Happy day before Halloween! Consider this a Halloween special, because this chapter is a LONG read. 9529 words, so brace yourselves!
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter starts and ends with flashbacks, indicated by italics. The first flashback contains a depiction of manipulative behavior.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy!
It wasn't the rapid footsteps that alerted him, but the sense of panic that flew by. Teenaged Memory looked up from cleaning the table, catching the blur of three colorful Steves through the hallway.
"It went wrong. It went wrong. It went wrong!" Galaxy's voice trembled. "He didn't listen. He didn't listen!"
"What are we gonna do now?!" Time's voice.
"We need to leave the Void Dimension, regroup, and figure out how to deal with Void Steve."
"But he has more power than you!" Elemental's voice.
"I know, but he won't listen. We'll just have to get stronger. But first, we run!"
"But can we first – "
"RUN!"
Memory stuck his head out of the dining room and saw them race to the front door of the castle. He looked over his shoulder and saw Void soaring after them with an enraged expression.
"COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE – AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE, YOU'RE TURNING YOUR BACK ON ME?!"
Memory concentrated and teleported to the front door. Galaxy, Time, and Elemental skidded to a halt, eyes wide in fear.
Memory put his arms behind his back and inspected the three. "Is there a problem, Uncle Galaxy?"
"No! No problem! Just in a rush!"
"Then why the panic?"
"Like I said, we're in a rush!" Galaxy gave a nervous laugh.
Memory pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. He placed a hand on the closed door and fused some of his power into it, turning it into a portal to the Memory Dimension instead of an exit to the outside. "If you don't disclose your true intentions, I will not allow you to leave."
Galaxy Steve gulped.
"Out of our way, villain!" Elemental shot a fire ball at Memory, shoving him into the door. Pain coursed through his body as he slid to the floor with a grunt.
Elemental picked him up and threw him aside. "We're done standing idly by while Void Steve destroys everything!"
"Time, can you reverse time on this door and undo Memory's powers?!" Galaxy cried.
"I-I can try!"
"NO!" Void screeched as he neared.
With shaky arms, Memory pushed himself up, glaring at Elemental.
"I'm terribly sorry." Elemental Steve kicked him in the face. Memory fell to the floor again, the pain rushing and flooding over his senses. He bared his teeth as his eyes watered bitterly.
"I did it! I reversed Memory's powers on the door!"
"LET'S GO, GUYS!"
Memory made out the three Steves fleeing the castle through his blurred vision.
Void yelled, "COME BACK HERE!"
Memory jumped back up and raced out of the castle. With Void still catching up, Memory went ahead to chase after the three Steves."Where are you going?!"
The three Steves paused at the center of the front yard and turned around. Galaxy Steve's yellow eyes burned with guilt, pain, and fear. "WE'RE LEAVING, AND WE'RE NEVER COMING BACK!" He threw a hand up and summoned the loudest thunder Memory had ever heard.
Time Steve reached his hand towards Memory, despite the laws of space determining they were too far apart. "Memory! I'm sorry! Goodbye!"
"Memory, don't trust Void Steve! Come look for us!" Elemental Steve pleaded. "WE'LL KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR YOU."
Memory pounced forward to grab Time Steve's hand. But light engulfed the three Steves and they disappeared. Memory's hand swiped through nothing. He landed on the bedrock, his ruffled emotions paralyzed.
This...this was goodbye? He would never see Galaxy, Time, or Elemental ever again? Why did they leave?
As his paralyzed emotions melted into despair, Memory fell to the bedrock ground, staring at where the three Steves once stood.
Void Steve landed next to him, staring at the same space. "No...No...NOOOO!" He collapsed and pounded his fists on the bedrock. The ground gave a hideous CRRRRRRACK! as distressed spiderwebs spread across the black blocks. "DAMN YOU, BROTHER. DAMN YOU, GALAXY STEVE!"
Void started to shake as his voice dwindled. "No...no..."
Memory put a sympathetic hand on Void's shoulder. "Father, why did they leave?"
"Galaxy Steve suddenly decided that he didn't want me to do my job anymore!" Void snarled.
Memory tilted his head as his mouth hung agape. "Not anymore? But he asked you to fulfill his job in the first place! Why did he change his mind?"
"Because he's weak! He's weak and a coward. That weakness runs on his side of the family. Time Steve, Elemental Steve, Galaxy Steve. They're all cowards who back out of their promises!" Void punched the bedrock a final time. One block shattered into pieces. "Even though they let me do this job my way in the first place! ...You know what's the worst thing about this betrayal, boy?"
"What is it?"
"The worst thing is that they think they're justified in leaving us. Yes, us. They left us, Memory. They left you behind too." Void Steve muttered something under his breath. "Maybe you made yourself too obvious. Now they also think you're incompetent and foolish, and that you contribute nothing good to this family."
Memory's hurt gaze fell to the ground as his mouth quivered. "They...they really believe that?"
"Yes! They left both of us because they thought we weren't good enough for them. But we'll show them!" Void stood up and glared at the eternally dark sky. "Memory, you're all I have left. You are my only family and my only friend. I trust you to not become a weak, backstabbing traitor like them. Please...don't ever leave me."
Elemental's words replayed in Memory's mind. Come look for us...Don't trust Void Steve...
Void looked at the ground as he trembled. "I don't know what I'll do to myself if the last person I love leaves me! Just...AAAHH!" Void suddenly smashed his head into the bedrock, creating a sickening noise. "What if it was me?! What if I'm the fool who's worthless and no one wants to be around?!"
Blood drained from Memory's face. He immediately jumped up and saluted, despite how dizzying it felt. "I will never! I'll always be by your side, Father! Please don't say those things or do those things to yourself!"
Void gave him a victorious smile and placed an affectionate hand on his shoulder. His red eyes glowed with delight, and blood dripped from his forehead's cuts. "I knew I could count on you. You and I, we'll get revenge on them! But to do that, I'll have to train you more. With Time Steve and Elemental Steve gone, you'll have to train alone now, but you have to get used to being alone anyways..."
"Because the 'dimension' I want to take the Steves to is far beyond Galaxy Steve's ability, and Sabre is the key to find that dimension. But I'll handle that. For you...this is what I need you to do..."
