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Act Two: Chapter 2: Isaac's Island
A few days passed since the incident with the Mach 3 spaceship, and life in Beach City was about average for Isaac. Well, as average as it could get. On one of the more normal days, when the Gems didn't have any missions to go on, Isaac walked to the Big Donut. Eager to get a nice cup of joe to start the day. Opening the door to the shop, he called out to Sadie and Lars. "Morning, Big Donut folks!"
"Morning, Isaac," Sadie said with enthusiasm at all. Looking ready to fall on her face at any moment. Lars was there too, mumbling angrily about Isaac in his sleep behind the counter. The only other person in the shop was the one person that Isaac would most definitely dislike more than the lazy employee of the big Donut.
The guy's name was Ronaldo. He was the eldest son of Mr. Freeman and the biggest conspiracy nutjob on the entire planet. Isaac not only found him annoying but downright insane when he kidnapped Steven and tried to deselect him because he thought he was an alien. Luckily Isaac and the Gems arrived just in time to stop him. And Isaac took great pleasure in beating the shit out of him.
When Ronaldo looked up as saw Isaac entering the shop, he let out a scared yelp and fell out of his chair. Isaac watched as he scrambled to his feet, grabbed his donuts, and ran out of the shop.
"What was that about?" Sadie asked as Isaac walked up to the counter.
"The Gems and I kicked his ass," Isaac with a smirk, pulling out his wallet and taking out a few dollar bills. "The usual, please."
Sadie turned to get the donuts but found her way blocked by Lar's body. The small woman tried to get over the fast-asleep guy but ended up falling over. Collapsing on top of Lars and waking him up when the two fell onto the floor.
"Wha— huh?" Lars stood up and looked around in confusion before looking down at Sadie. Instead of helping her up, he started getting angry. "Sadie! I like, just got to sleep! Now I have to start all over!"
"Then don't sleep at the counter! I'm trying to work!" She yelled at him.
"Why don't you not work at the counter when I'm trying to sleep!"
"You do know that you could get fired," Isaac commented with a raised eyebrow. Speaking of which, why hasn't he met the manager?
"Oh, fuck off, Infinite," Lars snapped rudely at the blonde.
"You want to run that through me again, or does Sadie have to put the fire salt on your donut again," Isaac said in a firm, threatening tone. "Can I still get those donuts and a coffee to go, please?"
"Right away, Isaac," Sadie said, getting back on track by quickly get the donuts and coffee.
"What the hell's your problem, man!?" Lars yelled, glared at Isaac. Working up the balls to try and act tough. "You can't talk to me like that!"
"I'm not the one who's got a stick up their ass," Isaac said as Sadie placed the coffee cup and donuts on the court. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.
"Why, I'd kick your ass..."
"Really, you want to kick my ass? You really want to fight me," Isaac asked in a challenging manner after getting his debit card back. Looking at Lars with a raised eyebrow. Just daring him to do something. He was more than certain that he and Sadie were there on the day that Sugilite went on her rampage. Meaning he saw how he was about to take down the giant Gem fusion. But, Isaac couldn't resist the chance to take him a few more notches. So, he placed his cup and the bag onto the corner and took a few steps back to stand in the middle of the shop.
Holding out his arms, he said, "Go ahead. Make my day."
Lars's eyes widened as he looked at the son of Onyx. Looking at Sadie, she shook her head rapidly. She saw what he did to Sugilite. They all did! He then turned back to Isaac. And the blonde man got his point access when he cracked his knuckles. Getting Lars to sit back down in his chair instantly.
"You come at me, you come at me like a fucking man," Isaac told Lars, walking back to the counter and grabbing his order. He turned around and started walking out the door. "You have a good day, Sadie."
"You too, Isaac."
Isaac entered the house and walked up the stairs to the second floor where Steven and Connie are. Garnet was chilling on the couch in the living room. "Hey, you two!" Isaac said, sitting down with Steven as Connie laid on his bed. "I brought some donuts."
"Thanks, Isaac," Steven said, taking the bag when Isaac handed it to him. Taking a donut from the bag and handing it to Connie. "Here you go, Connie." Connie took the donut and started eating it as the show they watched started on the small little TV. The show was called Under the Knife, a satirical spoof of hospital dramas.
And Isaac had to admit; it was pretty funny. Not South Park funny, but still funny in that satire kind of way.
"Doctor, it's my son. There was an accident. I-"
"I know what we have to do. Nurse!"
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Prep the patient for emergency surgery. We're gonna go... under the knife!" Isaac, Steven, and Connie shouted with the doctor of the show.
"Ugggggh! This show is so good! Aaah!" The young girl screamed happily. She turned to the two boys. "Thank you so much for letting me watch 'Under the Knife' here, Steven."
"How come you can't watch the show at home?" Steven asked his friends.
"My mom says this doesn't represent a real emergency room," Connie said, rolling her eyes.
"Why? It's just a show," Isaac said, gesturing to the TV as the show returned from commercials.
"How did his legs... get into... his brain?!" Said the doctor. Making Isaac laugh.
"She just doesn't understand that it's satire," Connie said
Isaac slowly turned back to the TV and watched the show, but his mind was somewhere else. Sure, this was just another day where the two kids hung out together, and he was there to tag along. However, Isaac was more than certain that Connie came there to get away from her parents. It's not that he believed they were bad parents, but it sounded like Connie's mother was a little overbearing. An assumption he made from what he's gathered by the way the young girl sounded when talking to her mother.
A moment later, Connie's phone began ringing.
"Is that your phone?" Steven asked.
"It's probably my mom," she said, retrieving her phone from her purse. Checking the caller ID, she saw it was indeed her mother. "Called it." Isaac muted the show as Connie sat up straight, put on her frameless glasses, cleared her throat, and then flipped her phone open and placed it on her ear. "Hi, Mother. It's Connie. Mm-hmm. Yes, ma'am. I'm at the home of Steven Universe. Mm-hmm. Yes, ma'am. We're—we're just hanging out. Oh... Steven's parents?"
