0 days until Judgement Day.

Judgement awakens today.

Part One: Half Way to Corruption

Purple light. The light of a Devil. A weapon to consume False Gods. Of Judgement. It shines from the jungle moon.

Countless voices speak in synch, "Is it time?..."

Skins smirked, "Yes... it's Judgement Day."

Steven snapped awake from nightmare, the same he had been having. His body recoiled and morphed, corruption approached the brink of his conscious mind. Madness begun to take hold and one more straw would break the camel's back.

There was a knock on the door.

Connie didn't get a response at first. She looked at her phone to see a series of texts from Spinel expressing concern for Steven's well being. Texts which she had forwarded to Lapis and Jasper along with the rest of Steven's family still in Beach City. However, Jasper, Lapis, Greg, and Connie are the only ones to arrive, as not to overwhelm Steven.

Connie is the first to enter, "Hey Steven."

Steven greets her, "Oh hey Connie. Can we talk for a second?"

"Yeah actually we need to talk about-" Connie began before Steven interrupted desperately.

"I need mental help," he explained, "I can't hide it anymore or I'm going to corrupt and hurt the people I love. I know how Jasper corrupting was hard for me and I can't put that on my family. Yes I know that's a martyr complex way to look at it but Spinel talked to me yesterday and I can't keep up like this? You mentioned a therapist that specializes in the supernatural? That won't label me crazy with the Gem stuff?"

Connie nodded, "Yeah over in California."

Steven nodded, "Give me their info. I need to go talk to Greg, Jasper, and Lapis about this and make an appointment."

The three outside realize that Steven has realized he needed help. This was not reached alone, but with the help of Spinel, Connie, and the rest of his family. They're proud of him and knock on the door, ready to offer emotional support. Greg hugs Steven, who hugs him back.

"You overheard didn't you?" Steven asked.

Greg silently nodded.

Steven smiled at them, "Thank you, not just you four, but all my friends and family. Without you I would've gone off the deep end a while ago. As long as nothing else happens, everything is going to be fine..."

Something else is about to happen!

Skins walked down the hall, ravaged, alarms blared as Skins casually approached. Skins smiled with, in her eyes, genuine kindness to the escapes as she blocked the warp.

"Emerald! Phoenix!" She exclaimed happily, "As happy as I am to see you two unbubled you're a couple of hours early. Shorty? Care to explain?"

"We can't go through with this," Shorty explained, "Not only are countless Gems opposed and could be hurt, but also the Diamonds are still Gems! We're going to warn the Diamonds. This is wrong. It doesn't matter how wicked a life is a life!"

"And how many lives were lost?" Skins retorted, "How many corrupted Gems did our dear sister alone shatter on their orders?"

"Orders they were ordered to give on White's order!" Emerald retorted, "If you hate the Diamonds, then shouldn't you hate Jasper too?"

"Jasper had no choice!" Skins retorted, angered at this exposed hypocrisy, "And even so, they are false Gods. Idols of worship! There is no God or higher power! Such views can only lead to evil!"

"I don't recall your test subject being particularly religious!" Phoenix reminded, "The one you killed cause she abused another Lapis!"

"You think that you can just take out some big figurehead?" Shorty demanded, "And everything is fixed? That you can snap religion out of existence and suddenly evil itself is gone? What of evil views based in atheism? What of nihilism? What of hedonism? How is using the lack of a God to defend evil any less zealotry than using God? It's bringing the afterlife into ethics! Different means to the same end!"

"Well it's a start!" Shorty retorted, "I know things can't stay as they are! That's for sure!"

Shorty summoned her weapon, a crossbow and fired off a bolt of pure mystical energy at Shorty, who countered, revealing her own weapon to be a short bow. The two arrows strike each other mid air as they fly, leaving an opening for Emerald to lunge forward, shoving Skins aside with brute strength before allowing her and her allies onto the warp. They warpped away as Skins collected herself. "It's to late now anyways..."

The Gems split in the warp.

"Wait where are you warping again?" Shorty inquired.

"I'm going to Homeworld to expose my imposter with Emerald," Phoenix explained, "You go make sure that the Diamonds are ready for Judgement."

