Life went on after the incident in the Marketplace. Lapis attempted to help around the Temple, using her powers productively; however, she was met with hostility. They found it was better to stay away from the crowds, avoiding another problem. It was more for Lapis's safety than anything else. The citizens choose to be more underhanded when sending their threats. Even Peridot was targeted. They weren't as malicious toward her; however, she had discovered unfavorable warnings etched on the rocks near her room. The last straw came when Lapis found glass in her own food, and someone was caught poisoning her drink.
To Lapis's credit, she understood. She took their anger with a level of dignity and composure that Peridot couldn't. She nearly lost it when she found the insects in her own meal. The transition was rough for everyone, and it didn't help that Jasper was continuing her rampage for Rose. Hundreds were forced from their homes, their villages brutally destroyed. Many fled to the Temple seeking protection. The influx of refugees caused the Temple to become overcrowded, and resources became scarcer. A stricter ration was placed on food, and it was harder to get any privacy at the springs. Fear and apprehension hung in the air like dense smoke, smothering and toxic.
Peridot and Lapis kept to themselves for the most part. They would try to spend time with Steven and the others; however, this was becoming harder with the chaos inside—and outside—the Temple. There was always something that needed their attention. Whenever Peridot offered her assistance, they refused her help; instructing her to rest or that she need to watch Lapis. Peridot nearly tore out her hair being treated like a helpless child. All she wanted to do was contribute. Eventually, Steven and Pearl began giving her and Lapis little projects to do. Lapis pointed out the irony in Peridot's tantrum. Peridot ignored her accurate observation.
While Lapis was with Connie and Sapphire, Peridot spent time with Pearl and Amethyst. They tinkered with an old device that was brought by one of the evacuees from the Empire sanctuary. It was a sleek, chrome metal board with a dark glass screen. Pearl explained that humans would spend hours with their eyes glued to the screen, playing games or other mindless things. It was hard to imagine a time where there was such a luxury. Pearl explained that not everyone did, but it still was a common thing to see in some locations. After hours and hours of trying, they got nowhere in getting the tablet to work. It didn't matter to Peridot, she was just happy to spend time with her family. Even Pearl.
"I'll figure this out," Pearl grumbled in frustration, flipping the board between her hands. "I will get results!"
"Geez, P. Calm down," Amethyst warned, lying upside down on her bed, shoving potato crisps into her mouth. She must have snuck them from the kitchen. Pearl sharply scowled, rolling her eyes. Peridot took the device from her, fixing her glasses as she examined it. There must be a way to power it; possibly through one of the openings. She sighed. Maybe someone would bring in the appropriate part one of these days. Even still, they would have to figure out how to power it. There was a knock at Pearl and Amethyst's open door.
A blonde head poked through, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry to interrupt but…there are two girls here saying they were looking for Pearl."
"Um, okay," Pearl said. The door swung open revealing two slim girls. One had short blonde hair that was spiked to a point; she wore a yellow shirt with matching pants. Her thin lips were curled and she stood was an air of arrogance. The other girl was meeker, staying behind the blonde as she scanned the room, her eyes were obscured by shaggy bluish hair. She wore a simple light blue dress over almost white leggings. Pearl leaped into the air with an uncharacteristic squeal, nearly tripping over Peridot. The two girls rushed over with the same enthusiasm, embracing Pearl. Peridot inquisitively glanced over at Amethyst, who had flipped over on her stomach, her jaw moving slowly and her eyes narrowed at the trio. Pearl and the two girls—well, the blonde girl—spoke quickly and excitedly. This was interesting. Peridot didn't think Pearl knew other people outside their group.
"Oh, oh," Pearl suddenly interrupted turned her attention back to Peridot and Amethyst, presenting the two girls. "You remember Amethyst."
"Yo, pearls," Amethyst greeted, raising her hands. Amethyst knew them too? Peridot's eyebrows furrowed. "Thought you guys were dead."
"Amethyst!" Pearl shrieked; Amethyst just shrugged.
"I could say the same for you," the blonde girl nasally replied, her nose turned and expression smug.
"Eh, don't count on it anytime soon."
"And this is Peridot," Pearl interrupted. "Peridot, this is Saffron and Indigo. They are old students of mine. We got separated years ago."
"Nice to meet you?" Peridot wasn't sure about these girls. There was something a little off about them. She couldn't put her finger on it. Peridot struggled to her feet. It was still a hassle to get up and down from a sitting position with her artificial limb. In the last few weeks, Peridot had been adjusting to the prosthesis. Though she no longer used the crutches, she was still a little unsteady and awkward walking. It still difficult to come to terms with her oddity but, she was trying. Peridot wiped her hands on her pants and offered one to Saffron, the blonde. Saffron's dark eyes critically scrutinized her. She looked at her extended hand as if it was something disgraceful.