Isaac's eyes widened, and he whipped his head around to look at her. Connie sucked in a breath of air and glanced at Steven with a sudden panic before continuing to talk to her mother. "They're, uh—they're in the other room. You would like to talk to Steven's mom? Oh, okay. Hold on a moment."
By now, Connie more than just concerned. Even Steven started to get worried and said to Connie, "That's gonna be pretty hard since my mom gave up her physical form to make me." He looked down at where his gemstone was located under his shirt.
Connie covered her phone with her hand. "I can't tell her that!" She exclaimed, distressed.
Isaac thought for a moment. Obviously, Connie didn't want to tell her mom about the Gems, and he could understand. Not everyone was ready to handle the truth that aliens exist and that they walk amongst us. Well, in Beach City mostly. "Did you tell her that Steven's mom died?"
"...No?" Connie asked more than stated, adverting her eyes.
"Goddamnit!" Isaac whispered. "Well, tell her that and that Greg is out at work!"
"But I just told her they're in the house!"
"Wait, I have an idea!" Steven proclaimed. He grabbed Connie's phone, and the two kids both ran down the steps and towards Garnet. Isaac followed after them. "Garnet, quick! You have to pretend to be my mom to Connie's mom."
Garnet took the phone when he handed it to her. She simply kept her usual straight face and answered the phone. "Hello. This... is Mom Universe," she said, adjusting her visor. However, her tone wasn't as solid as it usually was. "Yes. The children are playing swords. Sorry—playing with swords. They're bleeding. Oh no, they are dead. Don't call again."
And with that, the Crystal Gems leader hung up, closed the flip phone, and handed it back to Connie. Needless to say, the Demigems and Connie were floored by the unbelievable tactlessness displayed by Garnet. All of them looking at her in distraught shock.
"Sorry, I panicked," Garnet said. Isaac facepalmed.
After the phone conversation with Connie's mother turned disastrous, the young girl thought it would be best to go home to try and talk with her parents. It was now the next day, and Isaac was playing Halo with Amethyst. Pearl walked into the room and noticed the two of them up on the second floor.
"Let's go, you dirtbags!" Amethyst yelled as they began playing the Silent Cartographer level.
"Come on, you ape, you wanna live forever!" Isaac exclaimed as they started blasting the Covenant alien.
"What you two doing," Pearl asked. Wondering why they were so loud.
"We're playing wicked awesome old game Isaac has," Amethyst said, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Eat grenades!"
"You...play video games?" Pearl asked skeptically. "Aren't those things for children?"
The game was paused, allowing Isaac and Amethyst to turn their heads to look at Pearl slowly. Expressing their insult at her comment. "Did she just insult video games," Amethyst asked with a look of disgust.
"She just insulted video games."
"How dare you!"
"Yeah!" Isaac said defensively. "Don't insult an art form until you've actually experienced it."
"I'm sorry, but how can killing digital aliens or collecting cones be considered art?" Pearl asked with a small, playful chuckle.
"Simple, because when you're playing something like say, Halo: Combat Evolved, you're not only playing it for the gameplay. Sure, it's one of the best things about the video, but you're also taking in the acting, the visuals, story, and the awesome music!"
"Hell yeah!" Amethyst cheered, throwing her fists in the air.
"Wait, you like music, Amethyst?" Pearl asked, a little taken back. She had walked up to the second floor and sat next to Isaac.
"Uh, maybe," she said, a little embarrassed.
"But unlike other forms of art, you actually interact and take control," Isaac further explained. Pearl still looked unconvicted, so Isaac reached over and grabbed Shadow of the Colossus and BioShock. "Here."
Isaac handed her the game cases, and she studied the fronts for a moment. One was of a man on horseback with a sword charging at a giant monster. And the other one was a strange driver with a giant drive for a hand with a creepy little girl underwater.
"Shadow of the Colossus...BioShock?" She read the titles out loud. "What kind of games are these."
"One of the few games that are considered to be legitimate works of arts," Isaac said, gushing a little. "When Steven isn't on the game, I highly recommend playing these and Halo. You might want to play BioShock alone, though."
"Are you going to sit there and talk, or are we going to kill some alien fools!" Amethyst said, growing impatient. Isaac quickly picked up the control, and the two started playing again.
"Hmmm..." Pearl mused as she looked at the covers of the games she was handed. She then looked up as Isaac and Amethyst were now in some kind of truck called a "Warthog".
Personally, she thought it looked more like a puma.
Pearl found it somewhat silly to think that a grown man would defend what she considered to be child's toys as if it was a painting or a statue. But she couldn't help but noticed the pure pride and sincerity in Isaac's voice when he talked about them. She trusted Isaac's judgment somewhat. After all, the white Gem trusted him with her life and to be a good influence on Steven.
With a sigh, she smiled and said, "Okay, sure, why not."
"Awesome!" Isaac exclaimed with a grin. "Trust me; you're going to love it."
"Yeah, when you're done flirting with Pearl, we've got a Hunter!" Amethyst said, shooting at the big alien.
"A-AMETHYST!" Pearl shrieked at the purple Gem. Isaac blushed and chuckled to himself as she stood up a walked back into the Temple. All the while blushing with the games in her hands.
"Aw, what do you mean, your mom won't let you come over?" Isaac heard Steven ask Connie on the phone. Steven chat was over the phone with Connie while dressing a cake in his kitchen. It's the midseason pre-finale of Under the Knife!"
"Oh, boy," he groaned. It sounded like Connie's parents were at all too happy with her when she got home.
"Steven, my parents are really upset. They say they will not let me see you again until they meet both of your parents in person," Connie said on the other end of the line in her home. She wrapped her phone cord around her finger.
"But that's impossible!" Steven exclaimed fretfully.
"I know, but they want both of our families to go out together for dinner.," Connie acknowledged apprehensively.
Steven placed a cheeseball on the cake. "It sounds so... adult. I wonder if Fish Stew Pizza will take reservations for-" He stopped to count the number of people on his fingers* Pearl, Garnet, Dad, Amethyst, Isaac— All nine of us."
Connie suddenly became alarmed. "You can't bring everybody!"
"Why not?"
