(So I know it's been a while and I'm sorry, but I just wanna say first and foremost that passive aggressive reviews or private messages are not going to make me update any faster. I'm having a hard time with things. I'm currently recovering from surgery at the moment. And I must say, in regards to a rude guest review that told me since I left college now I could update my stories, that updating fanfiction after you've just had to throw away your future while suffering a painful disease and depression is not the first thing that crosses my mind, asshole.
Really, I love my reviewers and fans, but I can't always write. And it's very hard to have the muse when you're both ill and have little new content in SU dryspells, and therefore not much inspiration. Because this just in, guys, writing takes a lot. A lot of time, energy, creativity and mental capacity. None of which I have much of right now. So please just be patient. I'll update when I can, and no "Shattered Realities" is not being abandoned. It's just taking longer.
Anyway, I hope you're all doing well and anxious for the new episodes to come. ^^)
It was a bit unusual to see a soldier this far out in Blue Diamond's sector. It was even more unusual to see that it was a Jasper. But this Jasper paid no mind to the rules. At least in honor of the holiday.
Normally, a Jasper would never even be out past her guard point, but this was the annual Tri-Diamond Cooperation Lenience Quarter. It was too festive a name for her liking, but it allowed her free roam of the entire Homeworld, so she paid no mind to it. There were other things she had her focus on. Stars were aligned perfectly that night.
Stars. She spent her entire existence soaring past them in ships in favor of the planets that surrounded them to conquer. Always sprinkled around her in patterns that she never bothered to memorize in the maps- she was a soldier, not a cartographer. Gaseous balls of light. They should have been of no consequence to her. Why were they so interesting now? Jasper didn't know why, but she had to see them closer.
The wind brushed against her face as she climbed up another level of the tower. The highest tower on Homeworld (besides the Diamond's Headquarters, of course, a sacred site that she would never insult by climbing), a basis for Blue Diamond's court to have their daily meetings. It was a substantial height, and opened up to the entire atmosphere. It would be perfect to see the stars.
Jasper craned her neck to look and see how close she was, and grinned as she neared the top. Her back tensed as she leaned to grasp a brick- only for her hand to slip. A sound didn't escape her, but her eyes widened and she felt the rush of air begin to plunge past her as she fell.
A beat, and what sounded like a mixture of flapping wings and splashing water as another hand gripped hers tightly.
Lapis always enjoyed this tower, if just to look at the stars. The stars and the other planets. She had always wondered what was out there, what more was there to explore then this dreary planet of indoctrined individuals, but as it was, the water gem was only lucky enough to make it to other planets only when there were missions. There was never any time or allowance for free exploration, and she didn't want her Diamond to think she questioned her loyalty to her. So Lapis was left to wonder and wander.
She didn't think she'd be left to wonder with another gem though. Just by the color it was obviously a gem of Yellow Diamond's court. Not something she saw often, but internally she always referred to these large quartz as gem beasts. In fact, it was hard to resist wrinkling her nose up in disdain at the sight of her. She disliked many gems of the quartz variety. They were loud and obnoxious and just plain brutish. All they were built for was destruction and that was their sole purpose—destroy, fight, shatter.
Jaspers in particular were built solely for the Rebellion that every court was preparing for. Lapis didn't know much about it, nor did she care. Some gem had apparently realized how dull this place was and left it. Gathering the entire planet to kill them seemed a bit of an overreaction, but she could never voice that aloud.
"Hello?" came a snap from the quartz gem she was still holding. "You going to just stare off into space like an idiot?" Jasper pulled against Lapis's grip. "I was just fine without your help!"
Ungrateful brute, Lapis surmised. She shrugged and started to loosen her grip until the Jasper found herself dangling.
Golden eyes widened as she clasped to the blue gem's hand. "Wait—don'tletgo!" she suddenly yelped, staring up at her. There was no life threatening danger in falling, but it would take her the entire quarter to reform in time. Lapis blinked in surprise before she smirked.
"Why not? You said you'd be just fine."
"Well normally I would be, but-!"
"...Buuuut?" The teasing in the brat's tone was enough to make Jasper want to punch her. The striped gem grit her teeth and felt her cheeks start to flush as she lowered her gaze.
"...If I fall I won't get to see the stars," she mumbled. The delicate blue hand in hers tightened to pull her up to the next tier of the tower. Immediately the giant stood and brushed herself off, straightening formally to greet the brat. "... Jasper," she announced. "Yellow Diamond's Militia. Cut 5-675. Facet Five." Despite the holiday, she was a soldier. Formalities were essential, especially against an aristocratic Gem.
