Chapter Thirty-Four: Visions

"Focus your thoughts. Visualize it in your mind."

Garnet folded her arms and watched Steven slowly turn around in place, his eyes shut tight. Training had been going on for a while now, but even with Blue Pearl 'coincidentally' running into them, the boy seemed to show little desire of quitting for the day or even taking a break. Garnet herself had to insist that he eat some of the food that Blue Pearl had left for him.

He certainly didn't lack enthusiasm for his training, that was for sure. Garnet smirked to herself. Maybe there was something in him Pearl could appreciate after all.

"I… I think I can see it," Steven said. He pointed to one of the empty benches on the boardwalk. "I can see the guy with the eyepatch eating his bagel."

Garnet nodded, before remembering that Steven couldn't see her. She said, "Yes. Good work."

Steven opened his eyes. He blinked before finally refocusing on his immediate surroundings. He turned back towards Garnet. "It was a lot more clear that time," he said. "I could really see things a lot clearer now. Like I was able to notice the faces of other people passing by. Just like you said I'd be able to."

"You've made a lot of progress in fairly short amount of time," Garnet said. "That's impressive."

Garnet thought she could note just the slightest bit of color creep into Steven's cheeks. "Thanks. I'm just glad you're not getting annoyed with me or… anything."

"I live with Amethyst."

That actually managed to elicit a small smile from him. "Okay, yeah. But I was thinking more about other people- Gems- that you've taught."

Garnet was quiet for a moment, her mind briefly returning to some of her students from the past; a pair of Morganites that had fled their lab, a kind Topaz who had had deep reservations about hurting others, a Tourmaline whose ferocity still amazed Garnet…

They, and many others, had proven a special effort, but the feeling Garnet felt when each of them looked at themselves with pride… It assured her it was all worth it.

Steven wasn't quite like them, to be sure. But Garnet could see shades of each of them within him.

"You have certainly proven to be a unique case," Garnet answered simply.

"Because of my powers?" Steven asked.

"In a sense," Garnet answered. "Past vision is a rare Sight. But even then, its difference from future vision is largely superficial. The true difference is in your heritage."

Steven's face crinkled. "You mean… that I have a diamond?"

"No," Garnet answered. "That you're a human, but also have a gem."

"Oh," Steven said, his posture loosening a little. "Yeah. I guess I'm the first one you've seen, huh?" He laughed, though it sounded stiff.

"You are," Garnet answered. She paused for a moment, before continuing, "And I've learned that the rules don't quite apply to you as they do to other Gems."

Steven tilted his head to the side. "Really?"

"Yes," Garnet nodded. "In hindsight, that should have been more obvious when we first encountered each other."

"At the fountain," Steven said heavily.

Garnet nodded again. "You surprised me there."

Steven looked at her skeptically. "You were waiting for us."

She gave a brief head-shake. "I was waiting for Blue Pearl and Lapis. I had no idea you would be there."

"You couldn't See me?" His forehead furrowed. "Cuz I'm half-human?"

"Indirectly," said Garnet. "Because I did not know you. Now that I do, I can See you just fine."

"Oh." He didn't sound wholly pleased. Garnet supposed that was fair.

She would have preferred to let this subject drop as well, but she felt that as his teacher, there was something important they had to discuss. "At the fountain, you punched me."

"Oh, yeah…" Steven said, shuffling his feet. "I… kinda forgot that…"

His lie didn't sound particularly convincing, something else he had in common with Pearl. Though, considering all that had happened, Garnet supposed she couldn't hold his reluctance to relive that memory against the boy. That was far from the ideal introduction. On both their parts.

"That surprised me," Garnet said. "Not just because I didn't See it coming, but because you'd seemed reluctant to engage beforehand."

Steven looked down, and mumbled, "I don't really know how to fight…"

"But you fought anyway, to protect your friends," Garnet said, putting deliberate warmth into her voice. "I am curious as to whether you always display such strength however."

"Uh… I dunno? I don't think so."

