Chapter 1: The Mission: Find the Shifting Dancer!
Steven's Point of View
This was supposed to be a simple mission but how did things end up like this and what adventure did I find myself in? Oh! I'm getting ahead of myself here! Hello everyone! My name is Steven Universe! I am a 15 year old boy that lives in the ocean port, Beach City known to be the home of the magical Crystal Gems! Protectors of the Earth and Humanity but also my best friends and closest family! If you don't know, I'm at least 4 ft tall with a slightly large body(not fat though just big boned!), light peach skin, bright brown eyes and curly dark brown hair almost like a curly afro from what Garnet tells me and I always wear my signature red shirt with a yellow star in front of it, a pair of blue jean shorts and light pink sandals.
Here is how it all started. I was reading some of my Unfamiliar Familiar book alone since the gems were out on separate solo missions and I was left one since no one had anytime to play with me. "Man! I wish the Gems would let me go on my own solo mission! Don't they know I've been getting stronger and a hang of my powers. I'm a member of the team and I want to prove myself for real!" I shouted to myself placing down the book. Suddenly the warp pad in my wooden and partly crystallized beach house temple started to glow brightly as a pillar of light came from it and dispersed to reveal Garnet had come back.
Garnet who is the leader of the group, she is at 9 ft tall with light magenta purple skin, dark reddish purple hair in a square afro, a pair of garnet color gems on the palm of her hands and what people call busty wearing a half black and light pinkish purple suit and a pair of light pink sunglasses covering most of her face except for nose and underneath it. "Garnet! You're back! How was your mission?" I asked happily and excited with stars in my eyes. "It was pretty crazy. You seen down, what's the matter?" Garnet asked as her stone like voice cut through the silence. "Well, I've been hoping to go on my first solo mission. I feel like I'm left out of the group from you guys not giving a chance to prove myself. I'm strong but I want to be recognized." I explained as Garnet adjusted her glasses before looking at me. "I suppose it is time. Steven, I've got a serious mission for you." Garnet answered as I had stars in my eyes. "REALLY!? What kind of mission?!" I asked excitedly leaping up and down.
"There have been sightings of a strange creature on one of the islands. The locals call it the Shifting Dancer. They say it's been roaming across the island for 15 years but it's been mostly silent. The Shifting Dancer is a creature with a body of a woman but the limbs of a monster and whenever she dances a monster comes in her place. No one notices the monster being summoned but watching her dance like they were in a trance but they haven't been harmed by the creature or the beasts she summon. Lately she's been appearing more and more closer to a "Sacred" Site in the center of believe the dancer might be a Gem on the verge of corruption. Steven, I need you to go to the island and find the Shifting Dancer before she becomes fully corrupted and heal her." Garnet explained as I was in awe.
"A Shapeshifting Gem Dancer? That's so cool! But how do I find her?" I asked a little confused. "Apparently she likes to appear when someone plays enchanting music from string instruments or those that have the ability to mesmerize. I believe your talent with the ukulele can attract her instead of chasing her because the locals attempted on catching her but the monster she summons flees away with her. Can I count on you to fulfill the mission?" Garnet asked with a smile on her face. "Yes, I am!" I shouted with a determined look on my face as I went to go pack my stuff. I quickly grabbed my Cheeseburger backpack filling it with some snacks, some books and my prized Ukulele before grabbing my mother's sword and stuffing it in there. I quickly ran up to Garnet with a smile on my face while my shirt lifted up revealing my pink Rose Quartz Gem on my stomach where my belly button should be. "Then go champ. If you need me then call me." Garnet answered with a smile as I nodded and got on the warp pad.
I focused on the island that I wanted to go which was Moonlight Island and the warp pad enveloped me in bright light as I flew through the pillar and found myself in the middle of a jungle entrance filled with tropical trees that had tons of fruit and coconuts growing on them. "Whoa! So this is Moonlight Island, home of the Shifting Dancer! It really is midnight here most of the time!" I shouted noticing the night sky and the beautiful stars and moon shining from above giving the island a beautiful glow. "If I remember the note Garnet gave me is that the Shifting Dancer loves to dance by the Travelling Lake which is in the center of the jungle and to only sing when I'm there." I read as I looked at the woods and had a goofy smile on my face. "Time to go into the jungle!" I shouted happily as I took off into the jungle itself but had a strange feeling like I was being watched.