What am I getting myself into? Memory Steve thought as he listened to Illusion Steve, who had moved to stand at the lava lake's shore.
"Sabre has an ability that'll enable my plan. Since he won't help me, I'll have to take that ability for myself. And the only way to do that is to swap powers with him. So I'm giving all of my powers to Sabre."
"WHAT?!" Memory stumbled back. "Why would you do that?!"
"It's the only way I can get his abilities without having my own powers lost forever! My powers will allow me to swap with him, so I have no choice but to give them away. At least Sabre won't know this."
Memory's mask hid his perplexed expression. "I suppose my job then is to make sure he doesn't discover that he has your powers?"
"Yes, I can't have Sabre running around with my powers! I need you to erase all of his memories. You did that before with Galaxy Steve to make sure he never learned how to use his powers, back when you worked with Void Steve. Do the same with Sabre, so he won't have enough experience to actually use those powers. He'll be harmless.
"I also want you to trap him in a machine, in case erasing his memories doesn't stop him discovering and using my powers. I don't want you to get hurt if that happens. Please trap him, for your own protection and the world's protection."
Memory was deep in thought. What Illusion was asking from him was so strange, maybe even contradictory. But at least it was doable. "Is there a way to safely remove your abilities from Sabre after the switch?" He asked.
"I don't want my abilities stored. They might get stolen, like how I stole Alex's powers! And I don't trust Alex or Guardian to have my powers while I'm gone. Unless...do you want my powers?"
"NOPE." Memory took two steps back, raising his hands in surrender. "Last time I received a huge amount of power, it was from Rainbow Steve and Sabre who repeated infused redstone energy into me. It killed me. I am not interested."
"Then it's settled: Sabre keeps my powers." Illusion sighed. "This is gonna be sooooo fun."
"Agreed," Memory groaned. "But given the alternatives, Sabre is the safest choice for your plan." In his head, he added absurd, spontaneous, and Galaxy-Steve-level-of-ridiculous to plan.
"Oh, that reminds me, keep Alex trapped too," Illusion said. "You saw that she absorbed the potion from her special task to resist my powers. She's a threat. So keep her trapped and erase her memories too after dealing with Sabre."
"And what about the Guardian?"
"I...doubt that he'll be a threat to us. But if you want to imprison him too, be my guest."
Memory nodded. He wanted to ask about Alex's secret task and the potion. However, at this point, he expected the answers to be ridiculous. He wanted to give his poor mind a break from comprehending Illusion's bizarre ideas.
"So, you understand the plan, Memory?"
"Yes. Once you complete your part of the plan, I'll trap Sabre and erase all of his memories, and I'll trap Alex. What then?"
"Just stay put. Watch over the illusion and erase the memories of resistant Steves who pose a threat. I don't know how long I will be gone. But when I return, I'll tell you what I found and how I plan to bring everyone to the dimension I'm taking!"
"Who will be in charge of this world during your absence?"
Illusion laughed darkly while shaking his head. "By the time I finish Act 1 of the plan, there will be no need for leadership. They'll all see that a leader is pointless."
...ooohh...kaaaay.
"Oh, and Memory." Illusion continued. "I'm pretty confident about this plan but...I'm still afraid of failing. My entire life has been crippled by the failures of Galaxy Steve, and I refuse to let another failure cripple it again. So please...forgive me if my plans fail. If my plans fail you. In the case they do...can you help me find a way to make it all right?"
Please forgive me...
The image of a dented leaf pin flashed in Memory's mind, leaving him with a surge of guilt and grief.
"...Memory?"
Memory flinched and quickly nodded. "Oh, of course. I believe in you, Illusion. Try not to get into a mess by overthinking your plan."
Illusion smiled. "Thank you."
Memory saw how important winning was to Illusion. And he wanted him to succeed. But so many obstacles – and the simple hard truth that some things were impossible – stood between Illusion Steve and what he wanted. Bringing an entire population to a new world? Memory Steve could only erase memories, restore them, and teleport. He could do nothing besides give the moral support, and he already messed that up by waiting too long to decide to help Illusion. What if it was too late for Illusion to save himself? Why was Memory a fool for not doing anything sooner? Why all of these complications?
Illusion, please forgive me if I have already failed you.
If you one day find out about my plans, I'm sorry it took me so long to realize I wanted to care about you...
After moving the Memory Dimension forward in time by a few hours, Memory Steve teleported out of the dimension to the entrance of the Illusion Town.
A roar of thunder later, Illusion Steve teleported next to him. "Thank you for the talk again. I know you're not a fan of surprises, but I'm going to do something that will surprise everyone. So I'll let you in on one last thing."
Memory turned to him.
"When we enter the Illusion Town, Sabre and Guardian are going to try to trap me. Yes, you heard that right. While we were gone, Sabre found a way to make him remember that you work for me. Guardian went through his rage-fest again and finally betrayed me, helping Sabre set up a trap."
Memory Steve gasped. He had erased Guardian's memories, in front of Sabre. He regretted that he didn't erase the player's memories of witnessing that. Sabre always had a way to make others remember their stolen memories.
Illusion gave an arrogant smile. "But I've already planned ahead. Their trap will be ineffective. After they realize their trap failed, I'll finally reveal what I've discovered to everyone. What I'll be telling everyone is gonna change everything. So, I want you to please roll with it and support what I'm about to do."
Memory's sudden curiosity made him forget about his concerns of Guardian and Sabre. What was this thing that Illusion was hyping him for?
The first one teleporting with thunder and the other one arriving silently, Illusion and Memory teleported inside the Town. Originally looking at the machine Alex was trapped in, Sabre and Guardian whirled around to meet the newcomers. Memory Steve tensed when Sabre looked at him, before recalling that he purposefully let him remember who he was. I can erase his memories later. He won't remember this time.
Illusion approached the Guardian. "Ah, Guardian, how are you doing? Everything is fine, correct?"
"Everything is going smoothly, Illusion Steve." The Guardian gave his boss a respectful bow before looking up again. "Umm...who is this person with you?"
"This is my minion, Memory Steve."
Memory played along by also bowing. "I am pleased to meet you, Guardian of the Spirit World."
"Memory Steve...he seems...familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it." The Guardian narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He scratched his chin with exaggerated vigor before shrugging and forcing a smile. "Oh well, it doesn't matter!"
