34I am super happy right now for all the positive feedback about this fic! I was hesitant at first to publish since I didn't have a good grasp on how you guys would react, but it looks like I was worrying over nothing…like usual really.
As promised, the second chap for October is here (yes its still October, one more day people!) And it only took two weeks to write and edit! Trust me people, for me this is a major accomplishment, but that's to be expected since I'm going for a more stricter upload schedule then usual.
Welp I'm not gonna keep you all waiting too long. Let's get things rolling and dive back into the story, its show time!
}Episode 2: Digging For Clues{
Steven couldn't remember a time when he had ran as fast as he did then. His fascination with the discovery of the ancient ruin was buried under his fear and panic at what he just saw. His thoughts were a jumbled mess as he tried to wrap his head around this whole situation, but for the life of him he couldn't come up with anything rational past the surge of fear.
An entire room filled with cracked and shattered gems buried deep within a hidden ancient ruin was not something a boy his age was accustomed to seeing. As he exited onto the moonlit beach, he turned and pulled the door with all of his might, and thanks to his adrenaline surge, the slab of rock closed once more, sealing off the entrance. This was good enough for Steven as he continued to run from the unknowable danger.
By the time he was back within the town limits he was out of breath, and he had to lean against a streetlamp as his legs threatened to give out beneath him.
Oh jeeze…I'm so out of shape, he thought as he rapidly inhaled more and more oxygen. This was an oversimplification because while yes, he did have a bit of chub on his face and belly, he had also just run at full sprint for over 15 minutes. If anything, this feat was commendable, but in his panic he only saw the downsides.
I have to report this! I gotta tell someone! Anyone! The whole town could be in danger! What if I woke some of them up?!
There had been recorded cases of gem beasts lying dormant for years before suddenly reawakening due to human interference.
Oh this is bad this is bad this is so bad! Steven gripped his hair in panic as his thoughts started to spiral out of control. I just woke up a bunch of dangerous monsters at the dead of night, and no one is guarding the Wall here! Not good not good not goo-*Slap*
Just before his thoughts could go completely down the never-ending spiral of panic, Steven slapped himself across the face.
Keep it together man! Remember what mom said, a panicking mind is a wasteful one. I need to calm down and think things through.
Nodding at his own rationality, he took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out again. After repeating this process a few times, his heartbeat became steadier and he was able to think a little more clearly.
Okay…let's think this through, he thought to himself. A lot of those gems were already broken and shattered, so they're already dead right? And even if there were still some live ones, I didn't touch any of them.
He replayed the few minutes he'd been in that room in his mind, and he was fairly certain he hadn't touched any of them.
Right, and then I got out of there lickety split, and I closed the door on my way out. Even if a beast was there, it wouldn't be getting through a push door from the opposite side without a handle. He then looked back towards the city wall. And though there aren't any guards, the gate door to the beach is still closed and no alarms have been signaled…
He actually had more faith in the slab he'd closed than the unmanned perimeter, but he was picking all of the positives out in this situation. He kept staring at the wall for a few more minutes as the heavy stillness of the town weighed down on him.
"Okay, no monsters swarming because of my stupidity thank goodness," he sighed in relief before becoming somber again. "But even still, that place could still be dangerous. It might not be an immediate threat, but I should still tell someone about it. The last thing we need is Dad's concert getting ruined by…"
His eyes widened as he looked at the night sky before getting out his phone.
"10:45? I was in there that long?! AGH! The hotel is like an hour walk away!" he panicked. And then to make his day even worse, he saw the notifications for numerous missed calls and texts from his Dad.
"Ah crud, he's not going to be happy when I get back," he groaned, knowing how much of a worrywart his dad was. Sure, his curfew may have been 12, but Steven had never actually used up that full time before. "Stupid ruins blocking service," he grumbled.
He then started to reach his finger to redial, but he stopped himself.
No…I can't let him know I was inside ruins at night past the Wall! He thought with conviction as he turned his phone off. Sure, going past a settlement's walls in the dark was frowned upon by most, but what he'd done thanks to his curiosity could get him into even more trouble. My phone died, and that's why I didn't answer…yeah…
Steven didn't like lying, but the possible consequences swam through his head. If he told his Dad, then his Dad would of course contact the G.O.F. They would take his statement, do something showy just in time for their 500th anniversary, and then the story would get out how Mr. Universe's dumb kid almost caused a beast swarm, and then their little mini vacation would be ruined. Paparazzi would come, the locals would know who they were, and any sense of peace would be lost.
Steven bit his lip at these thoughts, knowing that it was selfish to put his own needs over something possibly dangerous, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to ruin everything, and on the first day no less.
"…I'll just leave an anonymous tip. Yeah, then Dad's name won't get thrown around. Heck, maybe someone already knows about the place and I just found a dumping ground. There's no need to cause panic when it's not needed."
These were shallow justifications, even to him, but they were good enough to his exhausted mind.
"I'll tell someone later. I'm already going to be in trouble, no need to add this to it."
}Line Break{
"You are in so much trouble young man!"
Steven couldn't help but flinch, keeping his head low to the ground as the usually mellow tone of his father's voice was replaced with one of parental anger.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you!? I tried calling several times, but it went straight to voicemail! Now I know that probably isn't that big a deal, but when it happens five times in a row? That's when I get worried Steven."
