Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe or any of its characters. The show and its characters were made by Rebbeca Sugar.

Author's Note: This story is based off of all events from "Friend Ship" and back. Any events that happen after said episode that interfere with the plot of this story have not and most likely will not take place. However, this takes place a year or so after "Friend Ship", so any events that do not interfere with the AU's plot will most likely be included. Anyway,

Control

It had been a day like any other summer day that Steven had experienced. The sun was shining, the small waves were pushing themselves up the shore only to recede back into the aquatic body. Steven had been tempted to call Connie, but remembered that she had tennis practice that particular day, meanwhile the Gems had gone on a mission which "he was too young to go on" as Pearl said.

That's Pearl speak for 'You're too weak to go on the mission'. Steven often thought.

So Steven decided to stay on the beach, alone. Being the only person on the beach was somewhat lonely, but it had it's perks. He could do whatever he wanted without bothering anyone else. Today, however, he simply wanted to stare out at the vast ocean, thinking about his friend who had given up her short-lived freedom to save him. He remembered it clearly.

"What are you doing?!" Jasper's voice cried from a fear filled Malachite, water shackles around the fusion's wrists.

"I am done being everyone's prisoner," Lapis' voice answered back from Malachite. "Now you're my prisoner and I'm never letting you go!" Lapis shouted as more water shackles grabbed Malachite and began to drag her into the ocean.

As the fusion was slowly dragged into the large body of water, Jasper tried to separate, only to be pulled back together by Lapis. As the only part of Malachite above water became her head, Lapis' voice shouted, "Let's stay on this miserable planet together!" as Malachite was pulled under, to this day, never seen.

It was something that Steven often thought about, almost all the time, but he hadn't told anyone about it for fear that it would make them even more anxious than they already were. They figured it out rather quickly though. They would often tell him that everything was fine, that Lapis was safe, that they were close to finding her.

Steven knew a lie when he heard it. The Gems had stopped their search for the ocean's prisoner a year after she dragged herself down with Jasper. They were glad she was missing, it meant that there was one less threat to worry about.

He sighed, looking to the ground. Eventually he tilted his head upwards and, resting in his chin in his hands, stared at the sea which took his friend from him.

Steven sat for a few hours, occasionally getting up to get a doughnut or some other food, Steven finally thought to himself. Connie should be getting out of her tennis lessons in an hour or two. Maybe I can call her la- His thoughts cut off by the sound of someone calling out his name.

"Steeeeeveeeeen!" He heard again from behind him.

He turned to see Connie running across the beach at him. "Connie?" He said, surprised by her appearance at that point. "I thought you were going to be at tennis practice for a couple more hours today." He said as she slowed from a run into a medium paced walk.

"They ended up letting me out early…yea, I ended up accidentally hitting someone in the face with a ball from my overhand deathstrike." Connie explained, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. Wanting to change the subject soon, she quickly asked, "Anyway, how are things with you?"

"Oh, nothing's going on…here…" Steven said, trailing off as he turned back to the ocean.

Connie's look became one of worry. "Steven, please don't tell me you've been staring at the ocean all day." She said, concern in her voice.

"Fine, I won't" Steven said.

"Steven…" Connie said. "It's not healthy to be worrying like this."

Steven looked up to Connie again. "Well how am I not supposed to worry? Lapis has been trapped under the sea with Jasper for two entire years now!" He said. "Not only that but she has been trapped down there with Jasper because of me. If I could've just-"

"Steven, we've been through this millions of times, it isn't your fault." Connie said grabbing the boy's hands, pulling him up. "Now come on buddy, let's go have some fun because I think that you've literallybeen sitting there all day."

It was dark in the green and black realm that Lapis and Jasper were trapped in, the never-ending struggle for control and the wounds were evident. While Lapis had lost to Malachite, she had not lost to Jasper and still kept the monster trapped under the sea.

Lapis gave a tight pull against the her chains, hearing a grunt from her prisoner. She didn't know how long she had been under the large body of water that belonged to the planet she hated so much, this planet that had been and continued to be her prison for thousands of years, the planet that had been the object of her feeling of hatred for so long. She didn't care. Not as long as Steven was safe.

