The flight to Funland was short and surprisingly quiet. While the flight for Lapis took only a minute, it was still shocking enough for her that Peridot was so quiet. To contain this much excitement (especially after eating) wasn't like her. She didn't have time to mull it over however, as Peridot was back to rambling as soon as they arrived.
"Here we are Lapis! Whaddaya say I give the grand tour?" Lapis smirked knowingly and allowed the small gem to take the lead. Proudly marching past the entrance banner as a toy soldier would, one foot after another, she marched into the arcade. The arcade was absolutely packed on this day. The summer heat was in full swing early in the morning and guests were starting to take refuge in the air-conditioned building.
Lapis watched as Peridot's orderly march became a stumbling gait as she struggled to push through the burgeoning crowd of humans; most of whom were larger than her. Sighing loudly, Lapis picked her up and began tiptoeing through the remainder of the crowd into an open area of the building. Or at least relatively so, compared to the masses behind them. It was at this point they heard a very familiar voice.
"Hey P...", Peridot leapt from Lapis' hands like a cat and scrambled about the floor. Amethyst laughed and jumped down from the skee-ball machine at the back. She was pulling her classic trick of taking advantage of Mr. Smiley when no one was looking. The high score for the machine was already well and maxed out as the printer on the coin slot went into overdrive.
"Well, that's all the skee-ball machines and all the perfect scores.", Amethyst said smugly counting the tickets up. Peridot regained her composure quickly and straightened her face out. Lapis stared in awe of Amethyst's 'brilliant strategy'. "Woah, how come nobody else ever thought of that?" Peridot made a face of intense disgust, "That's because it's cheating Lapis! This Amethyst has no respect for the rules of this place!".
Amethyst chuckled, "It's not cheating if you don't get caught Pear. And since when were you all big on authority miss CLOD?". The word brought to mind the moment Peridot had snapped at her former commander. The memories of that first sweet taste of antidisestablishmentarianism rolled around in her head. She couldn't help but crack a smile, though one she did try to hide. Rolling all the tickets into a wad Amethyst proceeded to the ticket counter, spilling excess tickets all along the way.
Mr. Smiley sat at the counter, dazed and exhausted from lack of sleep and the overwhelming number of customers early in the morning. He had just barely managed to drive Onion out for vandalism and now had to contend with his older brother Sour Cream's spontaneous raves, one of which was overtaking the arcade. Slumping the tickets onto the counter Amethyst screamed, "There! All 40,000 tickets! Gimmie that console!"
Mr. Smiley grabbed his chest, as if holding back a stroke. Finally he spoke, "Well, it's not easy to part with this thing, but fair is fair. Here you go kid." Amethyst nabbed the new gaming console with both arms and hobbled out of the arcade, making sure to pay both Sour Cream and Onion for their help in distracting Mr. Smiley. Lapis and Peridot stood there for a moment before Peridot spoke again, "Well, now that she's gone, you want me to teach you how to beat this the right way?" Lapis nodded, "Yea, you can go first Peri."
Peridot slammed her first two quarters into the machine and began to teach Lapis the mysterious and fascinating game of skee-ball. Neither the teacher nor the student were much good at it of course. Peridot constantly leaned over the ramp to compensate for her stature. Lapis seemed to miss the point of it entirely, instead focusing on getting the balls in quicker as opposed to more accurately. But none of that really mattered to them though. As long as they were together and having fun there were smiles to be had and laughs to share.
In the end the handful of tickets they handed in were only enough for a few plastic trinkets, but the new meepmorp material made Lapis happy enough. She had already begun verbally planning what she would do with these to remember her day with Peridot at Funland. Moving on to the kiosks, the pair began chowing on funnel cakes when they spotted the balloon stand. Setting her sights on a funny looking violet balloon, Peridot laid her money down and snatched it from the bouquet.
She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something about that silly face on the balloon seemed familiar... Suddenly the balloon screamed, "Boo!" Peridot jumped back aghast to find the balloon was very much alive. "Oh my stars! Steven never mentioned these things were living beings!" The balloon began shapeshifting as Amethyst revealed herself. She was laughing uncontrollably. "Oh my gosh Peri! That was the best the reaction ever." Even Lapis had to admit that was pretty funny, as she began snickering into open laughter. Peridot blushed and shrank away slightly embarrassed.
