Valiant, bold, and starry-eyed Steven was sweeping sand off the steps of his front porch. He'd just finished sweeping the deck, and before that finished his laundry. Connie was coming over today and he was excited about that. He committed pseudo-spring-cleaning every time Connie was going to come over because of Pearl. Garnet would've had him clean up, too, but Pearl wanted the place spotless. "Cleanliness is next to graciousness, and you must be gracious for your guests," she'd say. Boy, that always got on Amethyst's nerves. But, Steven didn't mind. It made actual spring cleaning a lot less difficult.
As he swept he could faintly hear Topaz on the guitar, and she was all the way at the top of the cliff, above his house, inside the lighthouse. Steven couldn't remember a moment of silence since she'd picked up the guitar. And just when Pearl and Amethyst didn't think she could ever get more insufferable.
Topaz liked her music loud, and was definitely a fan of the heavy-hitting kind of stuff that Steven found atrocious. It was much too aggressive and wild (this is exactly why Steven thought the 90s were the best years for rock music), but he supposed that that was the exact reason why Topaz liked it. Even if her taste in music was a little gross at least she had finally found something on Earth that she thoroughly enjoyed. And Steven was glad because of that. She was getting pretty good, too. Her rhythm was on point, and that might be the most important thing for a musician.
Connie was bringing her violin so she and him could play together. Maybe they could make up a new song. They hadn't made a new song since "The Jam Song." And thinking about that song made Steven sigh. It was spooky, the time Pearl started teaching Connie to sword fight. And then the broom in Steven's hands made him think about the holo-Pearl he cut in half with a mop.
"Bleh," said Steven, puking the mess his thoughts were beginning to turn into onto the sand on the last step to be swept. And with a gallant swish they were gone, because Connie was going to arrive in an hour. He started humming "The Jam Song" as he walked back up to the house.
"Finished sweeping!" he crooned, walking inside, to find the Gems surrounding Peridot's escape pod. He shut the screen door and walked to them. "Guys? What's going on?"
Pearl said, with gravity, "The pod has picked up warp activity."
Garnet said, "It's Peridot."
That his plans with Connie were ruined was the first thing that hit Steven. Of all days. He hoped that wasn't too selfish a thing to think. Steven put the broom away and said, "I'll call Connie to let her know. And go tell Topaz."
"You don't have to do that," said Amethyst. "I could stay here with you and Connie. I'm sure Garnet and Pearl can handle Peridot."
Steven pushed down his desires. "No. This is what Topaz has been waiting for all this time. It wouldn't be right to not tell her. And Connie will always be around, she can come over another day."
"Man, Steven, sometimes I wonder if you're too good for your own good."
Steven called Connie on his way up the hill to the lighthouse.
"Sorry," he said.
"No, it's ok. I understand," said Connie. "Just be careful."
"I will. I'll call later and tell you all about it."
"Ok. Talk to you soon."
At the front door to the lighthouse-more like, loudhouse-it reminded him of a tower from a video game, one in which was dark and very tall and the higher the player climbed, the louder the pipe organ that the main bad guy was playing became.
Steven opened the door, and unleashed the underworld. He had to scream louder than screamo to get Topaz's attention.
…
When the light from the warp dissipated, Steven noticed it was raining; not hard, but enough for him to kick himself over not packing an umbrella. Topaz stood in front of him, her back to him, with Peridot's foot in her hands. There was a clear line of separation-like, three or four feet's worth-between her and the Crystal Gems on the warp pad.
Topaz looked around. There were dense trees and grass and hills and rocks and wetness. She was the first one off the warp pad.
Steven felt compelled and walked to her, but he just looked up at her. Then Topaz suddenly noticed him, looked down at him like he was a gnat, and moved away from him. She jumped high into the air, straight up, over the trees and spun. She landed like a brick. Then she marched through the rain in her own direction. The Crystal Gems followed her.
Through the trees they found a beaten path, but Topaz stepped right over it, and over a low stone wall at the bottom of a hill near it. At the top of this hill was a tower, straight from the Middle Ages. It wasn't very tall or wide, and was dilapidated and seemed like it would smell funny. That beaten path had led around up to its doorstep.
