• Published 26th Jan 2017
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My Little Universe: Season 5 - EquestrianKirin

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Hot Water

"It was so intense over there! We were only five minutes into looking around, WHEN SUDDENLY -- WA-PAMO! KA POWIE! Out charges mean ol Malachite, trees snapping like teenie bity twigs. EarthStone showed and was all "We're trying to help you!", but Malachite was all "RAWR, I DON'T LIKE YOU!" So, we got a ton of vines and wrapped her up like a present, gave her her medicine, and boom! Winner winner cookie dinner!"

For the first time in a long time, things had finally calmed down for the Crystal Gems and Mane Six ponies. Even if they were now back at the barn, rather than the constant work, the group finally took time to relax and listen to what eachother had been up to for the longest time, not hearing much of them since this whole Cluster thing even started in the first place. Much of the group, while not the entire group, settled down and listened to what they had to say. The one's who weren't present (aside from Jasper and Lapis of course) were Peridot, Emerald, Star and Pearl. While Pinkie's explanation for the fight they had with Malachite was childish, it got across fairly well. Even if that 'winner winner cookie dinner' thing got confusing for some.

"Well, something like that," Connie said.

"Connie, Amethyst, Steven. I'm so proud of you three! Perfect harmony in the face of danger, and in doing so, getting Lapis and Jasper back home. Now that was amazing." Garnet smiled proudly to the others. Amethyst, Steven, and Connie were acting a bit modest about it.

"Well we had a little help," Connie said, glancing to the ponies.

"We're just glad everypony's okay," said Twilight as she looked to the barn.

"Yeah, that was sweet. What about the Cluster though, what happened there?" asked Fulgurite. That got some of them hyped up.

"Yeah, come on Steven! Tell em what happened in there!" insisted Pinkie Pie, waiting for him to say something. However, Steven appeared a bit less focused on it than the others were, his eyes looking right over to the barn. Pinkie eventually followed his eyes to said barn.

"Steven?"

"Oh, yeah, give me a second," said Steven.

Soon after that, Steven went right over to the barn. He, alongside Applejack, went right over to the barn and opened up the door. Both pony and human quietly checked inside the barnhouse, and both of them saw Lapis and Jasper, still laying where they last left them. Both Gems hadn't got up since this event had past, and neither one of them tried to wake them up. Lapis made a small groan, but that was the best they got. AJ and Steven glanced to eachother in worry for a moment.

"Dang, they're still out of it," commented Applejack. Steven couldn't help but agree.

"They both went through so much as Malachite. Jasper tried so hard to keep Malachite from escaping, and Lapis with her cracked Gem. I hope they're okay. ..."

"Looks to me like they just need some more recovery time. Come on, sport. Everypony's still waiting to hear bout your underground visit," Applejack suggested. There was nothing else they could do right now anyway, and all they could do was wait it out until they both wake up. Steven could only agree to that and not much else, as he and Applejack went back to the others.

.......

