Peridot finally felt happy, at least somewhat... She couldn't help but feel odd though, Lapis was back but it felt bitter to her deep down.
The moment Lapis left and what she said clouded her mind, Peridot silently sat in the tub. The Barn was still floating somewhere, but Steven had found out where Lapis was at all along and agreed to come back. At least this was for Steven and not Peridot, right?
The temple brightened as the sun began to set for the day. Lapis wandered onto the couch with Peridot, they hadn't spoken since she returned, the room feeling too cold, too quiet; eventually, one of them had to break the silence.
Lapis stared at Peridot, her face contorted in frustration and anger. "Just talk to me, please!" she pleaded, her voice tense and strained.
Peridot was bouncing her foot nervously, the atmosphere in the room growing darker and more uncomfortable with every passing moment.
"I just don't know what to say," Peridot replied, her voice low and angry.
"I didn't come back after months just for us to sit in silence," Lapis said, her voice rising. "You knew I was scared to come back, but you acted like a completely different gem when I did."
Peridot crossed her arms and glared at Lapis. "Well, I didn't ask you to come back; who convinced you to come? Steven! Not me, not even you!"
Lapis sighed and shook her head. She could feel the tension in the room rising, and she desperately wanted to try and make the situation better.
"I did think about coming! It's just that I didn't know when or if you were mad at me!" she said, her voice full of emotion.
"So what? You just left everyone to die to save yourself!" Peridot snapped, her voice full of pain and sadness.
Lapis was taken aback by Peridot's words, and she went silent for a few moments. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, and she wanted to reach out and hug Peridot, but she held back.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you all like that. Especially you," she said quietly.
Peridot bit her lip and looked away. She could feel the guilt and sadness welling up inside her, and she wished she could just let it go.
"Lapis, I care about you. I always have and I want to help in any way you'll let me," Peridot said, her voice full of emotion. "You can always talk to me about your feelings."
Lapis looked at Peridot, her face softening a bit. She knew that Peridot meant well, and she appreciated the gesture.
"Peridot, I don't want to do this again. I always told you about this; why do you keep bringing it up?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Peridot looked up at her, her eyes wide with surprise. "What? I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you ever need me," she said softly. "Like with the whole...J-word-"
"Peridot! I don't want to hear this again. And it's not anything like Jasper; what makes you think that me leaving is the same as being fused with someone so horrible as I am?!" she said, her voice rising.
Peridot was taken aback by the sudden outburst, and she quickly apologized. "I was just giving an example, is all! I shouldn't use her as an example for you. I...I'm sorry. You're not horrible, Lapis."
Lapis looked away, her cheeks heating up. She was embarrassed by her outburst, and she wished she could just let it go.
"You shouldn't just say that. Peridot, I am terrible. You just don't understand, you're so stubborn," she said quietly.
Peridot frowned. "But hasn't it been over a year or two by now? I just thought you had gone over it by now, haven't you?" she asked gently.
Lapis looked up at Peridot, her eyes finally meeting hers. "No, Peridot! Of course, it hasn't. Why are you acting like this?" she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Peridot reached out and grabbed Lapis' hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I care about you, Lapis," she said softly. "You can always talk to me, no matter what it is."
Lapis' anger burned like a raging inferno, consuming her from within. The room trembled with the force of her fury, and she refused to back down, even as Peridot desperately tried to salvage their crumbling relationship.
"You don't understand me at all, Peridot!" Lapis shouted, her voice laced with venom. "You never have. You think you can fix me, but you're just fooling yourself. I am broken beyond repair."
Peridot's eyes brimmed with tears as she stepped forward, her voice quivering.
"No, Lapis, I understand you more than you realize. I see the pain you carry, but that doesn't mean you're beyond redemption. We can find a way to heal together."
Lapis scoffed, her face twisted in a mask of bitterness. "Heal? Do you really think there's a way to fix all the damage I've caused? Look at what I've done, Peridot! Look at the destruction I've left in my wake. It's better if I just disappear."
Peridot's voice rose, desperation seeping into every word. "You can't just run away, Lapis! We've been through so much together. We've faced battles and achieved side by side. Don't throw all of that away because of your anger and self-hatred!"
