Sorry it took so long to update, I've been working on stuff for a convention I went to at the beginning of April. No worries though because I'll try to be more focused on this from now on. *cough* lies *cough* Contest winners are posted at the bottom and I'll contact each one individually after I post this.
Episode: Steven and the Stevens
"Why am I stuck here again?" I questioned as I sat cross-legged in front of Clockwork's viewing screen. Having been rudely awakened by said ghost as he had dragged me into the ghost zone early in the morning despite my protests.
"As I said before Steven will be going on a mission today that will cause him to come into possession of an artifact that will allow him the ability to alter the time stream. I cannot have the risk that you help him with it as this is a lesson you are not to intervene in," Clockwork explained, eliciting a groan from me as that meant I'd be stuck in the ghost zone for most likely the remainder of the day.
"So, to get this straight, I'm supposed to be Steven's protector except in the case that he needs to learn a lesson in which case I'm supposed to just sit back and do nothing?" I questioned as I looked up at Clockwork who was floating in front of me.
"Precisely young Phantom, besides I thought you might appreciate the break," Clockwork affirmed.
"A break? So I won't have to fight a bunch of ghost today?" I questioned curiously.
"You are still in your human form are you not? If the purpose of today was training you would already be fighting," Clockwork pointed out, "today will be focused on expanding your knowledge and watching Steven's mission."
"Okay then," I agreed readily, for while I knew training was important Clockwork's version of it tended to be a lot more intense than a normal training schedule. As such it was nice to get a small break, even if admittedly I was a bit worried about being unable to aid Steven should anything go wrong. Which, as much as I hate to admit it, is more likely to happen on a mission with the gems.
"Now pay attention," Clockwork spoke, breaking me out of my musings as I turned my attention back to the viewing screen, zeroing in on Steven as he milled about the rows of hourglasses.
"No wonder I wasn't able to help," I muttered as I listened to Pearl's explanation about the legendary glass of time, "I've already messed around with time too much."
"Quite right young Phantom," Clockwork mused, "it's much better if you manage to stay out of interfering with time streams for awhile."
"Hmm," I mused as I looked at the rows of hourglasses, eyes searching, "it's the one Steven picked out, isn't it?"
"How can you tell?" Clockwork questioned me, his voice untelling of whether I was correct or not but due to his question I assumed I had guessed correctly.
"Well to be honest usually whenever there's a room of objects and only one has a power, it usually ends up being the most insignificant looking one. Otherwise everyone would be able to guess the right one and use it, also the gold band around it looks like it could have an inscription on it. Giving it a more mystical feel that the others don't possess," I explained.
"I see, you have an odd way of reasoning Young Phantom," Clockwork spoke once I had finished explaining, "not that there's anything wrong with that."
"I know," I replied, smiling despite myself as I turned my attention back to the screen. Tensing as the building began to destroy itself around them. Worried for Steven as he ran back to the warp pad,
"Come on," I urged as a wave of water came at them, relieved as they managed to safely return to Steven's house.
"Relax," Clockwork urged me as he placed a hand on my shoulder in an effort to ease the tension out of them. I would not have kept you away if it meant Steven could get hurt."
"I know but, I still can't help but worry," I admitted, to which Clockwork responded with a reassuring smile as I returned my attention back to the screen.
Watching as Steven made his way down the street on his scooter, coming to a stop to reveal his dad's car wash. The place having a boat stuck inside of it.
"We're having a bit of a day," Greg spoke to Steven as said boy looked up at the car wash.
"Is it stuck?" Steven questioned and at his dad's nod he continued, "why does a boat need a car wash?"
"Sorry buddy, I don't think I can play in the concert today, I gotta deal with this," Greg spoke up as he pointed to the boat.
"You're bailing on beachapalooza?" Steven questioned, and even from where I was I could tell he was disheartened, "but the whole town's gonna be there!"
"Steven that's like 15 people," Greg pointed out without pause as he ruffled Steven's hair, "next time bud. I promise."
"Stupid boat getting stuck," Steven mumbled as I watched him scooter away, "nobody likes you boat! Wish I could've been there to tell my dad you were too fat!"
And just like that Steven disappeared, only to reappear a moment later in front of his dad's car wash, the boat starting to back into it. "Here we go," I muttered as I watched, "nothing like a messed up time stream to tear apart the fabric of time and space."
"As I recall you had no problem doing so yourself," Clockwork mused.
"That was completely different, it was to save my family," I told him firmly, "but believe me I learned my lesson. You can't mess with time, it always fixes itself in the end."
With that I turned back to watching Steven as he convinced his dad to not let the boat into the car wash. Resulting in a knocked over electrical wire that set the car wash on fire.
"See," I remarked firmly, "Steven's attempt to fix time only resulted in a larger problem."