Steven, the boy that saved her. The only one who had ever shown as much care as he had and the only one she ever truly cared about. Even after Lapis trapped Jasper, the child had been at the center of the storm within the titan. Lapis could feel the desires of her prisoner, how badly the warrior wanted to kill her friend. She could feel how deeply Jasper wanted to see the boy suffer. She could see how Jasper wanted it to happen, how it was the only thing the warrior wanted now.

While Lapis' hatred for their shared mind grew, Jasper had found herself gradually coming to enjoy it. Jasper was repulsed by how much Lapis cared for Steven, but quickly used it to her advantage. Jasper showed Lapis the most horrific things she had in store for him, enjoying the pain it gave the ocean gem, savoring every second.

The gem also took great pleasure in peeking in on Lapis' private thought, the only things that brought her joy. Jasper would watch Lapis having the first fun she had in years with her friend, watched her turn around and try to kill him, watched the friend still refuse to fight and actually help her yet again. She watched these memories and felt how they hurt Lapis, felt how overwhelming the remorse Lapis felt was. Jasper loved it, showing Lapis these memories as she tried to come up with even more creative ways she could try to kill Steven.

While Jasper had found enjoyment in the mind and body they shared, Lapis felt violated in the prison. Those memories and thoughts were hers and hers alone. Next to Steven, they were all she had had left. Lapis longed for things to be the way they had been before she had been freed from the mirror; when Steven had been holding the gem device in his hands and the two were able to enjoy each other. She wanted to remember those times, to cry at the memories, only to find them altered by the beast she held in her thrall. She hated the monster that didn't deserve to be called a gem, but she would stay chained to her forever if it meant that Steven could live another day.

All of things furthur proved to Lapis she needed to keep Jasper in Malachite, just like she needed to keep herself within the beast. She would often think back to what Steven had done for her and what she had done to him in return. Jasper loved to force those memories specifically upon her. Those events were the cause of this. They were what led her to protect Steven using this horrifically painful method. She felt that, if she didn't, she would only hurt him. She had done so much to him both indirectly and directly. That was why she needed to keep herself trapped with Jasper at the bottom of the sea.

Even with Lapis trying to put Steven out of harm's way, the boy truly couldn't escape the war that was going on between the two. He was the only thing that kept Lapis going. Lapis couldn't let Jasper get to the surface. She wouldn't let Steven get hurt. Never. Even if the two were destined to crack, she would not let Steven get hurt by either of them again.

"Give up you weak brat!" Jasper shouted at her captor.

"Telling me to give up over and over again does not mean that I'm going to give up, you idiot." Lapis said, rolling her eyes at her prisoner.

"It's only a matter of time before I take control. Then I'll get my revenge on Rose and you." Jasper stated back, grinning.

"Please, you've been saying that for two Earth years now. What on this miserable planet makes you think that you will be able to take control now?" Lapis responded, rolling her eyes once more. "And do I have to keep telling you? It's Steven, not Rose you oaf."

Without receiving a response, Lapis felt the small pinprick in her mind that signaled Jasper forcing thoughts upon her. She felt the image flood her mind and the scene changed in her head. It had changed to Steven's beach home where Steven floated before her, his head trapped within a bubble of water. He appeared to be struggling to escape. Lapis fought to ignore the scene, trying to think about how it wasn't real. It wasn't long before the child's struggling ceased, his body hanging limply, though it felt like an eternity to the blue gem that had been forced to watch the scene.

Lapis exhaled. It's finally over.

The nightmare wasn't over yet. Lapis looked up to the hybrid to see that he was still alive, his eyes filled with sadness. The cheerful glint in his eyes was gone, hopelessness taking its place. Lapis couldn't understand why Jasper made him stop struggling, the warrior gem usually gaining some sick pleasure from it. It was after a few moments of waiting that the boy mouthed out one word sadly.

"Lapis." His body stiffened, before falling limp as her friend died.

Lapis realized what had occurred immediately. In this "act", Jasper wasn't the one killing him, nor was it Malachite. It was Lapis herself that was killing him.

Author's Note: So if you guys see anything you think I can improve on, please let me know. Even if you think that it's good but you notice something off, please tell me. I want to improve and I want this story to be enjoyable for you. Thank you and see you when the next chapter rolls in.