Up some steps and across the tower's doorway was a metal gate much newer than the stones in its walls. Topaz yanked it and broke its lock. She stepped inside and Steven and the Gems followed. It did smell funny-very dank and earthy-and it was hollow and the rain echoed inside. Also, it was much darker than Steven thought it would be. Topaz's Gem lit up. It worked like a glow stick, illuminating everything in a warm reddish-brown.
There was a ladder that went up to the next floor that Topaz went for. Footsteps and rain echoed.
There was nothing on the next floor but a few small, skinny, glassless windows. The sound from the rain was practically gone here.
Before they went up to the last floor, Topaz hesitated. Steven was behind her, and almost reached out to touch her, but then she another step up.
Topaz poked her head through to the last floor. Then there was a flash of green, and she threw herself back down a few rungs of the ladder, shoving Steven into Garnet. The wall at the top of the ladder exploded. Rain came in.
Topaz hung like a monkey on the ladder, hanging by one hand and foot. Garnet clenched Steven more and wrinkles dug around her nose. Pearl and Amethyst looked up at Topaz stupidly as well. Topaz smacked her gums, and the light from her Gem went out. There was light, though, from the new window.
Topaz turned around, and Garnet let Steven back on the ladder. Topaz was just looking up, not doing anything. Steven put a hand on her calf. Her muscles tightened and she pulled her leg up to a higher rung until it looked like she was squatting.
"Pe… Peridot," said Topaz. There was no response. "…Peridot. …I'm coming up." Topaz straightened her back, with Peridot's foot to her chest. Her Gem glowed again, and she had gravity in her boots as she went up the ladder. Steven started to follow her, but Garnet held him back. He watched her till he couldn't anymore.
Steven only heard the rain for a moment. Then Peridot was the first to speak. "I thought you were gone..."
"I was healed," said Topaz.
"You changed your hair."
"Yes."
"My foot..." said Peridot.
"I kept it for you." Steven heard footsteps. He figured they were Peridot's because one foot sounded different than the other.
Then Topaz said, "You… are you alright?"
"I haven't been, no," said Peridot. There was quiet again. Then Peridot said, "Where's your insignia?"
"Gone..."
Then Peridot sounded like she deflated. "Are you kidding me?!" she said. Steven heard her walking around again. "You've got to be joking with me! What do you think is going to happen?! Have you lost it?!"
"Peri," said Topaz.
"Don't you Peri me!" she screeched. "Why do you have to keep doing this to me?! I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another! You've got to be a big joke!" Steven thought Peridot was crying now, and his heart dropped because of her.
"Peridot."
"And here I was, so stupid, happy to see you again!"
"Peridot."
"And then you pull another stunt like this!"
"Please."
"No, don't touch me! How did you even find me anyway?"
Topaz stalled. "Your escape pod. Configured it to detect warp activity."
Now Peridot stalled. "My escape pod? Where did you...? Configure? You don't know how to do that. ...Are they with you?... Please tell me they're not."
Suddenly, Garnet started up the ladder, climbing over Steven. He followed her though, then Amethyst, then Pearl. Peridot gasped when Garnet went up. Then Steven came through and saw Topaz in front of Peridot. She looked haggard. Topaz was facing Garnet, like she'd fight her if she got any closer. Steven and the Crystal Gems stood together away from Peridot and Topaz.
Garnet said, "She needs to come with us."
"Oh my stars, you've led them right to me! You're a traitor!" Peridot backed away from everyone, even Topaz, turning her fingers into a plasma cannon. The Crystal Gems all got in front of Steven and were ready for anything. Peridot could only back away so far; the tower was thin.
Topaz turned around. "Peridot," she said, "I haven't sided with them. Please." She eased forward, ignoring Peridot's gun.
"How can I trust you?" choked Peridot. "After everything that you've done?"
Topaz said, "I... can't explain it now, not like this." She was now in point-blank range of Peridot. "I need time. Please."
Against the old stone wall, Peridot's gun arm became lax as Topaz walked into the tip of her plasma canon, pressing it into her chest. "Please." She gazed into Peridot's desperate face.
Then Steven made the mistake of stepping around everyone's legs for a better view. Peridot wrapped an arm around Topaz and thrust her gun past her and fired. Pearl grabbed Steven, and everyone dove out of the way. More of the old stone wall behind them burst in the explosion, and rain drizzled in from the hole it made.
