Welcome back with another chapter 'cause I have more time on my hands than normal and I'm using it to write fanfiction instead of homework! Also,new poll on my profile which will determine the next chapter! Yay, anyways I'm sure you guys just want me to resolve that cliffhanger of last chapter so without further ado!
Episode: Steven the Swordfighter
I knew they were coming, and Clockwork had told me that everything would be alright but I couldn't help but feel nervous. What if they attacked me? What if they saw me as a threat? Or worse what if I did something wrong and they tried to shatter me? Deep down I knew my fears were most likely completely irrational but even so I couldn't help but flinch as I heard the bell above the bakery door ringing as they walked in.
"Up here!" I called out to them from where I was still sitting in my living room, my leg bouncing up and down before I managed to calm myself with a few deep breaths as I heard the group ascend the stairs. I knew them, they knew me and they wouldn't start attacking me just because I wasn't a normal human like they thought. At least, that's what I told myself as Steven and the Crystal Gems walked up the stairs and came into the living room.
All of them taking a seat on the couch as I had left it open for them, having chosen to sit in the armchair facing them so no one would have to turn their heads. My nervousness threatening to shoot back up as their expressions didn't give me any tell on the emotions they felt or what they were thinking. Well all of them except for Steven who I could tell was simply confused and excited all at once.
"I guess I have some explaining to do," I spoke, breaking the silence that had befallen the room aas since it was my fault for it I felt I should be the first one to speak.
"Yes you do," Pearl said firmly, "Steven told us about who you were but it doesn't make any sense. Ghost are simply spirits of the human form who have yet to accept their passing and move on but you are alive. I just don't understand how any of this is possible!"
"I'm a halfa," I spoke quickly before Pearl could start ranting about how my very existence was impossible, and at the questioning gazes I received I quickly explained, "that's what the other ghosts call me. It means that I'm half of them and half of the humans. A halfs, to be both alive and dead all at once."
"I still don't-" Pearl began before Garnet but up a hand to stop her.
"Pearl let Danny finish his explanation, let him tell us his side of the story before we make any assumptions. And before we make our judgments," Garnet spoke simply as she motioned for me to continue.
"Right you see it all started when I was fourteen years old, my parents were ghost hunters but at the time no one took them seriously because it was before there were ghosts in Amity Park. So to prove that they weren't nut jobs my parents set to create a ghost portal, a portal that would allow them to view the ghost zone and the ghosts that resided in it. As a way to further their research by managing to study the specimens up close to truly test the scientific boundaries. But unfortunately the portal didn't work, my parents tried to get it working but no matter what they did the machine just wouldn't turn on so they gave up. However, my friends wanted to see the machine for themselves despite its reluctance to turn on, and we went down to it. In order to get a closer look one of my friends had me put on a hazmat suit and step inside. That choice led to this, while inside I tripped on a stray wire and it just happened to be my luck to fall right on the on switch which my parents had placed inside and to my horror the machine turned on with me right in the middle of it. The combination of the electricity and the ecto residence from the ghost zone my parents had been so desperately trying to reach causing my DNA to be destroyed and created again all in the span of a few seconds. In that moment, I died, from the time it took my DNA to recreate itself I was in all sense of the term dead but when the DNA strands were built back up I came back to life. With the change of being able to turn into the form you saw today, my Phantom form. Because when I stepped out of that machine, that is what I had become, a phantom," I explained, going on to tell them all about how I learned to use my powers and how those powers were then used to protect my town from the ghosts who would do it harm. I detailed how I hid my secret from my family and how eventually my sister found out, I told them about Vlad and Valerie, I revealed how I had a clone, I left nothing out from my story as I told them everything I could about my powers and how I learned to use them.
Until, I reached Dan for no matter how much I wanted them to be able to trust I just couldn't bring myself to tell them about what I would have become had I made the wrong choice. What I would've become had I not have come to Beach City and instead have gone to Vlad so instead I kept that hidden. I told them of how my family died and I watched their faces morph into one of shock and horror but I didn't tell them how the ghost who killed my family was myself, I simply told them it was a ghost too strong for me to defeat on my own and left it at that. And my retelling of my life went uninterrupted, until I reached the gem as I took a breath, preparing myself as I spoke.
"I survived the explosion that took out my family, but not without scars," I spoke quickly, for I was afraid that if I paused for too long I wouldn't be able to continue, "when I woke up the next day I had been taken in by someone whom I trusted. But he had to do something to me to make sure I'd survive, to make sure I'd be able to survive, he gave me something."