Guardian was the real person Memory should worry about, but he didn't even pose a threat. He was pathetically acting like he still forgot about Memory Steve and didn't just betray Illusion Steve. It was a matter of time before Illusion would fool and expose him.
The only real danger was Guardian knowing Memory's critical weakness, and that was blocked by the illusion.
"How is Sabre?" Illusion asked.
Guardian sneered. "I believe Sabre has accepted that he is powerless and trapped here. I originally locked him in the shrine, where he complained for hours before giving up. I let him out, dismantled the trap, and things have been pretty calm ever sense."
"Yup." Sabre trudged towards the Steves, especially giving Memory a spiteful glare. "And boy, am I so upset about it!"
"I'm upset about it too!" Alex chimed in from her prison. "Being stuck in a machine and having no one able to help me."
"Well, I'll help you with words, Alex," Sabre cheered. "I'm here for ya if you want to talk about it or need a pep talk."
"Please be quiet, Sabre," Illusion hissed. "Just stop talking."
"Actually, I may have given up, but I won't stop talking because..." Sabre faced Memory, his tone turning serious. "I want to have a word with your henchman."
Memory Steve paused. What was there left to speak about? Maybe this was his chance to discover any tricks Sabre had.
"Is that so?" Illusion said, hinting that he also didn't see this coming. "Very well. Memory Steve, go with Sabre and let him say whatever he wants to talk to you about."
"A-actually." Guardian raised a hand up. "Can I listen to what Sabre has to say?"
Alex added, "I want to be involved. Can I listen too?"
Ok, I definitely don't like how this is going, Memory thought miserably. "I'll only allow Sabre and Illusion Steve to join me."
Illusion nodded. "Yes, this doesn't concern you. You don't even know who Memory Steve is, riiiiiight, Guardian?"
"But Illusion Steve, I want to know!" Guardian pleaded.
"Silence! Keep an eye on Alex. And. Stay. Here. Memory Steve and Sabre, let's talk. Away from Guardian and Alex."
Memory Steve led Sabre and Illusion to the corner next to the entrance. "Why do you want a word with me, Sabre?"
"Look, I've accepted that I have personally lost." Sabre gave a nod to Illusion Steve. "I've been caught and there's nothing left I can do to stop you. The illusion will become reality and I can't stop it. I don't know what's going to happen to me after this, so Memory Steve, please do me one favor and tell me: why did you work for Void Steve?"
"...That's all you want to know?" Memory Steve questioned.
"I need closure about what happened in the past," Sabre said. "What do I not know about? And not only that, I want to know why you started working for him." He pointed at Illusion. "Unlike Alex and Guardian who got brainwashed, you're willingly working for him. I can tell, but I don't know why. But first, at least tell my why you worked for Void Steve, and why you erased Time and Elemental Steve's memories."
Why was Sabre asking these questions? Wasn't the answer obvious? Memory wanted to help his father destroy and restart the universe. But Sabre already knew that. He wasn't looking for the same answer. He was asking Memory Steve a hidden question to find a deeper answer.
Elemental joined Void in frustration that he didn't know his past. Rainbow betrayed Sabre for Void because he envied Galaxy Steve and had too much empathy in his heart.
Sabre's real question: What troubles did Memory went through and what did Void offer to him?
"As you now know, I am the son of Void Steve," Memory began. "I was created to assist my father, completing the responsibilities Galaxy Steve put onto us. When he disowned us for the tasks he made us do, he betrayed Void Steve and me. Like my father, I wanted revenge too."
"And you got your revenge, right? So after erasing Galaxy's memories, why did you stay with Void Steve? Why did you continue doing all these evil things for him?"
Void's bloodied head flashed in Memory's mind.
"Memory, you're all I have left. You are my only family and my only friend. I trust you to not become a weak, backstabbing traitor like them. Please...don't ever leave me...I don't know what I'll do to myself if the last person I love leaves me!"
"...Loyalty, isn't it obvious?" Memory had to fight the falter in his voice.
How could he ever abandon his father? How could he go as low as his uncle, who left without saying goodbye? Void deserved a family who loved him, and only Memory could take on the role. In a world where almost everyone had hurt Void, Memory had to balance it out by caring for his father.
Balance...
Or maybe he stayed with Void, knowing he owed his father so much. Knowing he couldn't forgive himself if Void felt alone and unwanted...
"I guess family is important to you," Sabre replied. "But then why did you erase Time and Elemental's memories in revenge? They're your family too. Why did you hurt them? Do you even feel remorse for making your own family forget themselves?"
Memory looked away, guilt overwhelming him, and he didn't understand why. "...Well, if Galaxy Steve is my uncle and I was willing to hurt him, then it was simple to persuade myself to hurt my cousins too. Surely, you can understand why I hate him. Galaxy Steve and I used to be close, until he abandoned me and shunned me when I was still young. And he defeated my father and took him away...only to neglect his responsibilities again..."
"If you hate Galaxy Steve so much, then why are you working for Illusion Steve?" Sabre challenged. "Illusion Steve works for him, which means you're now working for Galaxy Steve, technically. Heck, if it weren't for Galaxy Steve getting someone else to do his job, you would have never met Illusion Steve! What do you think about that?! Isn't it a bit hypocritical, everything you're doing?"
Memory looked away again. Why did Sabre assume Illusion had a significant bond with Galaxy? Memory had seen the damage Galaxy Steve had left on Illusion's mental health. How could Sabre defend Galaxy when his latest victim, Illusion, was standing right there? Yet, Sabre had a point. By serving Illusion, Memory was now helping Galaxy, which Void would disapprove of.
As Sabre continued pelting him with question, the more aware Memory became of the hard question he had been putting aside.
In the end, who would he remain loyal to? Void Steve or Illusion Steve?
Illusion's voice snapped him out of his internal conflict. "Be quiet, Sabre! You're overwhelming my henchman and being an annoying hypocrite. Why are you questioning his morality when you aren't questioning Galaxy Steve's morality? I'm doing these things because of Galaxy Steve!"
"As if you're better," Sabre snapped. "You keep saying how you're gonna make Galaxy Steve happy, but you still haven't told me why you're keeping Memory Steve around. He's an enemy!"
