We've finally made it to end of this story, and with it, the end of the first half of the Infinity Stone series. It's been a pleasure to write this adaptation, especially with the source material being so close to my heart. I know it's not perfect. But it's one of the shows that inspired me to write stories like these in such a grand multiverse.
Now with that out of the way, we got quite the ordeal on our hands. From Steven's meltdown to his transformation, our heroes were barely able to get him to calm down in order to obtain the Power Stone. But just when things seemed over, the Kronos Alliance has revealed themselves.
So what's going to happen now? Let's find out.
POWER
The Power Stone has been freed from Steven Universe. But the battle is not over. Now, the Kronos Alliance has arrived.
With their involvement, I fear the worst is yet to come from today's events…
"Wh-Who are you?" Yellow asked of the three men aboard the Cluster with a stutter. Eon chuckled.
"Where are my manners?" he questioned back rhetorically with a shrug, "We… are the Kronos Alliance," he introduced. Almost immediately, Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet drew their weapons from their gems in flashes of light. "I take it you've heard of us then, Crystal Gems…" he assumed.
"You know these creatures?" Blue inquired of the group.
"They're the scoundrels trying to take rule over the multiverse," Pearl responded, narrowing her eyes into a glare onto the trio before her.
"Yeah, they're the ones who're after the stone, too!" Amethyst mentioned, tightening her grip on her whip.
"You know that we can call the rest of the Omni Force here and have you all taken care of," Garnet affirmed, clenching her fists tightly.
"Oh, I don't doubt that…" Eon admitted in reply, "But I'm certain this won't take long," he affirmed confidently to the group's surprise.
"Uh… guys?" Bismuth chimed in, getting their attentions, "There's something else coming out!" she noted, pointing toward the portal. Emerging from it were several humanoid drones, swarming out like wasps as they flew around the Diamonds and the other Gems as they stumbled back. Spinel widened her eyes in realization, looking back at the rift to see another figure emerging. It was Ultron, who scoffed.
"I hope this decision to bring more than half of our commanders to this universe won't cost you…" he muttered out.
"I'm certain it won't," Eon remarked confidently, "Akande, Acnologia," he addressed to his colleagues, "The stone," he instructed.
"Right…" the former responded, before the latter dashed out at Izuku eagerly with a sinister grin on his face, throwing his right fist out. The One For All inheritor gasped, barely managing to counter the extremity in time with his own as a shockwave rang out.
"Deku!" Steven cried out in panic.
"Ergh…" the freckled hero grunted. His foe sniffed.
"So you're a dragon's mate…" he realized, making Izuku grimace. He was then met with the gauntleted fist of Akande, sending him flying back over the water.
"Deku, no!" Atsuko screamed, drawing her wand and aiming it forward, "Murowa!" she chanted, unleashing a pale green fireball from it. However, Acnologia slid in its path, grinning before opening his mouth wide… and swallowing it whole. "Wh-What the…?!" the brunette-haired witch gasped as her eyes widened.
"Is that all the power you have to offer…?" the humanized dragon inquired with a sinister grin.
"Akko!" Spinel cried out, attempting to run over, only for her path to her friend to be blocked by Ultron, making her screech to a halt.
"Hello, Spinel," he greeted.
"You…" she growled, clenching her fists tightly. She yelled as she threw her right one out to strike him squarely in the chest, but he didn't budge. He chuckled.
"You'll need to do more than that to stop me," he remarked, backhanding her across the face to make her fall down in a heap.
"Spinel!" Atsuko exclaimed upon noticing, only to have to put up a magical energy barrier to protect herself from a punch from Acnologia. To her shock, he shattered her shield, sending her flying before she crashed into the ocean water.
"Akko, no!" Steven screamed, attempting to run over to help, only to falter and fall onto his knees, panting heavily.
"Steven!" Connie cried out, crouching down at his side as sweat trickled down his face.
"Ah, Steven Universe…" Eon muttered as he approached, drawing forth a purple energy sword in his right hand, "Seems now that the Power Stone's been removed from your body, it's drained you of any energy you have left to fight," he presumed, chuckling a little, "Which means, you're no threat to me," he proclaimed, readying his blade. However, Lion suddenly slid out in front of him, releasing a powerful roar with pink waves of energy to blow him back.
"Lion!" the human/Gem hybrid exclaimed. Meanwhile, some of the Ultron drones were getting pulled downward thanks to Peridot's ferrokinesis, allowing Pearl to slash them apart with her trident, while Bismuth morphed her hands into axes to do the same. Watery hands emerged from the ocean, swatting away those that were swarming around the Diamonds.
Lapis held her hands out towards the water, breathing heavily. She had used up a lot of her strength earlier when helping subdue Steven. And she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. More drones swarmed her way, making her grimace. But at that moment…
"SSSMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku's voice roared as he flew over, swinging his right leg out to unleash a pressurized blast of wind that blew the drones back.
"Deku!" Lapis exclaimed, seeing him float in front of her.
"Lapis, can you do us a favor?" he requested of her, causing her to blink in surprise, "I need you to separate the water so that we can get back to the beach!" he advised, "You're the only one who can do it!" he pointed out seriously.
"Right!" the hydrokinetic Gem responded, soaring down to the water. She crossed her arms and spread them out, making the ocean split in half, revealing the wet seafloor, while Atsuko fell down, breathing rapidly to regain oxygen. Back upon the Cluster, Garnet exchanged a blow with Akande.
"Ergh…" she growled, "So… you knew all along about Steven having the Power Stone… and his condition?!" she presumed of her foe before they pushed each other back.
"Correct," the Talon leader replied, "Though the condition of his was his own fault," he mentioned, glancing back at the human/Gem hybrid, whose eyes widened, "Perhaps he could've wielded the Power Stone as his own if not for his regret and rage," he suggested, "But I suppose you're to blame for that, too…" he mentioned to the fusion, who lunged at him again. In the meantime, Amethyst lashed a few more of the drones surrounding Yellow, who stood up and made an electrical energy surge around her hands as she gnashed her teeth.
