Welcome back to another installment of Rebirth of a Phantom. Sorry for the delay in this chapter but in other news I may or may not have another art contest soon. Depending on if anyone is interested in doing another one. Hint, this one would be about fusions. But that is all I can say for now.
Episode: Coach Steven
"So what's this mission about?" I questioned as the gems and I traveled through the warp stream, as I had shown up earlier at Steven's to hang out only to be immediately swept up with him to go on a mission. Having been given no information then I elected to ask for the information now.
"We need to inspect an old gem communication hub," Pearl explained, "as of recently it's been releasing bursts of electromagnetic interference and it's our job to stop it."
"Got it," I spoke with a nod as the stream ended and I found myself staring in awe at the old gem structure.
"What does that mean?" Steven questioned as we all approached the structure to get a closer look.
"It's hurting television," Garnet said simply as way of explanation.
"No! I'll save you television!" Steven cried as he kicked the his attack did nothing as the communication hub remained perfectly intact.
"I don't think kicking it will do much," I spoke up.
"Danny's right, sorry," Amethyst said to Steven before she shapeshifted into a muscular, purple, version of Steven, "but we need a Steven at least this strong!"
"It's all the me I could be!" Steven said with his star-eyes as Amethyst lifted him into the air momentarily before she put him down to begin attacking the hub by punching it instead of kicking.
"Amethyst we could be here all day taking out each of these pillars individually," Pearl interrupted her as Amethyst had only a slightly better success rate than Steven as a small chunk had been broken off when she hit it.
"Uh I hate it when you're right," Amethyst groaned as she switched back to her normal form, "you get this look on your face, yeah that's the one."
"What we need is a well thought out plan," Pearl explained as she started to project a hologram.
"No," Garnet interrupted her, "what we need is Sugilite, Amethyst fuse with me.
"What!" Pearl and Amethyst spoke at the same time, Amethyst in excitement and Pearl in what I assumed was a mixture of both shock and protest.
"Let's mash it up!" Amethyst yelled out, "bigger, badder, better!"
"Hold your horses, are you guys going to become a gem fusion?" Steven questioned before he and Amethyst began screaming in excitement together.
"I have to admit, I have been waiting to see what your other fusions look like, I admitted as my arms crossed, "it'll be interesting to see what your fusion will act like."
"I'll tell you what it will act like," Pearl spoke up as everyone fell silent to look at her, "it will act brash and unstable. That's what happens when Garnet and Amethyst's personalities combine. We need to be more careful than that, Garnet fuse with me instead."
"We don't need to be careful, we just need to be huge," Garnet said, effectively shutting down Pearl's protest as she and Amethyst got into position as Amethyst let out another excited yell.
"Synchronize," Garnet instructed as her gems began to glow and she and Amethyst began dancing.
"What, Pearl come on I want to see," Steven spoke, momentarily capturing my attention over the fusion dance as Pearl was trying to cover Steven's eyes to obscure his view from the fusion.
Turning back to the fusion just in time to watch Amethyst run at Garnet as their bodies began to fuse together. The end result end result being what I can only describe as a giant hulking behemoth of a gem that looked like she could flatten entire cities with her fists alone.
"I forgot how great it feels to be me," Sugilite spoke as she cracked her knuckles, her voice deep and powerful as I stared up at her.
"Is that Sugilite?" Steven questioned as he too stared up at her towering figure.
"You got it baby," Sugilite answered, "hey you guys wanna see something cool?"
"Yeah!" Steven and I answered, both of us wanting to see what the new fusion could do. Personally I also wanted to see what a fusion of Amethyst and Garnet was truly capable of.
Both of us watching in awe as Sugilite summoned her weapon. A massive purple gauntlet connected to a giant whip that she held in her hand.
"You like that?" Sugilite questioned.
"That is awesome," I spoke as my way of answering.
"Are you going to smash stuff with your wrecking ball thingie?" Steven questioned her.
"That's the plan, where should I start?" Sugilite questioned as she looked down at Steven.
