Chapter Text
Steven yawned. It was a long walk back home from town and he was dragging his feet. The day hadn’t been particularly busy, and it wasn’t very late, but he had been up before the sun and was eager to get home to relax. He regretted not driving to town, choosing instead to walk and enjoy the nice weather. It was still warm out but the worst of the heat was cut by the gentle sea breeze. It was uncomfortably humid though, and he was in sore need of a shower. After that maybe a snack, then a game. Maybe he’d do some laundry at the same time. He paused to brush the sand off of a pebble with his foot, eyeing it curiously before kicking it aside and taking the opportunity to stretch his arms. He had been in the middle of a good book, but he had put it aside. Perhaps he’d pick it up again.
He spun himself around, walking backwards to view Beach City. It was starting to slow down for the night, but there were still a few tourists out and about. The number of Gems in the area had been attracting curious people this season, and while there had been a few misunderstandings, everyone seemed to be getting along and having fun. Steven grinned at the thought.
His foot caught on a piece of driftwood, causing him to stumble. Regaining his balance with flailing arms, Steven sighed and turned himself forward again. His eyes strayed up to the sky though, taking in the pale orange and pink tones shading the underside of the clouds. The cliffside was darkened, its evening shadows beginning to creep along the beach. Steven’s eyes traced along the sand to the ocean, taking note that the tide was on its way out. It looked beautiful this evening. He decided he was ok with walking after all.
Something along the water’s edge caused him to pause. It was dark colored, a little smaller than Steven, and laying still. Steven frowned, his brows drawing together. A trash bag! The tourists could be bad for littering, but this was ridiculous. And now he would have to be the one to deal with it! He picked up the pace to a light jog. It was basically in his own front yard! Another bag of garbage to deal with at home. Maybe he could feed it to Amethyst? He chuckled, his tension vanishing. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but it was frustrating.
As he got closer, Steven realised that what he thought was a trash bag was in fact a person. She was laying with her back towards him, her dark hair and outfit had been what led Steven to misidentify her as trash. He fell to his knees beside her, shaking her shoulder, “Hey, you okay? Can you hear me?”
Her eyes blinked open and she pulled herself up on an elbow with a groan. When she began to struggle to get upright Steven helped her sit noticing that she seemed a bit groggy. She began looking around, taking in her surroundings. “Where am I?”
“This is a little bit east of Beach City, along the southern shore.”
“Beach City?” She look around again, more alert. “I guess that makes sense.” She turned and looked at him, her eyes first scanning over his outfit, but then returning to stare at his face.
Steven felt uncomfortable by the way she was looking at him, so he started to talk, “So what-”
“You’re Steven Universe!” She blurted, sounding awestruck. Her enthusiasm seemed to give her the energy to get up on her knees and scoot towards him.
Steven scooted away, “Yeah, that’s me, the, uh, one and only!”
She laughed, “The one and only. That’s great!” She leaned back a little, giving Steven some space.
“Haha, yeah, I think that’s pretty great myself…” he looked her over. She seemed to be about his age, 16, or maybe a touch younger. Her dark wavy hair was contained in a messy ponytail and her skin was slightly tanned. Steven frowned. She was wearing a black t-shirt with a star on it, some of his Dad’s old band merch. Tied around her waist was a time faded pale pink jacket, not quite like the one he was wearing, but uncomfortably similar. He had quite a few Gem fans, but a human fan felt awkward. “So… Can you tell me what happened?”
She flopped onto her back in the sand, “Where do I begin?!” She mused for a few seconds before shooting back up. “ Ok, promise you won’t freak out!”
Not much could ‘freak out’ Steven these days, although her sudden burst of energy was unnerving. With so much of his time spent around Gems, her poor social skills were hardly a put off. "I won't freak out." He could handle it.
