Recap: Hollows attack Beach city and Steven finds out the only two people who can save them are specialized soul reapers.
sorry for the long update
Chapter 2: Broken worlds
part 1
Ichigo opened the door up and walked inside. "I've dealt with all the hollows so there won't be anymore for awhile." He hollered.
Pearl made a quick glance at Ichigo, acknowledging his existence. "That's great, Ichigo." She slid a wooden ruler in between the dictionary and thesaurus.
"What're you guys up to?" He plopped down on the beige couch where Rukia was dead asleep, he didn't blame her either way, she was up all last night dealing with hollows.
"Me and Pearl-"
"Pearl and I, Steven."
"Pearl and I are making a school!" Steven yelled.
"Don't most kids your age hate school?"
"Not me! Besides, I'v never been to school!"
"Oh..." 'Eh, I think I'm done asking him questions, he'll only come up with weird answers.'
Pearl placed the finishing touches and stood back. "So, how do we start this school of yours?"
"Ugh...I... I don't know! This is everything Connie told me. Why do I never ask follow-up questions?! Who will teach little Stevie now!?"
"Teach?! Is that what you wanted, oh, I have just the thing for you!"
*ahem* "TWAHOOOOOOOHHHAAAAA!"
Ichigo watched as a mirror floated out of Pearl's gem and landed in her palm. "W-what the-" Ichigo stopped himself before he broke rule number 35. "-heck was that?"
"Something I can do." She turned her attention to Steven. "We found this gem-powered mirror at the Galaxy warp, in short, it can capture and display any events its witnessed in all of gem history."
"Awesomeee!"
"It'll give you everything you ever needed to know about us gems and our culture."
"Interesting, how does it work, Pearl?" Rukia asked, tapping lightly on the glass.
Ichigo looked on the couch and noticed Rukia was already up. "What the-Rukia how did you even get there so fast without making any noise?!"
"It's just something I can do, now Pearl, demostrate how well this mirror works."
"Alright," Pearl held the mirror up. "Show us, the Galaxy Warp!"
"…"
"…"
Ichigo's face darkened. "Give up. It's broke."
"...perhaps you're right. What a shame too, and after all these years, it's finally broken."
Steven gave his reflection a bright smile."Doesn't seem broken to me."
"I guess that's the end of our school."
"Wait...would you say school's out for the summer?"
"Yes, Steven, they're many ways to say the same thing."
"...! School's out! School's out!" Steven ran out of his house clenching the mirror in hand.
"Ichigo," Pearl suddenly said as he was settling back down on the couch. "From now on, whenever Steven leaves this house, I want you to guard him with your life."
"Since Rukia's asleep, I'm trusting you with Steven's life, if you let him die...I don't think..." Her pale, blue eyes rested on Ichigo's. "I can ever forgive you."
"I get it." Ichigo stood up and began walking towards the screen door. "I won't let the kid die, alright?"
OoO
'Damn it, where'd he run off to?' It was yet another fair day in Beach city and Ichigo was walking across the boardwalk, in his usual attire, looking for Steven.
*MAY-or DEW-ey!* *MAY-or DEW-ey!*
"Huh? What is-"
"Hey! Get out of the way, Carrot-top!"
Ichigo jumped off the boardwalk just in time before a random campaign van could crush his spine. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" He yelled, chasing after the van. 'Is this guy drunk or something?!'
Steven was just ahead of them clenching the mirror like a prized possession, he didn't really notice the van right behind him, powering towards the beach front.
"Ha-ha! We're gonna have a blast with my new friends this summer!"
"STEVEN!" Ichigo hollered, still several blocks away.
Steven's eyes quickly widened when he turned around. "...!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
*screech*
Ichigo finally caught up to a distraught Steven, then walked over to the van. "What the hell was that?!"
"Do I look like I'm in the shape to answer some kind of weird questions, you and your friend can go play somewhere else, I'm late for a speech." Dewey started the van and drove off.
'Don't tell me I'll have to save him too from hollows...' "Steven, from now on, I'm going to walk with you, ok?"
"Yessir! It's a threesome party now!"
"A-never say that again!"
**hahaha!**
"Oh! You work, you work, that's so cool!" Steven exclaimed, completely ignoring Ichigo.
"What the-make it say something else!"
"Ok, ok. Sooooo, what's it like being a mirror?"
**you work!**
Ichigo stared at the mirror, he definitely heard it talk that time. "The mirror can...repeat stuff?"
**haha-yeah!**
"If that's the case, then maybe we should tell Pear-...Steven?!" Ichigo frantically looked around. 'Why can't he just stay in one place for at least five seconds?'
