small," She denied vehemently. "I am efficiently compact."

"And wouldn't it be efficient to have more of us searching?" Connie asked. "You mentioned we have to go fast, right?" Since leaving the Temple, the bubbles had been appearing with less and less frequency, and each time Peridot tapped them and made them disappear again, presumably sending them back to the Temple. The problem was, none of them were sure whether it was a good or a bad thing that they were slowing down.

"And step foot in that deathtrap?" She glanced in horror towards the storage unit. "Absolutely not!"

"But we-"

"Steven has a bubble," Peridot said dismissively. "You'll be fine. Now hurry up, we don't have all day!"

"Just go with it," Mr. Universe sighed. "Arguing with Peridot's impossible. Believe me, been there, done that. Besides, she's exaggerating. Worst you've got to fear is stubbing your toe. It's not like I keep anything dangerous in there."

"You mean aside from the cannon?" Connie remarked.

Mr. Universe chuckled nervously. "Right. Aside from that."

"It'll be alright," Steven reassured her with a smile. "Peridot's right, I have my bubble if something does fall on us. And I'm getting way better at using it too, so we won't get stuck again! Er…probably."

Connie giggled. "Okay, okay," She conceded, following Steven and getting down on her hands and knees. They were going to have to crawl if they were going to even get inside the storage unit. "Let's go find a magic space cannon."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Connie was reminded of just how crazy her life had gotten since meeting Steven. And not for the first time, either. She had only seen such a small part of his life, and of the gems, and already it was the most excitement she'd had in her entire life.

Mom would kill me if she knew what I was doing. And she wasn't even doing anything dangerous! What kind of things did Steven deal with for a magic cannon to be considered normal? She wanted to know so badly. She wanted to know everything about her new friend, her only friend. There were so many questions she had to ask him…but he'd probably find them boring.

What was his favorite tv show? What did he do for fun? Did he read? What kind of books did he like? What was the best food in town? The best place to have fun in town?

Boring questions. Human questions. Why would he care about stuff like that when his entire world was filled with magic, and gems, and saving the world? He and the gems were practically superheroes! Did he even have time for stuff like that?

The rational part of her told her that of course he did. Despite it all, he still seemed like a normal kid. He was by far the happiest person she'd ever met, always smiling and looking to have fun. Of course he probably played video games, and watched tv, and did everything else normal kids did.

The louder, less reasonable part of her brain didn't care about any of that. It was stuck in emergency fallback mode, begging her not to screw up her only friendship by asking the wrong question.

The sound of glass falling to the floor and cracking whipped her out of her thoughts. "Ah!" Steven exclaimed.

"Hey! Is everything okay in there?" Mr. Universe called back from the entrance.

"Yeah!" Steven called back. "But I think I broke one of your pictures."

She heard a laugh echo from the path they crawled through. "That's alright, buddy. If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs!"

In the dark of the storage unit, something pink began to glow not far from them. "Steven, look!" Connie pointed towards the glow, adjusting her glasses. Stupid nearsightedness…

"Huh? Oh! Dad, we found it! We found the cannon!" Steven cheered.

"Hang on a sec!" Spinel shouted from somewhere deeper in the pile of junk. "Gotta squeeze my way through. I'll be right there!"

She and Steven shuffled closer to the cannon, and her eyes widened in awe. "It looks so beautiful," She remarked. "I know it's a weapon, but…"

"That's my mom for you," Steven shrugged. "Everyone always says everything she did was beautiful. Guess that goes for cannons too."

Her eyes drifted down to the cracked picture frame on the floor behind them. The picture showed Mr. Universe and another woman with huge, pink hair. Connie frowned. "Hey, Steven…is that…?"

"My mom?" He finished for her. "Yeah, I guess. She looks just like her other painting at the Beach House, and the mural in the base."

"What's her name?" She blurted before she could stop herself.

He looked up at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"Your mom," Connie said, wincing. I should have just kept my mouth shut. "I know she was a gem, but you guys never mentioned her name to me."

"Oh." Steven chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm just…used to everyone already knowing who my mom is." He looked down at the picture, his smile falling a little. "Everyone already knowing her. What she looked like, what her voice sounded like, the things she liked and the things she didn't. I know they don't mean to, but sometimes when they talk about her, they forget I don't really know her. They talk like I already know everything about her, and know all of their inside jokes, and what she was like…" He sighed. "Sorry. But it's nice having somebody to talk to that doesn't know either."

