Talk To Me

-I Would Do Anything for You-

All that came to mind were questions. Mostly, "why?" and "what?". Peridot was sure to keep her distance from Jasper as she pondered these questions. Her stomach bubbled with anxiety. "This was a very cloddy decision."

"So, what happened?"

"What?"

"While I was gone."

What was she supposed to say? "Oh, not much, just Steven being kidnapped, finding out Rose was Pink Diamond, and the fall of the Diamond Empire. Also the Crystal Gems, who you hate, have tripled in size."

Maybe not.

"No-one else will tell me."

Peridot felt a twinge of pity for her, which alarmed her. After all, had she not antagonized her and her friends for so long? Jasper had done things that were inexcusable. But Peridot remembered when she was the villain. "It's not the same!"

No, not the same, but still, she could understand.

She began fiddling with her fingers. "W-well, I'm sure you've noticed that there are a lot more Gems than there used to be, and-"

Jasper stopped in her tracks and pivoted to face her. "I know about that. What happened after I was corrupted?"

"Oh. Um, well, you see...You were bubbled, and y' know, stuff happened, things about other things and all that..."

"What. Happened."

Jasper's stance was aggravated, tense. She was not going to overstep any boundaries, but her limits were wearing thin. Peridot considered running away now more than ever. But this was not a time to let panic take over. They both wanted answers, and they would only find them with each other.

"Okay. Well, Steven was...taken into space by Blue Diamond, escaped, was kidnapped again by Homeworld and put on trial by the Diamonds, Lazuli left for the moon, apparently Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, a marriage happened, Blue and Yellow Diamond came to earth to fight everyone, Lazuli came back, we were poofed, then we reformed and us Crystal Gems fought the Diamonds on Homeworld and won epically, and the Diamonds came back to earth, healed you and the other corrupted gems with Steven, and now here we are." (She was out of breath by the time she had finished recounting everything she remembered.

"R-rose was...Pink Diamond?"

Peridot drew in a breath sharply. She had forgotten how much Jasper had cared for Pink, how debilitating it would be to learn that Pink and Rose were her nemesis and beloved monarch in one. She braced for an explosion of fury and grief.

But all that came was silence. Not quite silence. Crying is never silent. Jasper was crying. Tears crept from her eyes like water from a straining dam, like a flood lessened by porous rocks. She was so vulnerable, so unlike the "Kindergarten Kid that could", that Peridot wondered if this was really her.

Jasper abruptly turned around again and continued down the hill. They were almost at the border of Beach City.

Until they reached the pavement, not once did Peridot move her eyes from her feet.

                                                                ***

Lapis was exploring. Something she hadn't done for thousands of years. "Why not? This is my home now." There was so much of this world she had yet to see, and this seemed like a good place to start. Perhaps not specifically Fish Stew Pizza, but here in town. Amethyst had recommended it, but Lapis found she was not fond of eating fish. It seemed peculiar. The angry man behind the counter kept coming over to ask for 'money', too. She figured she should leave. So she did.