Chapter 30: The Epilogue

"Steven! Connie! Peridot!" Alexandrite cried in quick succession, her voice decaying as she stumbled towards the shoreline. Her feet barely touched the sand before her form disintegrated, leaving the three Crystal Gems scrabbling onto the beach.

Amethyst and Pearl found Peridot and Connie after only a few moments, lifting them up from the small craters they had made in the sand. After coughing up some dust, they were mostly okay. They could walk at the very least.

All that was missing, was Steven and Cinnabar.

"Over there!" Garnet called, spotting the former almost immediately. He had landed closer to the temple than the others. Relieved, Garnet began to breathe in, but stopped short of fully relaxing. There was always more, she thought.

"Steven!" Peridot and Connie called in unison, rushing towards his unconscious body. They fell to their knees and shook him, hoping he'd wake up after a moment. He was breathing, thankfully, but very much knocked out.

The group, barring Garnet and Peridot, relaxed somewhat. If the worst they'd walk away from this with was Steven in bed for a few hours, they'd take it. Yet, despite that, worries still lingered.

Peridot looked down at Steven, concern building in her mind as he laid there in silence. Her mind was stuck between two voices. One told her to pull Steven close and hold him until he woke up. The other told her to shy away and wait. Her time could wait.

Logic won out.

Amethyst walked around them, pausing at Peridot's side.

"Ah jeeze, Steven, you scared the crud out of us," Amethyst said aloud, speaking to his motionless body. Noticing the relaxing tension in the group, Amethyst decided to take it as an opportunity to raise their spirits. "I know it's rich coming from me, but it's a bit early to be napping, buddy."

Amethyst lightly nudged him with her foot, half joking but half hoping he'd actually wake up.

That would be her last joke for some time.

A crack rang out.

All at once, the beach went pin-drop silent. The calls of the rolling waves and blowing winds sounded like they were a million kilometers away in a single moment. Breaths were slammed to a stop and any sense of relief, any at all, burnt away in a moment.

Peridot dived forward and pulled up Steven's shirt, exposing his gem to the group. Her eyes widened as she fell away. Connie's hands went up to her mouth, tears pouring as they trailed down her arms. Amethyst stumbled back, seeing what felt like a mirror reflecting back at her.

Steven's gem was cracked with several hairline fractures.

"We need to get him to Rose's fountain!" Garnet immediately said, ending the stunned silence and marching forward. Amethyst stepped away as she approached, though neither Connie nor Peridot left their spots. The two of them just stared down at Steven, horror wracking their bodies.

Their horror only grew as Garnet leaned down to lift up Steven. She froze, a torrent of cracks nearly sending her reeling. Her hands shook as she gently placed him on the sand again. As soon as he was still, Garnet fell back, her visor falling from her face as she hit the ground.

"We-we can't move him," she stuttered out. "If we try, he'll just crack faster!"

"Maybe we can go bring some of the fountain water here?!" Pearl suggested in a panic, pacing around Garnet. More cracks rang out, shooting down her suggestion in an instant. He was cracking too fast. They couldn't make it. Steven would also need to soak in the water, so there was no way they could bring enough.

Pearl felt her world falling away along with the tears on her face.

"N-no."

Steven was shattering.

"No!"

"Steven!" Connie screamed, tears flying away as her head shook violently. "This can't happen! You can't—! You can't die!"

"Steven Quartz Universe!" Peridot followed up, anger turning to suffering mid-breath. Whatever strength she tried to put on melted away, leaving her with only bitter vulnerable despair. She felt like every particle of light in her body was sputtering, dimming, and petering away before her. It felt like half of herself was dying.

Because her other half was.

Ugly heaving sobs wracked Peridot's body, thick globs of tears spurting from her visor and onto the sand below. She tried wiping them away, but they merely poured down her hand instead.

"After everything you've done for me, for how amazing you've made me feel, for this dratted clod thing you taught me called love!" Peridot inhaled, hyperventilating her lungs out in a moment. "You think you can just go!? That you can just leave me!?"

Amethyst stumbled her way around Peridot, her balance leaving her as she kneeled at Steven's side. She felt herself going lightheaded, the shock of what she was seeing registering and not registering at the same time.

"S-Steven, Ste-man, p-please. We can't, you can't—" Amethyst took a sharp heavy breath, trying not to cry, trying to keep on her plastered smile. "W-what about the Shorty Squad? What are me and Peridot going to do with only the two of us? That's more like the shorty p-partners than anything."