Shorty nodded in understanding and the two parted ways. Phoenix arrived with Emerald at Steven's house, Greg had already left, knowing that this was Gem territory given the supernatural aspects of Steven's trauma as he scheduled an online appointment for therapy.

At first Steven happily greeted his friends, only to then bitterly scowl when he got the news. Something in him... snapped as they explained what Judgement was and what Skins was planning.

"I really do have to fix everything myself," Steven growled.

"What?" Lapis asked.

Steven began to laugh hysterically, "Cause God forbid I actually work on my issues and do anything but fix stuff! Right? Ha ha!"

Steven dashed to the warp, Jasper protested, "Steven wait!"

"This is where the fun begins!" Steven exclaimed madly, his teeth growing into fangs and his left hand into a claw as he warped away...

Part Two: A Malformed Rose

Shorty finished explaining, "And she's coming here! Right now!"

Blue Diamond took a deep breath in, and out. Yellow sighed as well, more angry than Blue. While Blue was more worried about this effecting Steven, Yellow was more angry about...

"Don't they know how many Gems, good Gems, could be hurt!?!" Yellow yelled as she slammed her fist onto the arm of her throne.

"We'll assure you're pardoned of any crimes," Blue explained as she pat Yellow's back in an attempt to calm her down, "We need you to order an evacuation and-"

"Why would anyone need to run?" A voice demanded as Miles entered, throwing the massive doors of the throne room open. Countless Gems rushed in with Destabilising Guns trained on the Diamonds. "Shorty has nothing for fear, only those who are false Gods."

"We aren't Gods," Yellow retorted, "Demigods at best!"

"Exactly!" Miles exclaimed, "You're nothing but the people worshipped you making way for horrid atrocities across the cosmos! Gutting worlds for resources, countless species extinct for your hubris. Now you shall be judged!"

The doors once more flew open and behind Skins it entered. The festering abomination. The eldritch horror. Judgement.

Its body is covered with Gems with every inch. It has eyes misplaced whereever there are not Gems, which are few and far between and of varying sizes. Its color is like that of oil mixed with water, a sickly haze of shades. Arms and legs are of many sizes in many places, growing as needed as it moves, slowly collecting itself to stand upright in at least an approximation of a humanoid form. As they stretch, the Gems spread out, as if what would be skin is being stretched by the form beneath. While it is merely a hard light projection, it still creates the illusion of such.

And in many voices it spoke, "This ends today, Diamonds..."

Yellow shielded Blue before anyone else could react as the being shot a purple beam of energy from its fingertips...

Steven laughed madly in the warp, rapidly corrupting, growing into a draconic pink creature with horns and fangs the size of the Diamonds as he madly rambled with his last concrete thoughts. He held the shards of Centipeedle in his hands as he justified his mental illness to himself.

"This is what happens when I try to heal!" He screamed madly, "I get hurt again! No one else fixes stuff and when I fail to do so someone gets hurt! I will never try to heal again! Just don't kill anyone else like Centipeedle!"

The warp steam opened as Steven laughed hysterically from within.

"What now!?!" Shorty demanded infuriated by the rapid escalation of the situation.

A single claw emerged, slamming into the floor and cracking the hard pavement. The Loyalist troops opened fire to no avail as it roared, swatting them aside and emerging...

And Skins looked in horror at what her nephew had become, Shorty and the Diamonds the same as they saw him...

Steven had corrupted.

The monster roared in a wrathful frenzy, attacking the Loyalist troops who fired at him to no avail. As Steven left the warp pad Skins felt...

What was it?

Was it guilt?

No that wasn't quite it this wasn't her fault.

Compassion?

Yes she felt bad for Steven and wanted to help but there was something else.

It was something close to that compassion, regret. She knew that Steven corrupting wasn't her fault but wondered if this was a sign of other flaws in her ideology. A sign that people she cared about were being hurt by it.

She pushed these aside and gave the order to fire on the Diamonds. Others entered from the warp, the stream revealing Connie, Jasper, and Lapis emerged to see Steven's monstrous form.

Jasper instantly went on the offensive, looking for who to blame before she saw Skins.

