Hey there, and welcome back to Into Oblivion.

Well, I don't really have anything to say right here, so I won't bother holding up the line. Let's get right to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe. Steven Universe is owned by Rebecca Sugar.

Present

"Thoughts"

Author's Note

"So they're not coming back?"

"That's what they told me. They'll probably bring him back to the beach house."

Peridot nodded with a smile. Amethyst kept her expression stoic, but she mirrored the gesture anyway. "Good. It'll be less trouble for us."

"Because you're about to heal Jasper, right?"

"You got it," said Peridot. "Amethyst and I really prefer that they aren't around. It makes our lives easier, since they wouldn't exactly agree with it. I have to say you seem okay with it, though."

Connie grinned. "Yeah. To be honest, I'm actually really glad you're doing this; Steven said he refused to heal Jasper a little while ago, and I thought that was wrong. I'm glad to see you two agree with me."

Peridot nodded once again. Amethyst didn't.

"Anyway, the basin is already full, so there's nothing stopping you." Connie stepped to the side, unobstructing their path to the fountain. "If you two don't mind, can I stay here and watch?"

"Why?"

Connie turned her head to Amethyst. Her voice a moment ago was cold, and awfully blunt; it wasn't really question at all, more like a demand.

"Uh... I don't know, I'm just curious. I mean, you know I'm trying to get involved in gem stuff with Steven, so..."

Amethyst rolled her eyes, but nevertheless turned away. Connie breathed a sigh of relief.

While she hadn't let on, there was another, far more important reason for her doing this: she wanted to see what Peridot and Amethyst were planning after they healed Jasper. Were they going to let her regenerate freely, or were they planning to put her back in the bubble?

Peridot walked to the edge of the fountain, and took an orange stone from her pocket. She was about to find out.

For a few moments, almost like she were sucking in the moment, Peridot held out Jasper's gem. Her hand was just above the pink tears, ready to plunge in at any time. But just before she did, she turned around as best she could and acknowledged Amethyst.

"Ready?"

"Just go."

Peridot plunged her hand in.

From what she could see, the cracks in Jasper's gem started healing up right away. First the biggest one right down the middle. Then the smaller ones, lining the edges. And finally, a few on the back and sides...

And just like that, the job was done. Mostly.

Peridot took her hand out of the tears. She gently sandwiched Jasper's gem between her palms, and concentrated; a bubble sprung up just a second later, encasing the stone before it had a chance to begin the regeneration process. Then she squeezed her hands, and the bubble disappeared.

And that was that.

Connie frowned.

So, they didn't let her free. While she could see understand why, she couldn't help but be disappointed with the decision; why not give her a chance to speak her mind? Now they would never know...

"Okay, we're done here. Connie, you're coming with us."

Connie shook her thoughts away. She turned to Amethyst, who watched her back with a stern expression. "With you guys? But Pearl said to take Lion."

"Nah, he can find his own way home. You can just use the warp pad with us."

Amethyst started to walk back into the canyon. Connie watched her go for a moment, and then she swiveled to Peridot.

"Hey, Peridot?"

"Yes?"

"Listen, uh... if you don't mind, do you think we could talk about Jasper when we get back? Alone?"

Peridot took on a worried expression. Her attention darted to Amethyst for the briefest moment; she still had her back turned to the two, and she was still walking further and further away.

"... Yes, I would very much like to."

"Oog... where am I?"

Steven blinked his eyes. He kept them open for a moment, but then had to scrunch them under the glaring sun, beating down in a cloudless sky.

Steven dug his fingers into the sand. He tried to force himself up, but his arms and stomach wouldn't cooperate. He groaned under the pain for a moment, struggling for balance, before he finally gave up, and let his wobbling arms tumble down.

"... Sand?"

Steven ran his hand along the ground. It was sand.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Steven's ears perked. He limply turned his head to the side (it was all he could manage), to where he thought he heard it. And sure enough, coming just up the beach—with her arms full, he noticed—was Lapis.

"Here, I got you these!" she said as she came to his side. She dumped her armful of coconuts on his stomach, earning a few oofs. "I know humans need to eat and drink, so be sure to make them last while I look for more."

"Lapis, where ARE we?!"

Lapis gave him a quizzical look. "Uh, an island. I'm not sure if humans have named the Earth's oceans, but it's in one of them. Anyway, I did a little looking around, and I found on the other side this—"

"No, no no no! Take me back!" As he spoke, Steven closed his eyes and tightened his face. He jammed his hands into the sand, and heaved himself up; it took a little doing, but with a touch more strength than last time, he sat up at last.

"Take you back? What—"

"Take me back home! Bring me back to Beach City, now!"

Lapis stared at Steven, mouth hanging just ajar, and eyes more than just a bit concerned. She shook her head.

"Steven, you know I can't do that. The Crystal Gems were planning to attack me, and I had to defend myself. I was hoping you'd understand that..."