"Yes, but I'm afraid the young Quartz still has a bit to go before he learns his lesson about messing with the way of time," Clockwork remarked.
"We can go around messing with time stuff, it just makes things worse," I heard Steven tell his past self.
"How is that not learning his lesson?" I questioned as I pointed to the Steven's on the screen.
"Just watch," Clockwork bid me, "you'll see."
"Time will tell," I couldn't help but say as I did what Clockwork asked and resumed watching Steven from the confines of the tower.
"Aww, I really wanted to be in beachapalooza, too bad you and I can't be in a bad," past Steven told the future version of himself.
"Wait a minute!" They both said at the same time, a smile on each of their faces as the turned the clock back again. Ending up in the past to before Steven had even made it to his father's car wash.
"Steven!" they both cried as the tackled their past-self to the ground.
"Steven, steven?" present-time Steven spoke as he looked up at his future selves, "what's going on?"
"No time to explain," one of the future Steven's spoke, for by now I had lost track of the first Steven who had messed with the time stream.
"Wanna join our band?" the other future Steven questioned.
"Yes," present-Steven answered as he was helped up by himself, "but didn't dad say he was going t play with us?"
"He had an emergency at the carwash," future Steven explained.
"We should go help him," present-Steven spoke as he attempted to do just that only to be stopped by his future selves.
"No, there's nothing we can do. The boat's fat, trust us," one of them explained.
"Okay, so who's our fourth? We need a drummer," present-Steven questioned, accepting the fact that his dad would be unable to join.
"Not a problem Steven," one of them said as they pulled out the glass of time, time-traveling together in order to get the fourth member of their band.
"This cannot end well," I remarked.
"And what young Phantom, makes you say that?" Clockwork spoke, "do you not have faith in the young Quartz?"
"It's not that, I believe in Steven I truly do. But whenever time travel is involved nothing ever does end well. And while Steven may think it's all fine now eventually time will need to correct itself. I'm worried that when it does so it won't end well for Steven," I told Clockwork.
"It is understandable that you would be worried about the consequences, but rest assured everything is as it should be," Clockwork said simply.
"You always say that," I pointed out.
"And am I ever wrong?" Clockwork questioned.
"How should I know? You're the master of time not me," I protested.
"Exactly, so trust me when I say it," Clockwork spoke, and not having a comeback I simply returned my attention to the viewing screen.
Watching as Steven and the other versions of himself set up their practice as they burst into a song. "Can't you see it in our eyes, we're the one, we're the one, two three, four! We're not like the other guys, he's not like anybody else. Well that's not completely right, there's a few that I'm just like. Steven and the Stevens, we're gonna make you smile, me, myself, and I, and him, are all the same guy. Steven and the Stevens, come on now don't be shy. Me, myself, and I, and him. That's me! Are all the same guy!" Steven sang with himself, the song sounding well-rehearsed and practiced despite this being their first performance together.
Smiling in amusement as I watched them all proceed to complement each other. Hoping that it stayed that way only to be disheartened a moment later when they began to question who should lead the band. Though that problem was quickly resolved as the Steven from my timeline was once again revealed as he was pointed out as being the Steven who had been around the longest.
"Done and done," Original Steven spoke as he capped a marker, having labeled the other Stevens with numbers in order to better identify them, "Steven 2 you're the smart one, Steven 3 you're the funny one, Steven 4 you're the sensitive one, and I'm the handsome one! Okay?"
"Oh no," I couldn't help but grown as Steven changed his hair to make it into a fluffy peak rather than a simple floof on top of his head.
"Okay," all but Steven four responded.
"Okie dokie artichokie," Steven four spoke as he pointed finger guns towards the first Steven.
"Steven four what are you doing?" Steven questioned, "you're not the funny one Steven three is."
"Well, we're all the same person so we're all equally prone to being hilarious," STeven three interjected.
"No, no, that was too smart and observational for you three. You're the funny one," Steven spoke firmly.
"Wait which one am I again?" Steven two questioned.
"Dang it number two, you're the smart one!" Steven yelled out.
"Hey, if Seven one is the handsome one. Does that mean the rest of us aren't good looking," Steven four questioned his counterparts.
"No way, we're all extremely attractive," Steven three spoke without hesitation.
"Let's all get jobs as models," Steven two spoke up as his arms crossed.
"Score one for self-love," I spoke offhandedly.
"Hey! None of you are the handsome one, I'm the handsome one!" Steven yelled out.
"And spoke too soon," I remarked as I watched the faces of the past Steven's crumple.
"No wait, I didn't mean," Steven spoke as he realized his mistake, "we decided-hugh! Let's take five."
"There's a fifth Steven!" the three Steven's questioned as the gathered together. Staring up at my Steven in shock as the boy groaned.
