Day Four: Free Day (The New Crystal Gems: Rebooted)

"Quickly Lapis! Everything must be perfect or when they arrive!"

The green gem shouted from the top floor of the barn as Lapis did little more than sweep the ground floor of the barn with a bored looking expression on her face. There were still piles of junk lying around everywhere but there were a couple new meep-morps decorating the ground floor. One being a singular snowball encased in a standard looking cooler that was rigged with some sort of device that is designed to keep the temperature in the cooler down to freezing to keep the snowball from melting. The second being a highly detailed water color portrait of a dream Lapis had a few night ago. It appears to be Peridot and Lapis but more humanized.

Peridot asked her what the painting was, but Lapis said it was just something she saw and left it at that. It replaced the portrait of Greg's Aunt and Uncle hanging in the back.

"Everything is going to be fine, Peridot. It's just Steven and Connie."

Metal clanging rings through the barn. Lapis looks up to see Peridot dangling from the edge eventually letting go and allowing her butt to hit the floor with a hard 'thud'.

"Lapis! We are not just showing off our home. This exercise is essential to the very fabric of our team! If we are ever to rise to a level equal to that of The Crystal Gems then we need exercises like this to increase our bond with each other- like all of those rituals Steven and the rest of them perform."

Lapis lets go of the broom in her hands and lets it fall to the floor. She then kicks it to a random pile where it blended in seamlessly.

"I don't really see why we need to be at their level. I feel like the level we are at now is just fine."

Lapis crossed her arms.

"I like being a crystal temp, even if I am not entirely sure what that means."

"Lapis."

Peridot clasps her hands together. Her hands forming what look to be prayer hands.

"I just want everybody to know that they can count on us if things ever go wrong. Our last meet up as The Crystal Temps was only a moderate success and although we performed admirably near the end I think we could stand to meet up more and get to know each other."

Peridot starts blushing lightly.

"For team dynamics."

Lapis kneels down to match Peridot's level.

"Is this whole thing just a Peridot-way of saying you want us to hang out with Connie more because you really like it when we spend time together?"

Peridot looks away from Lapis' gaze, her face getting a little darker.

"Of course not! This exercise is purely objective. There's not a single droplet of subjective feeling here."

Lapis rubs the top of Peridot's head.

"You're cute whenever you're trying to hide how you really feel."

Peridot makes a bunch of incoherent noises in response.

"You know how I feel about being called that word!"

Lapis Snorts.

"Yeah. But I'm your wife so I am always one rank higher than you."

"That's paradoxical! By that logic I would also be one rank higher than you."

"Yes, except for one fact."

Peridot eyed her quizzically. Lapis leans in really close to the green gem's face.

"I brought it up first which means it only applies to me."

Peridot screams in frustration but is quickly smothered by Lapis bringing her into a hug against her will. The soft, reaffirming contact causes her to settle down quickly before reciprocating Lapis' hug with a hug of her own.

"I don't know what I am going to do with you, Lazuli."

Peridot's grip tightens.

"By the stars I hope it's everything."

Peridot wasn't able to see but Lapis was starry-eyed and teary-eyed.

"I don't deserve you," Lapis said quietly. "But as long as you're willing to stay with me then I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Someone clears their throat causing Peridot and Lapis to key into it immediately.

"Uhhhh, guys. We aren't interrupting anything are we?"

"No Steven. You're fine," Lapis responded to Steven who was side by side with Connie.

"Steven! Now that you are in the company of your three best friends I think it is time that we tune into everybody's favorite televised program," Peridot closes her eyes before reopening them.

"'Camp Pining Hearts!' I'm so excited that we all get to watch it together. This event is unprecedented!"

"You should turn on our wi-fi, Peridot. That way we get all one-hundred-eighty P's." Lapis added mechanically.

Peridot gasps.

"Of course! I'll be right back every one."

Peridot runs outside of the barn and a few short minutes later the sound of a mower fills the country air.

Connie in the meantime pulls out her phone and is sending a message off to Steven.

Haven't they seen that show all the way through 2 dozen times?-Connie

Steven's phone buzzed.

Yeah, but that doesn't seem to matter much. Every time they watch it they treat it like it's the first time. I think it's a gem thing because Amethyst is sort of the same way too.

Connie's phone buzzed.

It's nice to see them so passionate about something- aside from trying to kill you!

Steven checks Connie's next message and nods with a big Steven smile.

So in one quick motion Lapis picked up both Peridot and Connie and blasted the trio up to the second floor of the barn while Steven followed up with one fluid jump. Lapis set the pair down and Peridot ran excited in front of the group and threw her arms out to present the viewing area.

"Ta-da!" The green gem shouted.