This did not surprise Garnet. She had not observed or heard anything to the contrary.

"Your emotions gave you the power to throw me away," said Garnet.

"What do you mean?"

"From what I've observed, your powers are tied to your emotions," Garnet said. She expected Steven to say something in response, but he was silent, though he seemed to be thinking to himself. "The Fountain wasn't the only example I've seen," Garnet said. "When you accompanied us on our mission, and you grew frustrated with all the talking around you-"

"I started sparking," Steven finished for her.

Garnet nodded. "Yes."

Steven spoke, though he still kept his eyes averted, "That's happened a lot in my life," he said. "I'd get angry or sad or just… upset, and everything started flashing blue…" He looked up at her. "Dad and Pearl taught me ways to help. Breathing techniques and counting backwards and stuff to help me calm down."

"A smart decision," Garnet said, omitting the fact that Blue Pearl was probably very familiar with Blue Diamond's powers.

"Is that common in other Gems?" Steven asked. "Powers and emotions mixing like that, I mean."

"It's not unheard of," Garnet answered. "A Sapphire letting her fear freeze her feet to the ground, or a Ruby letting her anger burn those around her." Garnet pushed the memories out of her mind. "But, in your case, the connection seems much more far reaching."

Steven frowned back at the ground. He spoke almost to himself, "Is it because of my gem? Or because I'm also part human?"

"That I can't say," Garnet responded. "No Gem knows the complete depths of a Diamond's powers. And your nature as a hybrid makes things even more… uncertain."

Steven glanced down the boardwalk. There were a pair of human teenagers eating ice cream, a man chatting into his phone. Seeing them, Steven rubbed his arms, and looking back at her. "So… is it bad? That I'm like this?"

"It is what it is."

He crossed his arms, clearly unsatisfied. "So I have to be angry or sad to do anything?"

"Not anything," Garnet reminded him. "Your vision powers are independent of your emotions."

"Yeah." He paused. "Still."

Garnet suppressed a sigh. In honesty, Steven Universe's reliance on negative emotions worried her too. But she didn't think that would help any of them.

"Sadness and anger are not inherently wrong," she said. "They tell you if something's wrong. They're a natural reaction to fighting, and can serve you well.

"However," Garnet added, "they can still be harmful. If they react unexpectedly, your powers could fail you when you need them the most. That is why we must aim for control."

"Yeah." Steven sighed heavily. "Well," he said, giving a Garnet a wavering smile, "guess it's a good thing I've got a teacher, huh? So no one has to get hurt."

"That you want no one to get hurt is good," Garnet said. "It can be a lesson even some Gems have trouble with, unfortunately."

"Really?"

"When you are told, all your existence, that you are merely a sum total of your rank and powers, eventually it can become difficult to see yourself as anything else." Garnet shook her head, again pushing away some unpleasant memories. "It can be easy to see your powers as the most important part of you. And that you must use them whenever you can, to their fullest."

"But isn't it good, to help people, whenever you can?"

"If you're actually helping people," Garnet said. "If you're not hurting yourself in the process."

Steven made a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Several moments of silence followed.

Steven asked, "Garnet, can I ask you a question?" Garnet nodded. "The way you and the other Crystal Gems summon weapons. Is that something anyone could learn?"

Garnet considered the question. "You've never summoned a weapon before."

"No, no! I haven't!" he said, shaking his head frantically "Pearl told me that only soldie- Gems like Quartzes and Rubies could summon weapons. But then I saw Pearl-ssi summon a weapon and it was pretty cool and, well, I was wondering…" He trailed off.

"There are some limits," Garnet said. "Certain Gems, especially those involved with terraforming, rarely have the spare energy in their gem to be able to summon and maintain a weapon. But otherwise, yes. Any Gem has the potential."

"Including me?"

Garnet paused, before answering. "It's unlikely a Diamond wouldn't be able to summon and maintain a weapon."

"You don't know for sure?"

"I've never seen a Diamond's weapon."