Amethyst leaned her arm on Peridot's shoulder. "Aw, I'm just playing P. Why the long face?" Peridot shuffled about nervously, and leaned to grab a different balloon. Amethyst turned to Lapis, who was looking rather indifferent. Peridot spoke up, "Why do you keep following us Amethyst?" Amethyst smirked, "I'm kinda bored and lonely. Steven and Connie came with me at first, but I think they're off now doing their own thing. And Garnet and Pearl are out on a mission. So that kinda just leaves you two." Lapis seemed a bit indignant at the idea of being Amethyst's 'last resort' for companionship, but Peridot was all over the idea. "Well why didn't you just say so!? Come friends! Let's turn this place upside-down!"
The trio began to march throughout the carnival, causing a scene wherever they walked. Peridot had forgotten just how fun Amethyst was. Careless, sure. Reckless, most certainly. But she never ceased being endless loads of fun. She remembered her first visit to the park and the official formation of 'Shorty Squad' rather fondly. Even after everything Peridot had done in service of Homeworld to hurt Amethyst and the Crystal Gems, Amethyst found the strength to cast old rivalries aside and embrace Peridot as her new best friend.
Time had seen them grow apart recently. She didn't see much of the original Crystal Gems anymore. She realized how little she remembered about Amethyst, and how much of that memory and effort was now being put to work with her relationship with Lapis. She began to seize up with overwhelming thoughts, as she had trouble finding things to say to her. Her erratic behavior of course didn't go unnoticed. But explanations would have to wait.
Lapis pointed out the rollercoaster and shot Peridot a fascinated look. "I'm guessing this is what you meant by rollercoaster, isn't it Peri?" Peridot freaked out, immediately rushing toward the kiosk. "Yes! Follow me guys!" Amethyst interrupted, "Peri, you do remember your little height problem?" Peridot stopped and scratched her chin. "Yes, but for now it seems to be unguarded." Lapis was hesitant, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" But it was far too late. Peridot had already hopped the gate and was rushing up the stairs to her seat.
Lapis and Amethyst followed suit. The trio belted in, and waited for Mr. Smiley's return. Unable to recall whom he admitted to the ride, Mr. Smiley ignored them and pulled the lever to release the track. The cars began their slow climb to the peak of the first dip. "Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb!", Amethyst chanted incessantly. Peridot however, was beginning to have second thoughts. She was becoming acutely aware of just how high she was, and just how fast the cars would be moving past the first dip. She said nothing though, and instead grabbed the edges of her seat preparing for the inevitable drop.
The coaster dropped with intense speed into the track below. Lapis and Amethyst were hysterical with laughter, but Peridot was beyond terrified. Just then, she realized she was beginning to slip out from underneath the safety bars. Before she could get a word out, her small body lifted from the car and was airborne. Peridot screamed loudly and fell hands of feet first on the track. Right in front of the oncoming train's pathway.
It was at this point the other two realized what had happened, but it was far too late. Peridot's eyes widened as the car fast approached, smashing her head on and launching her off the ride entirely. She landed with a loud thud on her backside on the boardwalk. As she struggled to support her form, she could make out Lapis in the distance closing fast, whom had flown off the ride in panic. "Peri! Are you alright!?" Peridot could hear very little, as the impact left her hearing ringing. But she could make out enough of what she said. "Yea, I-I'm fine..." Lapis embraced her in a crushing hug, nearly poofing her. "We Peridot's are tougher than we look.", she said in a strained voice.
It wasn't long afterwards that Amethyst approached the scene. While she wanted to express concern, she came off more jokingly than Lapis. "Holy crap Peri that was awesome! You've gotta teach me how to do that sometime." Lapis looked infuriated, "Are you kidding me!? Look at her! She might be hurt! Don't you care!?" "Hey! Her gem looks undamaged! That seems pretty alright to me!", Amethyst retorted rather defensively. The two began to argue loudly as Peridot regained her bearings. She tried to interrupt in her special brand of 'matter-of-factly', "Hey. Hey... Hey!" The two turned to face her, "In case you were wondering, I'm fine." Amethyst stuck her tongue out at Lapis teasingly before Peridot continued. "However, your concern is of course duly noted. Now then, let's just try a ride that's a bit more Peridot-friendly! Shall we?"
