Chapter 8: A Chat With Demons

He would be lying if he said he planned this encounter.

Kira was a man who tried to prepare for any situation. He had thought up of many ways to escape from Morioh should the police eventually make their way to his house. Of course, that was before he had gotten his Stand. Before he had decided that absolutely nothing would ever force him to do anything to disrupt his life. He had held onto that belief ever since the day he unlocked his Killer Queen. Even when Stand Users were hunting him, and it would have been so easy to run away, he refused to do so. Even when his father had begged him to flee, he would not. For no matter what was conspiring to get rid of him, he would never let anyone or anything dictate how he should live his life. If he wanted to kill, he would kill. If he wanted to stop, he would stop.

But it would be his decision, and no one else's.

But the point still stood that he liked to plan for any unfortunate circumstances he may find himself in. Since he arrived in this dimension, he had prepared many plans for hundreds of different situations. He left Sheer Heart Attack and Let Me Live on the only routes one could take to get to Beach City, giving both bombs orders to stop a teenager with shitty taste in fashion should they spot him. And letting bombs made up of his will roam hundreds of miles away from him wasn't even difficult. It was vexing, and a tad tiring, but nothing more. The worst he ever felt were migraines at random points in the day. Other than that, he felt no strain in keeping Killer Queen's bombs in existence. In his evolved state, doing such a task was as simple as clipping his nails.

And in addition to preparing for Josuke, he had even thought about several plans to deal with the Crystal Gems. He had thought about sneaking into their base and blowing them up in their sleep. He imagined watching them like a hawk about to scoop up its prey as he waited for the right moment to strike. But ultimately, he decided to do nothing about the Crystal Gems unless there were absolutely no other options left. But that did not stop his mind from imagining so many enjoyable ways to end the "protectors" of Beach City.

But while he had prepared for multiple situations, while he had come up with numerous tactics to defeat his enemies, he would admit that killing a tiny green alien right in the middle of a very large crowd had not been a part of his plans.

Now, the people here knew something was going on in their town. The morons that were barely able to form a simple idea realized that their homes were not as safe as they thought. They had seen one of their protectors die in a vicious explosion. Someone who was supposed to be able to fight off the evils always threatening their town. Someone who was supposed to be invincible. A member of the magical woman had just been brutally executed, even though they had always beaten whatever evil the faced in the past, and now she was nothing more than dust fluttering in the breeze.

Their brains, despite their small stature, quickly realized something very important.

If something could kill their heroes, then what chances did they have?

The group of alien women that had always seemed to be undefeatable had just lost to a creature capable of killing one of their own. So how were the humans of Beach City supposed to survive against that kind of monster? For the first time, they had seen that the aliens were just as mortal as them.

For the first time, they truly realized how dangerous it was to live in a city that was constantly attacked by monsters from another world.

Honestly, how could it take them this long to realize something so obvious?

And now, the streets that were once bustling with people full of smiles and cheer, the town that once seemed so full of life was as empty as a graveyard. The few individuals who were out he had seen shouting at the mayor's office, demanding answers. As if that idiot could handle anything even remotely frightening. Somehow in a town full of morons, he was the dumbest one here. And no one seemed to even consider asking the remainder of their "protectors" what was going on. They didn't even think about asking the people who fought against aliens on a daily basis what happened. Even though they only lived a few miles away from the town, they somehow thought it would be better to yell and rant at the sniveling idiot who ran their town.

Sometimes the stupidity of humanity astounded him.

Of course, he doubted that the Crystal Gems would answer any repetitive and frankly stupid questions. They had just lost one of their own, so the last thing they wanted was to talk to some idiotic humans screaming questions. But still, he was amazed at just how dense the people who lived here were. Perhaps their stupidity was the reason why they seemed to be perfectly fine with the idea that life on other planets existed, yet did nothing about it. They were too absorbed in their daily stupidities to realize the ramifications of this fact.

In his case, he simply did not care what else existed in other worlds or even other dimensions. All he cared about was maintaining his tranquil life.

Which was why when he saw Universe, tears running down his face like water from a faucet, he saw the perfect opportunity to preserve his way of life.

And this was why he currently had an ice cream cone in each hand; strawberry in his right and chocolate in his left. Small trails of liquids dripped down the two frozen dairy treats; it wasn't that hot, but the ice creams were already melting as the cones became sticky and clung to his hands. But he didn't mind. His lips were in a small, charming smile as his eyes locked onto one of the people trying to obstruct his life.

Universe was currently sitting on a pale blue bench located right on the curb of the street, a garbage can located a short distance away. The miserable looking child looked up at him with eyes still drowning with tears. He carefully sat down next to Universe on the bench as he extended his left arm to the boy.

"Here you go," He said, making sure to make his smile just the tiniest bit bigger as Universe took the chocolate ice cream in one hand. It was subtle things that made one truly look normal. The small ways in which one's eyes seemed to soften in an instant or the number of breaths one released as they talked. He had practiced and mastered every form of expression. By now he was able to move his face in the tiniest of ways to make it seem like he truly was a kind man. And his skills in expressions had paid off so many times in the past, he could deceive anyone he wanted to if he placed enough effort into his act.

