Sorry for the long wait again, it's school stuff and wanting to make this last episode good for y'all. Hope you enjoy!
"Midnight! Shade! Wait!" Steven called after them, hoping to get to them before they warped away. The two remaining Apache Tears paused and slowly turned to face him.
Shade scowled, "What do you want now?"
Steven slowed down his pace, standing a few feet away from the Gems, "P-Please... I know you two really hate me right now but... I just want to apologize for what I've done. I-I never meant to shatter Apache, I wasn't... myself."
Midnight only blinked and Shade's glower deepened, "Do you really think that's going to fix everything you've done? We don't even feel safe around you."
Steven felt his heart caught in his throat.
"We won't be coming back until Apache's alive and well," Shade added, "And it'll be up to her if we return."
Midnight didn't say anything, still rubbing the tears from her eyes.
Steven bit his lower lip and exhaled, "Of course. Just let her know she's welcome back."
The Gems didn't reply, only staring at him for a moment before they warped away.
Gasping, Steven woke up from his slumber, sitting up and pushing the sheets away from him. He panted, sweating a bit and trembling. His once peaceful dream was interuppted by a painful memory that just occurred last night when he was getting home.
Guilt stabbed his heart once more. Steven clasped his chest before turning around, shoving his face into the pillow and sobbed into it. His hand clutched onto the soft surface as it was stained with tears and muffled his crying. He curled up onto a ball, hoping the Gems wouldn't hear.
Only 3 months had passed, and almost everything was going back to normal. Beach City and Little Homeworld were close to being fully repaired, thanks to the hardworking citizens and Gems. The Diamonds went back to Homeworld, with the promise of attempting to revive shattered Gems, including Apache. Though oddly enough, their Spinels stayed behind, wanting to stay on Earth and getting to know Spinel, Steven, Connie, Greg, and the Crystal Gems more.
After what had happened to him, Steven has been given over a year's worth of professional therapy. Currently, he was far from being close to healing completely, but he is still shaken from what he had done. He was afraid that everyone else would turn away from him, though the Gems have repeatedly told him that the others do care about him, even now.
However, after what happened recently, Steven knew not everyone forgave him. He had asked the Gems if he should try to convince them otherwise, but Garnet told him to let them be. They've suffered a loved one's death, and even being kind to them now won't help. Steven gave in, knowing she was right.
His monster features thankfully never progressed again, the only scars he had being the roundish, pale pink nubs on his head and the small amount of purple splotches, one spot remaining on his left eye. It was hard for him to adjust to his new features, but was able to work around them, and he was comforted that Connie, Greg, the Gems, or the citizens were never disgusted by them nor did they turn away from him. They still supported him, like they always said they would.
However, after what happened with Midnight and Shade, Steven still couldn't let go the fact he killed someone who just wanted a chance to be accepted.
"Thanks Nephrite," Steven said gently to the forest green Gem, a warm look in his eyes, "That really helped me."
"Anytime, Steven," Nephrite smiled back, handing him a piece of paper, "And make sure to remember your next appointment next week."
The hybrid nodded, "You know I won't." He laughed a bit.
Nephrite laughed from that, waving him goodbye as he made his way through Little Homeworld. However, his smile felt rather forced, walking past the Gems who were in the middle of constructing, thought most of the buildings had been restored. He paused for a moment when he heard familiar voices.
Turning his head, Steven caught sight of his mother discussing with Spade, Club, and Diamond. The three Spinels handed her papers, and Spinel signed each of them, saying something in lines of being happy that they decided to learn about Earth.
Spinel then glanced over and looked over to him, smiling and waving to him. Spade, Club, and Diamond noticed as well. But Steven only gave her a half smile and a short wave before leaving.
Although, the moment he stepped into town, he glanced over to a shop nearby, and got an idea.
By the time Steven got home, it was still early noon, the sun just in the center of the sky. The only Gems in the house were Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, writing something down. They all looked up to see Steven walking in, along with a small bag of items.
"Hey guys," He greeted them rather earnestly.
Pearl got up, "Steven! You're back! How did your appointment go?"
"It went just fine," Steven replied, "Sorry I took a while. I just wanted to uh...give you all a little something. Y'know, for the occasion."
Pearl stared at him with confusion, with a small hint of skepticism. Garnet and Amethyst too stood up, bewildered by what Steven meant. Steven walked over to the table and placed the bag down on it, reaching into it to find Pearl's gift.