Steven wilted under his father's words, his guilt over going into the ruins when he really should have just headed back to the hotel growing. Steven never liked it when his dad got like this, him sounding so worried and stressed over something he did.
It reminded him about what happened back then, and Steven did not need to think about that at the moment.
"I'm sorry Dad, I swear I didn't mean to ignore your calls. Things just sort of happened and my phone died and well…yeah," Steven explained, his head still lowered to the ground and refusing to make eye contact. His father sighed in exhaustion at that and said gently,
"You know I'm only upset because I was worried, you know that right?"
Steven looked up, seeing his father giving him a gentle, if worried, smile. He was a head taller than his son, with a thick goatee, and a bit of a beer gut thanks to years of eating on the road. Also, despite a balding patch, he still kept his brown hair rocker long.
"O-of course I know that dad," Steven answered, still feeling shame. "I would have answered my phone if it hadn't di-"
Steven was cut off as his dad gave him one of those stern glares only parents manage to pull off, the kind that both conveyed disappointment yet caring at the same time.
"I know you would have Steven, but you still didn't, and you came back past your curfew. I'm sorry Steven, but you're grounded."
"Grounded?!" Steven gasped in outrage. "Dad, I'm sixteen!"
"And? You're still my boy," Greg answered crossing his arms.
"But I was only late by like 10 minutes! And my phone was off, it wasn't my fault! And nothing happened!" Steven protested.
"But I didn't know that Steven! For all I knew, one of my whacko fans kidnapped you!" he growled back, and Steven's retort died in his throat. "I can't…I can't lose you buddy."
Steven untensed at that, knowing that his father wasn't being malicious. He was just scared.
"Dad…I'm sorry."
Greg nodded at this, and Steven could tell that he was trying very, very hard not to break his stern facade.
"Right…so uh," he stammered. "Tomorrow you can't go off by yourself. Not without me or Becca alright? That…that sounds like a good grounding right?"
"Y-yeah…that sounds fair," Steven nodded.
The two of them never liked to argue, they only had so much time together and neither wanted to have those precious moments feeling like dirt.
Why can't life be like a cartoon, you say sorry, the screen goes black and no one remembers anything that happened the next episode. Where's my scene transition!? Steven couldn't help but think as he tried to distract himself from his father's disappointed gaze.
There was a few seconds of awkward silence between the two before Greg's face finally softened.
"Okay Shtu-ball, I might be willing to de-scale your punishment if you just tell me what you were doing that made you late." Steven couldn't help but flinch at the easy out given to him, since that was the exact thing he couldn't tell his father.
"I...I forgot to charge my phone before I left so I turned it off to save power. I didn't realize how much time had passed until I turned it back on to look up a map of the town since I got lost." He lied. Steven was not a gifted fibber, and it showed in his father's demeanor.
"You know you can trust me right? If there's something you feel like you can't tell me, I promise you you can. I'll always be there for you bud."
I want to tell you dad, but I'm not going to ruin everything for you because of my dumbness, he inwardly winced in guilt.
"It-it's the truth. I swear dad, that's all that happened, really."
A few more seconds of awkward silence between father and son elapsed before Greg let out a disappointed sigh.
"If you say so Shtu-ball, but when you're willing to tell me what actually happened, I'm all ears. Now…" Greg's tone shifted to a more lighthearted one as he pointed to Steven's right hand, "What's with the mirror?"
Steven's eyes widened as he looked down at his hand, still holding the mirror from the ruin.
I carried this thing the whole way?! He thought in shock. Between his mad dash and his worry over his family life, he had forgotten about the darn thing. His grip on it had been consciously ignored like someone who wears a wristwatch. Thankfully, said mirror was held so that the backside holding the cracked tear-shaped gem was facing away from his dad.
"O-oh this little old thing? I found it washed up on the beach while I was exploring. It looked pretty old and I was curious if it was some ancient artifact or just some junk someone threw into the ocean."
Unlike the last time he lied, Steven's fib came out as slightly more believable since it was flavored with some truth. But even still, more believability didn't help his terrible poker face.
Greg looked from the mirror to his stammering son and a knowing smirk came to his face.
Oh please Dad, don't pry, don't-
"I think I see what's going on here now," he said sounding amused.
"Uh…you do?" Steven asked hesitantly.
"Yup. I guess I really should have seen this coming. You are at that age," Greg chuckled.
"Uh…" Steven trailed off, not knowing what brought the mood shift.
"I get that you don't want to talk to your old man about such things, I was the same way," he said patting Steven's shoulder. "But a little advice bud, you don't have to buy expensive gifts to get a girl to like ya. Making them smile and laugh will keep them around longer."
"Huh? What girl?" Steven gaped, beyond confused, but his Dad just smirked and winked at him.
"What girl indeed?" he said conspiratorially before heading towards his and Rebecca's room.
Greg had jumped to the conclusion that his precious little boy was growing up and trying to woo some local girl in town. Why else would he lie about where he was or why he was late? Who would want to talk to their Dad about such things? Greg had reasoned. Steven, meanwhile, was just lost.
"I…wha…?" Steven continued to sputter as his Dad turned back to him.
"…Alright, I'm not that heartless. You can go out in the day by yourself tomorrow, but I want you back before sunset okay?"
"Uh…Okay?" Steven asked more than agreed.