"Oh," Steven said, voice tinged with disappointment. "Okay."

"You've never tried before, though," Garnet stated.

"No, I haven't."

"Perhaps you should," Garnet suggested.

Steven nodded slowly, before taking Garnet's full meaning. "You mean right now?" Garnet nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Summoning your weapon is just another facet of your powers," Garnet said. "And that is what we're here to practice."

Steven gave a tight grin. "Yeah we are. So… what do I do exactly? This isn't like my Sight where it's sort of just happened on its own."

In response, Garnet raised her hands, clenched them into fists, and in a swirl of light they were covered by her gauntlets. "It's about focus, drawing the energy from your gem, and then releasing it."

"Okay," Steven said. He took a breath and closed his eyes, a strained expression spreading across his face. After a few seconds, he asked, "Is anything happening?"

"No."

He scrunched his face up even more, also laying a hand on his chest. "Now? Any glow or anything?"

"Nothing."

Steven opened his eyes and pulled down the next of his shirt, revealing the top of the blue diamond.

(Garnet could feel her form tighten, her instincts crying out to summon her weapons to defend herself.)

No. He is not Blue Diamond. She is gone.

Steven was looking down at his gem wistfully. "I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel any energy to focus," he said.

"You can harness your gem's energy," Garnet said steadily. "You're able to use your other powers."

"Come on, there's gotta be something else to it!"

"Link your mind with all existing matter. Channel all the collective power into your gem, coalescing it into a manifestation of your very will."

Steven blinked at her.

Garner resisted a smirk. "You asked."

Steven was silent for a few seconds, still looking at his gem, before straightening his shirt and looking back at Garnet. "Could my emotions be playing a role in this? Like, blocking it or something?"

"Possibly," Garnet answered. "Even without that, there are many different techniques to summon a weapon. It is possible that your emotional state could be playing a larger role in it."

"Great." Steven sighed. "So now all I need is complete mastery of my emotions in able to have the full control of my powers…"

"As far as summoning weapons are concerned," Garnet said, "Talking to Pearl may be the best idea. Quartzes and even Rubies tend to have an easier time summoning their weapons. Pearl, however, took much practice and refinement before she had mastered it."

Steven nodded slowly. The idea of asking Pearl for help clearly made him uncomfortable, but despite that he still said, "Okay. Well, next time I see Pearl-ssi, I'll ask her."

"For now," Garnet continued, "let's try some more practice with your Sight."

"Okay." Steven inhaled and then exhaled. "What should I look for?"

"Something I can offer less direction with," Garnet answered. "Gaze through your Sight, and tell me the last time Amethyst was on the boardwalk."

Steven had barely closed his eyes before he was Seeing, slowing turning around to look at all he could. Garnet folded her arms across her chest to wait, though not before lightly taking Steven's shoulder and moving him over, so he was in no danger of misstepping off the boardwalk.

"Two days ago," Steven said. "She was hanging out with Connie."

"You didn't hear what they could say?"

Steven opened his eyes, blinking quickly. "Not exactly. But they hugged and walked off looking happy."

"Good." He hadn't been able to hear anything, but finding the vision so quickly was still impressive.

Steven himself allowed a satisfied smile. "Should we do another vision?"

Garnet glanced at the sun's position above them. "I think not. If we go for much longer, we're likely to have another visitor."

"Yeah," Steven chuckled. "Pearl bringing dinner. Or, she brings me to dinner."

He meant it as a joke, but Garnet had little doubt that's exactly what would happen if they continued for much longer. "We'll pick this up for our next lesson."

"Okay," Steven said. "I'll be sure to practice my focusing."

"Good. Because next time, we're going to try a busier area."

Steve nodded, and began to turn- but seized by a sudden urge, Garnet bent down, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're making good progress. You should be proud."

Steven smiled.

The two parted, Steven jogging off back towards Greg's RV. Garnet lingered for a moment, watching Steven go, before heading back towards the Temple, already trying to make a mental list of possible places to take Steven for his next training session.

