Lapis was screaming. It echoed throughout Peridot's mind. It was the most painful and strained sound she had ever heard. She could barely tell that she was moving as she was sprinting towards the sound. The scream started to  quiet, but it became more and more painful as time went.

Peridot almost ran past Lapis. She could barely recognized Lapis. She was on the ground, doubled over. She was at least three times as big, with her hands twisted into claws. Her clothes were now fused into her skin, and painfully ripping into her flesh. The noises that she made was now a deep, dark growl in a voice that kept cracking into higher and higher pitches.

"La-Lapis?" Peridot stuttered, taking a step back. This wasn't her Lapis. This couldn't be.

But if it was, she was in so much pain. The corruption was spreading like ink spilled on paper, distorting everything that Peridot had loved. The corruption was taking away Lapis.

Lapis, if this even was Lapis anymore, turned her head to Peridot. She eyes were no longer there and were replaced with two shiny, round mirror like disks that reflected Peridot's shocked face. Her skin shifted and changed colors in painful circles that kept appearing on her skin. Different shades of blue, greens, and pale greys appeared. Lapis was desperately clawing at herself like she was trapped in her own skin.

She looked like the stormy ocean.

They maintained eye contact, and Lapis was the one who broke it. She flinched, and bent over even more until her head was nearly touching the ground, and screamed.  Shiny melted parts of her eyes were streaking down her face like tears.

This was Lapis. And Peridot needed to help.

"Lapis!" Peridot's voice wavered and she slowly stepped towards Lapis. Lapis glared at Peridot, her sharp teeth gritted and a deep growl rumbling at the back of her throat. "Let me help you!"

All that came in reply was a clawful of dusty earth was clawed at Peridot's face. Thankfully the visor was protecting her eyes. But Lapis was slipping, and less and less of her began to be recognizable.

"Let me help you, Lapis!" Peridot's hands shook. Did Lapis understand her? Would she allow her to help? And if she did, how would Peridot help?

"No!" the word was barely more than a roar, but Peridot understood.

"Let me help! You know you can trust me!" Peridot flinched when Lapis turned her entire body to glare at her, "Y-You love me! And I love you, Lapis!"

"I HATE YOU!"

Out of anything Lapis had done, that hurt the most. Peridot's hands stopped shaking. She wasn't afraid anymore. There was nothing Lapis could do to hurt her anymore after she said that.

"It's okay," Peridot took another step towards her. She was close enough for Lapis to easily shatter her if she wanted to, "You can hate me. Tha-That's fine. Just...Just let me help you."

Peridot slowly reached out for one of Lapis's giant claws.

A sharp whistled pierced the air, and came to a sudden thunk. A bent rod of metal was now sticking out of Lapis's gem, and she opened her maw in a silent scream before shattering.