"What's the matter?" asked Will. "Your mother says you can't sleep."

Eli cuddled his stuffed wolf tighter.

"I don't want to sleep," he said sadly.

"Why not?" asked Will, and he sat down on the bed next to his little son. "You know you won't feel good if you don't sleep."

"But, I know," said Eli, who sounded on the verge of tears, "if I go to sleep, you won't be there when I wake up. You're taking the Drop again. If going to sleep means you go away, I don't want to go to sleep!"

Will cuddled the little boy and wiped a tear away from his eye.

"You know you'll be joining me sooner or later," he said. "Aren't you looking forward to that?"

Eli sniffed.

"And going to sleep means that day comes even faster."

The little boy was still uncertain.

"There's lots to look forward to in Slugterra," Will continued.

"Like what?!" Eli demanded moodily.

Will smiled. He already knew which story he wanted to tell.

"There's more than you would believe," he said. "Even though I've been protecting the 99 Caverns for years, I'm still finding new things."

Eli didn't look at him, simply pulling Kiba into an even tighter hug.

"I remember once," Will said fondly, "I was riding through the forests, minding my own business as usual, when I saw something glowing between the trees, so I got off my mechabeast and went to have a look."

"What was it?" asked Eli.

"It was a fountain," his father told him. "A great big fountain covered in thorny stems and some of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen in my whole life. They were pink and their petals were so soft, they were like silk. And the fountain was decorated with big statues of a beautiful goddess, and the waterspout was carved into her shape."

"What did she look like?" Eli asked with impatience befitting a five-year-old.

Will smiled again.

"As I was looking at the fountain," he continued, "trying to see if there were any slugs nearby, I was almost blinded by a dazzling light between the trees. I ran to look and there was a round plinth, like the sort of thing you'd put a statue on, or one of those vases that your mother likes so much. It was made of… after all this time, I'm still not sure if it was glass or crystal. It could even have been diamond for all I know. And it wasn't just glowing; there was this huge beam of light coming out of it. And then it stopped, and I saw…"

He trailed off, his eyes glazed over in wonder at the memory.

"What was it?" asked Eli. "Dad, what did you see?"

Will slowly blinked.

"A goddess," he said.

Eli gasped in amazement, completely forgetting his prior frustration.

"She was eight feet tall," Will explained, "and she wore a beautiful wedding dress and her hair was a mass of curls, the same colour as those flowers. Shining like a crystal and pink as a rose and it bounced whenever she moved. Her dress… it had a star shape cut out of it so I could see her stomach, and she had a gem there. It was pink, but it glittered like a diamond. It was… she was beautiful."

He smiled fondly down at his little boy.

"Did she see you?" asked Eli, whose imagination now had him enraptured.

"I hid behind a rock," Will told him, "before she had a chance to see me. She walked over to the fountain, and she looked up at it, and she just smiled. And she looked around at the forest and all the trees, and she just seemed so happy to see it all. I didn't realise it at first, but the statues on the fountain? They were of her."

Eli's eyes were wide with amazement.

"And then," said Will, "just as I was wondering if I should make a run for it, Burpy decided he would go and say hi."

"What?!" Eli gasped.

"He just hopped over to her," Will said, "and he bumped against the bottom of her dress, and she picked him up and she… her voice was like music. Everything about her just seemed beautiful. She said hello to Burpy and he was happier than I've seen him since he first came to join me. And then I guess she noticed me because she told me to come out."

"And did you?"

"I didn't have the guts to refuse. I'm not fearless, you know. My legs were shaking so much I could barely walk, but I stepped out and I explained that Burpy was my slug. That I hadn't meant to get in her way, but she actually seemed glad. She was just really happy to see me. Really glad that me and my slugs were there. I don't think I'll ever forget her smile."

"What happened next?" asked Eli. "What did she do?"

"She told me it was her fountain," said Will, "and then she left."

Eli blinked at him blankly.

"She stepped onto her teleporter thing," his father told him, "and then there was another bright light and she was gone. It was years ago, before you were even born, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. It's hard to forget somebody that amazing."

Still cuddling Kiba, Eli's face fell in disappointment.

"Did you ever see her again?" he asked.

Will shook his head.

"I went back there a lot," he said. "Almost every day for a whole year. Eventually Tom told me to quit it because I was wasting my mecha's power and I could've been imagining her for all I knew. I showed him the fountain and everything and he still didn't believe me."

It was obvious, even to Eli, that he was disappointed as well.

"Did she at least tell you her name?" asked the little boy.

"No," said Will, "but she told it to Burpy. I overheard her. It's a bit annoying that she'd tell a slug and not me."

"But what was it?" Eli insisted. "What was her name?"

Another faint smiled tugged at his father's lips.

"Rose Quartz," he replied.

He smiled properly now, and ruffled Eli's hair.