So tricking a grief-ridden child would be one of the easiest deceits he would ever accomplish.

"I'm sorry it took so long, most of the places I usually go to are closed today."

He could hear the tender warmth his words carried. And he could feel the sickening serenity lighting his face as Universe responded with a short nod. He did not miss how the boy's body visibly winced after the words left his mouth, and he knew why. The reason so many stores were closed today was that the owners were terrified of a monster they had yet to even see.

The same monster that had killed Universe's friend. He had made sure that he phrased his words in a way that would get a reaction out of the boy.

"I didn't know what flavor to get you, so I hope you like chocolate."

His purple eyes took in every detail of the small child's appearance. Shoulders slouched, eyes red and puffy and holding nothing but remorse; the boy did not even bother to look up at him as he barely gripped the cone in his hand. It did not take a genius to see just how broken this child was, and he questioned why his guardians would even let him wander the city alone in such state.

"It's fine." He could barely hear Universe. His voice was quieter than a mouse as the boy let out a heavy sigh. He brought his arm up to his face to wipe away the tears, and while moisture was still present in the corners of his eye, he stopped crying. And he could tell it was taking everything the boy had to stop the flow of tears. "Thank you."

"If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it." His smile was bright and cheerful, but Universe did not see it as he refused to look up.

"I'm sorry, I..." Universe trailed off. The hand that wasn't holding the ice cream gripped his pants viciously. Sorrow cracked in the boy's voice as he glanced towards him from the corner of his eye. "I'm just not in the mood for ice cream."

He had been waiting for the boy to say something along those lines.

"Yes, I suppose that's understandable." He forced his lips downward as his smile was replaced with a small frown. His eyes lost their cheer as he glanced at the floor, a motion he made sure was obvious to the child in front of him. "Considering what happened, I can't exactly blame you for not having an appetite." His words were spoken as quietly as he could make them. He let out a small sigh that would be loud enough for Universe to hear.

"Did you... see Peridot at Funland too?"

For the first time, Universe's head turned towards him and stared right into his eyes. The meaning behind the boy's words was clear as day.

"No." He answered, eyes holding just the right amount of sadness as his frown deepened. "But I did hear about what happened from some of the people here. I..." He paused for added effect, he knew Universe could hear the remorseful weight his words now held. "I'm sorry about your loss, Steven. I can not begin to imagine what it's like to see someone you love die in such a horrible way."

Of course, he had seen so many other people he felt no emotion towards die like the green alien had. By now, he was sure the number was in the hundreds.

Universe once again recoiled, his words creating even more misery within the boy. Regret flooded Universe's expression as tears began to brim in his eyes. The boy bit his lower lip as he let out another shaky sigh. He could practically see the painful memories his words had brought up. The despair that gripped at Universe's heart leaked into the air around them; if he had feelings, he might have felt a tad smothered by the suddenly morose atmosphere around him.

"Everyone's scared now. I might be new here, but even I can tell the town should never be this quiet. I suppose they think the Corrupted Gem might come after them next. But right now, I'm more concerned about you, Steven." He moved a little closer to Universe. He threw his ice cream cone into the trash and watched as it landed inside the can before turning back. He then placed a hand under Universe's chin as he gently brought his face upwards, staring into the boy's brown eyes. The boy dropped the cone in his hands as it landed on the curb. "You look awful. A child like you shouldn't have to be going through something like this, especially by yourself. Have you talked to your family about this yet?"

Universe looked away from him. He saw shame welling in the boy's eyes as unforgiving sorrow once again pooled in his expression. The face he made confirmed to him that Universe had not talked to his family yet. Clearly, the boy had purposely avoided speaking to them and was now most likely hating himself for doing so. The fact that his words implied Universe needed to talk to his family only made his pain so much worse. Universe had decided to not share his feeling with his family, which was a perfectly normal response for a child who had just seen someone murdered by a fiery explosion. Who would want to talk about the death of their loved one not even a day later?

And now, he could easily exploit Universe because of his decision.

"N-No, I haven't...yet." The small child looked away from Kira as his voice became incredibly low, almost inaudible. "Bu-But I will." Uncertainty twisted the boy's expression as he stared at the ground, becoming lost in his own little world.

"You don't sound so sure." His frown became just a little deeper as he gathered just a right amount of disappointment and placed it in his voice. That was one of the harder emotions to fake, even for him.

"I am!" Universe raised his voice for the first time as his eyes narrowed slightly. The boy's hardened expression almost immediately faded a second later, worry embedding itself into his features as he looked down. "I- I mean I will. Definitely..." He trailed off, his words becoming quieter as he continued to ramble. "Maybe." Universe finished, and the doubt in his voice could not have been any thicker. He could see the agony in his eyes as Universe struggled to fight against the despair gripping him, trying to figure out what he should do.

"I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to them." The boy looked back up at him with confusion rising in every part of his expression. But he could see that his words took Universe's mind off his pain. "I have gone through similar experiences Steven, so I can empathize with you better than most. The pain your feeling right now is something I am more than familiar with."

