"Lapis now!" Garnet shouts. Lapis yells as she summons ocean arms to grab a big bulky sand gem that Garnet pushed back. Two corrupted gem creatures appeared on the the borders of Beach City and the gems split up into two teams to bubble them. Garnet and Lapis being a team.
"I got it!" Lapis confirmed.
"Steady, now!" Garnet jumps onto to it to punch it. However, the creature gets her away by lifting thick needles from it's body. "I can't get a good hit in!" The monster roars and shoots the needles at Garnet while Lapis held it in place by the arms. Garnet would dodge some but hit most of the needles into disintegration. But one gets passed her and stabs her leg. "Argh!" She kneels with a foot of the needle sticking out of her leg.
"Garnet!" Lapis lets go in concern causing the moster to run away.
"Don't let it get away!" She commands.
"Okay!" Lapis raises a sharp water spear from the ocean and aims it directly at the running creature. She launches it with a roar and it pierces right through the monster. "Yes!" Lapis jumps with delight.
"Great job." Garnet tells her. "Wait.." She notices that the spear hit its gem. It was starting to shatter. "No! Save it quick!" She tried standing but fell on her behind from the incapacitated leg. The monster's gem cracks then falls apart.
"Oh, no.." Lapis falls to her knees. The remains of the gem fall and blow away into dust. "Damn.. Dammit.." She bangs her fists to the sand.
"Lapis!" Garnet called to her sternly which sent a shock to Lapis' gut. She slowly turned to the fusion. "We do not shatter gems!"
"I-I-I know! I'm sorry!" Lapis was on her all fours in defeat. "I really didn't want to! I couldn't control it!"
"Then GET control of it." She gritted her teeth as she glared. Lapis sighs shakily.
"Garnet!" Pearl landed near the two with Steven and Amethyst following. "We bubbled our mons- GAH!" She jumped at the sight of Garnet's leg.
"What happened?" Steven gasped. "Garnet!"
"Ouch.." Amethyst cringed. Lapis sat on her knees and looked at the others with a saddened stare.
"I'm fine." Garnet assured. "Can you heal me, Steven?"
"Yes!" Steven kneels to her and touches her leg. The needle nearly stabbed through her entire leg. "I have to get it out.." He looked at her.
"I understand." Garnet focused away from the wound. Steven grabbed it and quickly pulled it out. She winces in pain and breaths heavily.
"Give me your hands." Steven takes her hands and kisses both the gems on her palms. He softly closes her hands together and holds them to his head. The wound starts to glow and close slowly.
"Thank you, Steven." Garnet smiles and holds his shoulder.
"Got it down." Amethyst praises him with a bop to the arm.
"Thanks for counting on me." Steven smiles as he and Garnet stand up. Pearl sighs in relief.
"Did you two bubble the monster?" She asks. Steven looks at Lapis who notices and turns away in shame.
"..." Garnet doesn't look at Lapis. "Yes." She says.
"Good. Mission accomplished." Pearl says proudly.
"Yes." Garnet agrees.
"What's wrong with Lapis?" Steven asks worried.
"She just feels bad for my injury. Let's go home, team." Garnet leaps away.
"Victory nap!" Amethyst cheers and follows.
"Come now, Steven!" Pearl intructs as she joins. Steven stays and looks at Lapis.
"It's all okay now, Lapis. We all make mistakes." Steven advises. "Garnet won't be mad for an injury." Lapis stands and extracts her wings.
"What I did is not okay.." She flies away to the barn and Steven watches uneasily.
Steven arrives at the barn and sees Peridot sitting at the entrace with her knees against her chest. She had her mouth behind her knees and looked upset or at least frustrated as she focused toward the silo.
"Steven.." She raises her head. "Hey." She lowers her jaw behind her knees again and continues to look at the silo.
"Hey, Perry." Steven sits next to her. Peridot rests her head against his arm. "You worried about Lapis?" He looked at the silo and saw the blue gem sitting powerlessly atop it.
"She won't even talk to me." Peridot buries her face in his arm. "Can you try talking to her?" She asks muffled.