"Because..." Connie bit her lips anxiously, hesitating to tell her friend the truth. "Because...! I told my parents you have a nuclear family!"
Isaac was drinking water when he heard that, making him do a spit take. Amethyst laughed at him while Isaac yelled, "She WHAT!? Why the hell would you do that, Connie?!"
"Yeah!" Steven exclaimed, misinterpreting what she meant and got defensive. "I mean, really, Connie! Nuclear?! Sure they make stuff blow up sometimes, but that's because they're magic, not radioactive!"
Isaac sighed exasperatedly and handed Amethyst his controller before walking down to the kitchen. "That's not what she meant. When someone said you have a nuclear family is when you have both parents," he explained to Steven, before looking at the phone. "And why the hell didn't you tell her Rose died of childbirth?! It's technically what happened!"
"Because my parents think Steven lives with his mother and father," Connie exclaimed. "I didn't want them to know that Mr. Universe was a single father. I was trying to prevent this meeting from happening."
"But none of that is true," Steven worriedly protested. "You never told your mom and dad about the Crystal Gems?
"No, and it has to stay that way," Connie stated firmly. "If they find out I lied to them, they'll never let me hang out with you again."
"Oh, my God. Okay, look, we'll figure out something," Isaac said, trying to reassure the girl, even though she dug her own grave at this point. As long as something doesn't come up, we may have a chance to pull this off. "Don't worry, Connie. We'll make a good impression and keep you up to date with what's going on. I promise nothing will happen."
The Temple door opened, and Garnet came out with Pearl. "Get ready, guys. Because we have a mission."
Steven and Isaac looked at the Gems for a moment. "You guys have the lost timing," said the young man.
"What's going on?" Pearl asked.
"We're going to eat stuff!" Amethyst exclaimed, having been there for the whole conversation.
"We're what?!" Pearl exclaimed before shuttering in disgust. "We get all the energy we need from our gems, and while our human constructs are capable of eating, I find it very uncomfortable."
"Why?" Isaac asked.
"Because eating food is so disgusting!" Pearl explained, cringing in revulsion as she described it. "You chew it into nasty mush, swallow that goop, and it comes out of you? What a completely horrid experience!"
"Uh, speak for yourself. I love eating!" Amethyst said with a grin."I love it when mush passes through my body. Feels weird."
Garnet looked at Isaac for an answer for what's going on. "Connie's parents are upset and have banned her from coming over to hang out unless they meet with his parents," he told her and Pearl. "And they think he still has a mom because Connie's been lying to them. So one of you's going to have to pretend to be his mom at dinner... and I just realize how ridiculous that sounds."
"How am I supposed to choose just one of you to bring to dinner? You're all so... cool!" Steven said in slight happiness. "Which of you would make the best and most nuclear mom?"
The young Demigem paused for a moment and looked between the trio of alien guardians. First, he approached the leader. "Garnet, you keep us safe by scaring off the bad guys, just like a mom would."
"...But she's not the best conversationalist," Isaac said as Garnet said nothing. Especially after what happened yesterday with her very brief conversation with Dr. Maheswaran.
Steven walked up to Amethyst after she jumped down from the second floor. "Amethyst, you would be a super fun mom!" He said. Amethyst was still munching on the chips, drooling from her mouth, and begins picking her nose. Steven turned to Isaac. "Can moms be gross?"
"Why not?" Amethyst asked, pulling a long, slimy strand of mucus out of her nose.
"No!" Isaac said, shutting down the idea.
Steven walked away from Amethyst and to the final Gem of the team. "Pearl! You're always worried about me, you teach me lots of stuff, you're approachable, and you're, like, totally not gross." He finished, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Thankfully. But..." Isaac trailed off as Amethyst continued munching away with her nose still running. Causing Pearl to cringe in disgust. "But... she still can't eat dinner."
With a frown, Steven walked away sadly and sat on the couch. Isaac walked over and sat with the sulking boy. "Man, why did Connie have to say I have one mother instead of zero... or three?" He asked to no one in particular. "Isaac, how would you have handled this?"
"Well, if it were up to me, I would have had Connie tell her parents that the Gems were your aunts or family relatives that were living with you and Greg. That way, she didn't have to ask to see Rose, and you could have just brought everyone together," Isaac explained, not really sure how to get out of this situation. And then there was the fact that they still had a mission to do. "Look, don't worry. We still have time to figure this out."
At that moment, however, Steven looked up at the Gems, and an idea hit his head. "Why didn't I think of this before? It's so obvious! You can all come to dinner! All three of you, fused into one!" He exclaimed with a wide smile and a snap of his fingers/
"Wait. What?!/ What?!" Isaac and Pearl exclaimed loudly simultaneously. The half-human in surprised while the Gems were alarmed by the suggestion.
"Whoa!" Amethyst gasped, stunned.
"Steven, you know we only fuse in deadly situations!" Pearl chastised the kid.
"It'd be like... like I'm actually bringing my whole family!" Steven tried explaining.
"That's insane," Amethyst bluntly said.
"Yeah, while Opal was more powerful, Pearl and Amethyst are polar opposites and would fall apart at dinner. And do I really need to remind you of what happened with Sugilite?" Isaac asked, with his arms crossed. "If the three of them fusion, who knows how it could turn out. And not to mention, they'd be a giant freakin woman!"
"Fusion is serious magic, not a trick for dinner parties," Garnet told the little boy. "And besides, we have an important mission to attend to right now. A corrupted Gem is on the loose, and we have to capture it."
Steven sighed sadly. "I know," he said in disappointment, realizing that the Gems had their minds set on the matter. "Then I guess this is it. I'll never get to see Connie again. Oh, Connie! I'll never know a star that shines as bright as you." He lamented dramatically as tears filled his eyes at the thought of never being able to see his dearest friend again.
Isaac stared at Steven with a raised eyebrow as he started to weep. Not knowing if he was serious or just trying to manipulate the Gems. And it seemed to have worked, as the Gems all looked at him in sympathy. None of them easily able to bear seeing their young ward this miserable.
Garnet let out a long sigh. "We have no choice," she said. "But, we still have a mission to complete."