Lapis took a step closer, her eyes blazing with fury. "You don't know what it's like to be consumed by darkness. To feel it gnawing at your very soul, infecting every thought, every action. It's a poison that traces everything it touches. I won't let it consume you too."
Tears streamed down Peridot's face as she pleaded, her voice filled with heart-wrenching agony.
"I'd rather be consumed by your darkness than live in a world without you. We've always found a way to overcome the worst of things. We can do it again, together."
Lapis clenched her fists, her voice a whisper, but the words dripped with raw anguish.
"I can't bear to see you suffer because of me, Peridot. I won't let my darkness destroy you. It's better if I'm alone."
Peridot's voice cracked, her voice barely audible among her sobs.
"No, Lapis, don't do this. Don't leave me. We're stronger together. Please, stay. Stay and let us fight through it as a team. I can't lose you."
The room trembled with their conflicting emotions, the tension suffocating. But Lapis remained resolute, her voice filled with a mix of disappointment and agony.
Lapis turned away, her steps heavy with heartache. Peridot crumpled to the floor, devastated and shattered.
Their once-unbreakable bond lay fractured and irreparable, torn apart by the weight of their demons.
Lapis couldn't help but wonder if leaving was truly the right choice. But at that moment, the pain and anger blinded her, leaving behind only the haunting echoes of their anguished arguments and a profound sense of loss.
Peridot panicked and bolted toward Lapis, grabbing her arm.
"Lapis, please don't go! There are other ways to deal with this!" Peridot cried as she held Lapis's arm tightly.
"Tell me what I can do to make you stay. Tell me what I can say so you won't leave. I need to know how we can fix this!"
Peridot still had her in a tight grip as Lapis attempted to break free and whimpered pitifully.
Peridot desperately pleaded, "Please! Please, don't leave me here alone again."
"Why doesn't anything I say ever get through your thick skull?" Lapis shouted, attempting to pull away.
"I wish I have never crossed paths with you. it would've saved us some grief." Those final words shattered Peridot to her core; her grip loosened in devastation.
Peridot cried as Lapis finally pulled away from her grip. She quietly sobbed as she flew away.
Peridot fell and looked up at Lapis, only to see nothing; she froze, what felt like millions of thoughts racing through her mind about what could have gone wrong.
The overwhelming feeling crushed Peridot as she fell to the ground, unbuckling her knees.
Her eyes were wide with tears forming, and she trembled. She hugged herself, trying to stop the shaking.
Amethyst and Steven, who were nearby, heard the yelling and shouts. They quickly ran up the stairs to see Peridot on her knees, shaking violently as she was on the verge of sobbing.
"Peridot! What's wrong?" Steven asked with great concern for his green friend.
Amethyst put her hand on Peridot's shoulder, but quickly backed off as she stiffened at the sudden touch.
Steven asked, "Where's Lapis?" as he looked around for her.
Peridot began to sob as she looked down, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around herself tightly.
"Dude, what happened?" Amethyst tried her best to calm Peridot down.
"It's gonna be okay, just tell us please?" Peridot sobbed even harder.
Peridot just couldn't speak, she lowered to her knees as she uncontrollably sobbed. Steven and Amethyst didn't know what to do.
Peridot felt a strange, strong urge to hurt herself, to hurt herself for the mess she had started, the stupid mistakes she made, the reason Lapis left; it was all her fault.
Peridon dug her nails into her arms, slowly digging deeper as the pain became more intense, the thoughts of Lapis and everything they had built together were wasted because of her; she should punish herself for these foolish mistakes.
As thoughts of her mistakes became too overwhelming for her, she quickly dug her nails into her arms, scratching deeply to distract her mind from the pain.
"Dude! What are you doing?" Amethyst exclaimed as she saw what Peridot was doing and grabbed her hands to stop her from hurting herself any further.
Peridot turned back to Amethyst and cried even more.
"Steven, get someone to help us!" Amethyst instructed him as he quickly ran to find Garnet and Pearl.
"I can't do this... I-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry..." Peridot whispered, her voice quavering as she gasped for breath between each sob.
Peridot dug her fingers into her face.
"I want this to stop."
Amethyst in shock, hugs her.