*hisssss*

~~~~~~

The day lasted for quite a while longer, and onto the night. While the others tried to relax still from everything, it was Steven who still stuck around the barnhouse. For the longest time, everything just seemed quiet. Not a sound anywhere throughout the whole time there, and the longer nothing was happening, the longer Steven had to wonder if they'll truly be alright or not. His memory of that dream just before the fight haunted him throughout the entire time: Jasper struggling to keep Lapis down, Lapis Lazuli so furious in a blind rage, it all just looked so harsh to both sides and everything. He wasn't going to leave either one of them here, not until he knows that they're alright.
Late into the night, Steven stayed right over by the closed doors of the barnhouse, already prepared with his little caterpillar sleeping bag and sleeping the night away. At least for him, it was a clearer night so something like a rain shower wasn't going to be an issue for him here. As he continued to lay there quietly, he felt the urge to make sure again, so he got up to his feet.

"Lapis? ... Jasper? ..." Steven quietly said. However, there wasn't any response from within the barn, though Steven just took this as the two still sleeping. Being gone for months in an unstable fusion would were even the toughest Gems out. Quietly, Steven went in and opened up the door, the moonlight gently moving into the room. However, then came a rather horrifying conclusion.

Both Gems were gone.

"Guys! Where'd you go?" Steven gasped, rushing in. The covers and pillows remained where they were, though one side appeared as if one of them moved it to get up. Steven tried looking around the barn as best he could, but he couldn't find any real sign of any Gem anywhere, anyhow. Sure, it was dark and Steven couldn't see too well, but any sign of a glowing Gemstone should be seen in the dark somewhere, but nothing.

"What the? Jasper! Lapis! They couldn't had left the barn, had they?" Steven wondered. Lapis was a maybe, but Jasper was just too big to go past him undetected like this. Steven went all around the barn, looking around every nook and cranny of the place, but found nothing. Not even a strand of orange hair, or a drop of Lapis's water wings. Not a single implication. That's when a thought hit him and he turned to the covers.

"I see. They were so tired, that they went into their Gemstones to heal up," Steven theorized. Well, there was one way to find that out, and he went straight to the covers. He grabbed them both, and cleared them off in one clean motion, expecting to see a blue and orange Gemstone side-by-side with eachother.
Unfortunately, the results revealed nothing. All he saw was just the floorboards of the barn and nothing else. Now he was getting discouraged.

"Uh oh. ... M-Maybe they got uncomfortable?"

*drip*

It was then that he felt the drop of water he'd been missing, which landed on his shoulder in a single drop. It may not be too much water, but it was just enough for Steven to notice touch him. The only direction it came from was right above him. ...

"...L-Lapis? ..."

There she was. Lapis Lazuli. However, it wasn't the same Lapis that he knew of, at least by first appearances alone. The moonlight gleaned off her water wings, but not only were they still out, but also they were wrapped around her body, much like the way a bat would fold its wings when roosting, going over her head included. Lapis was upside down in this position too, her feet held up on one of the barn's roof beams by some water ice 'talons', and her back was facing away from the door. It looked as though she was sleeping up there, though Steven couldn't tell. If she was sleeping, she surely was a sound sleeper after his yells and racket below her.

"Go away," Lapis simply said.

"What? But, Lapis -" before Steven could even finish, suddenly a water hand grabbed him, picked him up, and moved him right on outside the barn before closing the door shut. Just like that.

"Lapis, what's wrong?"

Not a response from her. Obviously something just wasn't right here. After so long of absence, one would think that Lapis would be overjoyed on seeing someone like Steven again, but this was the opposite of what he wanted to see from her. Why would she lock him out? Steven immediately got up and tried to open the barn doors again, but Lapis had locked them up tight already.

"Lapis Lazuli. ..."

~~~~~~

The next morning, news of Lapis's wake up spread around back home straight away, Steven rushing right back home soon after Lapis, to put it bluntly, kicked him out. Not the way he'd picture their reunion really. It took a little bit of time, but Steven did bring back a number of available friends to come back and try to figure this out. The friends Steven managed to get, at least for the moment, were Garnet, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Diopside, with the others busy with other things too really bother right now. It wasn't everyone, but it was the best he had at the moment, so that was to be said. Unfortunately for them, when they did get to the barn, things looked a little different: the barnhouse doors had a sky blue sheen on the cracks, suggested that Lapis Lazuli had sealed the barn doors shut tight as to not be disturbed. Whatever was bugging her here clearly was something big enough to isolate herself in there, and with everything else inside. Perhaps even Jasper if that were the case. Even before they got close, they could feel a tingle of cool air touch them, a slight chill if you will, suggesting it'd been like this for a while now. The sight of the barnhouse turning into a freezer was a bit troubling to see, especially after months of separation and only a little time of reunion.

"Lapis! Lapis Lapis LAPIS! You in there?" Pinkie called, her hooves banging on the barn door, only to be met with nothing. It was clear she didn't want to talk.

