My story has taken on a life of its own, and it's not going to be as short as I thought it would be. Enjoy. Review. If you want. I don't bite, but they make my day, as long as they aren't completely negative.
"It shouldn't be off by this much! We must have gone back in time..."
"Pearl, what is Kindergarten?" Clara asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"This is where they... made... gems. This kindergarten almost destroyed the human race! When is this? Please tell me you went back to the past," Pearl said to the Doctor.
She glanced back at the console to check. "Actually, this is the future," she said. "More off than usual." If Pearl hadn't known better, she would have thought she was scolding her machine.
"How far in the future?" Pearl said, her voice guarded.
"One week and two days."
"What?" she shrieked, running back into the TARDIS. "Bring me back to my time."
"We can stop them now," the Doctor said.
"We can stop them one week and two days ago, before this even happens. Now bring me back to my time!" The Doctor hesitated, and all Pearl's misgivings came flooding back. Her hand twitched, wanting to activate her gem and pull out her weapon.
She waited, however, and she finally closed the doors and began to flick switches and levers, and before long, it began to make that whooshing noise that it does.
And then the most hideous noise filled the TARDIS, a grinding, screeching noise, and the ship lurched and planted into the ground. "Have we landed?" Clara said nervously.
"We've landed," the Doctor said. "I have no idea where." She looked at the ship's monitor. "We haven't moved an inch!
"We're still one week and two days in the future, next to the kindergarten?" Pearl said.
"Actually, we went back in time," the Doctor said.
"Really? How much?" Clara asked.
She was silent for a while, then said, "Thirty seconds." Pearl groaned. "Let me try again. Maybe it will work this time." This time, the TARDIS lasted longer before the noise started again. This time, there was a high pitched squeal like nails on a chalkboard. Pearl winced.
"Four days! That has to be good enough," the Doctor said, opening the doors.
"Peridot," Pearl said with disgust, looking at the homeworld gem. She was being followed by some of her devices, which clicked, clacked, and began to fix the numerous drills that dotted the bleak cliffsides. "We have to get back to the temple and tell Garnet."
"That could take a while," the Doctor said. "Over a day, if we're lucky."
"Then we should start moving!" It was all unnecessary, though, because Lion walked out of a portal a few feet from the TARDIS and brought them back to the beach. Garnet was standing on their front porch, and she jumped down to meet them.
"Where have you been, Pearl?" she said angrily. Pearl shrank back under her leader's fury.
"Time machine problems," she said with an awkward and mostly fake smile.
"There have five major corrupted gems and three incidents involving the warp pad malfunctioning. We needed you."
"Well, we have a bigger problem to worry about," Pearl said, taking a step back. "Peridot has started up the kindergarten."
"Oh, no," Garnet muttered. "That would explain everything. We have to go, now!"
"What is so important about this kindergarten?"
Amethyst, who had just joined them, stared the Doctor straight in the eye, and said, "It feeds on the lifeforce of the planet to fuel its operations, and when it's done, the gems it made leave the gray, dead husk of a planet and take their newfound army away."
Pearl ran inside to fetch Steven.
The Doctor stares back for a second, and then something clicks. "The TARDIS, that's why she malfunctioned."
"Only living things and the planet's core are affected by the kindergarten," Garnet said.
"She is living," the Doctor said, slightly offended. "I need to help."
"Well, since it can't drain the most advanced aliens, you're probably okay," Amethyst said, "but your friend needs to stay behind."
"When are we going?" Steven said excitedly, running down the slope towards them, followed by Pearl.
"You have to stay, too," Garnet said gently. At Steven's crestfallen face, she said, "Protect Beach City. We won't be here to do it." She ruffled his hair and he grinned.
"Clara," the Doctor said. "Catch!" She tossed her the sonic screwdriver, and she snatched it out of the air.
"Won't you need it?" she said, confused. She held it gently, twirling it.
"You can disable gems now, and Steven can- do whatever it is you gems do."
"I get to bubble gems?" Steven said, his face lighting up again.
"You have to protect this town somehow," Garnet said gently. "Good luck."
"Are you leaving right now?" he asked.
"Yeah. Sorry, Steven," Amethyst said. "It can't wait."
"I will not fail in my task!" Steven said, puffing up his chest comedically. "I am a Crystal Gem!"
"You're going to do great, Steven," Pearl said, patting him on the head. "L- Lion?" she still hated Lion, just a bit, for being Rose's. She had wanted to show Steven his mom's things. She had wanted to- no, she wouldn't think about that. She had to save the world. "Lion, bring us to the Kindergarten."