"Do you need help?" I asked as I sat down next to Peridot, trying not to be overly intrusive.
Peridot looked at me, surprised by my sudden appearance. "Uh... well... yes... I still haven't figured out a few details."
"That's fine," I said, getting comfortable. "Look, I don't know much about making everything perfect, but since the last time I fused with Pearl... I learned a few things about how mechanisms connect and how to tell if something feels off."
Peridot raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah," I replied with a sigh. "It's not like I'm an expert or anything... but I can offer some ideas, suggest small tweaks. Things like organizing the compartments so they don't get in each other's way, or making sure the main gears have room to turn."
Peridot nodded slowly, turning her attention back to the structure. "Hmm... that could work... maybe if the panels align like this, I can connect the energy system without it clashing with the internal controls."
"Exactly," I said, pointing carefully. "And... if you want, I can test a couple of things out with you, just to see how it all reacts. Not to tell you what to do, just to help you see how it moves."
Peridot took a deep breath, visibly calming down. "Alright... so you'll just be there for support, right?"
"Yeah," I whispered. "I don't want to take over... just keep you company. If something feels weird, let me know and we'll figure it out together."
She nodded and went back to work. I stayed close, checking details here and there, making small suggestions whenever Peridot hesitated, but letting her take the lead. Lapis watched from the roof, but this time she stayed quiet, letting us work.
"I think that's enough for today," Peridot said, looking around and taking in how close the ship was to being finished.
"Do you want to talk for a bit?" I asked softly after a few seconds.
Peridot hesitated, but finally nodded. "I guess... yes."
I gently took her arm and led her toward the nearby lake. The water reflected the last rays of sunlight, casting a blend of orange and purple light across the calm surface. We sat at the edge, letting our feet touch the cool water.
"Peridot...", I started, watching her hands play with the ripples we were making. "I know all of this can be... weird. This planet, the way everything works, even me... I know I didn't teach you as much as I should have about Earth."
She lowered her gaze, but she was listening.
"If you ever feel uncomfortable... about your appearance, about all of this... even about fusion... I just want you to know you can talk to me. I'm around, always. Don't hesitate to ask me for help." I sighed for a moment before continuing.
"This planet is... complicated, and I know it's still hard to feel safe here. But what matters is that now you know you're not alone. The Cluster is key, Peridot. Before the planet reaches its limit, we need to make sure everything goes right. And you're a vital part of that."
She nodded slowly, a shy glint in her eyes. "I understand... Thank you, Steven. I'll try."
"That's all I need," I told her with a gentle smile. "Just trust yourself. Trust what we've built here, and trust that we're doing the right thing. You don't have to carry everything by yourself."
Peridot let out a soft sigh, letting her shoulders relax for the first time in hours. She felt calmer, more secure, and I knew this moment would help her feel more connected to the planet... and to me.
"So, what's this 'Connie' you told me about? Or other stuff about the planet? I want to write it down in this notebook," Peridot said, pulling a large journal out of her gem and carefully flipping through the pages.
I looked at her for a few seconds before answering. Not because I didn't know what to say, but because I didn't want to say it wrong. "Connie is my best friend," I said at last, with a small smile. "She isn't a Gem, she's human like me. We met a while ago, and... I guess ever since then, we've been helping each other grow. She listens to me, tells me when I'm wrong, and when I do something right. She doesn't try to change me, she's just... there."
Peridot looked up from the notebook, watching me intently, as if trying to analyze every single word. She jotted something down slowly before looking back up at me.
"She taught me that you don't have to be strong all the time," I continued calmly. "Sometimes you just have to be honest. Connie trains with me, but not because she wants to fight—she just wants to understand this world, just like you're doing right now."
Peridot gave a slight nod. "Human... who chooses to train," she muttered, scribbling another note.
I took a deep breath and went on. "And about the planet... well, Earth doesn't work like Homeworld. Nobody is born with a fixed purpose here. You choose what to do with the time you have. Sometimes that's terrifying, but it's also liberating."
We walked a little closer to the lake as I spoke. The water was still, reflecting the darkening sky.
"My dad," I said after a brief pause, "his name is Greg. He isn't perfect, or strong like a Gem, and he doesn't know anything about advanced tech... but he always did what he could for me. He let me be who I am, even when he didn't understand a thing about Gems, or wars, or Diamonds."
