Hey everybody!

I'm back with another Chapter! Apologies for being late...again...

Thanks for the reviews. They (Along with follows and favourites) are my main motivation to keep writing. Thank you! *Sends an internet hug to everybody*

No Lapis, Amethyst and Sapphire in this chapter, sorry! Don't worry, they'll be back in the next one.

VERY IMPORTANT: This chapter starts just before the ending of the previous chapter but it's Steven's side of the story. You'll see when you read it, I'm sure you'll understand.

Enjoy!

"Is that it?" She looked at him with her one eye.

"Yes,"

"Good," She raised the hammer above his head. He looked down at his feet in preparation for the blow that was about to come.

…

…

…

Steven opened his eyes as he heard the sound of the hammer crash to the floor. The trembling physical form of Peridot, of which Topaz was in control of, had tears streaming down her face like a waterfall, the hammer at her side. She shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, falling to her knees in sadness.

He watched in shock and terror, his heart beating so fast that it felt like it was about to burst.

"I can't do this. I can't do this," She put her head in her hands. "I can't kill him, just like I couldn't kill 5XA," She looked up at him. "Steven Quartz Universe... That's your name right? RIGHT?!"

"Y-Yes," He whispered. Now wasn't the time to lie. Topaz had spared him and was having a break-down – he shouldn't risk it again.

"...Peridot Universe... That actually has quite a nice ring to it..." She sighed. "...The show must go on... somehow..."

He thought for a moment. If he were to ask, would Topaz attack him?

Oh well.

"C-Can Peridot still hear m-?"

"No," She wiped the tears from under her (well, Peridot's) visor and stared directly into his eyes. "I'm so sorry,"

"F-For what?" He gripped the front of his t-shirt.

"I can't kill you...but that doesn't mean I can let Peridot know that. Since she's trapped inside her Gem, I can create an alternate universe within it,"

"Like when you were both inside the ship together?" Steven asked.

"Correct," She picked up at the hammer and just held it in her hands and felt it, not about to use it. "A universe where she – I – killed you. I can keep Peridot inside that alternate universe and make her believe that it's reality. It's either that or you both have to die alone. These are the two possible outcomes for the future. I'll let you decide which. I don't want to be in control anymore,"

Steven ran his hands through his hair. He had two choices.

He could let Peridot live but spend the rest of eternity believing that she killed him. Choosing this option would mean that they'd both live but Peridot would have to live forever thinking that she'd killed him.

Or.

He could let them both die alone. If this was his decision, it would mean they'd both die and he'd die knowing that Peridot was about to be shattered in some horrific way that he couldn't imagine.

His mind crowded with terrible thoughts and scenarios.

A thought came into his head: What would the Crystal Gems do?

Ruby and Sapphire might fight all of time without him there to help them make up. Amethyst would be the only Shorty Squad member left. Lapis... well... The only reasons she was still on Earth was to be with Steven and Peridot. She might leave and get captured by Homeworld again. The entire Temple would be a mess without Pearl. PEARL! He'd almost forgotten about her. Everybody else was probably already distraught by the fact she'd been shattered. He couldn't let them be alone.

"Topaz... I've made up my mind," He clenched his fists and looked away, trying to avoid eye-contact with Peridot's physical form. "I'd rather that you let us both live but let Peridot believe that I'm...you know..."

"If that's what you wish. Quiet and I'll talk to her," Topaz looked down at the ground in front of her and shut her eyes."He's gone, you know. He's not coming back. You killed him,"

As he listened to Topaz speak, he suddenly realised that this whole time, Peridot must have still been trying to save him. Steven felt himself tear up again. His eyes were red and sore from the amount of water that had leaked from it over the past week.

"There's no point, now. It's too late. The controlling disrupter is going to keep shocking you until you put your arm back inside. Just give up and I'll let you go,"

Steven knew that Topaz would never let her go. She was teasing her in her usual cruel way. However, their was something in her voice, an unusual softness, that told him she wasn't lying.