"So this is what you're talking about, Steven?" Diopside asked, worried. all Steven did was nod to confirm, as Pinkie tried to get her way inside. She tried to beat the door down, but any efforts on her part didn't really do anything apart from making her hooves sore.

"Pinkie, wait," Garnet said firmly. The pink pony's attempts at getting in just wasn't working, but all Garnet did was simply point up to the upper loft, a prominent hole opened up still compared to the door. At least there was one entrance into the place rather than the front door.
They really didn't need much time this time around to get up there. Fluttershy, being the flier out of them, got up there first and peeked into the barn at the situation. It may have only been one night, but Lapis Lazuli had really altered the place, and with the brighter light of daytime, the barn had a far easier view than last night. And even if it was nighttime, it would've been easier to notice either way. From their roost up on the loft, they could see that Lapis Lazuli had altered the interior of the barn from wood to ice. The place looked more like an ice cave than the interior of any barn, a good inch of ice covering the area very well. The ceiling was covered completely, the walls partially, and the cold floor having very small patches of ice. Frost covered many of the items inside to some degree, if it wasn't covered in any ice. Fluttershy stayed quiet as much as she could, feeling as if she stepped into a refrigerator, and she quietly landed down on the floor with her hooves already feeling the freezing temperature under her hooves. As for Lapis herself, she didn't freeze in her state, but she was still upside down in her bat-like position, including the water wings still being out and wrapped around her. If she did hear Fluttershy come in, she wasn't doing anything about it. Fluttershy herself moved quietly towards the back of the barn in order to get a better view of Lapis's face (as best as she could get anyway).

"Oh my," Fluttershy quietly said, worried as ever for poor Lapis. Back at the loft, Steven ended up on the loft after some help from Garnet outside, alongside Diopside as well, but they both stayed up on the loft rather than flutter around alongside Fluttershy.

"Lapis," Fluttershy said, a little louder to try and get her attention. Lapis opened her eyes from under her wings, but all that came out was a groan.

"What do you want?" Lapis asked grimly.

"We missed you so much. Don't you want to come out?"

"... No thanks," Lapis replied. Fluttershy was as confused as Steven was when he found out, and Fluttershy wondered what was going through her head. Lapis closed her eyes again, turning away from Fluttershy slightly.

"Is something wrong? W-We know that you've been gone for -"

"JUST GO," Lapis suddenly said, the water coming alive again. The water grabbed Fluttershy and, as it did with Steven earlier, moved her off outside. The flow of water caught Steven and Diopside as well, and all three of them ended up dumped outside of the barnhouse, though unlike earlier Lapis didn't seal the hole shut. The trio were left completely soaked, but alright overall. Garnet had overheard what had happened in there, and she took a moment to think over what should be done. It was clear that just straight conversation wasn't going to get through to her, at least not now.

"Come on, let's give her some time."

"But Garnet, she just got back," Steven retorted.

"Exactly. Lapis spent an unbearable amount of time fused with Jasper. The emotional and physical strain of that type of fusion; I can't imagine. She's gonna need a lot of time to recover, Jasper as well," Garnet explained, left to wonder herself on what kind of struggle they had to go through as Malachite. As much of reason that was, Steven suddenly remembered something from last night.

"Oh yeah, Jasper! I don't know what happened to her, I think she left," Steven revealed.

