A/N: Hello everyone. This is a new story that I'm attempting to write. I'm a fan of this show, so I decided to make a fanfic of it. Hope you all like it. Intro's gonna be a little short. Takes place before the episode 'Keeping it Together'. Enjoy.

It was morning in Beach City, and it's denizens were slowly beginning to wake up to start the day. It was a very tiny city located next to the ocean, and everyone knew everyone else in the city. Especially the little boy running towards the shop called 'The Big Donut'. He walked in and up to the counter, where his two friends, Lars and Sadie, were talking back and forth before he came in.

"Hey Steven." said Sadie. "What'll you have?"

"I'll have 2 chocolate donuts please." he said.

"Coming right up." she said as she grabbed some tongs to handle the donuts with. "So Steven, go on any missions lately?"

"Yeah!" Steven yelled with a big smile on his face as someone walked inside. "Me, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were all fighting this giant slug thing! Pearl was grossed out by all it's slime and...and..." he trailed off when he noticed Lars and Sadie weren't looking at him. "Guys? Hello? Are you listening?"

"Uh...Steven?" Lars said as he pointed behind him. Steven turned and looked before his eyes went wide. Two figures were now in front of him. One standing, the other being carried. One was a male who looked to be around 16-17 years old with long, messy black hair that hung over his eyes. He was in nothing but tattered white shorts and a strange collar around his neck, while his body was covered in small injuries and dried blood, his right hand covered in bandages. And on his back was someone he knew all too well, out cold, injured, and wearing another collar like his.

-At the Temple-

Garnet had just returned from a solo mission via the warp pad while Pearl was cleaning up yet another one of Amethyst's messes.

"Yo, Garnet!" Amethyst said with a wave.

"Hello, Garnet." Pearl greeted with a forced smile, clearly annoyed at Amethyst's antics. "How did your mission go?"

"It was okay." Garnet said as she sat down on the couch. "Steven back yet?"

"Not yet." Pearl said. "He went off to buy some of those...donuts. How anyone can even think about something as revolting as eating is beyond me."

"What's wrong with eating?" Amethyst asked before shoving a handful of jam and mustard covered potato chips into her mouth. "It's fun!" Pearl just shuddered at her before she went back to cleaning up the mess.

"Guuuuyyyyys!"

"That sounded like Steven." Pearl said as the gems looked at the door.

"GUYS!" came Steven's yell before he burst through the door. "GUYS! OUTSIDE!" The three of them didn't say a word as they all ran out the door. "LOOK! ON THE BEACH!" The three of them looked before a mixture of shock and rage came across their faces. Standing on the beach was the mysterious stranger, with another person that they wished didn't exist.

"Peridot!" Pearl yelled before the three of them jumped down onto the beach a few yards away from them, weapons drawn. Steven was running towards them as fast as his little legs could take him.

"I'm only going to say this once!" Garnet said. "Drop Peridot, and get out of our way!" The teen did nothing at first before he knelt down and gently placed Peridot in the sand before turning to face the Crystal Gems.

"...not...here...to fight..." he said as he raised his right hand, a determined look on his face. "But...I will...if that's what...it takes..."

"Stop!" Steven yelled as he ran towards them all. He kept running until he was between both groups, his arms held out wide facing the Crystal Gems.

"Steven! What are you doing?!" Pearl yelled in surprise.

"That's Peridot!" Amethyst yelled. "You know, the same Peridot that tried to blast us with that giant ship before she and Japser tried to kidnap us!"

"I know that, but look at her! Look at them!" he yelled. "They don't look like they can fight!" All of them stood where they were, none of them willing to back down from their position. The teen wobbled for a moment before his legs gave out and and he fell on all fours. He tried to stand up, but his vision faded before passing out. Garnet began walking towards Steven, her gauntlets still present, before passing Steven by.

"Please, Garnet!" Steven begged as Garnet stood before the two figures in the sand. "I know that Peridot did all those things to us, but look at her! She's really hurt! And so is this guy!" Steven said as he lifted the stranger's right hand. "His hand's probably all messed up!" Steven felt the teen's hand and noticed a sizeable lump was under it. "See?! It's swollen! It's probably broken!"

"Maybe Peridot broke it somehow." Amethyst said as Steven took off the bandages to see how bad it was. The bandages fell, along with all their jaws. Embedded deep into his hand was a large, black gem.

A/N: So, what do you all think? Should I scrap this, or should I continue?