"I've already done what I needed," Topaz whispered, before opening her eyes and standing up and walking up to Steven. She gently laid the hammer on the ground next to them both and spoke quietly in a monotone voice."She's going to break the screen now. I'm sorry,"

Peridot was going to live - Steven didn't want to know anything else... except for one thing.

"What about you, Topaz?" He muttered. "What are you going to do?"

"I-I...I don't know," She looked away in embarrassment. "To be honest, I never thought I'd ever get to have my revenge. After I let 5XA pretend to be shattered, I just ran away. I thought my life was over. Hurt and traumatised by seeing my love abandon me for the rebels, I ran away but...but...but...I MISSED HER! I missed her so much, I took the knowledge learnt by a group of Rubies about the Earth and planned a corruption song and a raid, all of which would avoid the Peridot who had been located on Earth. I never got the time to check the files. I thought that 5XA was still alive. I thought 5XG was 5XA. This insanity led me to believe so. I was wrong. Very wrong. I stole your lover, tortured her and imprisoned her. I guess 5XA ended up getting shattered in the war by another Gem. I'm so sorry. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!"

"H-Hey, it's okay," Steven put a hand on her shoulder. He remembered when Peridot had betrayed him and abandoned him in the dream which they'd shared. How he had overheard her tell Topaz that she loved her. How she had shouted and screamed at him. How she had thrown things to knock him out. He could only imagine how it felt for Topaz, who'd loved 5XA unconditionally for thousands, perhaps millions of years, to have to have been betrayed. It explained so many of her actions."I bet, if she was here, she would give you a great big hug,"

"You really think so?"

"Sure! Do you know where she was supposedly shattered?"

"In this very field,"

"Why don't you make a memorial for her?"

"Will it bring her back?"

Steven gave a sigh. "Probably not...it'll make you feel better, though. I'll help you make it,"

"Shall we get started?"

"Of course!"

"W-WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Pearl shouted. The darkness of which she was stood in was beginning to quickly flash many different colours.

"Oh no," The Peridot that stood by her side whispered. "She did it,"

Pearl turned to face the Gem that reminded her ever so much of the Peridot from the Crystal Gems. "Did what?"

"...Topaz..." The small, green Gem muttered. "...She couldn't do it..."

"TOPAZ COULDN'T DO WHAT?!" Pearl yelled, getting very frustrated not only by the fact she wasn't getting an answer but also because the flashing bright colours were beginning to hurt her eyes.

"...5XG is on her own, now..." She grabbed her Gem worriedly. "We're in trouble,"

"Why? What's about to happen to us?" Pearl began to pace around. "Is this because of that Topaz who was with Peridot? Are they both still alive? What about Steven? Is he okay too? He was acting strange last time I saw him. I know he was lying but why? What happened to everybody else?"

"SHUT UP AND STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!" She yelled, immediately making Pearl stop talking. "Now, something bad is about to happen to us. Don't panic, it's gonna be quick. Just stay calm and prepare yourself,"

"O-Okay..." Pearl stopped pacing around and began to fiddle with her long purple hair.

The flashing colours were going so fast that it was hard for their Gems to process.

"Hold on," The Peridot looked up at her. "Things are about to get crazy,"

"Wha-"

The tall purple Gem was cut off when she found herself fall backwards, as if the non-existent floor has broken beneath her, the Peridot falling by her side.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" She yelled, staring at her new green friend who had a serious expression upon her face.

"We're going to the barn. The REAL barn," She replied, staring back.

"What do you mean?" Pearl asked. "There isn't a fake barn. Not that I know of, anyway,"

"You'll see,"

…

"...My name is Pearl, by the way. I know I look like a Taaffeite right now but I'm a Pearl, promise,"

"I'm Peridot 5XA,"

"Wait a second..." Pearl's eyes widened. "5XA?"