He put as much sorrow into his voice as he could, making sure the lines on his face were now heavy with grief as he looked down. For added emphasis, he placed both hands on the side of his head, just to make sure he looked as pitiful as possible.

"You... You have?" Without even looking up he could tell that he had Universe fully invested in his every word now. The boy was far too easy to understand. Tell him that you know his pain and suddenly he'll trust you like you've been his friend for ages. He could hear the desperate need to find someone to connect with hiding underneath his voice. A frantic plea to find someone to let out all of his pain too. With his family out of the option, he knew Universe was now considering the merits of sharing some of his distress with an ordinary businessman.

Just a few more pushes...

"Yes." He let out a somewhat shaky sigh. He could have forced a few tears out if he wanted too, but he refused to look too pathetic. Both because of pride in his appearance, and because he didn't want to oversell his act. "My son, I lost him when he was very young." His expression became melancholic. Remorse secreted from every word he spoke as he heard Universe let out a tiny gasp. He removed his hands from his head as he looked back up towards Universe, who had scooted a little closer to him. The boy's expression gleamed with sadness. But it was a different type of sorrow than before though, for this anguish was directed towards him and not the boy himself. He was surprised that Universe could still feel sorry for others when he was already dealing with his own agony, but he supposed fools like him always had bleeding-hearts.

"And I also lost my-." He found himself stopping. His breath hitched in his throat as he found his eyes glancing to the side for one second. He quickly looked back at Universe. "My wife."

Hmm, strange. In that moment, he didn't even have to force his body to go through those unnatural motions. His mind must have gotten used to acting like a sorrowful man and his body ran on autopilot for a moment.

"That's awful." Universe's voice was a hushed whisper. The boy brought his hands to his mouth in appalled shock as his eyes could not look away from him.

"Yes, it is." He agreed, though he hadn't felt even the tiniest bit of remorse about being taken away from Hayato and Shinobu. While he did lie, in some ways, he had in fact lost both his wife and son. And he felt absolutely nothing for the members of his old life.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. There were some days when he could imagine ripping Hayato's throat out for causing him such humiliation on the day he left his home forever. Enjoying the unmitigated horror mangling the little shit's expression as the last thing he would see would be his killer's victorious smirk.

"I'm so sorry," Universe's words snapped him out of his daydreams as he saw the boy looking away from him and back towards the ground. "I... I don't know what that's like."

"Yes, you do." He instantly drew Universe's attention with those words. The small child looked at him with a confused expression. "We both lost family, and the pain from it is the same. Whether you be young or old, losing someone you love always leaves a hole inside you."

He reached over to Universe's hands as he gently grabbed them with his own. He could feel his expression positively glowing with compassion. He was sure that if looked in a mirror, he might vomit from his own sickly sweet face.

"So I can understand what you're going through. I can understand why you wouldn't want to talk to your family. You don't want to burden them when they too are dealing with so much right now. And you don't want them to deal with your issues as well as their own."

Universe eyes widened slightly, surprised that "Mr. Araki" was able to tell what he was feeling. It wasn't that hard of a guess; from what he already knew about Universe, and what he was learning about the small child through their conversation, he could tell the boy liked to keep his feelings bubbled away until they reached their breaking point. Even after going through an intense trauma, Universe would willingly choose to remain silent on his feelings if he thought it would benefit others around him. Truly, this boy was so easy to read, his facial expressions alone gave way to every little thought running through his head.

"After I lost my family, I too did not want to talk to the people I loved." Just saying the word "love" made a nauseous disgust enter his body. He resisted the urge to click his tongue. "Eventually, though, a friend of mine was able to convince me to finally talk about what I was going through. He listened to me for hours, and at the end, I did feel better."

His eyes were now scanning every inch of Universe's body, expertly analyzing every small twitch and every subtle movement his face made. The way the boy kicked his legs, the way his fingers silently clawed at the seat of the bench, he saw it all with his purple irises. Universe eyes once again glanced at the ground, hesitance now slipping into his sullen expression as he opened his mouth before slowly closing it. Were he another fool of this city, he might have believed Universe was trying to find some words to console him for "his losses." But he knew what Universe really wanted to ask.

Universe wanted to ask him for help.

The key to getting people to talk about uncomfortable or depressing matters wasn't to just be blunt and go straight to the heart of the issue. Nor was it acceptable to just avoid the matter entirely. A person needed to be both gentle and patient if they wanted to discuss dire matters with someone who was deeply upset over said issues. They had to acknowledge that something was wrong, not turn a blind eye to a matter and pretend everything was normal; that way the recipient knew their pain was something to be taken seriously and was understandable. Slowly, like a doctor performing delicate surgery, one should carefully make progress towards the issue they wanted to talk about. But the recipient had to be the one to open up first; otherwise, they may just shut themselves down and refuse to talk at all.

Of course, the situations may vary, and different approaches may be more appropriate to use, even he knew that, but for a child who just lost a family member, being patient and waiting for them to talk first was the best solution. And he knew Universe would talk to him eventually about his friend's death. After all, he had been manipulating the boy throughout this conversation.