She'd had her reservations… but it looked like this was working out, after all.


When Steven got back to the van, there were kittens.

Rose had brought them to the RV, and Bacon had brought them to her. She was very curious about where he had got them in the first place; it was fairly uncomfortable explaining how the lion had found them abandoned in a box in a snowstorm. (Steven resolved to ask Bacon, later, how he could have gone somewhere it was snowing.) Rose Quartz, ferocious rebel leader, had gotten all misty eyed at that, crooning about how terrible it was.

By now, Pearl had bundled them all up in blankets in a basket, but Steven picked one up and held her close to his chin. She was tiny and black and so young she couldn't even open her eyes yet, but she could feel his warmth and began to knead at his chest with tiny paws. Steven let out a giggle.

The cats were all mewing, but Steven couldn't understand them, at least not the way he could understand adult animals. Their communication was too basic to be considered a language of any sort.

But he still got… something, from them. Not words. More like, pure feelings. Hungry. Sleepy. Cold.

Steven petted the kitty once, then tucked her carefully back in among the warm blankets with her siblings.

"Can we keep them?" Steven asked Pearl.

"We'll have to ask your father," Pearl said.

But not ten minutes later, Dad was already pumping the breaks on the idea. "Woah, woah. We're not adopting five cats!"

"But they're kittens," Steven said. "They're small! And helpless!"

"They'll grow into full-size cats!" said Dad. "They'll need lots of care and training, and you can't expect me and Pearl to do most of it."

"I won't need to train them. When they grow up, I can just talk to them and tell them to do their business outside and stuff."

"Telling a cat what to do isn't the same as convincing them to do it," Dad said. Rose laughed, while Bacon seemed to almost side-eye Steven.

Steven had more protests, but Dad was convinced. It would be a lot of extra responsibility; there wouldn't be enough room in the van; each cat deserved a home where they could get all the attention they deserved.

Steven supposed that was fair. With nothing else to do, he set out to find the kittens homes.

Rose decided to come along.

That was… something. Steven still hadn't spent a lot of time alone with Rose Quartz. Though, even now he wasn't completely alone. Bacon accompanied them, and translating between the lion and the Gem proved to be a good distraction.

They met a lot of people that day. Beach City was a pretty small town, but even so, Steven found it pretty draining to talk to so many strangers.

It didn't intimidate Rose Quartz however. It invigorated her. She'd immediately start chatting with every person they came across. She could spin a conversation out of anything, apparently- how nice a person's hairstyle was, or the shape of a cloud overhead, or what the logo on their shirt meant- but mostly about the kittens. How cute they were, possible name ideas, and how useful they would be at protecting crops from rodents.

Steven got the sense that a number of people mostly agreed to adopt a kitten because letting down a very excited Rose Quartz was a very daunting prospect indeed.

"If you like cats so much," Steven asked, at one point, "why don't you take one in yourself?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Rose smiled, before sighing thoughtfully. "But the others won't let me adopt any more pets."

"Let you?" Steven said. Wasn't Rose Quartz the Crystal Gem's leader? And then… "Wait, how about Bacon?"

"Oh, Bacon does as he pleases," Rose said, at the same time that Bacon, head high in the air, said, " The Gems do not control me. "

They carried on, only two kittens left to adopt, but with far less success. Now it was getting dark, and with the few tourists drifting away and local families settling in for dinner, people were less willing to talk. They lost at least one adoption because Amethyst snuck into the basket, took the form a tiny purple kitten, and screamed in a little boy's face just as he picked her up.

(Steven wanted to be mad… but had to admit that it had been pretty funny.)

Eventually they came to Onion's house. It was hard to tell, since Onion didn't usually speak aloud, but judging from how large his eyes got, Steven sensed that he might have been turned off a bit by Rose's sheer exuberance.

But Steven spoke to him, and then to his mother, who insisted he just call her Vidalia. She was skeptical about taking on another pet, but Steven had asked nicely, and Rose had fluttered her eyelashes, and Amethyst had called her chicken, and that seemed to do the trick.