"That's me," She smiled. "Nice to see you again, Pearl,"

"You! I remember you!" Pearl covered her mouth, suddenly realising who the green Gem was. "You were the Peridot who joined the Crystal Gems half-way through the fight! Though, weren't you shattered by a Topaz?"

"Correct," She laughed. "Quite a surprise to find me alive with you, isn't it? It'd a long story that I really don't have time to explain,"

"May I ask just one question?"

"Sure," The small green Gem smiled half-heartedly.

"Is my little boy okay?" Pearl looked desperate as she spoke. "Steven Quartz Universe? He means the galaxy to me and I just want to make sure he's not...you know..."

"He's fine. We're going to be fine too..." 5XA smiled before looking away, a frown suddenly appearing on her face. "...but Peridot...oh, how I wish I could say the same for her,"

"...Ugh, my Gem..." Peridot uttered under her breath as she began to wake up. She was lying on her back on some form of wooden floor, from what she could feel. As her eyes flickered open, her sight was blurry and her Gem stung, probably an after-effect of the damaged she had previously taken from the Controlling Disruptor, of which she had successfully broken.

For a minute, she just laid there, waiting for the pain to disappear, or at least calm down. Slowly, her vision began to focus again and she could make out the wooden ceiling above her.

"The barn?" She asked nobody in particular, her voice raspy and quiet from the screaming. She forced herself to stand up, her entire physical form weak from the torture. She looked around.

The barn was a mess. Meep-morp was scattered everywhere and part of the ceiling looked as if it was about to collapse.

Then she saw it...the still, unmoving body in the corner.

She ran over to it as fast as she could. "Please say he's alive, please say he's alive, PLEASE SAY HE'S ALIVE!"

The sight was horrifying. There wasn't a smile upon his face and his clothes were stained red from a substance of which Peridot hadn't seen before. That same substance was pouring out of the top of his head and onto the floor. A hammer rested on the floor beside him.

She reached a hand down and lightly put it on one of his shoulders. Cold – dead.

"O-Oh...Oh...Oh m-my...s-st-t-tars..." She backed away ever so slowly and carefully. "I-I..." She looked up."...I killed him. H-He's dead,"

...Pain...

...Guilt...

...Agony...

...Regret...

...Sadness...

...Loneliness...

She looked up through the hole in the ceiling up at the stars. She studied them and she remembered when they had both ridden on Lapis together a few nights ago and when Steven had asked her to be his girlfriend.

"...I never even got the chance to say yes," She fell to her knees and sobbed. "THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!"

Topaz looked up at the stars, her hair covering the button of an eye. She had left Peridot's physical form and was now stood alone outside the barn while Steven was asleep.

"Why am I here, when I could be up there beside you?" She asked herself, turning to the memorial lined with flowers that she had made for 5XA. "I can join you," She summoned her signature gun in her hand and pointed it to her Gem. "I can be with you again," Her finger rested upon the trigger. "We'll be a happy family again,"

"STOP!"

Topaz spun around and dropped her Gem in surprise.

No, it couldn't be! This couldn't be real!

"5XA?!"

The green Gem smiled, walking towards her. "I'm back!"

"No, this isn't real!" Topaz yelled, running towards her. "It can't be!"

The two embraced in a long hug, both of them having tears trickle down their cheeks.

"IT REALLY IS YOU!" The yellow-orange Gem danced around with joy. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"I never thought I'd see you again," 5XA smiled, gripping onto her tighter. "I missed you, T,"

"I missed you too, honey,"

/

Steven awoke to the sound of footsteps.

"Huh? Who's there?" Steven spoke loudly, picking up a torch. "I can hear you, whoever you are!"

His eyes widened as he flicked it on.

"Hello, Steven!"

"PEARL!" He jumped out of the sleeping bag that he had been lying in and ran over to her. "YOU'RE BACK!"

She lifted him up in her arms and spun around happily. "You don't know how much I worried about you! I'm just so glad you're safe," She put him down and rustled his hair. "So, where are the others?"

He rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed way. "...I have a lot to catch you up on..."