Steven buried his face in his hands. She didhave a point with that particular statement—Pearl and Garnet were planning on bubbling her, they said it themselves—but why did she think abducting him was a good idea? Now the Crystal Gems were going to hunt her down, and even worse...

"Lapis, why?"

"... Why what?"

"Why'd you have to DO that? Don't you know what this means? You attacked Garnet and kidnapped me!"

"Yes, so I could get you out of there!" she refuted. "That was the whole point!"

"And do you want to know what happens now? Well?!"

Lapis stared Steven right in the eyes. Her heart sank at the sight of his face: tears fell freely down his cheeks, staining the sand below him. He sniffled a few seconds, and then angrily wiped his eyes with his fist, one at a time.

"Lapis, the Crystal Gems didn't like you before, but now... when they find us, they won't bubble you, they'll shatter you! They won't negotiate, not anymore! And I can't convince them to stop and think for a second, because you BROUGHT ME HERE! TAKE ME HOME!"

Steven took a ragged breath. He opened his mouth to talk again, and he lifted his head to look at her. Her face was suffused in concern, with her hands fidgeting with each other.

He couldn't go on.

Steven gasped in his tears. He lunged forward and grabbed Lapis in his arms, and he squeezed her as tightly as he could. He turned his head to the side, and forced himself to breathe as he hugged her close.

Lapis gasped. She looked down at the boy, face frozen in shock. "Steven?"

"I don't want you to get hurt..."

Lapis relaxed her shoulders.

Steven was upset with her. This much was obvious to anyone; between his crying and shouting, how much more did she need? If anything, she was surprised he wasn't trying to fight her, after his reaction.

And yet here he was, crying his eyes out. Not from anger, but worry.

Without a word, Lapis poked her arms free from Steven's grip. He looked up to her face in question; what he was met with was a small, but very real smile. He tried to read her expression, but came up blank.

And then she hugged him back.

"Thank you, Steven..."

"Do we really need to have this talk on the beach?"

Connie stuck her hands in her pocket. She lazily kicked a few grains of sand, and watched them trail away in the wind. "Well yeah, if we don't want to be interrupted. Amethyst went back to her room, so she won't come out here."

Peridot sighed. Nevertheless, she walked the extra few steps to a nearby park bench, one of many on the boardwalk; she plopped down on the end, and Connie quickly filed in next to her.

"... Do you think it's right? What they're doing?"

Peridot hesitated. This was a question she'd wondered ever since they received Jasper's gem, and she still wasn't convinced she had an answer. Still, being honest was probably the best thing to do.

"I don't know. I mean, Jasper's done some pretty bad things in her life—so have I—but I don't think she deserves this. She was just following commands."

Connie nodded. "That's what I was thinking myself. I mean, aren't gems under strict rule on Homeworld?"

"Yes. There are many punishments for failing to obey orders... I don't even like to think about what they'd do to me for what I told Yellow Diamond. In any event, if Jasper didn't follow through with capturing the Crystal Gems after learning of their presence, she would've been tried for treason."

Connie's eyes fell to her feet. She kept her hands still in her lap, but fidgeted her toes in her shoes. "Then it stands to reason she might not be bad, right? What if she didn't want to do those things?"

"That's when it gets a little trickier," sighed Peridot. "I've known Jasper for a couple centuries now, and I still don't have a good grasp on what she's really like. She's always angry at everything."

"Do you think it's because she's masking how she really feels?"

"Maybe, but I don't know. I wish I could've asked her before Amethyst caught me."

Connie rested her chin on her flattened hand. She blankly watched the ocean waves crash to the shore, one after another. But from the corner of her eye, she noticed Peridot fidgeting her hands a little bit, and she perked up just a touch.

"... Peridot?"

"Connie, I need your opinion. What do you think of me popping Jasper's bubble again so I can speak to her?"

Connie blinked. That was quick.

"Uh... I think it's a good idea! Provided you don't get caught, of course."

"Agreed. We should probably do it outside."

Connie smiled, the first one since their chat began. "Yes, I think... we?"

"Hey, Lapis?"

"Yes, Steven?"

Even though he'd just called for her, Steven paused. He kept flat on his back and his eyes glued to the starry night sky above, and lost himself to the sound of waves crashing on the beach. If he closed his eyes, maybe he could pretend it was home...

"Steven, you know you can tell me anything. What's on your mind?"

His eyes blinked open. Without a sound, he shifted from his back to his side, and locked eye contact with his friend. She herself lay several feet away, on a rather soft patch of beach grass.

"Lapis, please tell me... why do you hate the Crystal Gems so much?"

Lapis sighed. She had a feeling he'd ask this at some point, and now the time finally came. She sat up and moved closer to him.

"Steven, did I ever tell you story of how I was put in the mirror?" He shook his head, and a tint of excitement glazed his eyes. She was tempted to smile, but she forced it down. This story wasn't a happy one..

"It was a few thousand years ago. I was visiting Earth for a little while, on business from Homeworld. I was just supposed to be here a few month tops, and then off."