"Good, that should give you enough time to treat her to a meal," Greg chuckled before putting on a fake face of authority. "Now, uh, go to your room and think about what you've done…and good luck."
And as the older man entered his room, Steven was left in the hotel hallway feeling extremely befuddled.
Steven clutched the mirror to his chest as he let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Oh man...that was close!" Steven said as he stared at the mirror, his reflection staring back at him with the same tired eyes and tense smile.
"…What the heck is he on about?" he said aloud, scratching his head. With the hallway providing no answers, Steven headed towards his own room.
"I mean, I know things haven't been tense with Dad like that in a long time…but that took a weird turn." He then held the mirror up to his face. "…Did he think I bought this from some girl?" The mirror of course did not answer.
As he entered his own private room and shut the door, he turned the mirror around and stared at the cracked gem.
"Well, whatever the case, I'm glad he jumped to…whatever he jumped to instead of seeing this. He'd have found out where I was and thrown this away." Still feeling a bit unnerved by the crystal, he turned back to the glass side in contemplation.
A part of him wanted to put the thing away or chuck it into the ocean…but another part of him disagreed. He didn't understand why, but he had a gut feeling that this mirror was important and held answers to that creepy, creepy place. And he always trusted his gut.
"Life's full of adventure and risks, you just have to trust your gut and follow your heart to find them," his mother's words echoed in his head, which caused him to smile a bit at his reflection.
Whatever this thing is, it's got a broken beast gem, just like all those other ones. Why else would someone put it in a mirror? The question now is though, who killed all those beasts and made those tunnels? I mean, when I leave that anonymous tip to the G.O.F. it'd be best to have as much info as possible…
His curiosity about a good historical mystery returned as he figured out a way to not drag his father's name through the mud.
"Well mysterious mirror, the names Steven DeMayo. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, so get used to seeing this chubby mug. Pleased to meetcha!" he said to his reflection with a laugh.
He then set the mirror down on the dresser and hopped in the shower to wash the sweat, stone, dust and sand off of himself. As he did so, the mirror's surface replayed his laughing visage over and over again before static consumed it and the glass became still once more.
}Line Break{
Two days later, Steven had had little luck in discovering the mirror's origins.
Much to the surprise of his father, Steven had not gone out to meet the imagined girl he was sweet on, and instead kept his face glued to his laptop in his room. Even when offering to take him out to see his cousin Andy's barn and surrounding land, he had declined. His cousin, who he considered more of an uncle, wasn't even in the state at the moment, so he decided to keep digging.
After reading countless historical articles on mirrors from many different cultures, looking through several image boards, and even some shopping sites, he had come up with bupkis.
"How hard is it to find another dang mirror?!" he grunted. He had even tried uploading a photo and using a program to find a duplicate, but that led to nowhere as well.
Despite two days of failure though, he still kept getting helpful suggestions from his longest internet friend ArchsaFan24.
"No luck on that site either HL?" came the warbled voice modulator of said friend.
"What, the groan not enough of a clue?" he responded sarcastically.
"Hard to tell with the distortion, figured you were either complaining or singing," his friend responded with the same warbling audio from the chat site.
Steven had "met" ArchsaFan24 a few years ago on an anonymous chat site and had periodically stayed in touch due to their shared interests in history. Despite his lack of social skills and general paranoia about people discovering his true identity, he still felt that Arch was as close to a best friend that he could have. He didn't know their true name, gender, age, or even voice, but that didn't matter much. He was HistoryLover12 and nothing more to them, and he was thankful for that.
"Trust me, you'll know when I sing," he grunted before picking up the mirror. "I just don't get it! How can no one possibly know where this thing came from!? It's just a mirror for crying out loud!"
His outburst was met with distorted laughter from his friend before they responded in a teasing tone,
"Weren't you the one who told me, 'the more common the artifact, the harder it's origins are to find?'"
Steven couldn't help but flinch slightly at his own words being thrown back at him.
"Oh right...but still Archsa when I said that I was talking about ancient tables or tools, not a fancy mirror with a gem in it."
He turned the mirror over at that statement and tested the duct tape he'd put over said gem. The last thing he wanted was to give someone a heart attack or worse, have it stolen before he figured out it's mystery.
"I still don't understand why you're so focused on this mirror. I mean, it's not the first time something's been bedazzled with slain beast parts. For all you know, it could just be made to look like that with a regular crystal."
"Why would someone make that?" he asked.
"To drive up profit? To make someone seem richer and more important than they really are? There's all kinds of reasons," Archsa listed. "I mean, you said that you found this near a site from some conspiracy nut's blog right? It could just be a hoax."
"It'd be a very expensive hoax then," he mumbled thinking back to the many cracked and shattered gems in that room. He hadn't told Arch about that part of the story. He enjoyed the anonymity they had and didn't want to give out clues to who he was, and he knew that when he finally called in that tip to the G.O.F., the internet would be buzzing about Beach City. He didn't want to risk the chance of one of his only friends turning out like the rest.
"You'd be surprised what some people would spend just to get 15 Minutes of fame," Archsa pointed out.
"I know Archsa, but my gut is telling me that there's more to it than just that," he said as he pulled up Keep Beach City Weird. "Besides, if that blogger guy did leave the mirror there just to con some tourist he'd be ranting and raving about it, but instead his latest articles are about the dangers of canned tuna."
