"Pearl."
"Yes?" The answer was instantaneous, as instinctual as breathing would be, if Gems required oxygen.
"I need you to do something important."
"You know I'd do anything for you."
Rose's tinkling laugh filled the air for a moment and Pearl could tell that the Quartz was smiling by the way her voice lilted.
"I know, my wonderful Pearl, but this isn't for me."
Pearl's hands paused from their current occupation of polishing one of her many swords, momentarily caught off guard and she looked up to face Rose, who was sitting across from her. She recovered quickly however and resumed her work. "Who then?"
Rose inhaled slowly and looked squarely at Pearl before answering.
"Amethyst."
Pearl's face fell instantly into a look of mild disdain and she abandoned the sword in her lap altogether. The corners of Rose's mouth turned minutely downward at her reaction. Pearl immediately felt a wave of shame roll over her.
"I'm sorry." Pearl offered, half meaning it. "I just… I don't understand."
"I need you to teach Amethyst how to fuse," Rose said evenly.
Pearl's jaw dropped and her back straightened so violently it looked painful as she stumbled loudly over her words. "Wh- Rose, I- what? Why me?"
"Because she needs to learn. And you're a wonderful teacher."
Pearl blushed both from the compliment and from her own confusion.
"But why can't Garnet teach her?"
"Because I'm asking you to do it, Pearl." Rose's voice was loving but uncharacteristically stern. The revelation that in spite of Rose's words, this was more of a command than a request, threw Pearl even more. Rose hardly ever pulled rank; her stance of equality ever since the war had assured that. Pearl sniffed indignantly in an attempt to hide the sting and recover her composure. Rose could sense the shift in Pearl's demeanor and, in an attempt to comfort her without rescinding, she added, "Plus you're better at communicating and this is such a delicate task."
"You're the one I want to fuse with." Pearl offered quietly, looking down to hide how her face burned with the candor of her plea, even though she knew Rose wouldn't change her mind. "We're so strong together."
Rose offered a half smile as she gently cupped Pearl's chin and looked into her eyes. "You'll never know how strong you and Amethyst could be unless you try. You two might be even stronger."
Pearl laced her own fingers between Rose's and slowly shook her head, though they both knew she would say yes.
"Please, my Pearl." Rose pleaded softly. "The Homeworld Gems will inevitably return someday and I need to make sure all of you will be safe. You know how much your safety means to me, especially after…" Rose trailed off softly but she didn't need to finish her sentence for Pearl to understand what she meant. "Amethyst already knows about fusion, but she's never actually managed to fuse with any of us. She needs a teacher. She needs a partner. She needs a friend. She needs you, my Pearl."
Pearl let her hand drop back into her lap.
"Of course, Rose."