Steven had convinced me to come along with him and his father on a boat trip. Steven thought that since Lapis neither disliked me nor Steven, that I would be a good contribution to helping Lapis get through her fear when it came to the ocean. Steven was wearing light blue shorts, which was a change from his usual jeans. Steven and I were holding Lapis' hands as we led her to the pier. She used her water wings to cover her eyes, per Steven's request. "I'm starting to guess the surprise, guys."
"I told you to close your eyes!" Steven said, looking at Lapis' eyes through the water.
She chuckled and closed them back. "Sorry."
"Okay! Wait here!" Steven said and motioned to Greg and pulled me forward. "Surprise!" The three of us said and Greg blew bubbles from his pipe. Lapis retracted her wings and with an unimpressed and disgruntled look on her face, she hummed.
"We bought a boat!" Steven said walking forward happily towards his father. Greg was wearing a tannish brown suit blazer with a dark green turtleneck, a white captain's hat with a dark brown almost black anchor in the middle and a dark green underside and ripped dark grey jeans. His tan line was rather obvious, showing his pale lower legs and sandal tan near his feet.
"Uh, correction. We rented a boat." Greg said with his finger in the air. "I may be rich, but buying a boat would be going a bit... overboard." He tipped his hat with his thumb, looking away.
"Ayyy." Steven said.
"Ayyyyy." Greg said.
"Ayyyyyyy!" The duo said as Lapis and I looked on blankly. Greg looked over at our expression and rubbed his head nervously as Steven looked at us.
"Just a joke I picked up from some sailors. They have a surprisingly clean sense of humor." Greg explained.
"Oh, I didn't realize it was a joke." I said.
"Steven, who is this?" Lapis asked.
"Uh, Greg Universe." Greg said walking forward while Steven and I backed away, noticing Lapis tense mildly. He held out his head and slightly pulled it back, noticing that Lapis was in no mood to shake it or that she didn't understand the human custom. "You broke my leg trying to use the ocean to fly back to your homeworld?"
"Lapis Lazuli. Nice to meet you." Lapis said nervously, a look of guilt on her face as she smiled at him. Greg looked down at his hand and clinched it.
"Great! Well, I'll get the boat started." Greg said and ran off. Steven and I walked back over to Lapis. Lapis looked down at her hands in confusion.
"So what do you think?" Steven asked her.
"It's nice…" She said with a smile on her face, but it faded. "But I don't know."
"Look, Lapis, I know you spent a really long time fused with Jasper at the bottom of the ocean, but you're not Malachite anymore. And water is a part of who you are. You can't let one bad experience take that away from you." Steven said kindly.
"It was more than one." Lapis said, looking away with a dark look in her eyes.
"Just give it a chance. I promise we'll make this the most fun you've ever had." Lapis explained that she didn't deserve this kindness. Steven didn't give up and showed that we named the boat 'Lil Lappy', covering the boat's original name 'S.S. Misery' with a taped long piece of paper. Lapis snorted and we went onto the boat. We got onto the boat easily with the help of Lapis' water wings and set sail, though a piece of wood got pulled off the dock because Greg forgot to remove the cord that kept the yacht at bay.
"Ah, geez, you think anyone will notice?" None of us said anything, after a few minutes Beach City was out of view. " Wow, I think I did a number on that dock. Maybe somebody else should take a shot at being captain." Greg turned around and extended the Captain's hat towards Lapis. "What do you say, Captain Lazuli?"
"I shouldn't." Lapis said, fear in her voice.
"Go for it, Lapis." Steven cheered.
"Don't put me in charge!" Lapis yelled, agitation laced in her voice. "...Oh, sorry. I mean, y-you shouldn't trust me with the boat."
"Don't worry about it. Maybe later." I said, hoping to change the subject.
"Only fun stuff today!" Steven cheered and Lapis smiled.
"Lapis, you can still wear the hat, if you want." Greg said kindly. Lapis had a frozen smile on her face, her eyes wide.
"Thanks, but I'm not putting that on my body." Lapis said quickly.