Purposely reminding him that the beast that killed his friend was still out there, causing the regret the boy already felt to rise and grab his heart. Pointing out the doubt in his voice when he said he would talk to his family, that way the boy would feel ashamed for not doing so and question if he ever would. And even telling him a ridiculous lie about knowing his pain, the boy believing him without a second thought. So now not only did Universe think he had gone through something similar to his own agony, but the boy also wanted to know how he had gotten past his pain. Adding in the fact that he had said talking to his friend had eased his pain, Universe would get the idea in his head that maybe the same could help him.

All that agony and grief can only stay bottled up in such a small body for so long. All the cruel hopelessness Universe had no doubt been feeling ever since seeing his friend die was by now crushing every fiber of his being.

So all he had to do-.

"Mr. Araki... Did talking to your friend really help that much?"

-Was wait for the right moment to strike.

He gave Universe his most benevolent smile. His eyes emitted empathy as he looked down at the small child before him.

"Yes, it really did."

Universe looked right into his eyes, the boy's expression held an almost adorable shyness as he let out a shaky breath.

"I... I really don't want to talk to my family right now...for reasons...but... can you...listen to me for a few minutes?"

His smile grew just the tiniest bit softer as he scooted closer to Universe. They were now sitting right next to each other as he let out a tiny chuckle.

"Of course, Steven. I would do anything to help you through such a difficult time."

The predatory shadows inside his mind laughed. The homicidal cruelty that made up his Stand was whispering into his ear to crush this boy; to show him the horrible, uncaring monster that had killed his friend. But he wouldn't do that right now; there'd be no reason for that course of action. But it was absolutely delightful to imagine Universe crying his eyes out before he was swallowed by a powerful explosion.

"Why don't we first talk about what you're feeling right now?" Universe looked down towards his stomach, why he did not know, but the boy quickly gazed back towards him.

"Right now... I'm just feeling really sad." Grief consumed every word he spoke as he let out another labored breath. "But... It's so much worse than any other type of sadness I've felt before."

"Well, that's natural. You're only a child, after all, and you haven't dealt with death before, have you?" He knew the answer to his question already. Universe was far from a battle-hardened warrior, so this was probably his first real encounter with death.

Universe once again looked down towards his stomach, but this time his gaze only lingered there for a second before looking back towards him. "No...technically."

He raised a brow, not expecting that last word. "Technically?" He could feel his expression enveloping with curiosity as his eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit. How could someone "technically" encounter death? Did he die and come back from the afterlife himself?

"I mean...there's only been one other person I've...sort of known who died, but..." He trailed off. By Universe's expression, he could tell the boy was struggling to find the right words as he waited patiently for Universe to finish. "I didn't know her as well as Peridot, and I didn't actually see her die right in front of me."

His voice became incredibly quiet when he spoke those last words. Sorrow washed over Universe's expression as he could see the regret filling the boy's eyes. Whoever this person was, Universe was clearly deeply troubled over, but he doubted he would get any answers as to who this woman was right now.

"Well, why don't you try going a little more descriptive about your feelings. For example, is the only thing your feeling right now sorrow? Or are you feeling other emotions in addition to that?" His demeanor had now become professional. While his smile and kind features were still present, he had adopted a posture similar to that of a psychologist. A gentle calmness was packed into every word he spoke, trying to lull Universe into a sense of ease and security.

"No." He looked, down, the boy radiated immense gloom with just one sigh as he gripped his chest with one hand. "I feel grief... misery...and they're only getting worse with every moment. I feel hurt, but this pain's way worse than taking a punch to the face or a giant rock hitting my body." He made a mental note of those last words. He was unsure if Universe was being metaphorical about being hit by a giant rock. If what he said was true, then the boy was more durable than his chubby appearance would imply. "It feels like my heart keeps getting cut into bits and pieces, like somethings clawing away at my stomach and...and their's absolutely nothing I can do to stop it."

"But you don't need to stop it, Steven."

Universe head whipped towards him, eyes widening as perplexion wrapped around his features. He took a moment to plan his next words.

"You can't stop something like this, Steven. When it comes to grief, the more you try and fight it off, the stronger it becomes. The best thing you can do is to stop struggling and let it run its course. Trust me, you'll feel much better if you just stop fighting."

He made sure to keep his smile as inviting as possible, despite the fact that he could feel his maliciousness trying to sneak into his expression.

"And the best way to stop fighting…" He once again paused. His purple eyes stared right into Universe's weak brown irises. The boy was now shifting in his seat.

"Is to go back to the night your friend died."

And now, it was time to take a gamble.

"Wha-What?!" Universe did not quite shout, but his voice did get louder. Confusion crawled across the boy's expression, not understanding what he was saying. But Universe's puzzlement was dwarfed by the horror contorting his features. While Universe might not fully understand what he was implying, his answers for what exactly he meant deeply frightened him.

"Please, calm down." He tried to sound as gentle as humanly possible. He must have succeeded, for Universe almost instantly seemed to be soothed by his words. The fear was still there, but it had diminished. He made sure his lips were still curled into a warm smile.