"What did he give you?" Steven questioned me, speaking for the first time since he entered my home after speaking with Onion and for some reason that made me smile.
"He gave me a purpose, a goal to strife for and this," I said, my smile remaining as in one fluid motion I had removed my hair from my face, my eye wide open to reveal my gem in all it's glory, "he gave me a gem, and he made me into one."
I heard Pearl gasp at the revelation, I saw Amethyst's eyes go wide at the news and I could see Garnet doing nothing except giving a small smile. Almost as if she already knew and for some reason I felt like she did. However I wasn't focused on them, who I was focused on was currently staring at me with wide-eyes. As though Steven couldn't process the information given to him yet despite my thought I found myself standing up.
My arm moving on its own accord as my gem glowed and in another fluid motion I had pulled my sword out from its depths. The hilt shining as I held it in my hands before crossing it over my chest as I kneeled in front of him. "Steven Quartz Universe," I spoke with authority as i stared up at him, "I have been given the task to protect you from anyone who may wish you harm and to teach in anyway I can on how to use your powers. My purpose here has been to make sure no harm would befall you and I feel I would be better suited for such a job now that you know what I truly am. Therefore, my liege if you shall accept me I shall gladly become your knight."
At the end of my speech I bowed my head to await judgement, not only from Steven but from the gems as well. For this would decide whether I would be able to protect Steven in the open or if I would have to restrict my help to come from the shadows. Yet I shouldn't have worried for not a moment after I felt a hand come to rest on both of my shoulders and looking up I saw that they came from Steven and Garnet.
"Danny you don't need to be my knight, just be my friend," Steven spoke to me, his kindness truly shining through as I gave him a smile he easily returned.
"And Danny," Garnet spoke, gaining my attention as I turned to look at her, "while we do not truly grasp how an entity such as yourself can exist what you are doesn't change who you are."
"And who you are is a bright young man who I am glad to have protecting Steven," Pearl added, "now before we do anything else how about you finish telling us what happened after the second accident. Surely you receiving your gem wasn't the end of it?"
"No it wasn't," I spoke as with a slight shake of my head, slight humor evident in my voice as I continued my story. Telling them all about my training as a gem and knight training. Even showing the books I had acquired while learning about gem history which Pearl made me promise to let Steven read. Detailing everything about my adventures right up to my arrival in beach city. "And that's the end of it, you're all caught up on everything I am and everything I know," I spoke once I had reached the end of my tale.
"You've been through so much," Pearl spoke, the sympathy evident in her voice.
"While that may be true everything I've been through has made me who I am today, without my powers I don't think I'd ever have become the person I am today," I said truthfully, knowing that all of my experiences were necessary to become the hero I now am.
"I don't think that's true," Amethyst spoke up, gaining everyone's attention as we all looked at her before she continued, "even without your powers I still think you'd make an awesome cake."
"Amethyst!" Pearl cried out, seeming like she was going to continue to lecture Amethyst about not acting like the situation was a joke but before she could I started laughing. My laughter free and loud as I couldn't help but find Amethyst's remark as a nice way to lighten the mood.
"Thank you Amethyst," I spoke once I had calmed down enough to talk, the smile remaining on my face even after I had regained my breath.
"Eh, I didn't really do anything," Amethyst spoke with a shrug, though I could see a small smile creeping up on her face.
"In any case," Pearl spoke loudly as she brought our attention back to the matter at hand, "now that we know what you are I would like the see what you're capable of Danny. I've read about ghosts of course but I feel a demonstration of your talents would be best to determine your strengths in battle."
"Of course, should we go down to the beach then?" I questioned, having figured if they accepted me that the next course of action would be me demonstrating my talents.
"Oh heavens no, we'll go to the sky arena. It's must better suited for a demonstration of your prowess," Pearl spoke as she, the gem, and Steven all stood up, "come on let's go."
"Coming," I spoke as I followed after them, Steven falling behind the others in order to walk next to me.
"So what kinds of things can you do?" he questioned me, his eyes holding curiosity.
"Basic ghost things really, I can go intangible, invisible, fly, use ecto-energy to both blast things and summon shields, recently I learned how to clone myself, and then there's my ghostly wail," I informed him as I listed all my different abilities.
"What's a ghostly wail?" Steven questioned before I could continue.