"Maybe he's waiting for someone to report it? Or it could be the mirror was left by someone else trying to prank him? I'm still surprised you haven't told the authorities or anything HL," they countered.
"No need to cause a stir if it's not necessary," Steven excused before looking back at his reflection. "But you may be on to something."
"I usually am," they said with a chuckle. "But yeah, if you're hitting dead ends online and you're still this curious, I'd say track this guy down."
"Ha! The last thing I want is this guy having my email address," Steven scoffed as he looked over an article claiming that many species of birds were faked by the Discovery Channel for views.
"Well those are your options, either keep banging your head against a wall and getting nothing, or talking to the weirdo that led you to your discovery," they responded before laughing, "And hey, if you don't want them having your email, just go see them IRL."
"Oh Archsa that's brilliant!" Steven said with sparkling eyes.
"Huh? What is?" their laughter stopped.
"Without a computer screen to hide behind, I'd be able to see his actual reaction to this mirror! If he knows something, it'll be obvious," Steven explained excitedly.
"…HL no. That's a terrible idea!"
"He's a local weirdo, and I know just the person who can help me track him down," Steven continued in determination.
"No seriously, I was just joking! DO NOT meet this guy in person!" Archsa begged, the distortion not masking their concern.
"…Well I don't really know her per se, but she's friendly and kind of an acquaintance that's willing to give directions so there's that," he continued aloud, oblivious to his friend's panic.
"Are you even listening to me HistoryLover?! This guy might be a cannibal that locks people in his basement!"
"I'll talk to you later Archsa with whatever news I gleam from this guy," Steven finished as he logged out of the chat.
"Wait a se-" their words were cut off as he went offline and closed his laptop. He then went over to his window and opened the blinds.
"Okay, still the middle of the day, so the donut shop should be open," he said aloud before putting on his favorite hoodie and tucking his journal into it. He then grabbed his backpack and the mirror. Before placing the artifact inside, he looked resolutely back at his reflection.
"Alright Mr. "Keep Beach City Weird" Steven's coming for you…" he said in his best impression of an action star before breaking into a giggle fit. With the artifact stored away, Steven exited his room and sent his Dad a text saying that he would be back before nightfall. Brimming with newfound excitement and enthusiasm after two days of failure, Steven set back out into the boring old town towards the bakery where he hoped the nice girl from before was on shift.
}Line Break{
"You…want to meet Renaldo?"
To Steven's immense relief Sadie was, in fact, on shift that day, and even better, she remembered him. This made it easier to ask about the bloggers' whereabouts; easier, but no less strange.
"Bwahahaha! So you actually fell for Ronut's crackpot theories after all?! Bwahahaha!"
What was not making it easy for Steven was that Lars was also working that shift, and the lanky team seemed to take immense enjoyment at his expense. And to make matters worse, he was out of elbow range from the more pleasant employee.
Man, what a jerk, Steven thought to himself. He may have been out of elbow range, but Sadie's glare made him choke and reconsider his cruel laughter. After all was quiet again, Steven answered,
"I just want to talk to him about some symbols I found on the cliff side, that's all."
He even showed off the sketch in his journal to the girl, who did seem genuinely interested.
"Huh, I thought you'd find pictures of deer or something, not this," she said in awe as she reached out for his journal. She stopped though when Steven involuntarily flinched and pulled the book back though. For her part, she didn't bring that up as the boy chuckled nervously, but she did give him a questioning look.
"S-Sorry, but yeah. No paintings, just these carvings."
"…And you think that they might be alien?" she questioned unsurely.
"No, no, nothing like that," he hand waved. "I just want to know if he knew anymore or even possibly had anything to do with their creation."
She raised a brow at that before looking back at the sketch.
"I don't know about that last bit. Renaldo may be strange, but he's not someone who fakes things. He'd rather yell about stuff that's 'already in front of us that we're too blind to know the truth about.'"
"Huh…well still, his rants have to come from somewhere. Some information, no matter how skewed has a source, and I want to see if I can backtrack his. These symbols could possibly be new after all."
"They could? How can you tell?" she asked.
"The angles are too precise to have been done with a simple pick or chipping tool, and it's not weathered, so my guess is lasers."
"Lasers?" she repeated.
"Lasers," Steen nodded.
"Nerds," Lars not so subtly whispered as he washed a window, but was ignored.
And that technology has only been around for about thirty years, so either someone was just graffitiing or someone knew about the ruins below and marked them.
"That's pretty impressive that you know that by sight alone. You must really love this ancient history stuff huh?"
Steven nodded fondly at that, which caused Sadie to give her own small smile at his passion.
"And I guess since you've already made up your mind, you want to know where to find Renaldo?"
"Uh, yeah. If you could tell me I'd really appreciate it," he said in earnest.
"Well, knowing him, he's either working at his dad's fry shop or in his 'office' in the lighthouse," she answered, giving air quotes when saying office.
"The lighthouse on top of the hill there?" Steven pointed out the window.
"That's the one," she nodded.
"He's got an office outside the wall?" Steven asked in confusion.
"More like above it. No one's used that lighthouse for years, and no one really cares that he hangs out there," she shrugged.
"Yeah, but still, is that safe?" he pointed out.