I was walking through the jungle looking at the huge beautiful flowers and the animals of different variety flying or jumping around living in peace. "Man, this jungle is so beautiful and the animals look so happy and joyful. I wonder how the Shifting Dancer would be like. I would love to meet her, I mean she didn't hurt anyone just danced is all." I said to myself as I didn't notice glowing bright mix-match eyes looking at me. After a bit of walking I had found myself in the middle of the jungle and at the very center was a beautiful lake shimmering brightly of different vibrant blue colors as the light of the moon was enchanting it with beautiful magic. "Whoa! This must be the Travelling Lake! I've made it! It looks so beautiful! If I were the Shifting Dancer, I would love coming and dancing here too!" I chuckled as the lake still sparkled brightly as I took out my multicolor ukulele.
Beautiful night on the lake of shining stars. Can you hear the jungles tune singing even from afar? Oh brighten the day of the dark necromancer! Please dance to my tune the Shifting Dancer!
Shifting Dancer will you please dance tonight? Shifting Dancer would you make feel alright? Dance across the starry skies! And let your beauty seen through the world's eyes! Dance elegant as the moon! Dance happily to my tune!
I'm a boy whose head is always in the clouds! But all I want to do is make everyone proud! I want to give the world's gloom a smile! Even if it lasts for awhile! *doesn't notice someone appearing by the lake until I heard sounds of light tapping across the water to see a womanly figure dance on the surface of the water* Shifting Dancer with a heart of light! Please let your beautiful dance bring happiness to the night!
I began to play a solo tune to watch the Shifting Dancer dance. Her frame was just like a human woman but a bit busty, she had long flowing hair that danced elegantly around and with curves, and she looked mostly human like to me but then I saw the differences when her hair moved aside. Her arms were bushy but not her hands, I could see horns on her head with small cub like ears on top with another set of spiky horns, I could see glowing cracks on her chest brightly glowing orange, she had different tails of a dragon, eel like with a huge fin at the end, a long cat like tail with a wolf tail next to it and huge feathers above them, a huge fin on her back that was slightly spiny, and the legs similar to a bear at the beginning but at the bottom was bird like almost like an eagle. Her dance however was enchanting. She had movements similar to Pearl but on a whole other level like she was combining all the dances of the world into one but I knew I had to continue to sing.
Dancing across the water, dancing across the sky! You always make me feel like I could fly! Oh Shifting Dancer will you please dance tonight? Oh Shifting Dancer would you make feel alright? Dance across the starry skies! And let your beauty be seen through the world's eyes! Dance as elegant as the moon! And dance happily to my joyful tune! Oh Shifting Dancer, will you be my friend? Oh Shifting Dancer, can it be to the very end? I sang finishing the song as the music stopped when the dancer stopped dancing. The dancer looked at me from across the lake as I noticed her left eye was yellow and like a wolf's while the other was glowing green like a bear's as she walked across the lake towards me. I didn't move a bit but not because I was scared but it felt so familiar. She finally made across the lake and stood in front of me allowing me to get a better look.
She was at least 6 ft tall with a slender frame, she had light brown skin that looked smooth, her face was beautiful and she had a busty figure, with a pair of short curved bull horns on her head, bear cub like ears, a pair of black pointy dragon like horns, pointy ears, white fur covering the top of her chest and sides of stomach, black rock on underneath her chest like a bra…, the skin on her stomach was black with glowing orange cracks on it but a huge nasty scar on her chest that was X shaped, thick white fur covering her bottom part of her body except the yellow bird legs and feet with black talons, white bulky fur covered arms with blue hands with long sharp claws, a green and yellow sail dorsal fin on her back close to her neck, stripes across her body with feathers on her back, white and brown eagle feathers with the tail of a black dragon, white tiger, white wolf and green eel like fish, long hair that reached to her feet and glowing mismatch eyes that shone with light and instinct with fangs in her mouth.
We looked at each other in the eyes not moving a bit before she got on all fours and began to walk around me and sniffing me. "Hahaha! That tickles!" I chuckled as she got back in front of me but I saw a huge smile on her face. "You want to be friends?" She asked with a beautiful soft and calm voice as I just giggled. "Yes! My name is Steven Universe and I want to be your friend. What's your name?" I asked with a smile on my face. "My name is Lunalyla, young Steven. I am the Shifting Dancer of Moonlight Island. You've come to see me?" Lunalyla asked as I nodded. "Yeah. People say you've been dancing a lot lately. Is there something wrong?" I asked a little curious. "Is that so? Well, it's a tribute of mine to the King of Traveller's Lake. They say a beautiful god of travel dwells in this beautiful lake and is always blessed by the kind heart of the Moon Goddess in the skies above. They say this lake can lead anyone anywhere. Everyday I come to the lake and dance for the God of Travels to bring peace to the island and guide the people to their way of life." Lunalyla explained kindly as I smiled.