The two reluctantly agreed to stop fighting as Peridot once again took charge of the outing. Marching towards the Ferris Wheel, she held her hand out to signal a stop. "Aha! The Ferris Wheel! There's no way I'll get maimed on this one guys!" Lapis couldn't help but make a snide comment, "Knowing you Peri, I'm sure you'll find a way." Peridot shot a rather irritated look at Lapis as she approached the line.
Boarding the Ferris Wheel overlooking the bay, the three grabbed a car together when they noticed the couple in front of them. Steven and Connie were messing around in the adjacent car and were acting rather cutesy. It was honestly quite awkward for an already awkward group. As the wheel moved about, the two cars stopped near the top where the view was best. The three decided to listen in on the unsuspecting pair in front of them, who were still unaware of the group behind them.
The banter wasn't all that interesting at first. It was mostly human nonsense, and a few flirting signals here and there. But then something happened that shook the entire attraction, quite literally in fact. Steven's body began to meld into Connie as they held each other close, becoming less and less his own, and forming a familiar fusion atop the seat. Stevonnie looked around panicked, unsure of where they were. It took a moment for them to realize what had just happened.
Stevonnie after a few words with themself, began to laugh uncontrollably as they shook the ride back and forth. The reactions of the car behind them though were interesting to say the least. Amethyst immediately caught their attention, "Whoo! Nice job Steven!". Stevonnie stumbled about to spot their friends behind them. Unsure of what to say next, the fusion just waved. Peridot looked shocked. She had seen Steven fuse with Amethyst, but with another human? Was that even physically possible? It had must have been true, since it was right in front of her. But what a revelation!
Lapis' reaction however was drastic. Fusion had always been a sensitive subject since Malachite. She never enjoyed being Malachite. At least not in the sense Stevonnie enjoyed being Stevonnie. The only thing Lapis knew of fusion was abuse. Abuse and sheer terror. Taking it in, and dealing it out in double. For months her life was a constant struggle of such. But it had been so long trapped in that damned mirror... She genuinely enjoyed the pain. At least she could feel something. At least she knew she was alive. In Hell, but still breathing.
But now time had passed. Since Malachite, since the boating incident with Jasper, since Jasper's corruption... All she knew of fusion was sheer pain. To see fusion again, and to see happiness, and to see them truly at peace with each other. It was a lot for Lapis to try to bear. Maybe too much for a gem that had seen too much. She tried her best to hold it in, but the emotion of this moment was certainly not lost on her. Peridot moved her hand as she felt tears stain the seat she was leaning on. Lapis let her tears fall freely, unable to hold them back.
"L-Lapis? What's wrong!?" Peridot stammered. Lapis gripped the seat hard and turned her head. Amethyst took notice too, "Lapis? What's going on? Talk to us." Stevonnie looked on, distressed that their presence had been the cause of this. Suddenly, they fell apart as Steven and Connie peered over the car's railing to watch. Lapis, unable and unwilling to pass over old wounds, flew from the car in a rush, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.
Amethyst turned awkwardly to Peridot, "What is her problem?" Peridot pulled down her hair distressed. Lapis needed her help, and she couldn't be there for her now. "Stupid infernal amusement contraption! Down! You hear me? DOWN!", Peridot screamed at a seemingly deaf Mr. Smiley below. "Hey!", Amethyst said, pulling Peridot up from the railing. "It's okay, you should give her space, y'know?" Peridot tried her best to regain her composure, but she felt deep down like she was failing her friend. Amethyst sighed deeply and threw her arm around Peridot's shoulder.
"These kinds of things happen all the time with me and Pearl.", Amethyst spoke softly. Peridot turned her head to face Amethyst, "Really? What does she have to be upset about?" Amethyst shrugged, "It's a long story, like I assume Lapis is a long story too." Peridot scratched her hair nervously, "Yea, I guess you could say that." Amethyst laid her head on Peridot's shoulders, much to Peridot's surprise. "She doesn't get like this much anymore though, I really think she's moving past it.", Amethyst said. "Sometimes you've gotta learn to let people go. Or at least that's what Pearl's been dealing with. I'm sure it's a whole 'nother story with Lapis right?" Peridot paused before answering, "Well not exactly. But I guess some parts of it are close."