Illusion flinched. "I've had enough of you, Sabre! I wanted you to remember everything and to witness my victories just to spite you. But I'm done, so I will smite you now. I don't care if you see the end of my plans. I'm just so done. Goodbye." He raised a hand up and directed it at Sabre.
Sabre didn't budge. Nothing happened.
Illusion blinked with confusion. "What is happening? I'm trying to destroy you, but my powers are..." He quickly ran up to Guardian, who was watching the conversation from afar with Alex. He looked at the Guardian with a desperate plea in his eyes. "Hey, my powers feel weak. They seemed to have dampened the moment I stepped into town, but I didn't worry about it until now. But I'm sure this is a mistake! Right, Guardian? Nothing's-nothing's gone wrong, right?!"
"I don't know, Illusion Steve." Guardian's wings nervously twitched. "Why would I know anything about that?"
Sabre sneered and puffed out his chest. "But I do!" He laughed as he approached Illusion, with Memory rolling his eyes in the background. "Now that you've mentioned that your powers have been dampened, the joke's on you, bro! I made it so that you can't even escape your own town. Behold, the largest trap I've ever made!"
Illusion gave Sabre a mocking expression. "Oh, is that true? Oh no, boohoo, I'm so frightened and upset! I am – wait, because I'm curious..." He lifted his chin up and concentrated. "Let me try and...Oh. Oh wow, you actually trapped me." A surprised expression replaced his mocking one.
"I'm afraid it's true." Guardian cleared his throat, relaxing his wings a bit. "I told Sabre about the Illusion Core – the power source in the Tree – and we altered it to trap you in your own town. Your powers will be your own downfall. And you can't access the Illusion Tree either to reverse it."
"...So that means that you aren't able to do anything either, since you have some of my powers," Illusion Steve added flatly.
"Oh...umm..." Guardian attempted to dig out a grass block, which did not break.
Sabre dropped his pose and his grin. "Uh oh."
Illusion crossed his arms. "So you two dunces just trapped everyone in the town, unable to do everything because all of my powers are disabled?"
Sabre and the Guardian looked down in shame. In actuality, Illusion had disabled Guardian's powers and ability to break blocks before entering the Town, tricking everyone into believing the trap disabled everyone's power. Fortunately, that trick wasn't true, since Memory Steve also had some of Illusion's power, and he didn't want to lose his ability to talk to people because of the stupid drawback on his memory powers.
"It was Sabre's ideas!" Guardian pointed at the player, who was red with embarrassment.
"Oh, so now you're ratting out Sabre? I feel soooo betrayed." Illusion threw his arms up in exasperation. "Is it my turn to betray you guys? Because plot twist: I knew you were gonna betray me, though I didn't expect you would because you hated Memory Steve being my henchman. But I knew that Sabre was gonna make you remember Memory Steve and use the Illusion Core against me."
Memory Steve shot Sabre a glare, still wondering how he made Guardian remember in the first place.
"Are you saying that to make us feel bad about ourselves?" Guardian asked. "Or are you just saying this because you actually didn't expect this at all and you're just pretending?"
"Oh, I expected this, and I foiled your attempt to trap me. I can still break blocks." Illusion demonstrated by breaking a nearby grass block. "Honestly, I'll release Alex too, since obviously you guys can't do anything." He broke the glass block and Alex immediately jumped out, giving him a dumbfounded expression before reuniting with the Guardian and Sabre.
Memory's glare intensified, muffling down the astonished gasp forming in his throat. You just made my job of keeping Alex trapped harder, but alright. That's fine!
"In fact, the machine wasn't going to do anything. It wasn't even hooked up to the Tree," Illusion continued. "I gave Guardian false instructions about the redstone, making it look like it's hooked up when it's not really. I actually disabled your powers, while my power is still fine. Oh, and the powers I have given to Memory Steve still work too. So between the five of us, two have working powers."
Alex gasped. "Wait, you gave Memory Steve powers?! And let him keep them?! When I was working for you, I had to beg you for a special task just so I can keep mine's!"
"Do you know how dangerous it is to give that evil man power?!" Guardian pointed an accusing finger at Memory, who stepped back, uncomfortable that everyone was focused on him. "Seriously, how do you plan to make a perfect illusion with him around?!"
Memory Steve mentally hissed, hating the implication that his role was pointless. Well, I definitely do make things imperfect...
For a moment, Illusion lowered his head as a dark expression formed. Then he started to cackle. Thunder appeared, synchronizing with his evil laugh and sending chills to everyone.
"My plan to make the perfect illusion? My plan to take down Sabre and Alex? HAH! You're all so small-minded. That wasn't my main plan! It was just something to keep you all disoriented and from finding out my real plan!"
The three heroes gasped and murmured with each other. Memory sighed, relieved the attention was off him. Though he had never seen this reaction from Illusion before...
The real plan...was that the new plan? But Illusion was pretending like he had it from the start.
Sabre shook his head. "I'm calling lies!"
"If I wanted to use the Tree to create the perfect reality, I would have done it by now! And you guys are right: I could have finished my job by just pausing the infection, but stopping the infection comes nowhere close to my main plan!"
"So what's your main plan?!" Alex demanded. "What were you doing while you distracted us all?!"
"I've been learning," Illusion replied. "And I realize how pointless this all is. In fact, all of you are pointless. Well, except one. One person isn't pointless, and you know who you are!" He snapped his fingers. Thunder roared as light engulfed Sabre. A redstone machine made out of iron spawned and trapped the player.
"SABRE!" Alex and Guardian punched the blocks to no avail while Sabre panicked and rammed himself against the glass entrapping him. Memory Steve teleported to the top of the machine, which had the lever to activate the machine. He switched it on, immobilizing Sabre, but still allowing the player to talk.
"Memory Steve." The masked Steve peered down to see Sabre struggling to look up. "Did you know about this whole plan? The ruse, the distractions, and everything?"
"Of course I know everything." Except Memory didn't actually know what's been going on in the past hour, and he gave up on understanding it, like, seven minutes ago. All he knew that Illusion did his job of trapping Sabre for him. So I'll forgive him for releasing Alex.
"Let him go!" Alex cried. "What do you want with him?!"
Illusion stood five blocks away from the machine, laughing. "If you knew the truth about Sabre, you wouldn't be so eager to defend him."