Steven lifted his head from Pearl's arm. Topaz and Peridot were in an embrace. Garnet was running for them. On her side of the tower, Peridot fired her canon again and made another hole. Topaz, with Peridot in her arms, leapt out of the tower.
Garnet, with her gauntlets, jumped out after them. Amethyst did the same, and Pearl hoisted Steven and did so, too. She set Steven down on the cool, wet ground. She and Amethyst pursued Topaz and Peridot with Garnet, with their weapons.
Steven slipped in the wet grass as he started to follow them. As he was getting up, the thought came to him that Topaz and Peridot were heading for the warp pad. He hopped up, took off his sandals, and hightailed it.
"Please, please, please," Steven kept murmuring to himself. The Crystal Gems had long since zoomed their way through the little forest just as Steven got to the bottom of the tower's hill and hopped over the little stone fence. For Steven, Topaz had made so much progress. She had even come so far as to connect with someone-his dad of all people-even if rudimentarily and seemingly out of selfishness. During Topaz's time in Beach City, even as far back as when she was locked away in the Temple, Steven had fancied bringing Topaz out of herself and to help her find her place here on Earth. Even Peridot wasn't out of the question. It's all Steven ever wanted to do: help. It was why he couldn't let Topaz get away now.
When Steven broke through the trees, he saw Garnet on top of Topaz, pinning her down in the grass with her weight, and Pearl and Amethyst handling Peridot. The warp pad was just out of their reach.
Amethyst wrapped Peridot from behind with her whip and pulled her to the ground. Amethyst tried to pin her down like Garnet did Topaz, but Peridot electrocuted her with one of her hands. Amethyst screamed and convulsed in the grass.
"Stop, please," said Steven. He still had some distance to cover.
Peridot shot at Pearl with her canon. Pearl had to create distance to dodge her.
Peridot got up and started for Garnet, but Amethyst, though trembling from the shock, tripped her. Regardless, Peridot took aim at Garnet.
Garnet called for Pearl, as she rolled onto her side to use a thrashing Topaz for a shield. More plasma flew at Pearl as she rushed Peridot. Some of the plasma whirred past Steven.
Peridot then slung a wave of plasma at Pearl in a large sweep. Pearl jumped it like a hurdle and threw her spear at Peridot's head. Peridot ducked and fired at the ground where Pearl would land. Pearl fell into the mud. Peridot charged her canon, but Amethyst, kneeling, coiled her whip around her arm and yanked her; the hot plasma fired into the rain.
Pearl leapt forward.
Peridot screamed for Topaz.
Pearl lunged and drove her spear through the center of the yellow diamond insignia on Peridot's chest. Steven saw this and saw the vision leave Peridot's eyes before she disappeared into a cloud of smoke. That her limbs did not vanish with her made Steven halt in his tracks. Pieces of Peridot fell into the wet grass. Pearl caught Peridot's Gem.
Topaz howled. Garnet was on top of her again, but Topaz had slipped one of her hands free and pushed into the ground, hard enough to flip her and Garnet onto their backs. Garnet tried to use the momentum to get on top again, but Topaz used the same momentum to roll onto her feet. This got Garnet to her feet, too, her stance as wide as a sumo wrestler's. Topaz used her free hand to reach for her sword, but Garnet grabbed her arm and pinned it to her chest. Then she slung Topaz back then forward in one swift motion, slamming her back into the mud like a rag doll.
Steven finally made it to the Gems. "No more," he shouted.
"Get back now," yelled Garnet. She was so heavy, Topaz's knees could muscle themselves straight into the earth. She drove them into the dirt like shovels.
Pearl went to go help Garnet, and Steven tried to stop her, and she tried to stop him. She demanded he go to Amethyst, but he wouldn't. Amethyst, however, came and got him.
"Pearl," Garnet shouted. Topaz had dug deep enough to allow the toes of her boots some traction. She pushed, throwing herself and Garnet a ways into the air, away from Pearl and her spear.
Garnet's back slapped into a puddle when they landed. Topaz splayed her legs wide to keep them from rolling over again. She started bashing Garnet in the face with the back of her head. This got one of her hands free, and she tried again for a sword. Garnet then resorted to just wrapping an arm around Topaz's head and over her Gem and squeezed.
Pearl and Amethyst ran down to them. Steven stayed, knowing there was nothing for him to do to change things now.