"Here," He then spoke after finding it and turning to face the pale Gem, "I thought'd this would be cute considering you're a 'pearl' and well... they are created from a clam."
Pearl blinked at the scallop-shell bracelet in Steven's hands. A soft smile appeared on her face as she took it and placed it on her right wrist. "Oh Steven... it's so beautiful. I promise to wear it forever."
Feeling some of the stress fade away, Steven then turned to face Amethyst, searching for something in the bag until he found it. "And for Amethyst. I know I let you share my gaming console with me, but I think... you'd be happier playing it yourself, with this."
He handed the disc-case over to her, and when Amethyst took a good look at it, her eyes stretched wide, "OH MY GOSH! Wasteland 2?! I've been waiting so long to play this!"
Steven smiled, "Yeah, you mentioned it a few times, so I just thought, why not?"
The purple Gem clutched the game close, "Thanks bro, you're the best."
He nodded and looked up Garnet, "Now for you..." He ran over to grab another item and took it out, revealing it to be a mug with red and blue stars scattered on it.
"I know this might be kinda simple, but, I think simple's nice, right?" He asks, handing the mug to the fusion.
Turning the mug around, the words "Our Love Is Inseparable" were printed black on it.
Garnet's lips formed a smile, nearly trembling, "I love it, Steven. Thank you."
"It's not problem, Garnet," Steven replied, "Now we just need to wait for-"
Just then, the door opened, and Spinel walked in. She was about to greet them, before she saw what was going on, "Huh?"
"Oh, Mom!" Steven ran over to the bag and found the last surprise; two pink hair-ties, each with a pink, white, and yellow plumeria on them, "I got you a gift too!"
Spinel couldn't speak properly as Steven tied her soft pigtails with the hair-ties, "S-Steven? Wha-"
"There! They look perfect on you!"
Once Spinel was able to shake off her bewilderment from what just happened, she got her bearings, "Steven? What's with the gifts?"
The hybrid casually shrugged, "Just wanted to get you all something since you all are busy with handling the school, so I'm just gonna go upstairs and see if there's any jobs available!" He started quickly walk up the stairs.
"Steven! Stop!" Spinel yelled.
He froze, his eyes slowly looking down to the perplexed Gems, Spinel appearing the most worried, "Steven? This isn't really like you. You acted rather distant this morning. Is there something wrong?"
Steven was about to object, but he saw the look in their eyes, and knew he couldn't lie anymore. He had already done that before, look where that got him.
"I..." He sighs in defeat, "Yeah... Something happened last night."
Steven walked back down the stairs and sat down on the couch. Spinel sat by his side, along with Pearl. Garnet and Amethyst remained standing, though they were close to them.
"What happened?" The pink Gem asked.
Steven fumbled with his fingers before finding his words, "I... I met up with Midnight and Shade last night. They were heading back to Homeworld. I-I tried to apologize to them for... killing their sister, but they told me they never want to come back until Apache's alive. ... T-They even said they don't feel safe around me..."
His hands trembled, the Gems staring at him with wide eyes.
"I-I still keep thinking about that day, I wasn't even in control. I never wanted Apache to be shattered, no one deserves that. But now... I've done them harm by harming myself... I..." Steven couldn't hold in his choked sobs and started to cry.
Spinel gently stroked his back, her eyes gazing with deep sorrow. Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst all shared the same sympathy. They all came in for a group hug, consoling the grieving hybrid.
The next day was, to Steven, quite boring. It was a cloudy afternoon with the warning of a storm. That was proven wrong when it only rained for several hours. He spent almost an hour talking to Connie on the phone.
"Of course, Steven. I don't mind coming over," she replied.
Steven smiled weakly, "Thanks Connie, think you can be here later this afternoon?"
"Sure, actually, my parents would be out, so I'll be able to spend a few hours with you."
His heart leapt, "That sounds great! See you in a bit, bye."
"Bye."
Steven hung up.
And later, around 4:30, Connie showed up, giving him quite the bear hug and even pecking a kiss on his small pink horn, which made him giggle a bit. They hung out for a while until only around 6 o'clock, the Gems walked up to them.
"Hey, Steven!" Amethyst almost pounced on them, "There's a concert going on tonight, and we're all going!"
Steven sat up, eyes wide, "W-Wha-What?!"
"Surprise!" Pearl announced dramatically, with her wife rolling her eyes in amusement.