"Blue, head to the shore and help Steven's friends!" she advised, "I'll handle these ones here!" she declared, firing off beams of yellow light down towards Akande and Eon, forcing them to fall back. The beams converged onto Acnologia, who grinned before swallowing them whole. The blue markings upon his body glowed brightly.
"Weak…" he growled sadistically. Meanwhile, Ultron approached the downed Spinel, raising his foot.
"Consider your services no longer needed," he remarked, about to stomp down on her. She flinched, shutting her eyes. Then there was a loud clang.
"Huh?" the rubbery Gem uttered, opening her eyes and gasping to find Steven there with his original shield drawn over his left arm, having blocked the attack.
"Well…" the android uttered, sounding impressed, "seems you've still got some fight left in you after all…" he concluded, pressing his foot harder against his foe's barrier, making him falter to his knees as he clenched his teeth.
"Steven!" Spinel and Connie screamed. Just then, Amethyst's whip lashed out, wrapping around Ultron's neck and yanking him away in a yelp. That allowed for the human/Gem hybrid to let his shield dissipate as he fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily.
"Dude, you need to get outta here," Amethyst insisted as she approached, "We can handle these rejects…" she affirmed confidently.
"Amethyst…" Steven uttered with shaking eyes.
"Agh!" Garnet grunted as she stumbled back a step, catching herself and clenching her teeth, "After everything that's happened, it'd be wrong of us to let you fight," she pointed out, exchanging a gauntleted punch with Akande again as a shockwave erupted.
"Garnet…" Steven whimpered, tears dripping down his face. Acnologia eagerly ran over, ready to lunge out towards the Diamonds. However, he was intercepted by Pearl, who smacked him down onto the Cluster with her trident.
"Steven Universe, you've done enough," she affirmed, "Now hurry!" she insisted of him.
"Pearl…" Steven uttered, wiping his eyes with his right arm.
"Come on, Steven," Connie beckoned, enticing him to come and board Lion with her, "We can help the guys out on the beach!" she affirmed.
"Okay…" her boyfriend breathed out. Lion then hurried off of the Cluster, running down the split path through the seafloor. Acnologia growled as he lunged at Pearl again, only to be blocked off by Atsuko, who flew in with her arms enveloped in a greenish light.
"VEGA WALRAS!" she chanted, making her right leg become encased by the same luminosity, swinging it out to kick her foe back as he grunted, "Guess all we can do against you is use force to take you down!" she declared, standing alongside the consort Gem, who steadied her trident onto their foe.
"Grrr…" the humanized dragon growled, "If I still had my power… I'd slaughter you…" he proclaimed angrily. As battles raged on along the ocean, Eon looked about. He knew Izuku had hold of the Power Stone, and taking it from him would prove to be a difficult challenge. That is… if he hadn't taken notice of something. A sinister grin crossed his face.
X
"This is going quite well, isn't it?" Salem presumed as a ball of dark, magical energy roiled in her left hand, unleashing a ray of light that would've struck Diana if not for the barrier she managed to conjure in the nick of time.
"Perhaps…" Lysandre agreed, narrowing his eyes, "Though I believe we should've taken the stone long ago," he confessed out of frustration.
"Oh, hush…" Salem muttered, "My beloved will retrieve it in the end," she affirmed confidently, "In the meantime, you should be concerned with that," she mentioned, gesturing towards the ocean. Looking over, the Team Flare leader narrowed his eyes to find Blue approaching, firing off clouds of her energy towards the beach. Gyarados was continuing to pursue Katsuki, having water swirl about his tail as he swung it toward his target, who launched multiple, rapid-fire explosions from his palms to counter.
"Damn it!" he cursed, "I don't have time for some stupid knockoff dragon!" he remarked in frustration.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Atrocious Pokémon roared, about to crash his tail down onto his foe, making him grimace. However, a couple of Blue's clouds crashed into him, causing him to widen his eyes. The water around his tail dissipated as he relaxed, lowering himself to the ground in a daze.
"The hell?" Katsuki said, arching an eyebrow.
"Are you alright over there?!" Blue's voice cried out in question as she was fast approaching. Steven and Connie were right on her tail aboard Lion. The human/Gem hybrid glanced back, seeing Izuku still in midair defending Lapis from Ultron's drones, Garnet and Akande continuing to exchange blows with their fists, Amethyst flipping away from laser beams as she lashed Ultron with her whip, Pearl and Atsuko fighting back against Acnologia, and the others battling the rest of the swarming drones.
"They're gonna need to get back to the land soon," Connie pointed out, getting his attention, "I doubt the Cluster can hold its form much longer…" she mentioned.
"Yeah…" Steven agreed, having a troubled look upon his face. Something didn't feel right.
"SSSSMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku bellowed as he kicked more drones away from Lapis, who let out a strained grunt, "You okay?!" the One For All inheritor questioned in concern upon overhearing.
"I'm… fine!" the hydrokinetic Gem managed to reply, letting out a few quick breaths, "Blue's clearing the way for Steven to get to the beach!" she pointed out.
"Good!" Izuku responded with a nod, "I think everyone else can handle the drones if they keep coming," he affirmed on, "I'm gonna go make sure the Omni Force knows what's happening!" he decided, reaching for one of the pouches at his belt.
"Wait, what's that guy going?" Lapis wondered aloud, causing the One For All inheritor to look toward the beach. There, Lysandre had stepped forward, standing at the shoreline as Blue was coming towards him. She blinked in surprise, seeing him raise his hands. He then smirked.
"You've doomed yourself," he remarked, slamming his extremities against the sand. It started heating up rather drastically. All of a sudden, magma burst up from the ground, flowing down to the pathway into the ocean. Lapis gasped, quickly releasing her hold on the water to make it rush back together. It washed over the magma before it could reach Blue, resulting in a massive burst of steam that clouded the aura.