"What I mean is, you have to think back to the very moment you saw her die. Reimagine the exact situation in your mind, and let it play out again." He could see Universe was about to immediately object to this idea. He cut the child off before a single word could leave his mouth. "I know that this sounds like a horrifying plan and it seems like I just want to see you suffer, but it's quite the opposite. You see, if you continue to fight against your anguish, then eventually your grief is going to overwhelm you and cause you to act like a completely different person. So, it would be best to willingly allowing all those awful memories to come back to the surface on your own terms. The pain you will feel might become unbearable, but after reliving that moment, it may also decrease; if only slightly."

This was risky, he knew that, but he needed to push Universe in this direction. He knew he was being a bit too blunt and a tad hasty the moment he suggested the boy think back to when his friend died. As he said before, one needed to be patient, not reckless when talking about such painful issues.

But he had to make sure the little midget had said nothing about him before she died.

Last time he had been careless. He had thought that when he blew up Shigechi, he had prevented anyone from discovering the monster living in Morioh, and his quiet life was secured.

He could not have been more wrong.

All because of a damn paper bag and a button, the events that would cause him to go through hell were set in motion. He vowed to never be caught so unprepared ever again and would make sure to stay three steps ahead of his enemies. He had to find out what exactly happened in the green alien's last moments and learn whether or not she revealed even the slightest detail about the monster she had fought.

It was the entire point of starting this conversation with Universe in the first place.

And he could see no other way to get Universe to tell him about his friend's death without being somewhat forceful. He knew that there was a chance that Universe would stop their conversation right here and now, but he had already stacked the deck in his favor with his earlier words. He had already manipulated Universe throughout their talk, so he knew the chances were high that he would listen.

The fact that Universe had a troubled yet contemplative expression on his face told him that the boy was considering what he should do.

"I understand your hesitance Steven, but if you want to truly feel better, thinking and talking about Peridot's death is the first step towards recovery. I need you to be willing to discuss every single detail about what happened leading up to her death. I need you to be strong and talk about every horrible sight you saw because if you run away from these images and thoughts, you'll only get worse. I need you to trust me, Steven, for I promise you I will do everything I can to help you."

His voice dripped with kindness. He knew his expression emitted a warm, inviting glow as he smiled. His eyes stared right into Universe's brown irises, watching as hesitance contorted the boy's features and his hands clutched his pants legs again. But slowly, the confusion and doubt soon left his eyes as the boy let out a shaky breath.

"I...is that really the best choice?"

"Yes, it is."

For a moment neither spoke. He waited, to him the seconds seemed to be moving slower than before as his eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit. A touch of uncertainty slipped into his body, but he quickly extinguished that feeling.

He was a master of deceit. Getting a child to talk to him was something he could do in his sleep.

"Okay."

He had to strain his ears to hear that one word Universe muttered, but he heard it none the less. He had to resist the urge to let out a chuckle as his smile grew a little wider.

Hook, line, and sinker. And the fool didn't even try to put up much of a fight.

"You're making the right choice, Steven." Universe looked down to the ground, already apprehensive about what he was about to do. He still maintained his calm demeanor, which was getting a little difficult as he tried to ignore the sudden rise of excitement in his chest. But he couldn't show any signs of emotion other than benevolence; otherwise, Universe would get suspicious. Though, he somewhat doubted the child would notice in his current state.

He carefully considered how to phrase his next words.

"Now then, what exactly happened on that day?"

"We..." Universe trailed off, his body trembling as he clenched his eyes shut. "We...we were planning on just having a good time. Me, Peridot, and another Gem named Lapis." He hadn't heard that name before. She must have been a newer addition to the Crystal Gems, and he now wanted to fill in every bit of data he could get on this new alien.

"And who is this Lapis?"

"She's another Gem. She's blue and can control water." Universe answered quickly. The boy leapt at the nearest chance to talk about something other than the green alien. Though, Universe knew it would only be for just a moment. His mind immediately dissected the meaning behind those words the moment they left the boy's mouth. Controlling one of the most abundant elements on the planet instantly made her a dangerous threat. He remembered seeing Universe flying through the air on someone's back when he was chasing the green midget. He remembered the blue skin he saw through his Stand's eyes, and deduced that the girl he had seen was this "Lapis." If she could control her powers in a way that could give her flight, that meant she could use water in ways even he might not expect. The only other question he needed an answer to now was how much she could-.

"She can even control the entire ocean if she wanted to."

...What?

That one offhanded comment Universe had for some reason thought wasn't important made him lean further back into the bench.

"The ocean?" He repeated.

"Yeah."

"As in, the entire ocean. She can manipulate every drop of seawater on the planet if she wished?"

"...Yeah?"

It took every part of him to keep his expression the same. He would not show his shock no matter what, and he certainly would not allow his emotions to break the fake demeanor he had spent years crafting. He kept the kind expression on his face despite the fact that he was suddenly very tempted to let out a curse.

"I see." his smile was still bright as his serene features never wavered. He hadn't even flinched or shown any signs of discomfort, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway since Universe had yet to look up to him.

He slowly clenched his right hand into a tight fist.

Of all the powers, of all the abilities he had faced in the past, nothing was ever as destructive as what Universe had just described. The Stands he had faced were strong, the mere fact he was willing to admit this was more than enough proof, and each User he fought had been terrifying in their own right.