Topaz bit Garnet. She squeezed tighter. "Pearl! Get her now!"
Pearl raised her spear high, but as she struck, Topaz slung her lower body up and over Garnet's head, prying all but one of her arms loose from Garnet's choke-hold.
Topaz pulled out a sword and brought it down with madness. Garnet released Topaz and rolled out of the way, until she was standing. She launched herself at Topaz. Topaz swung her sword but Garnet caught it and Topaz's other arm again. Topaz lifted her feet and drop-kicked Garnet in the chest, freeing herself. She left her sword and ran. Garnet threw the sword away, but it exploded within range and blew her back into the puddle.
Topaz stampeded toward Pearl. Amethyst countered her. She whirled her whip. Topaz jumped over it like a hurdle, and booted Amethyst in the face. Her wet hair covered her on the ground.
Pearl shot balls of energy from her spear at Topaz. Topaz took the brunt of it, and kept moving. Pearl retreated, still shooting. Garnet was coming.
Topaz took another sword and deflected Pearl's attacks, sending balls of explosive white energy into the ground and over the trees.
Because Topaz was closing in on her, Pearl leapt into the air. Topaz rocketed after her. Then Garnet jumped, too.
Topaz shot through Pearl's barrage of energy, and when she got in close, she and Pearl crossed blades. But, Topaz grabbed Pearl's neck.
They came back down to earth and they were on the ground. Topaz caught Pearl's spear in the crossguard of her sword. She overturned it and shoved her sword into the ground, trapping Pearl's spear. Topaz let go of her sword.
Topaz punched Pearl in the jaw.
Steven ran toward the fight; his shield had appeared without his notice.
"Give her to me," said Topaz. She shoved a knee into Pearl's neck and pried Peridot's Gem from her hand.
Garnet had landed past them, and because she rushed at them, Topaz took Pearl by her arm, lifted her, and whipped her around, chucking her at Garnet. Garnet caught her without stopping.
Topaz made a break for the warp pad and exploded her sword that was in the ground, but that didn't stop Garnet either.
Amethyst was back up and Steven ran up to her. They were between the warp pad and Topaz. Amethyst summoned two whips. Topaz summoned a sword.
Amethyst cracked both her whips toward Topaz, but Topaz sliced each of them. She ran, brought her sword up for Amethyst. Steven jumped in front of her and Topaz struck his shield. It stunned her for a second. But, she reeled back and swung again and again, side-stepping Steven. Every hit was like being rammed by a bull.
Topaz made for the warp pad again, but in the little hop she took to gain the platform, Garnet grabbed her by the head and swung her around. And Pearl wrapped herself around Topaz's torso and arms. And Amethyst around her legs.
They held her off the ground. She writhed and was fierce, and breathed the flaming breath of a dragon.
Garnet got Topaz to drop her sword, then wrapped her other fist around Topaz's head as well. "Let go of me," Topaz said. "Hypocrites!"
Steven looked up at Topaz. She locked onto him. Dread came over him. "I won't be stopped," she growled. "You won't keep us. You can't keep me... from... her."
Steven watched as Garnet squeezed Topaz's head. Topaz shut her eyes and screamed. Then she vanished into smoke.
Steven watched as everyone's arms moved through the smoke and watched Topaz's Gem fall into the mud. Peridot's Gem fell next to hers.
Steven noticed the rain again, and that he was cold. His shield disappeared.
The Crystal Gems breathed the fight away. Amethyst and Pearl shattered Topaz's and Peridot's Gems with their gazes. Steven's knuckles and toes went white at the thought.
Garnet got rid of her gauntlets and picked up Topaz and Peridot. She bubbled them, and they were gone.
Pearl asked Steven if he was alright. "Yeah. I'm ok."
"What the heck are these?" said Amethyst. She was holding some of those pieces of Peridot that had not vanished with her.
"These weren't a part of her body?" Pearl said. Steven approached and saw green cylinders that used to connect to Peridot's arms and legs-from her elbows down and from her knees down. The piece which was missing a foot had a hunk of wood shoved into its socket. All ten of her floating fingers were in the grass, too. Steven wondered if Peridot was an amputee and if the pieces here were her prosthetic limbs.
They gathered the pieces, then got on the warp pad and went home. The trouble with warping home from a place with a storm is that they always manage to take some of the rain with them.
...