That's right, the mission. Isaac had forgotten about it when the conversation about going the dinner was brought up. With his arms still crossed, Isaac placed his hand under his chin and thought from a moment. Even the Gems couldn't think of anything of what to do. But that's when an idea popped into Isaac's head. "Connie's parents don't know about me? Right?" He asked Steven.
Steven looked at him in confusion for a moment before shrugging.
"And even if they did, she would have told them that I'm a friend. Meaning that they wouldn't want to meet me. And that means you all can go to dinner, and I'll do the mission," he said, turning to the Gems and pointing at the warp pad.
The Gems looked at him with varying levels of surprise. Garnet didn't have a real expression when he proposed the idea. Amethyst's eyes widened. And as for Pearl...
"No."
"Pearl," Isaac said, holding up his hands.
"Absolutely not!"
"Pearl-"
"You're not going alone on this mission!" Pearl exclaimed adamantly. Completely against the idea as she looked upset at him. "Not one that involves a monster. You could be seriously hurt or worse."
"I understand that, but you're forgetting that I've been hunting monsters even before I came to Beach City," Isaac explained. Trying to get Pearl to see reason and allow him to do this. "And even in the past, I've been able to successfully poof and bubble the corrupted Gems I've come across."
"He does got a point," Amethyst commented, whipping her finger on her shirt.
"But it's too risky. Remember what happened on the night that you showed up?" Pearl asked, still not budging.
"Okay, so not every fight would go smoothly. But, I'm telling you I can do this," Isaac said, almost pleading for them to allow him to go on this mission.
Garnet walked away from the Gems and placed her hands on Isaac's shoulder. "I want you to answer me truthfully, Isaac. Once you go on this mission, there's no telling where you'll end up. You'll be alone, by yourself, with no backup for what could be days. Weeks even. I want to know if you're completely ready for this."
Isaac simply stared at her for a moment before his face turned to a look of determination, and nodded. "I am," he said. And he was certain that he was. Garnet's gone on some mission without the others, and it may be a little selfish, but Isaac wanted to continue to prove himself to the Gems. Mostly because even after the mouths they've been together, he still felt like an outsider.
The tall, muscular Gem started into Isaac's eyes. Almost as if she was looking into his soul. Garnet had the power to see the future, and there were so many possibilities that could happen if Isaac took on this mission allow. All of them leaning to him coming home, but not the same as before.
However, she relented and sighed in defeat. "Then get ready."
And got ready, Isaac did. Just like when they went to the Lunar Sea Spire, Isaac packed everything he would need to survive for a long period of time. Including some food and water. Now he stood on the warp pad, with the rest of the Crystal Gems saying goodbye to him.
"Take as much time as you need, and remember, you can always come back if you need help," Garnet said with her arms crossed and a slight smile. Trying to be supportive of the young man.
"Or, you know, don't come back," Amethyst commented.
"Amethyst!" Pearl snapped angrily.
"What? I was just kidding."
Pearl sighed and turned to Isaac with a look of deep concern. "Please be careful, Isaac," she said softly.
"And have fun!" Steven said with a big smile.
Isaac chucked at the boy's enthusiasm and said, "Don't worry. I'll be home before you know it," he said to reassure them that he's got this. And so, with his taco backpack, he activated the warp pard. Blue light flashed around his body as he faded from the Temple. He felt his body becoming weightless as stood as still as he could when being teleported.
A moment later, and Isaac saw the lights fade away, and gravity retook him. He looked down and saw he was in the air, but just a few inches off the surface of the pad. Landing on his feet, the young man looked around as was a little surprised by his surroundings.
From the looks of it, it would seem that he had come to a jungle of some kind, given that trees and vegetation surrounded him wouldn't be in a forest. The large leaves on some of the plants, the sound of seagulls, and the smell of the ocean told him he was near a beach. Oddly, some of the large rocks that dotted the jungle looked like that were cut in half, showing crystal clusters and geodes formed in them.
But as he looked around the trees and geodes, Isaac's expression of wonder turned a look of confusion. "Why does this all look...familiar?" he asked himself, before stepping off the pad and began walking through the jungle. Up in the sky, the sun shined down on the top of the trees. With only parts of its sunlight passing through them.
When he finally came out of the jungle, Isaac gasped when he saw a beautiful beach in front of him. Sure, he's gotten used to the sight of a beach thanks to the beach house. But this beach was different than the one back home. The sand glimmer, and the water was clear.
Isaac turned around and took in the sight of large mountains with round tops, and a giant waterfall coming out of a geode, flowing down the mountain, and then the river going out into the ocean. At that moment, he realized that he was on an island.
And then, it happened again. Images flashed violently in Isaac's mind as his head suffered under a great deal of pain. He grabbed his head and yelled in agony. But unlike the last time, steam started coming off his arms. Collapsing to his knees, he remained on the ground for a moment until the pain slowly stopped.
Isaac took deep breaths of air to calm himself. Then he slammed his fist onto the sand. Kicking up a large quantity of sand into the air. Why was this happening to him? He hasn't had an episode like that ever since the trip to Rose's fountain.
Looking up from the ground, it was as if he now had a clearer understanding of things. Isaac couldn't understand it, but it felt like he's been to this island before, even though Isaac had never been in the place before.
That's when something caught his attention out of the right corner of his line of sight. Something shining.
Turning his head towards it, Isaac's eyes widened when he saw a floating round object near some of the trees. Getting back up, Isaac walked towards the object. As he walked towards it, he started to make out the grey color it had, before noticing that it had something inside it.
Or something in it. As he got closer, Isaac's eyes widen when it saw it was a Gem bubble.
His Gem bubble.
Gently grabbing it, Isaac looked inside and saw it was the same Gem that he had bubbled the night he came to the Crystal Gems.
"How did you get here?" He asked the Gem in the bubble. He tapped the top of the bubble and sent it to the Temple. He then looked in front of himself and saw many more bubbles floating around in the jungle.
Isaac walked back into the jungle and started tapping the tops of all the bubbles that he could find. "Okay, fellas, time to send you all home," he said to the gemstones. Looking confused an a little troubled. "But why are you all here?"
