A/N: THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED! REJOICE! YEE! so.. let me explain the reason for the severely long hiatus. The laptop suffered a BSOD while I was still in school/college, so I couldn't take it to be fixed or anything. But several months later, summer vacation starts and I had chances to try and fix it, and I've tried, but given up. I'll admit, the procrastinating afterwards was my fault, but better late than never, right?
Turns out, the laptop needed a new hard drive, and it costed a lot of money to get that repaired. So my mom and I just got a new one from the repair shop today. And since all of my files were on my previous computer, I had to copy and paste this from Google Plus, as I'll be doing for the rest of the chapters from here on in until it's caught up. ;3;
There were some Guest reviewers.
Unknown: Thank you, and I don't plan on rushing. The chapters are already prewritten anyway.
XENARKU: Heheh, that's cool. I should give Gamechops Megalovania a listen. Glad it fit Chapter 16.
Cat: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked what we did. Hopefully you'll like this one too.
So here's "part two" of the last chapter - Chapter Forty-Three! it continues right off from it, so I had to add something in the beginning to make it seem like a new chapter began. XD I hope you enjoy it!
A Triangle in the Stars
Chapter Forty-Three: The Signal
So, with the plan set, they were ready to pull it off. They had to fix this. Pyronica stood up tall, "Steven, Gabriel, over here now."
"No one can tell," Steven took a breath, "me what to do."
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Gabriel, however, ran over immediately, shaking all over. He wiped his eye, getting rid of the tears.
"Steven, get over here," Bill frowned, levitating off the couch and staring at the boy.
"Nope!" the kid smirked, "I don't have to do anything you say!"
"What if Garnet were here, huh? what if she asked you?" Pyronica stared at him.
For a second, it seemed, the boy's look softened, before it darkened again, and he looked down. "But she's not, so that doesn't matter."
Unnecessary clinking noises followed that. Bill suddenly got an idea. He slowly smiled on the inside. He transmitted his thoughts to Pyronica, I'm gonna go get Garnet. If ya know what I mean...
Pyronica gave a quick, barely noticeable nod. "Steven... listen to me. Something has happened to you. Something horrible. And you can get it fixed. All you have to do is cooperate. That's all I'm asking, alright?" she stared at him.
Bill floated up to the Warp Pad, and activated it without having to transform into a Gem this time, going to the Galaxy Warp. He knew Steven wouldn't agree. The boy just needed a little nudge in the right direction. So he duplicated himself, and then transformed himself into the Crystal Gem's de-facto leader and fusion. Birnet looked at himself, and smirked at his still triangular clone, who smirked back. This was perfect.
Steven didn't say a word back. He was now ignoring the flame lady. She got angry, and grabbed him, picking him up off the ground, and he barely reacted. "Listen to me, kid! I know you're a good person, somewhere in there. So snap out of this!" she put her hands on his head, and dove into his mind. She was horrified by what she saw there—or, rather, what she didn't see there.
Bill came back through the Warp Pad at that moment, eye wide at the sight. He was immediately followed by Birnet, who had that usual neutral frown on his face. Birnet looked across the room, and announced, adjusting his shades, "I had a feeling I was right to think I needed to check on you. Bill told me I was needed here."
The clone nodded, and then warped back, with the "false" reasoning that he needed to get away. Birnet really wanted to get away right now, and rest his heart. But he needed to fix this. And this time, he'd bail and come back as himself when it was time. Pyronica then dropped Steven—who picked himself back up and slightly glared at her—and backed away.
"Uh, Bill... a word, please?" she whispered, looking absolutely horrified.
"Garnet? what are you doing here?" Steven looked confused.
This is going to work... the shapeshifted demon said. I'm gonna make sure of it this time.
Birnet looked over at Steven, "I came back to check on you. You should listen to Pyronica."
No, you don't understand, Bill... I went into the kid's head, and... she seemed unwilling to finish that thought.
"I... I don't really want to. She's mean and bad. Don't you know they're demons? they're literally evil..." he was only acting, it seemed.
"E-evil? y-you... you told me to shut up..." Gabriel seemed very offended, and scared still. But also confused.
And what..? Birnet frowned softly, stepping over to the flame demon and Gabriel, still looking at Steven.
"You can trust me, Steven," he nodded, pretending he wasn't hurt by this. He knew it was possibly an act. And he needed to continue the charade anyway. The fusion then continued, "All of the possibilities I See happening are good."