"What am I supposed to do with that," she asked.
"I think," Indigo spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "She means to shake hands."
"Uh, yeah," Peridot replied, shifting her gaze over at Pearl and withdrawing her hand. "Um-so, how long has it been since you've seen each other?"
"Centuries," Saffron responded, curtly.
"It seems like centuries," Pearl said with a laugh that was too tight and forced. Well, that's peculiar, Peridot thought. She glanced over at Amethyst for clarification. Amethyst merely shrugged, shoving more potato crisps in her mouth and watching the trio. She never really thought about it, but she wasn't quite sure how old Pearl and Amethyst were. Older than Steven; definitely old enough to have known Rose. She never really dwelled on it. Come to think of it, Peridot really didn't know much about them or Ruby and Sapphire. This was interesting and something she would have to investigate. Pearl and Saffron were back to talking amongst themselves while Indigo listened quietly. Peridot moved over to Amethyst, leaning in close, keeping her eyes on the trio.
"How old are you guys? Really?"
"Rude. You never ask a lady her age," Amethyst mumbled, her mouth full. "Older than you."
"Everyone is older than me!" Amethyst choked on laughter and crisps. Peridot grinned.
"You're definitely the baby of the group!" She patted Peridot roughly on the back and went back to chomping on her food. Amethyst wasn't going to give her a straight answer, Peridot realized. They watched the pearls—as Amethyst called them—chattered. Peridot caught a little bit of their discussion. Pearl was talking about Steven. Apparently, Saffron and Indigo hadn't heard of him yet. Not unusual. It wasn't something they blasted all over the Earth but, it made Peridot suspicious nonetheless. Pearl pulled them out of the room, eager for them to meet the son of Rose.
"They aren't human, are they," she asked.
"Nope." What could they be? Something about it didn't seem right. Many of the mythical creatures that existed had long since been killed, captured or driven away by Jasper. It was incredibly rare to encounter them.
"Are you human?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Not really."
"Don't sweat it, P-dot." Amethyst patted her on the shoulder before sliding out of bed and heading to the door. "Catch ya later."
"Yeah." She needed to talk to Lapis.
"Hmm. I don't know. It's possible," Lapis muttered, distractedly, gently pulling her along. An excited grin was plastered on Lapis's lips as she guided Peridot through the Temple. After Amethyst had left, Peridot went to find Lapis. It wasn't long before Lapis had found her. She had finished whatever she had been doing with Connie and Sapphire and had something for Peridot. She refused to tell her what. Peridot protested any surprises but, let Lapis drag her along. The Temple was busy as usual. Lapis was wearing a scarf over her head, obscuring her face. Once they were in a more secluded area, she yanked it off, sweating trickling down her cheeks. Peridot smiled.
"The whole thing was just…odd," Peridot said, stumbling.
"It sounds strange," Lapis agreed, hollowly.
"Are you even listening?"
"What did you say?" Peridot gawked at her, sputtering for a moment. Lapis glanced over her shoulder, smirking mischievously.
"Haha. I'm serious, Lapis."
"I'm not really sure. I didn't really notice anything different about Pearl or Amethyst or any of them. But, I haven't spent as much time with them either. It's possible they are mythical creatures or even mortals who don't age."
"How is that possible?
"Ichor or ambrosia usually. I'm surprised you never asked about this before." This was new information. Peridot had never heard of these before.
"I never really thought about it until those girls came," Peridot confessed, embarrassed. She had lived with them for years, considered them family and never thought about asking about their lives. Though, it didn't seem like they would share much anyway. Maybe Steven knew something. They were his guardians after all. He must have wondered about their past or lives at one point. She would have to talk to him later. Lapis stopped at the doorway of their room, releasing Peridot's hands.
"We are here," she announced, proudly
"It's our room," Peridot remarked, flatly. Lapis nodded, taking her hand once again and leading her into the room. Lapis's cot was folded up and tucked away in a spare corner of the room, replaced by a temporary table with two plates of slightly burned chicken and vegetables sitting side-by-side and two glasses of water. Peridot slid onto the edge of her bed behind the table while Lapis stood, hands on her hips, admiring the little dinner. Peridot shoveled some chicken onto a fork and carefully tasted it. Despite the charcoal taste, it wasn't too bad.
"Did you cook this?" Lapis nodded, smiling.
"Connie and Sapphire supervised. No fires this time." Lapis slide into the seat next to her, their legs brushing against each other. Peridot fidgeted at the contact.
"Any special reason?"
"To thank you for everything. And apologize."