Peridot stopped writing for a moment. "He didn't force you... to follow a specific path?" she asked cautiously.
I shook my head. "No. Sure, he made mistakes sometimes, but he never told me who I had to be. He taught me that it's okay to enjoy simple things. Music, food, staying up late, messing up. I think that's why I'm still human, despite everything else around me."
She looked down at the lake. "That's... strange," she said softly. "But it doesn't sound... bad."
I smiled a bit. "That's what I thought, too."
She sat on a nearby rock and opened her notebook again. "And Beach City?" she asked.
"It's a small town," I explained. "Not much happens most of the time. There are shops, houses, the lighthouse... normal people living their lives. They don't know everything about Gems, but they don't need to, either. They just live. When we have time, I could take you there. Not to teach you everything, just so you can observe."
Peridot wrote slowly, as if wanting to remember every word. "Observe... without orders."
"Exactly," I said. "Nobody here is going to tell you who you have to be. You can change your mind, make mistakes, learn. Even I'm still learning."
The wind rustled through the grass. Peridot closed her notebook for a moment. "Steven..." she hesitated, "do you think I could... fit in here?"
I looked at her gently. "You don't have to fit in. You just have to exist. The rest comes naturally."
She stayed silent, staring at the sky's reflection on the water, then gave a slow nod. "Thank you... for not treating me like a tool."
"Thank you for trusting me," I replied.
We stayed there for a few more minutes in silence, letting the lake and the quiet atmosphere do the rest. There was no rush. The Cluster could wait a little longer. This moment mattered, too.
"I hope I fit in," Peridot said, her voice trembling slightly as she stared at her reflection in the lake. Her hands moved nervously, fidgeting with the edge of her notebook.
"You will," I answered gently, moving closer and sitting beside her. The wind rustled the grass, making the water's reflection gleam like shattered mirrors, blending the orange and purple sky with Peridot's green glow.
She let out a deep sigh, lowering her head. "I don't know... all of this... it isn't what I expected," she muttered. "Look at me... green, with corrupted parts... I feel... broken. Like I don't belong here. Maybe if someone saw me right now, they'd think I'm a mistake, a failed experiment. Everything I did on Homeworld feels... useless."
I looked at her, seeing her insecurities reflected in her green eyes, and felt a knot form in my chest. "Peridot... look," I said softly, pointing to her reflection in the water. "That green you see, those... different parts, that corruption... they're a part of you. But they don't define you completely. You are so much more than that."
She let out a deeper sigh, almost a choked sob. "Sometimes I feel like... if I fuse, if I try harder, if I do something good... maybe I can make up for all of this. But it's not enough... how can I feel normal with this inside me?"
I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be normal, Peridot. None of us are. Not me, not Amethyst, not even Garnet. What you are right now... that's okay, too. You don't have to hide or pretend to be someone else. I accept you just the way you are."
Her eyes blinked, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Really... Steven? You really accept me like this?"
"Yeah," I said firmly. "Green, corrupted parts, clumsy at times, scared... all of that is you. And I'm glad you're here. Not because you have to be perfect, but because you're you. Every little thing about you... your intelligence, your curiosity, the way you care about others... that matters way more than any flaw you see in yourself."
Peridot looked down, biting her lower lip, letting out a small sigh of relief. "I always thought... that others would see nothing but flaws. That... if it weren't for what I can do, nobody would want to be around me. And... I always compare myself to others, to the other Gems... and I feel like I fall short."
I gently took her hand. "You don't have to compare yourself to anyone. Every Gem, every being, is different. You're unique, Peridot. And that's fine. If you stop trying to be perfect, maybe you'll see how incredible you already are."
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I don't know if... I can stop caring about how others see me..." she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"You don't have to do it all at once," I told her, smiling. "One step at a time. Today you're here, you're trying, and that's enough. You're learning to accept your body, your appearance, your emotions... even that green, corrupted part. That's you, too. Not a mistake. Not an accident. Just you."
Peridot opened one eye and looked at me, hesitant but listening. "And what if... someone else rejects me... if they see what I am... and don't accept me..."
"Then... it doesn't matter," I said firmly. "If someone rejects you for something you can't change, they don't deserve your trust or your friendship. But I do. I accept you. Always."
Tears filled her eyes again, but this time with a different spark, as if a weight was beginning to lift off her chest. "Nobody's... ever said that to me before..." she whispered. "There was always the pressure to be perfect, to be useful, to not fail..."