Her little scoff told him she didn’t believe him, but she still reached down and untied her jacket before she grabbed the fabric of her shirt, lifting it to expose her tummy. Embedded in it was a pink gem, emitting a very soft glow. “My name is Nora Universe. I travelled from a different timeline because I need your help saving my Dad!”
Ok, he was freaking out, just a little. Just a little. It definitely looked like the same gem, but she was also wearing some sort of metal ornament around it. It gave the gem an appearance of a rose with vines and thorns weaving around behind her. It was actually quite pretty. The gem itself was flickering with a very faint glow, and it kept drawing Steven’s eye. He felt uneasy looking at it, and for some reason he thought it felt uneasy with him looking at it too, so Steven returned his gaze to Nora’s face. She was watching his reaction. “Ok you seem too calm.” She remarked.
He wasn’t calm in the slightest, but the foreboding feeling from her gem had distracted him enough that he had failed to react appropriately. He quickly summoned an excuse “This isn’t the first time this has happened. I’ve seen myself from other timelines before, it didn’t really end very good though. I think around twenty of me died. Not a good time.” He laughed nervously.
“You’ve killed yourself twenty times?” Nora looked horrified. He definitely could have explained that better; Steven cursed internally. Now she’s going to think he is some kind of time traveling serial killer.
“No, no. Well yes. Kinda. It’s complicated. I’m not even sure what happened. A whole bunch of me warped into the room with me and one that was slightly more handsome than the rest broke a time thingy and then there was water everywhere.” Steven laughed, “So I technically didn’t do anything, but it was still really, really weird.”
She relaxed a little. “Oh. I see.” She was peering out over the water at the darkening sky. There would still be some light on the western horizon, but in the shadows of the cliffs it was growing quite dark.
Steven got to his feet, brushing the sand off of his pants before offering his hand to help Nora up. “My house is just up that way, we can talk there."
---
Nora’s heart was racing, and she had to continuously remind herself to breathe. Nobody knew what to expect after the jump and she had been anxious that she was going to be dropped into enemy territory. But no, everything was going better than anticipated. She didn’t even need to look for Steven, he came right to her. He even invited her into his house, just like that! Everything was going smoothly. Maybe too smoothly. She reminded herself to stay alert.
Entering the beach house nearly overwhelmed her with a sense of nostalgia. She couldn’t resist letting her eyes roam, taking in everything. It wasn’t identical to the house she was used to, of course, but even the differences felt familiar. She caught sight of Steven out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was grinning. She was confused as to why for a second but realised that he was mirroring her own smile, “Sorry,” she said, embarrassed, “It just feels like coming home. Although different too. Like visiting family.”
Steven shrugged and walked past her to the kitchen, “Well I guess we are like family, right?"
"I guess you could say that."
He opened the fridge and looked inside, tapping his foot in thought. He shook his head and moved to the freezer, pulling out two frozen dinners, “Are you hungry? You’ve got a choice between…” Steven looked at the box, “Meatloaf and potatoes and…” He looked at the second box, “Meatloaf and po..ta… I know I bought more than this!” He tossed the boxes on the counter and yanked the freezer back open, standing on tiptoes to look. After not finding what he wanted, he closed the door with a huff.
Nora was getting herself seated at the table. “Amethyst?” She asked with a knowing smile.
He turned to her with a scowl, “Yeah, she always gets the good ones before I do” he complained. He put the first meal in the microwave, “So I guess it is pretty safe to assume you know the Gems?” He asked.
“Of course, I grew up with them. Speaking of gems though…” Nora turned to look at the warp pad before looking back at Steven, “They aren’t home?”
Steven shrugged, “We all have our own things going on. They usually drop by in the evening before I go to bed. You mentioned Amethyst, do you have a Garnet and Pearl in your world too?”
Nora felt a tightness in her chest. She had meant to avoid this question and she ended up leading it on instead. She needed to pay more attention to her words. “... Yes, I spent quite a bit of time with Pearl. I used to train with her and, um.” She fumbled, “Connie. They were both really serious about it, it was hard to keep up!” She spent a few minutes carefully explaining how intense Pearl's methods could get.