Garnet smiled, "It'll be a lot of fun, I can say with certainty."
Connie stood up, holding her partner's hand, "What do you say, Steven? Wanna have the night of our lives?"
Steven looked at the sword-fighter in bewilderment. Why wasn't she confused like he was? But aside from that, he was very bored earlier today. Maybe a concert should perk him up.
"Sure, let's go."
For the 15 minutes of waiting for the band to show up, Steven and Connie were conversing with Jamie, Kiki, Ronaldo, Peedee, and Onion (who just stared). Some of the Beach City citizens and Little Homeworld Gems had arrived, and they too were curious to who was playing. By now, the clouds had mostly cleared.
With the Crystal Gems, they knew who was coming, but they were also waiting for another particular guest to arrive.
"Thanks guys, your support means a lot to me," Steven had told his friends, earning genuine smiles from them.
"Hey."
Steven suddenly froze, and he turned around to see a familiar face.
"... L-Lars?"
The pink teen walked over to him, "Hey man, I heard what happened while I was gone. Glad you see you're doing better as well and..." He paused, seeing the hybrid's eyes well up with tears. He brought the older teen for a hug, which he gladly accepted, Behind them, came the Rutile Twins, Rhodonite, Padparadscha, and Fluorite. The Crystal Gems welcomed the Off-Colors back, and Spade, Club, and Diamond introduced themselves.
Steven finally pulled away, "I'm so happy to see you again! How was space?"
"It's great!" Lars responded with a grin, "But I was called by someone in particular that I should stop by for a while."
Steven blinked, "Huh? Who did?"
"You'll see."
The boy was about to ask again, but decided against it. After a minute, the crowd quieted down along with the moon being covered by the clouds momentarily. Steven looked around, confused. He glanced over to Spinel, who only gave him a wink, confusing him even more.
"Hey everybody, guess who's back?!"
Yet another familiar voice. The crowd all cheered and Steven spun around and he was sure he was dreaming.
Sadie waved to the cheering throng of people and Gems, along with Shep, "It's so awesome to be back home! Did you all miss me?"
The crowd cheered loudly.
"Aw, I'm sure you did," She snarked slightly, glancing down to the thunder-struck Steven, "We have a song dedicated to the savior of the world and many others, Steven Universe!"
Around him, people and Gems clapped for him, all smiling warmly and then stopping after a moment. The blonde then grinned over to her lover. Shep nodded, pulling out their electric wind instrument as Sadie calmly sang...
Sadie: Words are flowing out
Like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me...
The crowd of humans and Gems all swayed slowly to the music, enjoying a calm song from Sadie for a change. Steven's eyes seemed to be shimmering in the moonlight, the clouds clearing away to reveal the blanket of stars in the dark sky, the full moon shining proudly.
Jai Guru Deva, Om...
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world...
Almost at once, several parts of the crowd started to slow-dance. Couples, friends, and many others. Pearl and Spinel waltzed around, while Garnet, Amethyst, Peridot, and Bismuth dancing on their own. Jasper and Lapis, after sharing an awkward glance, too started a dance together. Along with that, Spade, Club, Diamond, Yarrow, Bluebell, and even Petunia joined in the frolicking crowd.
Images of broken light
Which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe...
Steven felt a finger tap his shoulder, and stared at Connie. The girl blushed and held a hand out. He was nervous at first, but relaxed and took her hand. Placing a hand on her hip while her hand planted itself on his shoulder, the two lovebirds started their own dance.
Lars was simply standing around, giving Sadie a look of approval, which she reciprocated with another smirk.
Jai Guru Deva, Om...
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world...
Light enveloped over Steven and Connie's bodies, fading away to reveal Stevonnie. This time, with the spots now a darker brown and the horns were white. With the moon as their spotlight, Stevonnie gracefully danced around the crowd, catching their eyes.
Sounds of laughter, shades of life
Are ringing through my open ears
Inciting and inviting me
Limitless, undying love
Which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe...
Jai Guru Deva, Om...
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world...
Stevonnie continued dancing until they unfused back into Steven and Connie, holding each-other's arms with their foreheads pressing together. They gazed into one another's eyes before kissing as the song ended. The crowd loudly clapped and cheered, echoing throughout the starry sky.
After the concert, everyone had gone home and was past midnight. In the living room, all the Gems, Greg, and Connie were still chatting about the wonderful time of their lives. Spinel had taken out the homemade Cookie Cat from the freezer along with a glass of milk. Picking them up, she gazed around the living room.