"We'll figure her out, but for now, let's give Lapis some recovery," Garnet instructed. While it may seem strange that Jasper just got up and left, Garnet knew they could figure her out eventually, but for now, it was one step at a time.

~~~~~~

Time ticked on by, days in fact, and while everything had finally chilled out one way or another, it just didn't seem all correct. Steven spent his time during this to try and help Lapis out and/or figure out Jasper's whereabouts. both of which resulted in nothing to show for it. As for the Lapis attempts, Steven had tried to at least get her out of her ice cocoon of the barnhouse, but he was lucky to even get into the barn without getting pushed out by Lapis herself. Whatever attempt to try so far had only resulted in 'go away' or 'get out' or something along those lines. At least that was the main response.
As for Jasper and finding her out, it wasn't doing any better. Sure, Lapis may have isolated herself, but they at least knew where she was, but Jasper left no trace behind. not a message, not any clues, and even if there was one of those things, Lapis wouldn't let them in the only place where there would be anything so that didn't help. It was a bit of a shame. Jasper was still missing, and Lapis just wasn't herself. With what both had gone through, one would think they'd be overjoyed to be free and seeing them again, but this was just hard to take.

At this moment, Steven had gone off outside of his own world, and over into Equestria for a little while. The fact this just seemed to happen only made him feel a bit depressed about the whole thing, so Steven decided to stop by and get some fresh cider to drink up. Who'd of thought? Steven just sat down at the table, a cup of cider in his hand and chin settled down on the surface. He would normally get cheered up by the faces of the ponies around town, but the kid just didn't feel up to it this time. Foreign for him, to be sure, and anypony who saw him like this got that idea completely. The waiter pony stepped over to him.

"May I give you a refill?" the waiter asked him.

"Keep it full," Steven said, voice muffled because his face was in the table, as she lifted the glass to him. The pony took the glass and went off to refill it. All Steven did was sit there, trying to think on what to do. It just felt missing with Lapis not around. ...

"Steven. Long time no see," said a familiar voice. Steven looked over nearby, and saw that Derpy Hooves had stopped by, seeing the sad kid on her flight through Ponyville.

"Hi," Steven just sighed. It was clear that the normally chirpy Steven wasn't up for much talking, much like Lapis but a little less. Derpy sat down across from him.

"Something wrong?" Derpy asked. Steven groaned.

"It's my friend, Lapis Lazuli."

"Lapis? ... OH, you mean your blue Gem friend!" Derpy realized. She remembered seeing her time to time around Ponyville, but like Steven, she'd been and gone for quite a while too.

"Yeah. She had disappeared for a very long time."

"Oh no, did you find her yet?" Derpy asked. The waiter came back, and gave Steven yet another cider, which Steven took before answering.

"I found her. But she's changed so much. She won't talk to any of us or anything, and she looks so sad," Steven sighed, as he started to chug down the cider. Derpy waited until Steven finished up, worried a little bit over him.

"Can I get you anything, mam?" the waiter asked.

"Eh, no thanks I'm good," Derpy replied. The waiter went off on his way from there, leaving Derpy and Steven alone at their table. Steven kept chugging it until every drop got down his throat, leaving him a little dazed. Steven slammed his cup down onto the table, making Derpy flinch. Even if it wasn't anything like beer, Steven surely was treating it like such. ...

"... How many of those did you have?" Derpy questioned, hoof pointing to the now empty cup. Steven didn't even bother to answer that. His mind was preoccupied anyway with the situation over drink intake.

"Poor Lapis. What am I gonna do?" Steven sighed, laying his head on the table miserably again. Derpy wanted to help him out, scratching her mane for some sort of idea that could help him. It took the wall-eyed mare some time, but Derpy only came up with one typical idea.

"I know. Why not make something? something nice, and something she'd like. That'll cheer her up," Derpy suggested. Steven thought it over for a little bit, and soon a smile ended up on his face.

Now to think up what to make.

.......

"Lapis! Hey Lapis!"

"What now?" Lapis quietly groaned from inside the barn. It wasn't the first time Steven and company tried to call her back outside. It took a while for Steven to figure something out, but he did eventually get something up and running, hopefully something Lapis would like and enjoy, maybe enough to get her out of this depression bunk. Lapis just sighed, and moved herself up to the upper loft, and looked down to the others down below. ...

"TA-DA!" Steven called, holding something out to show to her. The object was pretty small, and Steven managed to find it while going around on the beach. It turned out to be a sea necklace, lined with some pretty shells he picked up while he was in equestrian, thus giving it some more pretty colors.
Unfortunately, It didn't do the trick. Lapis quietly turned away, and disappeared back into the barn. However, a quick water arm grabbed it and pulled it inside with her, and in exchange something else flew out from the hole. Steven managed to catch it, and it turned out to be a little letter of sorts.

Thanks

...No more, no less. And still nothing to show.

