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LAST UPDATE BEFORE RELEASE Aug 28th, 2017 - I'm fighting through withdrawals of my pain medication, which unfortunately take 6 months, and are some of the worst that you can have. The pain is maddening. But i'm not here to deliver excuses. the opposite actually. I finally got my laptop fixed and ive been building my notes into my google docs, and have already begun the opening of Light and Love. I will be posting what i have (currently just 3 pages, but that's just a small bit, more will be done before posting) in just 2-3 days. You guys have waited long enough. and while i wont spoil the story, or promise myself into a corner, from my notes, im guessing that the final story may exceed 200 pages. at the very least, the page count will be on par with book 2, Darkness and Hope.

I won't bug you all with a bunch of wordy exposition. I gave my word to deliver this story, and I NEED to keep that word, regardless of whats happening to me now or in the near future. That's one thing i have never done. i have never broken my word. I want that inscribed on my stone, urn or whatever it ends up being. And i want to have earned it, and not have it be empty sentiment. So, I'm delivering, regardless of pain, sickness or setback. As a matter of fact, forget the 2-3 days. I'll write a bit more and post the beginning in just a few hours. I will not update this bio again until it is done, so if you want to wait to read it til its finished, you will get the notification email (if you favorited me or whatever it is on here.) Thanks to everyone who held on and were supportive through all the delays and problems. the first story was for a dear friend. the second was for cash. (commission.) but this one is all for YOU. I hope i can capture the same spirit i managed to with the first story. You all deserve no less.

ONE MORE UPDATE - MAY 28, 2017-

Ive begun writing the final book. I have fully fleshed out notes and the story should progress a bit easier because of it. I'm still dealing withh health problems which wont be going away. But i still have time to finish this story and make sure i never broke my word to anyone in my life. You can help. It would be appreciated, actually. I will explain in a moment. I just wanted to say, first, that ive had about equal opinions for a happy or sad ending. I personally cant forsee going to my end having the last thing i wrote be something heartwrenching. But that may change. However, what ive got laid out before me is an ending that i think everyone will appreciate.

Ive explained my writing method before, how i need a playlist of music which fits with the section of story i am writing. For example, Rage and Beauty had two playlists. One labeled 'self sacrifice' with songs like Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons and even 'The Parting Glass by the Wailin' Jennys' and another called 'love' with such songs as 'All of Me by John Legend' , etc etc. most parts of that story were either about a deep love, or suffering and pain that must be overcome, even with no chance of survival in the end.

This final book will use similar themes. Ive made a hefty playlist, but i dont listen to music as much as i used to. i could use some new songs, new ideas. and thats where you can help me. i'm going to list the themes that will be in this final book, and if you know a song that you think fits, please, suggest it to me. I'll even list my kik name so you can send it to me immediately. (it's Volyren. Should pop up as Josh Hines)

Themes will include the usual, as before, love and self sacrifice. As well as the following;

Space Travel (ive used epic and futuristic electronica, as well as thematic songs like from Starset and even early Savage Garden songs.)

Lonliness (not too many ideas here)

The end of things/ end of a journey/ last actions (In the End by linkin park is a no brainer. )

Letting someone go. (say something by great big world, let her go by passenger.)

And really, these will be mixed together into a master playlist which i play writing all sections of the book, with especially emotional segments being given their own separate playlist. As such, ANY songs you might suggest will be helpful and i'll at least listen to each suggestion, so your time will not be wasted.

Some other songs i use, just to give an idea of the general 'feel' of my inspirational mix are;

Set Fire to the Rain by Adele

The Sound of Silence by Disturbed (not a band often found in my playlist but this song is just... Different. Give it a listen)

The Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin

The End is Where We Begin by Ashes Remain

Thats about it... As i said, your help would be greatly appreciated. Pandora doesnt quite help. No matter what song or group i begin with, it either never plays the song i want, the list changes into something unusable within a few songs, or worse, it ends up on christian music (nothing against religion of any sort by any means. But these songs are NOT a fit for the book. Even though i do use semi christain groups like Red and Creed from time to time.)

Basically what i need is some emotion. You know the songs that move you. The ones that make you think, that resonate within you. The ones you can close your eyes while listening to, and see a scene play out in your head.

Again, you can reach me on kik. Volyren (Josh Hines). No need to worry about what time it is. I rarely sleep more than 2 or 3 hours at a time these days.

I'm hoping what i eventually deliver lives up to everyone's expectations. Even if i cant finish it before ...well, before its too late, then my detailed notes will be released. It certainly wont be as fleshed out as the rest of the story, but it will be readable and understandable.

I plan on releasing one final 'snippet' before i begin posting the story from its beginning. If you want to wait until its complete, just dont read it before its listed as Final Version or 'Complete'.

I thank everyone for their kind words and suggestions.

I wish you all the best.

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE.

For everyone wondering, and rightfully so, about my status and the status of book 3, please rest easy.