"Do that one," Steven answered as he pointed to one of the towers. Sugilite immediately swinging the gauntlet towards it as it swung straight through the tower Steven had pointed out. Effectively demolishing it with a single hit.
"Steven, Danny, I think we should go," Pearl spoke up as Sugilite continued onto the next tower without instruction as she busied herself with destroying the communication hub.
"Watch it!" Pearl yelled out as she kicked a rock away from her and Steven as I acted quickly to push Steven out of the way when a chunk of it went for his head.
"You're just too much!" Pearl yelled up at Sugilite as I led Steven over to the warp pad.
"Maybe you're just too little," Sugilite retorted as Pearl's words didn't faze her in the slightest.
"Steven we're going," Pearl spoke as she joined Steven on the warp pad as I stepped off.
"What but I'm fine, and what about Sugilite," Steven protested.
"I'll stay here to keep an eye on her, you're safer in beach city," I spoke up as I switched into my ghost form for good measure.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Pearl questioned me.
"I'll be fine, besides, someone should stay to keep an eye on Sugilite," I explained as Pearl then warped her and Steven away. Jumping back as a rock smashed the warp pad the second the stream had left.
"Apparently we'll be walking back," I muttered to myself as I turned back towards the tower to watch Sugilite as she continued her rampage. Having to either dodge out of the way or tun myself intangible as the debris flew all around the area. If I thought it would do any good I would've yelled at her to be more careful but as it had done no good earlier when Pearl talked to her I remained silent.
Sugilite's demolishing of the towers seeming to take no time at all thanks to her weapon as before I knew it the entire communication hub had been taken down. The pieces of what remained of the towers strewn all about where the communication hub had previously stood with Sugilite standing in the middle of it all.
"Alright let's head back," Sugilite announced as she slung her weapon back over her shoulder and turned to look at me.
"Um Sugilite?" I questioned as I flew up to her face rather than simply look up at her.
"What is it little man?" Sugilite questioned me, seemingly amused as I floated in front of her face.
"I hate to break it to you but some of the debris hit the warp pad and it's broken. So we're going to have to walk back to Beach City," I informed her, watching as Sugilite's smile turned into a frown.
"And where are Pearl and Steven?" Sugilite questioned me as she seemed to finally notice the absence of the gem and gemling.
"They left right before the warp pad got destroyed, Pearl thought it would be safer for Steven back in Beach City so she took him back," I informed her, wording my phrase carefully so as to not make it seem like Pearl thought Steven was unsafe around Sugilite.
"They ditched me!" Sugilite roared in anger and despite being unable to see her eyes I could tell she was glaring behind her sunglasses.
"No they didn't, Pearl took Steven to a safer location because she felt a demolition sight isn't the safest place for him," I corrected her calmly.
"And what about you?" Sugilite questioned me, "why'd you stick around?"
"I thought it would be best if someone stayed behind with you rather than leaving you here all alone," I answered.
"You think I need a babysitter?" Sugilite questioned me.
"That's not what I said," I spoke, trying to backtrack.
"You didn't need to!" Sugilite roared at me, "I don't need looking after! Especially not from a punk kid like you!"
"Now hold on a minute," I began before letting out a shout as Sugilite swung her gauntlet at me. Pure instincts saving me from hitting it as I turned intangible, not wanting to fight back unless absolutely necessary as I flew higher into the air.
"Get out of my way!" Sugilite roared at me as she continued to swing her weapon at me and I simply decided to remain intangible rather than try and dodge it.
"What is your problem?" I questioned her, momentarily dropping my intangibility as I flew right back in front of Sugilite's face.
"My problem is scrawny people like you thinking they can tell me what to do or that I need to be supervised!" Sugilite answered and before I could move out of the way she grabbed me with one of her hands.
"Gah!" I cried out due to the pressure as my arms where painfully pressed to my sides, "Let go of me!"
"What makes you think a pipsqueak like you can give me orders?" Sugilite questioned, giving me a smirk that sent shivers down my spine.
