No Rest for the Weary is a Steven Universe fanfic
written by Kookywood, later in collaboration with Jade Thunderhoof.
Y/n (Reader) must move to Beach City after being falsely convicted of assault on probation. Here they meet Steven and other Crystal Gems, and together with them they experience the adventures known from the cartoon. Later on it turns out, that Y/n has more significance for gems and affairs of Homeworld than it might seem at the first glance.
The fanfic can be read on Quotev here and Wattpad here. It’s also available on Archive of Our Own here, but only the first 27 chapters (out of 84).
There is a spin-off, No Rest for the Wicked, that takes place in an alternate timeline.
This fanfic provides examples of:
- Back from the Dead : Reader died and came back to life three times. They were in near death situations several times.
- Bad Future: Alternate Future, from which Alternate/Bad Future Reader comes from.
- Blood from the Mouth: Reader coughed up blood when they got Anthrax.
- Cerebus Rollercoaster: Fanfic goes back and forth through different tones. From themes like family love, slice of life or shipping, to molestation, drug abuse or arranged “suicide”.
- Corrupt Politician: Senator Paul Dean, influential politician and presidential candidate. He bribed police and judges to get Reader falsely accused twice. He bribed jail janitor to arrange Finch’s “suicide”. It is also said, that he’s paid by oil companies and big banks to pass bills in their favor. Inverted with Bill Dewey. In this fanfic he makes himself known as a mayor who cares for his city’s citizens and a good lawyer. He became an attorney of Reader when they were arrested.
- Doppelgänger Attack: Reader met two doppelgängers. One of them was their copy in Rose’s room. Reader fought them, literally and figuratively. The second one was their alternate self from bad future. Reader punched them for lying themselves, Steven and Crystal Gems.
- For Want Of A Nail: The biggest difference is, obviously, the presence of the Reader during the events of the series. It makes these events play out quite differently. One of themes of the fanfic is Reader’s ability to time travel, which affects not only the events presented in the series, but also those that took place long before them.
- From New York to Nowhere: Reader was forced to move to Beach City, because they were on probation after being falsely accused, and the local school was the only one, that took them, despite their criminal record.
- Future Me Scares Me: After they were lied to and emotionally blackmailed by their them, Reader is not on speaking terms with their future self.
- Humble Hero: Reader is this, which has been pointed out to them many times.
- In Spite of a Nail: Many events from the fanfic play out the same as in the series, despite the presence of Reader (and their time travels)
- Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair: The crumbling Reader’s monument from chapter 76. Also murals and other statues of them, that were mentioned, as well as other gem ruins.
- Murder by Suicide: Principal Finch was murded in a “suicide” arranged by a bribed jail janitor.
- Original Character: In the first chapters there are several of them, and they are mainly people associated with the Reader's school (Coach Morgan, Principal Finch, Ms. Galloway, Susie, other students) or with Senator Dean(Woman attacked by Dean, Corrupt Policeman, George Finch, Prison Janitor, Officer Lee, Dean’s Goons).
- Prophetic Dream: Steven is visited in a dream by Future Reader, who warns him, that if he doesn’t tell the whole truth to Reader, Reader will end up sick, imprisoned and tortured on Homeworld.
- Radiograph of Doom: Reader has been to Connie's mother's hospital three times. The first time Priyanka diagnosed him with concussion, the third with anthrax.
- Shrouded in Myth: Reader for Zoomans. Some of them consider them to be the creator of the Zoo, other as some kind of deity, and some do not believe they exist at all.
- Stay with the Aliens: Reader befriendes aliens (Crystal Gems), with whom they spends time.
- Stranger in a Familiar Land: Reader feels strange when they return to their home after almost two years in Beach City.
- Super-Toughness: One of the powers given to Reader by Rose Quartz. It makes their skin tougher, while keeping how soft it normally feels. For example, this power allowed Reader to catch a sword by its blade without cutting themselves.
- The New Guy: Reader when they first came to Beach City. They slowly became acquainted with the surroundings, met other residents of Beach City and other students of his school.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Reader couldn't go home because they were on probation. Ironically when they returned to their hometown for a week, they didn’t feel at home at all.