But none had the sheer power one blue alien held.

The ability to control the ocean in its entirety, to manipulate the thing that blanketed the earth. That was something new, and something that would cause even him problems. He could imagine how easy it would be for her to drown someone who displeased her. To crush some poor fool underneath a wave. To end their life with as much ease as making instant ramen. His Stand was capable of handling anything. Both he and Killer Queen stood on a mountain few could reach. But even he knew there were still threats slowly climbing towards him. And this Lapis had just elevated herself to the same level as Josuke; both equally capable of making him sweat, if only slightly. There were now two annoyances he needed to deal with.

Perhaps he would pay her a visit.

"So Lapis was a friend of Peridot?"

"Yeah, she was. She lived with her up in the barn outside the town, but now..." Universe trailed off, once again. He made sure to go check out this barn the moment their conversation ended. It would be best to examine the blue alien, and then he would decide when and where he would kill her. "But now with Peridot dead, she's probably really torn up. Maybe even worse than me."

He needed to focus back on the issue at hand. He could find out more about this water Gem later, but for now, he needed to learn if the midget had told Universe anything.

"You said that you were planning something on that day, correct? What exactly were you planning on doing?"

"Just...watching the fireworks from their barn. Peridot had to take care of some things, so me and Lapis waited for her to come back. But then we got...her message."

He made sure not to visibly react to his words. He had thought for sure he had destroyed the green alien's damned tablet before she could send a message. In his mind, he could see the familiar events that would lead to him fighting Josuke and eventually getting clobbered by Crazy Diamond. He suddenly realized how very easy it would be for Killer Queen to touch Universe's shirt and watch the boy be blown to smithereens.

But he would not let his bloodlust get the better of him.

"And just what,"He swore he could feel his fingernails growing by the second. They became as sharp as daggers that could easily pierce Universe's eyes. He opposed the urge to gnash his teeth. "Did she say?"

"Just that she was busy, and that she might be a little bit late for the fireworks."

The moment those words full of sorrow left Universe's mouth, the desire to murder the boy lessened dramatically. She must have sent that message before she had begun to follow him. Why she didn't tell the boy exactly what she was doing in her message, he still could not figure out. Perhaps she did it because she believed she could protect her comrades from harm and take care of him by herself.

How sweet.

"I didn't think much at first, but I felt like something bad was happening. I thought Peridot had gotten into trouble, that somewhere she was struggling and getting hurt. I told myself I was being paranoid, but as more time passed, I couldn't shake that bad feeling. It grew more and more, and when Peridot still hadn't contacted me, I knew something was going on. So Lapis and me went to help her out of whatever trouble she had gotten into but-."

He abruptly stopped, letting out a sniffling sound as the corners of his eyes began to brim with water. He wondered if this was how the families of the people he killed reacted when they finally learned that their loved ones were dead. Dried snot present on their faces, sadness engulfing their expressions as they tried desperately to wrap their brains around the fact that the ones they cherished were dead.

Did everyone who was grieving look this pathetic?

"Is it at this point you two arrived at the fair?"

Universe nodded.

"Then tell me, what exactly happened there? Please, I know this is difficult, but do not spare any details."

Once again, another shaky breath. He wanted to roll his eyes at the boy's repetitive responses, but he held himself back.

"I...when we got there, we met up with Connie." He had seen the girl with glasses at the festival when he arrived before the green alien, but he was able to avoid her sight easily. She had been focused on taking pictures with her phone at the time. "We asked her if she had seen Peridot, but she hadn't. So then we split up, Lapis searched from the sky and me and Connie looked on the ground. And after a while we...we heard her scream."

The haunted looked his eyes gained was something that he supposed would be disturbing to other people.

"She shouted my name, and she sounded so terrified. I was running before I knew it, and when I saw her, I thought she was a different person. It wasn't just the cracks in her body, but the fear on her face made her look so different from before. I've never seen anyone look so afraid in my life, it was like her fear was.. glaring right at me. I tried to get to her, I tried to reach her and help her. I wanted to say everything was going to be okay, I wanted to save her but... I didn't."

His eyes were in a daze, staring at the ground in front of him as if there was something there. As if the boy could see his little friend standing only a few feet away from him. Universe did not look up towards him as his undivided attention was focused solely on the empty spot on the road.

"She exploded, right in front of me. I was sent flying back and hit the ground. People were screaming, running everywhere and scared out of their minds. I got up as fast as I could, thinking maybe she survived. Maybe she was okay. But when I stepped into the flames, I saw her broken Gem pieces."

Tears spilled down his face. The child's endless grief filled his expression, his sobs, and even the air around them. He could tell the sorrow emitting from the boy's eyes was only a fraction of what was twisting every part of his soul. Every fiber of Universe's being was now soaked with misery.

"I tried my powers, but they didn't do anything. I.. I couldn't do anything!" Universe shouted, hands clenching the sides of his head as his bloodshot eyes widened. The child's sorrow leaked from every word and flooded the streets. The boy looked as if he was on the verge of a panic attack; it seemed like one of the protector's of Beach City was about to have his mind shatter into pieces. The way his breathing had become erratic and labored made it clear he was so close to losing grips with the reality around him should nothing be done.

