Roses were blooming around Rose's former home. Sunflowers swayed in the ocean breeze, kept in pretty pots on the beach house's deck. Underneath it little tomato sprouts had been planted in the dirt, green and healthy. A small, furry cactus sat on the guard rails. A pumpkin danced around Peridot as she went around, watering them all.

That was the sight Steven was greeted with when he went outside. He rubbed his eyes, partly from him only just waking up and partly from amazement. "Wow, Peridot. This looks even better than it did yesterday!"

Peridot grinned back at him. "I know! This place has vastly improved since I moved in here, don't you think?"

"It has." Steven looked at the pots. "Hey, look, me and Amethyst's drawings came out pretty well! This one's my favourite."

"Hmmm… What is it supposed to be again?"

"It's a guitar playing itself! I was kinda experimenting, you know? Dad tells me you've always gotta try new things." He started down the stairs. "Aaand, speaking of Dad, come with me!"

"What? Why?"

"Come on, you'll see!"

Peridot looked from her garden to Steven. "Well, I suppose I've already watered the plants… okay. Pumpkin, stay! I hand over supervision of the garden to you!"

Pumpkin wagged her tail and barked as the two started off towards town.

"Remind me again why we're walking around Funland. This part doesn't even have any rides."

Steven laughed and pulled her along. "Peridot, this isn't a part of Funland! It's Beach City. We're going to my dad's carwash; we've got a surprise for you!"

"A surprise? I suppose this should be interesting. What is it?"

"Haha, I'm not gonna tell you! That's the point of a surprise!" They came into view of the carwash, and Steven stopped and took a deep breath. "DAAAAAD!"

"Whoa!" Greg jumped up from his chair. "Oh, hey, Steven! You scared me there. And, uh, hey, Peridot! Long time no see."

Peridot looked up. "Still looking good."

"What?"

"Your sign. That we made for you. You're welcome, by the way."

"Oh, yeah, thanks again!" Greg grinned. "Looks way better than my old one. It's really been bringing in the customers, I think."

"Dad!" Steven sidled up to him. "Do you remember our… surprise?"

"Oh, yeah!" Greg jumped up and dove into his van, tossing stuff around in his search. "I know I put it here somewhere… Steven told me you've been, uh, living with him recently, and you took up gardening! Says the house looks way better now it's covered in flowers. So, he asked me to go out and order this for you!" He turned around, brandishing a pair of rubber boots. "Tah-dah!"

Peridot took them with some hesitation. "Wow, thanks? What are these, Steven?"

"They're welly boots! Or, if you wanna be fancy, Wellington boots. Look, they're green with stars on them; I saw them online, and I thought of you! They're for gardening, and-and having fun in the rain! Go on, put'em on!"

"Oh!" She looked at them with a little more interest. "So, they're like clothes you put on… for gardening?"

Greg scratched the back of his head. "I suppose you could call them that."

"I happen to like both of those hobbies!" She put them on, and stomped a few times on the wet pavement. "Nyahaha! I'm still dry! It works!"

"Huh. I'm glad you like them so much."

"And they have stars on them! This is perfect!" With a grin, Peridot kicked some water on Steven.

"Haha, hey!" Steven picked up a hose. "Are you tryna get into a water fight?"

"With these water-proof boots, I'll win!"

"Oh, really?" Steven pointed the hose and splashed her. "I challenge you!"

Greg stepped back. "Watch out, Peridot. Steven's pretty good at this game!"

"Nyahaha! Game? This is no game," She picked up a hose. "This is war!"

Laughing, the two chased each other around the car wash, getting progressively more soaked in the process. Eventually, the two tired out and flopped down on the concrete, feeling the warm summer sun beat down on them.

"Whoa," Greg took a seat in the back of his van. "I'm gonna have a massive water bill this month, aren't I?"

"Oh, sorry Dad!"

"Don't worry about it, Schtu-ball! You two looked like you were having fun! Besides, I'm rich." He smiled at Peridot. "So, I take it you like your present?"

Peridot nodded. "It was very useful in the battle. Unfortunately, it seems to be less waterproof on the inside. Maybe an entire suit constructed out of this material would be even more helpful."

"And it'd protect against lightning! And lasers! Pshoo, shoo shoo!"