By then, they were left with just the black kitten. It was fully dark out, and Steven's feet were sore and his stomach rumbling, so he said good night to the Crystal Gems and headed home.

The evening was nice and quiet. Steven and his Dad enjoyed a nice meal of spaghetti, while Pearl cradled a cup of jasmine tea. Lapis tentatively held the kitten, and had to be reassured when it started 'vibrating' at her. Afterwards, they played some cards. It was nice having bigger groups so more games were available, even if Pearl and Lapis won a lot because they had great poker faces.

Soon enough, though, it was time for bed. Steven didn't complain. After such a long day, he was exhausted.

That didn't stop him waking, an unknown time later, covers tangled around him covered in sweat.

Steven stared around in confusion, breathing heavily. He couldn't tell what time it was, only that it was dark. The only sounds was his Dad's snoring and a mewing from the van's kitchen area.

Escaping from his sheets, Steven padded to the kitchen tables. "You woke me up," he told the kitten.

The kitten mewed, uncomprehending.

Steven sighed, and patted the little cat's head. It wasn't her fault, and he knew it.

He'd had a nightmare. He couldn't remember this specific one clearly, but he didn't have to. He'd experienced enough variations of it before.

Rubbing his arms, Steven considered snuggling in with his Dad, and immediately rejected it. He wasn't a little kid anymore.

… Besides, It felt like it would be a weird thing to talk about with him, these days.

He kinda wished Pearl was here, though. Or Lapis. But they didn't seem to be around.

Steven yawned. He was tired- a heaviness in his limbs, and a weariness in his mind- but the thought about going back to bed was entirely unappealing. Still, he didn't just want to stand here, petting the kitten, and otherwise alone with his thoughts.

He grabbed his sketchbook, his pencil case, and snuck out of the van, careful to shut the door quietly behind him so as not to wake Dad.


Of the many innumerable things Rose loved about the planet Earth, one of her favourites was the planet's rapid cycling between day and night. It was the perfect encapsulation of this ever-changing place. Beginning the day with a bright, beautiful dawn; watching the sun creep ever higher in the sky, warming the ground beneath them; it sinking down towards the horizon, casting long shadows; the dramatic colors of twilight; and finally, the calm peace of night.

That was what she enjoyed now, as she meandered down the beach. Occasionally she'd go to the ocean's edge, letting the cold water tickle her feet. The tide was low, leaving the beach bare. Various small crabs were taking advantage of this time to scurry across the sand. Rose paused to watch them go about their business. What would it be like, to see the world from their perspective?

She picked one up, delighting in the feel of its many tiny legs across her skin. She let it run back onto the sand, and as she stood, she saw the figure sitting a ways down the beach.

Her first thought was that it was Amethyst; as she got closer, she saw the shape and size didn't quite match. She approached, half-floating, and the shadow resolved itself. It was Steven, sitting on the sand, drawing something in that book he often carried with him.

"Hello, Steven," she said.

It was like he'd been struck by an electric shock. He yelped, practically jumping into the air, dropping his book and pencil as he spun to face her.

"R-Rose!" he squeaked out. "Uh, hi! I- you surprised me."

"Yes, I can see that," Rose said, perplexed by his reaction. "Why are you awake? I thought you slept at night time."

He clambered to pick up his book, hugging it closely to his chest. "Usually. But, uh, I was having trouble."

Rose cocked her head. "Oh dear. I didn't know humans could have trouble with that."

"No, we can. If we're feeling sick, or thinking 'bout stuff, or… or having bad dreams…"

Rose nodded. She'd indulged in sleep many times in her life, only to be woken up by her worst memories, replayed and twisted.

Interesting, that humans experienced the same thing. She'd thought it might have been a problem with her.

Steven's eyes were wide, showing their whites in the darkness, so Rose decided to steer the conversation to more pleasant pastures. She sat down on the sand with a sweep of her dress, so she could be closer to eye level with the child. "I'm surprised it's bright enough for you to draw."