That would not do. He needed to find out more information. Universe having a mental breakdown would only make this more difficult. He needed to prevent this brat from losing his sanity or else the whole conversation would have been a waste of time.

And to ensure the conversation would continue, he...had...to...

Damn it. It was like Shinobu all over again.

Slowly, his arms moved through the air. He screamed at his body to move and complete this sickening gesture. Even though every part of his mind was disgusted by what he was about to do, he still persisted. Even though he felt the contents of his stomach rise to his throat, he still continued. The ruthless demons that made up his psyche were practically begging him to stop, but he would not.

He would take what he was about to do to his grave.

In an instant, his arms wrapped around Universe in a tender hug.

"It's okay." He said, making sure to not to shiver in disgust at what he was doing. The compassion in his voice gave no clues to the revulsion growing inside him. The kindness glowing from his words made it impossible for Universe to know about the torture he was going through. His disgust became more nauseous with every passing second; for a moment, he was very tempted to use his Stand to kill the child and end this moment.

But he suppressed that urge and continued to hug Universe.

Universe buried his head into his stomach. The child must likely meant to aim for his chest, but due to their height difference, his face instead hit the upper parts of his stomach. He could feel Universe's mucus and tears staining his neat shirt and business suit. At some point, a purple aura had surrounded him and his hands moved closer to Universe's neck. He immediately ceased channeling his power and moved his hands back to the brat's back. Universe continued to cry as his fingers gripped his clothes in a tight hold, the strength of his grip was greater than that of any child. He wondered just how strong the boy really was when he wasn't holding back.

"Just let it out Steven. Just let it out." That sounded like something a caring man would say. A man who could actually feel. Universe continued to weep, grabbing him in an even tighter hug. He was already very uncomfortable with this situation, but the strength Universe was gripping him with only made it worse; the boy's strength was something even he would admit was great.

Which was why he felt as if his back would snap in two. He could once again hear the shadows of his mind scream at him to end the boy before the idiot ended up breaking his spine.

But thankfully, Universe ceased the hug. The boy scooted away from him as he brought his arm to try and wipe away the tears. He failed spectacularly. From underneath the sleeve of his jacket he could see the boy's tears hit his blue jeans. He was surprised one person could have wept such massive tears. Surely there had to be a point when he'd run out.

"Sh-She di-didn't... I-I couldn't..."

He continued to incoherently ramble for another few minutes. His head never left his sleeve as the sounds of his sobbing continued to grate his ears. He slowly lifted his arm and patted Universe on the back. He looked towards the sky, and he could feel boredom etch itself into his face. Universe wouldn't be looking up for a while, so he felt it was safe to take off his mask. Was the boy even breathing at this point? It seemed like he had yet to suck in any air and instead choose to cry until it was dark.

"I-I didn't see it. The C-Corrupted G-Gem killed her right in front of me, and somehow I missed it! How could I-I miss it?! How could I fail so badly?!"

Maybe it was because the boy had decided to try and disrupt his quiet life? Maybe it was because he liked to play hero to much for his own good when he really should have stayed at home watching whatever garbage kids liked? Maybe it was because that he and the rest of his alien family weren't as powerful as they thought? Any one of these reasons could explain why he and the rest of these idiots were so clueless as to how the world-.

"S-She... She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"

That sentence brought him out of his thoughts. He looked down at Universe as his eyes narrowed.

"She didn't say anything to you before she died?"

He jumped at this chance before the chubby moron could continue to ramble.

"N-No!"

"Are you sure? Nothing whatsoever?"

He had to be absolutely sure. He would not repeat the same mistake.

He could hear the faint noise of a familiar Stand's battle cry echo in his ears.

"Nothing!"

And with that wail, he knew. With that sob swirling with regret, he had his answer. He could hear how sure Universe was. How certain the boy was that his green friend hadn't said anything.

He was safe. The boy next to him didn't know anything.

It took everything he had to not let out even a tiny smirk.

The boy was still crying into his sleeve.

"There, there Steven."

He smiled. It was a genuine smile this time. He had been fretting over nothing. The "protectors" of this city hadn't gotten some last second clue to could lead them to him.

These fools were still in the dark about the true identity of the monster living in their town.

"It hurts, doesn't it? The sorrow, the regret, the fear."

It was time to end their conversation.

"It all seems unbearable. It seems like your body can't take any more agony."

This fool had already given him everything he needed.

"But this is the first step in recovery Steven. Accept your pain, don't try and keep it bottled up."

Universe looked up from his sleeve, tears still spilling from his eyes. But beneath the sorrow, he could see in Universe's brown irises something faint. It was something that still lived despite the despair strangling every part of his body.

It was hope.

"This is the moment when you need to decide how to move on. This is the moment that either breaks you or makes you stronger."

He gave Universe the biggest most benevolent smile a killer like him could give.

"After seeing everything you can do, I know you'll make the right decision. I know you have the power to overcome your agony, Steven."

There. That sounded like the perfect way to end their talk. He had given the boy advice that sounded wise and now could leave without looking strange. He was sure the boy was taking his words to heart and trying to figure out how to move past his pain.