Amethyst's attempts to calm herself with humor failed, as her facade of a smile fell apart all at once. She fell forward, her hands digging into the sand.

"Steven— Steven, you can't, you can't do this to us, to me!" she screamed, tears pouring down her face as the gates were thrown open. "You can't break— I'm the only one who's supposed to break! Not you!"

Amethyst's cries muffled as she pressed her forehead against the sand.

"Steven," Pearl muttered, falling to her knees just in front of the boy. Her hands pressed against her chest, clutching and tearing, reaching for something to grab on to. But nothing was there, her foundation was gone. "You can't, you can't leave again! You can't leave me again!"

Pearl's shrill cries echoed across the beach, as she fell into hysterics all at once.

"I only just got used to it once!" she screamed. "I can't handle it again!"

She felt no calm as Garnet gripped her shoulder, kneeling down next to her. The stoic leader's resolve crumbled as a sharp breath punctuated the tear running down her face. She held onto Pearl tighter.

"I-I didn't see this. I didn't see any of this!" Garnet cried, her voice cracking. "This wasn't meant to happen, none of this was meant to happen!"

Garnet felt her eyes burning as she looked on at the unconscious boy. The sound of his cracking gemstone was breaking her heart with every moment. Her sense of control, of knowing what was coming, was gone. All she was left with was looking on at the past.

"You were supposed to go on after me," she stammered out with gritted teeth. Her sea of sadness turned into a storm of rage in a second, before it pacified back again. "You were supposed to lead the Crystal Gems in life, not protect us in death!"

That word, death, made Connie cry out in anguish, throwing her head back as she screamed.

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" she cried, pounding her fist into her chest once then twice. "This can't be real, I have to be dreaming!"

Connie slammed her fist against her head, crying out but repeating it immediately after. Then again, and again.

"YOU CAN'T BE GONE, PLEASE!" she screamed. All at once, Connie was pulled away, her arms forced away from her head. Through tear-filled eyes, she looked up, finding Pearl's grief-stricken face looking back at her.

The Gem fell back onto her haunches as she pulled Connie in tight, holding her to both give and receive support. Connie pressed her head into Pearl's chest and wailed. She felt no new breath enter or leave her lungs, just an endless cry that poured out from her, carrying energy and despair Connie wished she never knew she had.

Every part of Connie felt like it was crying out, every centimeter of her body screaming in pain and anguish. It felt like the world was ending.

Because her world was ending.

Peridot's hands pulled at her hair, tighter and tighter as her head shook. She alternated back and forth between tears and resolve, finding peace in neither, only a reminder of how lonely she was. A heavy weight sat on her shoulders, pushing her down and damming whatever weak breath she had.

For so long everything made sense, the confusion and pain of her life was gone, taken away. By Steven's hand, she felt everything that had weighed her down die. But it was all here, raging away in her mind, alive and well.

Alive and well.

No one spoke now. None of the Crystal Gems dared to utter a single legible syllable, lest they betray the suffering the others were feeling. The sound of Steven cracking was like the ticking of a clock down to doomsday, to the end of everything. It was the end of their everything.

And then, heavy footsteps filled the air.

Garnet was the first to notice, her ears picking up the slow and tireless beat. Her head perked up, following the sound. A part of her had to admit, she was less interested in the noise and more so looking for something to take her attention away.

When Garnet broke her kneeling position, Pearl and Amethyst took notice soon after, the sound now also reaching them as well. They looked where she looked and held back the urge to gasp. Pearl, still holding Connie, scrambled to her feet as she took a step back.

"You," she muttered under her breath.

Cinnabar stumbled forward, walking with the distinct limp of an injured soldier. Her hands gripped the handle of her scythe, which she used as a cane to approach the group. There was no anger in her step, no passion or intent. Her face was pointed down, yet all of them could glean a sense of tragedy from her.

Peridot's head snapped to attention, her face twisting at the sight of the approaching commander. She gritted her teeth, parting the river of tears that flowed down her mouth a moment ago. Her expression tightened into a look of raw, directionless anger.

"You!" she shouted, stumbling to her feet in a fury. She tripped, anchoring her stance to the sand with her hand before standing fully. "You wretched, inconsiderate, thick-headed clod! You hurt him! Because of you, he's shattering!"

Cinnabar ignored her without even a wince as she stepped forward. Peridot growled and marched closer.

"You couldn't stop for a second! You couldn't pause and think, maybe he was right!" she screamed, flecks of tears flying off her face. "Steven wanted the best for us, the best for you! And you did this to him!"