He shrugged. "It's a full moon."

"So it is," said Rose. A particularly lovely one too, she noted. "What were you drawing?"

"Uh-"

Rose raised a hand. "Don't feel pressured to show me. I know artists can feel anxious about these kinds of things. But I'd love to see it once it's finished."

Steven said nothing. Just stared at her.

He was acting quite oddly, Rose thought. She simply couldn't determine why, or what she could do to put him more at ease.

She put on her softest, most relaxed smile, on the basis that it couldn't hurt. She stretched out her legs, and admired how the moonlight reflected on the waves. Steven stood there, watching her, barely moving.

Eventually he squeaked out, "Did- did you want something?"

"No, not particularly," Rose said, feeling her braid swing from side to side as she shook her head. "I simply enjoy moonlit walks. I spotted you here, and thought we could- 'hang in', is it?"

"Hang out," said Steven.

"That's it," said Rose. "Oh, human turns of phrase are so wonderfully odd. We're not 'hanging' in any way. And while I suppose we are outside, the term can also refer to time inside buildings as well… I wonder how it came about?"

Steven shrugged.

Rose would be lying to say she wasn't a little bit disappointed by the silence on his part. She knew the half-human could be quite conversational- the time with his family, or Amethyst, or even his lessons with Garnet. But he always seemed so subdued when she was present.

More than subdued, she realized, watching him surreptitiously. His rigid posture; how tightly he held his book; the amount of space he had left between them.

"Steven," Rose said, frowning, "Do I frighten you?"

He jerked, which was confirmation enough.

Keeping her voice as soft as possible, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to?" Steven repeated, and there was an edge of anger to his voice.

Rose's frown deepened as she tried to puzzle this out. After a moment or so, the answer presented itself. "I see," she said. "You're still hurting from when I held you captive."

"No. That's- that's not it."

"Then can you tell me what is wrong?" The boy said nothing, eyes fixed stubbornly on the sand beneath him. "Please, Steven. If it is possible, I would like us very much to be friends. If there is any way I can fix what's upsetting you, then I want to know how."

Steven shook his head.

Rose said nothing else, just watched him. He was breathing hard. He closed his eyes, and after a long moment, opened them again, fixing her with a glare. Then he turned his gaze to his drawing book, flipping it open with trembling hands.

He shoved the open book at her.

The picture there was just a half-formed sketch, and as she thought, difficult to make out in the pale moonlight. Despite that, the drawing was clear enough, and Rose Quartz recognized it instantly.

It was her.

It was her. Hair a billowing cloud, her eyes fierce, her blade drawn as she thrust it up, up. Her opponent's body was just a sketch, but the face had been drawn in exquisite detail, perfectly capturing the astonished horror on Pink Diamond's face.

Rose stared at it.

"That's why I couldn't sleep," Steven said. He didn't sound angry anymore. Just tired. "I was dreaming about that. I've had dreams about it for years. I lived only a couple minutes walk from Pink's Palanquin. Every time I went there… I…"

Rose's mouth opened into a little ' o ' of horror.

Steven ran a hand through his hair. "And I know- I mean, Dad told me that you told him about the kind of stuff my Mom did, and I guess Pink Diamond must've done too. And that she was gonna, gonna take over the Earth. But-" his voice warbled. "She was in pain. Isn't there- You were trying to be better than her. Isn't there any way you could have made peace?"

She could only half-hear his voice. It was drowned out by the sickening clash of metal in the distance, the shrieks of fear from Pink's court- the stark realization that soon this would all be over-

"I don't know," Rose confessed.

"What?" Steven demanded.

"I don't know," Rose repeated. She stared down at the picture in her hands. "I've wondered about that, again and again and again. Was there anything I could have done differently? Something I could have said, an argument I could have made?

