I AM FINISHING THIS SUCKER UP.

This is (probably) the second last chapter. (Actually no I don't want this story to end)

I wanna read all of your reviews and comments but this god damn computer won't let me do anything.

I bet a bunch of you will yell at me for this chapter, but whatever.

Peace out, enjoy this long chapter :)

Pearl had woken up and almost screamed. The sun was high in the sky, signifying it was almost noon.

"Why did I sleep?" Pearl muttered to herself, throwing her bag over her shoulder and continuing along the border of the forest. She did feel much more energized than she had yesterday, which was puzzling because she didn't need sleep.

Her mind raced with thoughts.

Where are they?

Is Garnet re-fused?

Are they even on this island?

She stopped walking for a minuet. She could be running from nothing, just a figment of her imagination. Pearl chuckled to herself. "Ruby and Sapphire are probably in a bubble right now!" She said aloud, now laughing. "I'm safe. Free. No more past, no future, just now." She said, laying down in the grass and closing her eyes, drifting off in a mid-sleep state.

Pearl took a deep breath in, she could almost taste the fresh air. Listening to the sounds of nature brang her peace. She laid there for what felt like a few minuets, but was actually stretched out hours.

"I feel it." She heard a voice say. "We're close..."

Ruby.

Pearls heart stopped. She began to crawl, trying to stay hidden in the tall grass. She knew they were going to see her, that she would be caught, that she would face Garnet, er, Ruby and Sapphire.

She decided what she needed to do. She slipped off her bag, and got out the lighter. Very carefully, she lit a branch on fire. Then, came the part she wasn't sure of.

She had to throw it at Steven.

She hesitated, but decided to go with it.

Sapphire can freeze the flames if it gets too out of conrtol, but it would be enough of a diversion for her to run out and gain some ground. She wheeled back her arm, ready to throw.

I can't do this. I can't hurt Steven. Pearl thought.

But something else had other plans.

You don't have a choice.

Something rang in her head, repeating over and over, telling her to do it. Pearl felt her arm swing over, launching the flaming stick at Steven. She hit Steven right on the star on his shirt, setting a flame to his chlothes. Sapphire freezed the flames, and comforted a frightened Steven. The 3 gems looked over at Pearl.

Shit. She forgot to run. It would probably be a good time to start running.

She ran like hell, ignoring all the shouts.

"Go back..." She muttered to herself. "Please..."

But she wasn't in full control.

Something was telling her what to do, something that Pearl had figured out wasn't supposed to be there.

The sun was bright in the sky, beaming down on Pearl. She was about to stop, to let them find her, to let them get her, when she heard a shout.

"PEARL. STOP RUNNING RIGHT THIS INSTANT." Garnet yelled, furious, charging at Pearl.

Adreneline rushed through Pearl, who kicked into action, sprinting ahead. She ran through twigs, trees, and branches, trying to get away from the flaming Garnet.

She tried to summon her weopan, if she beat Garnet with guilt once, she could do it again. But her spear wasn't materializing. She lifted a hand to feel her gemstone.

Double shit. It was cracked, pretty badly.

Pearl felt herself growing tired. Her legs started to slow, her arms felt heavy.

"STOP RIGHT NOW!" Garnet shouted, gaining ground on Pearl.

Pearl wanted to stop. She truly did. She felt the crack in her gem grow bigger, and all the while it became harder to run. She felt a pair of gauntlets grab her by the waist, leaving painful marks in her sides. Garnet hauled her up, using one hand to grab her waist and the other to hold her hands together behind her back.

Pearl was in pain. Her sides had been so scratched. That even the slightest touch caused immense pain. Garnet clutching her side was unimaginable. Her hands felt numb, maybe from her gem being cracked, maybe from the rough grip Garnet had in her.

She felt got tears pour down her face, and the crack in her gem grow larger.

"Garnet..." Pearl said softly, before passing out.

Steven waited where Garnet told him to. He held a block of ice against his chest, where Pearl had burned him. He heard the crunch of footsteps emerge from the trees, and Garnet came out holding a not-so-good looking Pearl.

"Let's go home. Peridots probably wondering where everyone went." Garnet said with a tone of annoyance and anger in her voice.

"What about Amethyst?" Steven asked.

Garnet looked around the woods, and shrugged. "She's Amethyst. She'll manage."

A week later, back home was still quiet. Pearl was still out cold on the pullout couch, with Garnet having put a pair of Gauntlets on each of her hands so she couldn't get up. They had managed to find Amethyst, but not in time. In the day she'd been alone, she managed to eat a beehive.

And was still coughing up bees.

Garnet came out of her room to check on Pearl. She was partially worried that Pearl wasn't waking up, and that she didn't even breathe. "It's ok." She had told Steven. "Gems don't need to breathe. Just when there's air around us, it's an instinct."

Late that afternoon, Pearl began to stir. She opened her eyes, and tried to stretch her arms, only to find a gauntlet on each one. Pearl looked over, confused, and tried to take her hand out, which didn't work.

"Only way to keep you down that wouldn't hurt you." Garnet said, sitting on a chair in the kitchen.

"Pearls back!" Steven yelled excitedly.

Pearl didn't know how Steven could be excited to see her. She had tried (and succeeded) to hurt him.

Garnet didn't seem as excited. "You're grounded from going outside, going to your room, and from missions." She told Pearl, who sighed and accepted her punishment.

Garnet walked over and sat in the end of the pullout. "Care to explain?" She asked.

Pearl felt her eyes water up, but fought back the tears. "I-I don't..." Pearl began, but couldn't finish. "I don't know what came over me..." She said, losing the battle with her tears.

Garnet just nodded, disappointed. "You can stay on the couch for a week." She said, walking over to her room.

"Wait!" Pearl yelled.

Garnet turned around.

"Can you take these off?" Pearl tried to move her arms, which were held tight by Garnets gauntlets, right above her head. She tried to bring her foot up, but it was being held down by one of Amethysts whips.

"Im not sure you have that kind of trust anymore." Garnet replied. The gauntlets seemed to get tighter and heavier. Garnet gave Pearl one final look, and went into her room.

Pearl was about to say something, but decided not to. Did she really break Garnets trust so much, that she couldn't be trusted to be not tied down? She sighed. She truly did.

"I can get you out!" Steven said climbing on the couch and trying to life one of the heavy gauntlets.

"Steven, I don't think you can move those..." Pearl said, and just realized how raspy her voice was.

"Wait! I got this!" He grabbed the gauntlet in both hands and tried to pull it off, but failed.

"I guess your here until Garnet and Amethyst let you go." Steven said, his face was a kind smile, his tone was rather sad. Pearl half-smiled back at him.