~~~~~~

After that, Steven found himself back at the Beach house this time. Instead of being depressed, Steven was preoccupied in trying to figure out what present would make Lapis Lazuli happy. Steven had a number of ideas, but hadn't gone through on any of them just yet. He was sitting on the couch, a sketch pad in front of him, and a pencil drawing out ideas for gifts. As he was going through these, the Warp Pad to the back activated, and Bismuth came back.

"Eh, still nothing. come on, Jay, where are ya?" Bismuth commented, before seeing Steven nearby.

"Hey, Steven, how ya doing?" Bismuth asked, playfully fluffing Steven's hair. Bismuth soon saw the list that Steven had in hand, showing the items Steven drew out.

"I'm fine, but I can't figure out what to give Lapis," Steven said, showing the list to Bismuth a bit better. The items Steven drew out all revolved around the sea in some way: a pretty shell, a boat, and the necklace from earlier though that was crossed out.

"Oh, is that all?"

"What do you mean "all"? This is super important!" Steven retorted. Bismuth heard of this little issue just yesterday, so she may be fairly new of it but that didn't mean she didn't want to help. Bismuth took a little bit of thinking, but eventually with a snap of her fingers, something came to her.

"I got it!"

.......

"Oh. It's you," Lapis groaned, seeing Bismuth from her roost. If she wasn't happy seeing Steven, she was just out of it when she saw Bismuth of all Gems. She was questionable with the others, but her discomfort (lightly putting it by the way) towards Bismuth was more established. When she did see her, she was with Steven, and something on the ground appeared covered up. What the object was, she wasn't sure since it appeared too flat, and oddly moving for whatever reason. Also, Steven looked a little dirty too in the arms and face, also for some reason Lapis wasn't sure about.

"We got you something else, Lapis!" Steven called, who was sitting on Bismuth's shoulder calling up to her. Lapis didn't appear too excited about it.

"And what would that be?" On the question, Bismuth and Steven went over to the tarp covering the object, and in one clear swoop of the sheet, the two revealed exactly what they had in mind for her. Turned out, after work on both of their parts, which explains the dirt on Steven and why he looked a little tired over it. The water was fairly deep, crystal clear blue, and pretty cool as well, provided by the nearest barn hose.

"It's a gift for you! You know, 'cause water's your thing. Pretty good, right? The barn's out here in the country, but now you can get your moisture fix whenever. Talk about an advantage," Bismuth explained, feeling pretty confident in herself about it. To her, it was more of a tactical advantage over just a simple gift, and Lapis could see that as her reaction was more than less enthused.

"Water? Seriously?" Lapis questioned, a bit cross actually.

"Yeah!"

"You do realize that I spent the last few months trapped under the ocean, right?" Lapis reminded, again not too happy about it. They both didn't need another reminder of that, but Bismuth didn't get the idea just yet.

"Sure! ... but I thought -" All of a sudden, Bismuth was cut off by what Lapis did next. Opening her wings, Lapis quickly dove at Bismuth, her cross and almost dark expression locked with Bismuth's own. The lunge made both of them jump, and bismuth found herself staring into the eyed of a scorned creature.

"It was an endless, crushing darkness. Wet, and bleak, and suffocating. Water was the tomb I lived in for those months."

Each word Lapis said stuck to Bismuth and Steven like glue, and as effective as ever in getting the message across, in an almost poetic sort of way with her wording. Bismuth's confidence was shot down.

