Heaven's Strike 3: Outskirts of Heaven [Lapidot AU]

Chapter 11: Thud

A/N: Here's some more for the long wait. My writing does confuse sometimes, yes...and I always stop at a shitty moment, lol.

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"Lapis—", she blurted as she woke. After a wash of cold, she felt from last night, light lurking out from the shadows, feeling a new warmth to the day, Peridot woke up in the middle of nowhere.

Well, not really, she recognizes the place. This is... my old cabin?. The waterfall sound from afar has confirmed it, as she looked around to studied the main room, dusty, dark, and the wall seems to almost fell apart. Peridot began to move, though before she knew, she was tied to a chair, as the door creak open. There's Connie, bringing some towels and food.

"And here I thought I have to throw you out to the waterfall as a wake-up bath"

"Connie? Why are we here— Argh.." - Peridot grunted

"Don't worry, your wound should heal quickly. Blue Diamond tears are great for treating those"

The clock keeps on ticking, like it measuring and constantly counting their patience for each other, part of any world, waiting sucks. The past three hours had passed, in this slow time - every little sound became louder, coldness was colder and there was no sign of sun ray.

All the while her insides felt as if there was nothing, nothing to need feeding, nothing to have need of anything at all.

"Would you mind releasing the rope...I just don't feel comfortable with it, not like I'm gonna run or anything" - said Peridot

"Yeah right, Peridot. Well, I'm on the other hand, very comfortable"

"Let me sitting here isn't gonna entertain you any minute though"

"True. Yet you are not the material, the real one is coming to our place"

"Lapis? You are using me as a bait to lure her in?"

Connie shrugged at her question, smirking while continue paring the apple.

"How come?"

"What?"

"How did you become like this, you've never been such crude before. A young sweet girl, who care to other people, she fights with honor, not this kind, why Connie?"

"Honor isn't gonna bring my family back"

Peridot startled as Connie looked away, she almost smiles, a painful one, but still trying to keep the calm expression. Staring blankly through the broken window, as searched her memory for possible pieces she could remember, her family, being happy with each other.

They would be laughing, carry on in life, just as before, each one just as beautiful as the last but, it was disconnected, one has separated her from the inner light and beauty, now left with only the picture of them in her pocket.

"Tell me. Would you be furious? Would you try to change your whole damn self just to get what was once yours back?"

"...I would" - Peridot affirmed, "but not this way. Don't you ever think that your mother wouldn't want her daughter to go down this path?"

"She would understand. Although it's all too late now, I can never go back. Neither do you."

"So you get all this, for revenge? And then what?"

"I get all this. And then Nora and that cold-hearted Lapis would crawl under my knees and beg for mercy after what they did to my family, for what they did to Steven"

Disconcerted, she averted her eyes to the clock as if checking the time then keep going.

"You think this is a fairy tales story? Where everything will always be fine and you get the princess back? Well, guess what, it's not!"

As Connie stopped to dwell for a second, her face is wet with tears. They roll silently into her lips. She clasped the photo of the last time she took with her parent, watching the brunette covered her face, she was holding back the whole time, try not to cry but it didn't work. Tears began to gather behind Peridot's eyes too.

The ache of Connie's pain echoed through the very marrow of her bones. It created a trapped in the chambers of her heart. She could feel it, the mourn, after Jasper died, she felt like the world just missing out a piece, losing something important, it change who we are.

Peridot understand it, the loss was too big for a young girl like Connie, her home was gone and the only path she could take is to fight. A reflection of herself from before. Yes, fighting, aimlessly, blindly. She thought, it will be the end, until life gave her a purpose, Lapis. Without her, Peridot would be deepen into the dark.

With every spare moment, Peridot's mind would return to Lapis. It is a torment she was unprepared for, the memory still fresh in her mind.

Peridot's nostrils engulfed by the hint of citrus in the air, and with it, her brain flooded with pictures of Lapis. Her face is just as pretty as the first day she saw her, her eyes twinkling with laughter as she smiled.

It's a cruelty that the sun continues to rise, to welcome in each new day without Lapis by her side. So much time had passed since then, and all Peridot had left of her was the memory.

The petals of the roses were an scatter around outside, with enchanting colours, but to her they were only shades of grey. She missed her that much. Peridot wish she was here so that she could comfort her and tell her what to do. Her chest ached as she thought of what she had lost. I want to hear your voice Lapis.

Suddenly, like that tick of the clock, Peridot heart throb, the blonde girl shivered violently in her chair, her head felt like being vigorously squeezed by someone hand.

"Peridot?" - Connie eyes widen, astonished as she check on Peridot.

Waves of heat coursed through Peridot's blood, a cold sweat glistened, everything ached, everything sagged.

Across the White Palace, as Nora feel it too, the same symptom, as she put her strength on one knee try not to collapse to the ground.

"It's here already..." - Nora said as she bent, and her hand gripped hard on her head. "Peridot, looks like we both have to run faster now...Only one hybrid could survive, and I'm not gonna let you win this, not this time. Until I can see my true mother again, I will not giving up."