I've explained how I use music to inspire my writing, and I just wanted to share some of the songs that 'created' the story you have just read. Links will be below each notation so that you can easily listen to the songs. They are the music videos, which are easier to create links to, but I urge you to close your eyes and create your own video in your mind, as let's be honest, a lot of music videos just make no sense, or paint a completely different picture than the one you imagined when you first heard that song.

These are in no particular order, as I tend to jump around as I create a narrative. I might start with the middle, and only write the beginning once everything else is finished. In this particular case, the ending came first.

If you would care to re-read this story in the future, perhaps I could convince you to play these songs as you read, and maybe you can feel the emotions I did, or even see the story play out like a movie in your mind, as it did for me as I wrote it.

PLEASE! Do NOT read any further if you have not read the story. I am going to attempt to list the story elements without spoilers, but it's impossible to do so completely. I might make some sort of notation in the story for the points where these songs should be experienced, but I don't want to interrupt anyone as they read it for the first time. For now, though, here are some of the story events and the songs that inspired them.

The knight, at the bottom of the crater, speaking to Amethyst –

A Great Big World (With C. Aguilera) – Say Something

A song about loss, and lost time. Having wished for this moment every day of his life, the young man has only a few fleeting seconds to speak his heart.

The lines "Sorry that I couldn't get to you" and "Anywhere, I would have followed you!" Seemed so perfect a fit. And if you do watch the video, I felt the interaction between the older couple was a mirror of the sadness felt by the two characters here.

watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds

Amethyst's emotion, the kiss, and her pain at his loss

Rihanna – Diamonds

watch?v=lWA2pjMjpBs

But I felt that it described a more mature love than what would be appropriate given whom I am writing this story for, and in the end, I would like to be able to share these songs with her as she reads my book. So I don't think I will be sharing this one with her.

The knight, before returning to the past, writing his letters; (I never really found a good song for Pearl's letter)

For Garnet – His mentor and only friend in the darkness of his future.

3 Doors Down – When I'm Gone

- I felt that this was a perfect song to describe the relationship between the depressed young man as he faced the dark and lonely future. Garnet would have trained him, became a teacher, comrade and only friend. After losing her, I feel that the chorus of this song fits so perfectly, that it seemed almost written for this very reason. Going back to save his friend, who more than anything, he wants to be proud of him.

So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
Hold me when I'm scared
And love me when I'm gone
Everything I am
And everything in me
Wants to be the one
You wanted me to be
I'll never let you down
Even if I could
I'd give up everything
If only for your good
So hold me when I'm here
Right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared
You won't always be there
So love me when I'm gone

watch?v=pFq1eT9tMJ4

For Amethyst

Once again, its;

3 Doors Down – Here Without You

The entirety of this song seems so perfect for this. I can imagine the young man, alone at night, holding onto that memento of a lost friend, who in the time spent without her, had realized that she'd become something much more to him as he matured and better came to understand his feelings.

watch?v=kPBzTxZQG5Q

For the final fight with Zircon, with the summoning of the ultimate barrier and most especially the activation of the light cannon and subsequent sacrifice of his life energy to power and overload it.

Linkin Park – Iridescent

watch?v=xLYiIBCN9ec

I felt it perfectly fit with the young man's ability to do what he knew would not only kill him, but erase his very being from existence. In the end, he did, in fact, 'let it go'. And in doing so, found the peace he so badly needed.

In the alternate timeline, after the fight that finally ended with Zircon being sealed away, you can only imagine the pain and darkness in "his" heart. His friends taken from him, and forced to bear their gems as permanent reminders of his weakness and inability to save them. The years that followed that horrible day would strengthen him, mold him into a blade to protect his loved ones, and tempered with the rage boiling deep in his heart, he vowed to undo all the hurt and make right the things he had been powerless to change. No matter what the cost.

This song showed me his pain and sadness, and by its end, his determination and resolve.

Linkin Park – Castle of Glass

watch?v=ScNNfyq3d_w

After Zircon's return and the loss of his last friend, the young knight was tortured and scarred, both physically and upon his very soul.

He can still smile, and struggle through the pain, but deep below the surface, there are wounds that can never heal, and he knows that even if by some miracle, he could survive and live in the world he is about to head to, that those deep scars would prevent him from ever being truly a part of it.

This is assuredly the theme song for the character of the young knight from the future.

Whether its "without a sense of confidence, I'm convinced it's just too much pressure to take", "I have felt this way before, so insecure", or "Against my will, I stand before my own reflection" This song perfectly fits the way I imagined this character. The distortion of some of the vocals, and skipping just seems right at home for a theme about a conflicted and pained young man forced to live in a post apocalyptic wasteland.

Linkin Park – Krwlng (Crawling remix from the 'Re-Animated" album, and in my opinion, EPIC!)

watch?v=_8x7xMQUbnE

I felt this song was perfect, though it was not in my original playlist. And I realize it's the third Linkin Park song on here, but their style of music, which focuses on the internal conflicts within our own minds, and our emotions, as well as their vague subject matter makes it easy to apply these songs to a wide range of subjects and feelings. I hope you can see how it fits here.

There are many more songs which helped me to create this story, and I might add more later, but these are some of the ones that fit the best, or helped me to flesh out one particular spot in the narrative or other.

Thanks once again for reading and thanks for all the positive feedback.

If anyone would care to contribute some artwork for the story (so I can give my little friend a "proper" storybook) I would be happy to accept, and credit you in both the printed book (only one to be made) and in the text here on fanfic.

Anything you might feel like creating would be appreciated, but the scenes I am most interested in seeing depicted are;

Steven and Amethyst sitting on the roof's edge, gazing up at the stars (from the flashback)

The moment where Amethyst first sees the young warrior, his blade still locked with Zircon.

The kiss between the young knight and Amethyst.

The confused/embarrassed look on Steven's face after Amethyst gave him a smooch, possibly with Garnet and Pearl laughing at Steven in the background.

Thanks once again for reading.

I will contemplate writing a story about the alternate timeline, as has been suggested by a few different people, but my original intent was just to help out a little girl who really needs some cheering up, so time will tell.

- Josh Hines (Volyren Nightsong)