"It's time to go," Blue Zircon explained to Jasper, "You... you sure you can make it?"

Jasper snarled, massive fangs now growing from her lower jaw, her hair far longer and tangled, her body covered in a spreading red and green pattern, horns beginning to form, and her left eye glowing. Worst of all was...

Tears.

Tears streamed down her face.

"Phoenix..." she pleaded, slamming her fist into the ground as it turned into a paw, "Please... you have to... poof me..."

"Jasper!" Phoenix pleaded, "Please! Hold on! You're almost home! You're my best friend! Just hold on!"

"I can't," Jasper wept, slamming a massive, oversized fist into the ground, "I... my... son... Ste... ven... where... son...?"

Phoenix took a deep breath and grabbed a Gem Destabilizer, "I'm sorry. I'll protect him."

As Jasper fully corrupted she screamed in a feral roar, "Sonnnnn!"

...

Steven and Spinel nervously discuss matters as Amethyst entered.

Steven asked just prior, "You sure about this?"

Spinel nodded, "You love your family still, do you not?"

"Yeah, all of em. From Bismuth to Lapis," Steven sighed, "But..."

"Do you trust me? Bro?" Spinel asked.

Steven nodded.

"Then trust Amethyst," Spinel smiled, "It'll be OK."

Amethyst entered Fish Stew Pizza from the cold, intense, and unfeeling blizzard outside. Cold snow and hail bombarded Beach City, but it was not a soothing, peaceful cold, it was violent and malicious, much like the barrage on the psyche Steven would soon endure.

Amethyst saw the duo and sat down, silent, unsure what to say as she asked, "So... what's going on here guys?"

"First," Spinel explained, "Great to see you again. Second... Steven it's your... well she's biologically related to you so..."

Steven nodded and turned to Amethyst as he offered a slice of pizza that the Gem ate in a single bite, "So long story short, Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond? Same person. Pearl knows this, and has been lying to all of us. I think we all still love Pearl as our family but you're the only Hem aside from Spinel I trust. I've been hiding Spinel in my pocket for three months, and you're the only Gem we've told because Spinel insisted we tell you."

Amethyst fell silent and gazed into the pizza at the center of the table, deep in contemplation. About a minute went by before she asked, "So... can you talk to me now then?"

"What?" Steven inquired, confused as he explained, "I expected a betrayl of some sort here. He he."

Steven gave an awkward chuckle. Amethyst however, spoke sternly yet compassionately with deep concern, "Steven, you are deeply mentally ill, suffering from mood swings, don't talk to anyone save for Connie, the other humans, and Spinel, and are growing worse by the day."

Steven shook his head, "I know but... mom has to get home soon. She'll know what to do. I would just... feel better if she was here to help me confront everyone. I do love my family but... I can't... trust them. Not without her. Just... I need help. From her, and from a professional."

Amethyst shook her head, "I know it's hard but if you just..."

That's when she arrived. A cry in the center of the city, heard across the beachside town. A ship, blue in color, sat outside the city, unknown to the Gems who fought off a feral and enraged creature. Garnet was poofed before back up arrived.

Bismuth and Peridot charged at the orange and green Gem as it cried out once more. Bismuth threw daggers that Peridot steered with her magnetic abilities to impale the corrupted Gem. With three knives in its side, it cried out in fury and rage, tackling and stomping Peridot which poofed her. Meanwhile, Bismuth leapt at her with two hammers in place of her hand which slammed into the beast, dazing it only to bitten and chewed up, poofing only to be spat out as it cried out once more.

By this point, Amethyst, Spinel, and Steven arrived to see the Gem rampaging all over, breaking windows and knocking over power lines as it roared.

"Where are the others?" Spinel demanded, "Pearl? Lapis?"

Amethyst explained, "They're on another mission! It's up to us!"

Amethyst summoned her whip as the Corrupted Gem approached, charging at Steven who summoned his shield as the trio prepared to fight.

But...

There was no fight.

The Gem stopped. Right in front of them. It sniffed Steven and sat in front of him, affectionately snuggling him.

"Do..." Spinel asked, "Do they always do that?"

"No," Amethyst replied, "Steven..."

"This orange color..." Steven muttered.

Steven froze when it clicked.

The only image adequate to portray what happened in his mind would be the image of Pink Diamond shattering. A metaphorical scene representing his psyche.

Steven glowed Pink, "Mom... who did this to you?"

"Ste..." Jasper growled out, "Ven..."

"That's Jasper?" Amethyst asked.

"Hey!" A voice asked, "You there!"

A blue Gem approached the trio and greeted them, "You're the Crsytal Gems right? Jasper told me about you."

Steven nodded, "We are. Why do you ask?"

The Gem introduced herself, "I'm a Blue Zircon, but I go by Phoenix. I... defended Jasper while Blue tried her for your murder Steven. I poofed her hoping you wouldn't see her like this but... I don't know how to bubble and she reformed when we arrived."

Steven sighed, "So... Phoenix, welcome to Earth. Amethyst, show her around, but don't tell the others."

"What about you?" Amethyst asked, "Look I'll keep your secret for now, but you have to come clean about all this. This is getting serious!"

"Just give me a moment," Steven requested.

"But-" Amethyst spoke, but Spinel placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed, walking away with Pheonix.

Song: Shatter Her

Based On: Interlude IV  (Showtime): A Picture Perfect Hollywood Heartbreak

His mind shattered as images of Gems shattering in the war echoed in his mind. He placed his hand on Jasper's head with a deranged smile and sang, "You're finally here.
Welcome home.
I hoped you would help me.
But now I'm alone."

"Steven it's OK," Spinel sang trying to comfort him.