It wasn't anything spectacular. It was the T.V. stationed in front of a large square of blankets and pillows and right behind that was the couch that was normally there. Steven and Connie giggled at the display before positioning themselves on the blanketed area. Peridot jumped on to the couch with a little bounce. Peridot politely patted the spot next to her. Lapis gave a sly smile before sauntering over to her designated spot and sitting down gracefully. A head almost immediately plopped down on the blue gem's lap. A mound of yellow hair was threatening her field of vision, but Lapis quickly lopped herself on top of it like a student on a school desk and all was right with the world as the four sat down to enjoy their mutually enjoyed Canadian soap opera.

All was silent for at least an hour as the four friends watched with varying levels of enthusiasm. Connie began squinting at the T.V., looking at it sternly which eventually caught Steven's attention.

"Hey Whatcha looking it."

The infamous Percy/Paulette kissing scene was playing and Connie just kept getting closer and closer to the screen.

"Steven, have you ever noticed that the patterns on Paulette's scarf look an awful lot like Lapis' gem?"

The attention of the two gems in the background was immediately taken away from the T.V. and right on Connie. Peridot shot up from Lapis' lap.

"What are you attempting to infer, Connie?"

"I just mean it's pretty weird. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but its something neat to notice, y-know?" Connie placated.

"Hey! That is pretty cool," Steven added. "And hey, Percy's hat even has yellow diamonds all over it like Peridot's clothes do."

"Yeah they do!"

Peridot gasped in shock.

"Steven. Are you even daring to compare me to that reject of camp hierarchy, Percy?"

"Peridot, calm down. It's just an observation. It's like Connie said- it doesn't matter!"

Connie then stepped in front of Steven.

"Yeah! No one I comparing you to Percy!"

Connie's enthusiasm petered out quickly.

"Then again Percy and Paulette do date for a while on the show, and you two are married. And since Paulette has the scarf with Lapis' gem and Percy has the diamonds and that pendant. Paulette is blue team and Percy is yellow team," Connie pauses.

"You guys are basically…Percy…and Paulette," Connie finished with uncertainty.

Lapis' gaze shifted from her usual casual boredom to stern and serious while Peridot stepped off the couch, fiery and passionate.

"I have been betrayed by a member of my own team. Why would you hurt a member of your own team, Connie?"

Sweat ran down Connie's forehead and her heartbeat started racing a little and she backed away from the green gem.

"I-I-I didn't mea-," Steven cut Connie off by stepping in front of her.

"Guys. I don't know why you are taking this so to heart but you need to stop making Connie feel bad. All she did was point something out she noticed.

"I would shatter before I let myself be compared to Percy."

Peridot added an extra bit of inflection on 'Percy'. The word came out like venom.

"The way I see it there's only one way to settle this," Lapis finally chimes in.

"We should do a tag team fight. Peridot and I versus Connie and yourself. If we win Connie admits she was wrong. If you guys win Peridot will admit she overreacted."

Peridot's gaze was unbroken by Lapis' statement. Steven looked back at Connie who looked unsure then to the married couple.

"Fine. Let's do it."

Steven's normal level of patience had been tested over the past couple of weeks. Even so, if this had just been about him he wouldn't be so testy, but they were attacking Connie.

His Connie.

"Go get your sword! We shall meet in the cornfields for our duel," Peridot exclaimed.

Steven and Connie take the ladder down from the left and exit through the barn curtains.

"Peridot, are you sure about this?"

"Everything is going according to plan."

Peridot gives Lapis a big, goofy smile. Lapis is a rare event meets it with her own big grin.

The two duos meet right in the cornfields on the outskirts of the barn. Connie and Steven looking serious and focused on one side of the encounter with an aloof Lapis and smug Peridot on the other.

"I will give you one last opportunity to admit your wrongdoing by comparing me to that clod Percy, Connie."

Peridot shouts this across the field. No real malice in her voice.

"I'm sorry Peridot, we can't do that," Steven declares back at her.

Steven emphasizes his point by summoning his shield. Connie barrels next to him and brandishes the Rose Quartz sword. Peridot keeps her hands behind her back and Lapis holds hers together behind her hand; both gems are calm, cool, and collected.

Peridot suddenly whips her hand from behind her back and tosses it forward! A couple of cans appear of the nearby corn fields and hurtle towards Steven and Connie at very manageable speeds. With two quick 'dinks' the cans trajectories are halted and Steven dashes forward ever so slightly before stopping and holding his shield atop his head. Connie vaults off of his shield with a practiced precision and leaps into the air. She comes out of her arc with the flat edge of her sword readying to deliver a decisive blow onto Peridot. Connie is stopped long before she makes her mark by a massive water hand pouring out of one of the nearby house scattered throughout the fields. Lapis' hand cupped slightly like the hand grabbing Connie.

A hard splash is heard and the water hand grappling Connie dissipates in an instant letting the young girl fall. Steven does a massive jump and catches Connie right before extending one of his hands and summoning another shield after he threw his in order to deflect more cans being tossed in by Peridot.

Or maybe they were the same cans?

