"You got this, Peri!" Amethyst snorted. Her gaze was pasted to the dartboard with Pearl's face on it, which was propped up against the fridge. This was not the first time they were doing this—Pearl's face looked like it had already been stabbed through one too many times. The green gem was steadying her hand, staring intently at the board with one eye closed. With a flick of the wrist, the dart that was once in her grasp was now jabbed through the center of dartboard-Pearl's gem.

"I have achieved ultimate supremacy! Bow down to your rightful leader!" Peridot shouted to no one in particular, jumping up on the couch in triumph.

"Oh man, that was intense!" Amethyst managed to say through her uncontrollable snickering. She jumped up next to her friend and tackled her to the ground. They hit the wood floor with a resounding thud.

"Agh, Amethyst! You—" Peridot bit her tongue when she noticed the purple gem was now resting on top of her, shooting her a devilish grin. Their faces were so close that Peridot could smell her warm, sugary chocolate breath. She wasn't particularly sure if she liked the smell, but she knew she liked Amethyst.

"You're pretty good at that! Maybe Opal could teach you a thing or two about working a bow and arrow—you know, so you're more useful to the team!" Amethyst attempted to muffle her laughter—what was so funny, anyway?—but Peridot wasn't amused.

"You know very well that I'm not a warrior. I have a very distinct skill set. In order to be of any use to you clods, I need my limb enhancers. We've been through this before."

Amethyst pushed off of Peridot to get up and stretch for a moment. "Yeah, yeah, I know! I told you I'll try and find them! I'll bring it up to Pearl and Garnet soon, I swear!"

Peridot got up from the floor and dusted herself off. "I'm sure."

The gems' attention was suddenly drawn to the activation of the warp pad, revealing Pearl and Garnet, who seemed to be returning from a mission.

"Amethyst! We need to—" Pearl stopped short when she looked over at the tattered-looking face on the dartboard. "—go..." Her emphasis on the last word made it sound like a question. Garnet pushed past her dumbfounded cohort and walked over to the two smaller gems.

"We have reason to believe that Lapis and Jasper's fusion may be in close proximity to Mask Island. If we can contain them, we'll be able to focus all of our attention on stopping the Cluster."

Amethyst nodded her head in acknowledgment and turned to Peridot. "Hey, let Steven know where we went, 'kay? Don't wait up, you clod." She stuck out her index finger and jokingly poked the green gem's visor. Peridot always tensed up when she did that. Maybe it was because it made her gem feel vulnerable. Maybe it was because it made her feel vulnerable.

In a flash, the three Crystal Gems were gone.

But the bitter feeling in her core refused to dissipate.

Peridot always knew that Amethyst wasn't like the other Crystal Gems. Amethyst was a real warrior, which was why Peridot was so captivated by her in the first place. On a planet of misfit gems, she was the only one who held significance. She was almost perfect.

Not only that, but her personality was so pleasantly unsophisticated—it was unlike anything Peridot had ever experienced. Through the time they'd spent in close contiguity, she'd found that they're actually quite similar. Shockingly enough, Amethyst had come to the same conclusion and was inordinately taken with the green gem—or so it seemed, anyway.

Amethyst was always laughing at her jokes. She always wanted to spend time with her. For the most part, she made Peridot feel good.

But sometimes she made her feel worthless. Paltry. She did it in a way that no other gem could. It was her subtle gestures and changes in the tone of her voice. It was her vacant, offhanded stare. It was the way she'd laugh at her when nothing was funny. All these things made Peridot feel as though their friendship was just a game to her. It made her feel like nothing.

The worst part was that this should have infuriated her, but it didn't. She hadn't the strength to be upset with Amethyst. She could only feel defeated. She did nothing to interfere with this pattern of torment.

Peridot's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Steven running up the beach house steps and slamming the door behind him.

The smaller half-gem quickly looked around the room, then sighed in frustration. "Oh jeez, did I miss them again?!"

"I'm afraid so. They're actually out looking for Jasper and Lazuli. They have some idea of where they might be."

Steven's eyes lit up at the sound of Lapis' name. "Seriously?! I really hope they find them this time! I need to see Lapis; I need to thank her, for her sacrifice..." His voice trailed off.

Peridot gave him a questioning glance. "Her sacrifice? Explain." They both walked over and took a seat on the couch while Steven raked his brain for the most important details about the situation.

"Well, she escaped the mirror she'd been trapped in for centuries. But now… Well, now she's stuck as Malachite, holding Jasper down in the depths of the ocean."

Peridot raised her eyebrow at him inquisitively. "And what's your point, exactly?"

"When I let her out of the mirror, she was so happy. But when she went back home, I could tell she was really upset. Homeworld wasn't the same as she remembered it. She feels lost. She doesn't have a home anymore… So she sacrificed her freedom again, to save us. Because she felt like she had nothing else to live for."

"So she's given up her freedom for you? Like some sort of self-righteous altruist? How foolish." Peridot clearly didn't understand the focus of Steven's ideas.

"She's not foolish, Peridot. She's really smart, and she's super strong and brave! I just wish she knew she does have a home… and it's right here with us." Steven's lips perked up and his eyes twinkled with wonder.

Peridot almost choked on her own spit when she heard his last statement. "Are you joking? You've actually decided to let her join you Crystal Clods? That's a major miscalculation."

"Well, Lapis never tried to kidnap me, so I'm pretty sure having her around is a lot less dangerous than having you here. Right?"

The green gem contemplated this for a moment. Although she deeply regretted her previous actions against Steven and the Crystal Gems, he had a point. "I suppose you're right."

"And besides," Steven continued, "it'll be good for you to apologize to Lapis! Maybe you guys could even become friends!"

Peridot stifled her almost immediate laughter. "Ha, oh yes, I'm sure Lazuli and I will become the best of friends."