"So let me get this straight," I spoke to Steven on the phone as I simultaneously fought against Skulker, "you need me to make a birthday cake for each of the gems? Why exactly?"
"Because the gems haven't been celebrating their birthdays and I they need to celebrate them. And it isn't a birthday without cake," Steven answered as I dodged one of Skulker's missiles and retaliated with an ice blast that froze his jet wings as he spiraled out of control, "so will you help?"
"Of course I will," I answered easily as I sucked Skulker into the thermos, "I'll be over as soon as they're done, anything else you need?"
"Nope, I've got the rest covered. But Danny, what were those noises I heard that seem to have finally stopped?" Steven asked worriedly.
"Oh uh, I was just playing a new video game but I paused it so I could go start on the cakes," I lied, hoping he would buy it.
"That makes sense, see you soon," Steven spoke.
"Yeah, bye," I replied before hanging up and holding the thermos up to my eye level, "wow, even while multitasking I still kick your butt."
Flying back home I released Skulker into the ghost zone before I went upstairs to get started on the cakes. Using my enhanced speed to get the batter done and the cakes in the oven in record time before moving onto the frosting, making sure I made frosting that would compliment each individual cakes, Pearl's being vanilla, Amethyst's having chocolate and Garnet's is the cakes had cooled I applied the frosting and gave each of the cakes a theme.
For Pearl's I did delicate flowers made out of pink frosting and sugar glass for the leaves, with the main color being white with a pink offset as I went with plain buttercream frosting. While for Amethyst I went with a dancing theme as her cake was covered with a vibrant purple, again using sugar glass to create a dance floor on top of the cake and giant stereos made of fondant. Lastly I did Garnet's cake with a chocolate frosting as I gave it a volcano theme, using sugar glass for the lava and fondant for the rocks, not worrying about placing them perfectly onto the cake as I wanted it to look realistic.
Once I was finally finished I boxed them all up and made my way to the temple, arriving just in time as I could make out Steven leading Amethyst and the rest of the gems down to the beach where balloons and a pinata were already set up.
"Danny you made it!" Steven called once he noticed me walking up the beach.
"Of course I did, you can't have a birthday party without cake," I informed him as I placed the three cakes down on one of the tables, "so who's up first?"
"Amethyst is," Steven answered as he placed a crown and cape on said gem, "but cake isn't until after the pinata."
"Fair enough," I spoke with a shrug as I pulled up a lawn chair and sat down, Lion sitting next to me as he tried to get his party hat off.
"Actually Danny, would you mind putting the cakes inside for me?" Steven questioned, "I don't want Lion trying to eat them early."
Turning around I rushed to the cakes as I noticed that Lion was indeed trying to eat the cakes, boxes and all. "No Lion," I spoke as I gently pushed him away before picking up the boxes and carefully making my way up the stairs before I came to a stop in front of the door, "now how am I going to get inside?"
Before I could try opening the door with my foot Lion came up behind me and gently took the door handle in his mouth as he pulled the door open for me. Holding it open as I walked inside and placed the cakes on the counter, glad I marked the tops of the boxes with the name of the gem it was meant for to make it easier rather than having to open the boxes to be able to tell.
"Thank you Lion," I spoke as left the house, giving Lion a pet on the head as he nudged me. Smiling I made my way back to the beach in time to see Amethyst hit the pinata with enough force to fling it far into the ocean. Causing me to whistle lowly as I watched it fly out of sight before my attention was brought back to the beach.
"Wait you had candy and you didn't just give it to us?" Amethyst complained as she realized what the pinata had inside.
"There'll be more sweet treats at Pearl's party I promise," Steven appeased her, "you three head up to the cliff and I'll meet you there soon okay?"
"Very well Steven," Garnet agreed as she led the other gems away.
"Do you need any help bringing stuff up to the cliff?" I questioned Steven.
"No, I got it covered but I'm sure the gems would appreciate you keeping them company while I get the stuff from the house," Steven suggested.
"Of course," I responded as I walked after the gems, finding them sitting on a picnic blanket that they retrieved from who knew where.
"So Danny while we're waiting for Steven I was wondering if you would share a little more about yourself," Pearl broke the ice as I sat down next to her.
"Sure," I agreed easily, "what do you want to know?"
"I remember you said you took some self-defense classes, why don't you start there?" Pearl suggested.
"Okay, the first thing you should know is that I wasn't exactly popular in school. I tended to be seen as the quirky, awkward nerd who was basically easy pickings for any stereotypical school bully. As such I had too many run ins with people who liked to take their frustrations out on others, my mom noticed this and being the protective parent she was, signed me up for self-defense classes. Thus giving me the ability to defend myself even though I still refused to fight back," I informed the gems.
"Why wouldn't you fight back?" Amethyst questioned me, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"Because it just seemed easier to let them beat me up as it if I started fighting back they'd just go after some other kid. I thought it'd be better if they went after me because by then I was used to it, whereas other kids weren't," I spoke honestly, giving a slight shrug as well.
"That's an interesting perspective for it," Pearl mused as Steven finally arrived.
"Hey guys!" he called as he came towards us, with a picnic basket and wearing an oversized shirt and a rainbow clown wig.
"Um? You want to explain the outfit Steven?" I questioned as the gems looked confused.
"I'm a clown!" Steven announced as explanations he had full face makeup on as well.
"I can see that, but what I meant was why are you dressed as a clown?" I reiterated.
"Oh that's easy, Dad always did this funny bit in a clown costume for my birthdays so I thought it would be nice to do it for Pearl's party," Steven explained as he set down a picnic basket, "hey Pearl do you like pie?"
"Yes I do like Pie," Pearl answered with a hesitant smile as Steven reached into the basket and pulled out said pastry.