"YOOOOOOU!" Jasper roared, charging with her Helmet. "What did you do to my son!?!"

Jasper charged with death in her eyes before Judgement intervened, and thus revealed its true power.

Jasper ducked under its first attack, a beam of purple energy.  Blue shielded Lapis and Connie from the blast, rushing forward to protect them with a veil of energy. Jasper made a charge for Judgement. A troop took aim only to be signaled to hold their fire as Skins yelled, "That's my sister! Hold your fire!"

Skins added, to late however, "Jasper! Don't! Judgment's powers is-"

Judgement charged Jasper, moving with ungodly speed as Jasper attempted to land a blow, each headbutt and punch easily sidestepped until it grabbed her by the Gem and glowed as if the two were fusing...

Jasper found her mind transported to a black pit. The ground was dark and cold, covered in a sickly slime. Jasper shook if off as she stood up, looking into the void.

Dozens of eyes looked at her from the darkens, a sky full of them.

And it asked her. "Do you know why we do this?"

And they showed her. Every insjutice every death, every painful moment the fused Gems had experienced. They projected the memories of that pain into their victims and...

Well...

Jasper corrupted. Judgement was slammed back by her monstrous paw before she charged at the Loyalists. Lapis followed suite with Connie by her side.

Lapis was the first to fall as she took a blow to the chest, poofing her but leaving an opening for Connie for slash the Loyalists through, poofing them with ease and grace. Skins summoned her bow, ready to strike only for her shot to be blocked by Emerald's ax who charged Skins.

The Diamonds attempted to join the fray but were stopped by Steven, whom thrashed about with reckless abandon, knocking them to the other end of the room. Miles attempted to assist Skins only for Phoenix to stab her in the back.

"You won't stop us," Miles growled.

"I won't," Phoenix smirked, "But together, we will defeat you."

Phoenix was then fired upon, both poofing at the same time.

And so both sides fell, one by one, Emerald poofed by Skins and Jasper by the enemy forces. The Diamonds managed to hold Steven off from everyone else as now Connie and Shorty charged Judgement and Skins.

"Why are you doing this!?!" Connie demanded.

"We cannot allow false Gods," Judgement replied, "Stand aside."

"Skins this is wrong!" Shorty pleaded, "You can't do this!"

"Can and will!" Skins retorted, "Shorty! Please understand! People have died! Our friends have died!"

"So what you just continue the cycle!?!" Connie demanded. "Someone who is close to the Diamonds will just seek revenge on you!"

"We must consume the false gods," Judgement retorted, "Skins. Let's."

Skins nodded and took Judgment's hand fusing with it as Steven broke free from the Diamonds.

The Diamonds looked on in horror as Steven charged Judgement, sending them both flying out of the place and into the center of the Gem city. The two traded blows, Judgement growing to titanic size.

Steven roared as he threw a mean left hood at Judgement's face, which was blocked by Judgement morphing its form, flowing like water. Using this momentum, it struck at Steven's face. The corrupted half breed cried in pain and staggered back from the blow as Judgement charged forward.

It began to brutally beat Steven. Skins from within that dark space protested to the eyes, "No! Stop! You're killing him!"

"He is a false God," they responded, "We must kill all false idols."

"That's my nephew!" Skins pleaded, "I can work this out! Let me talk to him!"

"How do you intend to speak to him he's corrupted," Judgement demanded.

Skins sighed. "I... I know what to do."

"Steven!" Blue Diamond exclaimed as she carried Shorty and Connie who looked on in horror as Judgement began to glow.

"Bring him in," Skins ordered.

"Steven!" Connie screamed.

But she was to late.

Steven had been consumed by Judgement...

Part Three: Judged

Steven found himself conscious once more, his form still half corrupted with claws and spikes on his face. He looked around, walking across the smiley surface, lost in the void. He soon felt he was being watched as whispers crept in. The whispers crescendoed as a figure approached from the shadows. Steven summoned his shield as she revealed herself.

And she of all things to do...

Hugged him.

Steven hugged her back. She smiled and asked, "How you been, my dear nephew?"