"Whoa!" Connie yelped as she and Steven braced themselves from the steam, while Lion was quick to leap up before the water could wash over them. He landed upon it just before it settled, standing firm.
"Good boy, Lion," the human/Gem hybrid remarked as he petted him.
"What just happened?" Connie asked, "Did one of those guys on the beach do this?" she presumed.
"I think so…" Steven replied, "Can you see anyone else?" he inquired of his girlfriend.
"Steven!" Lapis' voice cried out as she floated down alongside Izuku, causing him and Connie to turn and spot them.
"Guys!" the human/Gem hybrid exclaimed, "Where's everyone else?!" he inquired.
"Probably all near the Cluster, but we can't tell!" Lapis replied, "This steam cloud's spread so far into the water…" she pointed out.
"I can clear it," Izuku affirmed, "Just stay back," he advised seriously, floating off a yards away from the group. He reared his right fist back, aiming upwards. "Detroit Smash…" he began, "AIR FORCE!" he bellowed, thrusting his arm up to unleash a pressurized blast of air that tore through the steam cloud, making it dissipate instantly.
"Enough!" Eon's voice bellowed, getting the group's attention, "I applaud your efforts, but they're all for naught now," he confirmed. Steven widened his eyes in fright.
"No…" he uttered, seeing the time-walker holding his father captive with his blade to his throat, "DAD!" the human/Gem hybrid screamed. The Crystal Gems all stopped where they stood, including the Diamonds.
"Greg!" Pearl cried out.
"I…I'm sorry, guys!" he apologized with a grimace, "I tried to get away, but…" he started to say, only to flinch with fright as Eon moved the blade closer.
"Silence," he advised, letting off a chuckle.
"LET HIM GO!" Izuku bellowed as he rocketed himself up to the Cluster, landing down hard. The time-walker grinned.
"Oh, I will," he promised, "That is, once you give me the stone," he corrected with narrowed eyes. The One For All inheritor growled, looking at the hand that held the Power Stone.
"Izuku, don't do it!" Pearl insisted before needing to block a punch from Acnologia with her trident.
"Yeah, it's just a trick!" Amethyst added as she and Spinel were trying to restrain Ultron, "He'll kill Greg and then the rest of us!" she pointed out.
"We can't let them win!" Garnet affirmed, punching Akande back.
"Make your choice, Izuku Midoriya," Eon advised, "It may be the last one you ever make…" he mentioned, while Greg yelled with fright.
"Deku!" Atsuko exclaimed. The freckled hero was drowning out everyone's voices. If he was able to contact the Omni Force, they could potentially end this fight and make certain that the Power Stone was kept in their hands. But in exchange, Greg would have to die. The One For All inheritor looked back at Steven, seeing his teary eyes shake with fear. After everything he had been through, losing his father would completely destroy him.
"Huh…" Izuku exhaled, "Everyone… stand down," he advised to the group's shock, "I'll give you the stone, and you'll give Mister Universe back," he decided, letting the green sparks of bio-electricity around him disappear. Eon smiled. He withdrew his blade, still holding onto Greg as he pushed him forward in a yelp.
"Deku…" Atsuko uttered in disbelief, seeing the One For All inheritor slowly walk over to meet the time-walker halfway. Yellow couldn't believe her eyes.
"You can't give him the stone!" she insisted angrily, "After all that it's done throughout millennia, why should you just hand it over to these hooligans for just one human?!" she questioned frantically with tears pricking her eyes.
"Because… it's my job as a hero to save lives," Izuku responded, holding his right hand out as the stone rested upon his palm, "Even if it means giving up something like this," he mentioned. At that moment, Acnologia ran over and snatched the stone from his palm, holding it eagerly in his left hand.
"Yes… finally…!" he breathed out with delight, only to blink in surprise, "Where… is the power…?!" he growled in question, glaring at the One For All inheritor.
"Don't worry, that is the stone," Eon confirmed in reply, getting his colleague's attention, "It's just drained of its power for the moment," he noted, shoving Greg over to Izuku, who caught him.
"Are you alright, Mister Universe?" he asked immediately. The guitarist nodded, though a guilty look crossed his face. On the water, his son sighed with relief.
"We're done here," Eon stated, turning around and heading for the purple rift. His colleagues followed, with Acnologia grinning from ear to ear as he held the stone between his fingers. Almost everyone grimaced in frustration, knowing that if they were to try and stop them now, they would likely make things all the worse. The only one who couldn't accept that… was White.
"YOU COWARDS!" she roared, unleashing beams of white light from her eyes and gem, incinerating the remainder of Ultron's drones. Those of the Kronos Alliance perked up in surprise, turning to see the Diamond's enraged expression. "You claim to be powerful marauders, yet you rely on such petty tricks to force your foes to bend to your will!" she noted, releasing her rays onto Akande, Ultron, Acnologia, and Eon individually, forcing them down to their hands and knees as they grimaced, "You needing to retrieve the Power Stone only proves that!" she mentioned firmly, "But now, you have no power!" she proclaimed.
"Is that right?" a voice chimed in, causing her to perk up. Floating in front of her was an alien with red pupils in his eyes and a body covered in a white, keratinous exoskeleton. He also had reptilian features such as a long tail and three talon-like toes on each foot. He was adorned with purple-colored gem plates on his head, torso, ankles, wrists, and shoulders. "You say without that stone, we're no more than a powerless group?" he presumed of White.
"Wait, that's…!" Pearl gasped out.
"Let's test that theory…" the alien insisted, aiming his right pointer finger forward, "shall we?" he offered. He merely fired off a thin, purple beam of light. Yet everyone watching aside from those of the Kronos Alliance were widening their eyes, yelling with horror. The beam pierced through White's gem, tearing through the back of her head. Blue and Yellow's eyes widened in disbelief. The rays striking Eon, Acnologia, Akande, and Ultron dissipated.
