Pearl knew she shouldn't have been eavesdropping. She clasped her hands against the metal door, her ears seemingly glued to it.
She exhaled quietly, closing her eyes. She knew how much Rose cared about the planet and its inhabitants, though she couldn't see why. There were lots of planets with functioning kindergartens on them that once had other life forms on it. What was so different on Earth?
"Pink Diamond, we need to look at this rationally. The Geode System —"
"Empty words," Rose said. "We can send a red-eye into them. You know I'm the only Gem with light cannons."
"That doesn't matter!" Blue Diamond shouted, and Pearl imagined her literally flying up from her seat. "You know that Cinnabar's been developing weapons!"
"I have to say I'm on Pink's side here, Lazuli… Cinnabar is under an agreement," Yellow Diamond said.
"Look how far that's gotten us," Blue huffed. "Pink, look at it like this. Cinnabar's going to use those weapons. Not might. Will. We need to destroy the system, and Quartzes are the only way to safely go about it."
There was a silence, Pearl hearing only Rose's soft, exasperated sigh. She twisted her hair, waiting for what was going to happen next. Rose was going to win. She'd throw up an argument that win her the debate, and her irrational love for the Crystal system would be understood, and agreed on. She just waited.
It felt like moments before it wasn't Rose, the Pink Diamond, but White Diamond, the leader of Homeworld. "I think that Blue is right. We should take Cinnabar's threats as real. It would be… almost traitorous not to," White diamond continued.
Pearl shuddered, her teeth baring. They couldn't be insinuating…
Silence again. Pearl's shoulders tensed until she could have sworn she was reeling into them. They could take away her diamond title. Would she… would she risk it?
"Fine then," Rose said. "I was just hoping we could spare such a… vibrant planet…"
"In times like these, Pink Diamond, we need all the gems we can get, even if we have to sacrifice what we want." There was a pause, before White snapped, "No, Yellow, stuffing shattered gems into Charmelan's core to destroy the planet is costly and too experimental." She paused again. "No."
Pearl inched away from the door. The meeting would end at any minute. She slowly walked down the corridor until she was at a short distance from the door. She started walking towards the door to make it look like she was just getting around to it. A vapid, average pearl looking for her mistress.
She barely made out the words, "Meeting dismissed," and started giving her stride a dancing look to it. She glanced around, trying to loosen her shoulders. She put a smile on her face and threw the lock of hair she had been twirling behind her ears. She almost felt like she could've been a perfect Pearl.
The door swung open, and Pearl stood calmly and politely as three gems filed out. First, Yellow diamond, a Titanite with two forward-aimed points sticking out of the back of her head. Her cat-like eyes glanced over Pearl once before sniffing with disinterest. Pearl wilted only a bit. Next was Blue Diamond, one of the few Lapis Lazuli gems there really were. She had to look up to see Pearl, and lingered a few moments. Pearl noticed the small points of water hanging off of her back, ready to become wings at any given moment. She smiled more forcefully. "Is Pink Diamond coming out yet?" she asked briskly.
Lapis gave a blink and flicked her head behind her before stalking off in the opposite direction of Yellow.
Rose walked through the doorway slowly, giving a forlorn glance behind the door. "They wouldn't understand," she said quietly before turning to Pearl.
Pearl stood up taller and smiled hard enough she felt that her cheeks were going to fall off. "So," she said slowly, "Did the meeting go well?" She swayed her hips, her long, veil-like skirt falling along with her.
Rose gave a smile, a real one. Pearl couldn't help but notice her eyes twinkle like they had stars in them. She laughed and patted Pearl's shoulder like she would a friend. Pearl brightened a bit. "Not really," she said. "I guess you would know that."
Pearl jumped back, surprised. Rose's smile faltered. "I'm serious, Pearl. This could get you harvested, or worse."
Pearl's heart sank to her stomach at the thought of it, and she felt her smile loosen.
"I would never do that to you, but you have to be careful. They might force you to become a kindergarten worker on Earth or worse," she said and then sighed. "Just… Be careful, okay? I have to do some things." She started walking off, her large hand leaving Pearl's shoulder. She turned around, her dress swinging with her. "Meet me in our quarters." She gave a smile and turned away to continue walking in the direction Lapis had went in.
Pearl turned to see that nobody was around before sighing and loosening her shoulders and face. She narrowed her eyes a bit. There. She then leaned against the wall, and imagined what sort of hell her life could've ended in if Rose had been demoted.