And so the day continued, and before Isaac knew it, the sun was starting to set over the horizon. Throughout the day, he's been doing nothing but finding more bubbles as he ventured in the jungle. Sending each and every one of them back home to the Temple. He would have to find shelter and soon.
He wouldn't have to look far.
Walking out of the jungle and passing through a large geode arch, Isaac sent the next bubble in front of him away. But with it out of his line of sight, the bubble revealed a large and simple cottage built near the edge of a lush and open cliff a waterfall with geode formations. All around the cottage were more bubbles.
Isaac looked at the cottage with wide eyes. Could someone really be living here? To test that theory, Isaac approached the cottage. While it was constructed using the trees of the jungle, the house looked slightly modern. There were very few windows, and he couldn't see anything inside.
Walking onto the patio and stopping in front of the door, Isaac raised his hand and knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?" He called out to the people in the house. But there were no answers. He knocked again. This time hard enough to make the door visibly shake. "Hello!"
Again, there was no answer. Grabbing the handle of the cottage, Isaac slowly turned the handle and cautiously opened the door. Entering into a dark cottage with no lights inside. Wondering if the cottage had a light switch, the young man looked at the wall next to the door. Even though it was dark, the light coming in from the doorway allowed Isaac to see a wall-mounted candle holder with no candle. Instead, there was an orange crystal on it.
Curious about it, Isaac touched it with his finger. Almost instantly, the crystal started glowing a bright light. Isaac turned back to the inside and his widened even more.
As more crystal lights started turning on and shining like candles, the more they revealed the interior. Reveal the entire place to be empty, except for the furniture. It was like walking into a house that was ready to be moved into. It had a simple kitchen, shelves, and a bed that still had a mattress and blankets made from animals' fur and skin. There was nothing else—no indication as to who had lived there.
With nothing else to do until tomorrow, Isaac walked towards the bed and laid down. And, a strange feeling of deja vu filled his head. Like there should be more here. But now it was all gone. Shaking his head to clear it. Isaac rolled on his side and closed his eyes.
The next day came, Isaac had searched all over the island for the monster that the Crystal Gems were looking for. But there was nothing to find. Nothing but more bubbles that he sent back to the Temple.
Now, he was standing almost knees deep in water with a spear he made. Watching the water for any fish that might come around. One fish jumped out of the water and startled Isaac. Turning around, he tried to spear it, but missed. "Damnit," he said with a frustrated glare. After hours of this, he was starting to become tried out, failing to get his late-lunch-early-dinner.
Looking at the water, he saw a fish go by and saw the strange, mask-like face it had. "This place's really weird," he said to himself. "Everything on this island has such a bright, happy smile." As he wondered to himself, Isaac stabbed his spear into the water.
When he heard the sound of piercing flesh, his eyes widened, and he looked down. Seeing that he had unintentionally speared three fishes in one go.
"I-I got them! Yes!" Isaac yelled with joy, holding his spear and kills over his head. "Oh, man, I'm awesome!"
Later on that night, Isaac was back in the cottage. Cooking one of the fishes that he's caught in the fireplace made of some of the island's crystals. As the three fish laid on leaves over the fire, Isaac poked one of them to check if it's ready.
"Alright, looks like we're ready," he said to himself, before stabbing it with his stick. Placing it on a leaf for a plate, Isaac started at the fish for a moment. The little fish he caught stared back at him. "Come on, don't look at me like that. It's either you or me."
"It's okay, Isaac. I know and forgive you," Isaac said as the fish. Making a silly voice to make it sound like the fish was talking.
"Thanks," Isaac said, before ripping off a piece of meat and eating it. Moaning in satisfaction at his own cooking. He looked around the cottage for a moment. "It's really, really strange, though."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean it's deja vu strange," Isaac said to the fish. It was weird, but he just wanted someone to talk to at the moment. "I don't know what it is about this place. This island. I still have the feeling like I've been here before."
"Why'd you say that?"
"Well, I did know where to find this cottage," Isaac pointed out, shrugging his shoulders. "And when I look around this place, I just feel like there should be more in here."
"Well, if you really do feel that way, then why don't you play that guitar."
"What guitar?" Isaac turned around and saw that there was indeed a guitar leaning against the wall next to the fireplace. "Oh, thanks, fish!" He said, smiling with gratitude. But then he paused for a moment to look at the fish, and his smile faded. "I should really stop making you talk."
Grabbing the fish and bitting a large chunk out of it, Isaac chewed the meat as he reached over for the guitar. Grabbing it from the wall, he placed the instrument on his lap and started plucking the strings. Smiling when hearing it was still toned and worked properly. He wasn't sure if he could ever sing like Steven, but he could still play well. As so, he played the guitar into the night.
And now, after several days have passed, Isaac was sitting on the edge of the cliff. Watching the clouds with a smile on his face. His time on the island had changed his appearance a bit. His messy hair was still messy, but there were some bits of mud in it. There were cuts and scrapes on his face and arms from exploring. There was now a short blonde hair beard that covered his cheeks, chin, and lips. And he had no shoes, and his pants were cut to shorts length.
He didn't know how long he's been here, hunting for the gem monster. Every day had just seemed to blend together while surviving alone with no signal for his phone to call the others. But he was able to keep some of his sanity by writing notes to the Gems and Steven and then sending them back in a bubble. Hoping that they would read them and know that he was okay. Every day, it would be the same. Search around the island for the monster. Find more bubbles to send home. Then fish and then cook them for dinner. It was a simple life, but one that kept him alive and well as one could be. The cottage walls were decorated with daisy chains made by Isaac so that the inside didn't look so blank and lonely. And for the first time in a long time, Isaac felt himself at peace. Like all the worries he's had have faded away.
That is until he noticed something coming from the ocean.
A large black mass from under the water was coming to the beach's shores from the sea. Standing up, Isaac tried to see what it was, but couldn't make it out. Not even with the clear water.
With a glare, he grabbed a spear and jumped down from the cliff. Superherlanding on the ground, before standing up again. Isaac then approached the beach with his weapon. His gemstone wasn't glowing, but he didn't want to take any chances. As the black mass got closer, Isaac stood in a fighting stance. Ready to face the enemy.