"So that's it? That's very kind of you! I've got to say your dancing is so beautiful when I watched it made me so happy like my worries just drifted away." I chuckled as Lunalyla chuckled. "Thank you Steven. You're very kind and the first person to never try to hunt me before. I've always been targeted by poachers who want me to perform dances to their clients for the rest of my life but I've never been caught before because I am the Shifting Dancer." Lunalyla answered with a soft twirl. "Hey Lunalyla, does the lake glowing brighter mean the tribute was a success?" I asked as Lunalyla looked surprised as the water from the lake was glowing brighter. "That's never happened before. I need to check this out. Steven...how long can you hold your breath?" Lunalyla asked a little worriedly. "A long time...are we exploring the lake?! You're going to show me your summoning dance?!" I asked excitedly with stars in my eyes.
"It's not what you think. Steven get close to the water and watch me underneath it." Lunalyla answered as she headed into the water walking in but floating a little below the surface for only her fin to stick out as I approached the water. Lunalyla began to dance elegantly through swimming motions like as if the water belonged to her then suddenly she began to change. Her body's feature began to melt away like flowing petals as her skin, fur and feathers were slimy green scales, her hands and feet were webbed and fish like, her stomach was covered in light green scales and her face morphed to that of a fishman but mostly fish. She stopped dancing as she transformed into a fish like Mermaid. "You don't summon things! You transform into the creatures! That is so cool!" I shouted as I noticed her eyes were yellow and serpent like while teeth stuck out of her jaw and her hair was now jellyfish like thin tentacles or fins. She motioned me to get on and I got on her back as I took a deep breath.
She dove into the water and began to swim down into the lake as it was illuminated by a beautiful bright rainbow light. (Whoa! This is so incredible! It's like an underwater star show in here!) I thought as Lunalyla dove down deeper before we saw something at the bottom glowing even brighter. "What's that?" Lunalyla asked with a slightly screech or fish like voice but still didn't ruin her beautiful voice. We arrived at the bottom to see a beautiful yellow pearl shining with complete brilliance. "Is that the source of the light?" Lunalyla asked as she approached it. Suddenly my gem began to glow brightly along with the X shaped mark on Lunalyla's chest causing the pearl to glow even brighter before we found ourselves engulfed in the light. We had now found ourselves flying through a stream of light and out of the water as Lunalyla quickly changed back to her normal and grabbed me before she wrapped her hair around us in the shape of a ball and next thing I knew there was a loud crash.
Lunalyla's hair unwrapped us as we looked around to see we were in an alleyway of some sort that seemed a bit dark despite the orange lights bringing the place light. We had found ourselves in a town but I know that Beach City doesn't have red clay dirt. "Are you okay, Steven?" Lunalyla asked as I nodded. "Yeah I'm fine but where are we?" I asked as I looked around at the trashy alley that smelled horrible. "I'd never thought I would be in a "city" before. Doesn't smell pleasant as my home island." Lunalyla answered before her ears perked up. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A loud male voice shouted as we turned around by the shout to see a buff yet slightly thin police officer with light peach skin, blue eyes and black short hair wearing a blue police uniform but no hat with blue shirt,black pants and black boots who was around Lunalyla's height pointing a gun at Lunalyla.
Lunalyla turned around as the man flinched in slight terror. "What in the world are you? Some new breed of Kaiju? Whatever you are stay away from the boy!" The cop shouted as he aimed the gun at Lunalyla's chest. "No! Don't hurt her!" I shouted as I jumped in front of Lunalyla defending her while surprising the man. "What are you doing kid?! That's a bloody Kaiju right behind you! That thing will kill you if you don't get out of the way!" The cop shouted as he wanted me to come over. "NOOOOO! She's not a killer! She's a dancer and she wouldn't hurt anyone!" I shouted as they both looked shocked until Lunalyla noticed rubble from above came loose and was coming down towards the cop. "Look out!" We shouted as we charged towards him. Lunalyla shielded him and me with her hair while I created a pink bubble around us for extra protection protecting us from the rubble.
The rubble shattered to pieces as I undid my shield and Lunalyla unwrapped her hair while the cop looked completely surprised. "A Kaiju never tries to save someone yet you did but why did the kid's stomach glowed? Who are you people?" The cop asked stunned putting his gun down while Lunalyla just smiled. "My name is Lunalyla, the Shifting Dancer of Moonlight Island." Lunalyla answered kindly helping the man up. "And my name is Steven Universe and I'm a Crystal Gem!" I shouted determined as the cop looked at us surprised. "Thanks for saving me Lunalyla and Steven. My name is Officer Daniel Collins, I'm one of the Nevada officers of Herbert Hoover city." Daniel explained as we looked surprised completely. "Well, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." I stated as we were shocked from the development.