"Hmm…" Peridot looked up at the sky, thinking. Her eyes looked up at the clouds, at the seagulls flying past, and settled on the carwash sign. She remembered that adventure, and how she, Pumpkin, Lapis and Connie spent days working on making a new one after they broke the original. That was fun… but now she was remembering it again, it suddenly seemed a little bittersweet.

Peridot felt the water gently running down the driveway. Lapis.

"Hey, Peridot, are you okay?" A hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Steven, with a worried smile on his face. "You spaced out a second there."

Peridot shrugged him off. "I'm okay. I was just… thinking."

"Do you wanna talk about it? It's okay if you don't."

Peridot looked down at her rubber boots. "No… I don't. Want to talk about it, I mean. Not right now."

"Oh, okay." After a moment, Steven looked back up at his dad. "So… how's your day going?"

Greg blinked. "Oh, me? Yeah, um, I've been doing… carwash stuff. I ordered replacements for a bunch of my brushes, so they'll be coming in next week. Wanna help your old man install them?"

"Did you get them from that guy in Keystone again?"

"Nah… still not going back there. Not anywhere near that motel, or that diner. Hoo boy." Greg shuddered as he looked up at the sky. "I found someone else who'll just ship it to me-eee! What the hay is that?!"

"What's what?" Steven sat up, and noticed the carwash, the concrete, the colours on the van, everything was getting brighter, more vivid. He followed his father's gaze to see something in the sky. An airplane? An explosion? No, it was more like a light, a white, blue, and yellow light shining brighter than the sun.

He squinted. It almost looked like that thing from Lapis's-

Then he heard it; a song. Steven didn't know how to describe the feeling it gave him; it was like everything he ever did was going to come to nothing, everyone he ever knew was going to die and leave him. All his old insecurities flared up, too; he wasn't Rose Quartz. He'd never learn to control his powers. He'd hurt so many people, and it was all his fault. One second in, and he shaking from the mental anguish, crying like he was in the presence of Blue Diamond.

"Steven? What's going on? What's the matter?"

The son seemed to rise in pitch and intensity, and Steven could only hug his Dad, who squeezed him back.

"Hey, hey. I'm here, Steven." He looked around, completely confused. "Is this some sort of Gem thing? What's the matter with Peridot?"

Peridot? Steven – still shaking, still sobbing, but alert now – looked over at her. Everything was so bright now, but he could see her clearly. She was lying face down on the wet driveway, limbs splayed, hands twitching and clenching, legs jerking and kicking. As he watched, her very form glitched, and the colours of her uniform started to bleed into one another.

"Peridot!" Steven ran to her, hearing the song grow still more intense, still more painful. With it came what almost seemed like voices, messages for him, intertwined with the notes. You can't save her, it told him. He looked up at the sky again, and suddenly, he knew what was happening.

A yellow, blue and white light, spreading across the sky like from Lapis' flashback. Damage from the Diamonds.

You can't save anyone. They were being corrupted.

"Steven?" Greg was looking at that light too, hearing that song but feeling no effect. "What do we do?"

Rose Quartz had saved them before. He had her gem – You're not her, you're too weak - She saved Garnet and Pearl – They hate you for replacing her – with her… with her… Shield!

He summoned his shield and pointed it at the light. Almost instantly, the tune died away; the feelings it summoned up within him were still raw, but at least he could think straight without the constant interference from – You'll never escape.

Oh-kay. Just don't think about it. Don't think about the song…

The Earth will be destroyed. You're going to die alone.

Steven clenched his fists. "Stop saying that!"

"Steven?" He looked over to see his Dad, clearly confused, trying and failing to keep the panic out of his voice.

"I-it's okay, Dad, I'm okay."

"Phew, good." He seemed to calm down, but still looked a little uneasy as he pointed at a figure by Steven's feet. "What about Peridot?"

Peridot. With a jolt of fear, he positioned his shield so it was floating in the air and kneeled down next to her. She had stopped twitching, but now she wasn't moving at all, even when she shook her.

"Peridot?" Carefully, Steven rolled her over until her head was in his lap. Her eyes were staring out into space, glassy and unfocused. He waved a hand in front of them. "Peridot, come on! Snap out of it!"