Cinnabar grimaced, breath cutting short as what Peridot said registered in her mind.

"He was the only good thing in your life— The best thing in my life!" Peridot's eyes clenched shut and her voice rose higher and higher in volume. "And you did this to him!"

Peridot was cut short as she felt herself being dragged away. A hand covered her mouth as another wrapped around her waist. She struggled for a moment before turning to find Amethyst, who was wrestling to keep it together with the tears running down her face.

"What are—"

"I'm as angry as you are, P-Peri," Amethyst sputtered out. She took a sharp breath, composing herself. "And I'd do anything to just make her feel what Steven is feeling right now."

"Then why are you!—"

"Attacking her won't bring Steven back," Amethyst said bluntly, causing Peridot to pause. "You're just gonna make her mad. And I'm not letting you lie down with him right now."

Peridot's mouth closed. For a moment, she weighed the pros and cons of going through with just that. Amethyst's tight grip, however, gave her little choice in the matter.

Connie opened her eyes. A few moments of clarity through her crying came, and she soon realized that Pearl had carried her away. She looked up, going stiff in Pearl's arms. Despite the Gem's gentle touch, Connie felt a flash of pain crawl up the scars on her skin, as if they were warning her.

They were right to do so.

Pearl took a step forward, anger and frustration tempting her to strike the commander down where she stood. The hand of Garnet on her shoulder, however, made her pause. She looked on at Cinnabar and her anger turned to pity. Connie looked on from her perch in Pearl's arms and felt the same.

Cinnabar stopped in front of Steven, her body shaking as a hand left the steady support of her scythe. For a moment, she tried to stand upright without it, before giving up. With a toss, the weapon was launched into the ocean, and Cinnabar fell to her knees.

"Steven," she sputtered with a loaned breath. "After everything, after everything I did, you still came for me—"

Cinnabar's voice cracked as she inhaled.

"After everything I did to you, after I hurt you," her voice strained, turning to a weak whine. "After I spit in your outstretched hand again and again and again and again! You still came after me!"

Cinnabar's hands gripped her head as she buried her forehead in the sand.

"Why!?" she screamed, sobs pouring down along with her shouts. "Why did you try so much! Why did you care so much! About me!"

The Gem's pity only grew as they watched the sight, seeing Cinnabar fall further into hysterics.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?! What in all my years gave me the right to be in the same lightyear of someone like you?!" Cinnabar pulled at her hair, ripping away chunks all at once. Her tears only grew as she screamed. "You! A light that shined through every darkness, a hope that cut away the deepest of my despairs!"

Cinnabar's voice died away as she shrieked, sobbing incoherently in rage and sadness. Her hands dug at her chest, pulling and scratching, as if she was trying to rip out her own heart. Anything for a chance to stop feeling.

"There is nothing in the entire universe that shines like you; Stars are sparks in the darkness, the other Diamonds are dim flames in the wind!" Cinnabar declared, screaming. She dragged herself closer, anchoring herself over Steven's body. "You are the greatest thing in the whole universe! Steven—"

Cinnabar resisted the urge to fall forward onto him.

"YOU ARE MY UNIVERSE," she cried.

Cinnabar rolled to the right, falling to the sand at Steven's side. Her palms pressed against her eyes, feebly attempting to dam up her tears.

"You are my universe... and I killed you..." Cinnabar's voice died away as her arms fell to her side. She stared into the deep blue sky, hoping she could distract herself for just a moment. The blank canvas of the clear horizon, however, left Cinnabar with nothing but her own mind. And her mind would not allow her a moment of rest.

It would just torture her further, replaying her memories of Steven. They mocked her, giving her what should be the highlights of her life. Instead, they were just bitter reminders of everything that had gone wrong. Every positive memory she recollected came with the same words over and over again.

She killed him.

"Out of every star in the whole universe, every solar system and every galaxy. Steven of Quartz, of all of them, you shined the brightest. And if any of them deserved to be snuffed out today, it shouldn't have been you..." Cinnabar's hands covered her face as she moaned in anguish. "Oh stars, it shouldn't have been you…"

And there Cinnabar laid, tears from her eyes pouring like an endless well. Memories of everything she had done on Earth played in her mind. Meeting Steven, their conversation on their first night, the day they spent together in the human settlements. That and more played over and over again, torturing her.

"Anyone but you…" she rasped between heavy breaths.

More memories came to her: That terrible nightmare that haunted her, and the comforting embrace Steven gave to calm her down. Then, the song he played for her, to show her how much he cared. The memories raged away, mocking her more.