"Wha…?" White uttered, only for the light to leave her eyes as she toppled over backwards. Steven's body shook with terror. He watched the Diamond's gemstone crack up before completely shattering, with her body crumbling away as she crashed into the water.
"WHIIIIIITTTEEE!" he screamed out. Silence befell the Crystal Gems, Spinel, Izuku, and Atsuko. From the beach, Katsuki and Diana were just as stunned.
"Did he just…?" the latter of the two presumed.
"Hm," Salem huffed, getting their attentions, "Unfortunate that it came to this," she admitted, "but I suppose it was inevitable that someone would be defiant," she muttered.
"It doesn't matter," Lysandre noted, returning his sleeping Gyarados to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "The stone's finally ours," he affirmed.
"Like hell it is!" Katsuki roared, blasting himself towards the two Kronos Alliance members.
"Hmph," Salem scoffed, letting off a smirk, "My, how noisy," she remarked, readying another magic ball of energy over her palm before aiming it at her incoming foe.
"Katsuki!" Diana cried out. The Master of Grimm fired off a powerful ray of magical light. With a grimace, the Explosion Quirk user maneuvered himself out of the way thanks to another blast he shot to propel himself up. However, that allowed for Lysandre to pull out his MPG and create a purple portal beside himself and his colleague, allowing for them hop into it.
"Damn it!" Katsuki cursed, blasting himself over to the rift. But just before he arrived, it closed up. He slid to a stop along the sand he landed upon, looking over to the ocean with a grimace. "Deku…" he uttered out. Frieza came down, landing upon the Cluster in front of his colleagues, who all stood back up.
"I'm glad you decided to call upon me for this," he admitted, "What would've happened if you didn't have an ace up your sleeve, Eon?" he wondered aloud, causing the time-walker to scoff. He looked towards the horrified Gems and humans around.
"Consider that a warning as to what'll happen if you attempt to stop us again," he remarked, turning to head into the portal with his other colleagues. No one made a move. Not one person dared to challenge the Kronos Alliance after such a terrifying demonstration of power. The portal they left through closed. Silence followed, with chirping seagulls being the only sound that broke it. And then, Yellow toppled over onto her knees.
"White…" she whimpered, sobbing into her hands. Blue was just as saddened, struggling to hold back her tears as they dripped down her face. Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, Lapis, Peridot and Bismuth lowered their heads with shame. Spinel dropped to her knees, letting tears streak down her cheeks. She tried not to sob, but found herself bawling. Atsuko came over, letting her cry into her shoulder for as long as she needed to. She patted her sympathetically, followed by looking over to Izuku, whose eyes were veiled by his hair. Greg approached, quite shaken by the events that had unfolded.
"I…I-I…" he stammered out, tearing up, "I'm so sorry…!" he whimpered apologetically, "If I just didn't get myself caught, then—!"
"They knew this would happen," the One For All inheritor interjected, causing him to blink in surprise, "They were just waiting for the right moment to strike…" he realized, clenching his fists tightly.
"Izuku…" Pearl uttered as she approached. The freckled hero was tearing up with frustration. In the end, his efforts ended up being all for naught. Back on the ocean, Connie was teary-eyed as she looked over to her boyfriend, who hadn't said a word since he screamed in anguish.
"Steven…?" she uttered with concern.
"Even though she made my mom go crazy and do what she did…" the human/Gem hybrid began to say, "in the end, she still tried to help me," he pointed out, whimpering a little, "I…" he sobbed out, letting tears streak down his face, "I wish I could've helped her again, too…" he confessed. Connie embraced him warmly, crying with him. The air was filled with anguish, frustration, and regret. Today was a great loss.
X
Word of White Diamond's demise was spread far throughout Universe-673. There were those who could not believe that the once-ruling matriarch had been shattered. And there were others who grew fearful of the power that those who ended her existence wielded.
Along with that, the Power Stone has been taken, lying in the hands of the Kronos Alliance. Held for over three years with Steven, it now belongs to the enemy. And as such, Izuku's mission to bring it back is deemed a failure.
Atsuko and Diana were on the beach one night with the Crystal Gems and Steven, bidding farewell to Yellow, Blue, and Spinel. A week had passed since White's shattering. The human/Gem hybrid had been experimenting with the Diamonds to try and revive her. But without her gem, attempting that would be impossible.
"I'm really sorry…" Steven apologized with his head lowered.
"Don't be," Yellow insisted, poking him atop his head with her right pointer finger, rubbing it gently, "White knows we tried all that we could for her, I'm sure of that," she affirmed.
"And though things have changed drastically," Blue began, "we'll persevere," she promised.
"Yeah!" Spinel agreed, "Although, that means I'm not gonna have much time to do shows with you, Akko…" she admitted sadly.
"That's okay," the brunette-haired witch assured in response, "I'm… actually thinking of cancelling my tours for a little while…" she confessed, causing both the rubbery Gem and Diana to widen their eyes.
"What?!" they exclaimed.
"Akko… why?" the latter of the two asked.
"It's… just a feeling that I won't have time for them…" her fellow witch responded.
"Steven…" Blue uttered as she leaned closer to the human/Gem hybrid, causing him to look up at her, "Don't lose hope in yourself," she insisted, giving him a warm smile, "White could see that you were the future for this universe to grow and be greater," she pointed out, "And you still want that for everyone, right?" she presumed.
"Heh, yeah," Steven answered with a chuckle.
"We'll visit once every calendar month, to check in and make sure there aren't any new disturbances that we may need to deal with," Yellow explained.
"Great…" Amethyst muttered, rolling her eyes.
"We appreciate the thought, Yellow," Garnet said while elbowing the lavender-haired Gem to her chagrin.
"Yes, thank you," Pearl added gratefully.