Lapis curtsied at her, as she was supposed to do. So prim and proper and she hated it. "A pleasure to meet you, Jasper. My name is..." Suddenly an impish grin came to her face. "Find-out-yourself!" And with a flap, she soared up to the top of the tower, water droplets splashing the orange gem in the face.
The giant gem stared at the spot where the watery Gem had been standing, and then at the small dot that she had become soaring above her. Her fist clenched and anger filled her. How dare she treat this like some game! Formalities were no laughing matter! She couldn't leave without at least figuring out that brat's name in order to watch out during potential escort missions. She wouldn't want to be left with her on some ship.
"Okay, Find-Out-Yourself," she muttered. Her knuckles cracked as she stood to begin the final climb. "I will."
It took longer then she would have liked, determination to best this brat (though she would never admit it) almost making her slip several times, but at last she clasped her hands to the marble of the final tier and pulled herself up to give the smug, stupid blue gem an acid glare. "How professional and mature of you. What a gemling."
Lapis's attention was on the stars but she gave an almost innocent shrug. "Age isn't a factor to our biology, but I feel inclined to point out I'm older than you." Jaspers after all were only recently harvested for the war that was to take place. "You made it to the top though, so I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli."
Jasper made a face. So she was an aristocrat after all. A Lapis, one of the snootiest gems high in Blue Diamond's court and always made sure others knew it. "I figured a proper little princess like a Lapis would be too high and mighty for games." She almost grinned when that finally seemed to nettle the blue gem.
"Well that's quite gemist of you!" Lapis snapped. "You don't know anything about me! You have no idea who I am and how I act!" She crossed her arms and scoffed. "What are you doing here, anyway? Here to destroy the tower are you?"
Now Jasper was the one offended. "I see, just because I'm a Jasper I have to destroy everything, is that it?" Her fist clenched. "I won't lie, I wouldn't mind shattering that pretty little stone on your back."
"Look up."
"Huh?"
"Look up."
Eyes narrowed in annoyance and confusion, Jasper finally slid her eyes up to the sky. ...And they widened. "...Whoa."
The stars of their galaxy, normally scattered about the canvas of the sky were perfectly aligned together like well placed little diamonds twinkling together in a straight line. It was so entrancing that even Jasper found her eyes plastered to the sight as she rose to stand beside the other gem. "It's..."
"...beautiful," Lapis finished. Jasper nodded in slow agreement and moved to sit down on the edge of the tower. Lapis looked down at the brute by her side, almost amazed by the fact she was suddenly so calm and almost excited by the stars above. ...Maybe she shouldn't be too quick to judge after all.
Staring at the sky a moment longer, Lapis sat next to the other gem in a moment of silence and rare tranquility between two opposing courts. It was the Tri-Diamond Cooperation Lenience Quarter after all.
Her head pounded as the memories faded, and she wasn't sure if they were hers or Jasper's. When they had exhausted themselves from fighting in one trapped mind, sleep sometimes came, and with it, dreams and memories of the past. Malachite was reaching the point of one mind as their thoughts and even their own words often bled into each other.
To Lapis the memory was just a grim reminder that first impressions were always correct. Jasper was a sadistic and hostile creature that thrived off of causing as much pain and destruction as possible. That was made perfectly clear during their journey to earth, where it seemed the orange gem just reveled in every moment she caused her to suffer.
Slowly, her surroundings came into view, and the first thing she saw was the chubby, happy face of a little boy she had missed so much. "Steven!" The child launched himself to her and she caught him, holding him close and running her hands through his hair.
"Lapis, you're okay! You're..." Suddenly the boy shoved away from her and looked nervously at her. "You're Lapis, right? Not Jasper?"
"I'm Lapis!" she laughed awkwardly as she pulled the boy in again. A thought dawning on her, she stared down at him in concern. "Wait, she's out?" She gasped and stood with Steven. "Oh stars, did she hurt you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." He nestled into her. "She's out but Garnet's got her locked in a room. We locked her in there before she could hurt me. Although..." He looked down below, to many pieces of kindling that was once furniture. "Uhh, we couldn't stop her from hurting the house."
Lapis snorted. "Figures." Her eyes glazed over in a way Steven had never seen before. "Bubble her Steven. Get rid of her. No good will come from keeping her here. Break her gem."