"Yeah." Steven pets her head with a smile. This makes her purr in delight and nessle up against him with her cat lips.
"Heehee.." She chuckles and grabs his hand. She holds it close. "I'm not even to your shoulders anymore.. My favorite shorty squad member can't even be part of the squad."
"Age does that do humans." Steven stands up and helps Peridot stand as well.
"But not even three years ago, you were about my height! Now you're as tall as Pearl and leaving the shorty squad behind." She crosses her arms. "What happened?"
"Puberty, I guess." He grins.
"Puberty?"
"I'll teach you about it someday. Maybe.." He turns toward the silo. "Wish me luck." Peridot watched him walk away and sighs.
"Stupid! Stupid!" Lapis quietly scolded with fists to her head. "You monster.."
"Lapis." Steven stood atop the silo behind her. He notices the tears in eyes before she turns away.
"Steven.. Get away from me.. Before I shatter you too." The truth that Garnet tried to keep hit steve
"You.. shattered?.." He muttered.
"I know! I know we're not supposed to!" She yelled and grabbed her arms. "But I just couldn't control it! Especially when I saw Garnet get hurt like that.." Steven saw her shaking. "Just.. get away from me.." A long silence between the two is broken when Lapis sees Steven's legs around her. "H-Hey.." She feels his body press up against her's as he hugs her from behind. "What are you doing?.. This is embarrassing.." She blushes.
"Pearl always feels better whenever I hold her like this." He rests his chin on her shoulder. "You're my best friend, Lapis. I can't stay away from you even if you tell me to." Lapis giggles.
"Screw yoouu.." She starts to laugh as tears fall from her eyes. "I'm so glad I have you.." She kisses his hand.
"My Lapis.." He tightens his hug which makes Lapis shiver with joy.
"Stop!" She laughs. "You're gonna make the others jealous.." Steven smiled at her.
"Well how about this, let's go on a buddy trip." He moves his head to look at her.
"Like, away?" Lapis asks him.
"What do you say?"
"Hmm... Okay!" They both stand. "I know you just want an excuse to be alone with me, but I'll humor you." She teases then spawns her wings.
"Whoa, whoa." He holds his hand up for a moment. "I have a better idea. Wait here for a bit? It'll be a surprise."
"Oh,.. okay." She puts her wings away and Steven floats off. Lapis watched him soar off with a smile and a blush.
"Hey, Lapis, do you feel better?!" Peridot yells from the bottom of the silo. It makes Lapis' eye twitch.
"Yeah!" She yells back. She looks back to Steven's direction and he was gone already.
"Okay!" Lapis cringes at her friends yell.
"Dad!" Steven gets Greg's attention while he washes a car.
"Hey, Stu-Brain, what's up?" He shuts off the hose.
"Can I borrow your car and a thousand dollars?" He smiles cutely.
"What in the world for?!"
"Lapis is really bummed out. So I really wanna go on a buddy trip with her to get her mind away and make her happy."
"Uhh.." Greg scratched his head.
"Please, dad. I want her to be happy." Steven pleaded.
"Well the money isn't a problem, it's just... mm.." Greg looked at his little car. "Well.. I guess you are seventeen now, I taught you how to drive, and I'm pretty sure you can handle yourself." Steven gasped with happiness. "I'm trusting you, kiddo." Greg reaches in his pocket and gives the keys to his son. "Go make a woman happy."
"Thanks dad!" Steven hugs him and runs to the car. He enters and rolls the window down. "I promise, everything will be fine!" He drives away and Greg waves him off.
"Oh, man, I hope I didn't make a mistake.." Greg whispers to himself.
"Okay, Lapis.. I'm coming." Steven drives to the barn and arrives in a matter of ten minutes. He parks next to the silo and gets out of the car. Lapis floats down, staring at the vehicle.
"A car." She acknowledges as she lands and walks to Steven. "Wait.. Are we gonna drive in it?!" She asks with starry eyes.
"That's the plan." Steven gives a toothy smile.
"I've never ridden in a car before.. Let's go!" She jumps into the passanger seat by the open window. Steven joins in the driver seat. "The chairs are comfy."
"Safety first." Steven gestures as he buckles his safety belt.
"Oh..." Lapis buckles her's and Steven drives to the front of the barn.
"Peridot!" Steven calls out.
"What's all that racket?!" Peridot walks out. "Hey! A human vehicle!" She runs up to driver window. "Are you two going somewhere? Why don't you warp or fly?"
"We want something a bit more road-trippy." Steven tells her. "We're gonna be back by tomorrow, okay?"
"By yourselves? I wanna come.." She frowns.
"Sorry. This is a buddy trip." Lapis says as she looks at Steven.
"... Okaayyy." Peridot accepts reluctantly.
"Watch your feet." Steven adds. Peridot mumbled and backed away. "See you tomorrow!"
"Bye!" Lapis waved and the truck drove away. Peridot is left alone with a wave.
"I wanna be alone with Steven.. Lucky." She walks into the barn.
"Hehe!" Lapis giggles. "It feels like flying but it doesn't.. And it's really slow."
"Yup. I wanted to do this human style." Steven smiled. "I wanna go to the temple first, to tell everyone so they don't get worried."
".. Okay." Lapis said still scared of Garnet.
"Don't worry. Garnet will be happy to see us trying to stay happy." Lapis smiled at this but was still anxious. Steven parks the car near the stairs of the temple. "I'm gonna go get them." He exited the car and left Lapis alone with her thoughts. She sighs and leans against the window. She didn't really know how Garnet would react to the situation. She told her to get her powers under control. Will this really help? "Lapis!"
"Ah! Huh?" She snaps out of her trance. Steven enters the car and lowers the passanger window for the three gems to speak with them. It made Lapis blush seeing Garnet again.
"Be careful, Steven! Don't come back too late!" Pearl parented with tears in her eyes.
"Bring me back something." Amethyst smiled.
"And try to get different rooms for each other!" Pearl added.
"Don't worry, guys." Steven guaranteed. "Garnet?" He looked at her for a response.
"If there are any corrupted gems, try to bubble them. But if you don't think you can handle it, gives us a call." She looks at Lapis who freezes. "This trip will help. Just relax and have fun. Relaxation is the first thing you need." Lapis blushed. "Have fun, you two."
"Yes!" Lapis pumped her fist in agreement. Steven chuckles.
"See you guys tomorrow!" They drive off. The gems wave them off.
"My baby's gone. I wanted to go.." Pearl said.
"They're gonna be fused by the time they get back." Amethyst whispered to Pearl.
"He hasn't even fused with me!" Pearl blushes.
"He still fused with me first, though." The purple gem walks away with gall. Pearl scoffs. Garnet watches them drive off and smiles before walking to the temple.
"And we're on the road!" Steven announces as they enter a freeway with few tropical trees on the left and the ocean to the right. Lapis sticks her head out of the window and laughs as the high wind hits her face.
"Now we're going pretty fast." Steven looks at her and laughs when he notices the bugs in her hair. He wipes them off.
"You can't go fast in a car without some tunes!" Steven puts a CD inside the player. A song starts with a simple drum beat. A distorted guitar chord progression joins in and Steven starts bobbing his head to the beat.
"Whoa, what's this?" Lapis asks as she enjoys the beat.
"Living!.. after midnight!" Steven sings along to it. Lapis giggles. "Rockin'!.. to the dawn!"
"You're such a dweeb!" She lightly pushes him as she laughs.
"Do you think Steven and Lapis will be okay?" Pearl asks Garnet as they sit in Steven's kitchen.
"Yes." Garnet readjusted her glasses. "If there is something that Steven has proven, is that he can make any of us happy in a unique way to ourselves. They'll be back tomorrow closer and happier than ever." Pearl giggles.
"Our little Steven is pretty amazing. He'd better come back. I can't spend too much time away from my baby." She holds her hands together.
"Pearl.. it's getting a little creppy."
After a few hours of goofing around on the road, the duo finally reach their destination."Here we are. Empire City." Steven introduces as they pass bright lights and digital bill boards.
"Oh, yeah. I remember this place." Lapis reminisces. "What are we gonna do here?"
[chapter featured lyrics by Judas Priest]