Welp. That didn't last.
Not two days later the Crystal Gems caught wind of a rogue corrupted Gem running amok in the Beta Kindergarten. And it had to be dealt with, Topaz's privacy be darned.
Steven had texted Peridot beforehand. She was thrilled. She couldn't wait to help them catch it.
Steven couldn't stand up straight because of the bad feeling in his stomach.
Peridot was waiting for them anxiously when the Crystal Gems arrived. She was alone briefly, and it was good to see her, bragging of ingenious ways to capture the rogue Gem, until Topaz leapt out of the canyon and landed square on the edge of the cliff. She threw something into the sand at the foot of the warp pad. It was a large blue gemstone. Then Topaz turned and started away.
Peridot stopped her. "What is this?!"
Topaz said, "The corrupted Gem. Now they can leave."
"I was going to help them catch it!"
Topaz shook her head like a data analyst looking at an absurdist painting. "Now you don't have to."
"I wanted to!"
"It was more practical if I did it!"
Peridot threw up her arms, looking like she was miming tearing her face in half. "I can do anything I set my mind to! Anything that you can do, I can do, too!"
Topaz gestured like an ape to her whole body. "You are not all this! You pride yourself on logic and smarts, but your so blind-"
"I'm blind?!-"
"And they didn't have to come here in the first place! They never have to be here!" Topaz glared at Steven and the Crystal Gems. "They just choose to."
"You can't expect me to cut off all communication with them just because you don't like them," exclaimed Peridot, exasperated. "I've already kept it to phone calls, but even that's too much for you."
Garnet had gone down to collect the Gem that was in the sand.
"I don't want anything like this-"
"But, I know how you hate me talking to them."
"-happening-"
"I don't even have to look at you."
"-AGAIN!"
"I can just feel it, I can just FEEL it! It's palpable!"
Garnet bubbled the Gem. She looked at her group and stretched her cheeks into a frown and sucked in air through her teeth.
Peridot continued, scowling, "And maybe you're the one who's blind, because they could care less on what you're doing out here. They've got other priorities to deal with."
Topaz retorted, muscling her arms around, "Now, you say that, you say that, but they keep coming back. They keep coming back! They keep coming BACK!" She huffed. "To ever remind us of our place."
"If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be here!"
"If it wasn't for them, neither of us would be here!"
"The Crystal Gems gave you and me a chance."
Topaz stepped forward. "Why can't... you just DO this for me?"
Peridot threw up her hands again, "I'm trying to make this work all I can!"
"You're not trying hard enough..."
Peridot dropped her jaw. The desert wind moved some sand around.
Pearl spoke up, with a quick flourish of her fingers as if she sprinkled stardust. "Um, Peridot..." She had her attention. "We're going to go..."
It took Peridot a moment to collect herself, like Pearl had spoken Gaelic. "Yes... Ok, yes. I'll see you soon."
Subconsciously, Steven waved microscopic goodbyes to the Kindergarteners. The next thing he knew he was back in his living room.
Garnet stepped down from the warp pad first. "Phew. Talk about awkward."
Pearl followed. "You can say that again."
Amethyst grumbled, "Made me actually lose my appetite..."
"I'll believe that when you stop eating all our fall-scented candles."
"They're so good tho!"
Steven came down from the warp pad last. Peridot and Topaz argue. Why wasn't he surprised? But, his family seemed even less affected by it.
The perfume of their lone-surviving "Maple Leaves" candle went ahead and preoccupied his thoughts.
...