"No! I mean a five-minute break!" Steven explained with an edge in his voice.
"Come on Clockwork!" I spoke as I turned to my guardian, "are you sure I can't help Steven out with this one? He's tearing himself apart!"
"Yes I am sure, you've had too much influence over the time stream already. Muh more than any normal person should have," Clockwork spoke.
"But I'm not a normal human, shouldn't that count for something?" I questioned him.
"It does count for something Young Phantom," Clockwork spoke with a sigh, "it just doesn't count for this. I said this in the beginning and I'll say it again, the young Quartz will be fine in the end. Of that I promise you."
"I know, but I can't do anything?" I tried once more.
"Nothing but watch, and wait," Clockwork advised. But as I noticed Steven arguing with his other selves I had no urge to watch anymore. For in doing so it just made me want to run to Steven's aid even more. And knowing I could do nothing made me feel like I was useless. My entire purpose of coming to Beach City was to protect Steven. And at the moment I could not even do that, instead forced to watch as he started to fight with himself. Due to all the time jumps I once again lost sight of the Steven that had started this whole thing. Ech jump resulting in more and more Steven's, each one fighting for their right to exist at the cost of the others eradication. Until eventually they all ended up at the start. The underwater gem structure where the time glass was first found.
"Stop right there!" Handsome Steven yelled at himself, "give me the time thing Steven."
"Wait, are you future me?" Steven questioned.
"Just hurry up and give it!" Handsome Steven yelled at himself, tone commanding. Although he was interrupted by the arrival of the other Stevens as they too began to appear.
"Oh no," I murmured as I watched the chaos unfold, and unable to take it anymore I did the only thing I could. Not giving Clockwork time to stop me I jumped through the viewing screen, landing in the midst of the Steven battle where I managed to pick out my own Steven due to his pink jacket.
"Steven!" I yelled out as I switched to my ghost form, flying over to him as he was pushed into the water by himself.
"Danny?" Steven questioned as I grabbed onto him, hoisting him into the air and away from the carnage. Looking down at handsome Steven as he held the time crystal in his grasp.
"Steven!" I yelled, gaining his attention as he looked at me, "you know this is wrong, fix it now. Before it's too late."
Looking at me, handsome Steven turned his attention to the destruction that lay before him, realization dawning on his face as he looked at the time crystal that lay in his hand.
"Stop it!" Handsome Steven yelled out, his cry gaining the attention of all of his other forms as they all stopped their fighting. Turning to look at him as he looked back at them. "Look around you, this isn't right," he spoke as he looked up at the Steven I held in my arms who I reluctantly brought to the ground as his speech continued, "if Steven fights Steven, who is the winner? What have we become? We're not the Stevens we once were and to fix that, I have to end it!" At the end of his spiel handsome Steven turned, smashing the time glass to dust. The result being immediate as the other Steven's began to dissipate into sand.
Not wanting Steven to have to see himself go out like that I covered his eyes. Erecting a shield between us and the other Stevens in an effort to keep their scream from reaching him as well. Waiting until they had all vanished before I brought him over to the gems.
"Are you okay?" I questioned him once we were all within the safety of the warp stream.
"Not really," Steven admitted, "I just watched myself die, if it can even be called that."
"Hey, it'll be okay," I spoke as I put my hand on his shoulder as we reappeared within his house, "everything is as it should be."
Fight me I'm so tired. But like I said this took me forever to update and therefore I decided to forsake sleep in favor of fanfiction. So if there are any spelling error blame it on sleep deprivation.
Anyways the winners of the cover contest are as follows and written with their usernames is their prizes, by the way it was really hard to decide, yet another reason this chapter took so long.
First and Second- PhantomFoxy and SpringSpirit98 I couldn't help it but both of you will receive a three-shot from any fandom because both of your designs are amazing. As to which fusion will come first I am still unclear but rest assurred you will know when I decide.
Third: Drift219-one shot for any fandom I know of, with a plot picked by you.
And each winner will be consulted about the fusion's behavior. Now onto the reviews!
Gamelover41592: I shall remember that for the next time he and Lars interact.
Dodles: Oh trust me, they will fuse. Maybe not by accident, but they will fuse.
YouCanOnlyPretend: That's perfectly fine, you review is enough.
Kimera20: Thank you so much!
Drift219: Here's the next one! And yes, Danny is Pearl's stand in.
Galaxes the fox: Cool!
Jss2141: Very true, I don't ship it myself but I see why you do. And it is possible that Dani will appear later on but as for now I have no plans for her.
: Next one is here!
Lecta Jr.: That's a cute idea but Clockwork is Danny's guardian in this story.
Luna Starbuster: I shall never leave a story incomplete without specifying so. And I have no plans to leave this story as incomplete.