Chapter 6- Peridot
Peridot thought she had already been aware of the very danger she was putting herself in by teaming up with the Crystal Gems. But that danger was made even more real to her with recent events. Peridot was afraid.
She thought that was all that bothered her. She thought she felt the way she did because she was fearful of meeting the same unfortunate end. But Peridot was not yet accustomed to feeling these, quite human, emotions. She was indeed afraid of being taken as Pearl had been. But what she felt, in its entirety, was grief.
She didn't understand why she was almost always thinking about Pearl-not Pearl's death, but Pearl, the way she had been in life.
When she didn't understand something, Peridot still naturally turned to Steven for answers. But lately Steven had been very separated, isolated from the other Gems, often refusing to leave his room even for food. This made Peridot even more confused and worried than before. She decided to look for Garnet.
"...Garnet?" Peridot turned to look up at her recently re-fused teammate.
"Yes, Peridot?" Garnet responded calmly.
"I'm... I am concerned about Steven. He seems to have been... ignoring me..."
"It's okay. I'm sure he doesn't mean to," Garnet assured her. "He's experiencing the same grief that you, that all of us are experiencing. It's a natural response to loss."
"Oh." Peridot began to understand. Not entirely, but she was okay with it.
"Also, Steven's been busy with a... project of sorts. He found something that used to belong to Rose Quartz. He asked me about it. He's trying to fix it."
"What is he attempting to accomplish by doing so?"
"Rose Quartz originally designed the device to heal corrupted gems-"
"I thought that wasn't possible."
"It isn't, not yet at least. But Rose Quartz wanted to change that. She couldn't figure out how it would work, and stored it away thinking it couldn't, but maybe it can."
Peridot considered this for a moment. Maybe it could.
Later that day, Peridot went back to Amethyst's room to talk. A few minutes later Steven dashed in. "GUYS! I think I fixed it!"
"Whoa, what?!" Amethyst sat straight up. "How do you know?"
"It started glowing, and floating in the air, and then all the pieces snapped together!" Steven shouted excitedly.
"Really? It never did that for Rose..." Amethyst said.
"Wait, Steven," Peridot said. "You mean to say that you've repaired the device which supposedly heals corrupted gems?"
"Yeah! Should we go try it out?"
"You mean go to your bubble-basement?" Peridot shuddered, remembering the time she thought they would harvest her. She also remembered Steven reassuring her that she was safe here, but she was still hesitant.
"Don't worry Peridot, you'll be safe. You should come! It'll be cool," Steven said.
"Um... Fine. I'll go."
-A FEW MOMENTS LATER-
"Which one should we try, Amethyst?"
Amethyst searched the bubbles. "This one, maybe? Or... No, not that one though. And emdefinitely/em not this one... Here's one." She pulled down a bubble and handed it to Steven, who gently popped it and slid the gemstone into place. He focused on his power, trying to bring it into his spit, then licked his finger and placed it in the spot.
The device activated, began shaking and glowing, and then-!
...
A pause. It stopped in the air... then clattered to the floor.
"Did it work?" Steven said. He picked it up and removed the Gem, waiting for her to reform. Nothing happened.
As it turned out, the Gem inside was just as confused and scared.
Steven sighed and re-bubbled the Gem. "I guess it doesn't work after all."
"Unless..." Peridot said. "Allow me to look at that device, Steven."
Steven handed it to her. Peridot closely inspected its components and began to think quickly.
"This device will perform a different function," she stated clearly, standing up straight and holding it out.
"A different function?" Steven said.
"Affirmative."
"Do you think it could...?"
Peridot took a moment before she understood what he meant. She thought it over. "There is a chance."
Steven froze, eyes wide. "I have to dosomethingrealquick!" he shouted, then ran out of the room.
AN: *dramatic music*
*dramatic music*
*dramatic music*
*dramatic music*
*dramatic music*
*dramatic music*
PS: many thanks to Xx-The-all-seeing-eye-xX
Too many thanks
You have drowned in my gratitude :D