After arriving back on Earth, things started to change and more than one way. Not only was Connie made at Steven, but she also took Lion away. She hadn't spoken to him for weeks and it was leaving Steven rather depressed. Connie wasn't my friend, but I couldn't help but feel bad for Steven. Though Connie was upset for a good reason, it was selfish to leave but it was the only choice. It wasn't great that she couldn't understand his rationale.
I wasn't doing so great either, Garnet and Amethyst were upset that I left and Pearl seemed conflicted. They didn't say anything to me for about a week, so Steven and I went to explain the situation with Lars to Sadie, which she cried over. We were going to go to Lars' house to explain what happened to his parents. But there was a protest against "Major 'Billiam' Dewey' and a campaign for a new major. In the end Nanefua ended up becoming the next major of Beach City.
Another week had passed and Steven was looking at a photo of Connie on the shelf in our shared room. "She'll call when she's ready. For now, you just have to let go." Steven said and lifted himself up and placed his phone is his pocket.
"She'll forgive you Steven, it just might take some time." I told him and placed a hand on his shoulders.
"Thanks Suha." He then grabbed his ukulele and we walked out the Beach House. "So… Are you going to tell them… who you are?"
"You mean that I'm a Diamond?" I asked him and he looked down and nodded. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable. "I want to, but I'm not sure when... It hard you know, to tell them 'I pretended to be a half-Gem because I couldn't face what happened to Pink.'"
"What was Pink Diamond like?" Steven asked me and I blinked.
"We weren't close, but I guess we were a lot alike the more I think about it. I always thought that Pink received all the attention from the other Diamonds, she had a colony, they actually talked to her etc., while I was on the outside. They thought I was weak and not a true Diamond because I absorb all the light and considered me an 'Off-Color'. But I'm not sure anymore, a lot of things… about Pink Diamond's shattering just don't make any sense, but I can't remember everything yet… Why did I change my form and pretend to be human? Why are my memories so strange… There's so many unanswered questions."
"Something off about Pink Diamond's shattering… Just like what Blue Zircon said…" Steven said.
"You'll think I'm crazy but I think Pink-" Steven's phone began to buzz and I forgot my thoughts as Steven says:
"Okay, Universe. This is it! Connie's finally ready to talk. No expectations. Just let her say what she needs to say!" He looked down at his phone and I noticed that it was Peridot who was video-calling him. He sighs and answers her call.
"Steven!" I poke my head in. "Suha! It's us!" Lapis comes into frame and I sent her a smile.
"Hey Lapis! Peridot! It's been awhile!" Understatement of the era.
"It's nice to see you again Suha." Lapis said with a blush.
"Don't forget Pumpkin!" Peridot held up Pumpkin and she barked excitedly.
"Hi, Pumpkin!" Steven and I say happily.
"I told you he'd answer." Peridot said as she turned to Lapis.
"It's so good to see you. I'm glad you're okay." Lapis said.
"Lapis was worried you lost your phone on Homeworld, but I said, "No way! He's probably just ignoring us."" Steven blushes.
"Sorry, guys. There's been... a lot going on."
"Like what? Tell us!" Peridot said quickly.
"Well, Connie's really mad at me-"
"No, no, no, no. Tell us about space!"
"And start from the beginning." Lapis said.
"Uh Steven-" I tried to stop him but he cut me off.
"Uhh, ok. We were trying to protect Beach City, so I surrendered myself to Homeworld, then Suha followed me and I was put in a big, empty room, and I ended up on trial in front of the Diamonds!" Steven said.
"On trail?!" Lapis yelled.
"What?" Peridot said quickly.
"In front of the Diamonds?!" Lapis yelled with even more anxiety.
"Yeah, and…" Steven started and I cover my face with my hands. This wasn't going to be pretty.
"You were in front of Blue Diamond?!" Lapis yelled.
"And Yellow!" Steven added almost defensively. " But it's okay. We escaped in a palanquin and went underground and…"
"You ran from Blue and Yellow Diamond!?"
"Yes."
"Peridot, We have to leave Earth, now!" Lapis yelled and quickly hung up.
"Uh-oh…" He turned to me. "Why didn't you tell me not to tell them?!"
"I tried!" I yelled back. "You know how Lapis is!" He pulled his hair and grabbed my hand andp pulled me up easily.