They sat there quietly for a moment, listening to Spinel crawl towards them, grunting all the while. A few seconds later, Steven laughed. "Rose!"

"Hm?"

"My mom's name!" He giggled. "I forgot to tell you. It's Rose Quartz."

"Rose Quartz," Connie echoed, trying it out on her tongue. She smiled. "That's a pretty cool name."

Steven smiled back at her, and they sat there again in silence. She almost felt like one of them was about to say something, when Spinel's head poked in…only her head. Her neck was extended back the way they had come. "So where's the cannon?" Connie raised a finger to point it out, but Spinel had already picked it out.

"Sweet!" Spinel held out both of her hands. "Now come on, I gotta pull you out before I get to the cannon." She and Steven each took one of her hands, and a moment later she felt herself pulled as Spinel's head and arms snapped back to her body, taking them along with her.

In seconds they were out of the storage unit, and back outside with Mr. Universe and Peridot. "You…actually found it?" Peridot asked skeptically. "Here?"

"Giant pink cannon that glows?" Steven asked. "Yeah, it's in there." He frowned. "Only, I'm not sure how we're gonna get it out."

"Easy peasy!" Spinel clapped her hands together, then giggled. "Gonna need an anchor, though…" She hummed in thought, then gasped in delight. She cracked her knuckles, and then she began to stretch.

Her torso wrapped around the body of Mr. Universe's van twice, before extending further back into the storage unit. "Start the car and get ready to fly!" She called out as she vanished back under the pile of junk.

Mr. Universe quickly hopped in the van, and a moment later Spinel's arm came back out, holding up an okay symbol before disappearing again. The van started, and slowly but surely pulled forward.

The mountain of junk inside the storage unit began to shake, and Peridot tilted her head. "Perhaps we should be a little cautious…" She took a step back.

All at once, the pile came tumbling down as Spinel came free, the other half of her body wrapped around the cannon. The van shot forward a few feet before once again slowing down as the cannon dragged against the ground.

Spinel unwrapped herself from around the van and the cannon, and wiped her brow. "Well! That was…messy."

Mr. Universe poked his head out of the van with a frown. "We have to get this all the way to the Temple?"

"No, we have to get it to the Temple, inside the Beach House, on the Warp Pad, and then down into a cave," Peridot corrected.

Mr. Universe cleared his throat. "I, uh…don't really think my van will be able to manage all that."

Peridot sighed. "No matter. I was prepared for such an eventuality." She took a deep breath. "Spinel?"

Spinel's eyes lit up in excitement. "You mean…?"

"I don't see an alternative," Peridot grumbled, crossing her arms. "Very well. Let's form Ceylonite." There was that name again. Steven had said Ceylonite was another fusion, but she didn't know what that was in the first place.

Spinel pumped her fist. "Yes!"

Steven smiled giddily for a moment, before quickly turning to a worried expression. "Do you…not like fusing, Peridot?"

"Hm?" Her eyes widened. "Oh, stars no, it isn't like…fusing is a mutually complementary process, both efficient and…enjoyable. It isn't anything like, well…" She cleared her throat. "I enjoy fusing, Steven. It's just that Ceylonite in particular is somewhat…" She sighed. "Embarassing."

Spinel rolled her eyes and stuck out a tongue. "She's been dramatic," She downplayed. "She's just jealous cause Ceylonite actually knows how to crack a joke."

"I know perfectly well how to elicit a laughter response!" Peridot insisted hotly. "I know both why the chicken crossed the road, and which came first between said chicken and the egg!"

Spinel crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So which is it then?"

"The egg, obviously," Peridot scoffed confidently.

"So who laid the egg?" Spinel teased.

"The chicken," Peridot answered without thinking. Her words caught up to her a second later, along with a frown. "But…wait…if the chicken came from the egg…" She placed a hand under her chin. "Hm. This requires further research."

Spinel giggled. "See?"

"This proves nothing!" Peridot argued. "Whether or not Ceylonite has a better understanding of nonsensical humor was never a factor in this conversation!" Peridot shook her head. "Ceylonite has a tendency to get…carried away."

Steven's brow furrowed. "You guys said Malachite gets carried away too."

"No no, not like that!" Peridot quickly waved her hands back and forth. "She just…argh, you'll understand. Spinel and I can't carry the cannon through the base on our own, so we need her help anyways."

She shared a look with Spinel, and the two of them nodded, then began to…dance? Why were they dancing? "Um…Steven-"

"Just watch," He whispered. "You'll get it."