However, coming out of the water were these strange looking watermelon beings that bared a striking resemblance to Steven. Both in physique and stature. Their heads were crowned with hemispherical rises that resemble Steven's hair. They have two black watermelon seeds for eyes and a jagged mouth. They have vertical, alternating medium and light green stripes on their bodies.
Isaac stared at the Watermelon Stevens with wide eyes, and he lowered his spear. Hundreds of Watermelon Stevens came out of the water and onto dry land. And just stared at the son of Onyx with their beady little eyes.
"Uh...Aloha," he said, a little nervous. The Watermelon Stevens didn't respond. Trying again to talk to them, Isaac pointed at the little beings. "You all wouldn't happen to be related to a little boy named Steven Universe, would you?"
The Watermelon Stevens all looked at one another before they nodded their heads together.
Isaac groaned a little, rubbing his face and combing his fingers through his blonde hair. "How long have I been on this island?" He asked, but no one answered. "What's even going on back home?!"
Shaking his head, he started making his way back to the cottage. After a while, he passed through the arch and approached the house. "Okay, enough is enough. I'm going to go back home, tell the others that I've found nothing, and then come back with more help or just go to sleep."
Suddenly, the ground started to rumble. Isaac stopped when he heard the sounds of footsteps and groaning noises coming from behind him. Looking at his gemstone for a slight moment, Isaac saw it was glowing.
Whipping around to face the through, Isaac summoned his katana to attack. But he saw nothing. Nothing but a cone-shaped gemstone, with the cone portion being a dark blue, and the base was separated by an elevation and contained differing shades of blue.
"A gemstone?" Isaac asked.
But then the gemstone started lifting off the ground. Isaac's confused look turned to a look of terror as the sounds of footsteps and grunting sound here heard again. All coming from the gemstone.
It dived toward Isaac. He crossed his arms in front of himself, but it did little to protect him. The gemstone hit him with a massive amount of force that sent Isaac flying back off the cliff. Thankfully not too far off, and the blonde Demigem landed on a ledge on the cliff. As he got back up, Isaac's eyes widened to the sudden realization as to why he couldn't find the Gem monster.
"It's invisible," Isaac whispered, before thunder was heard. He looked up just in time of the clouds above to rain heavily down on his little island.
Climbing up the cliff and back onto it. Isaac looked around to see where the Gem monster had gone. But he couldn't see the gemstone. With no other opinion but to get help, Isaac started running towards the warp pad.
Thunder clapped in the sky above as Isaac ran as fast as he could to the warp pad. The raindrops sprinkled on his face as he gritted his teeth. Just as he saw the pad and believed that he was home free, Isaac suddenly felt gravity taking him down.
He had run straight off the edge of a deep of mud. Isaac screamed as he fell down into the pit before landing fat on his face.
With the rain falling into the pit and the cold mud sticking to his body, Isaac slowly got up to his feet as he groaned in pain. "Could this get any worse?" He asked.
One low groan later, and the monster's feet slammed down into the pit. Leaving its heavy footprints in the mud. On all fours, it charged at Isaac.
Isaac raised his fists in a fighting stance before punching the monster in the face. Knocking it back in the mud. The Crystal Gem summoned his swords as the monster got up again. As he looked around for the monster, he noticed something in front of him. It was the creature's features, which had become visible in the mud or water coating its exterior. Revealing the corrupted Gem to have a bulky body, strong build, two eyes, and a mouth. It doesn't appear to have a distinct head or neck.
Isaac yelled out a battle cry as he charged at the invisible Gem monster. Jumping into the air and falling towards the creature to cut it in half. But he was grabbed by the monster when it swiped its arm in the air. Isaac screamed as it swung him around before slamming his body into the ground. He was then dragged across the ground, before he stabbed his sword into the ground. Stopping himself from being dragged and further.
Summoning another sword and transforming it into an axe, he cut off the arm of the monster. It screamed in pain as it stumbled back.
Jumping back onto his feet, Isaac rushed at the monster and jumped at it. Punching it in the face and knocking it on its back. Jumping onto its chest, Isaac grabbed the gemstone in the monster's chest and ripped it out!
The monster's body exploded in a puff of smoke. Isaac landed back on the ground on his hands and knees. Panting from exhaustion, pain, and the cold mud. But at least the rain had stopped. Looking at his right hand, Isaac turned it over to see the gemstone was still in his hand.
Bubbling it, he sent it off to the Temple. A moment later, a vine was lowered down into the pit. Isaac looked up at the top of the pit and saw the Watermelon Stevens were the ones to do it. Staring up at them while panting, Isaac smiled and stood up.
After returning to the cottage, Isaac packed the last of his items into the taco backpack. He's defeated the monster and got the gemstone bubbled. There was no other reason for him to stay. With his bag packed and grabbing the guitar, Isaac took one last look around the cottage. He sighed, knowing that he'll likely never figure out what was so familiar about this building.
As he walked to the door to leave, he was stopped when his foot stepped on a loose section of the floorboard. Looking down, Isaac raised his foot off the board, before stepping back on it again.
Kneeling down, Isaac pulled out the floorboard section and was a little confused when he saw a VHS tape. On it, there was a label.
For Isaac
For him? Isaac picked up the tale and looked over it. Was this for him? Was it for another Isaac? Did it belong to the person that owned this cottage? And if it was for him, who made it?
Steven didn't want Pearl to watch him sleep anymore. And even if she wanted to, Steven wasn't there. He was out with some of his friends for a 'spooky movie party.' While she respected that the young boy didn't want her to watch him sleep, she couldn't resist the urge. All that the white Gem could do was stare down at Isaac's sleeping bag that Pearl rolled out every night. It wasn't just the son of the Gem she loved that Pearl watched. Lately, she's been enjoying watching Isaac sleep.