"Take care of yourself, Steven!" Spinel insisted as she lunged over to give him a warm hug, causing him to flinch in surprise, "I know hugs and kisses from me aren't really your thing, but…" she continued, only for the human/Gem hybrid to hug her back.
"Thanks, Spinel," he said gratefully, making her smile. Before long, Yellow and Blue boarded the Diamond Ship with the rubbery Gem in tow, taking off into the night sky. Steven looked up at it, awed but also worried. Just what did the future hold for Homeworld without White?
"Okay…" Pearl sighed out, "I think I speak for everyone when I saw we need some downtime with all that's happened," she admitted.
"Agreed…" Amethyst concurred with a groan. She and the others started to head back to the Beach House, only for Garnet to notice that Steven was staying behind.
"Steven!" she called out, getting his attention, "Come on, you need to get some sleep," she insisted of him.
"Y-Yeah…" he stuttered in agreement, "It's just…" he continued, tensing up a little, "Can I stay out here for a bit longer?" he requested, much to the Gems' surprise. Diana and Atsuko were a little shocked themselves, though the latter seemed to understand what the human/Gem hybrid was doing.
"It's okay," she assured to the others, "I'll stay out here with him," she promised, heading over to Steven's side. Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet shared worried looks. Even Diana seemed concerned. However, she knew how compassionate and sympathetic her friend could be. If the human/Gem hybrid was still not in the best state of mind, she could help relieve that tension.
"Huh…" he sighed, sitting down on the sand. Atsuko sat beside him. "The last time we sat down together, it was after what happened at the Reef with the Pearls…" he recalled.
"Yeah…" the brunette-haired witch confirmed, "Been a heck of a time since then, huh?" she noted, making Steven sigh again as he pulled his legs in, curling up into a ball, "Steven…" she uttered, "I know things went wrong," she pointed out, "I know you'd wanna go back and change everything, to make sure you never did the things you did while under all that stress," she mentioned in explanation, "Believe me, there are parts of my life I wish I could just erase," she confessed, "But…" she continued, "without them, I never would've learned from them and end up doing better," she noted, staring up at the starry sky above. The human/Gem hybrid looked up as well.
"You're right," he responded, "But… that's not what I'm really worried about," he admitted to Atsuko's surprise, "What's gonna happen with Deku?" he inquired, causing her to widen her eyes slightly, "Is… he in trouble because of me?" he presumed.
"No," the brunette-haired witch immediately answered, scooching over and placing a hand onto his shoulder, "If Deku's in trouble, it's the bad guys' fault, not his," she affirmed, "You already went through so much with that transformation and everything…" she added, holding her friend close as he teared up a little.
"I just hope… they understand that, too…" he said, wiping his eyes.
UNIVERSE-57
OMNI FORCE TOWER
"This obviously is… the worst case scenario," Ben pointed out to those in the conference room. Izuku tensed up, while Katsuki stood beside him.
"Kronos' attack was planned from the start, clearly," Sunset mentioned from her seat, "They knew that once the Power Stone was removed from Steven's gem, he'd be vulnerable," she told those around her. Looking about the room, Izuku could see the faces of Law, Erza Scarlet, Gaara Xiao Long, Ruby Rose, Angela Ziegler, and Son Goku.
"The fact that Frieza was there makes things all the more complicated," the latter of the squadron leaders admitted with crossed arms, "I had no idea he was allied with such powerful people," he mentioned to his colleagues.
"We're aware that there were other Kronos members not present at the scene," Angela chimed in.
"Blackbeard and Van Kleiss, yeah," Law confirmed in reply, "We don't know how many others they've amassed since they last showed their hand," he pointed out.
"I'm sure they've got plenty of people in universes we haven't even been to yet," Ben noted, letting out a sigh, "So now they've got both the Power and Reality Stones…" he concluded, putting a hand onto his head. A momentary silence befell the room.
"Is there anything you want to say, Izuku?" Sunset inquired of the One For All inheritor, getting his attention as he perked up slightly, "I'm sure you did everything you could to try and stop them without getting anyone else hurt," she affirmed reassuringly. The freckled hero lowered his gaze.
"No, I don't have anything else to say…" he confirmed in reply. Another silence befell the room.
"In any case, we'll need a new approach when going after the stones," Erza confirmed, "We already went to war over the Reality Stone in Forty-Forty and risked time paradoxes in Five-Two-Two," she mentioned, with Sunset shifting uncomfortably in her seat, "Kronos seems to be a step ahead of us the entire time," she added, clenching her armored fists.
"First, I think we may need new command," Gaara insisted, "Izuku's done a lot, especially with getting us the Mind Stone and making certain that the Power Stone remained in Steven's care until now," he pointed out.
"But you think there needs to be a change in the guard?" Law presumed.
"That sounds like a bit much for something out of his control…" Ruby noted.
"Yes…" Angela agreed, "We can't punish Izuku just because we couldn't get the stone," she insisted.
"We're not punishing him," Ben confirmed, catching everyone's attention, "But I think a change of pace is necessary," he affirmed, "You'll still be assigned to retrieval missions like before," he told the One For All inheritor, who lowered his head slightly in contemplation, "But from now on, someone else will call the shots," he mentioned, "I think it'll work out well, especially since your strong suit is helping others in the field," he added assuredly. Izuku didn't say a word. Moments later, he was walking through the tower halls with Katsuki trudging after him.
"What the hell was that, you damn idiot?!" he questioned in frustration, "Why didn't you tell 'em about the kid going berserk and how those bastards ransomed his dad for the stone?!" he inquired on angrily.
"Would it have mattered?" his rival asked back to his surprise, "Besides, they already knew about what exactly happened…" he pointed out, "The end result is what mattered… and I failed…" he noted in frustration, lowering his head as he came to a stop.