"I think I might need more than a dinner," she joked. Lapis gave her a tight smile, sadness filtering in her eyes. Peridot instantly regretted her remark, lowering her eyes. That was a bit too far. She didn't even think about it when she said it. Though, it was true. Peridot went to get another bite to distract herself when she felt a hand on her cheek, turning her head. Her vision filled with blue as Lapis kissed her lips. It was a quick, dry kiss that flooded Peridot's cheeks with crimson. Lapis pulled away, dropping her hand. Lapis whispered her gratitude and apology, blushing. Oh, hell. Peridot yanked Lapis back, closed her eyes and crashed her lips against Lapis's. She could feel Lapis jerk for a moment, but she quickly relaxed much to her relief. Peridot wrapped her arms around Lapis's waist and moved her closer. Lapis moved her arms around her neck.
The kiss was soft and chaste; a simple touch of dry lips. It sent sparks through Peridot. She couldn't lie that this hadn't crossed her mind. Always a fleeting notion but, still the desire lingered. They pulled apart, looked at each other then laughed breathlessly. Both had a subtle shade of red against their cheeks. All Peridot's curiosities from earlier flew from her mind as she stared at Lapis. Don't overthink. Don't overthink. Be light, happy, carefree. This feels good. Go for it! It's unexpected, but who cares? It wasn't supposed to be expected. Peridot leaned into Lapis, catching her lips again, squeezing her against her body.
"Ahem," someone cleared their throat.
"Way to go, P-dot," Amethyst whooped. Peridot and Lapis jerked away out of each other's arms. Oh, fuck. She knew her face must have been as red as a tomato. Lapis had her hands over her mouth, trying to hide her face. Amethyst had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face while Pearl scowled, hands crossed over her chest as her foot tapped on the ground. Oh, my Gods. Why? Why did they have to show up now?
"I won't even begin with how inappropriate this is, Peridot," Pearl said, slowly. "But, now that you two have detached; I want to introduce Lapis to Saffron and Indigo."
"Oh, my Gods," Saffron hissed. "You weren't joking! It is the Water Witch!"
"I would rather not be treated as a spectacle," Lapis warned. The embarrassment drained from her face, replaced with something harsh and irritated.
"Tut, tut," Pearl said. "That's not what I am doing. These are old students of mine…"
"How old?" Peridot tried to gauge Pearl's reaction. Amethyst was looking at her too, crossing her arms over her chest. Saffron looked uninterested though she was staring at Lapis with an unusual gleam in her eyes.
Pearl waved the question away with a flourish of her hands. "Doesn't matter. I was telling them about you and how you came to be here."
"We were just about to eat," Peridot intervened.
"Clearly," Amethyst teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "Something tells me if we arrived later, you would be enjoying an exquisite meal."
"AMETHYST!" Peridot and Pearl shrieked in unison. Flames of embarrassment devoured Peridot's body. She couldn't even look at anyone and chose to focus on her feet instead. Amethyst cackled, slapping her hand against her hip.
"Oh, P-dot. You are so red! You too, Lapis."
"Let's go, Amethyst," Pearl ordered, yanking the shorter girl toward the door. Saffron and Indigo followed suit, stepping outside. Before she left, Pearl looked between Peridot and Lapis, a scolding look on her face. "Finish your food, and I will be back in 15 minutes, got that?"
"Yes, ma'am," Peridot and Lapis repeated together, avoiding her disapproving glare. Oh, Gods. How humiliating! Once Pearl left, Lapis slid her hand into hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Two Weeks Later
"It's a large sanctuary off the coast of Delmarva," Saffron informed, gesturing wildly to emphasize with Indigo behind her, hands folded neatly in front of her. They stood in front of a beam of light radiating from a communication crystal; Jasper's image projected against the rough bark of a tree. During the night, they had slipped away from the Temple to report back to Jasper in the woods. and Saffron was eager to reveal everything they had learned. "Hundreds of thousands of humans in this temple along with some ancient beings, one being our mentor."
"Is that all?" Jasper lounged against her arm, listening to the siren ramble on about the haven by the sea. None of this was useful to her. Humans were like cockroaches, moving from one location to another whenever their colony was destroyed.
Saffron smirked, shaking her head, "It gets better!"
"I hope so. So far, you've given me nothing useful," Jasper warned. A visible tremor rippled through Saffron's body, and she struggled to maintain her confidence.
"Ye-yes! Rose! Sh-she had a son. He is there." Jasper's head snapped up at the mention of the god's name. A son?
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. This group…they were the ones who broke into your palace. He was captured, and they rescued him. They are putting a lot of faith in him to-to…" her voice trailed off. Saffron straightened her spine. "And-and the Water Witch is there too."
"Lapis?"
The siren bobbed her head. "Yes. She has been living with them. The Crystal Gems, as they call themselves, are the only ones who trust her. The rest of the colony wants her gone."
A small smile touched Jasper's lips. Rose's son and her Lapis in the same place. How convenient! Jasper settled back into the chair, contemplating her next move. Saffron and Indigo stood, silently, waiting for instruction from the Titan.