"W-what do you mean?"
"Alex, Guardian, Memory Steve, you all know that Sabre isn't from this land. Have you guys ever questioned why he's able to do so many things that Steves can't do? Things that Alex can't do? Don't you guys wonder what he does when he isn't visiting this land? Have you guys ever wondered about the truth behind Sabre, or his true motives, or where he's from?"
Memory teleported to Illusion's side. Alex and Guardian casted curious and doubtful eyes on Sabre, who seemed more nervous than ever before.
"Wow, this all just got turned on me," Sabre gulped. "But-but, listen, I just want to save this world!"
"Are you trying to help this world?"
With a crazed grin, Illusion teleported in front of Sabre's chamber and slammed his fist on the glass, giving the heroes a jump-scare.
"Or are you just trying to help T̶̢̮̲͉̫̗̹͛̈͘͜h̶̟̥̞̄ę̵̧͇̻̺͙̲̩́̂ ̴̱̺̓͑̋ͅS̸̛̛͖͕͉̿̂͆̂̇̚͝͠ṭ̵͍͎͕͙̇̈͝ē̵͖̇̄̓̆͂̚̚v̵͈͓̄̋̈́̌̚͜͝ȅ̶͇͖̞͙͓̝͉̩̔ ̶̡̦̩̬̗̠̤̞̿̋̿̈́͗͂̑̈͠ͅS̴͚̀͂̒͘͠a̴̩̲͈͕̜̜̖̙̥͊̀̈́͜ġ̷̩̜̬̀̈́a̸̛̤̻̘̖̗̞̱͐̏̒̔̃́́̎͛?"
The town felt quiet as the world suddenly felt like a slow blur.
All the color drained from Sabre's open-mouthed face as Illusion stepped back, giving a smug, sinister smile.
Alex and Guardian exchanged confused glances. "The Steve Saga? What is that?"
Memory's eyes darted between Sabre and Illusion. He had no idea what to think. These three words, "the Steve Saga," sounded so foreign and perplexed him. He couldn't even find a way to break his confusion down into questions he wanted to ask.
"Th-this got way too real!" Sabre cried. "How did you find out about the Steve Saga?!"
"I first learned about it from Galaxy Steve's memories, and I've been studying to find out what that means. You told him about it in secret, though I'm not sure when. He accepted the truth and lived in blissful ignorance. But I won't, and neither will anyone else!"
"Wait wait wait, stop!" Alex interrupted. "What are you guys going on about?!"
Illusion chuckled. "Go ahead, Sabre. Explain it to your friends, or I will give them the cold hard truth."
All eyes were on Sabre again. Memory briefly exchanged glances at Illusion, who silently asked him to stay patient. He was so lost, his mind numb by the chill those three words gave. All he knew was this must be the moment...when Illusion would tell everyone what he kept secret...
Sabre stuttered. "Umm. I-I don't know how to explain it because I never expected I'd enter a situation where I'm forced to! I never expected that a Steve could break the fourth wall!"
"The fourth wall?" Memory repeated, his mind aching for it had to process three new foreign words.
"Are you saying their minds are too small to understand?" Illusion challenged. "Fine. Then I'll explain: this is the Overworld of the Steve Realm, yes. But it has another name: the Steve Saga. And it's not just a world.
"This is all a video game to Sabre! He's a visitor called a player who can leave anytime. He doesn't get his needs, like hunger and survival, satisfied in this world. He only comes here to satisfy one thing, his entertainment, while we are all fighting for our lives! We're all just tools for him!
"As a player, he can't be destroyed. He can leave and revisit any time he wants. And he can die in this world and come back! So many Steves sacrificed their lives for him, unaware of his ability to respawn. Including Rainbow Steve who took the hit from Void Steve."
A flash of wrath appeared on Sabre's face.
"But when a Steve dies, they die. But Sabre will always come back," Illusion continued. "He's actually more powerful than me, than Nightmare Steve, than Void Steve. That's why he is immune to my illusions. And he didn't tell anyone else because if they knew, they would turn against him, unable to trust him. Isn't that right, Sabre?"
Sabre gulped, his nervous expression returning. "I mean, yes, but you're twisting the words to make me look like a bad guy! Yes, this is a game, but I don't treat it as one! Because I have friends here, and this game is their life. The only life they'll ever know because it's not like I can bring them to my world!
"Alex, Guardian, you gotta believe me! You know I've done my best to make sure you guys have happy and safe lives here. I do that because it's impossible to bring you guys to my world. It would be so cool if you could, but you can't. So I do my best to make this world livable."
"Sabre, I believe you." Alex stepped up to defend Sabre, glaring at Illusion. "Sabre's a good friend. That's the truth I'll fight for."
Illusion glared at Guardian. "Then what about you? Here, I'll unblock your real memories so you can officially reunite with Sabre as a friend, only to realize that you can't trust him anymore." He waved a hand in front of Guardian's face. Guardian blinked three times before looking around the Illusion Town, as if he was seeing it for the first time.
The gray-clad entity turned to Sabre. "I...I remember it all! I remember the Spirit World and everything before, as well as my memories I made while working for Illusion Steve. I don't understand anything, but I believe you." Guardian joined Alex in standing next to the chamber. "Sabre has always done the right thing for this world. So I stand by him, Illusion Steve."
Illusion stepped back, confusion and surprise in his eyes. He briefly looked at Memory Steve who nodded to confirm he was still on his side.
Illusion huffed and glared back at the heroes. "Fine! Believe in him. It won't change the fact that this is a game! Why would I spend my time making the perfect reality here when Sabre's world is so much better in comparison?!"
"Sabre's world?" Guardian tilted his head in confusion.
Memory coughed to get Illusion's attention. "If I may ask, what exactly is Sabre's world? Is it similar to the dimensions that Galaxy Steve visited in his past?" In his head, he added Is this why you wanted to see Galaxy's memories in my dimension? So you can better understand lives outside of this world?
Illusion shook his head. "No. Similar, yes. But Sabre's world is much, much more than all the dimensions Galaxy has visited combined. Some dimensions have some characteristics of Sabre's world, but none of them come close to being an exact replica. That's how complex Sabre's world is."
