Rose savors the night air, enjoying the scent of salt and a summer breeze, swaying to the sound of the waves nearby. She holds a sheet of brightly colored paper, carefully rolled, in her hands as though the wind might steal it away.

Garnet watches her in silence.

From where she leans against a stone, she can just see Rose's profile beyond her mane of curls. A nose, her chin, pink lips against pink hair - that is all. Garnet cannot piece together the puzzles that are Rose's moods with only those few pieces. Sometimes, there is no need to try. But tonight, there is a stirring in her chest, soft and low, like the rumble of a storm about to break, and a spur of rock digs itself into Garnet's back as she cranes her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Rose's expression. Frowning at the flicker of discomfort, she kicks off from the wall, rubbing at the sore place. Her room would provide more luxuries than these bare rock walls, but Garnet is not here for physical comfort. Rose is a salve for aches of another kind. Right now, she wants confirmation. A promise. A sign that all is normal and all is well, and that the twist in Garnet's stomach is the echo of the morning's smoothie adventure and nothing more.

When Rose turns, clutching the paper to her chest, the smile dispels all shadows. Fears scatter. For once, they do not disappear. "I'm going to go for a while now," Rose says, her voice like a well-tuned instrument. "Tell the others, won't you?"

"I will."

Quickly, Rose says, "I'm going to a concert on the beach tonight," as though Garnet were about to ask. The fusion shifts, frowns. Her third eye blinks. Unrolling the poster, Rose looks at it for a long minute in satisfaction. Then she thrusts it towards her friend, smiling as though she had drawn it herself. "Isn't it cute?"

Garnet pushes up her glasses with one hand. "Looks dull."

"It looks lovely." Rose hums a few notes; Garnet can almost place the tune. "Humans are so awfully precious. They make so much music and dance and sing, even though they get nothing out of it."

"What concert?"

"His name is-" She pauses, considering the poster, the name. "'Mr. Universe'."

The river of time reaches a fork and pauses there, waiting.

Garnet stares at the stone floor, studying a stream of hours and minutes and infinite possibilities only she can see, lips parted in surprise. Down one branch, there is Rose, Rose, just as she has always known her. Down the other -

- awfully cute you're everything I want everything I love Rose you can't she's mine I love him we're going to have a baby, a baby, but Rose how, no, don't go, I I need you don't go why did you go -

"Garnet?"

The fusion snaps her head up.

A little boy stands in Rose's place, his dark curls hanging about his face, his pink shirt stained with what might be fry grease. "I'm going now, okay?"

"I-" She puts a hand to her mouth, and finds her cheeks damp with tears. Wonderingly, Garnet pulls her hand back, and looks between it and the little boy.

Except Rose is there again, haloed in the moonlight, as though she had never left. "Garnet," she says, her smile fading, "what's wrong?"

Garnet shakes her head. Scrubbing the tears from her cheeks, she murmurs, "'m fine."

Rose knows her well enough not to press. Worry shines almost as bright as moonlight in her expression, but Garnet gives her a reassuring smile, and the concern fades. "I'll go, then." She glances up at the sky. "Oh! It's later than I thought. I can just make the end of the concert, I hope."

"You can." Garnet closes her eyes. "Go on. Have fun."

When she opens them again, the little boy is there, smiling Rose's smile. "Be back soon, Garnet!" he says, and hurries out, clutching the poster proudly to his chest.

She stands there for what feels like an eternity.

Then she's on her feet and racing out of the cave, running as fast as she can to catch a glimpse of that bright hair, to stop her from going, because Rose doesn't and can't know that every step she takes carries her away from Garnet forever, and she can't let her go, not yet, not so soon-

- take care of him why did you take her Rose no Steven his name is Steven life is going to be incredible oh Garnet I'm sorry but I love him I want this how can you want this I -

Rose is already at the fence.

Garnet stops, one hand outstretched, to watch her.

Swinging her arms by her sides, Rose unlocks the gate, humming, and steps through. Her feet leave hardly any imprint on the sand.

The night is silent, but Garnet does not perceive that vacuum. She is deafened by the echoes of a thousand possible lives, and all of them, each and every one, leading to the little boy with Rose's smile. Motionless, she stands and watches as Rose begins the long walk to the boardwalk.

An owl hoots overhead. Suddenly, Rose laughs aloud, and raises her hands above her head and spins, a blossom caught in a spring wind. Delight shines in her closed eyes and open mouth. She hoots back, once, twice, smiling like a child.

Garnet takes a faltering step back. Her fingers curl into fists, then relax.

On the other side of the fence, Rose Quartz dances on the sand, then takes off at a careening pace towards Beach City, hair wild and free in the wind, warm as a sunset, and Garnet lets her go.