"T-Tomb, you say?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda taking a break from water right now. But thanks... for the lake," Lapis simply said, disdain unfortunately, as she flew back into the barn without another word. Well, that didn't work. If anything, Lapis just sounded more withdrawn and distant. And it was troubling Steven more and more.

"Sorry, Steven," Bismuth sighed.

"It's okay," Steven just said, though they both knew that it wasn't going so good. What was Steven supposed to do now?

~~~~~~

That night, and things had settled down slightly, as Steven readied himself for bed. The Gems were doing their own thing (Lapis as the exception of course), so Steven was only by himself with Blue the Gem dog for company. After the usual routine, Steven was right at bed, Blue sensing that his master wasn't doing so well.

"Hi, Blue," Steven said, gently rubbing Blue's head. Blue licked Steven in the face as his hello, and while Steven did chuckle, Blue saw that Steven wasn't feeling much better. Steven laid down quietly, staring up at the ceiling in some silence.

"Lapis. I wish you can tell me what's wrong with you. I don't want to see you so sad anymore ..." Steven trailed off in thought on this, remembering the fun times he and Lapis Lazuli had with eachother, and how much fun she had with the others too. The ponies, the Crystal Gems, she had it all but now she was acting like none of it even mattered anymore. What did that cracked Gem and fusion do to her? This lime of thought trailed on through the night, minute by minute, until Steven ended up drifting off to sleep.

.......

"OW! What the?"

his dreams were not done with this yet. While he was in his room a moment ago, Steven instead found himself on a lone fishing boat. The boat was small, just big enough for him to fit onto it comfortably, and he found himself out in the middle of the ocean, not a single wave moving him around. Skies were dull in weather, clouds covering every bit of it but not a drop of rain to suffice. Steven tried to look around, but all he could see was sea.

"Hey, I'm on a boat! ... But, that would mean -"

"Steven?"

There was that voice. Steven moved the boat around to face the voice, and soon he found his target. Lapis Lazuli. Sitting on a very small, all lone island in the middle of nowhere. Sitting, thinking, and looking over to him in disbelief.

"Lapis Lazuli!" Steven called, moving the tiny boat to dock at the island. Steven hopped out of his boat, and went straight over to her.

"Go away," Lapis simply said, turning away again.

"Lapis, please. I don't want to see you so miserable," Steven insisted. Lapis didn't respond to that, and kept her sight away from him. Steven thought for a moment, hand under his chin, but then he took a glance back at his little boat.

"Let's take a boat ride!" Steven decided, presenting his little boat. Lapis turned around on the offer, but still not looking enthused about it.

"No thank you."

"Come on! I named her lil. Lappie," Steven insisted. Suddenly, the name 'lil. Lappie' popped up on the side of the boat, presented in shiny neon-light colors for them to see easily.

... And she was on the boat. The island disappeared from sight, and soon it was just her and Steven on the boat, sailing around the endless ocean. The skies were slightly clearer, but still cloudy above them. At least Steven had Lapis with him this time rather than a lonely boat ride by himself. Lapis just stayed over at the back of the boat, staring at her reflection down into the water. Now that Steven had her with him, and with dream logic to help him out here, Steven decided to take the moment to talk to her. He hadn't gotten the chance over the last few days, and this was the best he was going to get.

"I don't want to talk about it," Lapis suddenly stated, before Steven could even ask her.

"Lapis. I just want to help you, I haven't seen you in months," Steven said, trying to connect. Lapis turned to her friend here, looking more withdrawn than upset with him.

"Steven, even if we're in a dream together, I want to be left alone."

"Wait. You know we're in a dream?" Steven asked.

"Steven, I was on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, and you arrived in a tiny boat conveniently called 'lil.Lappie'."

"... Point taken," Steven said. Lapis looked down to her feet. Still, Steven didn't want to leave her alone, and Lapis could see that. Besides, even if she were to go away, where could she go? There wasn't anywhere in sight to go to, and she would be leaving Steven all by his lonesome.

"... Malachite. ..."

"Malachite?"

"I was a monster back there, Steven. You and the rest of your friends saw that in Malachite. All that anger, that blind rage, the corrupted confusion, all of that was from me! ... You shouldn't be around me. I'm too dangerous."

"What? That's not true, Malachite was terrible, but -"

"I'M TERRIBLE! I attacked the Diamonds, I nearly killed the rest of you - twice in fact! GO ON, TELL ME I'M WRONG!!"

*boom!*

The dream took a dark turn here. The outburst and anger changed the area around a ton: the skies turned dark with rain, and the seas turning bleak and polluted almost like sludge. Steven and Lapis didn't have anytime to comprehend or say much of anything else before something exploded out of the sludge, like a huge pillar, sludge getting sprayed everywhere from the splash itself. A serpentine-like creature raised itself high in the air, its shadow covering the little boat with Lapis and Steven staring in shock.

"Q?" Steven thought. However, this wasn't Quetzalcoatl, as it had no wings. Instead, it had a set of fangs, thick as elephant-tusks as it opened its mouth, full of backwards-facing teeth.

"Wish we had a bigger boat," thought Steven.

Then it struck.

.......

"GAH!"

Steven woke up fast from the sheer shock of the dream. turned out, much like the dream, the skies in the night were also a bit gloomy. Blue was still awake, laying right next to him with a very worried expression across his muzzle, ears tucked back and everything. A dream or not, Steven at least got a better foothold on the issue. The effects from her cracked Gemstone and the primal rage it caused was still haunting her one way or another, and she won't tell anyone else about it.

Steven knew what he must do.