Ihave had a 3 year long patch of bad luck, poor health, multiple near (VERY near) death experiences, and had my 60 odd pages of book 3 destroyed by a vindictive ex. Add to that, the fact that my dearest friend and inspiration for the emotion and art in the story just got her mind twisted, and turned on me, using every opportunity to hurt me, simply because of her deep hate for men. This has made starting on the story all over again a near impossible and gut-wrenching task.

But I do NOT break my word. And I gave my word that I would finish it.

I have reconstructed most of my notes, so even if my health or a hateful person causes my death, those notes WILL be released here.

I am slowly making progress and finding inspiration to write. I wouldn't waste all your time with a substandard story just for the sake of being done. If I don't feel the emotions, then whatever I write becomes dry and reads like a technical manual. Much of the story you have so kindly reviewed was written through tears and sweat, and heartbreaking pain of loss. I shared and felt each emotion as I wrote it down. Thats the only way I will write. Doing less, I feel, is a disservice to you all.

I can't give you a date for release, but I can swear to you all that I have not given up, and that I am working on it each moment inspiration strikes, even if all I have to write with is my typo filled mobile, or a dirty napkin.

And should I fail to finish before I am finally released from this painful life, the story will still be posted, so no one is left wondering.

Thanks for your patience and support. : )

UPDATE!!! Darkness and Hope is finally, FINALLY finished. I will begin on Light and Love as soon as I can. I want to thank everyone for the reviews, kind words, and requests. These last two stories are all for you. If you want to read it as it should appear, be sure to check the google docs links!

Artwork for Rage and Beauty is coming along nicely, and can be viewed here

Sorry for the delays in completing the second story, Darkness and Hope, but I have been swamped with commissions lately. Remember to check the google doc links at the bottom of my profile, because those will always be updated before fanfic. I know that fanfic emails watchers when there is an update, so I try to wait until I have several sections, of at least 15-20 pages before updating, so I don't waste anyone's time. If you can't wait, feel free to check out the google links, as the story is 15 pages ahead of where the fanfic listing is now. (as of 3/30/14)

The second story in the Crystal Hearts Trilogy is nearing completion. (as of 2/26/14) It will likely be over 100 pages, so be forewarned. I have the entire story fleshed out with plot notes, and right now I am just finishing it up. There should not be more than 2 more updates before its completion. I have currently began commissioning artwork and accepting art 'donations'. (I don't need the physical artwork, just a scan and permission to use it for my story.) I will post an update with art links when I start receiving them. All artwork will be included in the actual story documents on Google Docs. (the best way to read them. links are at the bottom of my profile). If anyone has any questions, comments or requests, feel free to email me, PM me here, or visit my forum (link also in profile). I hope you enjoy the stories!

[Note: Links to the original story documents are located at the bottom of this page. They are the preferred way to read my stories, as they are formatted like a novel, with proper spacing and are much easier to read.]

About my Steven Universe stories.

Though I never thought I would write fan fiction, I was asked to write one, by a sweet little girl, who is going through a really rough time that no child should have to deal with. She's the daughter of my next door neighbor, and given the fact that she loves to read my stories, I couldn't really say no. I was a bit worried about the subject matter though, because my writing is a bit more dark and realistic. At the time I had never seen a full Steven Universe episode, and I knew that there were only 7 episodes aired so far. That didn't give me much to work with, and I was worried that whatever story I came up with would not do justice to a cartoon that she loved.

After watching all the available episodes, I began to work, and to my surprise, I got into it. It ended up only taking me 4 days to complete a story that I thought would probably take me around 2 weeks or more. I also expected it to come in at around 20 pages total, but it ended up being a little over 50. (at 10pt font in MS Word).

I had been posting the drafts up on fanfiction as I worked, thinking that I might be able to get some feedback from Steven Universe fans on anything I might have gotten wrong, or out of character for Steven and the Gems.

What really shocked me was the positive feedback. Whether it was praising what I had written, or asking me to write more, I must say, it felt nice. Normally I write by commission, whether it is an article, review or actual story. I almost never get credit for my own work as a ghost writer, so it was nice to be recognized for something I had written.

During this process I was only concerning myself with finishing the story, and I neglected to check my email. To my surprise, I had a ton of email from readers of the story I had written, and nothing prepared me for the kind words of everyone. So many people told me how much they loved the narrative, and almost everyone asked me to continue the story. I decided that I could make a trilogy from what I had written, even though I had tried to end the story with "Rage and Beauty". (Bittersweet, though its ending was)

So now, I am working on the second 'episode', "Darkness and Hope" and have begun working on the skeletal draft (plot notes) of the final episode, "Light and Love".

One email in particular shocked me. Someone had requested that I write a love scene with Amethyst and *(no spoilers here, since its from my story).

I normally would not have any problem doing a story like that, but given that this is based on a cartoon (an innocent one) and that the story I created was for a young girl, I wasn't willing to do it. However, I was emailed back and offered a commission to write it.