There was nothing there, Bill. It's like the Void's in Steven's head, or something...
Gabriel caught this psychic message, and gasped, Oh no... so that's where it went...
"I don't see anything," Steven refused to look at her anymore.
His eyes widened beneath his visor, Oh no... what should we do now, then?
Gabriel fidgeted, looking uncomfortable, Well, all the time I was in the Void, I was soaking up this Void energy or whatever, and it kinda became a part of me. Like a tumor. But somehow I passed it onto Steven when we fused... and got rid of it.
Pyronica took a deep breath, and let it out, Come on, why does everything have to keep getting more and more complicated?
Steven frowned. "But I want to! show me, Garnet. I want to see the futures that you see." He turned his gaze directly onto her again, and shouted a few seconds later, "SHOW ME, I SAID!"
Birnet frowned. This was grating on his nerves. How the hell was this shit happening to him? to them? was he naturally bad luck? his parents almost always sai—and then he felt his eyes well up. No. No, not now. He took a deep breath, evaporating the tears, and stepped forward, the frown deepening, "I'll show you what I see, Steven. But you're missing a little, important word. And you seem to have also forgotten that I'm the de-facto leader."
Believe me, I'd rather be in the Void right now, if it meant sparing you guys from all this. I mean... this is all my fault to begin with, Gabriel shrugged, and sat down, and didn't cry this time.
"What are you even talking about?" Steven seemed too upset to listen to reason.
"The 'P' word. You always used it before," Birnet replied. He glanced at Gabriel, and set a hand on his approximation of a shoulder. Perhaps that's what had to happen. But how could they get the Void out from the boy's head?
The boy looked startled, "I don't... I don't understand. Why don't I understand?"
Birnet stared sadly at Steven underneath that visor. He saw so much of his pre-empathy self in Steven right now. And it hurt, mostly because Steven in general reminded him of... and he stopped his thoughts right there. He sighed and eventually stated, "I know you'll understand soon, Steven."
"No... I lost something, didn't I? what did I lose?" he looked around the room, thinking. Trying to get it.
This isn't going to work, guys. You saw how I was like. Steven's going to become like that, too, and we're wasting time we could be using to try to cure it...
Wait.. I think I'm getting through to him... Bill frowned a little. However, are we sure that the fusion will actually work..?
"Empathy, Steven," Birnet answered, sighing. "You lost your empathy, and what made you.. you. You need to try and get it back. And we need you to cooperate."
"I don't... I don't think I can," he looked down, and his eyes darkened again. "No. I don't want to."
Pyronica and Gabriel exchanged glances, thinking.
Guys...? Birnet's frown deepened. He stepped forward again, "Well, that's too bad. I need my little cutie pie back."
He picked the boy up the way Garnet usually does, restraining him like that. He would usually feel embarrassed acting this way, since Pyronica and Gabriel were right there. But he was acting as Garnet, and he needed to keep up that charade. Besides, he really did miss Steven. The boy glared up at her.
"Garnet, you don't understand. This change—it's a good thing. This is who I'm really supposed to be!" he shouted.
Told you, Gabe said, in not a sarcastic, mean way, but in a sad one.
"No, it's not. I won't allow it! your mother certainly wouldn't either," Birnet almost slipped into his normal voice, but he kept it up. He was almost crying.
Then let's do this thing! the demon shouted, growing angry and impatient.
"She's not here right now! I'm here, and I'm what matters! you just... you don't get it. I can finally be someone amazing and you want to take that away from me!"
Gabriel floated up to Steven, "Look at me, Steven. I know this seems like who and what you are now. But it's just the Void. It does that to people. You have to fight it. You have to be better. I'm not nearly as strong as you, Steven. But I'm certain you can do it," he stared at the kid, and he stared right back.
"I... I don't believe you," and, around Steven, expanding from the boy, was one of his signature pink bubbles. But it changed. It turned pitch black, forcing Birnet to let go. He fell, but he was within the protection of the bubble.
The shapeshifted demon's eyes were wide, but none of them would be able to see. His mouth was wide open, and he whispered as he stared at this dark bubble, "Steven..."
Now what do we do? he's not listening to reason, our powers are useless against this, and it would blow my cover, he asked them both, frowning deeply. Pyronica, for some reason, was pretty silent.