~~~~~~

Lapis stayed deeply quiet in her makeshift ice cell. It was dark. Cold. Isolated from the world, blocking it all out with the exception of that one little part at the upper loft. Even that light didn't touch her, leaving her in nothing but a dark space of the barn. Poor thing.

"Lapis? You in there?! Hello!"

It was Steven, and she knew it too well. Sure, she could hear him just fine from inside the barn, which included the knocking on the barn door to get her attention. However, even with that, Lapis decided to just ignore him until he goes away. What else could she do without yelling at him or forcing him again? The knocking continued over and over again, and Lapis just wasn't moving. Eventually, a water arm was sent outside with a simple message engraved: go away. After a minute, the knocking stopped, yet ...

"Lapis. ... Please come out."

"W-What? I-It couldn't be."

That intriguing voice finally brought Lapis Lazuli moving from her cell, and over to the upper loft. She saw Steven down below, holding a note in his hand as well, Blue by his side and sitting nearby, but he wasn't the only one there this time. Before he had Bismuth with him, and earlier the others were at the barn. But now. ...

"M-My ... my ... my Diamond. ..."

Blue Diamond, and Blue Pearl. Lapis was speechless, to put it lightly, and on the upper loft, Lapis Lazuli was at eye-level with Blue Diamond. Blue Pearl stood at attention over by Blue, and Steven waved up to her, the letter waving in her sight. Out of all the Gems in existence, Steven managed to get the one of highest authority to many. The very Gem she remembered defying, and remembered attacking before. How he managed to do so was anyone's guess, but Lapis didn't try to answer that question.

"Lapis Lazuli. It's good to see you again. I was very worried about you," Blue Diamond said with a warm smile. However, after getting herself together, Lapis turned away.

"Really? But why? I attacked you, I attacked them."

"I know you did. What happened back at White Diamond's space station, it wasn't your fault. You didn't mean to attack us, did you?" Blue Diamond asked. Steven sat down over by Blue Pearl, watching Lapis and Blue Diamond speak to one another.

"Well ... N-No. I don't know. I-I was so angry, I - ..." Lapis said meekly. Then again, she didn't really know what she meant to do back then. Blue Diamond gently lifted Lapis's chin. Lapis looked to her diamond's eyes, Blue Diamond showing a slight blue aura as tears came down her own face.