Her form glitched again, the bleeding effect in her clothes growing to resemble scales. Steven licked his hand and pressed it on her gem, hoping, praying, begging that this would be enough.

Behind them, the song reached a crescendo, and his shield shook under the pressure of such a powerful onslaught of magic. The light stretched from horizon to horizon, bathing the ground in such intense brightness Greg had to shut his eyes before it blinded him.

And on Peridot's gemstone, the healing glow came, lingered, and then faded. For one awful moment Steven thought it was too late, but then her form flickered back to normal. She blinked, and the awful glassy stare left her gaze. She focused on him.

"St-steven?" Peridot raised an eyebrow when he wrapped her in a bonecrushing hug. "Why are you hugging me?"

The light was fading away as Steven spoke. "I'm so glad you're okay, Peridot! I think that was the corrupting thing from the Diamonds, and-and you weren't moving, and... but I healed you!"

Peridot stared blankly at him, the cogs in her head turning just a tad slower than normal. Finally, it registered. "Corruption?" She jumped up with a little squeak, looking herself over. "I'm okay? I mean, of course I'm okay. Peridots are very durable, you know."

Still, she felt a little uneasy, a little… strange. It was like there was something in the back of her mind she wasn't remembering.

There came a little tap on Steven's shield. "Uhh, Steven, I dunno what that thing was, but it's gone now. I can't hear it anymore."

"Thanks, Dad." Steven dissipated his shield. "Are you doing okay?"

Greg blinked a few times. "I'm seeing the driveway when I close my eyes, but other than that I'm fine. Sheesh, that was bright. What was that?"

Steven helped Peridot to her feet. Corruption, he had said. It was like a bright light, and a scream… she didn't remember anything past that.

"I think the Diamonds just attacked Earth." Steven suddenly grabbed his dad's shoulder. "Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl! We've gotta find them!"

"Y-yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Hop in the van, I'll give you a ride back home."

A scream… a sound. Peridot rubbed her temples. It was sorta coming back to her…

"They said they were out on a mission. Maybe… they're on the other side of the world and the song didn't hit them?"

A song.

"I hope-" Greg cut himself off when Steven staggered and pressed his hands to his forehead. "Whoa! You doing okay, bud? Maybe we should take a breather after all that. You don't look all that good."

A song.

"No, it's okay. I just have to… not think about it. It's the tune, it's like a super catchy song on the radio, but every time it plays in my head it hurts. I guess this is what Centipeedle felt like… poor Centi. I hope she's okay." Steven turned to Peridot. "Oh, yeah, um, try not to think about it? I'm a half-Gem, so it's probably not as bad for me as it is for… Peridot?"

Like a blister popping in her mind, she remembered the song. It wasn't playing outside anymore, but in her head, over and over and over, each time bringing with it a fresh wave of agony.

Peridot dropped to her knees, clutching at her gem.

"Peridot? Peridot!" Steven caught her before she went headfirst into the concrete. "Please, don't think about it! Think about… something else! Camp Pining Hearts? Pumpkin? Um, um, what about this again?"

He licked his hand and put it on her gemstone; the pain faded a bit, but it was still playing in her head. The more she tried not to think about it, the louder it got.

"It's not working!"

"You said this was like getting a song stuck in your head?" Greg snapped his fingers. "Hold on, I've got an idea."

Steven watched as he ran to the van, brought out his guitar and slung it around his neck. "Here goes nothing!" He said as he started to play the catchiest riff he could think of off the top of his head.

"You hear that, Peridot?" Steven asked, and she listened… it was quite catchy. Her head started to clear, bit by bit.

After a moment, she sat up. "I… think I'm fine now. Thank you, Steven's Dad."

"Yeah, Dad, good thinking!"

Greg kept strumming. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"I had… no idea the effects were so powerful. That was…" Peridot kneaded her forehead for a moment, and then moved to pick up her tablet. "I… think I have an idea, though. I have some of my music on my… my tablet."

She tapped it, and some country music came on.

Steven helped her up again. "Yeah, that sounds good! Come on, let's get in the van!"

Peridot let herself be led into the front seat, and Steven sat in the back. As the van started, he thought about Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. His family was in danger, and it was up to him to save them.

You won't succeed, said the voice of the song. Steven hoped it was wrong.