"It's hard to explain it's sort of where I can amplify sound-waves emanated from my mouth to form an attack with them,"I explained the best I could, "although I usually only use that as a last resort as it drain a lot of my energy."
"That's so cool!" Steven exclaimed as we arrived at the warp-pad, all of us gathered on ut as Pearl activated the stream to take us to the sky-arena.
"Yeah, I suppose it is," I remarked absentmindedly, "other than that the only powers I have are the ones that came to me with my gem."
"And you said your Guardian Clockwork was training you to use them yes?" Pearl questioned as the stream ended and i saw that we were indeed in an arena in the middle of the sky.
"Yes, he's been teaching me all I need to know about shapeshifting and using my weapon as well as the reason I know as much as I do know about gem history," I spoke simply as we all walked up the steps and to the arena's main area.
"Let's hope he knew what he was talking about," Amethyst spoke offhandedly as she, Garnet, and Steven took a seat on the steps while Pearl and I stood in front of them.
"Alright Danny for this demonstration I want you to use your weapon and your ghost powers, go all out alright?" Pearl spoke as she pulled a sword out of her gem.
"Of course," I spoke as I let my transformation rings wash over me to switch me into my ghost form. Once the transformation was complete I quickly pulled my sword out of my gem as I adopted a battle stance, "ready."
"Good, for this demonstration however you won't be fighting me but rather my double," Pearl explained as she let her gem produce a hologram who looked exactly like her. The hologram being handed Pearl's sword before Pearl joined the others.
"Challenger detected, do you wish to engage in combat?" HoloPearl questioned in her robotic voice as she too went into a battle stance.
"Yes," I spoke, my voice resounding clearly as the HoloPearl's eyes went red and she began attacking me. Her sword movements quick and precise as I blocked them before they could make contact with my body, our swords clashing as we each fought to gain an advantage on the other.
I let my senses take over as I heard the clanging of the blades, letting myself focus on only the weapon and wielder as I looked for an opening. Until I remembered, and as the HoloPearl's sword flew at me I turned intangible, releasing my physical form as I then flew behind her before she could process where I was coming from. My intangibility dropping as I stuck my sword through her back with a clean slice.
"Challenger wins," HoloPearl spoke as her eyes went back to white as the battle was no over and my senses came back to me as I could now hear Steven cheering.
"Danny! That was amazing!" Steven cheered as he ran towards me, "her sword went right through you yet you didn't have a scratch! How did you do that?"
"I went intangible, it lets me let go of my physical form to move through any object so nothing can touch me," I explained to him.
"Yes very good," Pearl spoke as she walked towards me, "your form was remarkable, I didn't see any flaw with it. It's clear that the knight who trained you clearly knew the proper techniques and forms."
"I should hope so, the knight who trained me is under the service of Queen Dora and was around during medieval times so it would stand to reason that he would know how to wield a sword considering he had to do so in battle both while and after living," I spoke offhandedly, giving myself a mental note to thank Ulrich for his teachings later.
"Ooh Steven has an idea!" Steven suddenly yelled out, gaining both mine and Pearl's attention.
"What is it Steven?" Pearl questioned as we both looked at him.
"Can you train me to use a sword?" he asked simply.
"I think that's a splendid idea, learning sword techniques is a valuable skill that should come in handy," Pearl spoke as she looked at me, "how about it Danny? Think you know enough about the sword the teach someone to use it?"
"Let's do it," I spoke with a smile as HoloPearl stood up.
"Training Mode Activated."
And another cliff-hanger! Also check out the new poll on my profile to determine the outcome of the next chapter! Now onto the reviews.
TuftsOfCotton: I both hate you and love you all at once based on that one review.
Revan Alek Shan: Thank you, glad you like it?
OfLifeAndDeathAndAllBetween: Okay, I know what you're trying to accomplish and I believe myself to be above such childish pranks. That being said I am also a fanfiction writer who write fiction stories about pre-established characters to de-stress and therefore…. What's updog
Gwencarson126: Tale is told, Wolf will make an appearance eventually, and the ghost zone shall be another adventure entirely.
Gamelover41592: Thank you and honestly I just looked up a list of all the episodes and played out scenarios in my head to find out which scenario would be best for Danny's powers to be discovered. Onion trade had the best fit.
Lapislazuli01: Thank you! For both the compliment and pointing out my typos which has now been fixed. Thanks for your help!
Kimera20: Yes, yes he did have a lot to explain.
Slenderbrine: I learned about an interesting festival because of your review and as such I thank you.