"There, there. I don't blame you, and never had. ... The only thing I feel bad about is seeing you suffer. ..."

Lapis stayed quiet, feeling some tears come down her face. She truly was a compassionate Diamond towards those of her court. Still, Lapis looked away after that, the tears landing down on the ground. This blue aura, while faint, affected the others nearby, Steven and Blue Pearl shedding a few tears as well when caught in it. Even Blue the Gem dog got some tears down his eyes, the dog trying to wipe them away the entire time.

"How can you say that? ... You saw how much power I had the last time we met, I nearly killed all of you," Lapis wept, wiping some tears. Blue Diamond looked Lapis right in the eyes.

"You may have extraordinary power, but you know enough to control it. You know when to you just what amount of power for when. That isn't enough to make you someone worth avoiding, Lapis. ... You're kind. Selfless. Compassionate. Willing to fight for those you care about. ... You're a wonderful Gem, Lazuli. And many others think so too. Don't ever forget that."

Lapis stayed quiet, the blue aura slowly moving away, as the saddened tears begun to dry up on everyone. Such wise, compassion-filled words, and even after the creature Blue Diamond had faced before and she stilled cared for her. And not just her, but everyone else too. She stayed quiet and thought back on it: the attempts Steven did to try and help her over these last few days. Him, the ponies, other Gems, they all tried to help her, even after that all were nearly killed by her. And the whole time, she was pushing them away, not truly able to see that in them during the whole time deep in depression. They all care for her.
Lapis Lazuli stayed very quiet, tears now falling out on their own power instead of Blue Diamond, as she slowly moved back into the barn. It was very quiet for a while after that, but something begun to happen as well. The ice which wads sealing the barn slowly begun to move away, thus removing the seal from the barn door, and warming it up as well. Taking the opportunity, Steven did the honors of opening the doors to see what was happening inside. What they saw inside wasn't Lapis herself. Well, not exactly. Instead, over in the back of the barn, there was what appeared to be a cocoon of sorts, as cool as ice and smooth as silver, as blue as the winter snow up in the sky. The faint glow coming from within told them all that Lapis Lazuli had concealed herself within it. Steven placed a hand onto it, and looked back to Blue Diamond.

"Blue Diamond?"

"She's alright. It'll take some time, but she'll be back," Blue Diamond reassured Steven, as all three looked to the cocoon Lapis made. Lapis was the humble caterpillar here, now awaiting for the moment of relevance to become the butterfly. It assured Steven, but he'd yet to give Lapis Lazuli the letter he had with him. The only downfall here. Blue Diamond and Blue Pearl begun to go, Blue the Gem dog moving over alongside Steven. He wasn't sure if Lapis could get this or not, but all Steven did was smile, opened up the note, and left it right in front of her. It was the best he could do for her right now. After that, he and Blue both left Lapis there for now.

The cocoon remained motionless for a little bit, until a small bit of water gently cradled the letter, and moved it in so Lapis could see it before her true rest could begin. Lapis held the letter with both hands, and all she could do was smile. ...

To Lapis:

When I see you rise like an ancient sea nymph, a white hot steel pierced the deepest artery of my being. You, you are a cardiac surgeon and I am your transplant patient, and you stand poised over my chest, holding my still beating heart. Hesitating, waiting, wondering. So I implore you to join me for dinner, or maybe lunch if you wanna keep it casual, next Friday at the Crab Shack! I await your response as the camellia awaits the rise of the moon! 'Cause, you know, it only blooms at night and stuff.

Dearest; Jamie

Author's Note:

Back from Hiatus, and back strong ladies and gentleman with Lapis and Jasper here in recovery ^^ ... well, with mixed results. Boy, how long has it been since i got back to this? Whelp, let's try and get through this, eh?

A serpentine-like creature raised itself high in the air, its shadow covering the little boat with Lapis and Steven staring in shock.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat" - Martin Brody (JAWS)