The two gems circled each other, their dances slowly moving towards one another. Spinel was bouncing and spinning around, humming to herself as she whirled about with her eyes shut effortlessly. It was wild, but also not without rhythm. In fact, it almost looked to Connie like…ballet? Weird, interpretive ballet, with quite a few liberties taken, but at the heart of her dance she could see something that wouldn't look out of place at a theatre.

Peridot's dance in contrast was much simpler, a basic routine that wasn't much more than Peridot simply doing the twist as she neared Spinel. Despite that, Peridot seemed to actually be enjoying herself quite a lot.

The two came together, with Spinel grabbing hold of Peridot's hands and spinning them both around again and again until a bright white light began to glow from them both.

Connie winced, taking off her glasses and looking away, and when she turned back she was left speechless.

Where Peridot and Spinel had been only seconds ago, a new, single gem stood in their place.

Her skin was a misty gray, and her hair was a dark magenta, done up in a ponytail. She rose to her feet and stretched, and Connie's eyes widened further when she realized the gem had four arms. "That's the stuff," The new gem groaned, then grinned. "Steven!" She cheered, bending down to look him in the eye. "Oh, I've been waiting to meet you for forever! And Connie!" The gem turned to her suddenly, and Connie blinked in surprise. "You make such a sweet little friend for Steven! Of course, he's friends with everyone, they aren't really…friends, you know? They're aren't very many people around his age in Beach City, so he's really only had Spinel most of the time…and now you!"

Before Connie had a chance to process what was happening, the new gem gasped, then held a hand over her mouth. "I'm doing this completely out of order! Stars, I had an entire process ready…" She cleared her throat, then stood back up. "My name is Ceylonite," She introduced with a bow. "Pleased to meet'cha!"

Connie took off her glasses, cleaned them, placed them back on her face and blinked. "Steven," She said calmly. "What just happened?"

He shrugged. "Gem stuff. Gems can fuse to become a new gem, which is sort of like the original gems that make them, but also something new. This is Ceylonite, apparently."

"And do they…always have four arms?"

"I think they said it depends," Steven said.

"Well, if you guys got everything you need, I think that's about all I can do," Mr. Universe cut in, walking towards the storage unit with a frown. "I've got a lot of cleaning up to do."

"Right," Ceylonite said, stooping down to pick up the light cannon. She held it against her shoulder seemingly without any effort. "Who's ready to go on an adventure?"

"Yes!" Steven cheered. "Back to the base!"

Connie's eyes widened. "Wait, what? I thought I was just helping get the cannon."

"Oh, it'll be super safe!" Steven promised. "We have the cannon and Ceylonite, after all. And if something does happen, I can always just bubble us."

"Hm…I guess the last time we were bubbled it was pretty sturdy," Connie relented. "Really, really sturdy. But won't I get in the way?"

"Please," Ceylonite snorted. "I can keep two humans safe. Besides, I thought you two were supposed to engage in recreational activities today?"

"Yeah, but…" Connie shook her head, taking a deep breath. "You know what? You're right. I was supposed to have fun with Steven today. And…and I guess if it isn't too dangerous…" She swallowed nervously. "I'd…kind of like to see what Steven does on your missions."

"Excellent!" Ceylonite's lower pair of arms clapped their hands. "We'll have to leave a note for Lapis and Jasper, of course. I'm sure they'll overreact when they see the Beach House filled up with weird bubbles and all of us missing…but this shouldn't take more than an hour to get to the bottom of all this. Let's go! We've got a mystery to solve!"

She and Steven followed the fusion, and she felt her heartbeat begin to pick up in excitement. We're doing this, she thought to herself. We're actually doing this. She was going on a mission with Steven!

A part of her was scared, yes, but a larger part of her was excited. What was it like? What would they find? If Ceylonite and Steven said it was safe, it probably would be…but what were they expecting if they thought they might need to fuse to deal with it like they mentioned earlier?

She didn't know…but right then, she didn't want anything more in the world than to find out for herself.

Connie's back! I'm glad to use her again finally, though it was a little tricky trying to figure out when to bring her in. After all, this is still early Connie, before she knows much about the gems, and she's still the nervous, shy girl from the beginning with strict parents.

Ceylonite was a lot of fun, and we'll see a bit more of her in the next chapter. As an aside, she solved a VERY nice problem for me which I'll talk about more later, but I was glad I managed it.

It's really, really late for me, so if anyone has any questions or theories, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to answer/go more in depth later (without going into spoilers of course). I hope everyone's enjoying the story!