"We have to stop them from leaving!" He then dragged me along onto the warp pad and runt onwards Lapis, Peridot and Pumpkin. Lapis and Peridot continued to have a back and forth with Peridot making excuses on not leaving the Eath. She looked uncomfortable and semi-panicking.
"We'll find some remote spot in the universe to hide out in. The Diamonds will never find us." Lapis said trying to get all of us to come with her.
"Lapis, don't worry. They're looking for me on Homeworld. They don't know I'm here. We're safe." Steven tried to reassure her.
"Yeah! Come on, we've gotten away with worse. They've never been able to hunt me down for my many crimes against them." Peridot added.
"This is different! Steven is important, and our transgressions are piling up!" She put her hand on Peridot's shoulder. "They're going to take their anger out on this planet, just like they did before. I can't." Her grip tightened. "I won't let myself get caught up in another war." Pumpkin hid behind Peridot and whimpered anxiously.
"I don't want you to leave, but, I won't ask you guys to stay if you don't feel safe. If you have to go... I understand." Steven said and Lapis tried to hurry Peridot along but she kept making more excuses like a 'meep morp' Lapis told her that it was fine and eventually Peridot gave in, guilt and anxiousness on her face. Lapis walked pass us and turned toward the barn, she used her powers to drain the water from the pool outside the barn.
"Ga-hah! Our smaller-than-average lake! Guh!" Peridot exclaimed. A water wall began to emerge from the ground around the barn and Lapis used the water to separate the barn away from the ground and it rose into the air. Lapis gave Steven and I a hug and Peridot started to ear up.
"Wait! Where's Pumpkin?" Peridot asked quickly.
"She's not inside?' Lapis asked.
"She was just standing next to me! We have to find her." Peridot explained and Lapis lowered the barn back onto the ground and refilled the pool with water again.
"I'll check from above. Peridot, you search the ground." Lapis flies off and we help Peridot try to find Pumpkin in the farm field while yelling her name. We weren't able to find her in the fields so we move to a wooded area.
"You know, I'm really gonna miss you guys when you're in space." Steven said.
"It felt like you just got here. Now you're leaving." I said sadly. "Without you we wouldn't have been able to know about the Cluster or the Moon Base…"
"Well, that's a given. I'm a very precious Gem. Without me, you would've crumbled under The Cluster's destructive force or have been smushed by Jasper. I'm -" Peridot said. Steven then pointed to an orange object on the ground and peridot runs towards it. Peridot picked up up but it was only a basketball.
"You know, I can probably still help you when I'm out in space. I'll just video-chat from my tablet!" Peridot said with a happy tone.
"Uhh, t-there's no Wi-Fi in space." Steven explained.
"...Well, maybe it's best if we can't reach you. If the Diamonds do show up and destroy the planet, we'll never know!" Peridot looks at us with a mixed look on her face. "Lapis was very agitated when she heard you were on Homeworld. I was bending over backwards to make her feel better. Watch this." She bent over backwards in an unnatural way and Steven laughs.
"That is good."
"Oh, yeah. She loves this." Peridot then groans and I help her back up and we walk out of the woods. "Maybe it's good that we'll be away from everything where nothing can change, no surprises or developments. She's been through so much. She needs consistency."
Steven and I stop walking and ask at the same time. "But what about you?" She looked down with the same mixed look on her face. But we find another 'Kindergartner' which was really just some strange kid named 'Onion' that I've heard about from Steven. He was a kid with a small tuft of blonde hair and a chubby face. He wore a white sweater, a deep periwinkle shirt tied around his neck, and pale red footie pants. He had an onion-like head (although the top was thinner than the bottom, not resembling a normal onion). He didn't have any visible ears.
With no luck, they return back to the barn, only to find Pumpkin in the cornfield. "Pumpkin?" She whimpers and runs into the cornfield. "Have you been here the whole time?!" Peridot asked angrily.
"She was hiding?" Steven asked.
"She doesn't want to go." I said but Peridot paid no mind.
"Come on, Pumpkin. We need to leave." Pumpkin whimpers. "Pumpkin!" She runs into the cornfield. "Don't you walk away while I'm talking to you!" Pumpkin whimpers loudly as Peridot drags her out of the cornfield by her tail. Peridot grunted. "Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do, like get jettisoned into space to live forever on a floating rock with a barn, and just us as for as long as time exists! Lapis needs us!" Pumpkin whimpers again ands truffles to get away from Peridot.