"Deku…" Katsuki uttered. He then noticed a pair of figures coming their way. He blinked in surprise, seeing that it was Azari being led along by his father, T'Challa. They passed by the One For All inheritor and the Explosion Quirk user, not a word being exchanged between them. And then…
"You should've just kept the stone to yourself back then," the Wakandan prince said as he stopped, causing his father to do the same as he glanced back at him, "We'd have it and wouldn't have to worry about what Kronos could do with it so long as we kept it locked away," he mentioned on, looking at Izuku, who balled his fists, "But now, it's gone," he pointed out, "And so is Steven," he added coldly.
"Azari…" T'Challa uttered in a reprimanding tone, while Katsuki growled.
"Steven's alive," Izuku stated, much to the prince's shock as his eyes widened, "I got the Power Stone out of him before Kronos' attack," he added, "You can talk all you want about my hero complex or whatever…" he muttered on, glaring back at Azari, who sweated a little, "but I'll be damned if I let a friend of mine die just because it's for everyone's benefit…" he snarled in declaration. He then walked off without another word, with Katsuki to follow.
"Tch," he scoffed, "Bastard's lucky that the kid's not here to back you up…" he mumbled. He then heard whimpering coming from his rival, causing him to sigh. "Hey, don't be so down on yourself," he advised, "You did what you thought was right," he affirmed to the One For All inheritor, whose tears of frustration streaked down his face, "I don't think there's any shame in that," he mentioned.
"I know…" Izuku sobbed out, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. Even though he saved lives, many more seemed to be doomed in the near future. Only time would tell just what would come of this.
X
While the future remains uncertain, some things are growing clearer. A few months have passed since Steven's meltdown, along with the Power Stone being taken by the Kronos Alliance. With a weight to bear, Steven has found himself wanting to take it easy for a while.
His plan now is to find himself. To explore and learn more about the world around him. But also to move on and not have to rely so much on his friends and family for support.
It's a necessary trip for him to move forward. Yet while he's managed to compose himself throughout the ordeal, he wonders just how much things will change. And so, as he's about to depart for his venture, he bids farewell to his friends…
The sun had barely dawned outside of the Beach House as Steven's car was packed with his luggage. Two months of time to ponder and reflect on himself, the human/Gem hybrid knew that he needed to start a new chapter of his life. And that meant leaving Beach City.
It was a difficult ordeal, especially with having to say his goodbyes to everyone. The only ones who didn't seem distraught over him leaving… were Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet. He had thought that they would be devastated that he was leaving for what would likely be a long time. But instead, they were supportive of him.
Though he appreciated that, he was shocked that none of the Crystal Gems showed a hint of dismay at his eventual departure. It hurt a little, but he knew it was petty to worry about it, too. Today was the day. It was time for him to go.
"Bye, Connie," he said after giving her a hug, placing his hands onto her shoulders, "See you soon," he promised. The two then shared a kiss, holding hands and blushing.
"Text me when you get to that bed and breakfast," she advised, "Don't breakfast without me," she insisted.
"You got it," Steven replied sheepishly. He then went over to hug his father next. "Bye, Dad," he said as they embraced.
"Aw, I'm gonna miss you, Schtu-ball…" he admitted, "But I'm so proud of you," he added as he pulled himself back, placing his hands onto his son's shoulders.
"Thanks, Dad," he responded gratefully. He then turned to Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet, who all smiled at him. He approached the former of the trio first. "Goodbye, Pearl," he said in farewell, hugging her warmly.
"Goodbye, Steven," she responded. The human/Gem hybrid then went over to embrace Garnet.
"Bye, Garnet," he said, while she put her right hand onto his head.
"So long, Steven," she remarked. The human/Gem hybrid then hugged Amethyst.
"Bye, Amethyst," he said finally.
"See ya, bud," she remarked in farewell, "Don't forget about me!" she advised in a singsong voice.
"I won't," Steven promised. A drop of sweat trickled down his face. "Well… I guess this is goodbye…" he noted somewhat reluctantly.
"We'll be thinking of you," Garnet assured.
"…Alright then," the human/Gem hybrid said, walking off somberly and getting into his car. He started driving off, watching his friends wave to him in the rear view mirror. As he got further and further from then, he was beginning to panic a little. And once everyone he saw was no longer in his mirror's sight, he brought his vehicle to a screeching halt. It then reversed back towards the group, veering around and coming to a stop beside the Gems, who faced the driver's side. In the window, Steven had tears flowing uncontrollably down his face. "What's wrong with you guys?!" he exclaimed in question, "Aren't you sad I'm leaving?!" he inquired on. And just like that…
"Oh man, I can't take this anymore!" Amethyst wailed with tears bursting from her eyes. Garnet suddenly sprayed tears all over her visor as they ran down her cheeks.
"We were trying to be strong for you," she confirmed to Steven. Pearl turned her head to face the human/Gem hybrid, sobbing sloppily as she wasn't even able to form a coherent word. "Pearl agrees," the fusion paraphrased for her sobbing friend.
"You guys!" Steven cried, getting out of the car and running over to the Crystal Gems, leaping into a group hug with them. They all sobbed together.
"I was kidding, man!" Amethyst wailed out, "I'm never gonna delete your save files!" she promised.
"Ah, I love that ukulele!" Pearl exclaimed through her tears, "I'll never play anything else!" she vowed.
"I'd be overjoyed to plan your wedding," Garnet added, smiling in spite of the tears rolling down her face, "In fact, I've already planned over three-hundred-and-sixty-three versions of it," she mentioned quickly. Steven sniffled.
"Why didn't you guys just tell me all of this?" he whimpered in question.
"I'm sorry, Steven," Garnet apologized to his surprise, "I couldn't resist looking into your future," she admitted, "I peeked," she confirmed, "And I saw a possibility that our tears would keep you from leaving…" she added.
"We didn't wanna hold you back!" Amethyst sobbed out.