Although the summer was just an attempt to lighten the whole hollow situation, to Steven, a fest was still a fest and nothing stopped him from running towards white sanded shores crowded with fellow Beach city citizens.
Mayor Dewey climbed on top of his van, a white megaphone clamped in his sweaty hands. "Before I begin my speech, I would like to say how grateful I am for this 'invisible monster' problem to be over. Whatever happened, whoever stopped them, I would like to thank that person from the bottom of my heart, because of them, we can finally enjoy our beginning of summer speech without fear."
"Yeahhhhh!"
Dewey discretely pulled out some cue cards. "Ahem! Hello, Beach City, my friends! It's great to be here to celebrate the coming season. A warm summer breeze wafts through the air!"
"...PHHBBBTTTTT!"
The crowd began snickering.
"We all look forward to the sounds of the summer season..."
**PHHBBBTTTTT!**
"...the smells of the busy boardwalk..."
**PHHBBBTTTTT!**
"...The hot, wet ocean wind..."
**PHHBBBTTTTT!**
"...The time to take that pressure that's built up all year and just let it out!"
**PHHBBBTTTTT!**
Now the crowd was full blown laughing out loud. Even Ichigo could stand a smirk.
"Haha, you're a riot!" Steven cheered.
XxxxxXxxx
~night
"This mirror is pretty cool, hey, can you say my name?"
**-yeah...Carrot top!**
"...!" Ichigo's face twisted into a scowl. "I think I liked it better when you didn't talk."
Steven swung the mirror around. "Aw, don't say that! We're all friends, right little buddy?"
**hahaha! It's a threesome party-!**
"What?! Isn't there an off button or something on you?!"
**hahaha!**
"Hey, stop laughing!"
Ichigo and Steven stepped off the boardwalk and onto the temple's beachfront.
"Where almost home, I can't wait for the Crystal gems to see you!" Steven exclaimed.
**NOOOOOOOOOOO!**
"Don't worry, the CG's are awesome," Steven's hand was on the handle. "They're a great audience!"
The Crystal gems were all lounging around the living room while Rukia was busy flipping through a book.
"I don't want to sound rude," Pearl suddenly brought up as she fixtured a pencil on her creation at exactly 9.25 degrees. "But how long do you expect to stay with us?"
"Until the hollows are gone, forever. I hope you realize if we leave, all of you will die."
"Yes, and we're very, very grateful for that, but, you two had different lives before you came here...didn't you? Don't you ever think about what it was like-"
"Everyday."
"...I think about him...everyday...but there isn't any point in dwelling back on my life before, my job as a Shinigami is to protect those against Hollows." She weakly smiled. "And I won't leave until I've done my job."
"You know, in a way," Her eyes dwelled on Rose's portrait. "You're like Garnet and I."
"..." Amethyst picked up whatever trash was beside her and threw it at Pearl's creation, before it could hit, Pear's spear impaled the wadded piece of paper, breaking whatever sentimental feeling was in the air.
"Amethyst!" Pearl screeched.
"Hehehe!"
The door suddenly opened and everyone's heads jerked at the door. It was only Steven and Ichigo.
"Hey guys, guess wha-"
"Steven, watch this!"
Amethsyt throw a stuffed bear at Pearl's pile, and just like before, her spear impaled through the bear before it could even touch the pile of Autobiography of a yogi books.
"Unnngh! Do you not understand the concept of symmetry, Amethyst?!" She flung the bear next to the wadded paper.
"Hahaha, this is priceless!"
'M.C. Bear-bear...no, no time for that!' "Guys, I fixed the mirror!"
"It's true, it even kind of said my name." Ichigo added.
Rukia gave Ichigo one of those looks. "You're drunk, Ichigo." She bluntly stated, flipping to another page.
"What the-am not! And what's your lazy ass still doing on that couch, get up, it's your shift!"
"I was just kidding, Ichigo, lighten up. But I suppose you're right." Rukia dropped her book and disappeared out of the beach house.
"Now, what were you saying about that mirror?" Pearl asked.
"Oh yeah...it really talks to me like a...person!"
All of the Gem's faces grew in shock.
"Excuse me?"
"See," Steven tapped on the mirror. "Go ahead..."
**...**
"Oh, maybe you're just shy," He turned away from the gems. "Come on, I know you wanna say something! I mean...we're still beach-summer-fun buddies, right?"
**...**
"Aren't we?"
**PHHBBBTTTTT!**
"Haha, couldn't help yourself there, huh?"
**Just-for-you-Ssssssteven! Hahaha!**
"It really is..." Pearl's face dropped. "...talking to him. How is that possible?! I-It should be following orders!"
"What's so bad about that?" Ichigo asked. "So the mirror has a will, what's the big deal? To me, it's almost like a...Zanpakutō."