"It should've been me." She shuddered, her whole body trembling with chills.

Then, one last memory arrived. It was like the rotten cherry to a sundae laced with poison. Despite that, Cinnabar took it in wholeheartedly. It was the very least that she deserved.

The memory played in her mind: Her first mission with Steven and the Gems, the one where Steven lifted that tree and tossed it away. Oh how proud she was of him. That was the day that it was cemented in her mind, that Steven was something special. Something that was only reinforced when he later recovered that Gem healing device.

Cinnabar's eyes opened. She went stiff.

"It will be me," she said out loud. Cinnabar leapt to her feet, surprising the entire group as she suddenly regained energy and speed. She growled at Garnet, who summoned her gauntlets in an instant. "We have no time for fighting, fusion!"

"What are you doing?" Garnet shot back, seeing the gears turning in Cinnabar's mind. The commander's expression softened.

"Saving Steven," she replied, turning to Pearl and sticking out a finger. "You! The experimental Gem healing device that was being developed, where is it!"

Pearl took a step back in shock, tightening her hold on Connie ever so slightly. She was thrown for a loop, trying to answer the question and understand why Cinnabar was asking it at the same time.

"I know!" Peridot called out, pulling away from Amethyst at that moment. She was several steps ahead of the other Gems, already putting together what Cinnabar was about to do.

The Crystal Gems had sworn off using that device on principle the moment they found it. They hadn't even considered scenarios like this ever coming up.

Peridot had thought it over a hundred times by this point.

Cinnabar fell to her knees in front of Steven, a hand gripping her chest. For the first time, she took a moment to straighten her hair. Her attempts to seem dignified quickly fell apart, however, as she anchored herself over him.

"For you, Steven, I would steal all the stars in the world," Cinnabar sputtered. "And lay them at your feet!"

She gave a weak trembling smile.

"Because for every light that exists in this universe, you are the one that guided me!" she cried, tears rolling down her face and onto Steven's. "When I was lost, here you were, bringing me home!"

The Crystal Gems stood across from the two, watching what felt like the demented form of a eulogy. Cinnabar's body shuddered over Steven, as she poured herself into him, crying and wailing everything she thought of him. And yet, despite everything, despite their anger and their despair, the Gems couldn't help but find themselves agreeing with her.

Connie curled tighter in Pearl's arms. She began to realize why Cinnabar thought she and her were alike.

"But my home is not Homeworld, it's not this temple!" Cinnabar declared, clenching her eyes. "You, Steven! You are my home!"

Both of Cinnabar's hands gripped her chest, holding herself as she hovered just above Steven.

"The reason I'm alive, the reason I can breathe," she shouted. "Is all because of you!"

Pressing her forehead against Steven's, Cinnabar could barely contain herself from falling onto him completely.

"Yet I still transgressed," she sputtered. "I dared to take the breath from your body, to harm that voice which spoke no wrong, only goodness!"

Her fingers dug into her skin, bruising herself from the sheer pressure. In the distance, she could hear footsteps in the sand.

"And still you reached for me," Cinnabar continued, letting out a pained laugh. "With that voice of yours, you called to me when I fell, to save me!"

Peridot paused at Cinnabar's side, the device in hand. The commander didn't even look, tearing it from her grasp before Peridot could react. Turning, Peridot looked to the rest of the Gems. They knew as well as her now, what was coming. Glancing one last time at Cinnabar, Peridot elected to stand by Amethyst.

Cinnabar balanced the rickety device in her hands, looking at it with a sharp breath. For a moment, she held a sting of doubt in her heart. Another loud crack from Steven's Gem, however, squashed the doubt without another word. She gave a weak smile to him again.

"You told me that you'd always be there for me, that no matter what, you'd protect me," she said, her voice mellow and tinged with regret. "Well, here I am, protecting you!"

She turned the machine, anchoring the claws of its one end onto Steven's Gem. It clicked, the device latching on before leaning to the side. The drawer on the other end fell open then, giving Cinnabar a moment to gulp. Yet, she continued.

"You wanted to save me, Steven of Quartz, and you have!" she shouted, bravado and pride returning to her. For the first time in many days, Cinnabar could feel proud of something she was going to do. "Now it's my turn to save you!"

Standing up, Cinnabar placed her knee above the open compartment. With a flash, her scythe appeared in her hand. Then, there was a pause. Cinnabar looked up from herself and gazed at all the Gems surrounding her. She gulped again.