Steven obscured his face by turning away just a bit, and then he grinned. That sounded a little familiar.

"But then, well..." Lapis continued, "let's just say it got ugly. I was captured by some of Homeworld's forces, and stuck in that mirror."

"Captured?"

Lapis grimly nodded. She brought her hands to her arms, and angled herself away from Steven. "It was terrible... they interrogated me for years, using me. They demanded information about the rebellion, things I didn't know."

"What did you tell them?" asked Steven. "Did you say you were neutral?"

"I tried, but they wouldn't listen," responded Lapis. "They were adamant on learning where the rebellion's base was... and about Rose Quartz, too."

Steven gasped, just loud enough for her to hear. His hand immediately shot to his stomach, and the smooth gemstone embedded. He rubbed his finger across it once or twice.

"My mom?"

Now Lapis turned to Steven again. Her eyes held a sad glaze, and it spread to his own as they locked. "Yes Steven, your mother. They wanted to know everything about her, and what she was planning. I had no idea."

Steven opened his mouth to speak. But his mind went a very different direction.

If Lapis was being completely truthful with her story, then... it made no sense. Why did she hate the Crystal Gems? They weren't the ones who interrogated her, Homeworld did! Weren't they her enemies, then?

"Wait, hold on a sec! You said it was Homeworld who interrogated you, not the Crystal Gems. Why did you side with them?"

"Because it was what happened after the rebellion." Lapis paused for a moment, whether for effect or genuine fear he never knew. "I was at the galaxy warp for hundreds of years... until Pearl found my mirror. And she stored me in her gem."

"Yeah, and that's where you stayed until I met you... right?"

Lapis said nothing.

"Come on, Peridot, we're far enough away now. Pop the bubble."

"No, not yet! Not for... not for a few more feet."

Connie rolled her eyes. She was too well-mannered to ask, but would it really make any difference if they were just a few feet more from Beach City than they already were? They already passed the sign with the seagull twenty minutes ago, they were far enough away!

"Okay, here. This is a nice spot."

"It was also a nice spot back there..."

Connie shook that thought out of her head. She knew Peridot was just being cautious, and with good reason. If anything, the extra paranoia was healthy, especially after the day's events.

Peridot glanced around the area, side to side. As usual, it was a big open meadow—they took care to get away from the road, of course—with just a few trees and rocks scattered about. She noticed a particularly large one nearby, so she walked to it and took a seat. Connie quickly joined her.

"... Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to go back."

Peridot nodded. "Positive. I need to know."

Peridot put Jasper's gem bubble between her palms. But just before she began to squeeze, she spared one last look at her friend.

"Connie, remember what I told you: Jasper doesn't know I've become a Crystal Gem yet. For your own safety, do not mention we're affiliated with them, no matter the circumstances. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it. But... if you have to pretend like you still hate the Earth, then is it really smart for me to be around? I want to hear what she has to say too, but—"

"We rehearsed this, remember? You play the dim witted human accomplice that caters to my every whim because I'm, in these exact words, 'a cool space rock person,' and I'll be me. We'll be fine."

Connie stifled a laugh as she nodded.

Peridot closed her fingers around the bubble as far as she could. With one great clap of her hands, she broke right through the fine green surface, and popped the bubble. She caught Jasper's gem perfectly between her palms, gently and unharmed.

Peridot set the gem flat on the ground. Then she and Connie stood up from the rock and backed away, just a few steps. Both watched with wide eyes, and more than a hint of excitement. (And maybe a little nervousness, too.)

Jasper's gem started to glow. Just like last time, it jumped from the ground and suspended itself in the air, and then started to spin. And during its cycle, Jasper poked her limbs free from the flash, one at a time.

And then, after she had both her arms and legs, the flash broke off. Jasper tumbled to the ground.

"Jasper!"

Peridot wanted to take a step forward, but the touch of Connie's hand on her shoulder shrinked her back. There'd be plenty of time to ask questions later; it was best to let the other gem get a feel for herself first.

Jasper curled her fingers into the dirt, both hands at once. Peridot and Connie watched with nervous eyes, the excitement long since faded. They knew Jasper heard Peridot call her name. How long would it be until she acknowledged them?

And then she rose to her feet, from her hands and knees. She towered over the two.

"Peridot... you weren't lying about the fountain."

And cut.

Welp, we have just our second hug so far. There have been so few thus far, I'm now individually tracking them. How many more will there be?

Only time will tell...

Anyway, I do have to admit I wish I'd been able to get this chapter out before the airing of Same Old World so I could mess around with Lapis's backstory a little more, but I think I have plenty to work with. It'll be a bumpy ride, so buckle up.

One last little note: I know this is a little strange, but I confess this last scene has been one of my favorites so far. The whole story has basically been a never ending edgefest, and I'm glad I was finally able to slip a little comic relief in. (It should be no secret after Don't Even Bother that I'm better writing happy than sad, lol.)

Have a nice day.