Steven was taken aback. "Isn't that...a little harsh? I mean, shouldn't it at least be a last resort? We haven't even talked to her yet. Maybe we can reason with her!"
Lapis laughed bitterly. "There's no reasoning with a Jasper Steven. All they're built for is destruction, to cause pain." She wrapped her arms around herself, averting her gaze. "Trust me, I know."
"Well..." Steven bit his lip. "Give Peridot a chance to talk to her. It seems like they're kind of close from what she told me. I bet she can get through to her."
Lapis snorted. "There is no getting through to a Jasper, and there's no changing them." But sensing the boy becoming quite disheartened, she bit down on her tongue. "...We'll see."
Rather then reforming on her feet, the orange gem, still completely out of it, fell right to the floor. Her white mane of hair stuck up in all sorts of places, spiky as a porcupine. It looked more like the warrior gem had just fallen out of bed but Peridot didn't care.
"Jasper!" the gemling cried as she jumped forward and attached herself to the orange gem's large chest. "It's really you! It's you, it's you, I can't believe it!"
Stunned, Jasper stared down at the tiny green thing before lightly knocking her off. "Get off me, runt!" she groused. The baby gem tumbled to the floor and landed onto her backside. It was a short fall that normally wouldn't hurt her if not for certain circumstances, and tears filled her eyes as the sting in her rear was reignited. "Ow," she couldn't help but sob.
Almost instantly the annoyance was gone from Jasper's face as she suddenly grabbed the green gem under her arms and held her out, standing up with her. "Ow? Ow what? What's wrong? You didn't even fall a full foot!" Fire flared in her eyes. "Are you hurt? Did those treacherous pebbles hurt you?"
"No!" Peridot blurted out. "I mean, they did, but—it's not what you think! I deserved it!"
Jasper bristled and held the child out further like she was a bomb. "What?"
"I...I...disobeyed an order," she gulped out. "An order that I was to..." She yelped as Jasper suddenly gave her a fierce shake and just about pressed her face against the other's, searing orbs staring into Peridot's quivering ones.
"An order?" she demanded quietly. "What order? You take orders only from me. I wasn't here to give you any orders."
"No, I know—but Mother said..." Jasper dropped her and thankfully she landed on her feet. Peridot's breath hitched when she realized her fatal mistake.
"What?" Jasper practically whispered. The child was frozen in fear. "You don't have a mother. Gems don't have mothers. Only this pathetic squishy species of humans are helpless enough to need mothers. So who the hell did you designate as your mother?"
Peridot was too afraid to speak, sweat dribbling off of her as she trembled. "...I...well, I wanted to speak to you about a few things-"
"WHO IS YOUR MOTHER?!" Jasper roared at the child. Peridot squinted her eyes shut but if she hadn't she probably would have detected what almost appeared to be jealousy on Jasper's face.
"GARNET!" she finally shouted, covering her eyes as shameful tears threatened to leak out. Jasper's eyes widened in shock as she backed away, the most betrayed look on her face.
"Jasp..." Peridot began, but yelped as the orange gem started to roar and slam her fist into the walls and flooring, trying to break them. Rather then cracks appearing on the surface, ripples appeared instead as the floors and walls remained completely in tact. "Jasper, you can't get out! This room is designed to hold bubbled and corrupted gems! You can't burst through the walls!"
Her words were unheard by the raging, screaming gem who finally gave up attacking her surroundings after nearly five exhausting minutes. Everything throbbed, her body nowhere near healed from Malachite. She sat down, turning her head away from the child. "...Go away."
Stricken, Peridot stepped back as she felt her little heart breaking. "What?"
"Go away."
"...Jasper..." Tears filled her eyes as she swallowed hard. "I haven't...seen you in...almost a year..."
"I SAID GO AWAY!"
Peridot quickly backed out of the room with a sob, turning to run the other way and instead bumping into the sturdy leg of her mother. She tried to get past her, but Garnet as always was faster and scooped her up.
"Peridot?" She held the baby close, concern coursing through her. "What's wrong, little one? Did she hurt you?" Fear struck her, instantly cursing herself. How could she leave a child with an angry warrior gem? Even if what Peridot had said about Jasper was true, the warrior was still heavily unstable. She should have known better.
"N-no," Peridot sobbed. "She hates me..." She buried her face into her hands and Garnet brushed her fingers through the babe's hair. "She...I don't wanna talk about it."