But he knew it was going to get so much worse.

Now then, where was this barn? If he hurried, he was sure-.

"Power..."

That one word almost made him frown, but he resisted and still had the same smile. Really? Was he going to continue their talk? What else could the little idiot possibly-?

"You think I'm..."

It was the bitterness in his voice that he first noticed. It was venomous. He could feel it slowly wrap around his throat, ready to choke him at any moment.

"Strong?"

Foul disgust secreted from Universe lips and suffused the air around him.

Huh. It looked as if the boy had a side to himself even he hadn't expected.

"I'm not strong."

The tears were still there. Universe had stopped crying, but he could see moisture still present in his puffy eyes.

"Everyone keeps telling me that I am. My dad, the Gems, they keep telling me that I am when I'm not. They think that if they tell me enough times it will become true."

Anger was beginning to rise in his words. The boy looked down at his stomach.

"I'm Rose Quartz's son but I can't even save one of my own family."

He gripped something underneath his jacket.

"I am her."

He was glaring at him now. And the anger had become searing.

"After everything I've heard from the others, after everything they told me what she could do, I know for a fact she could have saved Peridot."

He stopped glaring, eyes lowering to his stomach once more.

"But I couldn't."

All of Universe's anger left his voice. In its place was only a void. A cruel, hopeless void that felt absolutely nothing.

"I'll never be Rose Quartz, leader of the Crystal Gems."

But Kira did not focus on the boy's emotionless gaze or his expression devoid of any emotion.

Instead, he focused on what Universe had just said.

"You are her?"

Universe eyes moved to look back him.

"Huh?"

"You said you are her. Are you being literal when you say that?"

Universe raised a brow. As if he had just said something ridiculous.

"Ye-Yeah."

"How?"

His thirst for information got the better of him. He failed to suppress the slight bite in his voice and had let a bit of his malice slip into his words. His true self had shown itself for the first time.

But Universe didn't seem to notice. Instead, he just looked perplexed.

"How?" He repeated.

"Yes, how?" This time he had removed any traces of maliciousness from his voice; there was only genuine curiosity left in its place.

Universe's eyes moved down to his jacket. The boy then grabbed his jacket and the shirt underneath with his hand before bringing it up.

He was now looking at a pink gem.

"This is my mom's Gem. She gave up her physical form to give birth to me. I inherited her gemstone, and now she's always a part of me."

He felt his eyes narrow slightly.

"Alright, but what does that mean?"

The perplexion expanded.

"What?"

"What does, "give up her physical form" mean?"

It was interesting to hear that these aliens could give birth. But his mind immediately wanted to know how the process worked.

"Did she physically remove her gemstone and place it in you? Was it at the exact moment she was born that she ceased to exist?"

He looked at the pink gem.

"Does she still have some form of conscience?"

"I..."

Universe trailed off. His hands let go of his jacket and shirt as his gem was once again covered.

"I don't know."

He didn't know? That was ridiculous. What kind of child wouldn't know how he entered the world? Was he being discreet to avoid further questioning?

"You don't know how you were born?" The skepticism rising within him engulfed his voice. Honestly, what was the big deal about-?

"No."

He heard it again. The biting venom was once again present in Universe's voice. It was not as much as before, but he could still see the sharp bitterness in his words.

Only this time it wasn't directed at either him or the boy himself.

"They didn't tell me."

Universe's eyes glanced to the floor. But this time, there was no sadness or grief swirling in his eyes.

Only anger. A faint anger granted, but it was still there. It was still slowly rising and burning within the boy's brown irises.

"They?"

"The Gems."

The demons in his mind were screaming at him.

Something was here. Something that could get rid of these nuisances a lot faster than he first thought.

There was blood in the water. And the shadows swirling in his mind were commanding him to follow the trail.

His lips moved back into their sickly sweet smile.

"I think we should talk more about your guardians, Steven."

He'd be a fool not to see where the trail leads him to.

To Be Continued~

Hello, my faithful readers!

So, It's been a while. A little over two months, to be precise. You're probably wondering why I haven't updated this story.

Well, mostly it was because I just got suckered punch in the face by life. I have had to do a lot of things for friends and family, and so I have really had the time to just relax and write.

In other words, I've been busy.

And now let me explain the length of this chapter. I wanted it to be longer, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any way to extend it. This chapter has gone through several revisions, and this is the one I feel is the best. It might be short, but at least I can say I'm satisfied with it.

And what this all means sadly is that Josuke will once again not appear in the next chapter. I know I said within two chapters, but unfortunately, I have to change my plans. So I'm sorry about that.

But I can promise you when Josuke does finally appear, Steven's universe will never be the same.

Also, let me just say thank you to all the wonderful people who have favorited and followed this story! Thanks to you guys, this story has crossed the one hundred favorites and follows threshold! So once again, thank you so much!

Next chapter, Kira's gonna show how it isn't just his explosions people need to watch out for.

As usual, if anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, or predictions as to where this story is going, don't be afraid to say so in the reviews! This is the Black Mage of Phantasm signing off. Peace!

And Next Time:

Chapter 9: History Lesson