I have been searching for artwork and artists willing to contribute to the story since the first bit of it was posted, because I want to have a few pictures in the book that I am going to give to my little friend. She needs some cheering up. (She has lost her leg and is stuck in the hospital until the stump heals so that she can be fitted for her prosthesis). I know that most artists here work on commission, and since this is not something I am being paid for, I knew the money could help to pay for a commission or two.

I actually wrote the love scene as a part of the second 'episode', though I cut the scene short in the official story that I will be posting, whereas I finished the scene fully for my client. I am not sure if I will ever post the love scene for public consumption, but at least for me, it was important to keep it true to the rest of what I had written. That means that it had to be tastefully done, with the love between both characters evident. I was not going to write 'text porn'. I have since received the other half of my payment, so, I can only assume it was what my client wanted.

I will be posting a portion of the second episode as soon as I finish writing the connecting sections of plot near the beginning. (writing a skeletal draft means I can work on whatever section of the story I feel like at the moment, without worrying about plot holes and making it all fit together.)

If you happen to be an artist, or know an artist who you think would like to create some artwork for a scene in my story, I would be grateful for the help. This is an unpaid project for me, but I am not unwilling to pay for work. I cannot foresee spending more than a couple hundred dollars total on artwork, and I need at least 2 scenes from the story. (I have 4 total I would like art for, but 2 are most important.) Any art done for me will be fully credited on the fanfiction posting, in the original Word document, and also in the printed book for my friend (only 2 will be printed, one for me, one for her.) . At no time will this story be sold for profit, or reprinted. And finally, along with each credit, I will be happy to place a link to the artist's commissions page, or profile/portfolio, as preferred.

I would like to give this book to my friend before she has to leave the hospital, but I know artwork takes time. She still has nearly 2 months of waiting before her leg heals enough to be fitted with her prosthesis, so there is still a good window of time. If anyone cares to read the fiction, I will post a link below, as well as a link to the .doc file, which I would suggest reading, as it keeps the proper novel formatting. (I don't like the way FanFiction.net removes the line formatting, making the entire story appear to be one really long paragraph) I will consider mailing the extended love scene if requested, provided you agree not to post it anywhere. You will need to read the first 'episode', Rage and Beauty in order to understand it, though reading the second episode (which the scene is from) is not required, as it happens fairly early on, and has no real impact on the plot. I attempted to keep it romantic and true to the characters, without any weirdness. (and no weird 'pedo' stuff like I keep seeing on on the net! *shudders*)

The main story, all 3 episodes, will be appropriate for ages 12, though I would think that 14 would appreciate the more serious storyline more. I have tried to keep the feel of the show, and nothing too objectionable will be found in any of 'episodes'. (The commissioned love scene is a different case, though I tried to keep it 'R' rated as opposed to a sleazy 'adult' story.)

As I release the other 'episodes', check back here for a link to the original documents.

Here are the links to my stories on google docs. You will not have to sign in, or sign up. If it takes a moment to load, just be patient, as sometimes the loading screen appears to stop, but really hasn't.

Episode 1: Of Rage and Beauty [Completed]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3WQhkvsEoabV0hWM3ByQzhEU2c/edit?usp=sharing

Episode 2: Of Darkness and Hope [Completed]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3WQhkvsEoabVzM5bHo0Und5eVk/edit?usp=sharing

Episode 3: Of Light and Love [Not Started]

(Will be linked here once the story has been completed)[STATUS: Plot - 40%, Rough Draft - 10%]

If you enjoy the story, feel free to write a review, or send me an email at (Ignore the non-letter characters, I post it this way to confuse spam-bots)

[(Volyren@gmail.com)_.

Since the basis for this story were the ideas of my little friend, I hope to share the comments with her. She wanted; and I quote (to the best of my ability to remember); "A Steven Universe story that's more real like your other stories and also like dragonball z with a big fight and stuff but not like kids stuff but also make it cute like the cartoon."

(The minds of children, eh?)

She is responsible for the main villain, as well as his name. She thought that a fake gem would make a good enemy. She asked if I thought a diamond would be best since its the strongest gemstone. I told her that a fake diamond would be a cubic zirconia, and in just a moment she decided to call the bad guy Zircon.

I am hoping that all of these comments will give her a morale boost. She wants to write and make cartoons when she grows up, and I want to show her that people like her ideas, and give her a little encouragement since she is pretty depressed right now.

Thanks for taking the time to read the story, and my ramblings.

And if you care to discuss the plot, or ideas for the next two stories, I have an open forum here. It is not just for my stories. It is to be a reference for any writers of Steven Universe fiction. I hope to maintain a list of characters, powers and episode plots, to help any other author's keep things as close to canon material as possible.

The forum is located here.

https://www.fanfiction.net/myforums/Volyren-Nightsong/5474590/

If you want to write me, feel free, whatever the reason. And I would consider it a personal favor if anyone can help me reach out to an artist who would be willing to help out with a scene or two.

I hope you enjoy the stories!

- Josh Hines (Volyren Nightsong)