Memory stumbled back, the breath knocked out of him. Galaxy Steve (back when Memory foolishly believed his uncle cared for him) had sometimes taken him, Time, and Elemental on his interdimensional adventures. Their trips were bizarre. One dimension of pure magic. One dimension engulfed by one mega-city. One underwater dimension with creatures of all shapes and sizes. And of course, much more food, ores, and branches of knowledge in every realm they visited.
Yet Sabre's world...was bigger than all of that?
Illusion snapped his attention back to Sabre. "You've done well making this world livable, but I will take it to the next level by bringing Steves to your reality, where we can truly prosper!"
"That's impossible!" Sabre said. "No Steve has ever gone out of this server!"
"Until now! All I need is you and Galaxy Steve. You two are the missing pieces to my plan!" Illusion snapped his fingers.
Memory shielded his eyes and jumped back when light flashed near Illusion. When the light ceased, Galaxy appeared right next to Illusion with his eyes closed. Memory dropped down his arms and stared at him in wordless awe.
"Galaxy Steve!" The three heroes cried.
Galaxy jumped awake. He opened his mouth to speak, but Illusion kicked him in the shins, causing him fall face-first into the grass. Illusion's hand snatched Galaxy's head and smashed it to the ground before the fallen Steve could move.
"NO!"
Illusion shot everyone a sinister smile and crazed eyes before silver light engulfed him and Galaxy. An orchestra of thunder bombarded the two Steves. The ground shuddered as the thunder roared mercilessly.
"HOLY SHIT!" Memory's heart lurched and he teleported behind the machine. He dove down, his jaw smashed his tongue, and he cringed at the stupid release of blood, feeling every muscle tense. He covered his ears to block out the vicious noise with no success. Despite his heart racing and wailing in confusion, he knew exactly what Illusion was doing. When they discussed the changed plans, Memory foolishly assumed that he abandoned this plan to absorb a Steve.
Why didn't he stop this?!
Memory peered up when the thunder ceased. He teleported to the side of the machine. In front of the machine, the heroes stood: Sabre still immobilized, while Alex and Guardian had stumbled down with astonished fear.
And a several blocks in front of them, where Illusion and Galaxy used to stand, was...
A colorful Steve kneeled on the ground, head lowered as his medium-length hair shielded his face. In his mass of silver hair was one streak of red hair, streaming down from his head like blood spilling from a skull's wound. He wore a galaxy-patterned jacket over a purple, pink, and red flannel, along with dark jeans and silver sneakers. His back rose and fell with heavy breaths. The Steve moved and stretched his hand, as if to confirm if it was actually attached to his body. He stood up and brushed his hair out of his face, revealing his dark complexion and his different colored eyes. Framed by silver eyeglasses, one eye glowed bright cyan while the other a saturated pink.
The Steve greeted his speechless audience with a nod before taking off his glasses and tossing them aside.
Sabre broke the fear-lingering silence "Wh-what did you do?"
"I took him," the new Steve said with a voice identical to Illusion's. "My life was crippled because I only had one goal in mind: creating a set reality for Galaxy Steve. Although I found a loophole: maybe if Galaxy Steve ceased to exist, he wouldn't worry about finding a reality to be happy with. So now...I'm finally free!" He broke into a carefree yet calculated laugh.
Memory, after a moment of hesitation, approached the machine and slammed the glass, startling Sabre. "Is this how Void Steve was when he absorbed Galaxy Steve?!"
Sabre paled. "No! Well, Void Steve kept his memories and personality while gaining new power, but he didn't change his appearance like what Illusion Steve did."
"It's Reality Steve now!" the new Steve boasted. "I'm no longer Illusion Steve, that pointless pawn in someone else's story. My goals and my purpose are no longer locked down by someone else. Now I can be the maker of my own world or be anyone I want to be!"
"Well, he's being arrogant, like Void Steve," Sabre said under his breath.
Memory was unable to tear his eyes off Reality Steve. What was going to happen now? He recalled everything he knew about Void Steve's defeat. From what he knew, when Void Steve attempted to destroy Sabre after absorbing Galaxy Steve, the power backfired on him. When was Reality Steve going to unleash his power, and what kind of power would that be?
Reality Steve stalked towards the heroes and Memory Steve. Guardian and Alex scooted away while Memory Steve froze.
"Guardian. Thank you for distracting these people for me." Reality Steve dipped his head towards the gray-clad entity. "And Memory Steve." The Steve who used to be Illusion faced the masked man. "Thank you for helping me go through with this plan."
That compliment did not sit well in Memory...
"I'll take it from here. By absorbing Galaxy Steve, I have obtained his power, as well as his knowledge that'll help me navigate other worlds. And I will soon have the ability to transcend this world and break free!"
"Reality Steve, please don't do this!" Sabre pleaded. "You're the first Steve to get this much information, but I promise you that you're not ready for this. If you enter my world, or attempt to enter it, you might get really hurt! Or hurt this world and the people living in it! And I know you don't want that!"
"Why are you lecturing me?" Reality Steve rolled his saturated eyes. "You are the one who held all this information back. Only Galaxy Steve knew. Alex and Guardian didn't know. The Overseer, Elemental, Time, and Nightmare Steve didn't know! You've always had this ability to escape dangers, while your allies don't. Go ahead. Chicken out and leave to prove my point!"
Memory Steve and the others looked at Sabre. What did Reality Steve mean? How could Sabre leave when he was completely immobilized?
"I'm not gonna leave right now!" Sabre insisted. "That's beside the point! You can still be a good guy, Reality Steve! I know you can, because you kept Time Steve alive instead of destroying him!"
Memory Steve gawked Sabre. Disbelief stabbed his heart as his eyes widened. "...how do you remember that? I erased your memories of meeting Time Steve."
Sabre flinched, a ghastly, horrified expression replacing the remaining color on his face.
Alex and Guardian also stared at him wide-eyed with hanging jaws, while Reality Steve snickered.
"You're right, Memory. He wasn't supposed to remember our secret meeting with Time Steve. After all, didn't we give Sabre an illusion block that made him forget memories without recalling them? I regret to say this, but that mission was all for nothing."
Memory Steve faced Reality Steve, his mask hiding his expression of sheer disbelief.
