In The Distance.
[Peridot quickly flies over the area, her right limb enhancer's tractor beam pulling Connie along, leaving only her head exposed. Below, water bursts violently from the ground, sweeping away everything in its path. Both watch in awe as the water gathers in the sky, forming a massive sphere above Obsidian.]
Connie: *in disbelief* Whoa! Lapis is draining an insane amount of water!
Peridot: She must be planning to use all the water on this planet.
Connie: No way! Is that even possible?!
Peridot: She did it with Earth's ocean years ago... or at least, that's what she told me.
Connie: Oh... right. Forget I said anything. It's terrifying how much power she has.
Peridot: It's too dangerous here, Connie! We need to get further away!
Connie: No! We can't just leave! We have to go back and help Obsidian!
Peridot: Help?! How can we possibly help?! With the way things are going, we'd just get in the way!
Connie: Peridot, think about it! Lapis is immobilized right now! We can't waste this chance to help her remember who she truly is! If anyone can pull it off, it's you, Peridot!
Peridot: But... last time, trying to make her remember her "happy memories" didn't work.
Connie: Then you'll have to make her remember "not-so-happy" ones.
[Peridot hesitates, swallowing hard.]
Peridot: I, uh... I'm not sure I can do that.
Connie: I know you can. You're the only one who can. No one else shares such a deep bond with her like you do.
[Peridot takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself.]
Peridot: Okay... Okay, I'll do it. I won't give up on her. Not now.
Connie: That's the spirit! Let's go!
Peridot: Just... gimme a second, okay?
Connie: Huh?
[Peridot concentrates, using her metal powers to levitate a large metal plate from the debris below. It hovers beside her, sturdy and just big enough for someone to stand on.]
Peridot: There. Get on this.
Connie: W-what? Why?
Peridot: I need to keep one of my limb enhancers free for... well, you know. And since I can't exactly release the other Lapis right now...
[Peridot tilts her head toward her left limb enhancer, where Nice Lapis remains ensnared.]
Peridot: ...you're gonna have to ride this for the time being.
Connie: I... I get it, but this just feels a little... unsafe?
Peridot: Unsafe? Pfft, no way. It's perfectly safe. Trust me.
Connie: I mean, I trust you, but...
Peridot: You've seen me fly around on a garbage can lid, right? This is basically the same thing. Just think of it like surfing, but, y'know, in the air.
Connie: I... don't actually know how to surf.
Peridot: Eh, details, details. Just keep your center of gravity, and I've got the rest covered. Nothing bad's gonna happen, promise.
Connie: ... Okay, if you say so.
[Peridot disables her tractor beam, and Connie tumbles onto the hovering plate with a small yelp, her legs flailing as she struggles to keep her balance.]
Connie: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Peridot: Just, uh... hold on tight, alright? It might get a little bumpy.
Connie: Hold on to what, exactl--?!
[Before Connie can say anything else, Peridot takes off, the metal plate soaring beside her at full speed. Connie clings to the plate for dear life, screaming in terror.]
Connie: Aaaahhh! Peridot, SLOW DOWN!!
Peridot: Can't hear you over the wind!
Connie: AAAHHH!!!
At The Same Time...
[The water ceases to burst out, signifying that the water sphere is now complete. Its diameter stretches an astounding 860 miles (about 1385 kilometers). It's so immense that it can be seen from space.]
Lapis: Very well...
[Lapis clenches her fist, and immediately, the surface of the water sphere begins to freeze.]
Lapis: Freezing the entire sphere at once isn't possible, even for me. I mean, we're talking about nearly all the water on Homeworld. Freezing just the surface, though, will be more than enough to crush you.
Obsidian: *panicked* Don't you dare!
Lapis: *chuckles* Too late. Here it comes!
[Lapis ceases using her powers, causing the massive water sphere hovering above Obsidian to plummet rapidly.]
Obsidian: Oh, boy...
[Obsidian catches the sphere on their shoulders, their feet sinking deep into the ground.]
Obsidian: *straining* Nngh! Th-this thing... is unbelievably heavy!! *grunts* Grr!
[Obsidian's body trembles as they struggles to withstand the overwhelming weight.]
Lapis: *in disbelief* I-Impossible! You should be crushed! How is it even possible for you to lift this much weight?!
Obsidian: *groaning* I-I should be asking you the same thing! Y-You don't have the physical strength for this!
Lapis: Ha! It's not just about physical strength, you know. Tell me, when you walk, do you consciously think about the effort it takes to move your legs? You don't, right? It comes naturally. That's how water works for me. It's not just something I control; it's an extension of my very being, like an extra limb.
[Obsidian remains silent, still straining under the weight.]
Lapis: A Gem's body has clear limitations. Once you hit that threshold, you can't go beyond it. And for those made with physical impairments, like the inability to shapeshift, it's even worse. They're forced to rely on external enhancers just to keep up.
Obsidian: ...
Lapis: Do you understand now? Water isn't bound by any physical limitations like the body is. Its only limit is the scope of my imagination! As long as my mind remains free from unnecessary thoughts, there are no limits to what I can do! The power of the mind knows no bounds!
[Obsidian, despite the strain, lets out a breathy chuckle.]
Obsidian: Y-yeah... that's true. The mind is a powerful force. It can enslave us... or empower us. It can plunge us into the depths of misery... or take us to the heights of happiness.
[Lapis stares, unsure where this is going.]
Lapis: ...?
Obsidian: But let me ask you this... what good is that power if you lack self-control? If your emotions overpower your mind, then what happens? You lose yourself. Every. Single. Time.
Lapis: ...
Obsidian: Without controlling your thoughts, you can't control your actions. And worse... if someone else controls your thoughts, then they control you completely.
Lapis: *enraged* Grrr! Shut up!!
[Lapis actives her hydrokinetic powers once more, forcing the water sphere down with overwhelming force. Obsidian struggles to push it back up, but the added pressure causes their feet to sink even deeper into the ground.]
Obsidian: *grunting* Grrr… I... I can handle this... I can… Arghhh... no... we... we...
[Obsidian's face begins to crack, their fusion growing unstable.]
Obisidian (Amethyst): We need to destabilize her form before it's too late!
Obsidian (Steven): No way! We'd risk shattering her gem! We've been holding back for a reason!
Obsidian (Pearl): There's no other choice!
Obsidian (Steven): Yes, there is! Remember we--
Obsidian (Garnet): *cutting him off* Enough! It's getting unstable!
[Obsidian begins to unfuse, glowing for a moment, before stopping and retaining their form.]
Obsidian: *gritting teeth* Grrr! I... I can do this!