There was a brief minute of silence before the Ferris Wheel churned to life again. This time, their car stopped right at the very top. Amethyst continued to lie atop Peridot, looking exhausted. Finally Amethyst spoke, "We kinda let go of each other too, didn't we?" Peridot went catatonic in a desperate search for words. The most she could produce were a few nervous grunts and clicks. Amethyst laughed and picked herself back up. She leaned on the seat and stared at Peridot. "When was the last time we talked Perski? Like really sat down and had a chat?" Again, Peridot was rendered speechless.
Amethyst too was losing track of thought. She stared longingly into the darting eyes of the gem in front of her. Peridot was looking to concentrate on just about anything but Amethyst's tempting gaze. "Cause I really thought... We might have had something going for a minute there." Peridot was in full panic mode. She began thinking of literally any excuse in the world not to be where she was right now. She would give anything for the wheel to move. Much of her stammering was low brow swearing at the overweight human lazily operating the ride.
Amethyst turned her head back toward the sky. "I guess it's just as well though." Peridot wasn't sure why she did it. She didn't mean to. Did she? She wasn't even really sure of it herself. Moving closer to Amethyst bit by bit, the awkward silence was broken by a very quiet smooch on the cheek. Amethyst's eyes lit up as Peridot spoke very quietly "I... I think we've got a lot in common... to Amethyst..." Amethyst was speechless. She simply stared at Peridot with her eyes wide open. Before Peridot could say another word, Amethyst pulled her in for a tight embrace. Their lips locked as Peridot let go of her senses and let her instinct take over.
The ride finally moved to break up the romance, as their car finally came to a stop. Stumbling off the ride Peridot had no time to face the gravitas of the situation before she saw Steven, who had an ecstatic look about him. He had seen everything. "Oh my gosh...", he started. Peridot moved to interrupt him, but Steven moved quicker. "You guys kissed! Oh my gosh! We can go on double dates together! And we could-". Peridot cut him off mid sentence, "Steven you will not speak of this!" Steven looked dismayed, "Aw but Pe-". "No!", Peridot hissed. Steven crossed his arms in disappointment as Amethyst approached. "Hey Peri? You okay?" Peridot took a minute to take in everything that had just happened.
"I-I shouldn't have done that Amethyst. It was wrong. These things take time, and I rushed into it! I violated your space, your feelings, your-". Amethyst cut her off, "Woah woah woah slow down Perski! It's not that bad!" Peridot turned to Amethyst, looking distressed and on the verge of tears herself. Amethyst's fingers fidgeted a bit, "Look, if you aren't comfortable with it, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with telling me that." Peridot spoke quickly, "No it's not that! It's that, I'm... Unsure about the situation.". Amethyst started again, "So you're uncomfortable.". Peridot sounded indignant, "No! It's just I-no you, erm... I'm not really good with these things.".
Amethyst looked Peridot in the eyes, "Hey, we can talk about this later if you want." Peridot said nothing, but nodded reassuringly. Amethyst continued, "How about I take these two out for the rest of the day and give you time to think, okay? Besides, you've got your own set of problems right now with Lapis." Peridot's heart collapsed into her abdomen. Her whole world seemed to shatter at that moment. Lapis... She had always been there for Lapis. And now she was alone. Alone and upset, with nobody to stand by her. For as long as they had been friends, Peridot had never let this happen.
Peridot had a feeling she knew exactly where Lapis had gone. Without a moment's hesitation Peridot fled from the spot. She didn't want to stay at the carnival. She didn't want to have to confront Amethyst or her feelings ever again if she could help it. But she didn't want to go back to Lapis either. After all that had happened, and the fact she wasn't there for her in her moment of need, what could she say? If Peridot had a choice, she would have chosen to die right then and there. But she had a mission. A mission she would not fail. And without delay, she made her way back to the barn.