"For all the hardship I've caused you, for all the pain I know I will never make up for—" Cinnabar's eyes returned to Steven. "—I'm sorry."

The Gems were tempted to cry out as Cinnabar pressed the blade to her chest, though none would dare speak up. They knew, they all knew, there was no alternative.

"Steven, my sweet, precious Steven," Cinnabar mumbled. Her voice was a faint whisper. "Know that as long as you live, that for every breath that you take—"

She plunged the blade through her chest.

"—I love you."

With an explosion of smoke, Cinnabar's form disappeared. A pin-drop silence followed as her Gem hovered in the air for a moment, before plummeting into the drawer of the device. It snapped shut.

First came the sound.

The machine affixed to Steven's Gem came to life, shaking and vibrating irregularly for a few moments. A loud resonating ring then called out from it, making the Gems wince as it hit their gemstones. They trembled, even Pearl nearly dropping Connie as the sound made her shake.

Then came the light.

First, it was a spark, then a glow. Red light creeped out of the corners of the machine, followed by the aura of a golden yellow. They hung for a moment before retracting, falling back into the metal frame. A yellow beam shot out from the end of the claw, entering Steven's gem and forcing it to glow in turn.

Shining out, Steven's gem filled the entire beach with pink light. Blazing with a crackling heat, Steven's gem overwhelmed the beam entering it, turning the yellow into a shade of pink as well. Rising in energy, the light from Steven's gem forced the others to turn away, lest they be blinded.

Then came a broken silence.

Just as the light dimmed away, the healing device shattered, its frame falling apart onto the sand around Steven. It only had the one use left in it.

"STEVEN!"

Connie leapt from Pearl's arms and raced forward, Peridot following behind her. The entire group rushed to Steven's side, falling to their knees around him. Pulling up his shirt, Peridot let out a heavy sigh of relief.

There were no more cracks on his gem.

Connie burst out with a cry of joy, tears rolling down her face as she dipped her head back. Pearl joined her, putting a hand on her shoulder and letting out her own happy cry.

Amethyst pumped her fist, shouting out in delight to the open air. Garnet beside her let out a deep sigh of relief, a hand returning the visor to her face. Steven was safe, she thought. Finally safe.

Yet, Peridot did not join in the abject celebrating, looking at Steven's still unconscious face silently breathe in and out. She needed more, she needed to hear his voice. She couldn't even inhale until she knew that he was completely okay.

Steven took a sharp breath, her own following right after.

His head shot forward slightly before falling back to the sand, eyes fluttering open in shock and confusion. Another round of happy cheers took the group, now including Peridot who cried the loudest. Throwing her arms around Steven's neck, she pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Steven!" she shouted, wailing in his shoulder as he still tried to get his bearings. He blinked a few times.

From the sidelines, Pearl smiled. He's really left an impression on Peridot, she thought.

That thought didn't stop when Peridot pulled away, only to slam her lips against Steven's. Staring in shock, Pearl gaped as Steven came to his senses, returning the kiss without another pause.

"I— What— When—" she sputtered, looking at the sight in pure bewilderment. Connie gave her an empathetic pat, just as Amethyst arrived by their side as well.

"Oh, it's a loooong story, Pea. Come on, let's getcha caught up," Amethyst said with a laugh, hand gripping Pearl's arm and pulling her aside.

Looking at the sight of Steven and Peridot separating from their kiss, Connie smiled. She'd give them their moment, she thought. Connie turned and followed Amethyst, wanting to get in on the explanation to Pearl.

"Don't you dare ever scare me like that again!" Peridot shouted, her voice indignant yet still very happy. Giggling, Steven pulled her in for another hug. The embrace told Peridot exactly what Steven meant to say and exactly what she didn't want to hear.

He'd try, but no promises.

Steven looked up from his embrace to see Garnet, still crouched there and looking towards him. He wasn't sure if she held the expression of a loyal teammate or a watchful guardian. That was fine, though. It wasn't like he could read her anyways. Steven was at peace with that.

But, there was one thing that remained that Steven wasn't at peace with, something he knew he may never be at peace with. Still holding Peridot in his embrace, his attention turned to Garnet. He gulped.

"Cinnabar—" he began before being cut off.

"Gone," Garnet declared, adjusting her visor and standing up. She gazed down at Steven, who held that same eye contact with her. "To save you, she—"

"I know."

The first one back from the evacuations was my Dad, who raced onto the beach so fast he left tread marks in the sand. He told us that the tremors from the fight with that monster could be felt all the way in Empire City. It terrified everyone who felt it and everyone who heard about it from them.