When the microwave beeped, Steven pulled the meal out using a dish towel to protect his hands from the heat. “I know that feeling. Pearl would sometimes forget we need sleep and wear us right out. We’d just take naps right on the ground after training.” He got the second instant meal started and brought Nora hers, “And what about Garnet?”
Nora accepted the meal and cutlery. The food looked awful, but smelled edible at least. “Garnet, well…” She flipped her meatloaf with her fork. It was too hot to eat, but she still considered it, searching for a way to end the conversation. “I’ve really missed her.” She admitted, tears touching the corners of her eyes. She noticed Steven’s concerned expression and regained her composure, “Uh, since I left, I mean. She was always sort of a rock for me.” Her face reddened, “I mean like emotional support, not a literal rock. I mean, she’s still, y’know, a rock, well actually she’s two-” she shoved a forkful of meatloaf in her mouth, ending her embarrassing rambling.
The sound of Steven’s light laughter caused a sudden stab of pain in her heart. He sounded a lot like her Dad, and it reminded her what she was supposed to be doing there. He got up to get his own food, while she stared down at the potatoes, mashed and flaked with something green, but still oddly flavorless. Why did Steven even buy these?
When he returned, she decided to change tactics, “Why don’t you tell me about yourself and your world? Is everything here peaceful?”
It worked, Steven was pleased to explain to her the last couple years and the changes with Homeworld, the construction of Little Homeworld, the education of newly healed gems, and some of the difficulties he was still facing. He was well practiced at it, so she didn’t have to ask too many questions. This was the history she knew all too well, and a story she had been told countless times. There was a glaring difference though, but she decided to wait until after she had spoken with the gems to bring it up. If she even decided to bring it up.
They had both finished eating, and by reflex Nora cleared the table, not even realizing until she threw away the garbage that she was the guest, not the host. This wasn’t her house. Steven didn’t seem to notice, instead he was doing something on his phone. “They’ll be here any time now.” Steven said, setting the phone on the table and looking up at her. Nora rinsed the cutlery in the sink, suddenly anxious about the upcoming meeting with the Gems.
While things had gone great with Steven, the other Gems might not be so easy. She wondered how different they might be in this world compared to her own. She knew they wouldn't be the same.
The portal activated, and Nora's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't ready. She had rehearsed this moment in her head dozens of times, but she just wasn't ready. She stepped back so she could see the three Gems materialize.
Amethyst was already trotting towards Steven, excited about something. She didn’t get very far though, Garnet snatched her arm and yanked her back.
There was a flash of light as she summoned her gauntlets, her stance defensive. Even with her visor covering her eyes, there was no doubt they were fixed on Nora. It happened so quickly, it only took a glance for Garnet to know Nora didn't belong. “What are you doing here?” she growled.
Both Steven and Pearl reacted immediately to Garnet’s aggression with shocked expressions, Pearl muttering something in Garnet’s direction. Nora was also caught off guard, but at least she had some idea of what was going on. The cool certainty masked fiery doubts. Garnet’s future vision hadn’t seen her. Nora’s existence had likely destroyed every possible future she could see. With the Sapphire failing, the Ruby was on the defense.
Nora needed more information though; she needed to know if Garnet was completely blind to her, or if she could see her now that she is able to influence this timeline. That information was vital, Garnet was the biggest threat to her mission.
Steven made his way to Garnet, attempting to calm her down. She brushed him aside, but he just put himself back in front of her, between them. He was talking quietly to her, and seemed to be calming her down. If Garnet had been a cat, then her hissing had been reduced to a low growl. Nora stayed rock still. The only way to get the information she needed would be if Garnet talked to her. That wouldn't happen if Nora provoked her.
Nora's shoulders relaxed when Garnet finally dismissed her weapons. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard; it looked like Steven was taking her side and helping her. They would trust him and it would make things easier for her.