Gabriel shook himself, Uh, give up? no, wait, that's a bad idea... maybe... maybe I can take the Void back? he didn't really like that idea. He had just gotten back from his trillion-year exile, and he had no obligation to return to it any time soon. But he'd do what he had to. He had to make this up.
Birnet bowed his head. He sighed. Apparently, his whole household was bad luck. But, really, what else would one expect from a name like Nolis?
He thought, for a second, to take the Void into himself instead, just so Gabriel could be spared. He did this, after all. Nothing would have happened if he stayed a statue. Everyone would be better off without him. Those tears flowed, and he frowned, suggesting, What if I did it instead...?
No, Bill, we just got reunited... Gabriel stared at him, disheartened almost. It's my responsibility, the Void. Not yours...
No, I'll take it, Pyronica offered. I don't belong in this universe, this world. Not like this.
It'll drive you insane... and you won't be able to ever come back, Gabriel frowned, staring at her now.
Birnet sighed, Someone has to do it... who's it going to be..?
He wanted it to be him. He really did. It'd be a glorious, heroic, sacrificial way to go, for good. Everything would be right in the world. Steven would be back, and Gabriel and Pyronica would live. And he was sure his parents would be happy, and proud of him, wherever they were. That flow of tears increased just then, and it took all he could not to break down, took all he could not to lose this form.
I'm going to do it, both of you. I've done nothing in my life worth anything, and I don't fit in here. So let me do it, please. Let me finish what I was trying to start, Pyronica almost pleaded, looking at them both.
Gabriel nodded, I understand.
The shapeshifted demon's frown deepened, and his lips upturned into a slight snarl. He nodded reluctantly, Fine... and then stepped back, ready to summon his gauntlets if he needed. He wiped away his tears, but he was still shaking. He didn't want anyone else to go. But if this was how it had to be...
Steven's bubble popped, suddenly, and revealed a very different Steven. He had some lines—like bracelets around his wrists and arms, and two marks, stretching from above his ears to his checks, tapering and swirling. His eyes were completely dark and cold. But that wasn't all. There was...
..his gem, which had gotten uncovered for a while. It was... pitch black.
Gabriel was frozen, staring. Pyronica, too, had no idea what to do. Birnet gasped, eyes wide, "S..Steven..?"
This wasn't Steven, though. Not anymore. And he wondered why no one was moving. Was it too late now? he hoped that wasn't the case.
"Steven is a stupid name. Idiotic, naive," his voice was unnaturally deep.
"G-get out of Steven! it's me you want! I've got more power, and I already... I already belong to you! please!" Gabe pleaded, crying.
"You're not of use to me anymore, Gabriel. Your time has come and left, and you have failed me."
Birnet frowned, "Start the process already! we don't have much time left! make it go back!"
Pyronica then jumped at Steven. But he put up a solid black shield before she could even touch him, "Oh, and you. You think you could take me on? ha, you couldn't even handle me for a couple of hours, and I hadn't even been in your head yet. What makes you think you could live the rest of your existence like that, huh?"
It was like he was just playing with them. Gabriel recognized this.
"Stop it," Birnet growled at the possessed boy, and stepped forward, position somewhat neutral. He didn't want to fight. He wanted to find a peaceful resolution. It was what Steven would want.
"Wait, wait, why are you staying with the boy?"
The Void chuckled, "He wants me here. Not as a burden. He thinks that he can change anyone. He wants to change a pure force, a god-like entity. Even if he does try his hardest, it's not enough."
"No... Steven's strength alone isn't enough, is it?" Gabriel had an idea forming.
Bill felt this idea, and slowly smiled, I see you're thinking of something, brother... I think we might be on the same page... for once in a trillion years...
He lost the form, settling into his default triangular frame, still smirking. The fact that Steven was actually trying to reform the Void was a relief to him; as if he expected anything less. But the boy couldn't do it on his own. They had to help him out.
"I already know what you're planning, Gabriel. You do realize that you cannot stop me. I still own you," warned the Void.
"No, you don't! I'm going to beat you!" he ran towards Steven, grinning, until he suddenly stopped. The bands around each of his points—they halted him, held him right there. And even began to push him back.
"I told you—you still belong to me, even if you are a complete failure."
Bill glanced over at the star, concerned, but kept smirking, and he began levitating towards the boy. The Void wouldn't even be able to control him. He called out, "Hey, Steven! kid! buddy, pal o' mine! I know you're in there somewhere! I'm going to try and help you!"