"And now you don't have to carry that alone," I reassured her. "I'm here. I'm with you. And as long as you're here, you don't need to pretend or hide. Everything you are... is valuable. Every part of you, even the parts you think are flaws, has a purpose. Even those green, corrupted parts... they made you strong, they made you learn, they made you capable of things no one else could do."
She took a deep breath and, for the first time, allowed herself a small smile, albeit a shy one. "Steven... thank you... really. I don't know how to say it..."
"You don't have to say anything," I said, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "Just remember this: if you ever feel insecure, if your appearance, your memories, or the corruption overwhelm you... talk to me. You're not alone. You can trust me."
Peridot lowered her head and muttered something almost inaudible: "I never thought... anyone could... accept me like this..."
"Well, I do," I insisted. "No strings attached. Because you're my friend. And that's enough."
A comfortable silence settled between us as we watched the lake. The water's reflection blended her green with my own—the pink glow I still carried from my training form—and the sunset light created a landscape that felt suspended between the possible and the impossible.
Finally, Peridot looked up and gave me a shy smile. "I think... I can try. Try to feel comfortable... here. And trust more."
"That's all you can do right now," I told her, smiling gently. "One step at a time. Nobody becomes confident overnight. Even I'm still learning every day. But we're in this together."
She nodded, squeezing my hand and letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Steven. Not just for accepting who I am... but for helping me accept myself."
"Always," I whispered, feeling something inside her relax. "I'll always be around. And remember... even when everything feels like too much, even with this appearance, even with the corruption... you're still incredible. Just as you are."
Peridot took a deep breath, as if releasing a whole year's worth of worry and fear, and finally leaned back onto the grass, letting the lake and the sunset soothe her. I sat beside her, watching the water and thinking that... even with so much chaos around us, little moments like this were what made it all worth it.
"I promise you the Cluster will be easier to deal with if we stick together," I told her, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I trust you, Peridot. And you should trust yourself, too."
She nodded, this time with a soft yet steady confidence. "I'll try... for myself, and for everyone else."
We stayed there in silence, watching the sky slowly darken, knowing that even with the pressure of the world, corruption, and the unknown... trust, friendship, and acceptance could be a refuge just as real as any power.
"Well," I said, letting out a slight yawn after chatting about random stuff with Peridot following that conversation.
I stretched as a pink glow rippled across my frame. I closed my eyes, feeling the pink form becoming a part of me. That was what I unconsciously wanted—to accept it without forcing it.
I opened my eyes and looked at Peridot, who was quietly staring at the lake, as if its reflection was bringing up thoughts she didn't want to let go of.
"Do you know the way back?" I asked calmly. "Looks like you liked this spot."
Peridot looked up for a moment, but quickly lowered her gaze again.
"I know it," she answered in a low voice.
"Alright," I said, stretching my body a bit more, letting the pink glow fade away completely. "I'm human and I need to rest. If you need anything, ask Pearl or Amethyst. I don't think Lapis is available, since she's coming back to the house to sleep."
I said this as I started walking down the same trail I had come from, feeling the last traces of pink fade away entirely.
"See you tomorrow, Peridot."
She just raised a hand in farewell and stayed there for several more seconds, watching the last hint of pink disappear among the trees.
Silence settled over her.
A few hours passed. The sky turned pitch black, and stars began reflecting off the lake. Then, Peridot reached into her gem and pulled something out.
She stared intently at the device in her hand.
A communicator.
I could call Yellow Diamond, she thought.
Her fingers tensed around the object.
But I won't. They wouldn't accept me.
She looked up at the starry sky.
"But here...", she whispered to herself, taking in the universe reflected in the calm water. "Here, they do."
With a small grunt—more out of determination than anger—she tossed the device into the lake. The communicator hit the water with a soft splash and slowly sank, fading away bit by bit until only the sky's reflection remained... if you didn't look too closely.
Peridot stared at the water for a few seconds longer, took a deep breath, and turned around.
She walked toward the barn, accepting that from now on, she'd be someone different.
Maybe she could even pick a new name for herself.
Steven2... no, Steven2.0... maybe not.
Those were the thoughts running through our green Gem's mind as she faded into the distance, stepping forward with firm strides, leaving a piece of her past behind at the lake.
End of Chapter 57.