The pair made of a soft landing on to the ground only to notice there was a massive wall of tiny water fists positioned right in front of the blue and green gems. With a coy smile Lapis sent the water fists flying towards Steven and Connie. Instinctually, Steven put up his bubble shield which withheld the water fists with dozens of small, cracking noises as they landed. The bubble shield was holding up strong thus far.

"Steven, I don't know if we can beat them. The crystal gems, your dad, you, Lion, and I were barely able to taken on Lapis by herself when she took the ocean."

Connie then gestures to the pair.

"And now she has Peridot!"

There was a pause.

"Even though she's only been throwing cans so far."

"Connie, it's okay. That fight was different because Lapis was trying to kill us. She's obviously holding back right now because even she knows that Peridot is a little out of line, but they're married and I imagine that idea must be weird to deal with when you're a gem."

Steven's bubble starts cracking a bit from the strain.

"I can't holding this bubble shield much longer but if I am right then we should be able to end this quickly if we fuse."

Steven grabs Connie's shoulders.

"Are you okay to do that right now?"

"Of course."

Peridot reaches up and grabs Lapis' shoulder.

"This should be over soon. You ready to finish this?"

Lapis looks down at her hopeful wife with a staggeringly emotionless face.

"Yeah."

The pink bubble suddenly bursts with a massive light and the gentle rhythm of the water fists hit the bubble is replaced with a much harder noise of the water fists hit something a little more solid. When the light fades we see a tall, statuesque being holding their own moving forward slowly with a sword and shield in hand. Steven and Connie had become their fusion Stevonnie.

Peridot noticeably gulps.

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this."

Peridot pulls out a controller and quickly starts moving around the joysticks which cause a homemade drone to appear from beyond the fields. The sleek green orb starts flanking behind Stevonnie.

"Gotcha," Peridot screams.

The green orb starts shooting small energy busts with a bunch of Satisfying pews. A couple of these blasts manage to hit Stevonnie, but quickly alerting them to the drone's presence. With a graceful swipe of their shield, Stevonnie was able to send a mess of water fists flying outwards. Most of these just flew off nowhere but a select few manage to hit the drone in rapid succession leading to its untimely demise. Stevonnie then hastily made up the difference between her and Lapis with a dash putting them right in front of Lapis' face.

Lapis' eyes widened at the sight of this up until she was bashed by Stevonnie's summoned shield into her green gem wife sending them both collapsing on the ground. Stevonnie pointed their sword at the gems in question before bring back into the sword's scabbard and quickly defuse into a smug Steven and Confident Connie.

"Looks like someone's feeling a little watered down after this fight," Steven quipped.

"And her partner just didn't have the metal to match us," Connie added on.

Steven and Connie looked at each other seriously before immediately bursting into laughter. Each child offered a hand down to the gems. They were only stunted by the two gems also roaring with laughter.

"Hey, what's going on you guys?"

Steven's query seemed like it would go unanswered until Lapis finally settled down.

"Peridot, care to explain."

"Gladly, Lapis."

Peridot stands up and dusts herself off. She clears her throat and then begins to speak.

"Today was designed as a bonding a building day for the crystal temps. We were going to grow closer as a team, but Lapis and I came upon a dilemma. One of us had to be the leader of the team! So we debated heavily over who should really be the leader especially since we never really settled that matter after our first instance as the crystal temps."

"Peridot volunteered herself a first, but I convinced her she can't be the leader of both the crystal gems and the crystal temps."

Lapis winks towards the kids.

"Yes, taking this into consideration we had three more members. Lapis who said-"

"No," Lapis finished.

"Pumpkin. Who is adorable, but adorable goes so far when leading a team."

"And then you Connie," Lapis added at the end.

"It made sense to put you as our leader after Lapis refused because of how well you handled the end of our last adventure, but I, Peridot, was worried about your convictions in the face of adversity."

Steven and Connie looked at each other.

"So, we were aiming to use your heightened perception against you by having you watch 'Camp Pining Hearts' with us."

"We knew you would noticed stuff we already noticed, but we were going to pretend to be mad at you to see how you would react," Lapis Summarized.

"YES! If you stood your ground, then we knew you would be the perfect person to lead the Crystal Temps!"

Peridot's enthusiasm roared through the cornfields.

"The fight was just for fun. We didn't know if you would go for it."

"Indeed. Either way you passed this challenge so now Connie,"

Peridot clears her throat.

"Would you please be the official leader of The Crystal Temps?"

Connie was starstruck.

"You guys. I don't know what to say except,"

Connie salutes with a traditional military salute.

"I won't let you guys down. I promise to be the most effective leader whenever possible."

Lapis and Peridot don't say anything but instead Peridot goes in and gives Connie a hug and then invites a reluctant Lapis to do the same.

"C'mon Lapis. I think we all earned a good hug."

Lapis looks down to her right to Steven looking up at her. With a firm nod, Steven and Lapis join in on the now group hug.

The four walk back through the cornfields towards the barn with the sun finally dipping below the horizon.