"Oh, and finally, you. I've been waiting for a long time to have a chat with you," the Void laughed, just for a moment, eyes glinting. "Do you remember that day? the Burning Day, the day where you finally got vengeance on your home for your mistreatment? do you remember, your second-in-command, planning to stab you in the back, and catching him? do you remember... that moment... that immeasurable moment, when you held him, and whisked him away, to somewhere he could rot for the rest of his time?"
Gabriel's eye widened. He certainly remembered that moment. That Burning Day. Bill's eye twitched. He remembered as well, almost like it was yesterday, and nodded, "Yes. I do. I'm no longer proud..."
"That is not what I'm talking about. It does not matter, you do not remember. But, in that moment, when you banished your brother, you created a prison, to hold him," he chuckled again.
"Enough talk!" Pyronica called again, rushing at him once more. This time, he didn't put up a shield. He grabbed her, and flung her right at Gabe—who really couldn't do a thing to protect himself. The two fell behind Bill, groaning and aching from the violence.
He glanced behind himself, for a moment, and winced at their pain. He looked back at the possessed boy.
"So I created you, huh...?" the demon frowned. He was getting another idea.
"In a sense, yes. It was also Gabriel, who persisted on believing he couldn't be alone—projecting his personality into the depths of the place," the Void smirked a little. "But neither of you have the power to control me. And even together you would not be able to control me."
"But what if we had a third or fourth hand..?" his eyebrow rose. That smirk was there again and it persisted. He thought it was funny. The Void was actually giving him ideas. It was like it wanted to get defeated. He chuckled. And, maybe, he wouldn't be too far from the truth. Steven was in there, after all.
"I'd like to see you try, Nolis. I'd really like to see you try," his eyes narrowed. He was enjoying this, taunting them.
"Quit it with the games! this isn't your domain—you can't do whatever you want to anyone here!" Gabriel shouted, and ran over to Bill. He was alarmed he was able to do so. "Okay, Bill... let's fuse."
Bill looked at him, and eventually nodded. He grabbed a hold of Gabriel's hand, and they were soon enveloped in a bright light. The Void watched, analyzing every move, calculating every possibility. And the starred triangle was welcomed into the world. He opened his eye, and stared at his hands, and then at the possessed boy. He grinned, "Just another warning: leave now. We won't have to fight."
He laughed, "Even if I wanted to leave, I can't. This boy really wants to reform me—poor kid. Kinda like you, Gabe."
The fusion frowned at this. Pyronica ran forward, finally recovering, to Gabill, "Can I help in any way? do you guys... have a plan?"
He glanced at the flame demon and nodded, "Yes, we do. We're going to help Steven, and we need another hand."
Pyronica nodded as well. Gabill took a deep breath. He tried to set a psychic link into Steven's mind, and called out, Hey, kid?
There was a very faint signal. Too faint to understand. The fusion recognized this, and kept talking, We're going to try and help you, pal! just hang in there!
Still too faint. It was clear the Void was suppressing it.
"You think I want you to beat me, don't you? that's why I'm telling you all this? giving you so many clues. But I'm not. That's not the reason," he grinned. "I want to see your faces when you realize that you're never going to get rid of me. That there's nothing you can do to stop me from doing what I plan to do."
Gabill hummed, "That's almost exactly what I told the Pines family... and they ended up beating me anyway. I hope we'll do the same to you!" and he dramatically pointed at the possessed boy.
The Void shook his head, "You'd have to kill this kid to get me out of here, trust me. But I do appreciate your sentiment."
Gabill's eye widened. He didn't want to do that. No. There had to be another way. He glanced at Pyronica, "Is there a way you can boost the signal Steven's giving off..?"
If this didn't work, they'd have to get his dad or his best friend. Or both. And he didn't exactly feel like facing Connie right now. Or Greg for that matter.
"Maybe... I'll try..." she approached Steven again, trying to use her power to reach him. Something happened, just for a moment. The symbols, the gem—they all returned to normal, just for a single second, a little less. Pyronica's eye widened—she realized she had done that.
"Look like you found my secret weakness, right? wrong. It's only temporary, as long as you concentrate, that you're able to reach him," it was odd. The Void almost seemed... sad. Guilty, maybe?
"Well, suppose we'll have to concentrate for a while longer!" Gabill noticed this. It seemed, for all the Void's talk, that Steven was actually starting to break through and reform it. Like he said, they just had to help him. He began concentrating too, trying to reach Steven and boost his signal, and muttered, "Let's do it together this time..."