"What are you doing here aunt Skins?" Steven asked, "Are you behind this?"

Skins nodded, recalling what her former allies had told her.

"Steven Judgement may be the singular most powerful thing that Gem kind has ever seen," Skins explained, "But we're not like White and... I'm having doubts."

Skins snapped her fingers, summoning two chair and a table, which the duo sat at as Skins requested, "Debate me. Prove me wrong and we can call all this off."

Steven nodded and sat down in front of Skins who explained, "I will allow the Loyalists to present their points of our ideology as I myself feel to unsure to engage in well thought out debate."

Whispers spoke from the sky full of eyes, each word a different hushed voice, "Steven. Tell. Us. If. Zealotry. Is. Wrong. Then. Why. Should. Religion. Exist? There. Is. No. God."

"That's a bold statement to make," Steven explained, "I myself am agnostic and do not reject the possibility of a higher power. However we can work in this hypothetical space for the sake of discussion.  If there is no God or yes, doesn't matter cause if there is zealotry is a sin and if there isn't, then yes it's bad but what of the good religious organizations can do? Christian charities who help the homeless and those of other faiths who do the same? There's zealots, and while techinally it's using God to explain an act which is techincally zealotry, they're still doing good. You remove God you remove them."

Skins felt her doubt growing. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she just had to forgive and move on and end this cycle of violence.

"And. You? Demigod?" They asked. "What. Of. You?"

"What of me?" Steven demanded angered, "What of me!?! I'm the one who fixes everything!"

Steven stood up, his fangs growing, "If I fail to act people die! Centi died because I failed to act! I'm the one who has to fix everything you all keep breaking! I'm not speical! I'm not chosen! I'm just a guy! A normal guy! Why can't I just be normal!?! Why do I have to play hero!?! I'm not a hero I'm just Steven!"

Skins stood up, "Steven, easy. Easy."

Skins pat Steven on the back as he began to cry, "Let's talk for a second. Guys? A little privacy?"

The eyes shut as Skins approached Steven. She asked, "Are you OK?"

"No," Steven replied, "I... I'm not. I just... I always have to fix shit. Always have to do everything and can't trust people and I just... can't. I can't anymore."

"What does Centi have to do with it?" Skins inquired.

"She was..." Steven explained, "A corrupted Gem that Jasper shattered when I was a toddler. I couldn't save her and that's my fault. She's dead because of me."

"It's not," Skins explained, "Steven let's say I hold a gun to your head. You can't move yes?"

Steven nodded.

"And then I shoot the guy next to you," Skins elaborated, "How is that your fault?"

"I..." Steven hesitated, and for a moment was convinced until his mental illness lied to him. He parroted the lie, "Jasper wasn't going to kill me if I protected Centi."

"Steven your mother loves you," Skins explained, "But back then she... wasn't a good Gem. She became a good Gem over time."

"Because I fixed it," Steven replied, "Like I always have to fix everything."

"No," Skins assured him, "Cause she wanted to fix herself for her son."

Steven feel silent for a moment and replied, "If there is a God, is Centi in a better place?"

"There isn't but if there was yes," Skins replied.

Steven fell silent once more.

"I have a martyr complex don't I?" Steven asked.

Skins nodded, "But you can heal."

Steven sighed, but nodded in agreement, "Rest in peace Centi, I finally see this wasn't my fault."

Skins smiled at Steven, "Jasper would be proud to see you healing."

"OK let's fix this and-" Steven began.

"No," Skins protested, "This is my mistake and mine to fix. Let me debate your martyr complex by fixing this myself."

"Judgement!" Skins yelled.

Thousands of eyes filled the inky black sky.

Skins explained, "We were wrong! We need to call this off!"

"But. What. Of. Evil? It. Will. Continue. To. Exist. What. Of. The. Diamonds? Who. Killed. Our. Sisters?" The voices demanded.

"It's as our friends explained," Shorty retorted, "Even if we remove zealotry there will still be evil and the Diamonds are still Gems! We can't do this! We have already faced resistance from the very Gems we're fighting for!"

The voices fell silent for a moment as they considered this, and then all the eyes closed.

"Did it work?" Steven asked.