"The harsh truth is that Sabre never loses his memories. Even back when you worked with Void Steve, Sabre didn't actually forgot about you every time he looked away. He was 100% immune to your powers. He just pretended to forget and pretended to remember you every time he saw you again. It's all an act he's still doing now, until he messed up and revealed he still remembers that Time Steve is alive.
"He was faking it all to fool you and the Steves who actually got their memories taken from you. Remember when you asked for my help to filter the memories you gave back to Sabre, when we decided to negotiate with him instead of trap him? Instead of filtering your powers, I actually blocked your powers. It still tricked Sabre into thinking that his memories got restored, allowing him to drop the act about not remembering you or the illusion. That's why I wanted you to 'restore' his memories. If Sabre kept acting like he didn't remember, it would have been difficult for him to stay focused on the negotiation.
"But of course, Sabre refused to help us, making that memory 'restoration' pointless. I'm deeply sorry, Memory..."
...
...
Memory slowly turned to Sabre, who shrank back in the chamber.
...
...
Alex also looked at Sabre, her eyes tearful. "Time Steve is alive and you didn't tell me? He's my friend too."
...
...
"...How do my powers not affect you at all?" Memory finally asked in a dangerously low voice.
Reality Steve answered that. "This is why you never forget!" He advanced towards Sabre and grabbed his neck and face. Sabre let out a muffled scream as Memory's vision glitched, shook, and disoriented. Memory shut his eyes tight and kneeled, forcing himself to feel the grass with his gloved hands.
When his view stabilized, Memory looked up. Reality Steve released Sabre and walked away from the machine.
Sabre shuddered. "I'm ok? I'm ok! I'm...wait...why can I enter third person?!"
Reality Steve brought up his hands, which were formed into fists. When he opened them, a gray rectangular icon appeared in front of him, startling him. He immediately desummoned it with a hand wave, his eyes widened with wonder. "It – it worked! We swapped!"
"What just happened?!" Guardian asked.
Reality Steve shook his fist victoriously in the air. "This is what I needed from Sabre. This is the reason why he was immune to my illusions and Memory Steve's powers. This is his account, the source of all his special abilities."
"GIVE IT BACK! Alex, Guardian, do something!"
The two gave Sabre an expression of confusion and guilt. "We want to help but...what the heck is an account?"
"I gotta figure this stuff out!" Reality Steve opened his hands to resummon the gray interface, eagerly observing it. "I think this is the inventory. What happens if I think about – " He closed the gray interface and summoned another gray rectangle. The rectangle was small and had the word "Disconnect."
Sabre gasped. "Don't hit that button!"
Reality Steve shot a mischievous glare. "Oh, what will happen?"
Memory Steve gulped, remembering the last time he saw Sabre with that button. That was how he left this world after Origin Steve's defeat. He had never before seen a Steve summon these gray rectangles that apparently meant something. But another chilling thought pestered him. How did these rectangles make Sabre immune to his power? And why was Sabre so cruel to pretend?
"Seriously, don't press that button!" Sabre begged. "It doesn't have to be like this!"
The back-and-forth arguing between Reality Steve and Sabre vanished from Memory Steve's senses. He silently teleported behind the machine. He pressed his forehead and his hands to the iron blocks as he felt his panic accumulate. His wide hidden eyes were glued on the details of the iron wall, not like he was registering the wall's details.
Sabre.
He's always known.
All this time.
He never forgot about me. He never forgot about me.
Memory Steve hissed and trembled.
His powers didn't affect Sabre at all. All those times Sabre looked around in confusion...those were all fake...
He'll always known who I am. He's been giving me a false sense of security. But why?
What does he want from me? What does he want from me? What does he want from me?
Then Memory found himself unable to breathe. He frantically tried to think about his breath, but the thoughts kept flooding back in as his throat and lungs felt paralyzed.
He's always known. He's always known. He's always known.
SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Memory Steve bonked his head, forcing himself to gulp the air. Get over it, because you have to do SOMETHING about this!
Reality Steve's plan. Reality Steve wanted him to erase Sabre's memories once he...disconnected and left this world. If he knew about Sabre's immunity, then why did he order Memory Steve to erase his memories? The account was the reason why Sabre remembered. And now that Sabre was separated from his account...
Memory Steve teleported to rejoin the group, adjusting his tie and coat multiple times.
"Seriously, man! We don't know what's gonna happen if you try to leave!" Sabre pleaded. "Worst case scenario is that this world is destroyed if you leave! Me, Alex, Guardian, heck, even Memory Steve. We might be destroyed if you do this!"
Reality Steve flinched, his arrogance faltering. He quickly glanced at Memory Steve, giving a familiar expression that Illusion Steve would don.
Then he shook his head and recovered his confidence. "You may be right about all these worries, but I'll find out if you are! I'd rather be destroyed learning the truth than stay here accepting this prison! I will find out myself what is impossible, what is possible, or what is something that I can turn possible! Hate me, that's fine, but only I can do this!"
Sabre sighed, defeated. "I don't believe in you...but I can't stop you anyways. So go ahead. Press that disconnect button and log off. But heed my last words." His face morphed into a stern expression. "I'm pretty sure it's not gonna work. Everything you've done so far and what you're doing now...will make everything worse. And when you come back, you're gonna beg me to fix everything. So, go ahead. I'll be waiting. And when you come crawling back to me, I won't show you any mercy."
The player then looked at everyone surrounding him. "And to everyone else...I'm sorry for not telling you the truth about your reality."
"I'll keep in mind all of your words, Sabre," Reality Steve said before approaching Memory Steve. "Memory, you know what to do next. I don't know how long I'll be gone. But I promise you that when I return, I'll give everyone an account so everyone on this server can leave. Look forward to that."
Memory Steve looked away and crossed his arms. "...Why didn't you tell me sooner? About Sabre being immune to my powers? You criticize him for hiding this information, yet you did the same to me..."
Reality Steve frowned as his gaze fell. "Like I said, it was complicated. But I hope the new world will make up for how I've treated you. Trust me, you'll love the possibilities of this world!"
"Are you sure you're willing to take this risk?" Memory Steve fidgeted with his gloved hands. A dreadful feeling sank in his stomach. The worst case scenario was that...this would be the last time he would ever see his cousin. This could be their last conversation. What could he say, knowing this?