"But I also saw many paths ahead of you," Garnet mentioned, "and we are a part of all of them," she added, taking off her visor to reveal her trio of teary eyes, "Wherever you end up, we will visit you to talk, to listen, to be there, whenever you need us," she promised as she and her fellow Gems smiled at the human/Gem hybrid, "We love you, Steven," she affirmed. As Pearl and Amethyst grabbed his shoulders, he sniffled again with a smile, wiping the tears away from his eyes.
"I love you, too…" he responded, tearing up again, though more happily than ever.
"Oh, we just made it!" a familiar voice exclaimed, getting the group's attention as they turned to see the casually-dressed Atsuko and Izuku, who had just come out of an MPG portal, "Steven, hey!" the former called out as she waved.
"Akko! Deku!" the human/Gem hybrid cried out, getting up and hurrying over to embrace his friends in a group hug, "I… didn't think anyone outside this universe was gonna see me off!" he admitted through his tears.
"Yeah, like we'd miss seeing you on your way!" the witch remarked in response, "Diana wanted to come, but she got caught with teacher-assistant stuff at Luna Nova…" she recalled.
"And Kacchan's covering for me right now," Izuku pointed out.
"I'm still glad you're here…" Steven admitted through another sniffle, pulling himself back as he wiped his eyes free of tears. He then took a deep breath, maintaining a serious expression. "There's… something I wanted to tell you two," he confessed to their surprise, "I don't know when, but…" he continued, "I wanna be an Omni Force member," he stated, causing them to widen their eyes.
"Wha-Wha-What?!" Pearl stammered out upon overhearing, with Amethyst and Garnet just as shocked.
"Between what's happened here and what's happening in other worlds, I know I could be of some help," Steven noted, looking at his hands, "I'll need to make sure to figure things out with my powers first, but…" he continued, only for both Izuku and Atsuko to grab his hands warmly.
"Steven…" the latter of the two uttered, causing him to look up, "take all the time you need," she advised kindly.
"You'll be a great teammate," Izuku assured. Steven's eyes sparkled again as he teared up. However, he chuckled.
"Thanks, guys," he said gratefully, exchanging one last big hug with his friends. Greg wiped a tear from his right eye upon witnessing the scene, enticing Connie to put a hand onto his arm to comfort him. Steven was getting into his car again, only to look back at his friend. Pearl was starting to sob again, covering her eyes with her hands, while Amethyst threw up a peace sign as tears pricked her own eyes.
"Check your rear left tire before you hit the desert!" Garnet warned as she waved her left hand up, "It's not serious, but could be trouble if left unchecked!" she pointed out as a tear streaked down her left cheek.
"Later, bruh!" Amethyst remarked in farewell, while Pearl sobbed uncontrollably into her hands. Closing the driver door, Steven restarted his car, driving off as everyone said their goodbyes again. Atsuko found herself crying as she waved goodbye, enticing Izuku to put his right arm around her shoulders. They were happy for the human/Gem hybrid, as were the others.
He drove by the local donut shop, seeing a crowd of people and Gems gathered. Upon noticing him, they cheered, enticing him to wave to them as he smiled. Looking around and seeing the two races coexisting, Steven was happy. He passed by his father's car wash and then the water tower. He turned up the volume for his radio, letting the tune play on as he drove into the distance. Stars glistened overhead in the dawning sky. Back by the beach, Pearl finally managed to calm down, blowing her nose into a handkerchief she had been given.
"Ugh…" she groaned sadly, "It's a good thing Steven has that UT with him… just in case…" she pointed out as she sniffed.
"Pretty soon, it'll be an MPG," Garnet commented.
"Omni Force Steven's on the way someday!" Amethyst mentioned excitedly, laughing a little.
"That'll be something…" Greg remarked, wiping his eyes, "You two been doing okay the past couple months?" he inquired of Izuku and Atsuko, getting their attentions.
"We're managing…" the latter admitted in reply, "Deku did get a little chewed out by the Omni Force because of the stone being lost…" she mentioned, making the One For All inheritor grimaced.
"It's just one stupid rock…" Amethyst grumbled, "There's three more we can still snatch," she pointed out.
"That's not the point," Izuku retorted to her surprise, "For every stone we don't have, it's likely that event from so long ago could happen again," he noted seriously.
"Oh… yeah…" the lavender-haired Gem realized, rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry, dude…" she apologized.
"What's the progress on finding the other stones?" Garnet asked curiously.
"There've been rumors of one being in another universe," Izuku replied, "But… well…" he continued nervously.
"What's wrong?" Pearl asked, arching an eyebrow in concern.
"It's complicated…" the One For All inheritor responded honestly.
UNIVERSE-4040
EVERNIGHT CASTLE
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Acnologia roared, releasing a purple blast of energy from his mouth that razed through the terrain, eviscerating any Grimm in the vicinity. His markings glowed an ominous violet as the Power Stone was upon the center of his chest, merged with his skin. "AHAHAHAHAHAAHA!" he cackled, "FINALLY!" he bellowed into the sky, "The power I so longed for has returned to me!" he proclaimed with delight. Watching from afar were Lysandre, Akande, and Frieza.
"He's growing arrogant…" the Team Flare leader muttered.
"Why waste the stone on him then?" the alien of the group wondered, "Surely it'd be put to better use with someone like myself…" he boasted.
"Though you might be correct, it's needed for Acnologia," Akande pointed out in response, "Without his magic power, he would become useless to us," he mentioned seriously, "It's better to have him back to his full strength," he affirmed.
"Hmph," Frieza huffed.
"If you feel worthy of this stone, you can try and take it from me…" Acnologia challenged, getting the alien's attention. He chuckled.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd say that…" he remarked, readying his hands. Watching from within the castle's conference room, Eon sighed. Salem approached him, putting her hands onto his shoulders from behind as she stood at his side.
"Beloved… we've won," she pointed out, "And yet, you seem troubled," she mentioned worriedly, turning to put a hand onto his cheek. He took a deep breath.