"Yeah, as safe as a tall bright beacon for monsters to attack can be at least," Lars scoffed as he finished cleaning the window. As sarcastic and grumpy as Lars was, Steven couldn't help but agree with that sentiment.
"It is at the highest point on top of sturdy rock, and even if there were flying beasts, the wall defenses below would shoot them down," Sadie answered, though Steven still wasn't fully convinced.
"Right…so maybe I'll check out this fry shop first. Is it that one that's on the boardwalk by that pizza place?" he asked Sadie.
"Yup," she nodded. "It's family owned, but don't worry, the rest of his family aren't like him."
"Thanks a lot Sadie," Steven smiled before a thought came to him. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the mirror. "By the way, long shot, but have you ever seen something like this around?" Sadie looked into the mirror's reflection and at the back with the duct tape covered gem, but she did not reach for it remembering Steven's reaction to his journal.
"Well it looks like a fancy mirror…is there a trick to it or something?" Sadie asked cluelessly.
"Maybe he's trying to show you your inner self or something new agey like that," Lars chuckled, causing Steven to roll his eyes.
"Just checking," Steven said before putting the mirror away and leaving the shop. "Thanks again Sadie."
"You're welcome Steven," she waved.
"Take your time coming back," Lars called out and Steven rolled his eyes again.
I really hope I don't have to deal with that jerk every time I come here. There's being crabby working a crummy job and then there's just…that!
Taking a deep breath Steven pushed his annoyance aside and set off for the fry restaurant.
}Line Break{
"Man *munch* these are some really good fries! There's plenty of crunchy ones!"
"Yeah, dad calls those The Bits. On the secret menu, you can just get a bag of those if you want," the counter boy informed.
"Oh sweet! Maybe next time though," Steven replied, his mouth still stuffed with fried potatoes.
Beach Citywalk Fries as it was called, wasn't really all that big, but boy did it produce some delicious fried goodness.
"Yeah, hope to catch you then…Steven right?"
"Uh huh," he nodded. "And you were Pete?"
"Peedee," the blonde teen corrected him.
"Right, right," Steven said while swallowing. He had come to the shop, only to find that Renaldo was not on shift, and instead found his little brother manning the counter. He had been hesitant to talk to him at first, but once again Sadie was no liar and Peedee had been really helpful and informative. Buying some scrumptious fries from him was the least he could do.
"Oh and when you see my brother, tell him I'm not covering his shift again this week would ya? I don't care if he swears he saw a mermaid!" the boy grunted in aggravation.
"Will do. Later," Steven waved as he walked from the shop. And while he walked and enjoyed his snack, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.
That sucks that he has to cover for his brother's craziness. If I had a little brother, I wouldn't treat him like that, Steven thought, ignorant to the ways of siblings that only only children were. From Peedee, he'd learned that even his own family felt Renaldo was strange, which only compounded Steven's anxiety.
Peedee even acted as confused as Sadie was when I asked her about the guy, Steven mused as he crunched down on another fry bit.
"Oh yeah, definitely coming back for that secret menu," he thought in ecstasy as he made his way towards another wall exit. Since the wall was built into the cliff from two sides, he knew he wouldn't be able to get to the top from the beach exit he'd taken before. The only way up would be past a ramshackle mini wall that lay in the middle of the path going up.
Seriously, is there no one doing maintenance out here? Steven observed as he walked through the "Guard Station" which for all intents and purposes was as secure as a simple sheep pen. I mean, I guess they might feel overly safe and stuff with the mountain and everything, but still. Seems like such a weak point.
Leaving the "safety" of that section, Steven made his way to the peak of the cliff, rising higher and higher above the wall proper on either side of him. Unlike the path section though, these parts had the necessary defenses. He whistled at the size of the turrets and rail guns, but even still, they seemed to have a fine layer of sand and dust on them.
"Hopefully those aren't rusted either," Steven shuddered as he finished the rest of his fries and came to the base of the lighthouse. Looking up, he was also surprised to see a few defenses set into the lighthouse itself, though they looked even more disused than on the wall.
Well at least someone was thinking practically when they built this thing, Steven thought as he stepped up to the door. Here goes nothing.
And with that, he knocked gently, yet firmly on the door. Even if it was public property, he didn't want to be rude and just barge in on someone who'd set up shop there. After a few moments of silence passed, he knocked again.
"Whose there!? If you're with the Sneople know that I will fight to the very end!" a hysterical voice called through the door, startling Steven. "I will make sure my discoveries of the truth are known by all!"
...Well this was a bad idea, Steven thought in deadpan.
"Um, I'm not a…whatever the heck you just said. My name's Steven and I just want to talk to you about something," he said as calmly as he could.
"Oh, you just want to 'Talk' huh Mr. Steven? If that is your real name?" the unbelieving voice accused.
"Uh, yeah? You're Renaldo Fryman right?"
"Hah! The Illuminati is getting sloppy if they're hiring amateurs like you for their secret police! How else would you have known my name?!" he shouted and Steven sighed.
"I talked with Sadie at the Big Donut and your brother Peedee," Steven responded and he heard a gasp.
"Curses! You've already gotten them with your fluoride haven't you?!"
Steven facepalmed and groaned at that.
Ugh, great plan Archsa! Why the heck did I agree to this?! He thought in frustration.
