I am Rose Lalonde, and I am finally free. Free from death, free from darkness, from mortal affairs. I am free, and the only things left here are memories.
Out in the Furthest Ring, time and space distorted in ways that only a few hominids could navigate. It was a simple matter to forget the impact of time as she directed her little kingdom, and exacted punishments long deserved.
It was a year since she had twisted her grief, kerosene upon the flames of her anger. A year since she had struck out, moirail and tentative ally by her side, to exact revenge at last. Five hundred twenty-six thousand minutes since she had taken what was hers, and left everyone that she loved behind.
A year ago, this power within her mind had been called cancer. Now, it had become what it was meant to be, a darker extension of her powers. A hapless smile graced Rose’s lips for a short moment. Yes, she truly had come into her full power. With no alcohol, no fear, no medication to limit her mind, Rose had realized her potential.
There were still some whispers that the price had been too steep. Rose crushed them. As with her subjects, she kept an iron fist on her own thoughts. There was no time to doubt when she must be Creator, Destroyer, and Ever Omniscient.
Time.
Rose allowed herself a moment. A millennia, a blink of an eye, turned back toward the universe that had been her new home. From here, she could see nothing, and she could see everything. The end to the beginning. Her friends, her short time there. Kanaya, ever the beauty.
Draxia. The one Rose had most dishonored, and it left a pang in what was left of her heart. Dark tendrils, whispered threats. She had done what was best. Only power could have prevented those threats from becoming reality. Here, in this space, Rose did not lack power. Take her home. I will deal with them. She was a queen in her own right. Darkness feared her, Light obeyed her. The horrorterrors that had once tortured her, used her, and taken what was precious to her now heeled at her command. They were under her thumb.
Perhaps she would return to Earth, once her little pets were better trained.
Or perhaps she would not stop until she ruled every last one, and made them pay.
My headcanon Rose has absolutely terrible sleeping habits. Her dreams are more often than not rather lucid nightmares and she rarely sleeps when she actually means to. The bags under her eyes are semi-permanent, and Kanaya matches those with her own from worry.
So because Rose sleeps so rarely and sporadically, Kanaya will do her best not to disturb her when she collapses no matter where she happens to nod off.
It turns out you don’t really sleep that much when you’re dead, anyway.