Finally, Garnet spoke, “Steven is telling me that you are his female counterpart from another timeline. I’d like you to confirm this.”
Nora frowned. This was a test, and she still didn’t know how much of Garnet’s future vision was working. If it was working, Garnet already knew the answer and would be checking to see if she was lying. If not, Garnet was probing information. It would be too risky to lie. She’d have to roll with it.
She held out her left arm, preparing to summon her shield. Her gem activated, causing her body to briefly flash pink before the shield activated, pink with the familiar rose and thorns. Everybody but Garnet seemed surprised, but Garnet’s expression was flat. In her right hand Nora summoned a bubble, about the size of a baseball. She threw it underhand to Steven, who caught it and summoned his own beside it to compare. He popped his, but tossed hers back when he couldn’t break it. She caught it and squeezed it until it popped and dismissed her shield. Her body again flashed pink as she dismissed her powers. That should be proof enough.
Garnet had been watching intently the whole time, and started to approach. Steven turned and began quietly talking with Pearl and Amethyst. Garnet got right up close and dismissed her visor, allowing Nora to see her eyes. All of them were staring intently at her, “You surprised me. You’re quite a few years too early,” Nora felt a shock of dread run down her spine. Garnet knew. “You’ve made a pretty big mess for me to clean up.” Tears were forming in Nora’s eyes. If Garnet knew what she was doing here, then it was all over when it had barely begun. Her mission failed. Would she even be able to go home now? They had already lost her Dad, were they about to lose her too? Garnet’s gaze softened, “You’ve been through a lot.” Nora just nodded. What did it matter now?
Suddenly she felt herself being pulled towards Garnet, arms wrapped tight around her. A hug. She couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, she buried her face against the gem, her own arms embracing her. How long had it been since Garnet had hugged her? How long had it been since she had even looked Nora in the eye?
She would have liked it to last longer, but Garnet pulled her back and turned to the others, resummoning her visor with a simple gesture. Nora noticed they were all staring, confused. “Steven. Nora is here to rescue her Dad. She isn’t used to this world yet so she is going to need a guide. Help her find her way around and take care of each other.” She began walking back into the temple. “ You two” she gestured to Pearl and Amethyst, “Let’s give them some time alone to talk. If Steven trusts her, so do I.”
Pearl started to object, but Amethyst’s louder objection cut her off, “But I never got to show Steven that thing!”
“You’ll get a chance to tomorrow.” Garnet said.
Amethyst scoffed, “Is that what your future vision is telling you, or are you just making it up?”
“Now that you’ve said that, I see we are on the single timeline where Steven doesn’t get to see it.”
Amethyst paused, “Wait what? Hey Pearl, did you hear what Garnet said? Pearl? Hey, Pearl?!?”
“I heard you the first time, and yes I heard her too. Serves you right, it's not like Steven would ever want to see a-”
Garnet led the two of them into the temple, cutting off their banter behind the closing gateway. It had been so long since Nora had seen the Gems interacting like that. It felt really… Nice. Renewing. It reminded her of why she was there.
She didn’t understand why Garnet was helping her. Her Garnet back home would have likely killed her over this, but this one, in Steven’s world, seemed to understand her mission, and even encouraged it. Even granted her the privacy to do it.
Nora wanted to spend more time with her, she suddenly realized. She wanted to be around all of the Gems, and Steven too. She didn’t want it to end so soon. She wanted the connection back, more than almost anything.
But she wanted her Father back even more. She steeled herself. She would do what she needed to do.
Steven offered her a spare change of clothes and a toothbrush.
It would have to happen tonight. She could be home by morning.
He pulled out his sleeping bag, offering her the bed since she had to be pretty tired.
It would be over quick. Nothing to it.
He said goodnight and turned out the lights. She could hear him wiggling into his sleeping bag.
Nothing to it.