"Listen man, I'm not anything weird, I'm just a regular person. I just want to talk to you about something I found at one of those "Alien" sites you wrote about," he said with conviction.
There were a few heartbeats of silence before the door was opened a crack and an older boy with messy hair and glasses stuck his head out.
"You've…read my blog?" he asked in shocked surprise.
"Yeah, Keep Beach City Weird," Steven answered, and the guy's face suddenly became intrigued.
"Ah! A fellow Truth Seeker!" he exclaimed, opening the door revealing the rest of him. "And you don't have the distinct markings of the Sneople, so sorry for doubting you."
To say the blogger was disheveled would be underselling it. He was taller than Steven, with even more pudge, a distinct greasy smell, and a shine of sweat over his skin. In essence, he was almost exactly as Steven pictured him to be.
If it weren't for the hair, I'd wonder if you were even related to Peedee, Steven thought apprehensively before composing himself.
"Yeah…definitely not that kind of thing," he responded.
"Excellent. So fellow seeker, what has brought someone as young as you to my office of mystery?" he asked in a hammy manner.
"Uh, I'm actually 16, and I came to ask you about this," Steven said as he brought out the mirror. He watched the guy's face for any signs or hints of emotion. What Steven didn't expect to see was confusion.
"…Okay? It's fancy and all, but I'm not interested in buying. If you're a door to door salesman though, I have to warn you that you're actually a puppet for the same shadow organization that controls the Girl Scou-"
"No, no, I'm not a salesman!" Steven cut off a rant before it began.
And there goes the hoax theory, Steven inwardly sighed. Though he never was a good conversationalist, he was good at reading people.
"Oh, well count your lucky stars, otherwise you would have eventually ended up as the secret ingredient," he smirked. "But anyway, if you're not a salesman, then what's the deal?"
"I found this mirror down below at the base of this cliff near that writing you blogged about," Steven sighed, as he started to put it away. "I thought maybe you might have seen it be-"
"The alien runes?! Ah! Then why didn't you just say so! Sorry for being so dismissive before, here let me take a closer look." Before Steven could say no the mirror was out of his hands and was suddenly in Renaldo's grasp.
"Hey! What the heck man?!" he complained, but the blonde guy was already twisting and turning the mirror, drinking in everything about it. "And careful! You're smudging the glass!"
"Hmmm...doesn't look like a Sneople artifact, no serpent imagery," he muttered aloud, still ignoring Steven. "Possibly a relic from the future given its design, do the aliens have that kind of tech? Maybe what's underneath the duct tape could give me some clues?"
Steven's eyes widened in panic at that as Renaldo slowly started peeled the grey sticky tape hiding the gem.
"Hey wait, before you-" Steven tried to warn, but was too late as the older boy revealed the blue gem.
"Is...is this a gem?" he gasped, his eyes widened in both shock and fear.
Steven, panicking, quickly took the mirror out of his hands and quickly put the discarded duct tape back on it while stuttering out,
"I-I know what this looks like, but you can't tell anyone!"
Renaldo just stared at Steven in awe as he recovered the blue stone and looked at him pleadingly.
"I…you found this near the alien runes?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah," Steven nodded as sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"And…and was it found near other gem pieces?" he asked, his eyes staring a thousand yards into the distance.
"Yeah it was…" Steven answered as his eyes narrowed. "How did you-"
"I was right…" the blogger all but whispered.
"Huh?"
"I was right!" Renaldo shouted pumping his fist into the air and startling Steven. "This is just the proof I needed hahahaha! In your face Laserbotxxx1289!"
"Uhhhh…" Steven trailed off in apprehension and confusion. Renaldo, either not seeing or not caring about Steven's discomfort, placed both his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.
"Oh whatever your name was! Thank you! This is just the proof I needed to prove that the Gem Beasts that terrorize us are actually ancient warriors from outer space left behind after the Great War!"
There was no record playing, but nevertheless, Steven heard a record scratch as those words sank in.
"Ancient warriors...from space?" he monotoned incredulously.
"Yes! Alien gems from space that used our planet as a battlefield for their long-forgotten war!" Renaldo nodded either not noticing or ignoring the disbelief. Steven thought he heard static at that, but he just put it off as the ridiculousness sucking away all rationality in the air.
"How does a mirror with a dead Gem Beast in it equal aliens?" Steven asked crossly while facepalming.
"How? Isn't it obvious?!" he asked in shock. "I mean, the writing is quite literally on the wall!"
"Well I guess I can't read then," Steven deadpanned as he mentally crossed Renaldo off the list of helpful clues.
This guy is just a hopeless nut after all…
"That's alright, for I shall inform you!" he said as he pulled Steven inside the lighthouse.
"Hey!" Steven exclaimed, but before he knew it he was shoved into a chair as the whacko started gathering papers.
"As you know, aliens were actually the basis for many ancient civilization's gods, like the Egyptians and Romans," he said matter of factly.
"Oh yeah, everyone definitely knows all about that," Steven responded sarcastically getting up from the chair.
"But only true scholars know that each of these aliens were a different race! And the same goes for the Gem Aliens!" he said as he held up a print off of some kind of painting depicting a bunch of robed people killing a gem beast. Steven paused in his escape as he looked at this grotesque painting.
"Is this about those weird Beast Cultists?" Steven asked disturbed.