"Peridot, give her a second!" Steven yelled to Peridot.
"She's doing it to herself! Pumpkin, Do as you're told!" She said angrily and lost the grip on Pumpkin's tail and fell backwards onto the ground. "Gah!" Pumpkin jumped into Stevens arms whimpering. "Whoa, Peridot. It sounds like you don't really want to go."
Peridot picked herself off of the ground and walked towards us. "I'm sorry, Pumpkin. I didn't mean to yank you around. It's just…" She placed Pumpkin in her arms. "We don't have a choice in this."
"What do you mean you "don't have a choice"? Peridot, you should really talk to Lapis about this." Steven said angrily and Peridot kissed Pumpkin on the forehead.
"I can't." She said and walked away from us.
I frowned. "Why? Your feelings matter too Peridot, you can't just think about Lapis and crush your own feelings in the process." Peridot looked down and stopped walking. Just as Lapis flew back down and landed in front of her.
"Oh, great! You found her!" Lapis said happily and we stare at her blankly. "Now, let's go!" We walk back towards the barn and Lapis raised the barn into the air. Peridot turned to us and looked over at us nervously. Peridot glanced at Lapis and anxiously gathered up her thoughts.
"Wait... Lapis? Pumpkin doesn't want to go." Peridot said and Lapis turned her head back towards Peridot with a confused look on her face.
"Pumpkin doesn't know better. We do." Lapis turned her head back around and continued to focus on the barn.
"Actually…" Peridot turned to me and I gave her a small smile that I hoped would help her feel confident. "I… I don't want to go either."
"What?!" Lapis yelled and was paralyzed with shock. She turned back toward Peridot and the barn crashed back onto the ground and we yell in shock. Pumpkin yelped in fright and ran behind Steven. Steven and I share a cautious look as we focus back onto Lapis and Peridot.
"Peridot, what are you trying to say?" Lapis asked.
"It's just, if something happens on Earth, I want to be here for it!" Peridot explained.
"But- No! Why are you telling me this now?!" She asked with a mixture of anger and confusion.
"Because... we're about to leave!" Peridot yelled.
"Isn't that the worst time?" Lapis asked.
It was true.
Peridot raised her index finger into the air with a static, blank expression.
"Yes."
Steven looked at them with quiet fear in his ees and mumbled nervously.
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lapis asked confused.
"Well, there are many things I should say, but they would upset you, so in general, I don't say those things...?" Peridot trailed off.
"Peridot, that's lying!" Lapis said angrily and Steven groaned as his anxiety increased. I felt all my muscles tense up as I watched them.
"Okay, then! The truth is... I think that we should stay, and if- and if the time comes, if the Diamonds do come to wipe this planet off the star maps, I think we should fight for this life we've built instead of tearing it up out of the ground! I think we can win. I think you can win! Earth is our home now. Isn't it worth fighting for?" Peridot reached her hand out to Lapis.
"What do ya say, Lapis?" Steven asked. Lapis lowered her head in sorrow and turned her back to Peridot and walked towards the barn.
"I am not getting caught in the middle of another war." She said and sprouted her water wings and began to lift the barn into the air.
It felt like it was for the last time.
"Wait! No! You're supposed to reward me for my emotional honesty!" Peridot yelled weakly. Lapis flied into the air as she lifted the barn higher, it broke away from the plumbing. She looked back at us before taking off into the sky, with the barn along with her. Steven walked toward Peridot who stood frozen in place and placed a hand on her back.
"Come on. Let's go." He said and with a silence as a response, we walk back to the warp pad. I grab one of our extra mattresses and placed it in the bathtub for Peridot and Pumpkin. Peridot sat on the toilet in a daze.
"Okay. You're all set up, and you can stay here as long as you need." Steven said and Peridot got off of the toilet and walked toward the mattress,
"Wow…" She groaned and climbed onto the mattress. "Thanks…." We sit down next to the tub as Peridot lied face down on the mattress. Steven pulled out his phone and checked it. Nor response from Connie.
"What do we do now?..." Peridot asked we gave her no response. We gazed off in silence in the bathroom.