When Reality Steve just gave him a determined nod, Memory Steve felt the urge to say scream anything. To stop this madness. But Reality Steve obviously wanted to leave as soon as possible. Defeated, Memory Steve offered his cousin a parting hand. "I'm...pleased to see that the plan is moving as intended. Best of luck, Reality."
Reality Steve accepted the handshake. He stepped back and faced everyone. The "Disconnect" button materialized in his hand again.
"Well, goodbye everyone! I bid you farewell!"
Reality Steve's hand pressed the button.
And he disappeared.
After cleaning the dining room table, Memory teleported to front door and peered out of the window next to it. In front of Void Steve's castle was the bedrock garden, a bleak front yard full of bedrock statues that resembled petrified Steves.
Void and Elemental returned to the center of the garden. The same place Galaxy and his sons stood before they left two and a half years ago.
Now, with Elemental's memories wiped cleaned, Void was giving him a grand tour of the castle. It was endearing to see that Elemental didn't register a sense of familiarity from the place, despite partially growing up in here, when Galaxy visited and stayed over with his sons.
Void had showed Elemental everything. The castle, and the room he was going to stay in, the planning room, the various training rooms, portals, and the garden. Well, everything except introducing him to Memory Steve.
Memory wanted to believe that Void wanted to introduce him last, in a "saving the best for last" kind of way, but only a fool would believe that.
"Now that you've seen my base of operations," Void said to Elemental. "Would you like to see all the places in the Overworld that I...protect?"
"Yes, of course!" Elemental nodded eagerly. "When can we go?"
"Well, we can go now, my apprentice. Then we can start your training afterwards."
Memory looked away briefly with a wince.
"But first." Void pointed at the leaf pin Elemental wore on his shirt. "Get rid of that."
"W-why?" Elemental defensively put his hands over the pin. "It's a sentimental item. I don't know where I got it from, but I'd like to keep it. It feels important to me."
"Which is why I don't want you to bring it. You might lose it, just like how you lost your family and memories." Void slapped his knee and cackled. "Hah! Why don't I put it in your new room. Maybe that'll help you feel more at home."
"Well...I suppose that's not a bad idea." Elemental gave in and removed the leaf pin, handing it to Void.
"Perfect. Wait here." Void flew back to the castle. Memory ducked out below the window. He reached the front door and stood, as if he was waiting there the whole time. Void entered the castle, and Memory greeted him with a bow.
"Memory Steve, take this." He handed him leaf pin.
Memory inspected it with fake curiosity. "What is this, Father?"
"A thing Elemental Steve carries because he's still soft about his family even though he doesn't remember him. (Maybe you should have done a better job at erasing his emotional memories.) Put this in his room."
"Does this mean you are leaving immediately?"
"Yes, immediately! I'm going out to start Elemental's descent. Soon, he will be mine. And the world will do my bidding." Void Steve broke into an evil laugh. "We'll be gone for a few weeks as I show Elemental Steve around and begin his training. Watch over the castle while we're gone."
"Of course." Memory bowed. "I'm...pleased to see that the plan is moving as intended."
Void grinned and returned to Elemental. Memory looked out of the window to see thunder form, teleporting the two Steves out of the Void Dimension.
"...Goodbye," Memory whispered, heartbreak lingering in that word.
Memory entered Elemental's room. It was the same room Elemental stayed in during his childhood visits. It used to be lavishly decorated. A map of the seas and stars hand-drawn on the ceiling. Green shulker boxes arranged on a thin, brown shelf to resemble a tree. The study desk full of strange rocks. One wall that mapped out interesting dimensions. Another wall with a portal that showed an underwater, alien dimension, functioning as a bizarre aquarium.
However, before befriending the amnestic Elemental, Void destroyed everything in Elemental's room, reducing it to simple walls, floor and ceiling made of wooden planks. Only a red bed, crafting table, and a chest gave the room a weak sense of character.
For a moment, Memory wished that Void left at least one corner of Elemental's old room for him to destroy. He approached the lone chest, as that wish brewed in his mind, until he started to shake with rage and finally snapped.
"AAAAHHHH!" He kicked the chest over, spilling the little contents it had.
"Why?! Why, you ungrateful bastard?!" He screamed as he punched the wooden wall that refused to dent or pity him. "Why couldn't you just be happy that you had a loving brother and powers anyone would kill for?! You forgot your father, yes, but SO WHAT. You were supposed to be better off not knowing how much of an ASS he was!"
Already sick of trying hopelessly to break the walls down, he marched towards the bed and stomped on the frame. He knew he couldn't break it, but he didn't care. He honestly didn't know what he was attacking as the furious tears blurred his vision.
"You could have lived your life blissfully! But no, you just HAD to long for more answers and to be unhappy! You just HAD to make yourself vulnerable to Dad and make him think you could be his perfect little villain! Dad and I were supposed to do this together, not YOU!"
He threw the leaf pin at the wall. It let out a sharp thud before crashing onto the wooden floor.
Memory Steve gasped, all color and wrath draining from his face. He brought his hands over his mouth as guilt overwhelmed him.
"No, oh nononono." He picked up the leaf pin and inspected it. Fortunately, it did not shatter, but it did receive a dent. But that small dent was still enough to fill him with shame. "What have I done? What have I done?"
He held the pin close to his heart and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Elemental. I'm so, so sorry. Your story wasn't supposed to begin like this. I never wanted this to happen. If you one day find the truth...please just know...that I'm so sorry..."
Word count: 9529
Me: *writing the Reality Steve scene*
My brain: You know, in the actual episode when Sabre and Reality Steve swap their abilities/account, they also swap physical location.
My brain: So if they trapped Sabre before taking his account...that would mean Sabre would be brought out of the trap and Reality would then be in the trap. And that would be stupid as heck.
Me:
Me: I'm gonna break canon again and make them switch without swapping their physical location. Because I need that trap for a transition scene and I don't want to deal with the complications of Reality's stupidity. Yes, I am breaking the universe's canon to accommodate Reality's chaotic dumbass energy.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are excited to see what's next!
Happy Halloween! Go enjoy it! We got a freaking BLUE MOON (2nd full moon) on a Halloween this year! But please stay safe because there's a pandemic and sketchy people out there.
Take care!