"Steven? You wanna be Captain?" I asked him, he looked away embarrassed.
"No! We'll all be first mates!" Steven cheered. I smiled down at him and motioned Greg to pass me the hat, which he did. I placed it on Steven's head.
"There, two mates and two Captains." I said.
"But…" Steven looked down at the hand he was holding, which was Lapis'.
"Go have fun Steven." Lapis said. "We won't be far." He paused for a moment but cheered. Greg put Steven on his shoulders and Lapis followed me towards the front of the yacht.
"So…." We said at the same time and laughed.
"You first." I said.
"You look… different." Lapis said, a blush on her face.
"Good different?" I asked. "Or bad?"
"G-good." She said. "I've never seen any human or Gem with your kind of colouring." She was looking deeply into my eyes. "Your eyes are beautiful…" I blushed and looked away, rubbing my head.
"Thank you…" I whispered and paused. "I'm happy your back. I know Steven is too."
"Thanks." Lapis said but frowned. "I wish I listened to you on the ship, when I was in that cage… If I did then I wouldn't…" She stopped talking, looking down at the sea anxiously.
"We don't have to talk about that." I told her gently and pulled her up. I gave her a small smile. "We're supposed to be having fun right?"
"Right." She said smiling, Steven and Greg walked over and started to fish. Lapis used her water powers and brought a group of water the size of the boat above their heads. That freaked out Greg and Lapis blushed. Greg then taught her how to fish the old fashioned way and after many hours there was a bit. Lapis started to ring in the fish but she was pulled forward. Steven grabbed her, while Greg grabbed Steven and I grabbed Greg.
"You got it, Lapis! Reel it in!" Steven said.
"It's... pulling... so hard!" She says and gasps, her face filled with anxiety and the string snapped, making everyone tumble to the ground. Lapis got up and looked over the edge. Lapis moved over to the patio lounge chair on the deck and I followed her. Steven came over a few seconds later. Steven tried to cheer her up but the yacht started to shake, as if it crashed onto something. Steven goes up to where his father was to check on the boat. The yacht shook again and then there was total silence. There was a rumble and an explosion. Lapis and I watch as Universes run over to check the interior of the yacht. Greg opens the hatch to the engine room and smoke bursts out of the door. Steven and Greg cough. The clouds darkened overhead and it looked like a storm was fast approaching.
"Lapis? Um... I have some not-so-good news. There's trouble with the engine, and we might be stuck out here for a while." Steven said and Lapis sighs in response, I walk over towards Steven. Alarm bells were ringing in my head. "I'm so sorry! This whole thing is my fault. I just wanted you to have fun, but everything's a mess. I shouldn't have made you come on this trip."
Lapis moves a few feet away from him. "It's my fault. I'm the one to blame." She said, her hands in the shape of fists. "I'm really trying to enjoy it out here, but... I can't stop thinking about being fused as Malachite, how I used all my strength to hold her down in the ocean, and how I was always battling against Jasper to keep her bound to me."
"But it's not like that anymore. You don't have to be with Jasper." Steven said.
"That's not it. I... I miss her." Lapis said shocking me and Steven.
"What?!" We yell in shock.
"We were fused for so long." Lapis said looking over at us, a cold realization in her eyes.
"But... she's terrible." Steven said.
"I'm terrible!" Lapis said, turning to look at us. " I did horrible things! I-I broke your dad's leg. I stole Earth's ocean! Go on! Tell me I'm wrong!"
"But the difference is you know that you did something bad!" I told her. "Jasper- She doesn't think that she did anything wrong!" There was another rumble making all of us pause, as it started to rain. The boat vibrates as something climbs up towards them. All of us gasp as we see Jasper climb onto the yacht.
"Finally!" Jasper said, a smile on her face which sent chills down my spine. Lighting strikes over head.
"Jasper!" We yell.
"I thought I'd never catch up to you!" She said.
"You've been following us?" Lapis said, fear in her voice.
"I've been following you." Jasper takes a step forward and Steven takes out his shield. Jasper pauses, a look of confusion on her face. "Who are you?" She hissed.