The dinner turned into a disaster, with Alexandrite coming undone and Connie's parents getting into an argument with her daughter. Then Steven and Connie tried to run away, before the Gems fused again and chased them down. Grounding Steven from the TV for 1,000 years. Then there was the incident with the Watermelon Stevens. One of Rose's abilities was to grow sentient plant life that protected her. Something that he had inherited. But Steven couldn't control them, and the watermelons became violent. In the end, Steven sent them away.
The absence of Isaac was felt in the house, and Pearl couldn't help but wonder how things would have been different if he had been there to help them. Would he have told off Connie's mother, or would he have tried to explain that Rose is dead? Would he have punished Steven as she and Garnet have? Would he have fought the watermelons? Who was she kidding? Of course, Isaac would have. And knowing that brought a smile to her lips.
Most of her time was spent inside the Temple, waiting for Isaac's next letter to appear. The sudden flood of Onyx's bubbles didn't go unnoticed by the Gems. They didn't know what was going on, but the letters explained to them what was happening. Putting her at ease.
It flabbergasted her sometimes how she could be enjoying herself around a human of all things. But when it came to Isaac, it was different. It was all the more reason why she missed him.
Suddenly, the warp pad activated. Pearl gasped and stood up, as a slightly scruffy-looking, roughed up Isaac appeared. With his taco backpack on his back, a guitar, and tape in his hands.
"Isaac!" She exclaimed with a bright smile.
Pearl jumped off the couch and rushed over to Isaac. Jumping into his arms and hugged him tightly. He was a little taken aback at first but quickly got over it and hugged her back. So happy to be home again and to see her again.
Realizing what she was doing, Pearl quickly lets him go and steps back. Blushing bright blue as she fumbled with her words. "I-da...I mean...Well, I...I'm just happy to see you," she said with a very nervous.
"It's good to see you too, Pearl," Isaac said, pulling her in for another hug. The white Gem froze up for a moment, before relenting and hugged him back. "But what are you doing here, Pearl?"
Pearl pulled away, and her previous look of relief turned to sudden nervousness upon hearing the question. "Me? Nothing. I was just uh... Well, you know how I always say... um, I just uh…" Pearl clearly flustered and was sweating at this point. However, she just gave up. She's already told Steven, after all. "I like to watch you sleep sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean often."
An awkward silence hung over the two friends as Isaac wasn't entirely sure what to make of this revelation. But then his eyes widened when he came to a realization. "Wait, you're the pair of eyes I've been feeling every night?!" He almost yelled in surprise.
"Is...that a bad thing?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Isaac said bluntly. He then looked around for Steven. Normally when the Gems came back, he was first to greet them almost immediately. "Where's Steven?"
"He went out to try and hang out with some of his human friends," Pearl said with a cross of her arms. She would have liked for him to stay home, especially after he's been ground. But then again, the Gems never gave him a curfew before.
"Right," he said before letting out a yawn. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm heading to bed." He said, walking to the couch that had his sleeping bag. But when he felt like he was being watched, Isaac turned around. Pearl was standing where she was with a smile. Almost like she was waiting for him to go to sleep so she could stare at him all night. "And that means no watching me sleep."
"Oh, right!" Pearl said, nervously laughing. Isaac smiled with lazy eyes, and an eyebrow raised as she walked backwards to the door. "I sorry. Where are my manners? I'll just let you-" The white Gem turned and smashed her face into the door, before it had a chance to open to her room.
Howing her pointy nose, Pearl blushed with embarrassment as she stepped into her room. "I'll just...be in here," she said before the doors closed.
Isaac chuckled a little bit at how silly Pearl was. He then remembered the tape in his hand and looked at it. Staring intently at the 'for Isaac' it had.
Wanting to know what it was, Isaac went up to the second floor and approached the little TV Steven had. Putting the tape into the VHS player, Isaac pushed play and sat down on the floor. Looking at the screen curiously as it filled with static. That was until a clear image finally showed.
The first thing it showed was none other than Alex Infinite. Isaac's eyes widened instantly sat with his legs crossed. Taking in a gasp upon seeing his dad again since this death. But unlike that day, he looked so much younger. He still had blonde hair that was short and combed, but unlike when Isaac remembered him, he didn't have his mustache. Unlike his son's more rounder face, Alex's face was more squarish. And he had brown eyes.
"Okay, it's all set, babe," he said to someone behind him. But his body was in the way.
"I don't know about this," said a woman's voice.
Isaac's eyes widened when he heard that voice. Not immediately recognizing it at first, but he started to finger it out. The island with a warp pad, the tape that had his name on it, that strange sense of Deja Ve, and now Alex himself being in the tape meant the other people could only be one other person.
"It'll be fine," Alex said to the woman, trying to assure her.
"It's just little...embarrassing, Alex. I just want to talk to him."
"And you will, but not until our son hears your amazing singing voice," Alex said teasingly, before moving out of the way of the camera.
Reveal the Gem of War herself. Even though he's seen her in the painting the Gems had, it didn't do the really Onyx justice. Her face was beautiful yet fierce-looking. Her armor was stripped off, and the Gem wore a white long-sleeve robe that flowed in the wind with her spiky pony-tail. Without the armor, her very pregnant stomach was about to be seen for all to see. She was sitting on a wooden stool with the very same guitar that Isaac took from the cottage. Behind her was the very same geode archway. That's when the revelation hit Isaac, and his eyes widened even more.
The cottage was his mother's!
Alex walked over to his lover, placing a gentle hand on her stomach and left cheek. The couple smiled at one another before the father leaned in and kissed the love of his life on the lips. Pulling away, he went off on the path towards the beach. Likely to catch more fish. Leaving Onyx with the camera still running.
Looking back at the camera, Onyx stared at it before smiling. Knowing that her love meant well and was right. Getting settled on the stool, Onyx started to play her guitar and sing.
Let's go in the garden
You'll find something waiting
Right there where you left it lying upside down
When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded
The underside is lighter when you turn it around
Everything stays right where you left it
Everything stays
But it still changes
Ever so slightly, daily and nightly
In little ways, when everything stays
Tears were already forming in the blonde Demigem's eyes as he listened to his mother's beautiful voice as she sang to him. Every word was filled with love. His face growing a wide, touched smile.