"It's a shame. This kid is so young, so naive, and has done nothing wrong at all. Yet he won't let go of me. It's a shame he, of all people, has to enact my plan."
Pyronica started concentrating too. The same thing happened—for a little bit longer. The fusion kept concentrating, the best he could, "He won't have to... whatever your plan is, it's going to stay down for good!" and then he started appealing to his friend again, "hey, kid! can you hear me?"
The boy was actually there now, not the Void. He noticed Gabill and seemed confused. "Uh... Bill? why do you look... like that?" he asked. Pyronica didn't stop concentrating in the slightest.
"Gabriel and I fused so we could save you!" Bill was mostly talking now, as he had been in the fusion for a while. They kept up the concentration. Just a little more, he reckoned. A few more minutes, maybe.
"Save me...?" he tilted his head, not understanding.
"Damn it, Steven, that voice you're keeping in your head that you're trying to reform is irredeemable. You have to let it go!" Pyronica stated, skipping straight to the point. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out like this.
"Or maybe it isn't..." the demon frowned softly. He couldn't shake the idea that the Void was just another victim in this crazy web. That sadness and guilt... he sighed, and then smiled a little, "We're giving you enough strength so that you can do what you do best, kid!"
"I-I don't understand. What am I supposed to do?" he stared at them.
"Let go of the Void. I'll take it and get rid of it for good!" Pyronica insisted.
"What if you don't have to go like that, Pyronica? I think Steven is powerful enough, with all of us, to reform it. He reformed me, after all!" the fusion grinned, throwing his arms into the air. He was still keeping up his concentration. He hoped Pyronica would catch onto this. He didn't want the kid to receive any more mixed messages.
"I... okay, maybe he's powerful enough. But what if he's not? what if all the power we're putting in is a waste?" she asked, frowning at the fusion.
"Guys..." Steven spoke up, "it doesn't want to be near me. It has this giant plan to, uh, destroy everything? but it doesn't want me to do that... if I let it go, it's going to find someone else..." he looked down.
Gabill's eye widened. So they dodged a bullet, with Pyronica. And with the triangle himself. It very well could have undone everything Steven did and send him on another destructive rampage. And the boy was strong enough. He was able to keep it in this house even when the Void was in control,—though, as he now knew, the Void didn't want the kid to be its harbinger in the first place—which was, nonetheless, a giant feat. He sighed, and then an idea crashed into him. He gasped, "What if we put the Void back where it came from? in the break of the Warp Stream?"
"How do we know that'd work?" Steven asked.
"When you let it go, where it belongs, it'll stay there. Then we come back, and destroy the Void for good," Pyronica affirmed.
Steven understood the need for its destruction. He nodded, "Let's do it, then..."
Gabill nodded, "Alright then! to the Warp Pad!" and then he ran off towards the teleportation platform, still concentrating. Steven, and Pyronica, did as well.
"This might be the last chance for you guys to talk to the Void, if you wanna do that. It's politely asking me if you would like to," the boy glanced at the flame lady and at the fusion.
Gabill nodded, but didn't drop his concentration, "Tell it it was nice knowing it. And, that if it wants to stop its plan now, it's got a last chance to do that."
His eyes widened. "It says 'thank you'. It recognizes it has no real place in this world anymore—the purpose it was made for has been served, and the reason lost. It also apologizes... for all the trouble it caused," he put them up then, through the warp. He halted it, mid-warp, putting the three of them into the void. And then he let the Void out.
Gabill smiled a little. The boy did it. They all did it. And, wow, did it feel great. He would have bitten his lip if he had any, and sighed of relief, and yet a little anxiously too. They were in the Void again, after all, and he assumed the risks were still there. He spoke then, to the darkness, "Your apology is accepted... and.. we're sorry too..."
Steven reconnected the Warp, and sent them home. Pyronica had nothing to say to the Void—and felt guilty about that...
A/N: And there it is! whew, that was a long chapter; before you ask, I couldn't separate it in any way... so I hope you all enjoyed! Ace was Steven, Gabriel, Pyronica and the Void, and I had Bill and the special characters, Gabill and Birnet. XD There's a few references here. I wonder if you can spot them... but anyways, leave a lengthy review and I'll see you next Saturday or Thursday with the next one. :3