"What? Don't remember me?" I asked.. I take a step forward and the colors darken around us. There was a faint gray tint over the boat. Jasper looks down at the color and it clicks.
"You." She said and looked down at Steven then at me. Jasper laughs. "This dulled-down version of Rose Quartz and Serendibite, though I guess you're not one of those that work for you now?" She locks eyes with me. "You're pointing that shield the wrong way. She's the one you should be afraid of."
"That's not true." Lapis said stiffly.
"You can't lie to me. I've seen what you're capable of. I thought I was a brute, but you... you're a monster." Thunder booms overhead as Lapis looks away, guilt on her face.
"I.."
"Lapis doesn't want anything to do with you!" Steven yelled.
"This is between… US!" She moves quickly behind me and swipes her arm at Steven. Steven groans in pain as he is knocked flying away from us on the deck. Jasper gave me an even harder push and I had to grab the railing of the ship so I wouldn't get lost at sea. I felt tears run down my eyes as my chest tightened.
"Steven! Suha!" Lapis yelled and tried to run towards us but Jasper grabs her hand and pulls her back. Jasper clasps her hands around Lapis' and kneels down.
"Let's be Malahite again." Jasper said and the thunder crashed again. I held my breath in shock.
"Why... would you want that?" Lapis asked in confusion.
"I was wrong about fusion. You made me understand! Malachite was bigger and stronger than both of us! We could fly!" Jasper said happily.
"Lapis, don't listen to her!" We yell. She gets up and turns to us.
"Stay out of this!" She yelled.
"I was terrible to you. I liked taking everything out on you. I needed to, I-I hated you. It was bad!" Lapis said, covering her face in apin.
"It'll be better this time. I've changed. You've changed me. I'm the only one who can handle your kind of power." Jasper says and approaches Lapis, backing her to the front of the yacht's bridge cabin. "Together, we'll be unstoppable!" Lapis looks over at Steven and I.
"NO!" Lapis said to her.
"What?!" Jasper asked angrily.
"What we had wasn't healthy. I never want to feel like I felt with you. Never again! So just, go!" Lais said defiantly.
"Lapis!" Jasper exclaimed.
"She said no! Leave her alone!" Steven yelled, running forward, standing only a few feet away from them.
"Steven! Get away!" I yelled in fear.
"This is your fault." Jasper growls. "I'LL SHATTER YOU!" Jasper charged towards Steven and I felt something snap. A wall of blue fire circled around Steven blocking him away from Jasper's reach while Lapis summons a giant water arm that punches right through the yacht and into Jasper, sending her flying off the yacht and far away into the ocean. The fire disappears and Steven runs over to Lapis and hugs her.
"Jasper…" I whispered, unsure how to feel about it.
"Lapis, you did it!" Greg rushes over to me and pulls me up.
"Thanks, Greg." I said painfully. The rest joined me as the boat began to sink because of the hole in the yacht's deck. Steven gets on Lapis' back and holds her arms out for me, levitating off the ground. I grab a hold of Greg.
"I guess I bought a boat after all." Greg says.
"Eh, sorry, Dad. But hey,the ocean's really beautiful from up here."
"Yeah. It is." Lapis says and looks down at me. "So… fire?"
"I guess?" I said and she smiles.
"Cool." I smile back and look down, thinking about Jasper. A frown on my face. I couldn't help but feel conflicted about Jasper… and about Lapis.
"Yeah…." Once we reached Beach City and I had time to myself. I sang, , I still liked Lapis... but I couldn't help but feel strange about what I had learned.
watch?v=y4bTi8mpWpI&list=PLgvBWeI7-HJIzb9LOmnJdzdrAIIRANJlz&index=59&t=0s
Agnes Obel Riverside
"Down by the river by the boats
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run
When by the water we drinks to the dregs
Look at the stones on the riverbed
I can tell from your eyes
You've never been by the riverside
Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river every day
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
When that old river runs past your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so every near
The river will be your eyes and ears
I walk to the borders on my own
Fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here alone
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside