Looking for a beta for this story. PM if interested.

Lapis Lazuli sat back against the roof of the barn silo, looking out at the countryside. Steven had said autumn was coming, and they were correct; the trees that stretched out for miles were painted with beautiful reds, greens and golds. It was almost unrecognizable to the view the ocean Gem had seen when they arrived.

Earth was indeed always changing. It was a pleasant thought for Lapis, who sank back and let their eyes droop, at one with the peaceful atmosphere for once in their existence.

"Hey, Lazuli! Hey Lazuli! Lazuli!"

The Gem's eyes shot open. Through all of this change, one person always seemed to remain constantly irritating: Peridot.

"Lazuli! Hey, hey, Lazuli!"

With a heavy sigh, Lapis decided to see what the green Gem wanted, if only to make them stop shouting. They stood up and gently glided to the floor, where Peridot instantly shoved something in their face.

"Look, Lazuli! Isn't it cool?"

Lapis peered down at the green Gem's latest contraption. "It's… a small warp pad model."

"A model?" Peridot laughed. "No, Lazuli. This isn't a model, this is the real deal! A portable warp pad!"

"Really?" The Gem raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, it is just a prototype at the moment, but it looks promising. I've been trying to replicate Homeworld's technology, but it's been such a long time…"

"Good for you, then." Lapis spread their wings. "Good luck remembering-"

"Wait!" Peridot blushed. "I was… just wondering if you wanted to test it?"

"I am not your guinea pig."

"That's not what I meant! Nyeh, I was trying to say, you know, we could set it to Beach City and go visit Steven, or something else. That's what friends do… right?"

Lapis opened their mouth to deliver a harsh statement, thought better of it, then said something else. "Fine. As long as it works properly."

Peridot set it down on the floor. "Don't worry, Lazuli. So we just stand in it and… yeah, that's it! See?"

"It's a little small." Lapis reluctantly shuffled their feet. They felt Peridot brush right up against their back.

"Yeah. It needed to be portable more than it needed size." They hesitated. "So, now you use it like a normal warp pad; you think of where you want to go, and then you go there! Though, nyeh, you already knew that."

Lapis' eyes narrowed. I wish I could be anywhere but here, they thought. Almost immediately they realized that thought was a mistake; the warp pad began to shake as it lit up. A spark came off the side, and before either of them could hop off they were engulfed in an explosion. The ocean Gem briefly felt themselves flying in the air before they smacked face-first into a tree trunk. They then peeled off and landed on the ground, dazed.

After a second Lapis quickly sat up. "Peridot." They wheeled around and gaped at the smoking explosion. "Peridot!"

"Over here!" Peridot's voice came from just behind the explosion site. Lapis flew over to them and helped them up. "Thanks, Lazuli."

"Are you okay?"

The green Gem shook themselves. "I'm fine. It appears my warp pad was a complete failure, though."

Lapis felt a twinge of guilt. "Don't worry about it. Let's get back to the…" They trailed off as they looked around what appeared to be a forest, in the middle of autumn.

"Hmm," Peridot looked around. "Well, we're somewhere on Earth at least. Lazuli, maybe you should fly up and see if you recognize anything."

The ocean Gem spread their wings and quickly rose far above the trees, looking around for any familiar landmarks. What was immediately apparent was a large city not a long way from where they landed, with a desert bordering the far side and a couple large lakes sitting around.

They quickly realized they had never been here before. With a sigh, they descended back down to Earth.

"What'd you see?" Peridot immediately demanded.

"We're not anywhere near the barn, or anywhere else I know." Lapis extended a finger. "There's a human settlement in that direction."

"Let's go, then!" Peridot dashed off, much to Lapis' annoyance.

"Hey, Peridot! Wait for me!" The ocean Gem spread their wings and glided low to the ground, nimbly avoiding the trees. They started searching for their companion, but were quickly alerted by a loud scream. "Peridot!"

Lapis found the green Gem standing in the bushes by the very outskirts of the city, staring right at it with a horror-stricken expression. "I've done it." They quietly spoke to nobody in particular. "I built the warp pad. This is all my fault. I've done it."

"Done what? Peridot!"

Peridot dramatically sank down to their knees, and wailed, "I turned the entire human population into assorted household objects!"