Amethyst snorted from his comment. "Wow, maybe you are drunk, Ichigo."
"Tch, who told you to open your loud mouth up!"
"That's it. I've had enough of this," Garnet got up and walked towards Steven. "Hand me that mirror, you'll be safer where we can watch it."
"Yeah, let's bubble it!"
**NOOOOOOOOOOO**
**NOOOOOO**
**NOOOO**
She got even closer. "Don't make me have to take it from you."
**NOOO**
Steven held the mirror even tighter the closer she got. "Stop, it doesn't wanna go with you, don't you hear it screaming?!"
**NOO** **NOO** **NO**
"It's just a mirror, a tool, it doesn't want anything." Garnet reached for the mirror.
**no**
"...It wants to be with me!" Before she could touch it, Steven slapped her hand away. For a split second, Steven stared at his hand, scared almost at what he did. 'I just...never mind!' He pushed Ichigo out of his way and ran off.
"Damn it...Steven!"
"That little boy," Garnet flipped on a pair of new shades. "Is in big trouble."
OoO
While he was running, Steven stumbled on a rock and landed on his butt. "Ow! This is so bad!"
"Steven!"
Steven stared into the mirror. "W-what can I do for you, little buddy!"
The mirror showed Steven an image.
"...! I get it!" He grabbed the gem in the back of the mirror and yanked it out. "Ah!"
In his hand, the mirror shattered into oblivion and the gem itself floated towards the seaside. Then something great happened, he'd never seen anything like it before, a living, breathing humanoid gem popped out of nowhere, and it was all because of him.
So was it any surprise the pain he felt when she left, just like that.
"Ah, is that...you?!"
Before any words could escape the gem's mouth, a giant, black arm emerged from the ocean and grabbed her.
"Wha-little friend!"
Another black arm emerged from the ocean and sprawled its bony fingers against the contrasting white sand. With both arms surfaced, the entire creature pulled itself up from the ocean.
It wasn't just a thing of horror, it was a hollow.
"LITTLE FRIEND!"
"STEVEN!" The gem hollered, scared out of her mind.
The hollow swung her over its head and with one hand, it tore open its head to make a mouth.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Steven's mind was blank, there wasn't anything he could do except stare.
It began lowering her further and further into its 'mouth'. "P-PLEASE HELP ME!"
"I...can't..."
"...I'm sorry...I can't...I can't..."
"DANCE! Sode no Shirayuki! Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"
The hollow's body encased in a block of ice. The gem managed to break free and land like a rock into the ocean.
"Little fr-"
"That isn't my name. My name, is Lapis," Lapis walked out of the ocean, drenched in water and dismay. "Lapis Lazuli."
"Lapis, is it? I hope you're ok." Rukia said, landing on the hollow.
"I'm better than ok, I'm free." She responded.
"..."
"Steven!" Garnet hollered, Ichigo and the Crystal gems arrived just in time with their weapons already in hand.
"Wait!" Steven ran in front of them. "Please don't-"
"You." Lapis said spitefully, raising a large water hand from the ocean. "You three knew I was in there, and you didn't do anything. Did you even wonder who I used to be?!"
As the water hand slammed down and trapped Garnet underneath, Amethyst, Pearl, and Ichigo all skid in opposite directions.
"Run away, Steven!" Pearl pleaded.
"...I can't!"
"I'm Lapis Lazuli, and you can't keep me trapped her anymore!" She turned to Steven. "They're not going to let us leave, we have to-"
"Lapis, wait!" Ichigo yelled. "We're your friends, we only want to help you!"
OoO
'I shouldn't step, I trust you have everything under control, Ichigo.'
OoO
"Ichigo...I don't want anything to do with you...monster."
"What?! I didn't do anything to you, I just want to-"
"No you don't, I see that weapon of yours! I thought you were different, Ichigo. But you're just as bad as the rest of them."
"...if thats how it is, I'll just have to beat the sense back into you," Ichigo raised his sword. "I'll show you how bad I can truly be!"
"Steven, hurry." Lapis diverged the ocean to make a path. "Come with me!
"Where?"
"Home."
Ichigo's arm fell to his side. 'She just wants to go...home?'
"B-but I-uh..."
"Fine."
Garnet finally broke free from the water hand's grasp.
"Don't trust them, Steven. Goodbye."
"Lapis...!" Ichigo started reaching for Lapis' shoulder, then stopped himself. 'She just wants to go home...'
Lapis went into the ocean and left, just like that.
"Steven, you're grounded." Garnet flatly stated.
'I wonder...when will I ever get to go back home?'
A/N: Short chapter again, but, I'm coming out with the next one shortly (well, if all goes right)