"Exactly! Over the last few thousand years, there have been numerous cults that have popped up surrounding the beasts. They've all varied, but one key trait is shared amongst them," he said suddenly sounding very serious. "The ritualistic sacrifice and adornment of Gem Beasts to summon the old gem gods."
"Whoa," Steven gasped in disturbed awe, the history buff in him always thankful for new info. "I mean, that's interesting and all, but that's just the ramblings of crazy people."
"Indeed, because all old gods were in fact aliens! So these "Gem Gods" were actually Gem Aliens. You see?" he said as if it meant perfect sense.
"Not really," Steven admitted. "I mean, if you grasp for straws I guess, but you said they were ancient warriors that fought some sort of Great War."
"Oh yes," he nodded as if they were having a philosophical discussion. "That part can also be extrapolated thanks to ancient ruins, and of course the beasts themselves."
"What are you-"
"These ancient gem aliens would only create such monstrosities as the Gem Beasts if there were battles to be fought. Beasts only "live" to kill, just like a killer robot. And the only reason to create a killer robot is to set it on your enemies. So these aliens created these beasts, set them loose on perhaps another sect of aliens, possibly the Egyptian gods, and eventually they became overwhelmed by their own creations."
"…That's a big leap from finding a mirror with a gem in it," Steven admitted which caused Renaldo frowned.
"Hmmph, deny it all you want, but that mirror is proof of a bunch of crazy people's devotion to "Gem Gods,"" he huffed. "Since all gods are aliens, that is all the proof you need."
Yeah this guy is a lost cause, Steven thought at his conviction, but his words did actually give him more ideas. There may not be aliens involved, but if that chamber was built by cultists…
"Say, Renaldo. Have these Gem Cultists made hidden temples and stuff in the past?"
"Hmmm, perhaps. I mean, anything not found is hidden I guess," he shrugged. "I'm no expert on them myself."
"Really? You just talked about their history and rituals," Steven pointed out.
"Oh yes, I know of them, but I'm more of an expert on what they delusionally worshipped. You want more info on their horrific ways, you'd have to talk to EarthXJ-128B."
"Who?"
"A fellow truth seeker, but one who's more interested in the occult side of things," he said before rolling his eyes. "Seriously, there emails can get creepy at times."
Coming from this guy, that's saying something, Steven thought wearily. Still, info is info.
With that thought, he set the mirror down and wrote the name down in his journal.
"And does this Earth guy have an address I could contact?" he asked and Renaldo raised a brow.
"Through my blog yeah, but seriously, you'd be wasting your time talking to them. The real truth is out there! You ever wonder what made the Grand Canyon?"
"The Colorado River?" Steven guessed.
"Hah! That's what they want you to think. In actuality the Canyon was created when…"
And he began to rant and rave about more ridiculous notions about aliens and the creation of Gem Beasts.
You know, I should probably leave…but maybe it's better if I just let him tire himself out and finish. I know how I get when talking about history, Steven reasoned as he made a note in his journal to look into the more occult side of things.
}Line Break{
Steven slowly entered his hotel room, gently placed the mirror onto his nightstand and flopped onto the bed.
Three hours...three hours! How can someone go on that long about clearly fake stuff for three hours?! He groaned into his pillow, mentally exhausted. In all that time listening about microwaves, chem trails and other nonsense, he had learned nothing of value.
I guess I know how Dad and Archsa feel now. I gotta start shorting my ramblings then because yeesh…
Picking his head up, he looked at the mirror and sighed.
Well at least it wasn't a total waste. I never even thought to look into the cult angle. If that's the case, I should be careful in case any of the members still live in this town… His thoughts then drifted back to Renaldo and if that would complicate things.
Eh, it's not like anyone would believe him anyway. He may have a few screws loose, but he's no cultist. And really, as crazy as it was, you gotta admire the guy for his passion for weird stuff.
As the sun started to dip below the horizon, Steven sat up in his bed and looked to his laptop.
"I guess I could probably send a message to that cult expert Renaldo talked about…"
After opening his laptop and pulling up Keep Beach City Weird, Steven quickly found some past comments from EarthXJ-128B.
"I am not going to see someone in person that even Renaldo would call crazy," he said with a shudder as he PM'd the user, asking for their expertise on a mirror. He even added a picture of it for good measure. "Okie dokie, takes care of that. Now to just play the waiting game."
He knew it was too much to expect an immediate reply, so after five minutes, he contacted someone he knew would respond immediately.
"Hey Archsa," Steven said as they connected. "I've got some gr-"
"Oh thank heavens!" they interrupted. "That wasn't cool HL! I thought you'd been made into a rug or something!"
"Made into a rug? What are you even talking about?" he asked in confusion.
"Or a lamp or whatever else serial killers do to bodies," they added with a huff.
"What serial killer?" he asked, thinking he'd missed a joke or something. Before they could answer though, he continued. "Whatever, I just wanted you to know your idea worked and didn't work at the same time."
"My idea?!" they accused. "Wait a second, did you really go see that conspiracy nut?!"
"Of course I did," he said with a roll of his eyes. "And let me tell you, he's passionate about being crazy."
"I-Wha-That's what I said when you-"
"But the good news is, I did find a new lead thanks to his ramblings," Steven continued and Archsa stopped stammering.
"You did?" they asked.