"Well that's good because I happen to have a pie right here, it would be a shame if something happened to it,"Steven spoke before he proceeded to fake trip as the pie neared in face.
Yet before the pie could even get close and before I even knew what was happening I found myself holding Steven up in the split second after his foot left the ground. Unable to help myself I gulped as I turned to look at the gems, each having a shocked expression on their face at the inhuman speed in which I moved to catch him. Neither one of us making a move as I froze.
Of course all Steven managed to notice was that I had ruined his bit and without further ado he flung the pie into his face, everyone's attention know being on the pie dripping down his face as I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Steven, why would you do that?" Pearl cried at the mess.
"Because it's funny!" Steven replied with a light chuckle, he being the only one to do so as Pearl just looked horrible.
"Um, maybe we should just move on to Garnet's party. Okay Steven?" I suggested as I looked at Pearl and the other gems.
"Okay," Steven agreed readily, "let's just-"
"I'll pack up here and catch up okay? That way you don't miss out on precious birthday time," I cut him off with a hesitant smile.
Steven nodding as he led the other gems back down to the beach, Garnet staying behind as she laid a hand on my shoulder which caused me to stiffen. "When you're ready to talk, we'll listen," she spoke simply before she too went back to the beach.
Leaving me to fold up the blanket while also wondering how much Garnet already knew that she simply wasn't saying. That is, until my ghost sense went off, causing me to have to push all other thoughts to the side as I quickly transformed. Flying up into the air as I tried to find the ghost from an aerial view.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," I muttered as I narrowed my eyes.
"Hey dipstick!" a voice I recognized suddenly called as I turned to see a familiar head of blue flaming hair.
"Ember," I spoke as I charged up an ectoblast which caused the popstar to roll her eyes.
"Oh please, I didn't come here to fight you," Ember spoked as her arms crossed, making me realize that her guitar was slung across her back instead of in the front for easy access.
"You didn't?" I questioned lamely as I let the ectoblast die.
"No, I came here to ask for a truce," Ember began, "I would've waited for you to come back to the ghost zone but I didn't feel like waiting."
"A truce?" I repeated, wincing at my own repetition.
"Wow dipstick is all you can do now repeat words? I didn't realize Youngblood needed a new parrot," Ember teased.
"What no! I just," I stumbled over my words as I took a breath before continuing, "sorry, you just caught me off guard. Why the sudden want for a truce?"
"Because I want out," Ember spoke, "I know you let Johnny and Kitty roam free as well as the mutt Cujo as long as they don't cause trouble so I didn't see any reason that you wouldn't let someone else make that same deal."
"So you're asking me to let you stay here and in exchange you won't try and hypnotize everyone into your mindless groupies?" I questioned, again receiving an eyeroll.
"That's the gist of it yes, I'm a performer and a performer without a performance is better off dead," Ember informed, "so? Can I stay? Not just here of course but can I stay in the human realm?"
"I don't know Ember, how will I know you aren't causing trouble if you leave Beach City?" I questioned, "I won't be able to tell whether you're following your word or not."
"Come on Babypop, the worst that can happen is that I break my word and you throw me back into the ghost zone and never trust me again. What could I possibly gain from breaking my word?" Ember spoke logically.
"I suppose that's true," I muttered, "and Babypop? Seriously?"
Ember only shrugged as she gave her response, "do we have a deal or not?"
"I suppose it wouldn't be a problem," I conceded before I ended up in a hug as as Ember cheered.
"Oh thank you Babypop! You won't regret it!" Ember cheered as she smiled before she was gone, flying off to seek a new record deal, or at least that's what I assumed.
"I hope I made the right choice," I murmured as I watched Ember disappear from view. Descending down to the blanket as I switched back to human form before picking that and the basket up and finally making my way back to the beach. Finding no one there and the party stuff cleaned up I simply changed directions to the temple, walking through the door as all eyes inside turned to me.
"Hi?" I spoke like it was a question as I wondered if the gems were about to ask about earlier as they gazes remained on me.
"Danny," Pearl began and I flinched despite myself at the tone she used before she continued, "did you make these cakes?"
"Uh yeah," I spoke as I recovered quickly, relieved they seemed to have forgotten earlier as I put the picnic stuff down and joined the others next to the counter.
"Why they're simply beautiful, I had no idea you were so skilled," Pearl complimented as she gazed at her cake.
"And they taste amazing," Amethyst broke in as her cake was missing, likely in her stomach, with a chunk of Garnet's missing as well.
"I had no idea they would turn out this good," Steven praised as he smiled at me.
"Thank you," I spoke to all of them, Garnet raising a thumbs up as I smiled before repeating, "thank you."
So bad news, the update took forever, good news it's over 2,000 words so silver lining? Anyways I apologize once again for the long wait I just have other things I've been working on but no worries I will not abandon this story. And yes Danny did miss Steven's age fluctuating but he made a, well not exactly ally yet but no longer an enemy so… points? Oh and I made an official tumblr for this fanfiction under RebirthOfAPhantomNow onto the reviews.
Remzal Von Enili: That would be very bad and Dan will come in later, though how and why I cannot reveal. However, I don't think Homeworld would create a portal since they found Earth before Amity Park causing ghost sightings to increase, thereby no need for one as they don't know about the existence of ghosts yet. And fusion is different for Danny then
it is for gems, and again how it's different cannot be revealed yet.
Kimera20: Thank you so much! And yeah Danny really needs to shower.
Gamelover41592:True, very true
Violet3745:I will!
ShiraYukiShadow: That is a good question and I don't have a good answer. I haven't thought about their fusion yet and when I do I will get back to this.
Mystic Myra 8: Thanks!
GwenCarson126: You are super sweet and amazing, your reviews made my day thank you so much^^
Drift219: I shall!