"Maybe the fact the size doesn't equal strength," I responded, turning myself intangible as I slipped from her grasp, charging up ecto blasts as I did just in case I needed to fight back.
"Get back here!" Sugilite yelled at me as she tried to grab me again but as I anticipated it I managed to dodge out of the way.
"Sorry about this," I told her before I started firing my ecto blasts, trying to get Sugilite to unfuse, or at the very least stop trying to grab me.
"You call that an attack?" Sugilite questioned me as she was unfazed by the ecto-blasts. The attack not being powerful enough for someone as big as her.
"You asked for it," I spoke, having nothing to lose as I flew to the ground, planting my feet firmly as I unleashed my powerful attack, my ghostly wail. The sound waves caused by the wail so powerful they could be seen flowing through the air and towards Sugilite who I could hear grunt as the waves slammed into her.
Rather than risk the attack not being powerful enough I kept going with the wail, putting as much power and energy I could into it to make sure that it wouldn't be in vain. No stopping until I couldn't continue any longer, how long that took I had no idea. As soon as I ran out of energy I collapsed to my knees, eyes shut tight as I unconsciously switched back to my human form to conserve what little energy I had left.
But, to my horror, before I could even regain my breath I found myself scooped up in a giant purple first that enclosed around my body in a grip that walked the borderline of uncomfortable and painful.
"No," I found myself saying tiredly as I opened my eyes to see Sugilite, my most powerful attack having done nothing more than push her away from me as evident by the track's in the dirt behind her..
"Nice trick little man," Sugilite told me as I looked at her, "too bad you're still just a weakling."
"Let me go," I protested as I managed to pull my arms free so that the fist was only circling my waist. Though I could tell that was only because Sugilite let her grip be loose enough to allow me to pull my arms free.
"I don't think so," Sugilite told me as she started walking, "we're going back to Beach City to have a little chat with Pearl. Why don't you take a nap pipsqueak, it's going to be a long walk."
Despite wanting to stay awake and keep my eyes sharp I couldn't seem to keep my eyes open. For despite my training with Clockwork using the Ghostly Wail for as long as I did still took a lot out of me and if I was going to help Pearl against Sugilite I needed to get my energy back. Thus, before I knew it my eyes slipped shut and I found myself sinking into the abyss of sleep.
Yet it seemed like I had only had my eyes closed for a minute before I found myself opening them again to see the approaching outline of Beach City. Sugilite's steps causing resounding thuds that where the cause for me waking up from my slumber as the temple came into view where I could see Pearl and Steven standing in front.
"I'm bored!" Sugilite yelled out as she raised her firsts into the air, and due to me being in one I involuntarily tensed in case she decided to drop me.
"You're back!" Pearl spoke as she approached Sugilite.
"You left me behind," Sugilite accused her as she pointed at the gem.
"We just thought you didn't need mine or Steven's help, now why don't you separate and we can all sit down and relax?" Pearl tried to appease Sugilite rather than enter a fight.
"No!" Sugilite yelled out as kicked Pearl away while also tightening her grip on me.
"Pearl!" I yelled out as I clenched my teeth to keep myself from crying out in pain.
"Danny!" Pearl yelled back as she recovered, noticing the predicament I was in before she focused back on Sugilite, "listen to me you've been fused for too long. You're losing yourselves."
"I am myself and I'm sick of being split up!" Sugilite argued, "you better get used to me baby and get this junk off my beach!"
I watched as Sugilite then smashed whatever had been on the Beach as Pearl summoned her weapon, realizing as I had earlier that there was no reasoning with the fusion.
"What? You wanna fight?" Sugilite questioned as she noticed Pearl's weapon.
"You'll thank me later!" Pearl yelled out as she jumped up to attack Sugilite only for the fusion to smack her down with a single hand.
"Let me go!" I yelled out as I needed to help Pearl, clenching my teeth as all my outburst got me was Sugilite's attention. Her grip not letting up as she glared down at me.
