Lapis' steps were never quite silent, her water powers made her always slightly damp and on hard surfaces her bare feet made a small, barely notable suction noise every time they were lifted. Her long fingers drummed the side of her leg, not passively but almost obsessive compulsive behaviour.

Even though she had met her before, Diamond still made the blue gem nervous. She was the absolute leader, fair and just she seems to be. If something doesn't hold to the path she sets out for her children she could always just tolerate it or sway her peacefully. Or she could cast out the one black crystal shrimp. The thing that made Lapis was nervous is that she didn't know how Diamond really was, causing herself to feel the need to walk on eggshells.

The lilac shaded guard stopped. They had reached a metal archway, like most of the archways in the building but they were decorated with one ruby and one sapphire. The gems were disfigured, cracked and bent like they had never been a real gem or had died a horrific death.

Above there were words of the modern gem language. She was literate of course but languages change and evolve. A human could compare it to reading Latin if your natural language is English. You can say the words and recognise some familiar terms but when it comes to the exam you admit it is almost gibberish.

She could recognise one word, one seemingly as old as time.

Pain

She didn't know in what context it was but she knew trauma. Her body shook feverishly as she brought her worst memories to the front. The guard had entered the building but Lapis didn't notice as she was once again caught in her attempts to dismiss the past but they still threatened to choke her mind like a snake curling around its prey.

"Diamond is ready for you now." The guard said, not noticing anything wrong with the blue gem crumpled on the ground and swiftly leaving to attend to her other duties inside the castle.

Lapis slowly folded herself out like a folding chair and stood alert but slightly slouching, as a teenage scout would have. She ran her hair though her hair, wet. She wiped her blue hand on her black diamond on her dress; the symbolism of which it originally represented was meaningless to everyone here now.

Quickly but calmly, she glided into the room, not wanting to anger Diamond for being tardy or clumsy. Not that she needed to worry, she had the grace of the most beautiful wave in the ocean but she was always too modest to truly admit that.

She was greeted by the sight of war generals. She knew most of them had never seen true war, gems don't age but she knew the face and mind of a true soldier and they didn't have it.

Charolite was the one she had met before when she had first arrived, the guards had insisted she was subjected to a full investigation. She was kind enough to let Lapis be when she had actually fallen asleep like a common mammal. Aside from Peridot she was one of the few gems that had been kind to her.

Lost in her daydream Lapis didn't notice Diamond motioning her to sit down "Please sit down Lapis Lazuli" startled, Lapis hurried to her seat, noting that it had a back on it. She hated chairs because they rubbed against her gem, better than mirrors though.

'Lapis Lazuli, we would like you to inform us on the Crystal gems and the situation of earth." Lapis' heart lifted at the possibility of an investigation to get Steven home. So she poured her heart out, seeing the faces smile slightly at the sparse information.

"Steven is the child of General Rose Quartz and a human" Gasps were audibly heard at this statement. Suddenly the room erupted into questions like a common group of paparazzi rather than high ranking officers.

"You are dismissed, Lapis" Diamond's voice was calm but carried over the chaos.

Feeling the need to do something, she performed the old cadet salute from 6000 years ago. Before when she was still entitled to a military position she had wanted to be a technician like Peridot. With her powers it was as dumb as a corrupted gem to attempt that job.

At the stupid gesture Diamond slightly shook her head. Blushing, Lapis left the room.

"Bring in the technicians, I want to know if there is a real chance of reactivating it" Diamond said. "We have numbers to defeat a rebel force"

"To kill is to stray from the path" The generals recited in unison.

"Only to kill one of your own. Come to the garden of children with me and I will show you the real concept of what it is to fight for what is right, even if they enemy will choose to deny it to the last breath"

A green gem pushed the door open, wincing when they creaked. Another twenty similarly uniformed gems followed her.

"Peridot reports as ordered"

"- reports as ordered"

"I want a status check of the earth kindergarten, manually. You will be escorted and will leave in five rotations. Dismissed"

Peridot was shocked. Steven's home was being destroyed by these orders and all she could seemingly do was watch, unless…

The green gem walked out of the room with her colleagues as ordered.

Later-

"Woah" Steven exclaimed as he combed Peridot's hair. "Your hair is so long!" Her hair was down, as it rarely was.

"Where's Lapis?" He asked. Peridot shrugged, she had been catching on to the human gestures Steven performed.

"She must be at the lake" Peridot replied in an uncharacteristic vague tone. It was true that Lapis disliked being away from water for too long. Maybe it was due to her powers or her experiences.

Steven's hands suddenly touched something wet, with little triangles scattered throughout. "What is this?" He questioned. Peridot didn't respond, her own silent voices, scheming and plotting. They drowned out all other things like a spoonful of robonoid goo dissolved in a gallon of water.

"Peri? Peridot!" The half gem snapped his fingers in front of the gem. The military tech immediately rolled backwards in shock, pulling her weapon and going into a low stance. It was surprising she still managed to look menacing with the triangle pattern pyjamas she was 'encouraged' to wear. Bare toes curled and her finger's relaxed as she found her bearings.

"Sorry Steven!" She carefully pressed the laser gun towards her own head.

Here you go guys! I am SOOOO sorry for the hiatus. I have been SOOO busy with homework and assessment tasks. Happy Stevenbomb!