"No it isn't," Steven glared as he sang back.

"At least now it's over," Spinel sung back placing a hand on Steven's shoulder.

Steven pulled away and turned his back to Jasper and Spinel, and sang with hate in his voice, "We're just getting started."

"What?" Spinel askes.

Steven sang, "Even mom is back,
Look how's she returned.
This twisted form,
And her psyche shattered."

"She helped you fake your death and came back for you," Spinel sang in retaliation.

"Oh is that right?" Steven sang back, "That's only half true!
She may have returned in letter,
Yet here stands before us a corrupted husk because of that coward!

For 15 years since the day I was born,
Because of two Diamonds and their wretched war.
Corruption doesn't happen for no reason.
It has to have been caused by Yellow Diamond."

"You can't know that," Spinel sang, concerned for Steven as he began to glow pink, "She could have just lost her mind."

Steven yelled back, Spinel backing away, "It's Yellow who pushed her to lose her mind.
It's Yellow who made her psyche decay and writhe?"

"What do you want me to say!?!" Spinel demanded.

"It's bigger than ourselves," Steven chuckled with murderous intent in his eyes.

"You can't face her alone," Spinel sighed.

"Pink wouldn't," Steven chuckled before he sang again in a rage, "So I'll shatter Yellow myself!"

"You can't beat her!" Spinel pleaded in song.

"Don't care if I don't live," Steven madly sang back.

"But I do darn it!" Spinel pleaded in song, "Together we can beat her."

Steven retorted in a blind, pink fury, "No don't give me that crap!
You're gonna lie like her.
I can't even count on my beloved mother!
If I let you help me you'll get hurt or corrupted!

I have to do this and I won't lose you to her!"

"She's the stronger Diamond you don't stand a chance!" Spinel sang.

Steven asked madly singing, "Then I'll be dead and free,
Simple as that."

"No!" Spinel screamed.

Steven sang, "Pink couldn't but I will.
To avenge the thousands they killed.
Those in the core of our planet,
The massive corpse beneath the pavement!

Because in the end it all goes back to Yellow Diamond!
And I'm merely doing what has to be done!
I'll see to it,
That the Diamond will fall."

"Steven!" Spinel screamed.

Steven sang, "One, eight, hundreds, more,
How many had to die in their war?
Is this the life into which I'm born?
Where the core of my Home is a massive corpse?

Corruption, lies, distrust, hate,
These things are in my life every day.
That's why I'll make it change!
Yellow Diamond better run..."

Steven grinned as he looked towards space and ended the song, "Pink's coming."

"Not alone," Spinel protested, "I'm gonna help you, but we need all the help we can get. Any ideas?"

Steven looked at Jasper and smirked, "I know some folk..."

Steven and Spinel began back to the house where Amethyst and Phoenix discuss outside the temple. "So Jasper lied?" Amethyst asked, "Told you everything, and Sea knew and lied to all of us?"

Phoenix nodded, "Yeah and I take it with Jasper corrupted plans have changed."

"I don't know the plan in the first place!" Amethyst exclaimed.

Steven and Spinel then entered as the blizzard outside grew. The four sat in silence for a moment. The wind howled as snow pelted the walls of the Temple, creating a steady and unsettling clanking on the wood.

"We are going to destory Yellow Diamond," Steven explained, "But we need a base and an army. We have Jasper outside but..."

"No," Amethyst retorted, "You three are gonna talk to the Gems. We need to discuss this. I can't keep... this much secret. I'm sorry but-"

Steven interrupted, "Hey so if you got poofed by someone would be mad at them?"

"Nah not to much," Amethyst replied, "I mean crap happens and-"

In a flash, Amethyst was poofed by a single throw of Steven's shield.

"Steven!" Spinel exclaimed, rage in her voice.

Steven explained, "If she rats us out now we're all in trouble. We can't reveal the truth now. They would hate me. We're in to deep. I'm not losing everyone now. We just... get through to the other side if the tunnel. Shatter Yellow Diamond."

"Isn't it over now?" Phoenix asked, "Yellow isn't looking for you now, you have a family, Jasper is back, and-"

Steven glowed pink and screamed, "Yellow will keep hurting people and Gems! The Gems I care about! If we don't stop her what happened to Jasper will happen to everyone! She won't take them away from me!"

Steven took a deep breath and bubbled Amethyst, "It's for the greater good. I'll let you out as soon as I can sis."

"Well we need an army and a base," Pheonix replied.

Steven smirked, "Well, I know one place we can get an army with Jasper's help..."

"What about a base of operations!?!" Phoenix demanded, "You're just gonna charge in guns blazing!?!"

Spinel interjected, "I... I know a place. Follow me."

Spinel lead the duo to the Garden and explained, "This... this is where I was..."

Steven placed a hand on her shoulder. Spinel smiled solemnly as she explained, "We can restore it. It's large enough to house many Gems and they'll never find it."

"Excellent," Steven replied as he let the bubble with Amethyst float upwards to stop midair above them, "Then it's all settled. Zircon, you wait here. Spinel and I... wait we have a problem. We can't show our face there."

"But they can," Spinel grinned as she extended her hand.

Steven nodded and the duo danced and fused. They turned to Phoenix and asked, "You have a ship right?"

Phoenix nodded.

"Good," the fusion smiled, "We'll be back."

The fusion stepped on the warp, scythe in hand and sneered, "Steven and Spinel would draw unwanted eyes. Steven is supposed to be dead and Spinel is just a court jester. They can't do this. But I, Chrysoprase..."

Chrysoprase chucked, "Can..."

End of Season 4.5

Coming Soon: Season 5. The final season.