Lapis and Peridot

[Peridot's POV]

No, no NO! Nothing was going according to plan! This was all wrong! We were supposed to be on Earth, checking on the cluster. Just in and out, then go home. But instead Jasper insisted on taking the Steven to Yellow Diamond, and that meant coming all the way back again later. Something was going on, but I wasn't sure what.

Jasper had forced me to obey her, and I couldn't resist without hurting her (and therefore practically shattering myself), so saying no wasn't an option. Therefore, the ship was up and in the air above Earth's atmosphere. It wasn't going anywhere much, just drifting around in space while I argued with Jasper. She was stomping around the whole ship, and I was following her. Some time had passed while we were up here, but as our new prisoners (the Pearl, the Amethyst, the unfused gems Sapphire and Ruby, and the Steven) were already caged and unable to escape, we had a while to think and argue before we had to decide what to do. Lapis, too, had been thrown back into her cage. I couldn't help her at that time, though; I had to get Jasper to see sense.

If we went back to Homeworld now, Lapis would definitely be shattered without a second thought. Jasper would tell how she had hidden information on the Steven and how she was no use anymore and that would be that. I would be punished too, for failing to complete my mission. It didn't matter that it was Jasper's idea; I would still be punished. I knew Homeworld's tactics. I had once approved of them. Now, I was beginning to wonder.

[Lapis' POV]

This was it. It was all over. Everything was hopeless. I had failed at protecting Steven; I had failed at saving myself. I hadn't even managed to run away. I was seated in the middle of my cell, back to the corridor, lamenting everything. We had been adrift for a while now, although the ship didn't seem to be moving. After Garnet was gone, although I hoped not forever, and Steven was unconscious, it had been pathetically easy for Jasper to subdue the other two Crystal Gems. I buried my face in my hands and stayed still for a few minutes.

Suddenly there were footsteps in the corridor, and they didn't belong to either Peridot or Jasper. Running pitter-pattering footsteps. I stayed still. There was a gasp, and then a mutter from an unfamiliar voice. Then–

"Lapis!" Oh my stars. It was Steven. I turned my head. How did he escape? "Lapis, I can get you out!" He lifted his hands, about to touch the wall.

"Stop!"

"It's okay, I can–"

"No." My misery had seized me. I half-stood, and Steven drew back. "I don't want your help. Things are bad enough as it is. I've already made too much trouble. Once we get back to Homeworld, they're going to decide what to do with us." The small red gem standing next to Steven (Ruby, I recognized, remembering the days before the great war) suddenly huffed.

"Rrrrr, I don't have time for this!" She started stomping off.

"Wait!" That was Steven.

"Steven, whatever you're doing, just stop. If we do everything they say they might go easy on us." Oh, what was I saying? We didn't have a chance.

"But they're– mean!" Steven replied. "They hurt my friends. They hurt my face!" Indeed, his eye had a black ring around it. "They've got you here in PRISON!"

"That's why we can't fight them," I replied.

"That's why we have to fight them!"

I turned away without responding, leaning against the wall and wrapping my arms around my legs. He just didn't understand. I'd tried to fight, I'd tried, but it was hopeless, it didn't work! I was going to be shattered, and... and...