"I doubt that from what you told me." She smiled and kissed the tot's mint colored hair. "She's probably confused. Give her time, okay? Now..." She tapped Peridot's nose and smiled at the way the gemling wrinkled it in annoyance. "I think you owe some more apologies, little gem." Peridot's face fell, green eyes averted away from where Pearl and Amethyst were squabbling in the kitchen, trying to figure out how to make food.
"Nnnn..." was all the gemling could mumble as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but she definitely didn't want to risk angering the fusion further. And she wouldn't pretend she didn't feel awful for refusing to listen to her...family?
"Amethyst, you aren't supposed to put the box into the pan as well."
"Why not? I eat boxes all the time."
"Steven is half human! He can't digest cardboard!" Pearl huffed at the purple gem. Amethyst responded by taking a handful of flour and blowing it into Pearl's face. "Hey!" But giggles erupted from the both of them, something that Garnet couldn't help but smile at seeing. Their family had been through so much lately; laughter was almost a rarity now.
"The kitchen was just cleaned, you two." Garnet paused to look at the wreckage that was left from Jasper. "Well, what's left of it. Anyway, I think a certain little gemling has something to say." The child in her arms shrunk further into her with a pout.
Peridot shifted uncomfortably as she felt her mouth go dry. "I... Well I'm...I'm sorry!" she blurted. "I mean..." She tried to compose herself. Just because she was a gemling, it didn't mean she had to act the part. "I...apologize. I know saving me set you back on your mission and now you may never find the Tiger Eye...because of me. And—whoa!" She yelped as Amethyst suddenly grabbed her.
"Nerd!" Amethyst gave her a bounce. "Is that what you think, we're upset because the monster got away? We're just worried about you and that you'd get liquefied before we had a chance to save you!"
Pearl wiped flour from her own face and dusted it off the counter. "And of course we forgive you. All that matters is you're alright now." She took Peridot in an arm and the gemling's face turned down in a slight scowl at the way she was being passed back and forth like a toddler.
"Yeah, but if the Tiger Eye does come back, we'll make sure we sic it onto you for letting it get away in the first place," Amethyst added as she formed her hand into a claw and rose it above the nervous child.
"Oh Amethyst, you're scaring her!"
"Nah, if I wanted to scare her, I'd do this..."
Garnet started up the stairs, looking back as Peridot gave a loud squeal and dissolved into high pitched laughter and protests as the purple gem caught and noogied her fiercely. Seeing that the child was content and being cared for, she moved onto her next concern, Steven.
The boy was resting against his bed frame ad staring down at a blue figure sprawled out on the bed and completely fast asleep. The bags under her eyes just showed how exhausted she was, as anyone would be after their ordeal.
"I see your friend has reformed."
"Yeah..." Steven grabbed a fold of his hotdog blanket and pulled it up over Lapis's sleeping figure. She didn't even flinch. "She woke up but she was just so tired that she fell asleep again on my bed." He sat down next to his friend. "I'm really worried about her."
"She's been through a lot, Steven," Garnet reminded him as she sat down and looped an arm around the child. "They both have, and it's going to be a while until they're okay. Lapis is really going to need you."
"What about Jasper?" Even if the warrior gem had been so cruel to them all, the child's pure heart couldn't hate anyone and he worried for her just as much. "She's got Peridot, right? So she okay?"
"Well...the two are having issues right now," Garnet admitted. "I didn't get any specifics out of Peridot but I imagine that Jasper finding out she's one of us is going to be hard for her. But if Peridot believes in Jasper then I suppose we should try too."
Steven looked back at his sleeping friend. She looked incredibly peaceful for the first time and it was nice not to see a frown marring her face. "Lapis seems really angry with Jasper...but it did look like she treated her really bad. And we don't even know what happened before they even got to earth..."
Garnet sighed. "That's true. We're going to have to do a lot of work with them both once everything calms down." She ruffled the boy's dark curls affectionately. "Think you're ready for it, cutie pie?"
He giggled, impishly climbing up onto her puffy curls and patting them. He puffed his chest out proudly. "I'm ready for anything! There's nothing Steven Universe can't do!" He let out a giggling puff of air as Garnet poked him in the belly, deflating him.
"That's good, because I have a feeling that what awaits us downstairs is something that only Steven can do."
"What's that?"
Garnet leaned over the railing to watch a mushroom cloud of flour go up as shouts and laughter was heard as Pearl attempted to use a poor squealing Peridot as a shield. "Complete anarchy."