After a moment, Onyx looked at the camera again. Smiling a look of sincerity, sadness, and hope. "My son, I remember when Rose told me about the beauty of this world. When she first talked about it, she admitted that she didn't know why she loved this planet so much. But I knew why. It's of how this world is full of so many possibilities. Each living thing has a unique experience. From the small insect to the largest whale. The sights they see, the sounds they hear. The lives they live are so complicated and so simple. I wish I could live to see you experience it. I'm so happy to know that you'll be joining the life of this world."
Onyx got up and walked over to the camera. Holding it in on hand, she placed her right hand on her stomach. "Isaac, we can't both exist. But do not be sad, my son. Nor blame yourself for my death. This is a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make. And when I'm gone, I'm going to become half of you. Just that every moment you love being yourself, that's me, loving you and loving being you. Because you're going to be something extraordinary, Isaac."
She looked down a little. Looking a little sadder than before. She didn't know if, by the time her son sees this tape, he would have known the truth or not. No doubt if he finds this, he's joined the Crystal Gems. There was so much she wanted to say to him. And so, the Gem of War looked back at the camera with a smile as tears leaked from her eye. Giving no final message to her then-unborn son. "You will be the human being you choose to be, not the Gem I've been. Who I was is not who you will be. You must be better. Now, go, son. Go be with your family...and live well."
And just like that, it was over.
Static crackled on the screen for another moment before it turned to black. Isaac's arm reached out and pressed the button for the VHS to eject the tape. The tape popped out of the player, and Isaac slowly grabbed it. Pulling it away from the TV and placing it over his lap as he looked down at it.
Tears dropped down onto it.
Isaac's eyes were far from dry after watching his mother's touching, inspiring message. They weren't tears of sadness. But of happiness. As he stared at his name on the label, he thought about how lucky he was to have this happen. All his life, he wanted to meet his mother, even though he knew it was impossible. The tape she left for him gave him that chance to listen to her talk to him.
"Our moms really were the best, Isaac." Isaac turned around and saw Steven standing behind him. The young boy had slight tears in his eyes with a somber expression. "Mom made a tape for me too. I found it when you were gone."
Steven walked over to Isaac and sat with him. The young man looked at the boy as he stared at the ground for a moment before he hugged Isaac. Burying his face into his tattered shirt.
"They knew they were going to die, but they still…" Steven's grip tightened around as he spoke sadly.
Isaac managed to pull away from Steven and turned to face him. On one knee to be at his level, Isaac placed both his hands on Steven's cheeks, as the boy had some tears running down his eyes. "All that matters is that we never forget them, Steven. And the sacrifice they made for us to exist," he said gently to the boy.
The brother then hugged one another. As he held his brother in his arms, Isaac felt a sense of closure wash over him. His mother's loving words echoed in his mind, and it continued to be the reason why he could continue to smile, even after Steven let go and pulled away. As the young boy walked to his bed, Isaac noticed the nightstand had a tape on it.
Standing up and walking over to the nightstand, Isaac placed the tape left behind by Onyx next to Rose's tape. Both having been watched, and their sons have finally heard their voices.
AN: How do you all like the new cover? Admittedly, Isaac's hair isn't really all that great, but I'm planning on fixing it soon. However, I did change his hair in the original fanart I've made of him all the way back in February of 2019. Just go to my DeviantArt page, Cowboy-Alchemist.
And so that's "Isaac's Island." So what do you all think of it? Personally, I like the way it turned out considering that combined a lot of episodes of the show into one single story. Of course, the main story is the same as "Island Adventure." But better because Lars isn't one of the main characters. And we got to see Isaac put him in his place. You know, one thing about that episode that's kind of bothered me is that Steven, Sadie, and Lars were trapped on the island for days, and the Gems didn't even try to find him.
That's why I had Isaac go on a solo mission to the island. Not only would it fix that plot hole, but justifies Isaac staying on the island for as long as he did.
Not only do we now know where the Gems that Isaac and Onyx had bubbled been going to, but the biggest change of the chapter is the inclusion of Onyx's cottage. This is based primarily on Kratos' cabin from God of War (2018). Only instead of a winter home, it an island home. I was originally going to have the cottage modeled as the Cool Ranch from "Gemcation," but didn't think it would have made sense for Onyx's cottage to be a modern-looking home.
As I said, this chapter combines a lot of other chapters into one. The second main part of the chapter was "Fusion Cuisine." Like I said, it's not one of my favorite episodes and Isaac wouldn't really have contributed to the dinner. That's why I had the first part of the chapter at the beginning of "Fusion Cuisine" and then have Isaac go on a solo mission so that the Gems could go to dinner. Don't worry, Isaac will definitely call out Connie's parents in the future. There's always the hospital episode. Another one of the advantages of having Isaac go to the island is that the time he spent there allowed me to skip over some episodes. But it makes sense to have the Watermelon Stevens show up on Mask Island when he was still there, given that they inherit the island after leaving Steven.
Another episode that I squeezed in was the infamous "Keep Beach City Weird." God, do I hate Ronaldo. More than I hate Lars! I could have skipped over "Keep Beach City Weird," but I took pride in adding the fact that Isaac had beaten up Ronaldo. The events of "Horror Club" happen much early than in the show, but it was just a way for me to have Steven out of the house by the time Isaac comes back.
And then there's the ending, which is Isaac's various of "Lion 3: Straight to Video." Giving Onyx her own tape to leave behind for Isaac. While it is similar to Rose's, Rose could have taken inspiration from Onyx to make the same video for her unborn son. You all decide who you personally like to be the voice of Onyx.
That's pretty "Isaac's Island." While it didn't have the same level of Isaac x Pearl fluff as the previous chapter, it was still enough. This chapter was the calm before the storm, because when we get back to "Gem of War," the next chapter is going to be "Warp Tour".
Now it's time to work on "Godzilla: the Titan-Slayer of Fairy Tail."
Thank you very much for reading. "Gem of War" will return. Please be sure to Favorite and Follow if you like the story, and also Review it. If you any questions or discussions you'd have for me, then please in a Review or a PM me.
Thank you for reading, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.