Actions

Work Header

Marooned Together

Summary:

Lapis' past comes crashing back to her once more.

Chapter Text

Chapter One

It wasn't a bad place for a new home, all things considered.

The planet was covered in ocean, the sky almost the same brilliant blue of Earth. The vista from the old command post was stunningly beautiful, especially when the sun was setting. It should have been lovely, but for Lapis it was a painful reminder of a world she'd never see again.

The barn was gone - it had been washed into the sea by a storm at the end of the first month. All that remained were a few of the strange human trinkets and the remains of one or two morps. In a way, it was a blessing - it meant she didn't have to be so viscerally reminded of Peridot’s absence every day. As time went by, she settled into the old command post - a simple dome building with a single room, with massive panoramic windows overlooking the sea and the shore of the island. She decorated it with little trinkets she found on the beach and in the trees - she made herself at home.

Yeah. She could work this. She could start anew. And as the years went by, she began to calm down, to rebuild.

It all changed when the pod crashed down in the sea.

Lapis had panicked at first - it must have come from the Diamonds, right? But as the minutes passed and no-one emerged, she calmed down and went to look.

The pod was pure blue, decorated with the sigil of the Great Diamond Authority. When she pressed her hands to it, it opened up like a strange, egg-shaped music box, revealing the form of the occupant.

Lapis gasped.

Stevonnie was slumped in the seat, covered in cuts and bruises. Their shirt and pants were ripped and ragged, and blood was trickling out of their mouth. Frantically, Lapis checked their gem - she sighed in relief to find it wasn't cracked.

“Don't worry, Steven,” she reassured, “I'll help you, I promise, just hold on...”

She had to get them ashore - that much was easy. With a simple gesture, the pod was lifted up by the waters around, slowly and carefully carried ashore. Once it was safely on dry land, Lapis carefully pulled Stevonnie out, gingerly carrying them into the command post and setting them down.

“Okay, okay, how do I fix humans?” she asked herself, “Uh, bandaids, I need bandaids...what does a bandaid even do? Uh...um…”

Suddenly, Stevonnie coughed, spluttered and opened their eyes.

“Steven!” exclaimed Lapis.

“Lapis?” groaned Stevonnie.

“I don't know how to fix you!” exclaimed Lapis, “I don't...I can't…”

Stevonnie coughed again. Trickles of spit landed on one of their cuts, and with a pink glow it was suddenly healed.

Oh yeah. The healing spit.

Lapis held her hand over Stevonnie’s mouth and let them cough into it, wincing at the slimy feel of the spit. Wasting no time, she rubbed her hand over as many of their wounds as she could find - slowly, each of them was healed, until at last they looked at least somewhat less battered.

Stevonnie nodded weakly - then their head fell back and they passed out.

Lapis rubbed a hand through her hair, trying to calm herself. It looked like her quiet life was once again over.


Stevonnie slept for two days. During that time, Lapis never left their side, constantly pacing in worry.

When they awoke, they said nothing - they simply looked up at Lapis, tried and failed to smile, and curled up against the wall. They didn't move for a long time.

A day passed. Lapis noticed fuzz growing on their face - it looked like the stuff on Greg (a ‘beard’, right?). When she pointed it out, they said nothing - but they winced when she mentioned Steven’s father.

On the fourth night, they fell asleep. Lapis watched them - she wondered if she was being creepy, but it had been so long since she'd had company. She wanted them to talk to her, to tell her how the Gems were, how Peridot was. Why weren't they talking? Weren't they happy to see her?

Who was she kidding, she thought. Who'd be happy to see a wreck like her?

She was shaken from her train of thought by a frantic moaning.

Stevonnie was jerking violently in their sleep, sweat streaming down their face. Slowly, Lapis approached - where they having a nightmare?

“...no, not them...not mom and dad…” Stevonnie whimpered, “Please…”

“Steven?” whispered Lapis.

“...I'm sorry dad, I'm sorry, I tried, it's my fault...it's all my fault…”

“Steven?” Lapis said again.

Gingerly, she poked Stevonnie’s shoulder.

Stevonnie jerked upright and screamed.

They grabbed Lapis, pulling her into a hug as they sobbed bitterly into her shoulder. Awkwardly, Lapis patted their back - that was what she was supposed to do, right?

“It was just a dream,” she said, “It was just a…”

“I should have listened to you!” sobbed Stevonnie, “We couldn't fight them! We couldn't! And dad...it's my fault, it's my fault…”

Lapis’ eyes widened.

“The Diamonds came?” she exclaimed, “But...Peridot! The Crystal Gems…”

“Gone,” replied Stevonnie, “They took them back to Homeworld, they're probably shattered, it's all my fault…”

Lapis turned pale.

“Are...are you saying…”

Stevonnie sat up and looked Lapis in the eye.

“The Rebellion’s over,” they replied, “We lost.”

They choked as they forced out their next words

“The Earth is gone.”

They fell back into Lapis’ arms, their violent sobbing starting up once more. All Lapis could do was listen in stunned silence.