That didn't stop my Dad from coming home as soon as possible, though.

He hugged me as tight as he could, and honestly, it took a bit of convincing from the Gems for him to not drag me to live with him in the van.

Haha…

After that, we all hunkered down in the house to rest for a few hours. It had been a really intense day. And me and Connie really needed the nap. That didn't mean the Gems didn't sleep too, oh they did.

Amethyst took up half the couch along with my Dad, Pearl dozed off at the foot of my bed, even Garnet got some shut-eye. At least, I think she did. She was sitting by the counter and didn't talk for a while, so I think she was sleeping.

The only one who didn't sleep was Peridot, who stayed up and watched while everyone else rested. She'd later tell me she was afraid that if she went to sleep, it'd all be a dream, and she'd wake up to me being gone again.

Peridot stayed in my bed for a few nights after that. So, when she did sleep, she could always wake up to know I was there.

After that, it was time for everything to wrap up. Pearl volunteered and took the van to bring Connie home. She and I were afraid, that after her mom saw all the scarring, that'd be the end of us seeing each other. Pearl said not to worry about it, though, that she'd handle everything.

When Pearl came back, she said it was fine, that Connie would even be here for my birthday in a few days. I still think something went down though. She was pretty shaken up when she got back.

Maybe one day I'll ask what happened.

Amethyst stopped sleeping in her room for about a week after the incident. She said all the broken junk and loneliness was getting to her, it reminded her of what nearly happened. I tried my best to help her, but she said some time on the couch would be enough. Besides, it couldn't just be me and Peridot alone in the house. We needed the full Shorty Squad.

Course, we wouldn't have been alone anyways. Garnet also stayed in the house with us for a few days. Meditating in her room, with all the corrupted Gems, she said, was distracting. It reminded her of everyone she failed to help. Staying with us, though, reminded her of everything they had saved.

The only one who didn't join us was Pearl. Though, in her defense, she was kinda busy. She had picked up a cell phone at some point and spent a lot of the night talking to Connie, giving her advice about her injuries. She was making a speedy recovery, Pearl told us one day, even if she'd always have to deal with some degree of pain.

Still, Connie's the strongest human I know. She'll be okay. All the Gems, they were gonna be okay.

They just kept asking, if I'd be okay.

The Gems, for a few days, kept expecting me to break down at some point. That eventually, what happened would hit me and I'd fall apart. I don't blame them. There were times I did feel like it was hitting me, that I was about to fall apart and break into tears. But I didn't, at least not in front of them.

The Gems knew I was hurting. I knew it too. But, I'd known that for a while at that point. I've been hurt since the day Cinnabar ran into that desert. I've been hurt since the moment she looked at me, and was afraid. I've been hurt since I realized that this wouldn't end as happily as I wanted it to.

That if I was going to save Cinnabar, it'd hurt a lot more along the way.

I'm done being hurt, by this at least. I did everything I could, tried as hard as I could try, and what happened, happened. Cinnabar is gone.

But I'm still here.

My mom told me, that as long as I'm around, that as long as I love myself, that's her, loving me. But now I think it's more than that. I think, that wherever my mom is, Cinnabar is there too. That for every breath I take, it's not just Rose that's loving me, it's her too. Cinnabar loves me too.

Every time I breathe, every time I cry, every time I laugh, I know, Cinnabar is there. And I will never forget her.

My name is Steven. Steven Quartz Universe. I'm Rose Quartz, Pink Diamond, but most of all, I'm Steven.

And that means I will never forget Cinnabar.

End of Chapter 30

The End

12/17/18:

And so, it comes to an end. A two and a half year journey finally reaches its conclusions. It's crazy to think, that after so long and after so much, Steven Universe: Return of Cinnabar is finally finished.

Beyond anything, I want to tell all of you who've stayed with me for so long, thank you. I can never repay all of you for being the amazing people you are. This has been an amazing experience for me and it has changed me as a person and I'm excited to see where my writing carries me in the future.

As for the future, what are my plans going forward? Well, I have a few one-shots planned in the same continuity of Return of Cinnabar. They'll be covering how the Gems are handling themselves after the events of the story, and then after that a lot of Stevidot fics. I'll also be planning on editing the first ten chapter of Return of Cinnabar again, as my standards have gone up since I've written them. But still, for now, Return of Cinnabar is over.

Thank you all for sticking it through with me. And until next time! Platon is,

signing out.