"Simmer down pipsqueak, you'll get your turn in a minute," Sugilite told me as she threw me down to the beach where I landed roughly next to Steven. Groaning as I forced myself to sit up.
"Danny!" Steven spoke as I looked up to see Pearl continue trying to attack Sugilite to no avail.
"You think you're something?" Sugilite questioned her as she beat her down, "you ain't nothing!"
"Look out!" I yelled as Sugilite's weapon smashed into the sand and I grabbed Steven and Greg. Turning the three of us intangible to avoid the weapon as I waited until Sugilite pulled it back.
"Danny," Steven drew my attention, "grab me the megaphone, I have an idea."
"Sure," I spoke as I did what he asked as I grabbed the megaphone, watching as Steven turned the object in Pearl's direction as I helped him sit up.
"Come on Pearl don't give up!" Steven yelled at her as we both noticed how beaten down she looked, "I know you can take her down!"
"I can't," Pearl argued as I could see she was leaning heavily on her weapon.
"Yes you can!" Steven yelled back at her, "come on you always know what to do! You've got to show 'em what you showed me that you're strong Pearl! Strong in the real way!"
"You can do it Pearl! If anyone can take down Sugilite it's you!" I cheered her on as Steven and I then watched as Pearl managed to stand back on her feet.
"What? You want some more?" Sugilite questioned as the fusion glared down at her.
"Anytime!" Pearl shot back at her, "you're no match for me! Not even close!"
With that said the two of them started fighting once again. Pearl leading Sugilite around the beach as the fusion started the chase Pearl. Pearl maintaining a lead due to her small stature as Steven and I continued to cheer Pearl on the whole time. Watching as Pearl led Sugilite to the Beach's cliff before knocking the fusion off balance which caused her to fall to the Beach with a thud. The Fusion taken out as her own weapon slammed into her head as she poofed back into the familiar forms of Garnet and Amethyst.
"Amethyst, Garnet, are you okay?" Pearl questioned as I helped Steven over to where the two gems had fallen.
"Yeah," Garnet answered weakly, "Sugilite just overworked our bodies, it's a little painful."
"I have a monster headache," Amethyst groaned from her position. Both gems letting out a sudden cry of pain as Pearl pulled the both of them into a hug.
"Woops," Pearl spoke as she released them, not meaning to have hurt them with her hug.
"Pearl you did it!" Steven cheered.
"I knew if anyone could take Sugilite down in'd be you," I added.
"Thanks," Pearl spoke as she wiped the tears out of her eyes, "you make a good coach.
"Pearl, we should have listened, you were right," Garnet spoke shakily, "and sorry about earlier Danny."
"It's alright Garnet, no lasting harm was done," I waved her off, my accelerated healing having taken care of the bruising from earlier when I had fallen asleep earlier.
"Yeah I was right," Pearl suddenly spoke in realization.
"Go Pearl!" Steven cheered into his megaphone.
"Come on! I feel great! Who's up for a mission?" Pearl questioned, my assumption being that it was the adrenaline talking at this point.
"Maybe after everyone has had time to rest," I inputted, yet Pearl either didn't hear or chose to ignore me as she continued to drone on about how pumped she was.
"Uh what just happened?" Lars questioned as I turned to see him and Sadie.
"Don't worry about it Lars," I told him simply, "don't worry about it."
Guess who has a million and one things that need to get done in the coming week yet decided to update a fanfic instead? Me! Hahahahahahah. But seriously I am swamped with stuff I need to do but an update was needed so I took the time to do so. In any case I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again so enjoy the new chapter. Now onto the reviews!
Gamelover41592: That is an excellent idea and I'll have to do that at some point.
ShiraYukiShadow: Danny is the cake guru, pass it on.
Drift219: Thank you and Danny met Connie briefly during the bubble buddies chapter but they definitely need to interact a bit more.
Kimera20: Thank you so much! And of course, Danny is essential to the story.
Slenderbrine: ?
YouCanOnlyPretend: You're welcome, here is your more.