"Hey, it's going to be okay, I'm here." Amethyst hugged her tightly.
"Tell me what happened, please."
Peridot sniffled and tried to wipe the huge amount of tears from her eyes and face.
"Lapis… she… she left again. She left me again, and it's all my fault."
"Oh, man. Let's get you inside, okay?" Amethyst supported Peridot as she shakily got up from her knees; they both walked slowly as Amethyst opened the front door for Peridot.
Amethyst held on to the poor blonde to sit her down on the couch, placing her arms around the shaking gem.
Steven finally returned with Garnet and Pearl, shocking them to see Peridot in such a horrible condition.
"What on Earth happened?" Pearl pondered as she approached the sobbing Peridot.
They quickly tried to comfort Peridot on the couch as she slowly calmed down from her sobbing.
Peridot sits on the couch, looking visibly crushed and hopeless. Steven, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst surround her, concerned about her well-being.
Peridot Sighs heavily "I can't believe she's gone, just like that. Lapis... she left me. I thought we were a team, that we'd always be together." She hid the scratches on her arms by hugging herself as her eyes swarmed with tears.
"She told herself that she was beyond redemption. I-I tried to make her stay but.. but-" She sobbed.
"Oh, Peridot. Separation can be incredibly difficult, especially when it comes unexpectedly." Pearl ensured.
"But remember, Lapis made her decision for a reason. It might not have been easy for her either." Pearl said gently, knowing how upset Peridot was.
Peridot bitterly fumed, "Easy for her? She left without even saying a proper goodbye! We were partners, and now she's gone. How could she do this to me?" She sobbed with every bit of guilt and anger.
Amethyst hugged the poor blonde. "Hey, Peridot, I get that you're hurt, but maybe Lapis had her reasons. You know how she can be sometimes. It's not about you; it's about what she needed for herself."
"But... but I thought we were finally getting through to her. We fought together, we laughed together..."
Peridot's voice trembled.
"I thought we were building something special," she said, her voice cracking. "And now she's just gone, like if none of it mattered." Peridot squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip.
Garnet placed her hand on Peridot's shoulder. "Peridot, change can be difficult, especially for those who have been hurt in the past."
Peridot hugged herself as she listened to Garnet. She desperately tried to hold back another sob.
"Lapis has faced many hardships, and sometimes people need time and space to heal. It doesn't mean your efforts were in vain. You made a difference in her life, even if she's not here right now."
Peridot's voice cracks, "I just miss her so much. I thought I finally found someone who understood me, who accepted me for who I am. Now it feels like I'm all alone again like I'm back on Homeworld."
"Peridot, you're not alone. We're here for you. We care about you deeply. Lapis may have left, but that doesn't mean we're going anywhere. You're a part of this team, and we'll always be here to support you."
Amethyst Wrapping her arms around Peridot "Yeah, Peri, we've all been through tough times, and we've always found a way to stick together."
Amethyst Squeezes Peridot affectionately letting out a small sound from the blond "We're not about to let you go through this alone. We're the Crystal Gems, after all!"
Garnet Holds Peridot's hands in her own "Remember, Peridot, friendships can change and evolve, but the bonds we forge can remain strong."
Garnet Pulls Peridot into a warm embrace. "Lapis might come back someday, or you may find new connections that bring you joy. In the meantime, lean on us. We'll help you through this."
Peridot Sniffles, leaning into their comforting touch "Thank you, guys. I... I appreciate your support."
Pearl Pats Peridot's back, "We've all faced heartbreak, but we've found ways to heal and grow. You'll find your way too."
Peridot Tears streaming down her face, "I... I'll try to believe that." Peridot Hugs them tightly "Thank you" Peridot smiled but still shattered.
The Crystal Gems gather around Peridot, offering their comforting presence, reminding her that she's loved and supported.
Peridot felt so drained mentally that she just felt exhausted and had little remaining motivation.
Steven grabbed a blanket and draped it over Peridot as she lay down to rest. Her eyelids were droopy, her eyes looked sore from all the crying; she closed them as they felt burned.
She slowly drifted off to sleep, peacefully snuggled up on the couch while Steven kept watch over her from his bed.