Jasper and Bismuth were having a arm-wrestling match, with Lapis, Peridot, and Amethyst cheering for them. Garnet and Diamond were having a simple conversation until Spade (holding Clementine) ran past Diamond, causing her to spin. Club followed after, begging Spade to give Clementine back, and made Diamond spin faster. When she stopped, the white Spinel fell over, and Garnet caught her, chuckling at the comedic scene. Lion was napping next to Connie, Greg, and Pearl.
Shaking her head at their now big family with a smile, Spinel walked past them to walk upstairs. She shot a loving glance over to Pearl, who winked back at her. Spinel continued heading up the stairs to Steven's room. The walls were covered with glow-in-the-dark stars, shining a pale blue around the room. And tucked in bed, was Steven.
"Hey sweetheart," Spinel gently spoke, "You asleep?"
She heard Steven laugh a bit, "Was trying to, but the noise is really keeping me up."
Spinel rolled her eyes, "I'll force them outside if it's to give you some peace and quiet."
Yawning, her son reached over to turn on the lamp, bathing a dim yellow light in the room. He sat up and eyed the treat and milk in her hands.
"Is that...?"
"A Cookie Cat? I made it myself since, well, the company went bankrupt," She joked, placing the glass and plate on the nightstand, and sat down on his bed. She lifted a hand up to stroke his cheek gently as he ate the Cookie Cat, "Oh... my dear Stevie... you've grown up so fast."
Steven's expression calmed, leaning into her hand, humming a reply.
"It felt like just yesterday when I held you in my arms... and then the next, you summoned your shield for the first time, and now, you saved the entire galaxy all by yourself..." Tears welled up her eyes, which she noticed and wiped them away, sniffling.
"Heh, yep. Time flies, doesn't it?"
"It does..." Spinel nodded, glancing to the side, "Like, in one moment, I was in the Garden playing with Pink, but then in a second, bam! I'm a mother!"
The two laughed, and when they stopped, they pulled each-other in for a hug.
"... Spinel?"
"Hm?"
"I feel so blessed to have you as my mother..."
Spinel's half-lidded eyes glimmered, "And I feel so blessed to have you as a son. I can't ever thank you enough for making my life whole. I'm so glad I left the Garden, who knows what would've happened if I wasn't here to experience being with friends, my family, or my son."
"T-That... would be terrible." Steven said, not wanting to imagine his mother standing in the Garden all alone.
After a few moments, they pulled away. Spinel stroked her son's cheek again, cleaning his tears away, "Steven, I need you to remember something."
"What?"
"I need to let you know one thing. No matter where you go, what choices you make, or what you think, just remember, you are loved. You are still my baby, and you're a amazing person to have ever graced this world, far and near. You are our universe, you always were as the day I first held you."
Steven sniffled, light dancing in his dark brown eyes, "I love you too, Mom..." He whispered hoarsely.
Just then, they heard a crash downstairs, and an annoyed Pearl lashed out at Spade.
"Oh, well, looks like I really gotta get them outside," Spinel stood up, turning to faced her son, "Don't want them to ruin your sleep."
Steven chuckled a bit, then yawned, "That sounds nice."
Spinel gently kissed his forehead, stroking his curly hair, "Love you, dear. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Mom..." He responded.
Smiling lovingly, Spinel moved away and walked back downstairs, giving him one last proud look before walking downstairs to calm the squabble. Shaking his head, Steven laid his head back down, closing his eyes. But he opened them again, old memories flooding back to him.
"Alright Steven, what do you do when a stranger tries to talk to you?"
"You don't talk to 'em and leave the area!"
...
"Higher! Higher!"
"Wanna try to touch the ceiling?"
...
"Oh Steven! Don't tell me you're gonna leave your best friend Spinel behind!"
"N-No! I don't wanna leave you behind! Never, never, never!"
"It's alright, baby. I know you'll never leave."
...
A small smile lit up on his face, Steven closed his eyes and went back to sleep, the night sky gleaming with a pattern of stars. A shooting star shot across it.
Whoa, we're here. We're already done.
I had a lot of fun creating this AU for all of you. I can't ever thank you people for giving a ton of support and constructive criticisms about my story I've worked months on. I had a lot of fun working on this, and I don't have enough words to show you all my gratitude.
Thank You.