"Yup," Steven nodded. "Now the blogger thinks it's all about aliens and stuff, but even he mentioned how tied that theory is with Gem Cultists."
"…Are you telling me you think this mirror might belong to one of those weirdoes?" Archsa asked, sounding disturbed.
"Maybe. It's an avenue I didn't even think to look into till now. There's another person I've contacted about it, but I'll also check out actual documented cases," he informed.
"Well…that's good and all that you've got a new lead, but I'd be careful HL. Gem Cultists are almost as dangerous as the beasts themselves. For all you know, this other guy you've contacted might be one."
Steven's eyes widened at that.
"I hadn't thought of that…but I mean, there hasn't been one in the States for a while right?" he shivered.
"Not an active in the public eye one, but you never know," they responded.
He bit his lip at that, but shook his head.
"Then if it turns out this other guy is too shady, I'll just cut them off. But either way, I'm going to look more into this angle. I've got to know exactly who made this mirror in the first place ya know?"
"Gem. Aliens."
Steven froze at the sudden voice…a familiar voice…Renaldo's voice. He turned around, but only his empty room greeted him.
"…Hello?" he called out.
"Huh?" Archsa responded but Steven ignored them.
There's no way he could have followed me, I would have noticed that…what the hec-
"Gem. Aliens. War."
Steven's thoughts were cut off as his voice once again echoed out.
"Gyah!" he yelped as he stood up from his chair.
"HL? What was that?" asked Archsa. Again they were ignored as Steven looked out his window, seeing no one outside his door.
"HistoryLover?" Achsa called again.
"I'll call you back," he stammered as he closed his laptop and began looking around. "Renaldo? Where are you?"
And why the heck did you follow me?!
Gulping in fear, he popped his head into the bathroom and the closet, but again there was no one. Then, reluctantly, he looked under the bed…and found it empty. With shifting eyes, he sat on his bed and held his face.
"Am…am I hearing things? Did my mind break after those three hours?"
"Gem. Aliens."
Steven stiffened at that as the voice came from beside him, where nobody conceivably could have been in the small space. Turning his head slowly, he of course saw nothing there. Nothing except the mirror.
There's no way…right?
Cautiously Steven slowly reached out to the artifact and picked it up, ready to possibly chuck the thing if it so much as twitched without his consent. Slowly, very slowly he turned the mirror to face himself…and let out a quiet sigh as he only saw his own reflection staring back at him.
"Phew…" he breathed and let out a small chuckle as he looked at the ceiling. "I need a nap or something because for a second there I thou-"
"Hi."
The sound of his own voice caused Steven to intake a gasp of air in shock and look back down at his reflection. It was still him…but it was him with the bed in the background. The bed he was currently sitting on. He looked back, just to be certain a hole to the room next door hadn't opened, but of course there wasn't. With that confirmed, the hand holding the mirror began to shake slightly in fear as he turned back see his reflection once again.
"No…way…"
Then before his very eyes his image was replaced with static before returning again, and it spoke.
"Hi. *Static* Steven *Static* Pleased to meetcha."
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Steven screamed, dropped the mirror onto the floor and ran out of his room like it was on fire, because that was the only rational decision to such an event. And as he ran down the hall towards his father's room screaming bloody murder, the mirror, now alone, filled with static before another image of Steven appeared.
"Oh man. *Static* That took a weird turn."
}Episode End{
Let's be honest people, if a mirror suddenly started talking to you in real life you'd probably react the same way. Talking mirrors tend to lead to misfortune after all.
I want to thank you all again for taking such an interest into the fic, especially considering how much of an AU it is. I've had a blast writing for this so far, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the future!
Now, as some of you may know, I tend to respond to all the reviews I get in my ending AN's for my other fic. And for this fic it will be no different! With that said, let's call you guys out!
FanDelLapiven: Thanks! And things sure will be interesting with Steven just being a regular old human. As for if there's a pairing…well who knows what'll happen? *troll smile*
FaxMachine114: I'm glad your enjoying the story so far, and I hope you find the answers your seeking. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic!
M: Thank you so much for the enthusiasm, and I hope to continue to meet and surpass your expectations!
allen Vth: I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter so much and I hope this chap was just as good as the first for ya! Lapis may not have done much 'talking' this chap, but even still the beginning of Steven's interaction with her has just begun! Who knows where it will lead…as for if Steven can still play the ukulele or other instruments? In time we'll just have to see!
LunarCalamity: I'm glad to have caught your interest, and I hope to continue to keep your attention as the story goes on!
Ah…I love doing that segment. It's honestly one of the things I really look forward to when I write these stories. Seeing and reading your guy's reactions just fills me with joy, and usually gives me a new idea or two to add to the story.
Anyway, just a quick reminder this fic is extremely AU so there is bound to be changes or head-canon stuff added into it as the story goes on. If that's not your cup of tea then its no big deal.
With that all said and done I wanna say another quick thank you to all you wonderful people for following and favoriting the story! I hope to continue writing interesting and good chapters as we go on and make you guys laugh along the way!
Now if you need me, college calls and I must sadly answer it. After that I'll be writing as much as the next chap as I can, as tomorrow Luigi's Mansion 3 comes out and that'll take up all my time for the next couple days hehehehe…
Anyway, this has been LightDusk16 signing off!