"In four thousand years, I haven't been able to think of anything," she said, very aware of Steven Diamond Universe's eyes fixed on her. "I tried to talk to Pink Diamond… and she dismissed my ideas out of hand. I tried to organize peace accords, but Homeworld wouldn't hear any of it. I tried to overwhelm them with sheer numbers, but the empire's numbers were just so huge… All it did was make them press back stronger.

"In their minds, Earth belonged to Pink Diamond. As long as she lived, they would never relinquish it." Rose Quartz closed the book. "Shattering… was the only way."

Waves echoed across the empty beach. Rose continued, slowly, "I never wanted it to be like this."

"So…" Steven's voice trembled. "You're… sorry you did it?"

"No," said Rose, firmly. "I'm not."

Steven's breath hitched.

Rose let out a sharp breath, her eyes beginning to burn. "Isn't that awful?" she asked. "But it's true. I'm not sorry. She's gone and she can't hurt anyone anymore."

She glanced at the boy, his grey skin and bright blue eyes serving as markers to his heritage. Though she had kept such thoughts to herself, Rose was ultimately glad for Steven's existence.

One more Diamond, who could never lay a harmful hand on anyone else.

Rose took a moment to gather herself before going on, "But even if she can't, the other Diamonds can, and did. I'm sorry for that. I should have realized that they wouldn't just... give up. Wouldn't let the shattering of a Diamond lie. The culprit had to be punished.

"And maybe I do deserve punishment," Rose said. "But… I never received it. They didn't hurt me. If I'm sorry for anything, it's for what happened after. How they hurt everyone else. For the monsters they made… for the other Gems on Homeworld, still enslaved…"

Something dripped onto the book in her lap with a splash. Rose realized she was crying in earnest now. She hurriedly wiped the cover on her dress, and held it out to Steven. "Sorry."

Steven took a cautious step towards her, and took the book back. "Rose… I…"

He said nothing else, completely at a loss.

"Everything used to seem so simple," Steven said.

Rose nodded.

She could remember times like that. A time when she followed her duties, to find peace and comfort from them. And a time again, later, after she and Pearl had first run away. Where they could fill their days with whatever they liked, exploring the Earth's wonders. When it had felt as though they could accomplish anything.

She rubbed her eyes.

Steven patted his pockets, and held out a little blue bag. Rose blinked at it.

"They're tissues," said Steven, quickly pulling out some wispy white pieces of paper. "Here."

"Thank you," Rose said, doing her best to wipe away the tears.

"You're, uh, welcome."

Rose held the wad of soaked tissues by the tips of her fingers. What was she supposed to do now? She could hardly just drop them on the sand, yet carrying them around in her hand was so messy.

(Oh dear. She sounded like Pearl.)

"I can take them," Steven said, holding his palm out flat with another tissue across it.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." Steven shrugged. "I mean, I should be going back to bed anyway, and I can throw it out in the van, so…"

Rose hesitated, and then carefully dropped the used tissues into his hand. Steven wrapped it up, and shoved it awkwardly into his pocket along with the unused bag of them. He glanced down the beach, towards where Mr. Universe's car wash was, and made an awkward shuffle towards it.

"I'm sorry," Rose said, not entirely sure what specifically she was apologizing for. Perhaps all of it.

"I'm sorry too," Steven mumbled. "I shouldn't have… dragged this all out…"

Rose stood up. "No, no. Don't apologize for that. You deserved an explanation. I hope I gave you a good one."

Steven turned back to her. Staring.

"I didn't think you'd be like this," he said.

"Like what?"

"Like..." He waved his hand at her in a vague sort of way. "I thought you were just… some bloodthirsty murderer. I didn't think you'd cry, or grow orange trees, or hang out with lions…"

"Yes, well," Rose said, eyes flickering briefly to the tip of a blue diamond poking out from beneath the hem of the boy's shirt. "I suppose we've both learned that appearances can be deceiving."

"Yeah. I guess so." He gave a small, watery smile, one that was interrupted by a long yawn.

"Time for sleep?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. Time for sleep. Goodnight, Rose."

"Goodnight, Steven."