What they saw next we a wave of blinding light that consumed the abyss...

Hundreds of Gems found themselves in the town square as Connie rushed to help the injured Steven to his feet. Skins was pinned by Shorty who demanded, "How did you know they would unfuse?"

Skins explained, "It's as I said, I kept an eye on it to assure their safety. I'll take the fall for all of this. Shorty, tell my friends and family thank you for showing me my mistakes. I hope they can forgive me..."

Part Four: Moving On.

21 days since Judgement Day.

Phoenix stood in front of the crowd, waving to the Gems before her, "Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention please!"

The crowd fell silent as Phoenix explained, "After heavy consideration, we have chosen to pardon all Loyalists of all charges, including but not limited to: Miles, Shorty, Skins, Emerald..."

Skins exited the crowd into the courtyard to clear her head, she smiled as she looked up at the sky. Jasper sat next to her, "I told you."

"I'm shocked they cured your corruption so fast," Skins explained, "And that you're willing to forgive us. That everyone is."

"I've done worse," Jasper chuckled, "You're my sister and Steven's aunt. We all make mistakes. You know? No one holds a grudge against you. It's OK."

Skins nodded, "yeah. How is he anyways?"

"He's well..." Jasper explained, "he's leaving."

"You're taking it well given how attached you are to him," Skins replied.

"Oh between you and me I've been crying a bit," Jasper confessed. "And I should actually go to see him off. Feel free to visit."

"Will do," Shorty replied.

Jasper pat her sister on the back, stood up, and warped away. Skins smiled and look up at the stars above Homeworld as she pondered aloud, "I made some mistakes, but I'm becoming better and it's time to move on..."

Steven packed his bags into the car, closing the back. Pearl tried not to cry. Garnet... well she didn't even try as Amethyst hugged Steven tightly with Peridot.

"Guys you're gonna choke me," Steven gasped out.

"Sorry," Peridot apologized, "I'm just... going to miss you."

"You'll visit," Amethyst asked, "Right?"

Steven nodded.

"I'll call you when you get to Echo Creek OK?" Pearl added.

Steven hugged her, "Of course."

Greg pat Steven on the head, "You'll do great things Stew-ball."

"Thanks dad," Steven chuckled.

Sea added in her usual calm quiet tone, "I'll keep an eye on Lion. Call anytime."

"Of course," Steven replied.

Bismuth added patting his back, "And if you ever need advice call old aunt Bismuth."

"I will," Steven smiled.

Lapis hugged Steven, "I can always fly over and say hello."

"I'll be fine," Steven assured her.

And finally Japser approached. She got down on one knee to look Steven in the eye.

"Steven," She explained, "When you were a kid I was a horrible mother to you. Despite what I did and despite what the Crystal Gems did you forgave them. You are the greatest son I could ever have, and we will always be your family. Thank you Steven. For being you."

Jasper hugged Steven tightly before letting him go. Steven smiled and replied, "Thank you. All of you. You're the best family I could ever ask for. I'll be sure to visit when I can, but for now I need to move on and find what I want. See that therapist. I'll be crashing with Connie when I arrive, she's in college down there."

Steven got in the car and gave one last tearful goodbye as his family did the same and thus, with a hopeful future...

Steven moved on...

The End.

Author's Notes

What can I really say? I wrapped up all the story arcs, the philosophical points speak for themselves, and so on. I'm content with this. It is a little rushed and I intend to edit this into a novel for an easy book when I'm more established, or rather hire someone else to so I guess this is more a first draft a la 50 Shades of Grey.

I feel the end was a little rushed so when I do that I'll probably work closer with that editor to expand on the later chapters but I feel everything was handled to a satisfactory conclusion.

If I missed any plotlines lemme know.

Aside from that I plan to post an epilouge later but for now I'm outta town, at the beach ironically.

Overall yeah pretty happy with this. There will be 3 epilouge chapters but this is the ending. The epilouge are set up for a future fanfic/novel first draft.

Curious?

Well here's a hint eagle eyed readers may have noted already.

The town Steven is going to.

Does it sound familiar?

I hope you enjoyed and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Cya!