Taking flight (Lapidot one shot/short story)

Goodbyes aren't easy

It had been several months since Steven's trip to the human zoo. And just a few weeks since he returned home from homeworld. Much to the gems delight he arrived largely unharmed. There was, however, a bigger issue. Steven had faced the diamonds: Now they knew who he was. 

To add to the problem, Lars was leading ships full of gems towards earth in attempt to save his own ship of refugee gems. They all knew a war would be coming.

The green gem had developed much since arriving on Earth. Her views had changed, despite being the same gem deep down. Was she scared of a war? Of course. Was she scared of dying? Duh. Was she scared of yellow diamond? Most definitely. Was she willing to fight for Earth? Heck, yes.

The blue gem, on the other hand, had other feelings. The past year had almost certainly been the best of her long suffocating life. She was finally free. Free from homeworld, free from that mirror, free from fusion. Free to make her own decisions, too. That's what it meant to be on Earth – the freedom to do as you choose. Even if that meant choosing to leave.

Why would anyone want to leave? Wasn't Earth a place of beauty and freedom? It was, but there was an issue, that for Lapis was far worse than the greatness of Earth. War. War was the reason she was trapped in the first place. If only she hadn't been caught up in it, maybe she'd have made it back to homeworld. How different life would have been, though. She wouldn't have met Steven, she wouldn't be sharing a barn with Peridot. Here there were people that would look out for her. People who would notice if she was gone. People who would miss her.

However, when your mind is reigned by fear, these thoughts don't come to mind. A scramble of memories filled her mind, black clouds in the raging storm that was her mind. All her mind could perceive was the past. Five thousand years of hell. Used as an ornament, a magic trick, a toy. Most of that time was silence. She wasn't prepared to wait another five thousand years to be rescued again. Her mind told her to take initiative - to save herself this time.

---

Peridot woke up. Not knowing why, her body jolted up. She sat in the hammock, rubbing her eyes awake. Something just wasn't right. Normally this would not be an issue, Lapis wasn't in the barn. Lapis often went out for flights on her own without telling Peridot. Despite doing this many times, Peridot always worried about her. Lapis wasn't healed, yet she was an independent gem. She enjoyed her alone time, after all that's the life she lived for five thousand years. Even if the green gem did fear for her, she also cared for her enough to hold herself back, giving Lapis the space she needed. But not this time. The sickly weight in the bottom of her stomach told her something wasn't right.

Her eyes darted around the barn for the blue gem. She certainly wasn't in the barn. Stepping, well, stumbling, out of the hammock, a rush of urgency washed through her. She regained her composure and dashed towards the barn door.

Walking out she was captured by Earth's beauty for a moment. A golden sun was setting on the horizon sending a cascade of oranges and pinks through the sky. A handful of plump clouds dusted the sky. Sunsets truly were a marvel to see on Earth: she enjoyed watching the sun in its first and final moments each day. Whenever she could, she would share these moments with Lapis. Lapis also had a keen eye for painting sunsets. Lapis would... Lapis.

Lapis, Lapis, Lapis.

---

It was time to go. Uncertain when exactly trouble would strike, yet certain that it was soon. What to tell Peridot? After mulling over phrases such as "I'm sorry", "I need to do this", "I'm not ready to fight", she had settled on saying... nothing. Words were not her forte and attempting explanation to Peridot would only make it harder.