"And when you become the Shane," he said, "you never know; you might meet her too, but that won't happen if you don't go to sleep."

Eli frowned again.

"But you won't be there when I wake up," he reminded his father.

"Maybe not," said Will, "but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. Believe me, Eli. The last thing I want is for you to have to be alone. Now come on. You and Kiba get comfy."

He got up and pulled the covers up over his son's shoulders.

"Good night, big guy," he said. "I promise I'll be back before you know it."

The caverns seemed somewhat lonelier now that Will was separated from his family once again. Even though he was almost definitely going to see them again come Eli's birthday, it was still getting harder and harder to leave them behind. A day would probably come soon when he would no longer bear the departure.

He knew there probably wasn't any point coming in this direction, but reliving those memories with his son had done wonders to renew his hope. Maybe, just maybe, today would be the day.

He left his mecha and found his way to the familiar fountain, which still ran as it always had, carrying with it the ever-so-faint scene of salt. It had always smelled of tears, which was appropriate considering how the water poured from the eyes of the largest statue. It gave the impression that the beautiful goddess was crying.

It would have been amazing just to get one last look at her. To speak to her just one last time.

Somebody up there must have heard his thoughts, as Will's head was turned by a bright light from the nearby crystal platform. He hurried over, pushing the vegetation aside and skidding to a halt on the soft ground, just as the immense woman finished materialising in front of him.

"Rose Quartz!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe you're…"

He fell silent.

The last time he had seen her, her stomach had not been anywhere near as round or large.

"…pregnant?" he realised.

"Yes," said Rose, and she gently rubbed her engorged stomach with a fond smile. "His name will be Steven. He'll inherit my gem and my powers, but he'll grow up to look just like his father. He'll love fries and ice cream and he'll be the sweetest little boy the world has ever seen!"

She sounded so proud, even though her child hadn't even been born yet.

"Your name's Will Shane," she said. "Is that right?"

Numb from shock, Will managed to nod.

"Listen, Will," she said, and she stepped forward off the platform. "I've watched this world and its inhabitants for a very long time. I've seen its plants and its animals and its people develop into something more wonderful than I could ever have imagined. But…"

She looked down at her stomach again, this time looking less than happy.

"Steven and I can't both exist," she told the Shane. "When he's born, he'll take my gem, and as a result, I will cease to exist. In terms of physicality, at least as you humans call it, I will be dead. But spiritually I will live on inside Steven. I'll love him. And I'll love being him."

She looked up at him with sadness in her sparkling black eyes.

"Tell me, Will," she said. "Do you have any children?"

"Yes," said Will. "My son's name is Eli. He'll be taking my job as protector of the 99 Caverns once he's old enough."

"So we have something in common," Rose said with a faint smile. "I've thankfully been able to see what Steven will grow into. He'll be a cheerful, adorable, wonderful person, and he'll become a fantastic Gem."

Her smile fell.

"But he can't know about this place," she said. "Not until he's old enough to understand it."

She reached forward and gently cupped Will's face in her large hand.

"I won't be able to come here anymore," she told him. "Not as myself, at least. Until Steven is old and powerful enough to take my place, you'll have to watch over this world all on your own. I know you must have a lot of questions – you humans have always had the most wonderful curiosity – but for now I must ask you to keep my fountain and this warp pad safe and unharmed. There's a great evil that lies in the centre of your planet and it cannot be allowed to escape. Do you understand, Will Shane?"

Will gently felt her hand. Her touch was warm and comforting, but somehow unearthly. Like the touch of an alien mother or a powerful, loving goddess.

Reassured by the patience in her eyes, he nodded.

"I understand," he told her. "I was doing this job long before I met you and I'm sure I can keep it going without you."

Rose's smile returned, and as it did, the platform – the warp pad, as she had called it – lit up once again, and this time a pale red-headed girl dressed like a dancer appeared, a smooth white globe glinting in the centre of her forehead.

"Rose!" she exclaimed. "Greg's just arrived. We're ready whenever you are."

She looked at Will in bafflement, but Rose gave her a nod of understanding.

"Thank you, Pearl," she said. "I'll be right there."

She leaned forward and kissed Will on the head.

"Good luck, Mr Shane," she said. "Take care."

Will's brow tingled where her lips had touched him as she stepped onto the warp pad and, in another wash of light, she and the girl were gone.

Will knew, for sure this time, that he was never going to see her again.

He turned and walked back to the fountain, where the water still babbled and the flowers still bloomed as they had for as long as he could recall.

Rose had been correct. He had more questions than he would dare to count. He hadn't had time to ask who she was or what she meant by 'watching over' Slugterra. As far as he knew, that was the job of him his family, and any of the people who watched over the other realms.

He'd only met her twice, but it was still going to be strange without her.

But he had managed without her before, and surely he could continue that way.

This was going to make a fantastic story for when he saw Eli again.