"Yes, this is a victory for today," he affirmed, "But we still have the other stones to obtain," he noted on, "along with retrieving the ones that the Omni Force may have in their possession," he added, "Only then can we—" He stopped talking upon noticing something. "I need you to leave," he insisted suddenly.
"Wh-What?" Salem stammered, being led out of the room, "Wait, what is happening?" she asked, only for Eon to shove her out before she could say anything else, "Ben…" she uttered, wondering just what was going on as the doors to the conference hall were shut.
"Huh…" the time-walker sighed.
"She's a beautiful woman," a voice in the corner of the room said, causing him to turn. Standing there and looking out one of the windows was a man dressed in a green-and-purple suit with a massive collar, with a helmet that projected a blue mask over his face, and a flowing violet cape. "I had someone I loved dearly myself once," he admitted. Eon knelt down, bowing his head.
"My liege…" he uttered, "I cannot thank you enough for what you've done for me," he noted gratefully as the armored man turned and approached him, "We now have two of the stones in our possession and—"
"One," his benefactor corrected to his surprise, "The Reality Stone is incomplete, isn't it?" he presumed.
"Y-Yes, but its power remains intact with Salem…" Eon assured in response with a stutter, "I assure you, it will work," he promised, breathing somewhat shakily. All of a sudden, he was forced to rise up onto his feet as he yelped. The man before him let his helmet retract, revealing his dark-skinned face with lines that went vertically down over his eyes.
"Don't embarrass yourself with formalities," he insisted with a shake of his head.
"O-Of course…" the time-walker responded, removing his helmet to reveal his own face, which was almost like Ben's, "Ultron has gotten in contact with someone that has another of the stones," he confirmed, "Unfortunately, they're in a universe that the Omni Force knows well," he mentioned.
"And the person of interest is being targeted by members in their ranks," his benefactor added to his shock.
"How did you…?" He stopped his question as the armored man turned to him with an unfettered expression. He tensed up a little. "What… should we do?" he inquired.
"…Ultron seems to have the situation in hand for the moment," his benefactor replied, "Search for the other stones," he advised seriously.
"And… what of the Omni Force?" Eon questioned further.
"Let them be gathered," the armored man replied, "Whether it be you or them, you'll know where they are and whom they're with," he mentioned firmly, "Remember… Benjamin," he continued as the time-walker stood firmly in place, "I can give you everything you've ever wanted," he affirmed, "But only if you give me what I want first," he added, "That deal is still intact, yes?" he inquired.
"Of course it is… Kang," the time-walker responded. The conqueror cracked a small grin.
"Then you have work to do," he advised.
END
That got intense really quick. I'll admit, there was a bit more I wanted to do with this final chapter, but I got all the main points I needed to, along with any extra tidbits as to what'll be happening going forward. And I'm sure you've got plenty of questions.
I enjoyed writing this story, especially with the opportunity to write with some of my favorite characters, like Akko and Steven. Granted, Steven Universe is an imperfect series due to some story elements, I really liked the message it ended on, opening the door to a new chapter in Steven's life. So now that this story's over, what's next?
Well, after some much needed rest from writing for a little while, we're gonna be going into "Space", one of the stories I'm very excited for after being stuck in development hell for a while. It's going to be my first official story of the Omni Force series starring Edens Zero as the main focus, adapting a more recent arc of the series, along with adding some extra spice and fluff.
So how about a quick teaser?
TRAILER
Rebecca Bluegarden: Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, huh?
Opens with the Edens Zero traveling through the checkered space of the Kaede Cosmos.
Rebecca Bluegarden: Three years go by pretty quick… And yet, we're still out searching for answers.
Cut to several skeleton droids by taken down by a combination of Shiki Granbell, Ochaco Uraraka, and E.M. Pino. We see shots of Homura Kogetsu and Weisz Steiner doing away with enemies of their own.
Rebecca Bluegarden: Liberating planets from Ziggy… Traveling the cosmoses… Making all these videos…
We get a shot of her looking into the camera with a disheartened smile.
Rebecca Bluegarden: Feels like everything's right, doesn't it? Well…
We discover that Rebecca is reminiscing on spending time with Izuku Midoriya, the man she is still in love with.
Rebecca Bluegarden: There's a little more to it than that…
NEXT WEEK
The scene shifts to Lendard, an industrial planet where Ziggy resides. He stands amongst the Dark Stars, looking over their Skeleton Army.
Ziggy: I have more than just my forces…
We cut to the likes of Deadend Crow and God Acnoella revealing themselves upon the planet.
Ziggy: I have more than just allies…
It turns out that Ultron is upon the planet as well with his drones.
Ziggy: I have something that can mold this world into whatever I desire.
The scene shifts to him wielding the Space Stone in his possession, using it to stop the likes of Elsie Crimson from attacking him, followed by blasting her, Katsuki Bakugo, Megumi Fushiguro, and Torunn Thorsdóttir away with a powerful shockwave. We go through several shots of Henry Pym Jr. flying about alongside America Chavez, Kenny Tennyson flying through space as Jetray, followed by M'gann M'orzz, as they face off against Dragons alongside Riri Williams and Jessica Cruz, and Asta Sutarria slashing down Ziggy's robots with his Demon-Slasher Sword. It all caps off with Shiki facing down his grandfather atop a building amidst the chaos.
Ziggy: The only path forward… is your demise, Shiki.
Shiki Granbell: I won't lose to you, Grandpa.
Shiki enters his Overdrive, lunging out at his grandfather before the screen cuts to black.
SPACE
END TRAILER
Hope you all enjoyed that teaser for the future! It's gonna be fun to dive into things! That said, by the time you've read this, I'll have started taking a bit of a break to give myself a breather. This is going to be a 20-chapter story, which is something I haven't done for a while. And I'm hoping you'll all like what I come up with.
Until next time, everyone! Thank you so much for continuing to check out my stories!