I hope you're all excited, because things are going to start getting better in this very chapter! Also, thank you everyone who actually stayed around for this chapter, I really appreciate it!

It didn't take long for the black liquid to be used up on Shard. His nightmare was biggest one after all. Once it was finally used up, the hold of the nightmare on him began to fade rapidly. Back within his dark dream, with the liquid now gone, Shard realized what was happening.

"Wait a minute... this isn't real!" Shard thought just before he was fully absorbed by the dark object below him. "NO!" he shouted. "I will not fall to this dream!" As he said so, he pulled his arms and hands up out of the darkness, even though a moment ago he had been believing they were gone. Soon he had pulled himself fully out of the deadly orb below him. "Now, what was I doing before I got thrown in here... The Gems!" he exclaimed. He began to concentrate as hard as he could, willing himself to wake back up. Gradually, the area around him faded away, and he was back in his mindscape once more.

Once he was back, he was able to see that the others were being very deeply upset at whatever was happening in their nightmares. Unfortunately for them, their nightmares weren't bound as closely to the real world as his was, so the black liquid was being used up much more slowly. If they were to wake up soon, he'd have to take more drastic measures... Now, which one should he wake first?

Back in Lapis' dream, her mirror was lying in the prison cell on the ground, alone and forgotten. At least, it had been. Her mirror saw the door to the cell being opened, although whatever was opening it was just out of sight. Once it was open enough, the tall and thin figure of Shard slipped in. "Oh no, not him! What's he going to do to me that I haven't already had happen?!" she thought. He stooped down and took the mirror in his hand, then lifted it and began examining it. Then, he grabbed her partially broken gem and pulled it from the back of the mirror, freeing her.

"Lapis, you have to heal yourself. I can't do it for you." he said. "This isn't real, this whole place is a fake! It's only a dream." His voice sounded strained, as if he was having trouble believing his words himself. She wasn't so sure they were real either. But, she did so want them to be... she tried her hardest to think of her gem being healed, and to her surprise, it actually began to work. Soon her gem was fully repaired and she began to reform. As soon as she had though, Jasper reappeared at the door, looking very angry. Lapis began to shake, not wanting a confrontation with the large Gem.

Shard had other plans for the brute that was scaring his friend. Just because they were dreaming didn't mean she could get away with that.

"Hey, runt!" the yellow-orange Gem yelled at Lapis. "I'm about to beat you so much you'll wish you were back in that mirror!"

Lapis began to shake and back away from her, but Shard stood his ground and turned to face Jasper. "I think you're mistaken on who will be beating whom..." he said as he began to pound his right fist into his open palm. The bigger Gem angrily lunged at him. Shard moved slightly and then took a large swing at her, smashing his fist into her nose and cracking her gem into several pieces. Her physical form instantly dissipated, leaving a few broken bits of her gem to fall to the ground. "And she will not bother you any more..." Shard said as he turned back to Lapis, who stood in shock at how quickly he had defeated her attacker. "Now please," he said, "wake up."

Shard and Lapis woke up at the same time a moment later. Lapis had been lying on the floor, having moved around while asleep. Shard was kneeling next to her, his hand on what remained of the black liquid on her foot, which was almost nothing now. As Lapis began to be more fully aware of her surroundings, the last tiny bit of it evaporated away, and Shard removed his hand. Lapis looked over as to her side when she heard a strange noise, and saw Amethyst and Pearl also lying on the ground in strange positions, bits of the black liquid still on them. Of all the things that had just happened, she was actually most in disbelief at the speed at which Shard had taken out Jasper.

"Are you ok?" he asked her, although with a rather urgent tone in his voice. At first she didn't respond, still a little unsure of her surroundings after having been in such a realistic dream. "Lapis, are you ok?" he repeated several seconds later, more urgent this time.

"Uh... Yeah..." She replied slowly.

"Good. I wish I had more time to make sure you're alright, but I've got to help these two..." Shard said as he reached out and touched the black spot on Amethyst's leg, losing consciousness nearly instantly. He soon found himself in a huge room, almost completely empty, except for Amethyst sobbing to herself in the center. This might take a while...

The massive ship grew ever closer to Earth. The Diamonds hadn't given much explanation as to why they wanted Steven to come with them, and were in fact in their privet chambers, not bothering themselves with him. They would be ready to give him his final test soon enough...

So, what do you think? I'm hoping that you all liked this chapter, because I feel like something is wrong with it, I just can't figure out what. As always, please review, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Bye!